Saturday Night Live: Sarah Palin Rap

Saturday Night Live – McCain QVC Open

Congratulations, President Obama!

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you — we as a people will get there.

said Obama during his victory speech in Chicago, IL.

Shot of the Week: The Bean

This is the Bean or Cloud Gate, a famous public sculpture from Millennium Park in Downtown Chicago. I took this during my visit to the city in early January this year. I used selective color on this one, leaving only the color in the reflection.

Chandlers Pond at the Onset of Fall

Go Rock My Canoe…

My experience with water sports dates back to 2004, when I kayaked for the first time in Vang Vieng, Laos. I still vividly remember how my friend and I struggled to go upstream along the forceful Nam Song River. Although we almost got flipped at times, that was the most memorable moment I had in Laos and with water sports. Through all these years, I’d always hoped to do it again. But to my disappointment, the wish had never come true due to the unavailability of such sports in Cambodia. It is ashamed that a country, rich in rivers and streams such as ours, doesn’t have it. It is going to be a big draw for many tourists if somebody ever starts one there.

Thanks to the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of Boston College, I had an opportunity to brush up my water sport act again yesterday. With 45 others students, I went canoeing down the Ipswich River in Ipswich, Massachusetts. 

WHERE IS IPSWICH?

50 miles northeast of Boston, Ipswich is a small coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts. It has a population 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island and Plum Island State Park.

Ipswich is a residential community with a vibrant tourism industry. The town is famous for its clams, celebrated annually at the Ipswich Chowderfest, and for its breathtaking Ipswich River and Crane Beach.

WHAT DID WE DO?

The fun day trip began with a gathering at the Murray Graduate Center on Chestnut Hill campus. We departed on a yellow school bus sponsored by GSA.

After an hour on the road, we arrived at the breathtaking Ipswich River.

See? We didn’t lie at all. The place was completely cool. Wish the water were crystal clear, or it should have been perfect.

Boston Waterfront at the Onset of Summer

There is no other spot in Boston where you can enjoy a warmer and crispier summer breeze than along the Charles River. A small, relatively short river, the Charles separates Boston from Cambridge and Charlestown. It is fed by about 80 brooks and streams, and several major aquifers as it flows snakelike for 80 miles (129 km), starting at Echo Lake in Hopkinton, through 58 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts before emptying into Boston Harbor.

This past Sunday was a perfect day for that!! The clear blue sky and warm summer air made me realize I shouldn’t stay home anymore. It’s unhealthy! I should go out! I should enjoy the day! So I decided to take a long walk across the Longfellow Bridge from Cambridge all the way to Boston Commons..

Let’s see what I found along the way!!!

This is a typical view of the Charles on a sunny day! So many activities happen! You can see people yatching, canoeing, jogging, biking, sunbathing, and more. The whole scene just gets so alive!

A Bostonian family enjoying the beautiful day. The bridge on your right is the Longfellow Bridge I trotted across.

The Duck Tour – the famous boat-cum-van tour that carries tourists on cruises around the city. If you ever come to Boston, never miss this!!! It is a must-must experience!

A Stroll at the Christian Science Center

The weather wasn’t that good today, nor was it too bad either. It showered briefly in the morning and early in the afternoon. Life in Boston somehow remained as busy and hectic as usual. In one part of the city, a sea of people and cars clogged the traffic at Kenmore Square, where a few hundred yards away, the Boston Red Sox was playing against the New York Yankees.

Initially that was where my Taiwanese friend Lili and I had planned to go. We thought that it’d be a great opportunity for pictures. But when we got there, the crowd and the surrounding madness just turned us off. In the end, we decided to revise our plan and instead went to the famous Christian Science Plaza.

Located in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, the 14-acre Christian Science Plaza is one of Boston’s most visually recognizable sites and tourist attractions. It has a long picturesque reflecting pool and fountain — making it a perfect spot for strolls and jogging.

As for now, please enjoy some of my photos from there. They don’t look that good though ‘cos the sky wasn’t very clear. I guess I’ll have to get back there again on a more sunny day!!!

The Christian Science Church

Lili looking so captivated by the church’s beauty

Shot of the Week: Lovely Boston in Winter

Taken from the Mass. Ave Bridge above the Charles River

GISA Spring Party

There is so much about BC that I love. Right from the first day I knew that my experience here would be like no others. Right from the first day I was sure I would gain lots of wonderful experiences, academically and socially. And through all these times, BC has confirmed me just that.

From one week to another, events after events happen on campus. They range from academic and professional development seminars and workshops to such fun events as cultural shows, art festivals, acapella singing contests, and a ton more. In addition, BC is also home to some 150 student clubs and associations, which cater to all sorts of students, social/political groups and interests.

As you might have seen in the previous post, I had just participated in the Grads Give Back Day –when I joined almost 200 other grad students performing community service around the Boston area. And again, on Wednesday last week there came another one, which was utterly different but so fun and colorful. That was the GISA Spring Party.

For your information, GISA stands for the Graduate International Student Association, an organization advocating for the interests of international graduate students at Boston College. From this introduction, you should have known by now what I was trying to mean by ‘colorful’ . If you still feel unsure, check the pics below and decide for yourself…

Wherever there is a party, there must be food. So, as you may have expected, we began our program with a yummy dinner. I don’t wanna brag, but GISA was truly international. Believe it or not, that evening they got us all sorts of food: Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Italian, Cambodian, and Vietnamese…

More on KNY Parade in Long Beach

CAMBODIA TOWN – The Third Annual Cambodian New Year Parade on Anaheim Street in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2007. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram

CAMBODIA TOWN – Smin Chaeng, left, Dabalak Ham, and Zaleakhema Ham, and Melissa Phay, left, laugh as they greet the wave the parade-goers along Anaheim Street during the Third Annual Cambodian New Year Parade in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2007. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram

CAMBODIA TOWN – Don Chaky, left, chases Michelle Heang in a traditional dance where he is a monkey and she is a mermaid during the Third Annual Cambodian New Year Parade on Anaheim Street in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2007. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram

CAMBODIA TOWN – Dontey Henderson, 1, watches the Third Annual Cambodian New Year Parade on Anaheim Street in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2007. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram

CAMBODIA TOWN – Members of the Angkor Wat Cambodian Feather Sport team demonstrate kicking a weighted feather around a circle during the Third Annual Cambodian New Year Parade on Anaheim Street in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2007. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram

CAMBODIA TOWN – Destiny Uy, 8, laughs as she marches with the Khmer Arts Cultural Center during the Third Annual Cambodian New Year Parade on Anaheim Street in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2007. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram

CAMBODIA TOWN - Los Angeles County Sheriff deputy K. Inital relaxes as fellow deputy Sopheak Touch gives him a ride in a bicycle rickshaw before the start of the Third Annual Cambodian New Year Parade on Anaheim Street in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, March 7, 2007. Photo by Jeff Gritchen/Long Beach Press-Telegram

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• Khmer New Year in Long Beach

 

Cambodian New Year in Rhode Island

សួនខាងមុខព្រះវិហារ

ព្រះវិហារវត្តធម្មឃោសនារាម

ទិដ្ឋភាពខាងក្នុងសាលាឆាន់: ខុសពីនៅស្រុកយើងដែលជាធម្មតាមានព្រះសង្ឃច្រើនអង្គ នៅក្នុងវត្តនេះ មានតែពីរអង្គគត់។ ខ្ញុំ កំពុងឆ្ងល់ថា តើលោកទាំងពីរព្រះអង្គនេះ នឹងឆាន់ម្ហូបម្ហាទាំងអស់នេះអង្កាលអស់ទៅ បើមហាច្រើនយ៉ាងនេះ។

Grads Give Back Day

Our hardworking team! 

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) and the Law Student Association (LSA) of Boston College today launched their annual “Grads Give Back Day” campaign. Beginning in 2005, the campaign aims to promote volunteerism and community service among BC grad students. According to the organizers, nearly 200 Boston College graduate and law students participated in this year’s event, offering their time and energy at various locations throughout the Greater Boston area.

After gathering and picking up their t-shirt and materials at the Murray Graduate Student Center, the BC volunteers headed off to their service placements for the afternoon. I, along with five other classmates, were placed at an elderly homeless residence called Hearth Home in Dorchester.

