Tag - Cambodia

Telling the story of a tragedy

December 2, 2010

Relatives blessing for the deceased / by: Dara Saoyuth

Having come to Phnom Penh to pursue higher education from my home in the province, it is rare that I have a few days off to visit my family. So, rather than joining the millions of people who came to Phnom Penh, I made the opposite trip and went home for the festival weekend.

I was sound asleep in my parents’ house, enjoying the comforts of familiar places, when my parents woke me up. I was rather annoyed, seeing that it was 2am, but once I understood what they were telling me, questions began to come to my mind, which was having an impossible time accepting that hundreds of people have actually died on the Koh Pich bridge.

Most of the questions involved the status of my friends still in the city and I frantically dialed numbers and sent out messages to find out if people were okay. Some of my friends had a similar reaction to mine upon being woken up – annoyed – but it was worth it to me to hear their voices.

I left the province at 7am, with few of my initial questions answered. As soon as I finished my lunch upon my return to the city, I hurriedly put my camera, recorder, notebook and a bottle of water into my backpack and rushed to the Phnom Penh Post office. I was asked by my editor to help another reporter, who was from America, to shoot a documentary about the event. After being so far away from the event earlier in the day, I was anxious to find out what really happened in my nation.

The Cambodian -Russian Friendship Hospital was teeming with crowds of victims’ relatives as we arrived. I immediately became overwhelmed by sadness, but this was the truth I wanted to see. For those involved in the stampede, desperation was the only emotion there was in the days after the stampede. We spent almost an hour walking around the hospital and nothing like tiredness even crossed my mind. I was too filled with sympathy and pity to consider anything else.

There were two big boards with victims’ photos stuck on either side. Some people burst into tears when they saw photos of their relatives lying dead. I couldn’t imagine. My friends and family were okay but I was still barely able to look at the rows of photos.

I talked with a girl who was among the many family members roaming the halls and tending to their kin. I talked to a girl who said her aunt was still alive in a nearby room, but was unable to move any part of her body. She said a few more words, but then stopped. As her eyes filled with tears, I couldn’t bear to ask any more questions or push her to talk more. My heart truly ached for her and all the others in her situation.

The fact that I was carrying a camera bag and a tripod, along with a fixed camera hanging around my neck, didn’t exactly make me inconspicuous; and as I walked by, I heard people whisper that another foreign journalist was there to cover their tragedy. I was proud that I looked like a professional to these people, but I also felt like I should put down all of this stuff and help calm people who were crying, carry coffins into the truck, or care for those still suffering. This was the first time I had been assigned a story like this, and it made me realise how difficult it must be for journalists to balance their duty to tell the story of terrible events and help the desperate people around them.

I wanted to separate my job that day from my feelings, but I simply couldn’t. This is my country and these were fellow Cambodians suffering around me. I kept imagining how terrible it would feel just to find out that someone I know was among the people who died that night on the bridge. If it was someone I truly loved I can’t imagine how bad it would hurt.

I arrived home with an overwhelming sense of sadness hanging on me. I called my friends who also helped report the story and they were also unable to shake the depression and fear that the day’s events had inspired. I thought about how the water festival has always been a happy time for Cambodian people, and whether that would ever be true again.

By: Dara Saoyuth

This article was published on Lift, Issue 47 published on December 02, 2010

You can also read the article on Phnom Penh Post website by CLICKING HERE

Water Festival Ends in Tragedy (saoyuth.wordpress.com)
Photos in the aftermath of Koh Pich accident (saoyuth.wordpress.com)
Cambodia stampede: ‘Bodies stacked upon bodies’ in Phnom Penh tragedy (guardian.co.uk)

Photos in the aftermath of Koh Pich accident

November 24, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

Inform

Since I was at my hometown during Monday night’s stampede on Diamond Island’s north bridge, I could not capture the event.

Yesterday afternoon, as soon as I arrived the city, I went to the Phnom Penh Post office and was assigned to assist a foreign reporter in shooting documentary related to the accident.

I went to the Cambodia – Russian Khmer Friendship Hospital to the hospital where some bodies and victims were placed. I later went to Koh Pich to see the blessing ceremony for the deceased.

Below are some photos and video clips I shot in the aftermath of the tragedy.

