The Cambodian-Thai ‘Tit for Tat’ Row

To most casual bystanders, who aren’t Thai, it’s obvious Cambodia owns the temple. Not only was the temple built by the Khmer in Khmer style, it was also built on land that had always belonged to the Khmer until Thailand took it over in one of their incursions, into what is now Cambodia, a few hundred years ago.

Cassandra James, Associated Content

I ran into this commentary on the recent Cambodian-Thai spat and thought you guys might be interested.

According to CNN, Thailand has ordered its Ambassador to Cambodia to return home after it learned that deposed Thai ex-Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, had been named as an economic adviser to the Cambodian government. And, according to the Bangkok Post, the situation between Thailand and Cambodia is rapidly deteriorating, to the point that Thailand is now considering cancelling a memorandum of understanding on overlapping maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Thailand. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has also told the Foreign Ministry to take any steps necessary to downgrade dimplomatic relations with Cambodia. As this ‘tit for tat’ fight continues, how did this all happen and which country will back down first?

Preah Vihear Temple

To understand where the situation really began, you have to be aware of the ongoing dispute over an 11th century temple that sits squarely on land owned by Cambodia, but with the only access to the temple on land owned by Thailand. An agreement by Thailand saying Cambodia owned the land was made many years ago, so the Cambodians in all fairness probably felt the situation was solved. Things flared up again however last year, when Cambodia applied for the 11th century temple to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This sparked Thailand’s interest in the temple and a war of words, followed by a stand-off between the military of the two countries, occurred on the border of Thailand and Cambodia. To most casual bystanders, who aren’t Thai, it’s obvious Cambodia owns the temple. Not only was the temple built by the Khmer in Khmer style, it was also built on land that had always belonged to the Khmer until Thailand took it over in one of their incursions, into what is now Cambodia, a few hundred years ago. Ownership of the land went backwards and forwards, but has been held by Cambodia for much of the last century. Therefore, in the eyes of just about every international body, the temple belongs to Cambodia.Fast forward to 2006, when Thaksin Shinawatra the then Prime Minister of Thailand was kicked out of office in a bloodless coup. With talk of ‘immense corruption’ much of the country believed this to be the reason for the coup, only to find out later it was more likely as a result of Thaksin becoming too powerful, a fact the Thai military did not like.

Awkward Moment

Laotian Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, second left, urges Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, left, to move to a closer position for photo session as other Mekong river region leaders from third left to second right, Myanmar Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, with Japanese business group Keidanren leader Fujio Mitarai, right, wait before their luncheon at a Tokyo hotel on Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. The leaders are now here to attend the first Japan-Mekong summit meeting. (AP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno, Pool)

Leaders of Mekong river region, from second left to second right, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Laotian Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, Myanmar Prime Minister Gen. Thein Sein, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, pose with Japanese business group leaders, Fujio Mitarai of Keidanren, right, and Tadashi Okamura of Japan Chamber of Commerce, left, before their luncheon at a Tokyo hotel on Friday, Nov. 6, 2009. The leaders are now here to attend the first Japan-Mekong summit meeting. (AP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno, Pool)

Cambodia-Thailand Rift: Ambassadors Recalled

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart, Abhisit Vejjajiva

And so, the Cambodia-Thailand diplomatic row continues following Hun Sen’s nomination of ousted former Thai prime minister Thanksin Shinawatra. Here is what I woke up to this morning:

Cambodia recalled its ambassador to Thailand Thursday, the deputy prime minister said, hours after Bangkok pulled its envoy in a row over Phnom Penh’s job offer to former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra.

“To reciprocate the recall of Thailand’s ambassador-designate, the Royal Government of Cambodia decided to recall its ambassador for the time being but regards this only as a temporary measure,” Deputy Prime Minister Sok An said.

Sok An told a news conference in Phnom Penh that the Cambodian envoy would be sent back to Bangkok “only after Thailand has sent its ambassador-designate to Cambodia”.

The Cambodian government announced the appointment of Thaksin as an economic adviser late Wednesday, riling Bangkok as it attempts to bring the billionaire tycoon home to face justice three years after he was ousted in a coup.

While I was kinda expecting this, I still find this very insane. I’m just sick and tired of this political drama. The two governments are worse than kindergarten kids, doing what they are doing. Let’s act more like grow-ups, please!

My Food Experiment: Crispy Pork Salad

ยำหมูกรอบ or Crispy Pork Salad

Cooking and me were never good friends before I came to the US. I suppose I was too lazy back then and never cared about learning it since my mom would do it anyways.

Now that I have to live away from home, knowing how to cook has become more important than ever. For a reason, it’s too expensive to eat out over here. I’ll need at least $10 each time to do. Twice a day and 31 days a month, that will total to around $620 a month. Yikes! For another, I can’t see myself eating American food everyday. It’s not because their food is bad; it’s just it is often too rich and that isn’t quite compatible with an Asian system like mine.