A Social-Networking Weekend (Part 2)

VERMONT–THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE

The first view of Vermont took my breath away. On both sides of the highway were miles of green hills and snow-capped mountains, which blended perfectly with the clear, blue sky of the day. Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed that such a paradise existed. I can quite see why Vermont is known as the Green Mountain State.

Our two-hour drive from Lowell took us to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, where our appointment with Dr. Burt was scheduled to take place. I was surprised to learn from Dickon that Dr. Burt had visited Cambodia and is well-acquainted with top CLA board members. Through them, he had learnt a fair amount about Pou Sithul and was sorry for the health problem he is facing. Realizing how important it is for Cambodia to have a talented master like Pou Thul, Dr. Burt offered to treat him for free.

Pou Ieng Sithul and our kind doctor Burt

Following almost an hour of questioning, Dr. Burt at last found an answer to Pou Thul’s problem. From what he said, our heart is made up of a complexed system of wiring, which facilitates and determines the speed of our heartbeat. Unfortunately, in Pou Thul’s case, a small part of that system is malfunctioning, and that destabilizes his heart rate. As a preliminary solution, Dr. Burt suggested Pou Thul increase his current drug dose and report his condition daily. If things don’t improve, he will think of another solution.

PUTNEY

After our appointment at the hospital, we headed to Putney, another small town half an hour away from Brattleboro. One of Dickon’s CLA colleagues John Burt lives there and had offered to put us up for the night.

Putney Public Library

Just like the rest of Vermont, Putney is pretty rural, hilly and densely forested. According to the 2000 census, it has approximately 3,000 residents who earn a median household income of $40,346–putting it among the medium-range income towns in America.

John has a very beautiful house on one of Putney’s hills, where he lives with his friend Ruth and two cats. It might sound a bit lonely, but having seeing where it is and how he lives, I can’t help by envy his lifestyle. So ideal, carefree and serene. A real cool and crisp shangri-la, I’ll say.

John’s house

John’s career has been focused on the arts for all his life. He’s produced many plays all over America. As a result his house is full of odds and ends from various productions. When we arrived, John and Ruth were shopping in town so we got up to plenty of mischief. There’s an old expression that I have heard which goes something like this, “when the cat is away, the mice will play”.

Trying John’s wigs… Bad mice we were!

On top of that, both John and Ruth are also big animal lovers. As you may expect, they’ve got a big farm situated up on the hill behind their house. That afternoon, Dickon, Pou Thul and I went there for a brief visit and we were so amazed by how nice it was. There we found 7 sheep, 2 goats, 3 donkeys, 1 exotic bird, and a whole flock of guineas and chickens

Pou Sithul feeding carrots to one of the goats

Hardworking Ruth with her sheep and goats

We didn’t just visit. We also helped Ruth on her farm.. Very good boys we were. :p

My most favorite animal in the farm, an exotic bird of some sort…

The Cambodian and British farmboys

Handsome farmhand in the haybarn

As you can see, we had a fantastic time.

And then came the last and best part of the day. That evening John cooked us a wonderful dinner. Believe it or not, he cooked us Cambodian food. Amazing, isn’t it? I am sure you are finding this weird. Who would imagine an American cooking Cambodian food for a Cambodian? He really put me to shame because his food was truly yummy… Even better than that of some of the Khmer restaurants in Lowell. John later told us that he loves cooking and he had learnt how to make all the food from a Cambodian cookery book. What a smart guy! Two thumbs up for you, John! I clearly have a lot still to learn.

Our sweet host and chef John…

All of us at the dinner table. Seen here are Pou Ieng Sithul (far left), Nancy (2nd left), Dickon (3rd left), Ruth (center), John (4th right), Dr. Burt and his wife Harriet (3rd and 2nd right) and Dr. Bob (far right).

In addition, we also had a great chat. It felt just like a reunion of chatters, with Cambodia and Where Elephants Weep opera being our biggest topics. I found our conversation particularly interesting when it comes to the various impressions and experiences that everyone had of Cambodia. The group was so rich in great ideas and interested to hear my perspectives on things. It is clear to me that these people have a great love for my country and that truly warmed my heart.

Related Post

• A Social-Networking Weekend (Part 1)

A Social-Networking Weekend

There is something special about my weekend this week. Instead of trotting around Boston as I often do, I took a long journey to the northern-most New England state of Vermont with my super-duper buddy Dickon…

WHERE IS VERMONT?

A state in the New England region of the United States, Vermont is located in the northeastern part of the United States.

According to Wikipedia, the state ranks 45th by total area, and 43rd by land area at 9,250 square miles, and has a population of 608,827, making it the second least populous state (second to only Wyoming).

The only New England state with no coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont is notable for the Green Mountains in the west and Lake Champlain in the northwest. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north.

The state is famous for its scenery and dairy products. It is the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States. The state capital is Montpelier, and the largest city is Burlington.

WHY VERMONT?

Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), a Boston-based World Education project which works to support the revival of traditional Khmer performing arts and  in whose board Dickon is part of, is organizing a big opera in Lowell later this month. Titled “Where Elephants Weep,” the show is said to present a new revolution in Cambodian performing arts by fusing Western and Cambodian musical elements in a completely new contemporary sound.

Starring in this new masterpiece is renowned Cambodian Yike legend Ieng Sithul. Along with 20 other performers, directors and musicians, Sithul arrived in the US a week ago. Ever since the arrival, his whole team have been rehearsing hard in preparation for the big day, when an audience of 900 from all over Massachusetts and Rhode Islands is expected to congregate.

Unfortunately, since 1996 Sithul has suffered from a heart problem, and doctors in Cambodia have yet to figure the root cause of this ailment. Wanting it or not, his good and bad days have always been determined by his heart’s condition. Basically our reason for going to Vermont this time is for him. Dickon and several other CLA board members had worked out an appointment with a local doctor there. Since neither Sithul nor Dickon respectively is fluent in English and Khmer, I was asked to help.

OUR JOURNEY

Dickon attentively focusing on the road…

Our journey began early Thursday evening, with Dickon picking me up for a one-night stop at our friend Duey’s house in Lowell. As sweet as always, Duey and her best friend Chanda prepared us a very yummy dinner that evening. We had Lok Lak, which is Dickon’s all-time Khmer favorite, Pad Thai, stir-fried vegetables and some red wine. Throughout the dinner, we chatted nonstop, sharing our funny stories and experiences in college. The talk went on and on until around midnight when everyone became too tired to go on.

The chatty people (Duey, Chanda, Dickon and I)

The next morning we woke up at 7:15 (pretty early to my US standard.. lol…) and went to pick Poo Sithul up from his hotel, which was around 5 minutes away. Surprisingly enough, meeting me there was my close friend Sal’s brother, Bong Bunrith. How cool to find another familiar face there! After a brief chat with Bong Bunrith and Poo Thul, we embarked on the second leg of our journey.

To be continued…

Just Seen: 300

Synopsis

Based on the epic graphic novel by Frank Miller, ‘300′ is a ferocious retelling of the ancient Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Facing insurmountable odds, their valor and sacrifice inspire all of Greece to unite against their Persian enemy, drawing a line in the sand for democracy. The film brings Miller’s (Sin City) acclaimed graphic novel to life by combining live action with virtual backgrounds that capture his distinct vision of this ancient historic tale.

Daylight Saving Time Comes A Month Early This Year

Announcement, Announcement, Announcement, guys!

Mark your calendars for MARCH 11th. That’s the day we’ll spring forward this year. A federal law is kicking in which moves the start of daylight saving time from the first Sunday in April to March 11th. The idea is to save energy, but are our PCs, cell phones, iPods and other electronic gadgets ready? Inevitably, the change could affect the time on some of these popular gadgets, basically any device that displays time. It could also affect people’s banking. Recently, banks have issued announcements suggesting their customers pay more attention on their transaction activities between March 11th and April 8th.

A good news is that people with Windows XP or Vista won’t notice the change because their devices will automatically update the time. And for other Microsoft systems, there’s an easy fix. Microsoft has addressed this new sensation by introducing a patch which you can download via this link. Having done that, you should be all set.

