Remarkable People of the Year 2010

Time, as always, runs super fast. 2010 is ending and 2011 is starting super soon. I would like to take this opportunity to thanks some remarkable people of the year 2010. They made my life more beautiful, more joyful, and have contributed to my successes.

One the occasion of our one year anniversary

First most important person is Panha, my boyfriend. As of today, we have been together for 19 months and 13 days. He has supported me with no condition. He is not just a boyfriend, but also a motor taxi driver, a massager, a teacher, an editor, a report writer, a designer, a consultant, a bank, a reminder, a great helper, an entertainer, a photographer, an audient, a source of information, and much more. He is the only person who I can have a good cry with. He has been doing everything I ask or even not ask and has done them from his heart. He is the man behind the scene of all my works. Plus, he does things he doesn’t like if it made me happy.

Second, thanks to my program manager, my colleagues, and FNF in General. I have been working here for 4 years now. This place gave me freedom; allow me to experiences political life, broaden my attention, and link me to a broaden network. Most importantly, my program manager, Mr. Khim Sophanna, allow me to experience freedom to work while at the same time being a responsible person and teach me how to handle pressure. He has been a role model for being committed, a planner, and a follow up person. My colleagues, Kok Tha and Kunthea, are the greatest cooperator. They trusted me 100%.

Kok Tha, En Sokunthea, Khim Sophanna, and Me

ICA Core Team members in Phnom Penh and Battambong

Third, thanks to all ICA members for elected me as the president. I have to deeply thank my only staff- Rany. She has been providing me great assistant at anytime including night time, weekend, and holiday. All the core team members have inspired me to never stop fighting for a better Cambodia. They are the reminder to keep me motivated and having hope. They allow seeing and believing in “thinking big starting small.” They are great people. Their works with ICA has contributed to decreasing gap between the rich and the poor. They spend their time, energy, and money to have the work done. I have been with ICA for six years now, seeing their hard work keep me believing that Cambodia is having the chance to prosper.

Dj Lion, Niko, and Me

Fourth, thanks to Sarika FM 106.5 and of course my fans. Being a radio host of Lovely Night talk show for 2 years now, made me feel like a super star. My fans love me like their sisters. Without them I couldn’t have been working for media that long. Media is the fourth power and I am in it now. While helping my fans to deal with their problems, it increased my general knowledge and keeps me informed/updated about relationship matters. Some issues are totally new for me. My fans are also my teachers. One more, working at Sarika allowed me to be updated with new song. Being the radio host, led me to other working area too which is being MC for different event/party.

My bother, sisters, and Me

Last but not least, thanks to my family; especially, my brother and sisters. Well, they are more like a burden but at the same time the reasons for being hard working. Without these responsibilities I may have wasted my time. The challenges I face are what make me stronger. They are the reasons I have to work more, and the more works I have, the more lessons I learn. They made my life more meaningful and useful. There are many more people to thanks but I better stop here. These are the most remarkable people of my life, they made 2010 so successful. Thanks.

Expressing our sadness

Dear All 

For your information, my team and I are going to meet at 5pm tomorrow (25th November 2010) at parking place at Wat Botum (in front of Hong Kong Center). We are going to dress in black and white, carrying candle, incense, and flower, walk from there toward Koh Pich bridge. Arriving Koh Pich bridge, we are going to pray for our people who passed away. I know it doesn't help much, but what we are doing to show that we care and we are sorry for what have happened.

I have found some families who lose their family members and in need of urgent help financially. Therefore, while gathering there, we are also going to do some fund raising for them. I will be responsible for bringing those money to the families by myself. If you wish to donate, please contact me.

If you, your family, or friends wish to join, please be there at 5pm. You will see us dressing in black and white. 

For information relating tomorrow walk, please contact :

Nana : 092 663 062

Srey Leak (Nana's sister) : 098 863 396

Panharath (Nana's boyfriend) : 016 369 155

Best Regard, 

Nana

Mourning

more than 300 of our own innocent people including kids died last night tragically. I am sharing my mourning by dressing black and white today till 25th November (the official mourning). If you see any kids walking around somewhere on the street, please ask them if they are looking for their parents. Please bring them to the city hall.