So the other day, I tried out this one dish called ยำหมูกรอบ or Crispy Pork Salad, which I had grown to love  and would eat regularly when I was in Thailand this summer. Just like other salads, this salad was quite simple and easy to make. The only time-consuming part, though, was the making of the Crispy Pork itself – which took me almost an hour to make. Unless you don’t have access to a ready-made crispy pork, you may wanna skip this part. But again, it’s always good to try doing something like that at least once and make yourself proud.

For those who wanna make it, below is the recipe:

• CRISPY PORK SALAD
  • Ingredients
    • 300 g of pork belly (សាច់ជ្រូក​បីជាន់)
    • 1 teaspoon of salt
    • 1 cup of vinegar
    • 6 cups of cooking oil
  • How to make it
    1. Thoroughly mix the salt and vinegar.
    2. Boil the pork belly until it is well cooked.
    3. Take the belly out of the pot and leave it until it’s dry.
    4. Score the skin on the belly of pork crossways with a sharp knife.; then paint it with the salt and vinegar you mix and leave to dry.
    5. Heat your frying pan until it’s really hot.
    6. Add the pork strips in batches & deep-fry for about 40 mins, or until the skin has crackled & is golden.
    7. Cut the pork crossways into thin strips, and it should be ready for our salad.

• SALAD
  • Ingredients
    • 50 g of thinly sliced cucumber
    • 50 g of thinly sliced onion
    • 50 g of sliced tomato
    • 50 g of lettuce
    • 50 g of cilantro (ជីវ៉ាន់ស៊ុយ)
    • 1 tablespoon of lime juice
    • 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
    • 1 teaspoon of sugar
    • 1 teaspoon of ground chili
  • How to make the salad
    1. Mix the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar together in a small bowl.
    2. Mix the crispy pork with the cucumber, onion, tomato, lettuce and cilantro we prepared in a salad bowl.
    3. Pour the ground chili and dressing we prepared in step 1 onto the salad mix and toss them together.

Then your yummy salad should be ready! Enjoy!

A Taste of Peking Opera

Known as Jingju (京剧) in Chinese, the Beijing or Peking Opera is one of the most treasured art forms in China. Formerly reserved only for the emperors of the Qing Dynasty, the Opera combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics. Unlike its counterpart in other parts of the world, Jingju is highly renowned for its unique facial paintings  whose designs represent different characters’ roles. For example, a red face usually depicts heroic bravery, uprightness and loyalty; a white face symbolizes a sinister, treacherous and guile character and a green face connotes surly stubbornness, impetuosity and lack of self-restraint.

As a big fan of art and music, I have always longed to see it live. Growing up in a Cambodian-Chinese family, I remember listening to it almost everyday. Though she spoke no mandarin, other than some basic Toechew, my grandmother was a big fan of it. She would put it on all day and would be super mad if any of us ever messed up with her tapes. To her, it was one of the things she couldn’t live without…

And unconsciously, Chinese opera started to sound more beautiful to me.

Two weeks ago, a Chinese friend shared with me that the Confucius Institute was going to bring the dance to our campus at the end of October. The show will be performed by artists from China’s National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, and will include excerpts from some of the most famous stories in ancient Chinese literature.

Finally, the day (Oct 30) came. With 5 other friends, I went to the show with excitement. The show was very interesting, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s simply very different from other shows I’ve been to, in the way that audience could get up close with the performers and try some of the Opera’s beautiful moves. If only all classical performances elsewhere could be the same. That was a smart move to promote one’s culture to the world.

An audience trying out a move with an artist

The troupe’s next stop will be in Alaska and New York City. Do check them out if you are around there. More pictures from the show are available here.

Is Cambodia Truly the Most Dangerous Spot in Asia?

Let’s check out Edubook writer Anita Saran’s advice on Asia’s most dangerous tourist spots:

Cambodia

For 35 years, various conflicts have been raging in Cambodia over the control for its territories. It is crawling with Interpol’s most feared fugitives and riddled with millions of land mines and has suffered severe deforestation. Although the numbers of land mines have been greatly reduced, every month, more than 150 Cambodians step on land mines.

In 1978, some westerners were killed by the brutal Khmer Rouge along with the Americans, Michael Scott Deeds and James Clark. The two were captured by the Khmer Rouge when they had sailed mistakenly into Cambodian waters.

Suspected as spies for the American CIA and Vietnam, they were tortured for over a month with electric shocks. Wherever western tourists go, they are trailed by beggars: the impoverished and disfigured victims of Pol Pot’s savage regime.

The countryside may be beautiful, but in many places, the bones of the victims of the Khmer Rouge litter the earth.

Although the Khmer Rouge is no more and some semblance of peace seems to reign over this country, anything can happen. Most people own firearms and The Forbes magazine lists Cambodia as one of the most dangerous tourist destinations.

This writer really needs to read more news and do more REAL RESEARCH. What is mentioned here about Cambodia is completely outdated. That was Cambodia in the mid-90s, not 2009.

In brief, if you know nothing about the place, stop pretending that you do. It only makes yourself another trash writer.