[slideshow]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhUXoJ-kI5M&hl=en&fs=1] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWkzOnPwmXc&hl=en&fs=1] [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pcPlU7UwQ&hl=en&fs=1]

Dara Saoyuth

24/11/2010

What’s New (Shopping cheap at Sakura Japanese thrift store)

November 24, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

LIFT

4 Comments

If you are a savvy shopper in Phnom Penh, you have likely encountered many shops that sell second-hand clothes. You are sure to find some great deals at these shops, located in markets or along the street, but it is quite obvious that you are having a gander at used goods. This is not the case at the new Sakura Japanese thrift store located on St. 271 not far from Chea Sim Samky high school in the capital.

The one floor shop is well designed, with clothes that are so stylish that you wouldn’t know they were used unless you looked at the sign on the way in that says “Sakura Used Japanese Products.” As the name suggests, all of the products are imported from Japan, and the shipments contain more than just clothes, you are likely to find a bunch of stuff from furniture to toys, accessories and appliances.

The shop is open from 10am to 10pm, and I strolled up during the early afternoon on my lunch break from my studies at university. I was surprised at how many cars and motor-bikes were parked outside and once I walked in I saw that most of them were driven by students, who were still in their uniforms, also taking advantage of their midday break for some budget shopping.

The store is well lit and fans keep the airflow going, however there is a certain smell that only comes from used clothes, and despite the aesthetic appeal of the threads at Sakura, the old clothes smell still required a brief period for acclimation. Once we got used to smell my friends and I were able to stroll up and down the aisles and focus on finding the true gems within the racks packed with clothes.

Looking at the prices of the goods on display, we noticed another differences from the second hand shops we were used to: there was a much wider variety of prices. Some things were only 1,000 riel while other prized-pieces cost over US$300. In general things were still way cheaper than they would be at Pencil or Sorya.

People seemed quite interested in the shoes and household items at the shop, but I noted few clothes being tried on. I suspect it is because of the overflow of sweaters in the shop, which most Cambodians would only buy if they were planning a trip to Japan or a place with a comparably cold climate.

A few things jumped out at me while we pursued the offerings at the second-hand shop. There was a pair of shoes that were beautiful and looked nothing like any footwear I had seen before. I think a tear might have streamed down my face when I tried them on and they were a bit too tight for my foot. There was also a gorgeous kitchen set complete with a tea pot, plates and cupboards. My friend was moved to buy a teapot for his father but the price proved prohibitive and he gently set it back on the shelf.

Near the end of our hour-long browse we noticed a room with a sign that said employees only. Inside were piles and piles of clothes, toys and hundreds of other objects that would soon be on sale. Some brave customers went in anyhow but their time was fleeting as staff members soon asked them to get out. I heard them muttering about how many attractive and cheap goods they saw in the forbidden room.

Sakura has just about everything you could want, especially if you have the time to look around for a while. If you are a style snob who only wears the newest brand name stuff, perhaps this isn’t your spot, but for everyone else, you owe it to yourself to at least stop by.

By: Dara Saoyuth and Touch YinVvannith

This article was published on Lift, Issue 46 published on November 24, 2010

Meeting Cambodian politicians on the internet

November 17, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

LIFT

2 Comments

Picture of notebook screen with Facebook / Image via Wikipedia

The internet has turned the world into a global village where people from different places can get to know each other and gain easy access to information, and this has prompted some Cambodian political parties to make their web presence known to reach a much bigger audience.

In most cases, these websites contain information such as political background, principles, activities and party contacts and are readily available on each party’s official website.

The Cambodian People’s Party, the current ruling party in the Kingdom, has its own website in both English and Khmer.

Cheam Yeap, spokesperson for the CPP, said having an official website can help people connect with political parties and learn about its background.

The internet has played a crucial role in delivering accurate news to Cambodians, said Yim Sovann, a spokesperson for the opposition Sam Rainsy Party. This was the main reason the SRP launched a website in 2000.

“The internet has helped us get a lot of support, especially from activists and people living abroad,” he said. “It’s a means to deliver truthful information by uploading documents and promoting our activities on our website.”

We are now living in a world of electronic democracy where people can communicate directly with their leaders using the internet. Therefore, a website on its own isn’t enough; some politicians have started to engage in social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote their political parties and expose themselves to a young, interested audiences.

There aren’t any official studies, but any young person can confirm that Facebook is one of the most popular social media outlets in Cambodia and it is used in different ways depending on the person. Everything from normal communications to political discussions to multi-user video games take place on the site. Many of the political parties have pages on Facebook, where they post updated party news and get instant feedback when people click on the “like” icon to show their agreement or post a comment if the like button doesn’t express their feelings.

