Selfish: A Reflexion On Khmer Mentality

I imagine that it would be perfect if in Cambodia there’s no robbery, or murder or betrayal but love and respect. And people care for each others like brothers. I declared all in my poem “Phnom Penh In My Dream” that I wrote in 2008.

Today I want to raise a question to all Cambodian people around the world: Do we care enough for each other?

Do we care that our action could cause any trouble to the third person?

I am very sad when I read “River Of Time” on the page that Jon Swain mentioned:

Even today, after years of suffering, the Cambodians do not have a strong sense of caring for their fellow men.

This could tell very true about the Cambodian mentality.

People are just living for themselves. They don’t care for others. They do everything to get money in their pocket. That’s it. I gave a very simple example to the public health service and private clinic. They just want to make everything possible to get money from the patients. They don’t really care about saving life or treat the patients.

It’s possible that you arrive at the clinic and the doctor didn’t ask much about how you feel or your critical situation, whether you decide to stay a night or inject few medical.

It happened like this and no one take action seriously about it. It’s now become a normal situation. You need to find by yourself the good place you might known or recommended by friends.

It’s concerned to everybody, each individual need to think that they can get involved and make a change.

I hope to see improvement in health public service very soon because this is very important.

It is difficult in mind not to talk about traffic jam everywhere. This is caused by people that don’t respect the priority on the route. They just want to go first and don’t care if hundred people are stuck behind them. They didn’t see. They didn’t think.

When there’s accident down the street, they don’t take care of the victim but steal all the value items from the victim. This is an unacceptable action that people need to have in mind.

Some of police traffic hit the motor driver and one time I saw an accident by my own eyes, a women felt down after the police hit. This is wrong. This is not a correct way to make people respect the traffic law. They did it everywhere on purpose to get money. And no one take action against this yet. Not yet.

They should have a motor with high speed ready to drive follow the runner until they stop. This is not hard to change. But in stead they hide behind the tree to catch the innocent people that sometime didn’t realize any mistake.

In short team, a lot of people are still selfish. We should start to think about other people. We live in this world where we share a lot of things together.

There are many other things that I want to say but maybe I reserve it for another day.

Do you have also recently something to complain about Cambodia mentality?

Contemporary Dancer: Belle Chumvan Sodhachivy

I was moving when I watched Belle Chumvan Sodhachivy danced on the stage in occasion of Phnom Penh Hip Hop in 2009.

She introduced her new dance which i could see an hesitate at the beginning to mix between Cambodian Contemporary Dance and some kind of her new creation similar to Ballet of European.

I found a video on youtube on that event, you can watched and feel about her new creation:

She planed to have a new performance this month, I recommend everybody not to be missed this great show. Find more details of the program as below:

Dansez ! Roam !
14 – 15 may, 7PM
Theater Chenla

Belle Chumvan Sodhachivy will present her latest creation, in which she takes on the task of examining the ineluctable emotion felt by everyone: the feeling of being in love.

Accompanied by six dancers and four musicians, she expresses in movement love, joy, suffering, anguish, all the various emotions that the Other can awaken in us.

During the first part of the evening, “4 D” from Epic Arts Association will present the remarkable work of handicapped dancers, a hymn to respect, sharing, and support, words that are the foundation of their lives and of the creative process of their choreography.

Free tickets available at the library of CCF and Amrita perfoming Arts.

Centre Culturel Français – 218 Street 184 (023 213 124 / 125)

Amrita Performing Arts – 128G9, Sothearos Blvd. (023 220 424)

Théâtre Chenla : Bv Mao Tse Toung x av. Monireth

The Hope From Oil And Gas Exploration

We are happy when we hear there’s possibility of oil and gas in Cambodia. We hope we could take the money from oil and gas exploitation to build the country.

Since so far we have seen 3 companies: BHP Billiton, Total and JOGMEC (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation) get involved in investment for oil and gas exploration.

I sincerely hope the government will take this into priority to avoid the corruption and facilitate the company to speed up the exploration and as I heard in 2012 Cambodia will start to produce oil.

The article from Phnom Penh Post has made a lot of attention to the matter of declaration of the project and exact master plan for oil and gas exploration in Cambodia.

