Monday, June 30, 2008

Imagination

This is time that I think back to past time that we don't have colorful camera( just black and white) ..... Although techonology develope, we human being cannot adapt easily to new change that's why i sometimes think about my pass time..... how wonder it was when I was just a child and now I grow up to be a strong woman.....

Looking Back: Reach Sambath


On the screen is his picture in 2003, while sitting is him now in May 2008. He is recalling his past time on the TVK screen talking about Media situation in Cambodia..
IN in the last five years he used to be a reporter of AFP ( Agence France Press), but now he is a spokeman of the Khmer Rouge court, ECCC.
Mr. Reach Sambath now is so famouse and everyone knows him." when the there is a news abut the court or former Khmer Rouge leader, I have to recieve many phone call sometimes up to 200 people a day," says Mr. Reach Sambath...
"Life is busy like that"

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Third Gender people In Cambodia

Change sex-lose the right to vote?
Third Gender Persons Need Special Right


“I feel so ashamed when people call me kathoey,” says 30-year-old beautician, Ano , “I want them to call me as a real girl like the others that is why I go to vote hoping that the new government will help me and my group.”

Because of this intention, Ano, from Battambang province, has been trying to make the identification card three times, however, she has been rejected by the Battambang commune all the time.
“When I asked them to make the ID card for me, they said that I was neither male nor female; hence, they discarded me,” says Ano in a disappointed face, having long hair, wearing den jeans and tight T-Shirt.

Chief Cabinet of General Secretary of National Election Committee (NEC) and also a Professor of Sociology at Royal University of Social Science and Humanity, Mr. Chin Sarin, , says that third gender people can have either gender (male or female) to appear in their ID card. “If they want to have a male or female gender, we should do it for them because it does not affect the citizenship,” They are also a human being like us ,so they can decide to have whatever sex they wish to, he says.

So far, in Cambodia only men are organized in to group of third gender people. Those are called MSM (Men who have Sex with Men), there are two groups of it: the long hair who changes their appearance to be women and love only men, while short hair who dress like men and love both women and man.

The MSM short hair mostly does not affect much by the gender discrimination as they look like man, Mr. Sok Yarith, director of Men’s Health Cambodia observes, but MSM long hair have more impact.

Not everybody has shared sad experience like Ano. There is no obstacle for MSM wearing like a man. Speaking one- by- one strictly like a man, Mr. Khit Srouy, 24, explains that he can vote as he was given a special form 10.18[showing that he is Cambodian and able to vote] from CCP members in

“I am interested in politics although I am a third gender person and I think politics can help me,” says the 24-year-old with slightly laughing.

One year living in a rental room with the other five MSM friends, Khit Srouy has been influenced by them to have women’s characteristics. He adds that he has never faced any problems concerning with gender discrimination. However, Mr. Keo Rattana, 39, who has loved man and lived with man for nearly ten years, says that he has faced with discrimination by the surrounding people. “People call our group as kathoey; I do not want to hear at all.”

“To me, I want the constitution to makes a law legalized that in Cambodia also has third gender person gender, that’s why I go to vote in every mandate,” says Mr. Keo Rattana. “expecting that the new created government would help us to be known.”

Mr. Chin Sarin says that if there are a huge number of MSM in Cambodia, the new law may be created to ease the people.

There are 140, 000 MSM in Cambodia according to the 2008 temporary statistic of Family Health International organization. Mr. Sum Thy, program officer in FHI, says that those MSM are educated about how to prevent from HIV disease as the prevalence of it is so high in Cambodia. “I think that the demanding will not be approved because it is unlikely to happen,” he says.

Different from Ano, wearing woman dress, who has problem with the ID card making, MSM long hair who always make up and act like a woman, wearing women clothes and make up a girl, Chan Daro, 29, can go to vote as she has used her brother’s ID card who had died to vote in the last two year. “When I went to cast the ballots, I took the ID card of my brother by using his name” she adds. “I go to vote as one contribution for being a Khmer resident although I know that the politicians do not care much on me and my group.”

Gender is a little problem for Meiy, 21, MSM long hair, says that she went to vote using male ID card. Meiy, in 2007 commune election, says that she went to vote by wearing female shirt and short pants then the people at the polling station asked her a few question about her appearance.
“It was all my nature; I was born with it.”

Mr. Sok Samoeun, director of the Cambodia Defenders Project, says that in the Cambodian institution there is no article saying about third gender person. “We have only male and female; I have never heard of third gender person.”

All the eleven-registered parties in this 2008 national election, there is no party which considers about the third gender person in their policies. Mainly those parties focus on the hot issues in Cambodia occurring in the present time such as inflation, corruption and land conflicts.

Stung Treng Interview


As we go for writing news, we have to go and find people ( interview)... That's life of journalist..

Stung Treng View


Malob Baytong, a peaceful forest in Stung Treng, is there for all of you to visit....

Rainy Season


Everyone of us had to bring along the rain coat on the trip 5 days to stung treng.... anyway we all were so happy .....

Monday, June 23, 2008

Funny Guy

Seila,20, one of the funniest classmates, want to become a journalist. He likes to make friends, travelling and chatting with all people.

Time can brake people's heart



In the last semester of the school, there is a party for all studensts and teachers to enjoy before saying good bye. Although learning with young and aldult students at the same class, both teachers and students love to learn with one another. Time can help people to reduce the sadnees ,and also to make the relationship last long.....




Group of students at one institute studying English.

Friday, June 20, 2008

“People call me a fool artist” says Svay Ken: an artist

Sitting in a small apartment near Wat Phnom, a 76-year-old, Svay Ken, is coloring his painting carefully. He has an interesting life before he became an artist.