The Human Rights Party has had a website since they formed in July 2007. The next year they won 6.62 percent of the votes in national elections. The party stepped up their online engagement by creating a Facebook page last year. In Cambodia, HRP leaders said that programmes on radio FM105 were the best way to reach people, but in order to reach supporters abroad, the internet is invaluable.

“The HRP depends completely on the internet in order to communicate with people who live abroad,” said Kem Sokha, the HRP president.

Khieu Kanharith, the government’s Minister of Information, said he had used Facebook for two years and before that he used several other social networks including hi5. His online savvy is obvious since he usually replies to online messages within a few days if not a few hours. Yet he is not a complete convert of online communication.

“I think oral communication works better than comments via social networks,” he said. “On Facebook, we cannot post everything – for example, policies that contain thousands of words cannot be condensed to two or three sentences. That is simply not enough to promote a policy.”

Sites like Facebook also provide a space for people to distribute false or damaging information without censorship or accountability. If someone is offended by something online, they can easily return the insult by posting messages on walls or message boards. Lift asked Khieu Kanharith if such threats have concerned him in more than two years of participating in similar forums. He said he’s not worried since people can differentiate real and fake information.

Nil Vandeth, a 19-year-old student at the Royal University of Law and Economics, has used Facebook to have his ideas heard and comment on other people’s inspirations.

“Politics is part of our general knowledge and people will know more about it when they start sharing their ideas,” he said. Cambodian people, particularly the young, are starting to take an interest in politics, he added, “because of the internet”.

By: Dara Saoyuth, Sothea Ines and Ouk Elita

This article was published on Lift, Issue 45 published on November 17, 2010

You can also read the article on Phnom Penh Post website by CLICKING HERE

Watching a new Cambodian film, Kiles

November 14, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

Inform, LIFT, Personal Interest/Experience

2 Comments

If you read LIFT issue 44, you’ll know what a reporter wrote for this week in what’s new section. No wonder, it’s a review of a Cambodian drama film, Kiles (literally translate as Passion), written by Mao Ayuth, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Information.

After reading the review, I was so eager to watch the film. Fortunately, I received a free ticket from one of my friends, so Saturday afternoon was my second time I went to lux cinema watching films.

I don’t remember my first time in this cinema, but for this time, one thing I’ve noticed is that most of the audiences are teenagers who mostly walk in with their partners and some were still wearing school uniforms as if they were entering classroom. Before the film started, I was on my seat trying to fathom out the reason why there are small number of adults in the theater. Unfortunately, the film had started before I could find the answer, so let me give you a floor to come up with the answer to my doubt.

Below is the original review of the film written by Tet Chan, a LIFT reporter. Cheers,

Kiles poster

Perhaps you have heard stories about life in Cambodia during French colonization. Maybe you are even an expert on the period, but I’m certainly not. Hoping to learn more about postWorld War II Cambodia, I went with my friends to see Kiles, the newest movie to hit Cambodia’s theatres, and the first production by the Cambodia Film Commission, a government- funded initiative meant to raise the standard of Cambodian film.

The sounds of chanting plays over the opening scene as an old rich man named Kiles is lying in bed, lonely and weak. It doesn’t look like he has long to live, but, as luck would have it, the frail fellow recovers and returns to live with his four wives and countless servants.

The news keeps getting better for the geezer when one of these servants reads his palm and tells him that his fifth wife will be a beautiful young woman. Kiles isn’t a man to wait around for fortune to find him, so he tells his future-seeing househelp to track down someone who owes him money and demand that they give him their daughter’s hand in marriage to clear their debt.

The unfortunate and indebted man who the servant finds conveniently has a beautiful daughter named Teuy. Her devoted boyfriend Plok is a cremator, and he has been taking the golden coins from the mouths of corpses to save for their wedding. When the servant comes knocking he has 99 of the 100 coins needed to get engaged.

Close doesn’t cut it for Teuy’s father, who predictably agrees to marry her off to erase his debts.

It’s not long before old man Kiles and young beauty Teuy are preparing to be married. I’m not a movie-spoiler, so I’m not gonna tell you what happens next. I’ll say that it’s not as predictable as the plot I described thus far.