Let’s get ready for the new time zone.. Hmmm! Sadly, that will mean I’ll have a one-hour less sleep this Sunday. Let’s hope I can adapt myself in time and won’t be late for classes next week

A Special X’mas Box

It’s Not Over–Daughtry

Colors of Winter

Ooops!!! I’ve just realized that March will be here in two days. The arrival of this new month means that the darn freezing winter, which has tortured me over the past several months, will soon be out of sight. In no time, it is going to be replaced by a new season, a season of sweet smells and colors.

The sign of spring is already visible. This week, especially, has seen a very mild and pleasant weather. Other than a morning of snowfall yesterday, the temperature has always been in their fifties. I can now go out freely without having to put on countless layers of warm clothes like before. How cool! Life won’t be as hard anymore.

Anyhow, it would be too cynical to say that winter is always terrible. Come what may, it does have its own unique beauty, which a tropical chap like me has over time learnt to love. On many occasions, the sight and chill of snow raised my mood up high. It presented me with a sort of happiness I had never thought I would have. It felt as if I was in a different world, a world of whiteness and incredible beauty. Believe me or not, that’s exactly the way I feel.

The facts that I am such a photomania and that I won’t be here to witness winter’s charm anymore next year have motivated to cherish every moment I have this year. Over the past months, I have managed to capture a pretty large selection of winter photos, which I wish to share with you guys today.

And again, just a word of notification: I am way too far from being a pro photographer.. So, forgive me if some of the pics do not look that cool. Enjoy! Kindly feel free to comment or criticize if you want. In order for me to be a better photographer, I need feedbacks from you all. Gracia in advance.

A world of whiteness. I took this shot around a block away from my house. There is no other time when winter can be as gorgeous as right after a snowfall.

Fulbright Student Fellowships for 2008-2009

The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy is pleased to announce the opportunity to compete for 2008-2009 Fulbright Student Fellowships for graduate study in the United States leading to a Master’s degree and Ph.D. program. 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 550 on TOEFL or ITP, or 213 on computer-based TOEFL), or 80 on internet based TOEFL;

• Demonstrate ability to adapt readily to a foreign environment;

• Be in good health and able to undergo a rigorous study program.

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 550 or above should plan to take the Institutional TOEFL Practice (ITP) on March 17, 2007 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 10, 2007. The next ITP available will be April 28, 2007, with registration deadline of April 21, 2007.

Students receiving a 550 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 4, 2007. 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.

Source: http://phnompenh.usembassy.gov/fulbright_application_instructions.html

Shot of the Week: Windmills

Windmills in Tracy, California

2007 Winter Ball

A saying goes that, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” And when at Boston College, do as the BC students do. Of course I did.

My experience at BC over the past 1.5 semester has been fantastic. Just like other American campuses, BC is so rich in events, mostly set up by fellow students, for us to shred off our stress. There are just so much going on each week; going to all of them is far from possible. There have been boat cruises, city and museum tours, student-mentor retreats, cultural shows and the like… You name it, you find it.

I finally got to join one of the largest grad student events of the year last night. Held at the Colonnade Hotel in downtown Boston, the 2007 Winter Ball gathered more than 300 students. Wading through the freezing winter chill and snow, flocks of hot BC guys and gals showed up in their nicest dresses and make-up… I could hardly recognize many of my female classmates because the make-up and dress gave them a completely new look. Not until they called my name did I know who was who.. Crazy me! :p

My classmates from previous semester–Katie, Christina, Marley and Erin

With Christina the Marilyn Monroe

Our devoted GSA event organizers, Mike, Jess and Nick.. You guys’ve done a great job! Kudos to you!

The Trapelo House hotties.. My roommates Farooq, Julian, me and Brian

My department mates. FYI, 80% of my classmates are female.. It’s probably because Higher Education Admin. is a female major. Hmmmm!

The sexiest lady of the night, Kajahl…

My bunch of close friends–Elizabeth and her fiance, Chenzi, Kerry, Yumi and me

After a happy chit-chat and buffet dinner, it was time to rock the dance floor…

Yo yo yo! Let’s go with hip-hop beats!

Chenzi rock-n-rolling with Andriy…

My turn with Yumi

“It’s getting hot in here… Let’s take off all your clothes…” goes Nelly.. By the way, sb is staring at your something, Kerry! Be careful!

Kerry: Hey man, what are you staring at?

Who says that the ball is only for young people. See? Even Isabel’s mother was there too.

And she even danced… Amazing mom she is.

BC alum makes it big in the world of blogs

Media Credit: Courtesy of Jason Mulgrew Jason Mulgrew, BC ‘01, in his hometown of Philadelphia. Mulgrew launched his blog on Blogspot.com in 2002. After being featured in People Magazine the number of visitors to Mulgrew’s site increased dramatically.

‘Internet quasi-celebrity’ and BC ‘01, Jason Mulgrew talks about his blog, his rising fame, and his memories of BC.

By: Neil Johnson

Jason Mulgrew, BC ‘01, became what he calls an “Internet quasi-celebrity” after he was named one of People Magazine’s 50 Hottest Bachelors in 2001 on the strength of his Weblog, JasonMulgrew.com. Started on Blogspot.com in 2002 before quickly moving to its current domain, Mulgrew’s blog details his social exploits, many of them centered around his seemingly insatiable thirst for drink, with no shortage of self-deprecation – or vulgarity. (Almost no complete sentence from his site could be quoted in this space.) Mulgrew completed an interview with The Heights last week via e-mail, and he spoke of his adventures at Boston College, his upcoming book, and why he still hates BC athletes.

The Heights: How did you end up with this blog? It started out at Blogspot.com. At what point did you get your own Web site?

Jason Mulgrew: I started the blog because I thought I wanted to do stand-up. But then I learned two things rather quickly about stand-up: It is hard and scary. It was much easier to sit at my desk and write stories than it was to get up in front of people and sweat and stammer through some jokes. And yet I imagined the blog as a repository (depository?) for stand-up material, which I’d eventually try out one day. After two weeks of writing the blog, I sent it to some friends, who sent it to their friends, etc. That was pretty much that – my stand-up career was mercifully over before it began.

First Batch of Peace Corps Arrives in Cambodia

American teachers arrive at Phnom Penh international airport February 2, 2007. Thirty English teachers, the first group of Peace Corps volunteers, will serve in Cambodia teaching English at the upper secondary level and supporting teachers in Cambodian provinces and districts to improve their English language and teaching skills. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

Collin Doyle, 24, right, a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer walks past the welcome banner upon his arrival at Phnom Penh International Airport, in Cambodia, Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. U.S. Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Cambodia Friday to teach English at rural schools, marking the 45-year-old organization’s first mission in the country. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

American teachers pose for a photo after their arrival at Phnom Penh international airport February 2, 2007. Thirty English teachers, the first group of Peace Corps volunteers, will serve in Cambodia teaching English at the upper secondary level and supporting teachers in Cambodian provinces and districts to improve their English language and teaching skills. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea (CAMBODIA)

More info about Cambodia’s Peace Corps Mission can be found here.

Tuning Japanese in San Francisco

“San Francisco is a city where people are never more abroad than when they are at home.”
Benjamin F. Taylor

And I just couldn’t agree more with the statement. Over the winter break, I got to visit this world-renowned city for the second time. Although many people often find visiting same old places boring, things are just completely different when putting San Francisco into the proposition. Though it may not be as exciting as Los Angeles, SF has its own unique charm and vibrancy. From the panoramic view of its Pacific bay to its arty downtown, SF is where you can’t have enough… There are just so many things for you to explore.

One of the hot spots that tourists should not miss (something my friends and I did) when in SF is JapanTown or Nihon Machi (日本町). I am sure this sounds weird given that we typically hear more of Chinatown.

And there it goes again Mr. Taylor’s quote above.. San Franciscans are never more abroad than when they are in their home city…

Comprising about six square city blocks in the Western Addition of the city, JapanTown first sprung up with the original influx of Japanese immigrants in the mid-1800s. Presently, the area is home to one of the largest concentrations of Japanese outside of the Land of the Rising Sun. The first step you make into the area confirms just that. Without reminding yourself that you are in SF, you would feel as if you were in Tokyo or Osaka.. Not to mention the bilingual road signs, everything around you are just so Japanese. You can find anything you can get in Japan right here: Japanese shops, temples, sushi and udon restaurants, teahouses, community halls, and more..

