Author - Dara Saoyuth

My first guitar lesson

My guitar

My guitar / by: Dara Saoyuth

Having bought a guitar for almost two weeks, I still cannot play even just a song. At first, I think that it’s an easy thing that anyone can learn by just watching some video tutorials on YouTube and some E-learning software. However, it’s not that easy. I’ve spent a few hours watching E-learning software on my computer, but I still cannot catch up with what they are teaching.

Because of this, I’ve decided to take up a guitar course at Sinsisamoth Association, where I can learn from the son of my favorite and long-lasting famous Cambodian singer, Sinsisamoth.

I started my course last Sunday with around 10 people in a class. I was fascinated by my classroom design which I can see photos of famous signers during 1960s and 1970s plus different musical instruments around me.

I study from 9amto 12pm — 90minutes for learning music notes and other 90minutes for instrument practice.

I really want to be able to play it as soon as possible but my teacher said at least students have to study for 3 months to be able to play and they can continue the course if they want to know more about how to read musical note as well as writing it.

Another Sunday is upcoming, so I have to practice what my teacher has taught me; otherwise, i won’t be able to proceed the next lesson.

If any of you also has the same interest as me or knows how to play a guitar or other musical instrument, please kindly share your experience here. I believe that the other visitors as well as me would be happy to read your experience sharing.

By: Dara Saoyuth
10/05/2011

Plugging the brain drain

Profile of Cambodian youth who is fighting the trend toward the city and making a difference, despite the difficulties in the provincial parts of the Kingdom

Upon leaving his homeland in Takeo province in 2007, Kim Bora began vocational training in the electronics field at the Centre Kram Ngoy (CKN). When he completed his final exam, he was just as quick to set his sites on a career in the countryside and within two days he was in Kampong Cham, where he continues to work today and hopes to raise his family.

The 27-year-old Kim Bora works for the Electricity Tboung Khmum Enterprise as a manager of their branch in Ou Reang Ov district in Kampong Cham.

He is tasked with not only ensuring the distribution of electricity to the people in the community he lives in, but also must ensure that his neighbours, and other customers, pay their bills on time.

“Electricity is very important in people daily life,” he said. “However, in some areas connections are still difficult and I often receive complaints that car batteries are much more expensive.”

Kim Bora admits that he has much work left unfinished, he is also proud of the accomplishments he has made. He said that so far, he and his team has equipped around 30,000 households with electricity and around 30,000 more households will be connected shortly.

Although Kim Bora moved swiftly to the province he currently lives in, he remembers the difficulties of settling in vividly. “At first, I didn’t have any friends and I felt very homesick,” he said.

But he remained persistent and after sticking it out for a while, he got used to the environment and everything has now reached a point where he feels very comfortable in his surroundings.

When asked about his future plans, he said he that he no longer considers taking a job in the city or making a return to his hometown. Why? you might ask. Well, that has nothing to do electric connections.

He fell in love with a woman while he was negotiating life in Kampong Cham and they want to stay right there to start a family together.

By: Dara Saoyuth
This article was publish on LIFT, Issue 69 published on May 05, 2011

Yahoo! Mail is upgrading: What it means for you

I’ve just received an E-mail from yahoo! Mail Team informing and suggesting me to upgrade from current version of my yahoo account to the latest version. From this mail, I’ve also realized that I’ve been a fan of yahoo for five years already.:D

Since I like testing new things, I can’t wait until five months later to use the final version. Now, I’m using beta of the latest version, and I’ve found some more interesting features there.

I’ve put the original mail I got, and I’ve capture the screen before and after updating so that you can see some changes for your consideration of changing your current version or not… Cheers,

[slideshow]

Dear Dara saoyuth,Thank you for being a Yahoo! Mail user for the past 5 year(s). We look forward to bringing you a faster, safer, and friendlier Yahoo! Mail soon.

In the coming months, we will invite you to upgrade your account dara_saoyuth@yahoo.comto the newest version of Yahoo! Mail. All Yahoo! Mail users will be invited to upgrade. If do you not wish to wait, you can have the newest Yahoo! Mail today.