Having faced many hard time during Khmer Rouge regime 1975-1979, Ken’s life is not easy after the war. He tried to work very hard to earn a living as a porter at Le Royal Hotel since 1993. Working there, he had the ideas of painting because he went to the US embassy accidentally observing the culture of western people.
He had known the kinds of pictures the placed in the embassy then he came back to draw the picture by his own talent. “I have never learnt to paint before; when young I used to paint on the soil and the ordinary child did” says Ken happily. Ken drew the life of being a porter in the hotel and then he showed it to all the guesses that were swimming in the pool. Some guesses admired mine while the others did not. “I had tried many times to show my painting to the other people but I did not feel hopeless at all at last I got succeed,” adds Ken.
His painting was bought for the first time and he got $7; this encouraged him a lot. Ken adds “life is struggle; whatever happened we have to be strong to deal with it”. He adds that we have to stand up where we fall down. For this 76-year-old man, people have to be self-motivated, self-promoted in order to let other people know us.
For Ken, he has painted simple things that related to his life as a porter and the entire thing surrounded me. “People call me a fool artist” says Ken. What surprised and made Ken remember the most was the painting of “Drama Dancers” that he painted it for Mrs. Helen Javis, an Australian woman who came to Cambodia for a short time visit. At that time he got $60 from 3 paintings; he was really happy as this was the great amount of money he had ever had. From that time on, Ken’s life has become more interesting to the other [he is being known].
After having painted for an Australian woman, Ken drew a picture of American journalist who come to Cambodia and stayed in the hotel. The picture was about the life of a porter in the hotel. That journalist was really fascinated to see that picture and he took that picture from Ken in a rush way without any package Svay Ken’s name was seen on that picture.
Ken used to work for art gallery which he had to paint fro 10-12 pictures a month. Ken continues that working for other people is not what he wished to that’s why he decided to end the contract in 1995. “I want to work independently; I want to draw what I think of and I do not need to command of the boss any more” says Ken in a strict way. To Ken, an artist, he will paint the pictures as long as he can do it although nowadays he cannot walk properly [with the help of walking stick]. “ We have to do when we are able to do it and we do not know exactly when the dying is coming so just do our best when we are alive,” comments Ken.
The fool artist continues utterly that he paints all the things from house whole equipments, cyclo driver, scavenger and the refugees. His paintings have been shown in Phnom Penh and abroad such as at the new art gallery in Phnom Penh, Java Café in Phnom Penh, Reyum institute, Japan, Thailand, Singapore and in the June 24th his achievement will be held in Meta House exhibition.

How Amazing!

A nice lunch at Ma lop Baytong Baytong, at Stung Treng. One of the natural resorts in Stung Treng Ma Lop Baytong is the most interesting place for me I have ever seen.
I really want to go there again cos we will see the water flow( Teok Hoo), and the real nature.....
and even the wildlife....

When you come to Stung Treng don't forget to have to look at it... you will enjoy much more than you expect it to be......

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Catch the fish


The stone fish is caught by me!

Happy Man

Druken by Coca

Friday, June 13, 2008

Long Way to go

Bayon Temple under construction

Working Near Border

Over loaded working!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Workers near border


Khmer labors near Thai border working so hard to earn the money!

Ankgor what temple

Whenever you go to Siem Reap do not forget go to Angkor Wat.

Learn to accept your mistake


Is it true that we could accept our mistakes? If we know our flaw we need to accept it and change.....

Two People Not Two Ideas

They have different perspective and thought. The left always wants to try new thing while the right does not care much about the new things.. Have you ever experienced in that?
Share it to me by comment......

Thai-Khmer Border


Anlong Veng district, many Cambodian people go to Thailand to be workers there.

Beautiful !


Looking into her future, Sophy,8, wants to be an film actress.

Take a rest

ALong the way to Dang Rek mountain, the view is so nice!

Three In One

Not twin! they are just siblings born one after another. They look so cute right!

Looking far


This man is trying to look for detail of Angkor temple, Siem Reap province, from Bakeng Mountain.
The view is so nice!

LOVE

Here please have a look here! Are they loving each other or what?

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Football match!


A guy looking at the footballer

In Stung Treng Market

What is she doing? Cut her fish?

Monday, June 9, 2008

Unknown fish!

Have you ever seen this fish? it is just caught by fisherman and it is taken to sell in the market!

Learn to take photo

Hey have a look here !
On the boats, students and teachers at Along Kampi in Kratie province join each other to take photo of the dolphines that usually appear within 15 mins. It is so hard to see the dolphines as they are afraid of the people... In Kampi now there are around 22-25 dolphines left. Due to this shortage the authority is trying to take care more of the dolphines....
Thanks to our peaceful land ,Cambodia, which we still can see these kinds of rare animals....

Friday, June 6, 2008

Part of Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom from the left
I went to Bayon temple for visit in a very short time , just two hours, then I went back to Phnom Penh as I was really hooked by those view.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Dang Rek Mountain



View from Dang Rek mountain near Cambodia-Thai border.

This photo was taken on Dang Rek mountain during my trip to Along Veng, Ordor Meanchey province. Spending five days there, I feel so excited and happied that I really don't want to come back to Phnom Penh. However, I have to come back for my study.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Learn to dance!

Better performance

These young people learn to dance since they are 4-5 year-old. At Apsara Art Association where they are learning, there are around 100 students age from 4 until 20. In order to be a better perfomers, they need to perform everyday. They used to play in many countries and other big events in the country.
"If you want to dance, you need to have talent,"said the director. There are many young teens who want to learn but they do not have talent so we can't accept it, she added.