Ad campaign causes Boston alert

A major American media corporation has apologised for an outdoor marketing campaign that caused a day-long security alert in the city of Boston.

Turner Broadcasting System had placed “packages” with cartoons and blinking lights at separate locations across the city to advertise a television cartoon.

Roads and bridges were shut down while police bomb squads investigated the suspicious looking packages.

Turner said the campaign had been in place in 10 cities for several weeks.

Police destroyed the first package found to see if it contained explosives.

“The ‘packages’ in question are magnetic lights that pose no danger,” Turner Broadcasting said in a statement.

“We regret that they were mistakenly thought to pose any danger”.

Source: BBC News

One World Cambodia Summer 2007: DEADLINE FEB 1

THE ONE WORLD FOUNDATION OF NEW YORK, INC.

Human Rights and International Development Exchanges for Young People of Color

ONE WORLD FOUNDATION APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHING!

One World Foundation applications are now available! Our international service projects in Cambodia and Mali for young leaders, aged 18 to 35, will run from June 1st through August 1st of 2007. To apply*, please download our application at
http://www.theoneworldfoundation.org/OneWorld2007_Application.doc. Further details and requirements are in the application.

*Application deadline is February 1st, 2007.

One World Foundation is a 501(c) (3), non profit organization whose mission is to encourage young people of color to become actively engaged in the international human rights and development arenas, particularly as they affect indigenous and minority rights. We believe that social justice, economic justice and respect for human rights can be achieved through global campaigns and coalitions of committed young people. Learn more about us at http://www.theoneworldfoundation.org and idealist.org.

The City of Brotherly Love

Our third day began very early.. It was so early that you readers might be wondering why we did it. Not to make you question any longer, our destination for the day were neither DC museums nor its suburbs. We were going on another one-day trip far out of town.. to the historical city of Philadelphia.

Instead of commuting by subway or buses, this time we rented a car. Costing approximately $80, our car came with fuel and a GPS, a must-have for any trips in this land of complexed road network. Since Chivoin’s friend François was the only one among us with an American driver license, he was our driver throughout the day. We all knew that he was so tired at the end of the day, but man we had no choice..

2.5 hours away from DC, Philadelphia or Philly is the largest city in Pennsylvania. The first American capital city, Philly is a city where history and modernity remain together. Dotting around its downtown are buildings that are as ancient as the American Revolutionary War days and as modern as you can imagine–the most remarkable of which are those in the Independence National Historical Park, where the US Declaration of Independence and constitution were drafted and signed.

The Independence Hall

Little Georgetown

After a full, tiring day trip in Downtown DC on the first day, it was time to explore what DC’s suburbs have to offer. Asking whichever locals you meet, you would be pointed towards Georgetown, a little neighborhood in the Western quadrant of the city. Formerly a separate city, Georgetown predates the establishment of the District of Columbia. It is one of the most popular hangout and shopping areas in town. Dotting from south to north are upper-class restaurants and stores carrying some of the most expensive brands you can think of. They are just way too pricey for budget travelers like me and my friends.

Unlike our first day’s, the weather that day really sucked. It rained and drizzled all day long… Occasionally we had to run into a nearby store to get away from the frequent showerings–sth I really hated and enjoyed at the same time. Had each of us not brought an umbrella, we would be soaking wet.

A strip of high fashion stores on Wisconsin St., one of the few main streets cutting through this little neighborhood.

After a yummy Lebanese buffet lunch on M St., we headed off to one of the hottest landmarks Georgetown is famous for. Can anybody guess? Think!!!! I am giving you 30 seconds to think…

TIME’S UP!!!

You would be wrong if your guess had been a church, a monument or a park. The pride of Georgetown, about which I am talking here, is Georgetown University. Ranked by the The Economist Magazine of London as one of the leading universities in the world, it is also the oldest Roman Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States, dating as far back as 1789. Georgetown’s schools of law, medicine, and foreign services are among the nation’s best. Many heads of state such as former US president Bill Clinton and President Gloria Maccapagal Arroyo of the Philippines are all Georgetown alumni.

A Wonderful DC Experience

We woke up rather late today. I guess we were still unable to adapt ourselves to the Eastern time zone after many weeks in the West Coast. By the time our journey kicked off, it was almost noon. Bong Edith was kind enough to make us a very nice brunch, understanding that it was going to be a long day today.

To reach downtown, we had to take the S2 bus, which unfortunately was late and had countless stops. It took us almost 40 minutes for a distance of 3.5 miles. Yet what could we do?

The Royal Embassy of Cambodia, our home sweet home in DC

Anyhow, our day wasn’t so bad though. We managed to cover quite a number of key places, including the White House, World War 2 Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Chinatown, Capitol Hill and a brief coffee break at Starbuck.

To cut a long story short, enjoy some of our cool pics from today. Tomorrow we are going to visit the Pentagon and Georgetown. Hopefully, it will be as fun. Don’t forget to check back from more update, k?

Down in Washington, DC

The last leg of my winter journey is finally here. After ten days in San Jose, I am now in the United States’ capital, Washington, DC. Joining me here are two of my former colleagues, Chivoin and Virak. We have been fortunate enough to be put up by Edith, another former colleague of ours who is now working for the Royal Embassy of Cambodia here.

Though I have yet to visit any places, I am already deep in love with DC. Via brief views from the air and along the way from the airport, DC is incredibly nice. The city is well-organized and, surprisingly enough, very green. We can see trees and parks in almost every corner. Missing from DC’s skyline is high rise concrete jungle. Many of the buildings here at most are eight or nine stories tall.

According to Edith, other than being the nation’s administrative and political center, Washington, DC is also a museum city. It is home to numerous national landmarks and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. Some of DC’s major attractions are the National Mall, which is a large, open area in the center of the city featuring many monuments to American leaders, the Washington Monument, the White House, the Pentagon, the Capitol Hill and over a dozen of Smithsonian and art museums. During our three days here, we really hope to cover most of the places. If possible, we plan to spend another day in Philadelphia, which is around 3 hours away, before heading home.

That should be all for now.. It’s been a pretty long day today.. Gotta hit the sack now.. More update later.

Two Days in the Sin City

Las Vegas is a world of megastructures… Many of the hotels there replicate famous world wonders and cities. This pyramid structure is Luxor Hotel.

New York Hotel

San Diego: The Gem of Southern California

Early on Wednesday morning last week, I got a call from my Thai friend Ning, who now resides in Apple Valley, California. She was visiting another friend of hers in San Diego and wondered if I wanted to join her there. She told me that there is a good Lao restaurant down there and that I should go there now if I wanted a good papaya salad…

After a 1.5 hr drive, Sopheap and I arrived at P’ Ning’s friend’s house in Viravacho. From there, we continued to Sangdao Lao Restaurant, which is approximately 10 miles away and a bit outside downtown San Diego… I was surprised there is a pretty large Lao community there. I would say it was a Lao version of Lowell. All around Sangdao Restaurant were Lao stores, supermarkets, barber’s, restaurants and more. P’ Ning said many events were occasionally organized here during big Lao holidays.

Sangdao Lao-Thai Restaurant

Universal Studio

Welcome to Universal Studio Hollywood!

Me pretending to be a football player

San Pedro Fishmarkets

I would say that my visit to Long Beach and Los Angeles this time is both a traveling and eating trip. Because Sopheap most of the time got hungry so quickly, we would eat almost every two or three hours… I know it’s funny because he is very skinny yet eats a lot.

After coming back from Hollywood, Sopheap and I went to pick Ranith, another friend of mine who currently studies and works in Long Beach, for a crab dinner at San Pedro Fishmarket together…

Hollywood: The Movie Capital of the World

My devoted personal driver.. It’s been very nice of him to have driven me all around during the past couple of days. អរគុណធំៗ អាម៉ាក!

One of the freeways to Los Angeles

And here we are in the movie land

Huntington Beach

On my second day, we traveled to Huntington, a beach city around 30 minutes from Long Beach. Known as Surf City, Huntington is a very affluent and touristic area. It boasts eight miles of scenic, accessible beachfront, the largest stretch of uninterrupted beachfront on the West Coast.

Downtown Huntington Beach

We first had our stop at an American restaurant from brunch.. On the same street where our restaurant was parked hundreds of expensive, luxury cars. You name them and you’ll find them there… Welcome to America, the materialistic world.