You can read the full article by the link below:

Slick money in Cambodia’s oil sector

Study in Thailand: Master-of-Art Program for German as a Foreign Language

I got this email from Norbert Klein, editor of Cambodia Mirror. I am not sure if this is the good time to go and study in Thailand but if you wish to have more information please contact him. Good luck.

Dear Friends,

Recently I was informed by a Thai friend – a professor at the German Language Department of the Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok – that they have a two-years International Master-of-Art Program for German as a Foreign Language.

“A qualification in this program is therefore not only an excellent qualification for teachers but also most interesting for jobs in which you get into contact with people from other countries, be it in tourism, as a translator, or in leading positions within the economy or the service industries. There are practically no limits in this age of globalization.”

What is especially interesting is the fact that the tuition fees are reduced for students from ASEAN countries, and further reduced withing this category for students coming from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, or Vietnam. More details, including addresses etc.

I was asked to make this known in Cambodia. So far, there are always students from Vietnam, who take advantage of this educational opportunity towards different services in their own country.

So far, there are no applicants from Cambodia. The deadline for the next applications is 31 May 2010. Maybe you know somebody?

Norbert Klein
nhklein@gmx.net

More Details Of Cambodian Taxi Driver

I have introduce few days ago about art project of Cambodian Taxi Driver. I guess you might enjoy the trailer.

I contact the creator of this wonderful project Mr. Takeyoshi Fukuda. We have exchange some conversation because I want to get more details about his work.

Here are the details I understand from his work. Maybe I am not too smart but here are the true feeling I got from the global view.

This art work was more or less created in a theme that people need to be strong to live, to suffer, to hope for future and to be happy. In one short term everybody should “Stay Alive!”.

First reason to base the story in Cambodia because in general view, even passing through all bad memories of war and genocide, Cambodian people are still seen as they are happy and smile all the time.

This is not the first time I have been asked this question. I have been asked by another Japanese that he wonder when he arrived in Cambodia, he didn’t see any people suffer from the past.

People are living their lives and mostly having fun around. I replied to him at that time that people are busy in earning their lives, make money and they got no time to think about the past.

My answer was not totally correct even me I know myself. I answer because I need to answer and find some arguments. But the true is maybe we are generous and this is our nature and we always smile and happy even inside we got many things hidden.

It also happen to a lot of foreigners that when Cambodian people says “YES”, it doesn’t always mean “YES”. It is because we like to think in positive way and being optimist in life.

To understand more about the work of Mr. Takeyoshi Fukuda, here are the full Q&A:

Khmerbird: What is the first thing that make you interest in making this project?

Takeyoshi Fukuda: Many Japanese people have a sick mind. They don’t have a means of staying alive maybe. Viewed objectively, Cambodian people seems to be happy and wealthy humanity. I think, if I could tell Cambodian culture and thinking, all the people think something about own’s life and truth of happy.
That was how it all started.

Khmerbird: The output would be a full length movie or photo slideshow?

Takeyoshi Fukuda: My works has various possibility. 1st time now, slideshow with music and print only. But I wrote the original story novel, and I’ll try to make a iPhone and iPad App. And it would be good if I could make a real movie.

Khmerbird: Where we can watch this beautiful work?

Takeyoshi Fukuda: I exhibit in Tokyo Ginza Gallery “Kobo” at 12 July 2010 to 17 July. And I am planning in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I can tell soon. I’ll try exhibit in many country.

Khmerbird: What are the most difficulty in making this project?

Takeyoshi Fukuda: I think language barrier only. Some Cambodian people helped me from Japanese language. I can’t speak Khmer. And I can speak English so little bit. I must to study hard two language…

Khmerbird: Are the two Kim Hong & Sok Sophear have experience in acting before? How you find them?

Takeyoshi Fukuda: Kim played his real personality. He is my taxi driver. I met him for the first time when I traveled to Siem Reap. I was reminded of him at the time I wrote the novel. And I ask him to act himself.

Sophear is coordinator’s girl friend. Now, she is studying about beautician in Phnom Penh.

They have not experience in acting. I told only situation and feeling. They could act very well.

