Dying for a cause: the death of a Cambodian hero

On April 26, 2012, a friend posted news on my Facebook page of the death of Chut Wuthy, an outspoken Cambodian environmental activist who was shot dead at an illegal logging site of Prey Long forest in Koh Kong province while he was investigating the activity. This news brought me mixed feelings of shock, grief, anger, and hundreds of question marks. I could not help but started to cry as I rolled my eyes on the article. This was not the first case of an activist being killed in Cambodia. It has happened so often that the whole society is filled with anger and covered by fear. The lack of freedom of expression is one of the most pressing issues in Cambodia, yet no effective measures have been made by the current government. 

Cambodia officially announced itself as a democratic country since the end of the Khmer Rouge Regime. However, freedom of expression remains a tool for the ruling party to control and oppress the people thirty years later. To develop a true democratic nation, freedom of speech plays a crucial role. It helps improve the society in which constructive criticism and the people’s voice is heard and respected by the government. The United States is an example where Americans have full rights to participate in leading their country. Cambodians, in contrast, are not only discouraged from, but also scared to express their opinions. Any outspoken individual who speaks for the benefits of the people are faced with life-damaging harassment and/or death. Chea Vichea, a worker union activist who bravely fought for garment workers’ rights, was assassinated in 2004. According to the Committee to Protect Journalist’s website, there have been 8 journalists killed in Cambodia since 1992². Often times, justice is never brought to the victims and families regardless of the calls for an investigation to the Cambodian government by non-governmental organization and the international community.

Injustice and impunity have been rooted so deeply in Cambodian society that people are too scared to say or to even care about anything critically, leaving the government in full control of how to run the country. This is seen as a real threat to the journey of democratization which then creates many other serious problems such as a high level of corruption and poverty.

Now when I think about the story of Chut Wuthy, my heart is torn apart. I wonder if justice will be brought to him and his family or if this would be just another case of Chea Vichea’s. I question what can be done to tackle challenge, and the answer is “Education” and "Peace Advocacy". Education plays a very important role in making changes to develop a country. With younger Cambodians getting a better education, there is hope that someday we will see a brighter Cambodia. I wish to not see any violent or destructive movements such as those in the Arab Spring. Peaceful and non-violent advocacy remains the best solution as it proved true to the success of Gaundy's noble work for America.  Whether it is for a nation, a region, or the world, a peaceful journey is the key to the challenges we face. Advocate peace, and we can make changes peacefully and successfully. In addition, Cambodia needs someone like Chut Wuthy and Chea Vichea who would be willing to go to jail for the people instead of escaping when the situations get worse. Persistence to reside in Cambodia sets an inspiring example for the nation to see that solutions exist when we work together peacefully.

Is Phnom Penh becoming another Bangkok in 10 years?

Traffic jams in Phnom Penh during rushing hours

If you have not been to Cambodia and are planning to visit Phnom Penh, be prepared for a busy traffic. It is not as busy as New York or Beijing, but is hectic enough to get your day spoiled by a rush-hour-morning. You may be surprised by some of the modern car series such as luxury SUVs crawling around the tiny roads with complicated traffic lights despite its low GDP per capita of 830$ in 2010 (National Institute of Statistics). 

Urban sprawl has caused Phnom Penh a number of complicated issues, ranging from health to infrastructure to land grabbing. Now comes traffic congestion—another concerning urbanized problem. As the city is developing in a relatively fast pace, vehicles keep increasing to a level that worries the residents and the government. Yet, nothing has been done to tackle the problem. According to the Phnom Penh Post, the Cambodian government is working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on a city’s master plan. It is reported that the master plan will not be completed until 2014 and will be implemented in 2035.

Due to the everyday traffic situation that is getting worse and worse, can the Phnom Penh residents afford to wait for the implementation? The answer is whether or not they can wait; they must wait because there is not anything else they can do. 