Hello Long Beach!

In the end, my Winter break officially began. Despite a pretty hectic morning, the journey has so far been great. I am now staying with my best friend Sopheap in Long Beach, California. In contrast to the freezing Boston weather, it is really warm here. The temperature hardly goes lower than 55F although it is now winter.

Unlike what I had expected, Long Beach is a very nice city. Located around an hour south of Los Angeles, this is where the largest Cambodian community outside Cambodia is. We did drive past the newly proposed Cambodia Town on Anaheim St. a little bit tonight. Just like in Lowell, there were signs and billboards in Khmer all along the way…  The only difference is that Long Beach has more Cambodian shops and restaurants. Many of the buildings here are newer and better organized. Yet I was warned that shootings are pretty frequent in this Anaheim St. area, esp. at night.

Shabu Shabu

By the time we finished our tour at the Science Museum, our stomach began to growl again… After a brief talk, we decided to have some Shabu Shabu, a Japanese hot pot soup similar to Sukiyaki, at a Japanese restaurant in Chinatown.

Kanika going through the menu

Kanika and Romny with her Kiwi juice

The Shabu Shabu soup… It is similar to Sukiyaki but is more savory and less sweet.

My surf and turf meat set

And some vegie to go with the yummy soup

 

Boston Science Museum

The entrance to the Science Museum

Giant grasshopper

Giant mosquito

Apollo

Me, Romny and Kanika making our names on the magnetic boards

Here are our works…

Fighting with the dinosaur

Show or Tell?

Indianapolis 500 Race Car

X’mas Dinner with BC Folks

My classmate Yun and her cute little boy William

Vichea (right) and my close friends Isabel (left) and Sutan (middle), a fellow Fulbright scholar from Indonesia

Fellow international students

Sutan, Vichea, me and Howard (Yun’s husband)

Vichea’s Visit to Boston College

Welcome to Boston College, the Eagle’s College!

In front of Campanella Building, home of the Economics Department

Gasson, the main landmark on campus…

St. Ignatius Loyala

Bapst Library

So gothic.. The architure that reminds me of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts

Prudential Center

Entrance to Prudential Center, one of the most high class shopping centers in town

X’mas decoration was everywhere… I really love the one here.. So amazing..

Some colorful roses and tulips on sale

A Russian doll of Virgin Mary

Father X’mas

Window Shopping in Prudential

Today we’ve got Romny (left), another friend of ours from Ohio, with us.. This was taken on the subway to Prudential Center

Time for modeling.. Romny posing in Copley Square

Then it was Kanika’s turn… Cool, huh?

And then my turn.. My face is so big..

My favorite shot

In Prudential Center

Romny trying to be cool once again..

Kanika

Kanika and I

With Romny

Vichea and Romny

Exploring Boston with Vichea

My good friend Vichea arrived in Boston yesterday evening. Now pursuing an MA in Language Education at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, Vichea is also a Fulbright scholar. We have known each other for a long time. We went to the same college and also worked for the same place after graduation.

His purpose for coming here is not only to visit me but also several other friends. Today we had a really fun day together. We began with a brief tour around Chinatown and Quincy Market and then visited his Japanese friend Yuka at Harvard University. Getting there, I was so suprised that Yuka also knows my Turkish friend Nese. Both of them are staying in the same dormitory and have been very good friends. Thanks to the two smart Harvard ladies, we managed to have a pretty comprehensive tour around their campus. While on the way, we talked and chit-chatted non-stop, trying to reminisce all the great memories we shared during our Fulbright orientation. Finally, after a light pizza dinner with them, we were picked up from Harvard by Kanika, another friend of Vichea from Medford. Because my stomach was beginning to growl once again, we decided to get some Kui Tiew Phnom Penh (គុយទាវភ្នំពេញ) at Elephant Walk Restaurant in Brookline​before concluding our night with a movie…

Tomorrow we are meeting another friend in Lowell for some more real Khmer foods.. Anyone wanna join?

For now, here are some of the pictures we took today.. Enjoy!

Let’s Explore Boston!

Preap Sovath and U2 Band’s America Tour

At Double Tree Hotel in Lowell, MA

At Khemara Restaurant in Lowell, MA

My Thanksgiving Holiday

This week saw the celebration of Thanksgiving, one of America’s most important festivals. Second only to Christmas, this festival is held to give thanks to the native Indians for feasting the starving English pilgrims and teaching them how to survive in the New World. It falls on the last Thursday of November each year. Similar to our New Year and Pchum Ben, on Thanksgiving Day families and friends would gather for a large meal or dinner. This results in Thanksgiving holiday weekend being one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

In the United States, certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. They include turkey, which is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, Indian corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie.

This year, I got to celebrate my first Thanksgiving with my uncle’s family in Fall River. Joining me there were his wife’s relatives and friends. Definitely this was one of the happiest family moments I had since I got here. We all had so much fun pampering ourselves with all the food, chitchats and poker games. We ate and played until it was way past midnight. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera along, so no pictures from there..

When I got back home over the weekend, I got a call from Sophorn and Bong Bou. They were asking if I wanted to go out with them. They, along with Bong Touch, were planning to visit the Science Museum, where the Body Worlds 2 exhibition is currently on display. So I said, “Why not? Let’s do it.”

By the time we all got together, it was a bit past lunch time. Since Sophorn and I were craving for Cambodian food, Bong Bou suggested we head to Lynn, a town around 35 mins northeast of Boston. To our disappointment, we only got there to find out that that Cambodian restaurant was closed.

A Cambodian supermarket in Lynn

Boston Thanksgiving Fair

Jia Ming, Lili and Chenzi–my weekend companions for this week…

Our journey began at Chinatown, where we headed to a Taiwanese restaurant for brunch…

Museum of Fine Arts

Opened in 1876, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is one of the most comprehensive museum in the world. Its collection encompasses more than 450,000 works of arts from all corners of the world. Once in a while, MFA also organizes special art performances by some of the world’s most famous artists.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Performed there today was a marbling demonstration by a group of artists from Turkey. For your information, marbling is a technique for producing colorful patterns on paper by swirls of paint, traditionally water-based paint, floating on water.

Lunch at the Elephant Walk

From day to day, the weather is getting colder, and the worst of all was today. It was not only freezing but also windy… The wind was blowing like a mini-storm, at approximately 20 miles an hour. Without being here, I believe you can imagine how cold it is huh…

Somehow, not a bit did this terrible weather deter me and Chenzi from going out.. We had planned a few of days before that we would go to the Museum of Fine Arts this weekend.

By the time we were ready, it was lunchtime. Since Chenzi wanted to try Khmer food, we decided to go to the Elephant Walk, which is a Cambodian-French food restaurant near Fenway. There we ordered some Chicken Sour Soup (ស្ងោរជ្រក់សាច់មាន់) and Loc Lac (ឡុកឡាក់), which were all so yummy. Chenzi loved the foods so badly, and we agreed to come back here again with our other friends in the next few weeks.

For now, enjoy some of our cool pics there.

St. Mary, a Catholic church close to the Elephant Walk

Campus Hate Crime

Race is a sensitive issue. Before coming to the U.S., I regard racial issue as inquisitive but unimportant. To me, Cambodia is a homogenous country – I am convinced of this notion since I was born. And while I am aware that there are some small portions of ethnic groups other than the Cambodians/Khmers living in the country, school textbooks and national media hardly include the information relevant to minority groups residing across the country. Up until now, to what extent these groups of people (Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotians, Muslim communities and tribal people) have been discriminated against or mistreated by the dominant group remains a rarely touched on topic. In fact, tracing back the history of my ancestors tells me that I belong to a mixture of Cambodian, Chinese, and Vietnamese origins. However, since the way I look, behave, or speak does not make me any different from the surrounding majority, I often regard the occasionally encountered mistreatments as some kind of misunderstandings rather than racial discriminations.

Being caught up in a context as diverse and complex as the U.S makes me feel different, however. From the first day of my graduate class, I start to feel uncomfortable in a context where I cannot locate familiar faces: those of Asian students other than myself and a couple of others. (Everytime I find a Cambodian, I am just as pleased as finding a million dollars.) The more I read news and articles describing people from one racial group being harassed by another, the more I feel discrimination in the U.S. is on the rise.