One Year Old Passed, Cambodian-Thai Rift Continued

Cambodian school children participate in celebrations marking the one-year anniversary of a U.N. decision to list the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodian dancers perform a traditional dance to mark the one-year anniversary of a U.N. decision to list the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage Site, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Cambodian performers play drums to celebrate at the ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh July 7, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered Cambodians, including Buddhists, on Tuesday to honour the one year anniversary of the Preah Vihear Hindu temple’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a long-running source of Thai-Cambodian tension. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea
Cambodian performers dance at the ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province, 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh July 7, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered Cambodians, including Buddhists, on Tuesday to honour the one year anniversary of the Preah Vihear Hindu temple’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a long-running source of Thai-Cambodian tension. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Cambodians release pigeons and balloons as they celebrate at the ancient Hindu temple in Preah Vihear province 543 km (337 miles) north of Phnom Penh July 7, 2009. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen ordered Cambodians, including Buddhists, on Tuesday to honour the one year anniversary of the Preah Vihear Hindu temple’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a long-running source of Thai-Cambodian tension. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea

Khmer Gold at the National Museum

While in Phnom Penh, I decided to make a unplanned visit to the National Museum. Though not my first time, the visit was as interesting and worthwhile as always. The major draw this time, though, was nothing else but a new exhibit on rare Angkorian gold and jewelry, never seen before in Cambodia.

A recent donation by British businessman and an author of Khmer Gold Douglas A. J. Latchford, the collection dates back to the 11th-12th century. It comprises of exquisitely designed belts, rings, headdresses and diadems, crowns, earrings, armbands, chignon covers and bracelets, believed to be worn by ancient Khmer kings in the heydays of the Khmer Empire. While their age and origin remain unclear, the items were found by Latchford in antique stores in Bangkok.

Some of the jewelry currently on display. Please excuse my abuse of the “no photography in the museum” rule.

The sight of them totally stunned me. Until that very day, I had always thought that these precious items had already been lost. I am thankful to Mr. Latchford, who was so kind to return them to Cambodia. Your kindness will be forever remembered by all Cambodians, and I’ll proudly say that you are one of the rare heroes out there that our world needs.

As for my readers, please don’t miss this exhibit! Do stop by the National Museum whenever you have a chance. I guarantee you will love this!

Shot of the Week: Spring in Madison

Tulips in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol

Lake Mendota

Madison’s famous State Street

Killing Fields: Long Road to Justice

In a groundbreaking new documentary CNN’s Dan Rivers goes on the hunt for Ta Chan, the chief interrogator of the Khmer Rouge’s notorious S-21 prison camp.  For the program, CNN obtained exclusive and previously unseen footage of Ta Chan giving a tour of another Khmer Rouge jungle prison. CNN’s Rivers also details corruption allegations at the Phnom Penh trial of Khmer Rouge leaders, reporting on prosecution and defense fears that the trial will be tainted by the allegations.

Sam Ang Manin: Cambodia’s Future Scientist & I-Sweep Gold Medalist

“I beat an American!” Sam Ang Manin, a 16-year-old Phnom Penh young girl, still cannot believe it: her project to produce biofuel based on jatropha oil won her a gold medal at the I-Sweeep 2009 international contest between budding scientists, when a similar project of a United States high school student was awarded “only” a silver medal. The young Cambodian has even more reasons to be proud since she has also received a scholarship and a special prize of a U.S. firm. She thereby did even better than a previous Cambodian prize winner, who had obtained a silver medal in the same category “Senior Energy” in this contest in 2008 for her coconut diesel.

Way to go girl! You’ve made me and Cambodia so proud. News about your achievement made my day!

More news on this can be found HERE!

Counting Down: Cambodia Here I Come

Exactly two more weeks to go, and I’ll be back in the motherland. Though only for 10 days, I hope I get to spend a lot of time with the people I’ve missed and the foods I’ve long craved for. See you guys soon!

Somaly Mam Among the “Time Top 100″

Having received so many of the world’s most prestigious awards, Somaly Mam has done it again! In their latest issue, Time Magazine has nominated her among the world’s top 100 most influential people. Below is an excerpt on the life of Bong Somaly written by Angelina Jolie:

Somaly Mam and Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime were born around the same time — when the U.S. began secretly carpet bombing her country. The bombed villages became fertile ground for the Khmer Rouge’s growth and Pol Pot’s revolution.

By the time Mam was 5, the Khmer Rouge controlled Cambodia and had proceeded to kill 1.5 million people as Pol Pot implemented his radical form of communism. Torture, executions and forced labor were widespread. Families fled for safety, and massive internal displacement decimated Cambodian society in the years that followed.

Against this backdrop, 12-year-old Mam was sold into sexual slavery by a man who posed as her grandfather. She eventually ended up in a Phnom Penh brothel, beginning a decade of horrific rape and torture. She describes this period of her life simply: “I was dead. I had no affection for anyone.”

Terror is the weapon of choice for those who hold women in sexual bondage. They depend on their victims’ being frozen with fear. Traffickers hope that with enough pain and degradation, women will simply accept their fate as inescapable.

But Mam was able to escape. With the help of an aid worker from France, she fled Cambodia in 1993.

The fact that she escaped makes her unique, but what makes her truly extraordinary is that she went back. While, understandably, most people would spend the rest of their lives quietly recovering from their wounds, Mam decided to confront the system that continues to victimize Cambodian girls.

