I hope you are enjoying the holiday with family and friends and wish you a very healthy, joyful, and prosperous 2020. This past Christmas week has felt quite uneventful and from an outsider, one of the least interested places in the whole Christmas celebration. Now that could be just that I'm used to more of a Christmas presence in East Asia and Southeast Asia because of the much more developed retail industry. The modern shopping mall is still relatively new to Phnom Penh along with a population base that can or wants to spend extra money on another holiday that really has no significance to local culture. When you factor in minimum wage is expected to be bumped up to $190USD/month in 2020 and the average yearly household income at approximately $1400USD. I did spot some young children dressed in Santa type suits running around the riverside boardwalk on Christmas Day, something of a tradition in Vietnam as well. I think if you're burned out on the Christmas season Phnom Penh might be the answer for your next winter getaway.
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