As a matter of fact, Americans are divided into two big groups–the liberal and conservative. The liberal are open-minded and normally live in cities or towns along the coasts, where the demographic makeup is highly diverse. The conservative stick to the ideology of white superiority and mostly reside in the midwest and southern parts of the United States. The fact that Boston College is on the east coast convinced me that racial harrassment should never happen here.

Who is to blame for the N. Korea crisis?

Watch these two responding pro-Republican and pro-Democrat ads in regard to the North Korean crisis..

Who is to blame?

The Story of the Dog

Courtesy of Beth Kanter

Cambodian Puppet Theater

A Cambodian puppet show titled the Story of the Dog rocked Providence, RI this Friday night. Another revolution in Khmer performing arts, the Story of the Dog is an east-meets-west piece newly co-set up by Cambodia-based Sovannaphum Khmer Arts Association and Sandglass Theater Company from Vermont, USA. Combining performers from both companies, the story integrates Sandglass’ characteristic puppet style with beautiful traditional Cambodian shadow puppets, dance, and music.

Coming with me were Beth, Walter and their kids–Harry and Sara. I am so glad that I made it there, despite the long distance from Boston. Somehow, the show has brought me closer to the Cambodian communities over here. Prior to and right after the show, I met so many Khmericans, some of whom, just like us, had travelled all the way from Boston and Lowell just to enjoy this masterpiece. I am so impressed by the tremendous support they, as well as almost 300 other American audience, have for Khmer arts and performances.

However, that’s not all. While we were waiting for the Q&A session with the artists, we noticed one white guy approaching us from the distance. Surprising us from behind, he said, “Hello Mongkol and Beth! How are you? Mongkol, how are things going with your study?” At first I thought he was Beth’s friend, but yet how did he know my name? Hmmm.. A big question, huh? Only later did I find out that his name was Decker and he was one of our regular blog readers. Decker is from the UK and currently resides in Providence. He loves Cambodia and viewing Cambodia-related blogs is one of his ways to get in touch with Cambodia. Well, what a coincidence! Nice to meet you, Decker! I hope to see you again sometimes. :p

Well, it’s 2 am now.. I guess I’ve been writing enough. That’s enough for tonight’s midnight oil. For now, please enjoy some of the pics and video clip I got from Providence..

Viva Cambodia! Viva Khmer Arts!

Our quick dinner at Whole Food Supermarket in downtown Providence before the show

A Day in Fall River

តាំងតែពីមកដល់បូស្តុនមក ក្រៅតែពីទៅរៀន និង យូរៗម្តងទៅដើរលេងនៅ Downtown ជាមួយមិត្តភក្តិ ខ្ញុំដូចជាមិនសូវបានដើរទៅណាប៉ុន្មានដែរហ្នឹង។

ហេងអីអាទិត្យនេះ ពូខ្ញុំម្នាក់នៅ Rhode Island ដែលជារដ្ឋមួយនៅប្រមាណ១ម៉ោង ពីបូស្តុនបានមកទទួលខ្ញុំទៅលេងផ្ទះគាត់។ គាត់ប្រាប់ថា នៅវត្តម្តុំផ្ទះគាត់មានគេធ្វើកឋិន ហើយសួរថាខ្ញុំចង់មកលេងអត់។ ថីមិនចង់។​ ហេហេហេ… កំពុងតែចង់ទៅម្តុំខ្មែរៗផង។

ប្រមាណម៉ោង១១ កន្លះ គាត់ក៏បានមកដល់ផ្ទះខ្ញុំ។ បន្ទាប់មក យើងក៏ទៅញ៉ាំគុយទាវយួន និង ទិញម្ហូបនៅនៅម្តុំ Quincy។ បងប្អូនអើយ នៅស្រុកនេះ ទៅណាក៏ឃើញតែយួន ហើយនិងចិនដែរ។ ចង់រកហាងបាយខ្មែរ ពិបាកដូចរកម្ជុលនៅបាតសមុទ្រអញ្ចឹង។ តែបើរកហាងចិនយួនថៃវិញ កៀរនឹងជើង។

ពូ និង មីង កំពុងទិញឥវ៉ាន់នៅផ្សារចិន

In Downtown Boston With Praneth & Friends

This weekend was way better than the past one. I was lucky enough not to have any more papers to work on. Early this morning, I got a call from Praneth, a former student of mine who is now doing his Master in Computer Science at Bridgeport University in Connecticut. He told me that he had just got in Boston and wished to meet me. After a bit of discussion, we agreed to meet up at Quincy Market, a popular tourist shopping spot in downtown Boston.

Joining him in this trip were 50 other people, most of whom were Chinese and Taiwanese. By the time I reached Quincy, most of them have already split up. Meeting me there with Praneth were two of his friends, Lee from China and Chai from Thailand.

Praneth and I

First Time @ A Football Game

Only during this past Saturday did I know how crazy Americans are about football. That day, BC was hosting a match with a team from the University of Maine. Oh man! That was the first time for me to be at a football match and to see such a big crowd on campus. I would say it was over 20,000 people. An hour before the game started, the whole campus appeared more like a fun fair or picnic venue than a school. People were having their barbecue in all corners, even the parking lot. :p

A stream of people flocking onto campus

Higher Ed Welcome Retreat 2006

Following the boat cruise blast, Lynch School of Education and the Graduate Education Association this morning organized the 8th Higher Education Welcome Retreat at Connolly House, Chestnut Hill Campus.

The purpose of this Sunday meeting was to introduce new graduate students of Higher Education Adminstration to prominent faculty and alumni members so that they can start developing their personal expectations and career goals, learning how to make the best of their studies, and establishing their social and professional network with people in the same areas of specialization.

Indeed, that was another important aspect of student life at Boston College, the Eagle University..

Aline giving a welcoming talk…

Cruising the Charles River

 

As parts of its ongoing student activities marking the beginning of the new academic year, BC this past Friday organized a boat cruise along the Charles River. It was estimated that over 500 students went rocking the boat cruise this year. Charged at $25 per head, it was not a bad deal. We got to enjoy a wonderful night view of Boston, along with great food and music..

It was kinda exciting for me as it was the first big American party I’ve been to. During the past week, I’ve been drowning myself in tons of reading.. Talking about it, can anybody guess the amount of my required reading each week? Hmmm.. You what..? It’s 450 pages.. :p My life has been pretty tough and the cruise indeed was a fantastic retreat for me. Hmmm.. Thinking of reading, I kinda get scared now. I was told that it would get even heavier in the coming weeks…

9/11 5 Years Later: The World Remembers

Click on the picture to see a slideshow of photos taken during 9/11 and five years later.

May the world be in peace!

In Lowell With Beth

Walter, Harry, Beth, Sara and Me

It’s been a couple of months since I first started communicating with Beth Kanter, an American blogger based in Boston.. I could land in such a good place as where I am living now partly because of Beth’s help. It has always been my wish to one day meet and thank her in person. Finally the day has come, and I got to meet her and her wonderful family last Sunday.

 

Understanding how much I’ve been missing Khmer food, Beth and her husband Walter, along with their Cambodian adopted kids Sara and Harry, took me to Lowell, a little town around 40 minutes outside Boston. Formerly an important city during the American Industrial Revolution, Lowell has the second largest Cambodian population in the US, only after Long Beach in California.

The closer we got to Lowell, the more speechless I became as nostagia was strengthening itself inside me. Seeing all the Khmer signboards, stores, supermarkets and restaurants, I felt as if I was back in Cambodia. Lowell is truly a Cambodia outside Cambodia for me. It’s been weeks since I last saw a Cambodian. Now, here were the Cambodians..

Boston College

 

Gasson, the most beautiful building on campus

The first view of Boston College took my breath away. I couldn’t believe that I was coming to such a great and beautiful school. The campus is just incredibly huge.. Honestly speaking, it is more like a city of its own. It would take us quite a long while to have a thorough campus tour.. A free bus service, which is run by the university, take students around and outside the campus.