The increase of the population of the city is one of the main causes that contribute to the traffic congestion. But there is another argument that despite being a developing nation who faces these common problems, it might be the government who should be responsible for a driving factor to the traffic concern. In the 2011’s report of Transparency International Index, Cambodia ranked 164 in a total of 182 countries at the index of 2.1 on a scale of 0-10 (0 means the country is perceived as highly corrupt where 10 means the country is perceived as very clean). If the government is more legitimate and transparent, it should be able to control the importation of automobile, preventing a flow of vehicles to the country when it is not ready to deal with traffic issue. 

Last but not least, some suggestions that could be effective in coping with the fast growing of the number of vehicles in Phnom Penh include government’s control over the importation of the automobiles and building a more sophisticated public transportation so that people can reduce using their own vehicles to commute. In addition, the government should design a better plan for the city, a master plan for traffics. At individual level, commuters must obey the traffic laws by respecting the lights and other passengers. If an action is not taken any time soon, Phnom Penh soon will be another Bangkok when it comes to traffic congestion.

After all, Hawaii might be neither biologically nor geographically sister to the rest of the United States of America

Flight 370, Newark-Honolulu, landed at 8:45pm Honolulu local time. I got off the plane excitedly, but worried about how to get to the University of Hawaii. My friend could have come to pick me up. Unfortunately, she was caught with school work and late-night-security-concern. I especially did not want to make her come because it was very late already. I thought I could take a taxi, but it was very expensive. I then had a second thought. Well, I might be able to take a city bus which was 20 times cheaper than a taxi. I proceeded to the main street, looking for a bus. The first impression I got from Honolulu and the Hawaiians (I refer to those who live in Hawaii, not specifically those who has a Hawaiian origin) was that the weather was nice and the people were kind. 

When I got out of the airport, I got the feeling of tropical weather—the weather at home. It was just right, warm enough for a Cambodian girl who had been struggling to survive the winter in upstate New York for the last four months. As I set in the bus, I looked out of the window. Street lights, coconut trees, clear sky, and the fresh air really reminded me of home. 

The second impression was the locals were very kind and nice. I had no idea how to get to the University of Hawaii. Well, precisely what bus to take in order to get there because there were just so many lines, A, 4, 6, 19, 20, 32…. the list goes on and on and on. I managed to talk with a man who was visiting from Vermont. He apparently helped me check how to get from the airport to the university using his iPhone GPS. But he was not sure either. We were standing there, waiting for the bus for about five minutes. Then the 19 Bus came. I hopped on and asked the driver if he were going to the University of Hawaii. He said, “No, but you can get on and transfer to another bus to get there.”

Thank you, I said while carrying my luggage on the bus. The driver said, “sit here, next to me so that I can tell you where to transfer”. 

Now, I needed to pay $2.5 for the ride. I took out my $20 bill because I had no change. Suddenly, a woman sitting three seats behind me said, “you don’t have change? Come here!”  I went to her and asked if she had some change. She then took out her purse and searched for some $1 notes. She did not have $2.5. So she was about to give me $5. She said, “it’s not worth paying $5. Here take this.” Then she handed me two $1 notes and a quarter and announced, “anyone’s got a quarter?” The same man who helped me with the map handed out another quarter to me, and that was how I got enough money to pay for my bus ride. I thanked to the woman and the man when the bus driver told me that it was time to get off and wait for the A Bus to take me right to the campus.

In the east coast, or more precisely, New York City, you can never meet someone like this. It all makes sense. People are so busy that they do not have time to stop and tell you how to get to Grand Central or what subway to take to get to China town. The stereotype that New Yorkers are rude and ignorant is somewhat true. I was yelled at twice while I was walking on a sidewalk on 17^th street for blocking their way. I was not technically blocking his way, but the man was in a serious hurry and just started yelling at me when he reached where I was walking. It could have been that I was not well aware of how I was walking. Another experience was walking on 42^nd street between 9^th and 10^th avenue. A man was carrying whole lots of stuff and walking very quickly. I was running to catch up with my friends ahead of me. I unintentionally touched one of the man’s plastic bags. It was just a quick touch. I did not mess up anything. But guess what? I said Sorry, and he stared at me and started yelling, “Don’t you watch out?” I was terrified by his look, so I apologized once again and vanished from his way. 