In 1996, Mam created a nonprofit organization called AFESIP (Agir pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire, or Acting for Women in Distressing Circumstances) that works with local law enforcement to raid brothels and reintegrate the trafficked women into society. It is estimated that between 1.2 million and 2 million people are currently being held as sex slaves around the world. Mam, now 38 or 39 (she does not know her birthday), has established a model for addressing this issue and has already helped more than 4,000 women escape the brothels.

She has paid a terrible personal price for doing so, enduring death threats and assaults. In an effort to deter her work, brothel owners even kidnapped, drugged and raped Mam’s then 14-year-old daughter in 2006.

Most people would have walked away. Mam continues to fight back so that others can be spared the pain she once suffered.

Keep up the excellent job, Bong! Just like other Cambodians, I am proud of you!

Shot of the Week: A Sign Spring’s Back

It is often said that once birds are back from the South, that means Spring is back. Yesterday I joined two friends for a long stroll around the Statue Garden in downtown Minneapolis. It felt so good to see loads of birds around. With the grass getting greener, the whole atmosphere just lifted me up. For a good moment, I totally forgot about those boring papers I have to finish by next weekend.

Have a great weekend everyone! Until then, enjoy this picture! My apology for the hiatus and lack of productivity lately.

Sample Music from Sarikakeo

Sarikakeo សារិកា​កែវ

Patcheay ផាត់​ជាយ

SUPPORT US BY BUYING THE CD
VIA ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ONLINE MUSIC STORES:

iTunes Music Store USA | iTunes Music Store UK
eMusic | Amazon MP3 USA| Amazon MP3 UK

New CD from Cambodian Living Arts – Sarikakeo

Tracklisting

1. Rolok Phtup Chrang (រលក​ផ្ទប់​ច្រាំង)
2. Sarikakeo (សារិកា​កែវ)
3. Aterey (អត្តរី)
4. Patcheay (ផាត់ជាយ)
5. Lok Chap Lok Chang (លោក​ចាប​លោក​ចង)
6. Sampong (សំពោង)
7. Chambak Roy (ចំបក់​រយ)
8. Chen Kvan Tong (ចិន​ក្វាន់​ទុង)
9. Ti Krong Kep (ទី​ក្រុង​កែប​)
10. Anupheap Puk Moat (អនុភាព​ពុក​មាត់)
11. Chau Bay Kdang (ចៅ​បាយ​ក្តាំង​)
12. Kramum Leak Khluon (ក្រមុំ​លាក់​ខ្លួន)

Cambodian Living Arts just finished building a new studio in Phnom Penh, and these are the first recordings to emerge, produced by our good friend Peter Mayer, with help from Peter Gabriel, Dickie Chappel and the Real World Studios, with donations of equipment, help, support and advice.

Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) was founded eight years ago by Arn Chorn-Pond, a Cambodian-American refugee who was featured in the Emmy-nominated movie, The Flute Player. Originally called the Cambodian Masters Performing Project (CMPP), Arn founded this organization when he first returned to Cambodia in order to support the music teachers who helped him survive the horrors of the Khmer Rouge.

Approximately ninety percent of Cambodia’s performing artists died during the Khmer Rouge regime, a devastating blow to all of Cambodia’s oral traditions. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, this cultural tragedy was compounded by two subsequent decades of economic hardship, when very few of the surviving master musicians could make a living performing or teaching.

Cambodian Living Arts, a project of World Education, works to support the revival of traditional Khmer performing arts and to inspire contemporary artistic expression. CLA supports arts education, mentorship, networking opportunities, education, career development, and income generating projects for master performing artists who survived the Khmer Rouge as well as the next generation of student artists. We work with the vision that by the year 2020, Cambodia will experience a cultural renaissance so dynamic that the arts will become the country’s international signature.

In doing so, CLA empowers arts students and masters to develop the performance skills and social and professional networks that will help them to make a living through the arts. Since 2003, the number of performances by masters and students has increased by 400% due to CLA’s support; consequently, some performing groups earn from $200-$4,000+ more in income each year from performances alone. Through the performing program, Cambodian Living Arts supports the masters and students to take better advantage of the changing opportunities available to them.

SUPPORT US BY BUYING THE CD
VIA ONE OF THE FOLLOWING ONLINE MUSIC STORES:

iTunes Music Store USA | iTunes Music Store UK
eMusic | Amazon MP3 USA| Amazon MP3 UK

You Know You’re Facebook Addict When…

(CNN) — One day recently, Cynthia Newton’s 12-year-old daughter asked her for help with homework, but Newton didn’t want to help her, because she was too busy on Facebook. So her daughter went upstairs to her room and sent an e-mail asking her for help, but Newton didn’t see the e-mail, because, well, she was too busy on Facebook.

“I’m an addict. I just get lost in Facebook,” Newton said. “My daughter gets so PO’d at me, and really it is kind of pathetic. It’s not something I’m particularly proud of. I just get so sucked in.”

