Khmer Poem – Mom

This is one of my favorite poems that I wrote for my Khmer Literacy class. The topic was free to choose to write and I chose to write about my mom.

                                                             ម៉ែ

វាយោបក់ផាត់កាត់ពីឆ្ងាយ                       ស្រណោះអ្នកម្តាយធ្លាប់នៅជិត

ផ្តល់ក្តីស្រឡាញ់និងអាណិត                       ឲ្យកូនរៀនគិត និងរៀនយល់។

ម៉ែធ្លាប់ប្រាប់កូនឲ្យធ្វើខ្លួន                       ជាជនសមសួនមិនអំពុល

ទុក្ខដល់អ្នកណាឲ្យគេខ្វល់                          ទុកជាឫសគល់ទន់ជីវិត។

ម៉ែឲ្យកូនរៀនប្រើសម្តី                                 តិចច្រើនម្តេចក្តីត្រូវចេះគិត

ត្រូវចេះគោរពអ្នកចាស់ព្រឹទ្ធ                     ឲ្យប្រើគំនិតទុកជាស្ពាន។

ម៉ែឲ្យកូនរៀនមានចំណេះ                          ឲ្យកូនបានចេះទុកជាយាន

ឲ្យកូនចេះឆ្លាតគំនិតមាន                       ហាក់ដូចភ្លើងទៀនបំភ្លឺផ្លូវ។

ម៉ែសែនបារម្មណ៏ពេលកូនឈឺ                  ម្តាយចង់ដឹងលឺរឿងកូនពៅ

ម្តាយចង់នៅក្បែរថែមាសឆ្អៅ                មិនដែលចង់ទៅឆ្ងាយកូនឡើយ។

ម៉ែតែងតែលួងពេលកូនយំ                     រហូតកូនធំម្តាយបានស្បើយ

កូនលែងងរយំដូចមុនហើយ                 ម៉ែបានល្ហែល្ហើយក្នុងចិន្តា។

ម៉ែបារម្មណ៏ខ្លាចកូនស្រីឃ្លាន                ម្តាយខំប្រឹងប្រៀនរកអាហារ

ឲ្យកូនបានឆ្អែតពេញឪរ៉ា                      កូនចាកទុក្ខាម្តាយអរក្រៃ។

ម៉ែមានចំណីមួយចំណិត                         ម្តាយតែងនឹកគិតដល់កូនថ្លៃ

ចង់ឲ្យកូនឆ្ងាញ់បានពេញផ្ទៃ                ម្តាយអស់រឿងភ័យរំខានចិត្ត។

ម៉ែបក់ក្រម៉ាពេលកូនគេង                  ខ្លាចមូសត្រាំត្រេងខាំមាសស្និទ្ធិ

រំខានដំណេកបណ្តូលចិត្ត                      ខ្លាចកូនស្រីពិតអស់កម្លាំង។

ម៉ែមិនខ្វល់ប្រាណមានជម្ងឺ                     ទោះជាទោះឈឺតែងប្រណាំង

ស៊ូទ្រាំជំនះនិងប្រឆាំង                          តស៊ូតតាំងនឹងឧបសគ្គ។

ម៉ែតែងស្តីថាកូនមែនពិត                      ប៉ុន្តែក្នុងចិត្តម្តាយតែងឆ្លាក់

មេរៀនល្អៗនិងសច្ចៈ                             ម្តាយមិនអល់អាក់ប្រាប់កូនទេ។

កូនឆ្ងាយម្តាយពិតតែចិត្តនៅ            នឹកឃើញម្តាយនៅធ្លាប់បំពេ

ស្រឡាញ់ថ្នាក់ថ្នមកូនជាងគេ              មិនដែលទំនេរបានយូរសោះ។

សូមម៉ែប្រណីរឿងកន្លង                     អ្នកម្តាយមាសស្នងសូមស្រណោះ

កូនស្រីនៅក្មេងម្នាក់នេះចុះ              មិនទាន់យល់អស់គ្រប់ប្រការ។

Here’s a brief description of what the poem is saying and I started off everything stanza in the word “ម៉ែ”, which is a mother in Khmer. 

The wind is blowing, which reminds me of the existence of my mother, which reminds me of her love and sympathy that she gives me. Those had taught me to learn how to think and understand my surroundings. Mom used to teach to be a person that will not bother others. Being that person will create a pathway for my life. Mom taught me to speak thoughtfully and respectfully toward others. This tip will create a bridge for my life. Mom sends me to school, which allows me to have the knowledge, which is like a candle that helps to light up my world. Whenever I get sick, mom would never ever want to stay away from me; she wanted to take care of me. I cried so much when I was young, but mom always comforts me. Mom would always find food for me to eat so that I could be full. When there’s a piece of food, she thinks of saving it for me first before herself. She has a krama to fan so that mosquitoes won’t bite me. Sometimes mom might be sick, but she still tries to fight over her own sickness and even hide it because of me. She might blame, but it’s all because she wanted me to become a good person. Even though I am living somewhere far away from my mother right now, but the love has never faded. I am apologizing for anything that I have done wrong; it’s all because I still have much more things to learn.