In some ways the movie seemed to sugggest it would be a sad love story, but that’s not how it was recieved. My friends and I laughed with the rest of the audience during much of the movie, especially a series of scenes showing Plok trying to commit suicide, once by taking a bowl, filling it with water and immersing his head in an attempt to drown. His efforts are so obviously futile that moviegoers don’t have to worry about his pending death. Plok isn’t a complete coward though, in another scene he puts his life on the line to steal his woman from the decrepit dude who stole her away … I’ll let you find out what happens when you see the movie. Feel free to thank me later.

While some of the scenes were silly, others were quite beautiful; with music and gorgeous Cambodian scenery that made me feel a bit of nationalistic pride while being entertained. It was refreshing to see a Cambodian movie with decent acting and voices that are actually recorded during production.

I was quite happy with my decision to spend an hour and half immersed in scenes and stories from Cambodia’s past. You too will have a new perspective on our history, and although some parts of the plot and character development were a bit thin, I walked out of the theatre optimistic about the future of Cambodian film.

Kiles is a unique type of filem in Cambodia these days. It was enjoyable to watch.

“I was happy having spent 90 minutes immersed in scenes from Cambodia’s past.”

14/11/2010

You can also read the article in LIFT, the Phnom Penh Post website by CLICKING HERE

Photo Shootout 2010

November 13, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

Inform

If you like shooting photo, I’m sure you don’t want to miss this photo competition. Below is the information you need to know about this event:

Venue: Golden Tower Building

Date: 27th November 2010

Time: Starting from 7am till 7pm

Open to all nationalities living in Cambodia with no restriction prior to experience or age.

Each participant will be given 3 separate themes in 3 hours to complete each thematic work.

Win exciting prizes like Ixus Camera, Selphy and Pixma Printers

Winners will be announced an awarded at the same day.

Registration ends on 25th of November, 2010 at 3:00pm.

Note: Limited to 300 participants. Call to 023 996 638 or walk-in to register at i-Qlick office

i-Qlick (Cambodia) Ple Ltd No. 825 SD, Preah Monivong Blvd, Sangkat Phsar Doumthkov, Phnom Penh

Office hours: Mon-Fri, 9:00 am – 17:30 pm

Sat, 9:00am – 12:30 pm

Wish you all the best!

Dara Saoyuth

5 Cool things by Dara Saoyuth

November 13, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

LIFT

Audio books

website for download audio books

To the more literary among us, it’s a problem that arises constantly during our waking hours. It’s time for you to go to school or finish your chores around the house, but you are in the middle of an amazing book and you just can’t stand to put it down. Now you can relax, letter-loving friends. It’s possible to stay stuck in a book while fulfilling your duties away from the page. Audio books might take a little getting used to, but, after a few listens you will be locked in. You will still have to deal with situations not conducive to continuing your bookish journey, but it will happen less often. My favourite sites for downloading audio books are http://h33t.com and http://www.mininova.org.

Blogging

Blogging

How many of you have your own blog? Chances are there will be a lot more of you once the word spreads through 5 cool things. That’s a good thing, since blogs are an awesome way to develop your writing and thinking skills, while making friends and expanding your exposure to people, news and events around the world. You don’t have to be a computer whiz to start a blog. In fact, once you set it up the only thing you really need to know how to do is type. Even my 95-year-old grandmother has a blog. That’s not true, however, it would illustrate how simple blogging can be. From now on, put your ideas online and let other people help you make them better.

Daily planner

Daily planner

What time do to you wake up and go to school? What do you do when you get home? What time do you go to bed? There are an infinite number of questions that you must answer throughout the day and you probably make most of them without much thought or consideration of how to best organise your time. Living a reactionary life might seem like the best path, but when you plan your day before it begins you can be sure not to forget things that tend to slip your mind. The only part of my day that I don’t plan in advance is grabbing my scheduler in the morning to map out the day ahead.

Voice recorder

Voice recorder

If you are anything like me, you and your computer have a pretty special relationship. Take it to a new level by making use of your computer’s ability to talk with you or, more specifically, to talk like you. Any fairly new computer has a built-in sound recorder and accompanying software that allows you to record your voice, play it back and possibly edit it as well. If your computer doesn’t have a built-in mic you can buy an external microphone or, better yet, a pair of headphones with a microphone attached. Once everything is set up you can use the simple but versatile technology for a bunch of different things. I usually use it to listen to my pronunciation and improve my spoken English. So ditch your outdated tape recorder and make the most of your computer’s capabilities.