Newton (that’s not her real name; she’s embarrassed by her Facebook use and requested anonymity) says she spends about 20 hours a week on the social networking site, half the time for work — she runs an online business — and half just for fun. She’s tried to cut down on her Facebook use but failed.

“I can go a whole day without Facebook,” she said. “But I’ve never made it through an entire weekend.”

Although there are no statistics on “Facebook addiction” — it isn’t an actual medical diagnosis — therapists say they’re seeing more and more people like Newton who’ve crossed the line from social networking to social dysfunction.

“Last Friday, I had three clients in my office with Facebook problems,” said Paula Pile, a marriage and family therapist in Greensboro, North Carolina. “It’s turned into a compulsion — a compulsion to dissociate from your real world and go live in the Facebook world.”

So how do you know when your Facebook use has turned into a compulsion? You can take Pile’s “Facebook Compulsion Inventory” to find out.

Pile and the other therapists interviewed for this article were quick to say that Facebook itself isn’t the problem and that the vast majority of its 200 million users probably function just fine.

“I’m on it myself,” Pile said. “My daughter just got married, and I got great happiness posting her wedding pictures for all my friends to see.”

She says problems arise when users ignore family and work obligations because they find the Facebook world a more enjoyable place to spend time than the real world.

Newton says she checks Facebook first thing when she wakes up, and then she checks her Facebook page as many as seven times while at work, and then she’ll check Facebook again when she gets home and one more time before she goes to sleep. If you’ve been keeping count, that’s about 10 times a day.

A single parent, Newton includes “Facebook flirting” with men and meeting up with old schoolmates among her favorite activities.

“One old friend told me he had a huge crush on me in kindergarten, and it tore him apart when we weren’t put in the same class in first grade,” she said. “When I read that, it was like, wow. I blushed at my computer. I had no idea I was so important to him. It felt very real and warm and dear.”

The problem is that it’s not real, says Joanna Lipari, a clinical psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. She compares Facebook to “The Truman Show,” the 1998 Jim Carrey movie about a fabricated world where nothing ever goes wrong.

“Facebook is a fun, pleasant, happy, beautiful world. People only present the crème de la crème of their lives on Facebook. And these people want to be your friends! It’s very seductive.”

It’s especially seductive when real life isn’t going so well, Pile adds.

“In real life, people have morning breath, and you have to pay bills with them, and you argue about who’s going to change the baby’s diaper,” she said. “But Facebook is happyland. You don’t have to deal with any of that.”

Newton says she knows all this and is frustrated at how much time she spends on Facebook, given that she has a job and a child.

“I’ve thought about going cold turkey, but that would make me so uncomfortable. I know I couldn’t do it.”

You know you’re a Facebook addict when …

1. You lose sleep over Facebook

“If you’re staying up late at night because you’re on Facebook, and you’re tired the next day, Facebook may be a compulsion for you,” Lipari said. “You shouldn’t be neglecting yourself because of Facebook.”

2. You spend more than an hour a day on Facebook

Pile says it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how much is too much time to be spending on social networking.

“I can’t imagine that anyone would need more than an hour a day on Facebook, and probably no one needs more than 30 minutes,” she said.

3. You become obsessed with old loves

Reconnecting with old friends is one of the great attractions of Facebook, and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with “friending” an old boyfriend or girlfriend. But Pile warns that it can get out of hand very quickly.

“One of my clients met up with an old boyfriend on Facebook. They started spending hours and hours into the night talking to each other on Facebook. She made some really inappropriate comments about how unhappy she was in her marriage,” Pile said. “Her cousin saw the comments and told her parents, and the parents told the husband, and now they’re in the process of getting divorced.”

4. You ignore work in favor of Facebook

“If you’re not doing your job in order to sneak time on Facebook, you could have a real problem,” Lipari said.

5. The thought of getting off Facebook leaves you in a cold sweat

Sarah Browne, who writes the Guru of New blog, gave up Facebook for Lent last month when she realized that she had a “mild” addiction to the site. She’s come up with “Seven Signs You May Be Ready for a Social Media Detox.”

Pile has her own quick test: “Try going a day without Facebook. If you find it causes you a lot of stress and anxiety, you really need to get some help.”

ចម្រៀង​​យីងយ៉ុង​បង្រៀន​ប្អូន

Thought this would be a good treat for the weekend! Enjoy!

បទៈ ចម្រៀង​​យីងយ៉ុង​បង្រៀន​ប្អូន เจรียงยิ่งยงสอนน้อง
ច្រៀង​ដោយៈ យីងយ៉ុង យ៉ត​បួង៉ាម

(គែន)………..

ប្អូនបង​អើយ…
ង៉ៃនេះង៉ៃជាវេលាល្អ
អេ! បើថា​នាង​ចង់​បាន​អ្នកបង
ឲ្យ​នាង​យក​ស្រូវទៅកិន
អេ! បើថានាង​ចង់ធាត់ធំ
ស្រួលបួល​យ៉ាង​ប៉េន
បុណ្យកុសល​ឲ្យ​នាង​បំពេញ
ឲ្យលៈឲ្យវេនឌើ អូៗៗ!