Upgrade Now

What You Can Look Forward To

• Faster email

• Latest Yahoo! Mail spam-protection technology

• Friendlier design

• Unlimited email storage to keep everything you want

Learn more about the newest version of Yahoo! Mail. When you upgrade to the newest version of Yahoo! Mail, everything in your account (messages, folders, contacts, etc.) will be there.

You Can Upgrade TodayYou can upgrade now to the newest Yahoo! Mail if your browser is Internet Explorer 7, Firefox 3, Safari 4, or Chrome 5, or newer.

Upgrade Now

If you do not have any of these browsers, you must first update your browser (it’s fast and free), and then return to this email and click the Upgrade Now button.

If you don’t upgrade now, we recommend that you do it soon. Your current version of Yahoo! Mail will be available for the next few months, but you will eventually need to upgrade it to the newest version of Yahoo! Mail, or review Yahoo! Mail Help for other options.

Thank you for being a loyal Yahoo! Mail user.

We hope you will enjoy the newest version of Yahoo! Mail.

Yahoo! Mail Team


01/05/2011
By: Dara Saoyuth

Creative Commons License
Yahoo! Mail is upgrading: What it means for you by DARA Saoyuth is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Nokia starts measures to align workforce and site operations with new strategy

The Start screen of Windows Phone 7

The Start screen of Windows Phone 7 / Image via Wikipedia

Espoo, Finland – To deliver on its new strategy, Nokia today announced plans to align its global workforce and consolidate site operations. These measures are part of Nokia’s target to reduce its Devices & Services non-IFRS operating expenses by 1 billion euros for the full year 2013 in comparison to the full year 2010, as announced last week.

Earlier today, Nokia announced plans to form a strategic collaboration with Accenture that would result in the transfer of Nokia’s Symbian software activites, including about 3,000 employees to Accenture. In addition, Nokia also plans to reduce its global workforce by about 4,000 employees by the end of 2012, with the majority of reductions in Denmark, Finland and the UK. In accordance with country-by-country legal requirements, discussions with employee representatives started today.

Nokia also plans to consolidate the company’s research and product development sites so that each site has a clear role and mission. Nokia expects the expansion of some sites and the contraction or closure of others.

All employees affected by the reduction plans can stay on the Nokia payroll through the end of 2011. Nokia expects personnel reductions to occur in phases until the end of 2012, linked to the roll-out of Nokia’s planned product and services portfolio. During this period, Nokia intends to ramp up its capacity for the development of Nokia smartphones based on the Windows Phone platform, the company’s broad range of mobile phones and its services portfolio.

“At Nokia, we have new clarity around our path forward, which is focused on our leadership across smart devices, mobile phones and future disruptions,” said Stephen Elop, Nokia president and CEO. “However, with this new focus, we also will face reductions in our workforce. This is a difficult reality, and we are working closely with our employees and partners to identify long-term re-employment programs for the talented people of Nokia.”

Nokia is launching a comprehensive social responsibility program for employees and the communities likely to be affected by the personnel reductions. The program will be led locally, with local partners and stakeholders, and senior management support.

“We are offering those who are losing their jobs a range of options, from individual re-employment support and re-training to making investments to promote innovation and working with a variety of partners to create new opportunities,” Elop continued.

Original Text by NOKIA Company

Released on 27 April 2011
Related Post

My day with Khmer manuscript restoration team

by: Dara Saoyuth

by: Dara Saoyuth

I would say that I was very lucky to have chance going with a Khmer manuscript restoration team to Takeo province searching for the remaining manuscripts because firstly, I can shoot some wonderful scenes for my documentary video and secondly, I have chance to experience new things.

It’s 7:30 in the morning that I went to Sarawan pagoda, where the team work, waiting for them to take me, and we left Phnom Penh at around 8 o’clock in the morning. Since there was only 1 free space in the car, my partner has to stay in Phnom Penh contacting people and arrange for the next day traveling and shooting in Siem Reap.

I felt less comfortable at first since I alone had to carry a bag of video camera, a tripod, a bag of still camera, mic and headset and some technical equipments. I thought that I could not do the work to level my partner has expected from me because shooting process needs at least two people to assists each other.

However, once I met the manuscript restoration team, I became more comfortable since they all were very friendly and helpful. They helped me a lot, especially with doing white balance for the video camera that I need to do it very often once we change from one location to the others.

