Cambodia & Portrait: Sara Duong, the happiness of moving to her native country

She loves temples, good food and above all her homeland, Cambodia, which she left at the age of three to live in France. Today Sara is a member of the Archetype group and tells us all about her journey and her joys.

About you in a few words

My name is Sarah, I'm 32 years old and I'm French-Cambodian, born in Phnom Penh. I grew up there until the age of 3 and then I moved to France, first to Normandy, in Grandville in particular, and then to Angers. There, I prepared a Master's degree in ‘tourism project management’.

What were your reasons for doing this course?

Curiosity, a desire to travel and discover other cultures. I thought it was a really fun and interesting sector.

What were the circumstances that prompted the family to move to France?

My family was in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime, but they left after the war. My grandmother left first and then brought my parents back to France.

Cambodian education, French education or both?

In a more French atmosphere, even if it was still relatively traditional and classical at home. Yes, I'd say it was more of an Asian upbringing, but my parents had a strong desire to integrate. We didn't really mix with the Cambodian community. So we had an Asian upbringing, but a very French environment and entourage.

My parents spoke Khmer, so I understood the language, but throughout my teenage years, I never thought I'd come back to live in Cambodia, so I never spoke Khmer during that period of my life.

Before moving to Cambodia in 2019, did you come back on holiday first and what were your impressions?

My first contact was quite striking because there was a big contrast with France, particularly in terms of the environment and poverty. I must have been 19 or 20, I think. So there was a big contrast. What struck me most was the poverty at that time.

And then I came back a second time a few years later, also with my family. By then, the country had already developed a little and I felt that there was still a difference. I felt at home quite quickly. And after that second stay, I decided to move to Cambodia.

What was your professional situation at the time?

I had a permanent contract, I was working in Paris, a fairly stable situation in fact, in the tourism and sustainable development sectors to be more precise. But I said to myself:

“You need to go to Cambodia to experience it for yourself and not have any regrets later on, so I resigned to go to my country”.

I really felt I had to do it, and I'd already experienced that feeling during my studies.

So you left everything behind... for Cambodia

Yes, I left France, my flat and a stable situation. My parents stayed, but I'm lucky enough to have my grandparents here, so it was easier. That's the reassuring aspect of my expatriation. But after that, everything happened very quickly. Within a month, I found a job in the tourism sector. So it was a very easy adjustment, a French company, management I liked, a sector I liked...

So there you have it, very easy integration until Covid when... things got a bit out of hand. The agency I was working for went into sand-by and so I found another job in the property sector. So there was a change of direction... I continued in sales and marketing, but in a completely different sector. And that's something I probably couldn't have done in France. And then I joined Archetype in July 2022.

What is your role at Archetype?

I do business development. This involves meeting customers, creating new relationships and partnerships, developing business and bringing in projects. So there's a lot of customer relations, either with existing customers or with prospects.

Is it demanding or difficult?

It's a challenge, so it's exciting because times are pretty complicated at the moment in the construction sector and in the economy in general. So you have to commit yourself even harder.

Did you have to update your skills a bit, take a little architectural training?

I wouldn't say training, but I did spend a lot of time with my colleagues, the architects and engineers, to really understand what consulting in the construction sector involves, because it's very technical.

So for someone who isn't an engineer or architect at all, it takes a bit of getting used to, but now I'm much more at ease.

What would you say is the most difficult part of your job and the most exciting?

Well, the most difficult thing, I'd say, is to keep up with the pressure of the figures, because we work in a sales sector, so there's obviously a lot of regular monitoring, in today's complicated economic climate. So that, I'd say, is the hardest part. What's most exciting is the sector in general, which I find very interesting, because in fact I meet people from all sectors of activity. One day I'm working on a factory, and the next day I'm working on a 5-star hotel, and then on a hospital project, it's really very wide ranging, and that's why I never get bored, in fact.

What do you do outside work?

I do a bit of sport, a lot of travelling whenever I get the chance, reading, going out, being with friends. I also think I've integrated quite well into the French-speaking business community since I started working at Archetype. Before, I worked for companies that didn't necessarily need to be really integrated into the French community. But now that I'm with Archetype, a member of the French Chamber of Commerce and a member of EuroCham, I'm much more present and active in the French community.

Have you visited the country and the region?

I love the temples and find them incredible. For me, it's something unique in the world and every time I go there it always gives me a lot of emotions. I also like Kep and Kampot for their peacefulness and gastronomy.

I love seafood, fresh produce and cooking in general, as I come from a family of restaurateurs.

What do you like most about Cambodia and what do you like least?

OK, the most negative thing would be the traffic and road safety, and the lack of greenery, parks and green spaces in the city. I think that's a lack. I think we could do a lot better in terms of well-being.

“What do I like most? The people, I think, the human side, very human, very open, I find Cambodians joyful, I sincerely believe that this is the first criterion that makes me feel good in the country”.

After that, on the professional side, it would be the opportunities. In other words, there are lots of things going on. You're not pigeon-holed. You can be dynamic, change sector. Here, you have freedom of choice, of career choice, it's much more flexible than in France.

I also find that there's a freedom to evolve, a state of mind that means you don't get bored and you can discover new things... you can test yourself in such and such a sector... well, I never thought I'd end up in the construction sector and yet here I am... (smiles).