Changing Cambodia 2016 – 2017

Changing Cambodia

First year of high school. The school year of 2016 and 2017. It has been really challenging including learning to be independent like cooking by our own and be sure that assignments are ready on time. Besides, it is a year that every second count. Whatever useful things I work on will be counted. Another school year had passed, the course of 2016 – 2017 is over. Thinking about changing Cambodia, there are many projects and events that I would like to point out. There were three seven weeks courses and three events that I had participated and that that they helped to create lots of positive impacts to Cambodia either in the present of Cambodia and in the future.

One of the seven weeks courses calls Waste Management. Our main focus was to create our own business plan for an idea of compost business, where we will work with villagers to collect inorganic and organic wastes. There were many things that needed to be solved and find out, so we as a team discussed and worked on various segments of the business plan on how the business should be operated. At the same time, we also created four tumblers and we were using those tumblers to test out compost idea. We also contacted companies that are currently working on compost and are having more experience in this kind of job to share us some ideas as well. We got the idea jot down and made sure it is ready for the next group to carry on. Then we also shared the idea to an organization called “Little Hearts” because they are also working on similar project. At the same time, Climate Summit has also played an important role in making Cambodia into a better place as well. Our main focus in that project was to run an event related to climate change issue that occurs in real life in the present. We had invited young Cambodians, who were 9th graders to participate in the event. It was the first Climate Summit being held in Cambodia. It was a tremendous experience when we get to contribute the world’s issues to this new generation so that they would also take the action and deal with the issue in order to make a modification. The event adjusted participants’ perspective so much. This statement is based on a survey that we did with every participant before and after they participated in the event. Last but not least is a project called Robotics. This is the first course ever of learning more advanced robotics besides the Lego robot. We had created our own robot and programmed it to work. We then got the robot to a competition in Taiwan. We didn’t really do well since it is our first time combined with lack of materials issue. But anyway, we got our robot to process and we were awarded from judges the “Judges Award”. We are really looking forward to improve our robot if we get another opportunity. When we came back from Taiwan, we went out to many events to share our experience and also to inspire other Cambodian students to be in technology and to be in competitions internationally.

Besides curriculum education in school, I also have some projects going on with other students. One of them is Tos Tov. This is an idea to aid everyone from ended up wasting their time waiting so long for buses or taxies to leave. This idea also encourage Cambodians to be more into technology. We are currently working on the project and we expect to make it work as soon as we can. It is challenging since me and my teammates also got school work, cooking as well chores to be responsible for, but we manage to find time to meet up anyway and work on our project. In the process of enhancing the application, we all went out to interview people to get a big picture of what our target audience like. As soon as the idea launch for everyone to use, there will be a huge change and now we are changing people little by little. Another event I had been to was Hackathon. It was a two whole days event and required participants to come up with ideas in creating application that will aid to deal with the word’s issue or their country’s issue. There were four members in our team and we got our idea down to health issue. The project will help to improve people’s livelihood since they just require to get on their smartphones or non-smart phones for approximately five minutes. The app will be like a real doctor based on real study. The online doctor ask questions to patients and make some statement like what kind of infection the patients has and whether the patients should exercise or go discuss with real doctors. We also got awarded in third place as “Promising Team”. We have a faith that as soon as the application ready to get to the world, there will be a huge, positive impact on Cambodians and the rest of the world. Last but not least, this is a sport related program that I participated in, which is Frisbee. I spend 3 hours in the afternoon every Sunday to practice. I also got selected to be apart of the Cambodian international team to go and compete in Manila, Philippines. The sport is challenging and also is new to Cambodia. But, I am glad and proud of myself that I can be on the team as well as being an international team representing Cambodia as well as women into sport. From this, there will be more girls get inspired and also believe that girls could also play the sport.

I am proud to be a Cambodian and that I get to do all these amazing projects to help develop my country. Even though it’s not in a huge way, but by taking this little baby steps, some days there will be big changes. I am looking forward to doing more projects next year and keep the changes going.

Khmer Rouge Description

 

Here is a video that was created when we went on a trip to S-21, a prison during Khmer Rouge regime.