SOLO
ត្រយោន​ យោនអើយ យោនៗ
យោន​អើយ នាង​អើយ​ក៏យោនៗ
ព្រោះថា​បង​ស្រឡាញ់​ប្អូន
បាន​បង​ប្រាប់​ណា​បង​ថា ណា​បង​ថា

SOLO
សម័យសព្វង៉ៃ គេ​ហៅ​សម័យ​ភ័ឌ្ឍនា
សព្វង៉ៃ គេ​ហៅ​សម័យ​ភ័ឌ្ឍនា
គេ​មាន​តាំង​ក្លិប គេ​មាន​តាំង​បារ
កូន​ក្មេង​ប្រុស​ស្រី​ចេះ​ជក់
ផឹក​ស្រា​ទៅណានិង​មកណា
គឺជិះ​មូតូសៃ
ក្លាងឃឺនធៀវក្លិបក្លាង​វ៉ាន់
ឡាប់សប្បាយ​ដល់​មាន់​តើនឡើង
អង្គុយ​យំ​ចង់​បាន​ប្តី
ខ្លួនធំ​ប៉ិន​ក្រ​បី​មិន​ចេះ
ដណ្តាំ​បាយ​វិឆា​ណា​ម៉ៃមី
ទីត​តួ​ណាសាមវ៉ៃ
ដល់​នាង​បាន​បី្ត​បំផ្លាញ
ស្រី​យ៉ាកក្រកូនភ្នែក​ខ្មៅ​រោល
ហា​គិន​ណាម៉ៃ​ផ
បើ​នាង​ខ្លាច​ក្រ​ឲ្យ​នាង​ខំ​វិឆា
ណា​វិឆា

SOLO

ពិធី​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​នៅ​វត្ត​មុនី​សុតា​រាម

កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​សៅរ៍ ទី​១៨ មេសា​ កន្លង​មកនេះ បងប្អូន​ខ្មែរ​យើង​នៅ​រដ្ឋ Minnesota និង​ បណ្តា​រដ្ឋ​ជុំវិញ​ដទៃ​ទៀត ​​បាន​ប្រារព្ធ​ពិធី​អបអរ​​បុណ្យ​ចូល​ឆ្នាំ​ថ្មី នា​វត្ត​មុនីសុតារាម ក្រុងហេមធិន រដ្ឋ​មីនេសូតា។ ដូច​រៀង​រាល់​ឆ្នាំដែរ ពិធី​នេះ ត្រូវ​បាន​ចូល​រួមយ៉ាងគគ្រឹកគគ្រេង​ពី​សំណាក់​ភ្ញៀវ​ជាតិ​ និង បរទេស​ប្រមាណ​ជាង​ ២០០០ នាក់ ដោយ​ក្នុង​នោះ​មាន​ទាំង​បងប្អូនខ្មែរកម្ពុជា​ក្រោម ​លាវ និង អាមេរិកាំង​ផងដែរ។

ឆ្នាំនេះ គណកម្ម​ការ​ចំណុះជើង​វត្ត​​បាន​រៀប​ចំ​នូវ​កម្ម​វិធី​វិសេស​ៗ​ជាច្រើន ទាំង​ផ្នែក​សាសនា​ និង​ សិល្បៈ​​ជូន​ដល់​ប្រិយមិត្ត​ដែល​បាន​ចូលរួម។ កម្មវិធី​សំខាន់​ៗ​ប្រចាំ​ថ្ងៃនោះ ​រួម​មាន ​ការ​វេរ​ប្រគេន​ចង្ហាន់​ព្រះសង្ឃ ការ​សម្តែង​ធម្ម​ទេសនា ពិធី​បង់ស្កូល ពីធី​ស្រង់ព្រះ ពិធី​ផ្ទេរ​ដំណែង​ទេវតា​​ឆ្នាំថ្មី ការ​ប្រកួត​កីឡា និង ការលេង​ល្បែង​ប្រជាប្រិយ ​ការ​សម្តែង​សិល្បៈ​បុរាណ​ និង​ សម័យ​ដោយ​យុវជន​យុវតី​ខ្មែរ​អាមេរិកាំង​ប្រចាំ​រដ្ឋ​ Minnesota និង​ ការ​រាំ​កំសាន្ត។

ទិដ្ឋ​ភាព​សំខាន់​ៗពីថ្ងៃនោះ មាន​ដូច​ខាង​ក្រោមនេះ៖

សាងសង់រួច​ជាស្រេច​​នា​ឆ្នាំ ២០០៥ នៅ​លើ​ផ្ទៃដី ២០​ ហិកតា ព្រះ​វិហារ​​វត្ត​មុនីសុតារាម គឺជាវត្ត​​ខ្មែរ​ដែល​មាន​លក្ខណៈ​ប្រណិត និង​ ធំ​ជាងគេ​បង្អស់​នៅ​ទ្វីប​អាមេរិក​ខាងជើង។

ក្រុម​ឆៃយ៉ាំ​ប្រចាំ​វត្ត

ទេវតា​ឆ្នាំចាស់ រង់ចាំ​ទទួល​ទេវតា​ឆ្នាំថ្មី

ទេវតា​ឆ្នាំ​ថ្មី​ បាន​យាង​ចុះ​មក​ដល់​ហើយ!