Technicality was not a problem anymore; however, I started to feel disappointed after going to some pagodas but cannot find any manuscript left. Fortunately, we at last found some pagodas that remain having manuscripts, and also found people who know how manuscripts were treated during the Khmer rouge regime. Without hesitating, I started shooting and interviewing people there.

I really appreciate what the restoration team is working because I can see that they are working very hard from one pagoda to another without spending much time to relax themselves. At first, I don’t believe when they told me that they never experience sleeping in hotel or guesthouse when they have mission to go to provinces. But, now, I have to believe that pagodas have become their guesthouse and at the same time pagodas are their restaurant.

I have a lot more things to tell “Student Blog” visitors, but I’d like to say sorry that I have to prepare for tomorrow shooting in Siem Reap province. I will leave in the morning and hope to find some interesting things there to show all of you. Wish you all the best!!!

Oh, I also took some photos of pagodas I went this morning for all of you. Cheers,

[slideshow]

By: Dara Saoyuth
26/04/2011

Nokia and Microsoft Sign Definitive Agreement Ahead of Schedule

Key contributions to new global mobile ecosystem agreed and significant progress made on engineering of new products

Nokia Corporation
Stock exchange release
April 21, 2011 at 13.10 (CET +1)

The Microsoft sign at the entrance of the Germ...

Image via Wikipedia

Espoo, Finland and Redmond, US – Nokia (NYSE: NOK) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement on a partnership that will result in a new global mobile ecosystem, utilizing the very complementary assets of both companies. Completed ahead of schedule, the definitive agreement is consistent with the joint announcement made on February 11.

In addition to agreeing to the terms of their partnership, including joint contributions to the development of the new ecosystem, Nokia and Microsoft also announced significant progress on the development of the first Nokia products incorporating Windows Phone. With hundreds of personnel already engaged on joint engineering efforts, the companies are collaborating on a portfolio of new Nokia devices. Nokia has also started porting key applications and services to operate on Windows Phone and joint outreach has begun to third party application developers.

“At the highest level, we have entered into a win-win partnership,” said Stephen Elop, President and CEO of Nokia Corporation. “It is the complementary nature of our assets, and the overall competitiveness of that combined offering, that is the foundation of our relationship.”

“Our agreement is good for the industry,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “Together, Nokia and Microsoft will innovate with greater speed, and provide enhanced opportunities for consumers and our partners to share in the success of our ecosystem.”

The relationship is structured around four broad areas:

1. A combination of complementary assets, which make the partnership truly unique, including:

– Nokia to deliver mapping, navigation, and certain location-based services to the Windows Phone ecosystem. Nokia will build innovation on top of the Windows Phone platform in areas such as imaging, while contributing expertise on hardware design and language support, and helping to drive the development of the Windows Phone platform. Microsoft will provide Bing search services across the Nokia device portfolio as well as contributing strength in productivity, advertising, gaming, social media and a variety of other services. The combination of navigation with advertising and search will enable better monetization of Nokia’s navigation assets and completely new forms of advertising revenue.

– Joint developer outreach and application sourcing, to support the creation of new local and global applications, including making Windows Phone developer registration free for all Nokia developers.

– Opening a new Nokia-branded global application store that leverages the Windows Marketplace infrastructure. Developers will be able to publish and distribute applications through a single developer portal to hundreds of millions of consumers that use Windows Phone, Symbian and Series 40 devices.

– Contribution of Nokia’s expertise in operator billing to ensure participants in the Windows Phone ecosystem can take advantage of Nokia’s billing agreements with 112 operators in 36 markets.

2. Microsoft will receive a running royalty from Nokia for the Windows Phone platform, starting when the first Nokia products incorporating Windows Phone ship. The royalty payments are competitive and reflect the large volumes that Nokia expects to ship, as well as a variety of other considerations related to engineering work to which both companies are committed. Microsoft delivering the Windows Phone platform to Nokia will enable Nokia to significantly reduce operating expenses.

3. In recognition of the unique nature of Nokia’s agreement with Microsoft and the contributions that Nokia is providing, Nokia will receive payments measured in the billions of dollars.

4. An agreement that recognizes the value of intellectual property and puts in place mechanisms for exchanging rights to intellectual property. Nokia will receive substantial payments under the agreement.