Name of course: Khmer Rouge

Learning Facilitator: Caroline

Number of students: 13

Course Description:

Learning about a painful path that is connected to me made it difficult on my feelings. Khmer Rouge had created a horrible history. They took over the country. At around 1960s, Cambodia thought they were living in a second golden age. Many of them were living a luxurious life with all things they need. There were supermarkets, music, tall buildings etc. But bam! Everything was gone under the action of Khmer Rouge. Their mission was to eliminate classes so everyone could be equal, but they killed all the intelligence and talented people. There were lots of cruel actions were done by them. People were forced to marry and work with the little amount of food. Some of the Cambodians were even starved to death. After 3years 8 months and 20 days in April 1979, the regime collapsed, but the past still left with painful scars in people’s heart. They lost their family, homes, and jobs. Many buildings were destroyed. I am praying to millions of souls that were killed during that time and if there is next life, I hope they would never ever experience the same thing again.

 

Climate Summit Description

Name of course: Climate Summit

Learning Facilitator: Karen

Number of students: 14

Course Description:

Climate change has been a huge problem all around the world. Climate Summit is an exploration that was created to spread awareness to students to understand about the importance of climate change. We, as team hosted an event at our school to students from variety of schools, which allow them to come together to come up with solutions related to the change in climate. In the event, they were representing an assigned region. Their act should be real and well represented. Before getting into teams, they also had an overview of climate change by our team members to get the idea. Once they were ready, we broken them into teams and their solutions were put into a computer simulation to see how much had they reduced. The computer simulation allowed each region to set a time frame of when will they start reducing their emissions as well as the amount of money they are willing to invest. There were lots of talks around between students and it was really interesting seeing them having different thoughts on choices they made.  

 

Independent Discovery – Film Making

I’ve been working with my two other friends to produce our own movies. We wrote a lot of movies, but we didn’t have a chance to shoot those movies, so we are looking forward to get those movies done sometimes in the future. Below is one of the examples of our funny script.
Next to the pond
A person is sitting at the bench, then other person walked in with their phone watching movie. Then person sits down with their phone watching movie. They show some crazy actions that they are really enjoying the movie.
1. Laughing loudly
2. Stomping on the feet
3. Yelling
4. Singing and using hands
5. The person that sits next to our main character asked to stop and says “excuse me” but it didn’t full word yet, then our main character accidentally slapped the person that sits next to in the face
6. The person that sits next to falls and bleeding and unconscious
7. Our main character doesn’t know how to help, so he looks around then no one’s there, so he ran away, but he heard the sound from the unconscious person and he tries to not make people hear, so he has a handkerchief and put right in the person’s mouth, then he ran away quickly.

Heckathon Cambodia

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On the 26th and 27th of November 2016, two groups of students from Liger participated in an event call Heckathon. I gave up my weekend and was working with the other three students on a project called Nhor Nhem. We first wanted to continue working on our old project, which was a bus application helping people to know where their taxi are. Since we’ve gone too far on that project and the judges said that we need to change our project, that’s how we got this project called Nhor Nhem, which is a health application that could help to solve the world issue. This helps to connect people with the world when they’re sick, so their sickness won’t get to a really big problem even though they don’t have a smartphone or a lot of money. Moreover, those people who has a smart phone also could get access to the application as well. Participating in this event wasn’t easy, since we have to start from zero, but we did it and we felt really proud because we got a trophy for our creative idea!!

Waste Management Description

Name of course: Waste Management

Learning Facilitator: Keith Simpson 

Number of students: 13

Course Description:

This is a seven-week long project. We came up with different idea of how to make our own compost as well as writing our own business plan. In compost side, we had created 4 tumblers with two distinctive designs. We did an experiment with the tumblers to see what’s compost method works well. To see if our method works or not, we were looking at few things like if the method could maintain heat in the tumbler and if our organic materials break down. While testing out the compost method, we also wrote our own business plan. One of the big parts of the business plan that I worked on was Operational Plan. I wrote down details and figure out ways of how the business going to work because we will not run our own business, so it has to be as in details as possible. It was challenging, but we did pretty well. I am glad to be a part of this exploration because I think that it is a smart business idea in implement in Cambodia. Lastly, it will also lead to a better future for Cambodia in the environment sector. 

ASE – Gardening

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Beside learning time, I also participate in our after-school extension, where students are able to choose their favorite activities to do. One of my activities is gardening. I found it’s fun and relaxing, but also hard working when doing the planting, but I really enjoy doing it.

Lulu In The Sky

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This was one of the books that I read. Me and my three other members choose this book for our reading group. This is my favorite book as well because I love knowing stories about Khmer Rouge and besides this book is based on real story of a person’s life as well.

Science Experiments

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In science class, we did three experiments and they were Blood Pressure, where we learned if a person has low of high blood pressure and also how the use the material. Another experiment was PASCO lab, where we test the heart beat of a person at rest and after they exercise, like what happened and what’s the difference. Last but not least, we also did an experiment on blood type. It was my favorite one because we need to identify a father for a daughter and that daughter has three possible fathers, so it was fun until we found out who’s the real father.