Thinking of all the buildings here, I sometimes questioned myself if I was coming to a school or a museum. Many of the buildings were built in Catholic architecture and date back a few hundred years. Anyhow, don’t judge a book by its cover.. When you get inside each one, you will know why.. A big contrast to its outer appearance, each building is equipped with the latest technology and facilities. All across the campus, students can access free high speed wireless internet. Digitally than that, students can even borrow books, register for or drop classes online, without having to go through all the hassles of queueing at the library or Student Service.

A Sketch of Me

After our farewell party this evening, Felix, a new friend of mine from Germany, draw me a picture of myself. I was so impressed at how talented he is.

Felix concentrating on the sketch.

This is me after 15 minutes. What do you think?

Thanks a lot, Felix.. Keep up the great job, bro! I know you will soon be the modern Picasso of Germany.. By the way, Felix is going to do a master of illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Great Gift from Fulbright

PSU Campus

Today is the fourth and last day of my gateway orientation at Portland State University (PSU) in Portland, Oregon. The past four days have been real cool.

Nicknamed the City of Roses, Portland is very beautiful and peaceful. The hustle and bustle you normally find in other major American cities is absent here. I was shocked to find most streets empty quickly after 6-7 pm. Another special thing about Portland is the way its people drive. They are just so respectful. Seeing that you are trying to cross a road, most drivers would instinctively stop for you, regardless of when and where you are. Even so, you still need to be extra careful when dealing with the traffic and roads. You just can’t cross anywhere you want. If you ever do it other than at the J-walk, be ready. The fine can cost you as much as $90.

Campus tour with grad student volunteer

You can get around downtown Portland in this lightrail for free..

At the Willamette River quay

With Phuong and Huynh from Vietnam, and Axel from Austria

During the jet boat ride along the Williamette

A fall at the very end of the Williamette River

Coming back to the orientation, despite the short time given, I have managed to make tons of new friends from over 30 nations. I am very pleased that a majority of them are going to the east coast as I am. Just a piece of thought, we are planning to create a groupmail and hopefully hang out together as often as we can.

In a sense, I feel that the orientation has opened my eyes to the world. I have got to learn more about countries of which I’ve never heard before.. Never in this life have I had friends from Latin America, Bahrain, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Lebanon, Egypt, and the like.. Most important of all, I have now understood a whole lot better about American culture, which in return should prepare me well for my new life in this land of freedom. Seriously, I wish the orientation had been longer..

Cross-cultural skit by Latin American Fulbrighters

With friends at the farewell dinner. The lady in black tee standing next to me is Neshe from Turkey. She’s going to Harvard.

With PSU’s orientation organizing committee

With Yoko (Japan), Miray (Egypt), Pinar (Germany) and Laura (Spain)

With Maria (Mexico), Sergio (Spain), Bilal (Lebanon), Maheeda (Pakistan) and Miray (Egypt)

Singing national songs.. Here was the Latin band..

Well, I had better turn in now.. My flight to Boston is leaving at 6:30 am tomorrow. Oh man! That means I will have to check out from the hotel at 4 am.. Too bad.

San Francisco: the City of the Golden Gate

19/08/06

“If you’re going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you’re going to San Francisco
You’re gonna meet some gentle people there

For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there
In the streets of San Francisco
Gentle people with flowers in their hair…”

 

That was an extract from Scott McKenzie’s famous 1960s hit, San Francisco. As far as I could remember, I first learnt this lovely song in my elementary English class back in the mid 1990s. Back then, it was one of my favorite hits. I would sing it almost every single day and would hope to be there in the near future. And now the dream has been realized..

A typical Californian view.. I didn’t know that California was such a dry place.. Most of its hills, as you see here, are treeless.

 

Located around an hour drive from San Jose, San Francisco is a city made up of a world of diverse neighborhoods and cultures. The city offers lots of panoramic vista points, the most famous of which is located close to the world famous Golden Gate and Bay Bridges. The major attractions in town are Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, Alcatraz Prison, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Angel Islands, and more..

Compared to San Jose, San Francisco is a much more crowded city. It is the second most densely populated major city (over 200,000 in population) in the United States.Houses and buildings fill almost any vacant space available. Thus, this city is also notorious for having some of the most difficut roads to drive and the least space to park.

As it is right along the coast, you can always expect a very chilly, foggy weather here. Unfortunately, the day we were there was foggy, so our plan of taking a nice shot of the Golden Gate was unsuccessful. I wish the weather were warmer, or the trip would have been perfect.

Due to time constraint, our trip was more a skim and scan one.. We did have quite a long stop at the Golden Gate and Fisherman’s Wharf though. I really love our ferry ride across the SF Bay.. It was just fascinating.. Enjoy them with me here..

The San Francisco City Hall

 

Hilly San Francisco. There is no doubt why manual stick drivers often find driving here a nightmare..

On our way to the Golden Gate toll booth. It costs $5 per crossing. It’s worth it though.

on the Golden Gate

Little Vida and Don

The reddish bridge, taken from Vista Point

Bong Pov, Bong Bo (Bong Pov’s wife), Don and Vida

With the Lone Sailor

Pek Kim Bak with his little nephew at Fisherman’s Wharf

Fisherman’s Wharf is a world of great seafood.. Oh man, ma mouth is watering again now!

Cos it was too crowded, we ended up eating around pigeons..

Pier 31

The ferry ticket booth

Our ferry

Me listening to the ferry guide

The Golden Gate

The Alcatraz, a once infamous federal prison in the SF Bay

A shot with the city’s skyline

Bay Bridge from distance

Believe it or not, the browny things on this pier are seals..

Back to shore…

Buildings in downtown.. SF’s financial district is also known as the Wall Street of the West Coast.

Chinatown

Bay Bridge taken from Treasure Island. This 8-mile-long bridge links SF with Oakland, another city across the bay.

Visiting Relatives’ Houses and San Francisco

19/08/06 

 

Bong Engkry’s house. This is where I am staying…

Since time was limited, Pek Kim Bak the previous night told me that he would be taking me to our relatives’ houses and San Francisco today. The San Francisco part was truly a boost from jetlag for me.. Though I was kinda tired, I juz agreed to his plan without any hesitation. Oh man, what a great plan!

Family pic again..

The first house we went to was Bong Dany’s. She was a cousin of mine, from my father’s side. She got married to a Cambodian-American and moved to America almost ten years ago. She now has two kids–Amanda and Eric, and they both are so lovely. When we got to their house, it was just time they left for Marine World. How fortunate we were! If we had not called to inform our arrival, we would have missed them.

Bong Dany’s house.. I really love the typical house design here.. It’s so cute. Guess what? All houses here are made from wood as they are safer for earthquake..

Bong Dany, her husband (bald) and her kids–Amanda and Eric.. They are so lovely, aren’t they?

After leaving Bong Dany’s place, we then headed to pick up Bong Pov (Pek Kim Bak’s son) ’s wife and kids at his house, which was around 15 minutes away. All of them are joining us to San Francisco today.. As a matter of fact, all my relatives here were so nice to me.. Though I didn’t know most of them that well, I felt so much at home with them.. They were just so friendly, caring and helpful.. Thanks so much, guys, for giving me all these love and care.

Bong Pov’s house.. He runs an accounting and tax filing office here, quite a lucrative business here.

His living room

Bong Pov’s son and daughter, Don (boy) and Vida (Girl)…

By the time we left from Bong Pov’s place, everyone was so hungry. So, we stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant called Nam Vang. I was surprised to see Phsar Thmei’s picture as the restaurant’s logo. Only later did I find out that Nam Vang was a Viet word for Phnom Penh. :p I wonder why the Viets don’t juz call Phnom Penh its real name.. :p Oh man!

Nam Vang or Phnom Penh Restaurant

My yummy beef noodle

To be continued… :p

 

Welcome to San Jose!

18/08/06 

After over 20 hours of flights and transits, I finally reached San Jose, CA. I am here to visit my cousins and relatives for a few days before heading to Portland for a three-day orientation, after which I will continue to Boston.

Guess what this is? I took it from the airplane while on my way from LA. They are actually islands in the pacific.

San Jose is a very lovely city. It’s big but not as crowded as LAX. Guess all of you have heard of the Silicon Valley, the place where most of the world’s largest computer companies are located, don’t you? You know what Silicon Valley is right here. Yahoo, Microsoft, Intel, AMD, Lockheed, Google, Oracle and more are all here.. According to my relatives, it’s pretty cheap to purchase laptops or other computer and electronic producs here.. Supercool!!!!