With the definitive agreement now signed, both companies will begin engaging with operators, developers and other partners to help the industry understand the benefits of joining the new ecosystem. At the same time, work will continue on developing Nokia products on the Windows Phone platform, with the aim of securing volume device shipments in 2012. The scale of the mutual commitment from both companies is significant and is in keeping with the intention to build a new ecosystem based on a long-term, strategic partnership.

Original Text by NOKIA Company

Released on 21 April 2011
Related Post

Virtual friends, digital discussions & real worries

Dara Saoyuth steps away from his own Facebook page long enough to talk to anyone in the country who would know about what consequences Cambodian stand to face if they are overly critical online.

My Facebook profile

It went public in 2006, and since then Facebook has become the world’s largest social networking site with more than 500 million active users worldwide. Facebook has increasingly become integrated into Cambodian internet users’ daily experience as more than half of the users surveyed used Facebook at least once a day and another one-third used several times a week, according to an online survey of 468 Cambodian Facebook users published by the Department of Media and Communication.

There are 255,660 total Facebook users in Cambodia now as reported by socialbakers.com, one of the biggest Facebook statistics portals in the world. Users know that Facebook is an effective tool for networking, communicating or advertising, while tending to ignore or simply not knowing about some important aspects that might lead to legal action, especially involving privacy.

For example, Cambodia is no different from the outside world, where a person can be accused of defamation and face legal action if they post something on asocial networking site that is considered a public place. However, no such case has happened in Cambodia, so far.

“So far, there is no point mentioned in Cambodian laws related to Facebook privacy,” said Sok Samoeun, an executive director at Cambodian Defenders Project, who suggested the possibility that a page might not be a private place anymore if everyone can see its contents or that page has hundreds of friends or members.

Pen Samitthy, the president of the Club of Cambodian Journalists and editor-in-chief of the Rasmey Kampuchea newspaper, said that social networking sites are very good because they create a new form of broadcasting news that he called citizen journalism.

“Now everyone can work like a journalist because they can provide information whenever there is computer and internet connection,” said Pen Samitthy, who acknowledged that there were some negative points with this kind of citizen journalism. He said people who use social networking sites as a tool to disseminate information normally don’t have a professional background, so they cannot balance a story and they just write what they see and put what they think with doing proper research.

Posting, commenting and uploading photos or videos are normally what people do on these sites, to share their experiences and emotions towards daily life. Facebook also allows users to create groups, invite other people to join and make discussions on their topic of interest.

Among the numerous groups created by Cambodians, Khmer Motherland (Meatophum Khmer) is supported by its 1,350 members and Khmer People Network (Bondanh Polrot Khmer) is supported by its 294 members. These are two groups that get updated very often. Most of the topics being discussed by these groups is related to politics and social issues.

A 24-year-old university student who asked to be callled by his nickname of Roumket Roumsomrech Roumtver is a member of the two Facebook groups. He said that normally someone puts up a posting and that leads to a discussion which sometimes turns into an argument.

“Since members try to reflect their personal views, especially on politics and the fact that not all of them have the same tendency, some of them have attacked each other in the form of comments back and forth instead of trying to understand one another,” said Roumket Roumsomrech Roumtver, who explained that by not using his real name on Facebook he felt more confident commenting on politics.

Pen Samitty said it will not cause any problems if a person creates a group to discuss things with a few of his or her friends, but it might lead to problems when putting in links for everyone to see. He added that although there is no law on internet use yet, it may violate another law like defamation if someone went too far.

Facebook is an international website that attracts all nationalities, but AngkorOne.com is the international website that attracts Cambodians living all over the world. To help its members get around any legal problems, AngkorOne.com, a Khmer social networking site with nearly 14,000 members, have created some policies for posting things.

Steven Path, the founder and chief executive officer of AngkorOne.com, said he has staff and members to review all the content to make sure that members are respectful to one another and not get involved in political discussions. “When it comes to political attacks, we see on other websites that they attack very violently and we don’t want this to appear on AngkorOne.com,” he said.

“It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality. We are not concerned about having thousands of posts every day, but we do get about 300 to 400 posts per day that are quality ones.”

By: Dara Saoyuth

This article was publish on LIFT, Issue 66 published on April 13, 2011