ទេពអប្សរ​ហែរហម! ស្អាតៗទេ​បងប្អូន? មាន​ទៅ​​ចាញ់​អ្នក​ស្រុកខ្មែរ​ប៉ុន្មាន!

ពិធី​ហែរ​ដង្វាយ​ទេវតា

ការ​សម្តែង​រឿង​ “ទុំ​ទាវ”

ខ្ញុំ​ និង មិត្តភក្តិ

ស្តង់​លក់​ម្ហូបម្ហារ និង ទំនិញ​ជុំ​វិញ​ព្រះ​វិហារ

ពិធី​ពូន​ភ្នំខ្សាច់

Shot of the Week: Damn Paparazzi

Rain in Cambodia

Cambodia: A Country for Sale

Australia’s SBS Broadcasting Service David O’Shea reports from Cambodia, where locals are now faced with a new peril – rampant land developers literally smashing entire communities, leaving thousands homeless.

Cambodia Gone Digital on Google

One thing I am thankful about life in the US is the availability of online map technology. Just one click away, I can get detailed driving directions to almost anywhere I wanna go. For a long time, this convenience has made me think of nothing but a wish for the same technology for Cambodia. Thanks to Google’s excellent Google Maps, this wish is fast becoming a reality.

While address and direction search remains unavailable (or to an extent, imprecise), Google Maps now offers one of the most comprehensive maps of Cambodia to ever be available online. Users can now access detailed street maps of the country’s four major cities – namely Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville – as well their landmarks. Though it is still a long way until the whole Cambodia map is well digitalized, this new release marks another milestone for Google in online map technology, apart from its popular Google Earth.

Apart from Cambodia, 15 other countries have also been added to the service. They include Bhutan, Bolivia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guam, Iceland, Mauritius, Paraguay, the Philippines, Senegal, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Below are some of the new Cambodia maps I found. Enjoy searching!!!

The new detailed map of Phnom Penh. I briefly did a test search for my house. While Google Maps failed to place it in its right spot, the result was not that bad either. Why don’t you guys try yours and let me know how it goes?

A close-up of downtown Phnom Penh and its many streets and boulevards

Battambang

Sihanoukville

and Siem Reap also go digital. Kudos to Google Maps for this wonderful piece of technology!

Cambodia’s Trials

Via Erik: Below is an excellent two-part documentary from Al Jazeera on the ongoing Cambodian tribunal of the Khmer Rouge. There’s little discussion (but some) on the extremely limited number of leaders in the dock, but some great discussion and uncovering of M-99, a prison thought to have been older and more notorious than Tuol Sleng. The talented Nic Dunlop, author of The Lost Executioner, takes lead on this report.

VSAM Performance: Memoirs of Saigon

A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to attend a special performance by the Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota (VSAM). Titled “Memoirs of Saigon,” the Broadway-styled play was set in 1975 Vietnam and integrated many interesting twists of traditional Vietnamese singing, dancing, comedy , and acting galore! It followed the love story and life of “Nam,” a Vietnamese immigrant who got separated from his high school lover by the Vietnam War and later ended up in the United States.

Below are some of the photos I took from the show. Enjoy!

We’re still proud South Vietnamese. I was surprised that after all these years, Vietnamese-Americans still identify themselves with the long gone South Vietnam – as reflected in the flag and national anthem used at the beginning of the show.

Traditional Vietnamese dance… មិនចោល​សោះឡើយ មួកឌួន និង អាវសាយ!

The main character “Nam” and his two grandchildren

Nam and his high school lover in their younger days in pre-war Saigon

In 1976, Nam married a girl he met in the refugee camp. Under the sponsorship of an American church, he later migrated to the US and settled in Minnesota.

Nam with his daughters and grandkids

The show ended with a traditional Vietnamese fashion show. សុទ្ធតែ đẹp lam…

Please watch out for the Cambodian Student of Minnesota’s New Year Performance and Celebration coming up this April!!!

Shot of the Week: Wisconsin State Capitol

Located in Madison, WI, The Wisconsin State Capitol was completed in 1917. It houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. The building is the fifth to serve as the Wisconsin capitol since the first territorial legislature convened in 1836 and the third building since Wisconsin was granted statehood in 1848.

The Capitol is 284 feet, 5 inches tall from the ground floor to the top of the statue on the dome, making the building 3 feet shorter than the nation’s capitol in Washington D.C. The “Wisconsin” statue on the dome was sculpted in 1920 by Daniel Chester French of New York. Her left hand holds a globe with an eagle on it and her right arm is outstretched to symbolize the state motto, “Forward.” She wears a helmet with the state animal, the badger, on top. She is made of hollow bronze covered with gold leaf.