Though it is now summer, the weather here is very cool. This city also has Asian population. You can find almost all kinds of Asian foods here.. There are Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, Korean and more.. Yet there are just so many Vietnamese here.. I found them almost everywhere in town.

Upon my arrival my relatives took me to Phu Lam Restaurant, a Cambodian-Chinese restaurant here. Though I’ve been away from home for only a couple of days, I began to miss home dearly as soon as I got a bite of the food. The taste juz reminded me of my mom’s cooking back home.. Oh, I miss u all so much!

With my relatives (Hea Heng, Pek Kim Bak and his wife, and Bong Eng Kry) at San Jose Int’l Airport

With Pek Kim Bak’s daughter, Sivlee, and her American husband, Spencer at Phu Lam Restaurant

Bong Eng Kry is on the phone with my mom. The two new people here are her son and daughter, Meng and Kunthea.

One Great Night in Bangkok

My next stop after Cambodia was Bangkok, Thailand. Thanks to Eak, M and Rita’s help, this one-night transit was one of the happiest parts of my journey. I was welcomed right at the aerobridge by M, who then took me out for a Korean dinner. As the night was getting late, getting a good place to eat was a big problem for us. We ended up eating at a Korean restaurant called Da Rak near Asoke. Though the food was not as nice as the place we went last time, I really enjoyed my time there chit-chatting with Eak, M, Rita and Suwat. As usual, Rita was the queen of talk.. But it was cos of her, that was how it was fun..

M, me, Eak and Suwat

Korean rice cake and Bulgogi (Korean BBQ)

I still wonder how happy time could have run out so quickly. In the middle of our non-stop talk, the time soon told us that it was now midnight.. We should wrap it up for now and talk more later. I was grateful indeed to Rita TPY ‘00 for putting up for the night..

 The next day I felt so sorry for Rita, Ning and M as they had to send me off to airport early in the morning. I just couldn’t thank you guyz more for all of these kind assistance… Really miss you all..

Farewell Phnom Penh!

The day I long awaited finally arrived. As a matter of fact, my flight schedule had been changed again and again over the past weeks due to the late arrival of my DS-2019, a form you need to make a US student visa. Originally, I planned to leave on the 13th, but then the problem forced me to change it to the 17th and then 18th.

When the day actually arrived, instead of being real excited, I ended up having mixed feelings, the ones I find it hard to describe… I just couldn’t believe that I would be away from home for two full years. Well, no matter what, I hope I won’t be too homesick…

Be strong, Mongkol!

With my family.. I am missing you all so much!

With my close friends, Sal, Chulsa, Phary and Sok (Left to right)

With the CPY hotties…

Phnom Penh, Cambodia with Mongkol

By Lee LeFever

Before we left Seattle, I had a call with a fellow Blogger named Beth Kanter who has strong ties with Cambodia. Beth has been a wonderful contact and hooked us up with a young Cambodian guy and blogger named Mongkol who is moving to the US in a month on a Fulbright scholarship and attending Boston College. Yesterday Mongkol was our gracious tour guide to Phnom Penh.

For those that may have seen what I said on a local news story, it was that guidebooks are great, but we’d prefer to meet locals who can give us another perspective on a city and our day with Mongkol did just that.  He said “So, do you want to be with the other barangs (foreigners), or go where Cambodians eat?” We left town to “eat boiled corn”.

After about 30 minutes of driving we arrived at a strip of restaurants right on the edge of a marsh.  This was no regular restaurant.  The kitchen was on the land, but the tables (sitting areas) and roof rambled out over the marsh for about 80 yards on bamboo stilts.  With every step, the floor bounced and swayed. Each little sitting area was square and included three hammocks and a bamboo mat.

The boiled corn and pickled radish was fine, but one part of the meal will always stick out in my mind- the boiled “baby duck” eggs.  Mongkol mentioned them on the way and I remember seeing something similar on the TV show Fear Factor (not a good sign).  He ordered a few eggs and I was on the fence as he explained that some are some eggs that are more “mature” then others. He opened the first egg and I couldn’t believe my eyes – it contained a baby duck with eyes, a bill, feathers and feet.  He didn’t say it, but I think it was more mature than he wanted too.  He ate it and I found myself doubting I would do the same.

In the end, the next egg was much less mature (much more amorphous than duck-like) and I ate the whole thing.  Truthfully, the taste was not bad at all, but the idea of eating a duck fetus was not a nice image – a vegetarian’s worst nightmare I’m sure.

We both think a lot of Mongkol and look forward to hearing about his experiences in the US, where we’re sure he’ll do well.  We appreciate so much the time he spent with us answering our myriad questions and introducing us to his Cambodia, baby ducks and all.

Fulbright Orientation

A pre-departure orientation for all Fulbright scholars 2006 was organized yesterday at the United States’ new 60-million-dollar embassy building near Wat Phnom. Attending the orientation were Senior Minister Kol Pheng, US Ambassador to Cambodia, Joseph A. Mussomeli, former and new Fulbright scholars and their parents.

One of the world’s most prestigious scholarship programs, Fulbright has sponsored over 225,000 men and women from over 140 countries to study in American universities, during the past 60 years. This year, more than 1,300 new foreign Fulbright scholars, 9 of whom from Cambodia, are expected to enter the US. According to Ambassador Mussomeli, $450,000 has been allocated for Cambodian scholars this year, a 15% increase from the previous year. As for the 2007-2008 academic year, 10 new Cambodian scholars will be chosen.

Yesterday’s orientation offered us, new scholars, a comprehensive glimpse into our upcoming social and academic life in the US, so that we all would be able to prepare well in advance.

Honestly, I am so proud of myself to be part of this scholarship. What gave me even more pride was the fact that 8 out of this year’s 9 scholars were from my undergrad school and current workplace, Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL). That same morning, I also got my official confirmation from IIE that I’ve been placed at Boston College (as I wished).

The closer my departure day gets, the more excited and nervous I become. I am excited cos I’m again going to be a student.. :p  But as far as I know, Boston is one of the most expensive and coldest cities in the US. I am nervous because I’ll be all alone in a new world of unknown faces. Oh gosh! I hope things will be alright…

P.S.: I am currently searching for an affordable place to stay in Boston. Does any of you here know someone there? Kindly pass their contact info to me if you can. Thanks!

My mom and me with the Ambassador (left) and H.E. Kol Pheng (right)

All the 8 fulbright scholars (FYI, the other one has left for US since June 23)

Tour around the embassy, thanks to Jeff Daigle!

Interior decoration for US National Day on July 4

PRESS RELEASE: Nine Cambodians to Pursue U.S. Graduate Degrees As Fulbright Scholars

Members of the press are invited to attend the opening ceremony for the Fulbright Scholar pre-departure orientation to be held on Wednesday, June 28th at 9:00 AM in the Embassy’s main conference room.  Nine new Cambodian scholars have been selected to pursue graduate studies in the United States for the 2006-2007 academic year.  Ambassador Joseph A. Mussomeli and H.E. Kol Pheng, Senior Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, will preside over the opening ceremony.  After the opening session, the scholars will be available for individual interviews with the press.

The Fulbright Program was established by the U.S. Congress in 1945 as a means “to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”  The Fulbright Fellowship program was re-instituted in Cambodia in 1994.  Since that time, 75 Cambodian students have pursued programs of graduate study in the U.S., and more than 30 American Senior Scholars and Specialists have come to Cambodia to work in local universities.  For 2006, the U.S. State Department increased the allocation for the Cambodian Fulbright Program to $450,000.

Several Fulbright returnees are working in key positions in the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Natural Resources Preservation, and Interior.  Many others are lecturers at different universities and national program officers for health and other rural development programs under the auspices of a variety of international and non-governmental organizations.             

To be eligible for the Fulbright program, 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;
• be proficient in English (minimum TOEFL score 550);
• be able to adapt readily to a foreign environment;
• be in good health and able to undergo a rigorous study program.
  

Fulbright Student Fellowship grants provide round-trip transportation to the United States, and tuition, fees and living expenses for full-time graduate study.

Members of the press wishing to attend the opening session should confirm their attendance by contacting the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section by e-mail at ChreaV@state.gov or by telephone at 023-728-258.

Source: US Embassy, Phnom Penh