Some staff and I were discussing how to properly say a few English words and what some words were in Khmer, and inevitably had to define quite a few new confusing words. We got to the word 'thief' because the 'th' sound is hard for them to say, and when they defined it they said its someone who steals and gets caught. I disagreed with the definition a little, saying that a person is still a thief even if they don't get caught. All of our staff - highly educated and otherwise - disagreed with me. They said to not get caught is just taking something, but it doesn't make you a thief. I expanded the conversation to include lying and cheating. Same outcome! The conclusion was that the action did not make you a thief, liar, or cheater - it was getting caught.

I'm still not sure I've processed where this mentality comes from, or how it can be changed, but later on it made me think on a spiritual level... some days I don't even notice the crap and sins I commit, and only realize I'm a sinner when I get caught. We all might. But that doesn't change the fact that I am, we all are, even when no one is looking or catching us in it.

Profound musings from my uncomfortable cot under a mosquito net, huh? ha