In Hawaii, people tend to be more relaxing and slow. I was walking with my other Cambodian friends who were going to the University of Hawaii. It was red light, but the sign did not turn completely red yet. You still got maybe 20 seconds to cross the street. But people froze. I was about to cross, but my friends told me not to. “People here are more relaxing and they obey the rules”. Now if you are in New York, you will find people running across the street almost every second. They do not really care if the light is red or green. All they care about is going to their work. Since almost everyone does so, it becomes a habit. People just cross the street whenever the traffics give them a chance to. 

Why would I care to write about this? If we look at Cambodia, nobody really follows the traffic sings. I am very used to all sort of crazy driving and traffics. Well, this strikes me because Hawaii and New York are all in the US. They should be very similar. But I always keep in mind that the United States of America is such a huge country that every part possesses its own norms and cultures. After all, Hawaii might not a sister to the rest of the states of America.

American college life

Major choosing

Colleges in America is where you try to figure out what you want to do later in life or maybe not even so—simply where you go to school and get education because almost everyone else goes there.  Most students are not sure about what they want to do after their undergraduate education, so colleges offer a very flexible major choosing method. Those are called Liberal Art Schools where you do not need to declare your major until you enter your junior year.  This offers you a chance to change your interests as you go along with your classes if you are not sure what you want to do. Students can take many different courses ranging from political studies to math and physics. Once they lend their interest, they can decide to major in any of those divisions. Liberal art school is good in a way that it gives students time to look for their goals. Colleges in Cambodia, on the other hand, are more major-oriented. Students have to declare their major right after they finish their high school. Once they decide to major in something, they have to stick with it. Say, you major in Math. You then start taking math-related courses from your freshmen to your senior year. A math major might or might not get any chance to take any social science classes during her four years of undergraduate studies.  

Students and Faculties

Most American colleges are residency campus designed. The majority of the students lives in dormitories on campus, eat in on-campus dining halls, and go to classes on campus. The set up provides students with easy schedule and a chance to have access to school resources such as libraries, professors, tutors, and their peers. 

Living on campus is very convenient. Students can hop on and off to see their professors during the day time. Professors and faculties are usually there to help them. They are not god whom you have to worship to see. If you are curious enough, you can always visit their office hours to ask for help or simply to build a better student-professor relationship. 

Tutors are sometimes even available in the evening to help students with homework or language practices. Now it might not happen at every American college campus, but at least, Bard does provide evening tutoring. In addition, library on campus is accessible for almost 24 hours a day, making it very easy for the students to study and do research. 

Besides, students have their friends on campus whom they can hang out with or study with all the time. It is a community where, more or less, everyone studies. You do not feel lonely or left out because you know that there are people out there who are doing the same things or who are looking for people to be their friends as well. 

In Cambodia, however, students live off campus.  If you are lucky enough to have some relatives who live in Phnom Penh city, you might be able to stay with them while you go to college. Else, a lot of students from the provinces live in a two-by- two- square- meter rental room without air-conditioner, a washing machine, or whatsoever so-called “convenient lifestyle”.  Life is about struggle. Life is about hard working. Life is about perseverance. You work hard in school in the hope of earning education which might later on result in a better life, or at least, in your children’s better life. 

Dining facilities 

Every campus has dining halls or cafés that offer convenient meal times fitting to students’ school schedule. The on-campus dining facilities might not have the best food. A lot of Bard kids complain about Kline—the main dining hall on campus, all the time. However, they do not realize how lucky they are. Kline is not the best place to eat, but it is not a fancy restaurant. It at least has some healthy food for your choice such as the salad bar or the fruit baskets. Most importantly, Kline is there for you all the time. You can eat all you want. There is abundant food out there. The most difficult part of your day is to choose what you want to eat. You do not have that in Cambodia. Never, ever. There might be a little cafeteria with some food that you can buy for your snack of the day. But at the end of the day, you have to go home and cook for yourself.  There are a lot of people who do not even know “When” their next meal will be; needless to mention “what” it will be. And every time I go to Kline, I try to put as appropriate amount of food as I could eat. I try not to waste food because I know that it is very difficult to not have enough food to eat. Most American kids are just born with an abundant environment, and they do not realize how fortunate they are.  