These are the Press Information of Cambodia Taxi Driver

Theme

The Cambodia that we know in Japan: Angkor Wat and the smiling faces of children. Elementary schools and remote wells built with donations. Civil war, refugees and land mines. From such scraps of knowledge, we feel mainly pity.

Yet what is peculiar to us is simply natural circumstance for them.

We want to wipe away the pity felt by so many, and instead let them encounter the strength, kindness, sincerity and humanity of a fellow Asian people. For these people don’t just feel sorry for themselves. They yearn for something; they love somebody; they have will in the face of an uncertain future. They live with a free spirit no different to our own.

We want you to see the reality of the people living in Cambodia today. To feel directly the passion lying deep in their hearts and the wonder of their lives. And to make you seriously consider the question: just what can we do in this world? That is the grand theme that runs through this production.

Synopsis

Siem Reap, the tourist mecca of Cambodia’s Angkor ruins. The bike taxis and their drivers, familiar to anyone who has visited its streets.

A drama, based upon an original novel by the same creator, that makes a protagonist of one of these drivers that tourists scarcely glance at yet who go about their daily lives with single-minded determination.

The closed-off past; turmoil at the death of loved ones; romance; and what it means to live.

This cinematic photo story, comprising over 100 images, will arouse fresh curiosity, imaginings and emotions; a multitude of new thoughts stir in the viewer.

Five years in the making from conception to realization, from hereon too skills and techniques continue to develop and evolve. This debut exhibition at Ginza’s Kobo Gallery presents still images alongside a slide movie.

More details at Cambodian taxi Driver

Adopted Child Looking For Family

I got email from Mr. Charlie Drowns to make this announcement. They are ones of many adoptees that look for their adopted child’s family. If you got information, or any suggestion to speed up the research, you can comment here or send email direct to Mr. Charle Drowns. I wish good luck for this research.

My son was one of several hundred infants adopted to the US from Cambodia 1998 -2004. I traveled to Phnom Penh in 1/99 and picked him up when he was 10 weeks old. We initially were told there was no information on him at all.

We used a facilitator named Lauryn Galindo, who was later arrested and jailed in the US for fraud in these adoptions. She recruited baby dealers and others to supply to US families babies for adoption.

Many of us adoptees and parents alike, are interested in locating the birth families of these children.

My son has wanted to locate his birth family for over seven years, now. I have used two Cambodian searchers, with no luck. We visited the birth village in early 2009, and again no luck.

Please help us if you can, correct an injustice done to these children and their birth families.

Pol Sok Ly, director of the Kompong Speu orphanage, has the papers about Rath Danith (the name given our son when he entered the orphanage).

On one paper that had yellow-inked thumb prints to go with official
signatures, the first line started out, “My name is Ean Onn, 35 yrs old
(paper dated 1999)…”

That may possibly be the mother.

Also, signed by a neighbor/friend who brought in the baby, Hu Hee
(phonetic sp). Witness was Sok. (That is Pol Sok Ly).

City: Kompong Som (now called Sihanoukville)
District: Mitapheap
Commune: No.2
Village: No.6

Mr. Ken (program director at KS) has a friend, Mr. Ouen, who knew Hu Hee.

This information came from a book at the orphanage which records the dates and circumstances of each admission.

Thank you for your interest.
Charlie Drowns

Dengue Fever Benefit Concert for Cambodian Living Arts

You might know already Chhom Nimol, singer for the group Dengue Fever. I love her voice and I love the band. They make the Cambodia rock around the world.

They now will do a concert to support artists at Cambodian Living Arts. I like their vision for the future of Cambodian Arts. I was quote one time already but I am not hesitate to quote it again here.

Here is the Cambodian Living Arts vision:

By the year 2020, Cambodia will experience a cultural renaissance so dynamic that the arts have become the country’s international signature.

Find as below the details of the concert and how to get yourself involved.

See you at the concert,

Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Time: 8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Location: PARKWAY CENTER, Phnom Penh
Street: 113 Mao Tse Toung Blvd. (St. 245)

$10 Tickets on sale at Rubies, Garage, Java, and CLA
For Info: 023 986 032, CambodianLivingArts.org