Ethic

Case study: When I arrived home from school, I saw a cockroach biting my shirt which was newly bought and I love it so much. In this case is it ethical or unethical to kill that cockroach?

      Killing cockroach is unethical. Killing is unethical no matter what. We, human being, are different from animal or insect that we have the ability to think weather our action is ethical or unethical. For the cockroach, as its nature, don’t have this element. Biting my favorite shirt is a big deal; however, I cannot complain the cockroach, but myself. Why wasn’t I careful enough to protect my shirt? The cockroach doesn’t have the brain that I have. On the other hand, my shirt doesn’t have a life, but the cockroach does. My shirt won’t be hurt, but the cockroach will be hurt and lose its life. It is unethical to kill a life for a thing. Lastly, killing that cockroach won’t make any better anyway. What is the point of killing that cockroach?

      However; according to ethical egoism, one can argue that it is ethical. Ethical egoism explained that people can do things that make them happy. Killing that cockroach is, at that exact moment, release anger. For some people, release anger could help them emotionally.

      Killing a cockroach seems to be small issue. Just a cockroach; who care? Yet, we have forgotten that we are actually killing a LIFE. Nobody wants to lose their lives. Taking somebody’s life just to release our anger is unethical. Releasing anger couldn’t be done by many other means.  Almost all the countries in the world have eliminated dead penalty because any killing is simply unethical and killing won’t make any better at all. It only increases conflicts and endless revenge. 

Media Game

The media game explains relationship between media and politics or journalist and politician. Government and political parties need the media to spread their ideology and policies while the media need news from government and political parties to be reported. In order to gain popularity, the government wants to spin news so that media would report something good about them while journalist is searching for negative news which could make a bigger headline. After the raise of private media, competition emerged between state owned and private own media.

Reinforcement strengthens existing ideas, believes, and opinions from media and individual. That’s explains self-selected news. Peoples read news of their interest and benefits from time to time and keep searching for news which confirm to their opinions.

Media is so powerful in setting our personal agenda as well as government’s agenda. They influence what we think and talk about. Media is very important. Without media, nothing become serious issue and without serious issue, why the government should respond. The media in Cambodia during the last two years make us talk about Preah Vihear conflict with Thailand by repeatedly report and debate about single situation at the border on TV, newspaper, radio, web site, and so on. Is Preah Vihear cast the only serious problem now? What is happening to price of gasoline? About a year ago, we all talk about price of gasoline and that time it was 4,400 Riel per liter. But now because all the news is about Preh Vihear, we don't talk about other stuffs anymore event if the price of gasoline now is 4,900 Riel per liter. Media somehow purposely or unintentionally make us stop talking about gasoline, but Preh Vihear. Media could also bring attention to government to debate on some certain agenda by reporting people living standard, problems, gasoline, and other requests from the people.

How journalist report on any event contribute differently on how we see it. Media frame our image on particular events. For example; the event of 9/11 which was reported as terrorist attack. Our view of that event could be different if the media reported as a group of Muslim hijacked the plan as robbery case and hit the building by accident. Another example of framing would be the recent Ms. Mu Sochua case against prime-minister Hun Sen. The event could be reported as personal case or political case which needs different response. A description under the photo of Mu Sochua walking on the street after the court room could be reported as “Mu Sochua as a law maker caused traffic jam in front of the royal palace” or “Mu Sochua express her demand of justice by demonstrating in front of royal palace” or “Armed police violate citizen (Mu Sochua and her supporter) right to freedom movement”. These descriptions frame and bring our attention differently.

PS: Dear Media people, please take some of your interest from Preah Vihear conflict to price of gasoline. The price of gasoline now is almost 5,000 Riel now. Please do something, Please!

What to do when I have free time? (beside meeting)

Starting from becoming a president, adding another hour of part time job, joining the working group for peace, and the women movement network, there have been million of meeting each week. These last three months, I found myself in three situations: (1) - sitting in meeting, (2) - sitting in front of computer, and (3) addicting to TV show. My third activities (watching TV show) is something I hate myself for addicted to it without even know what is it for. Sometime I just know that I don’t want to do anything, but killing time with these TV show like American Next Top Model or How I met your mother. You know because I didn’t have time at all to watch it, I let myself watching it till 1 or 2am. Anyway, my point is that I found myself lately with computer rather than human being. This evening I had two and half hour free time and I have no idea what to do or who to meet.