Swimming

Swimming

I have long been a fan of trips to the sea for a weekend of frolicking by the ocean, swimming, however, has recently been climbing up my list of favourite pastimes in the city. Aquatic exercising has countless benefits for your health and body, but it is also enjoyable, a rare combination as far as workouts go. You can ramp up the fun and hang out poolside with your friends. But I have observed that each person you add to a swimming outing inevitably leads to a drop in the likelihood you will actually work out. With some exercises you feel sore and strained the next day, but after a couple of weeks swimming you will feel refreshed. The more time you spend in the water the better you will feel. So next time you are hot and bothered, sort yourself out with a swim.

by: Dara Saoyuth

This article was published on Lift, Issue 44 published on November 10, 2010

57th anniversary of Cambodian Independence

November 9, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

Inform

It’s another holiday for us! Does anyone know the reason why today is the day-off?

Yes, we know!

Today is the 57^th anniversary of Cambodian independence and it’s the special day that all Cambodians will never forget.

Independent Monument during daytime / by: Dara Saoyuth

Cambodia was under protectorate of France from 1863 to 1953 and King Norodom Sihanouk, father of the nation, played an important role in gaining independent for Cambodia. On this day in 1953, he declared the country has independent from French colonial.

In 1958, the Independence Monument, a 20-meter tall, red-stone structure standing in the city center at the intersection of Norodom and Sihanouk Blvd., was inaugurated to commemorate the declaration of Cambodia’s independent from French colonial. It’s shaped is like a lotus and it was built in the Angkorian style. It consists of five levels with a hundred snake heads.

Independent Monument during daytime / by: Dara Saoyuth

Independent monument in nighttime / by: Dara Saoyuth

Source: 1. Microsoft Student 2009 DVD

2. Cambodia Picture House Website

by: Dara Saoyuth

09/11/2010

Invitation to IDEACAMP

November 4, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

Inform

Dear Student Blog visitors,

As the author of the blog, I always try not to get all of you down after typing http://saoyuth.wordpress.com. Despite the fact that in most of my day, I have piles of homework to do and mountains of books to read, I still spend my rather limited time doing something for my blog. SO far, I have joint plenty of events including workshops, conferences, concerts, voluntary works, such and such. Some of you may wonder why I should do this, and, of course, the reson is that ‘I just want to satisfy my visitors curiosity’.

Below is the information about an event so-called ideacamp which will be held on 27-28 November 2010. More information please go to this website: http://yitcambodia.org. NOTE: Hope to see all of you there, and for those who cannot join, please don’t worry that you will miss the event because I will stay update with all of you since I’m one of the facilitators in the event as well.

.: IDEACAMP

As IDEACAMP organizer, I accordingly invite you all to participate our free IDEACAMP conference on the theme of “capacity building and social participation” which will held on 27-28 November 2010 at American Intercon Institute (AII), located at #270 ABCD, Mao Tse Tong Blvd, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia.

The IDEACAMP is to bring together high school, college/university students and young people from diverse institutions to meet with other youth and educators, professionals, researchers, academics and provide them a venue where they could share their ideas, views and knowledge on language, technology, leadership, social and also learn from others.

This conference will take 2 days from 27-28 [Saturday-Sunday] November 2010 which got the main sponsor from American Intercon Institute (AII), Moreover everyone can take your own laptop to be with you to access free internet wireless (WiFi) during the conference.

Nokia press launch N8 & C7 in Cambodia

November 3, 2010

Dara Saoyuth

Inform

The Nokia N8 has just been launched in Cambodia last Thursday (28 October, 2010) and now it’s available in any mobile shop in Phnom Penh and in some provinces in the kingdom. The Nokia N8 comes with large 3.5 inches touch screen with resolution of 640 x 320 pixels and is available in five colors including dark grey, silver white, green, blue and orange. I surfed the internet this morning and saw the price of Nokia N8 in a phone shop in Phnom Penh, HAKSE, is $530.

I’m very lucky to be invited to join the launching event at Himawari hotel organized by Nokia International (Cambodia) and Phibious (Cambodia) Ltd. In the launching event, William Hamilton-Whyte, General Manager of Nokia Indochina, mentioned that Nokia N8 is very suitable for businessmen whose jobs need them to travel to many places to do any presentation. “With Nokia N8, we can do our slide presentation, show video from phone with good quality, and do something more than this,” said William Hamilton-Whyte.

Below are some photos taken at the event. Enjoy!

[slideshow]

Also read: Reputation with NOKIA Symbian^3 N8 & C7

by: Dara Saoyuth

03/11/2010

Tag - Cambodia

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.: IDEACAMP