The Capitol was constructed of 43 types of stone from six countries and eight states. The exterior stone is Bethel White granite from Vermont, making the exterior dome the largest granite dome in the world. In the rotunda is marble from Greece, Algeria, Italy, and France, along with Minnesota limestone, Norwegian syenite (Labradorite) and red granite from Waupaca, Wisconsin. Other Wisconsin granites are located throughout the public hallways on the ground, first, and second floors.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Happy Valentine’s Day

You Know You’re Cambodian When…

The Not-Yet-So-Great Firewall of Cambodia Is Up

Probably in an attempt to protect the government’s credibility domestically, several websites deemed negative by the government have recently been blocked by local ISPs in Cambodia. The Global Witness joined the blacklist today.

THE website of the UK-based corruption watchdog Global Witness has been blocked for some local web users following the organisation’s release of a scathing report on the Kingdom’s nascent oil and mining industries last week.

[...]

The apparent blocking of the site comes a week after reahu.net, the site of a Khmer-American artist, was reportedly blocked by several local ISPs for its scantily clad depictions of Cambodian women.

ចាប៉ីខ្មែរ​សុរិន្ទ

ប្រគុំ និង ច្រៀង​ដោយ​លោកយាយ ថង​ផ្លយ រាជប្រគោន

Shot of the Week: Filaments

Videos from the Dey Krahom Eviction

The shameful and inhumane side of Cambodian development. It breaks my heart to see my own people hurting each other. It’s unimaginable! How could one run a bulldozer over someone else w/out any remorse? This video makes me sick!

Go to hell, you motherfxxxing 7NG and cronies!

Fulbright Student Fellowships for 2010-2011

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the opportunity to compete for 2010-2011 Fulbright Student Fellowships for graduate study in the United States leading to a Master’s degree or a Ph.D.  Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to qualified candidates under the auspices of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Program, subject to the availability of funding.

The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress as a means “to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”  For more than sixty years the Fulbright Program has provided opportunities for foreign nationals to study, teach and pursue research in the U.S.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Have a strong academic background and a record of excellence in previous studies;
• Have completed a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university for those applying to study in the U.S. for a Master’s degree program, or have a Master’s degree from a recognized college or university for those applying to study in the U.S. for a Ph.D. program;
• Be proficient in English (minimum score of 570 on TOEFL or ITP, or 230 on computer-based TOEFL), or 88 on internet based TOEFL, or 7.0 on IELTS;
• Demonstrate ability to adapt readily to a foreign environment;
• Be in good health and able to undergo a rigorous study program; and
• Have no previous study experience in the United States.

Fulbright Student Fellowship grants provide round-trip transportation to the United States, as well as tuition, fees and living expenses for full-time graduate study.  Grant provisions do not include financial support for dependents.

Application Instructions

Applicants who do not already have an official TOEFL score of 570 or above should plan to take the Institutional TOEFL Practice (ITP) on March 21, 2009 at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.  Registration for the ITP is available through the Educational Advising Center at RUPP (room 103) from Monday-Friday, with a registration deadline of March 13, 2009.  The next ITP available will be April 25, 2009, with registration deadline of April 17, 2009.  Please contact Mr. Hang Chanthon for registration of the ITP at 023-884-320.

Students receiving a 570 or above on the TOEFL or ITP are invited to apply for the Fulbright program online.  The application and detailed instructions are available at: https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/international/, or www.iie.org/fulbright/apps.  The Fulbright Selection Committee will only accept online applications, which will be due by June 12, 2009.  Applicants must submit all required supporting documents and test score reports directly to the Fulbright Committee of the U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh.  For further information, please contact Mr. Chau Sa at tel. 023-728248, or email: chaus@state.gov.

新年快乐

The Power of a Smile

Sunset Cliff, San Diego, CA

អប្សរាយើងខ្ញុំ ក៏ចេះថតរូបដែរចា៎ស!

Shot of the Week: Invitation

A custom-made Halloween invitation I got from this year!

Cambodian monks force nation’s first rock opera off air

Three simple questions: Should Tum Teav be banned from public school curriculum as well? Aren’t art and literature supposed to reflect reality? Does this scenario not happen in today’s society? See THIS and THIS. Ridiculous.

Cambodian monks have persuaded authorities to ban the country’s first rock opera, which features actors dressed as clergy who break into song and dance, saying it insults Buddhism.

In a letter sent to the ministry of cults and religion, as well as to the media, the Supreme Sangha Council of Buddhist Monks also demanded an apology from the show’s director, writer and actors.

“Where Elephants Weep”, a modern take on a traditional Cambodian love story that merges pop and rock music with more traditional and historical Cambodian tunes, played in Phnom Penh from late November through early December.

It tells the story a Cambodian-American man who returns after the demise of the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime to reconnect with his roots. While he is a monk, he falls into a doomed love affair with a pop singer.

The last straw came when the show was aired by a local television station last week, prompting the monks’ council to write to complain.

Cambodia is predominantly Buddhist and monks are expected to be austere and eschew worldly pleasures such as entertainment.

“Some scenes in the story insult Buddhism,” the letter said in asking the ministry to “ban the performance and airing of the opera.”

The council objected to many scenes, including one in which the actor “left the monkhood and slept with a woman, but a moment later (he) put the robe back on to be a monk again…” said the letter, dated December 30.

The show “oppresses Cambodian Buddhist monks, causes more than 50,000 monks to loss their honour, value and to express frustration,” it added.

Source: AFP