I somehow missed my life before a little bit. I remember that I was freer and my brain was quite fresh. Also, I enjoyed reading book a lot. Now, having a dinner with friends, I have to rush from here and there and then I can’t enjoy since I am already tired. I don’t really know what is missing, but I know it might be because I spend less time reflecting and doing quiet time or meditation.

Have you ever had this kind of feeling and situation?

Life

Have you ever wonder or ask yourself how you define the meaning of your life? Or something like: when and what make you feel that life is so beautiful?

I raised up this question doesn’t mean that I have the answer and I guess the meaning of life is define differently depend on who you are. A person may be so happy and excited about earning 5,000USD/month while another person may feel so happy and excited about having a day off at the beach enjoying the view of the sea.

What is the meaning of my life?

It really is about being useful for everyone. When I know that people think of me when they have problems and approach me, I fell that I am being useful and in a way that my life is not just for me but others too. I of course don’t enjoy people having problems, but I enjoy being supportive to those who need. Realizing that I can be able to help others, make me feel that my life is so beautiful and meaningful.

What’s yours?

Do what we can, and do it the best

I usually come back home from work at 10pm at night. Along the way home, I always see different things all those stuffs always teach me something. One day along the way home, I saw a little girl whose age was about10 years old, holding her blind dad’s hand crossing the street. After 10pm, most of the traffic lights are off, car and motorbike drive messy. Can you imagine, a ten years old little girl holding her blind dad’s hand helping him across the street when the traffic light are off? I cried heavily seeing that situation. I put myself in that situation, and I’m sure my feeling was just not able to compare to them at all. It was already very hard for me just to imagine. They might be looking for place to sleep, I guess. Hmm..I was wondering if that little girl goes to school in the morning. And I answered myself, No maybe not.

I wish I could have more political power and money to help them, but god I don’t. What if I am a prime-minister now and ask for donation from all these Excellencies who own many companies? How much food can I offer; how many houses can I provide to my people? Hmm…now I don’t have that power and money yet, what else I have done and doing?

My kids (brother and sisters) packed the left over food from restaurant after our meal and gave it to people on the street. I know it was a very small action and it couldn’t help much but believe me, this little thing does have power to change.

At initiative of change association where I’m leading, we organize a food program once a month on Sunday the fourth week. Our friends and network shared some small amount of money and cook together at our office then go to the street to distribute food. Twice a year, we cook food for HIV and TB people at Russian hospital. Also, once a year we raised fund and study stationery for about 600 students in Takeo province. Those kids in Takeo province often think about dropping out from school because they are poor. Our gift is to encourage them to continue their study.

For information about our program, please visit www.icacambodia.org

This is not an advertisement, but is an opportunity to be a good and responsible citizen. Our organization is a volunteer organization. Except our administrator and accountant, we are all volunteers. I am a volunteer president too. We don’t get paid for doing the charity work, but it is the work of our heart. Join us.

is back after a while silent

It has been awhile since my last article. The internet at my office seems to be broken. It didn’t allow me to get into my blog. Oh maybe it is not the internet, but the virus in my computer. Whatever…hehe..

Good news, I was just elected as a president of Initiative of Change Association (ICA). I Was made aware of ICA at the 11th Asia Pacific Youth Conference in Siem Reap back in 2004. I was touched by the mighty concept of Quiet Time and the four absolute standards. I can still recall the excitement of seeing this young active group discussing what changes they could make for the benefits of themselves, families, communities, and the world. I was 18 years old at that time, and my inner voice asked, “How could an 18 years old girl change the world?” “This is too unrealistic,” I said to myself. There are just too many problems in Cambodia. I am too powerless to change any of them.

As time passed by, I began to realize that what I heard during the conference were true. Young people in Cambodia, no matter where we come from, have so much potential to change and to make Cambodia a better place to live in. Many of my friends immigrated to other countries, expecting better lives. I asked myself, “Should I move out too in order to have a better life? Or why don’t I make my country a better place and have a better life here?”

If I change, my family, my community, and my country change. So does the world.
Make the change for the better.