 Kine dining hall--from Chartwill's website. This is a little more fancy than the real Kline. But it's still something similar to this.

Transportation 

Some college students drive a car if their parents can afford to buy one.  The weather might also contribute to this attitude. Some parts of the country, like the east coast, get snow during the winter. It does not allow some other means of transportation like motorcycle. Cars, in this case, are the most appropriate vehicles. 

Schools usually have pretty well-organized campus shuttles to commute from campus to other nearby towns, train stations, or airports so that the students who do not drive could get around easily.

Bard has a fairly good shuttle system that runs from campus to some nearby towns every hour on weekdays. It also transfers students to a nearby shopping center, called Kingston Mall, and two main train stations, Poukeepsie and Rineback, and airports on school breaks. 

As a freshman, I rode a bicycle about seven kilometers to get from the dormitory I lived to my school. It took me about an hour every morning to get to school. In a hot and humid morning, I always get wet with my sweat before I entered the class. This is how many students in Phnom Penh city do every morning. There is no school shuttle to take you to places. Please do not complain about a thirty minute shuttle wait if you have not experienced biking an hour in a morning ninety degree Fahrenheit heat to school once. 

 Bard Shuttle

Study Hard, Party Hard

On typical weekends, you may hear loud music from across the hallway in your dorm at 1 in the morning. Students love to party on weekends. They say "study hard, party hard". Students study very hard on weekdays. They might get 3 hours or 4 hours of sleep every night, trying to finish their hundreds of pages reading assignments. But it is all paid off on Friday night. You can find almost anything from drinking, dancing, to drugging, and having sex.  People go wild! But Sunday comes, and people go back to their school work again. Sunday is a working day!

Freshman year is often the best year for American college life. It is the first time students are released from their parents' control. It is the first time they gain a "full freedom". They enjoy experimenting with drug(marijuana especially) , smoking, drinking, and partying. Campuses often separate dormitories based on level of the students--Freshmen get their own dorms and upper college students have their own territory. Otherwise, the freshmen will not let you study or sleep because there is always something going on in their dorm. There is always noises and laughter. If you are planing to go to a college in the U.S, be prepared for a wild life. 

24-hour theater festival, Spring 2012, Bard College

Experiencing American college life teaches me so many things that I have never heard of or seen in Cambodia. Life is very different here. College is considered young, ingrown up. But in Cambodia, college is a serious time. A lot of students already start working to send money back home to help support their families or their younger siblings to go to school. American children are so fortunate because they are born with all of these rich resources. Yet, little do they notice how lucky they are. Only if we had half of what the Americans do....

It may all start with dreams… you just need to work hard to get to where you dream of….

 Dreams

It was another long night in the dorm about three years ago. My other dorm sisters were chit-chatting. Some were studying while a few were watching TV in our tiny common room of the second floor of the Beung Trabek dormitory. Me and my friend found ourselves squeezing in a one by two meter bed, tickling each other. That was what we called “home” of our college life in Phnom Penh city. We started talking about what we wanted to do in the future. I said, “let’s make a bucket list!” So we got a notepad and started listing things—nonsense and meaningful ones, in our bucket list. That was where it began…

My friend’s list goes visiting China, helping Kaing Menghun be kissed in the rain, on and on and on. Mine, not so much different, includes things like Being kissed under the rain, going to an overseas grad school, helping Yang Leaphea visit China, and finally visiting Hawaii and spending my honeymoon in Hawaii.  We all laughed at what we had and thought it was ridiculous. 

But maybe crazy little wishes could shape your real dreams. Since I was a little girl, I’ve always dreamt of “being a well-educated woman” as I defined in my primary school’s dictionary as simply going to school and getting education. But the wish has not stopped yet. Today, I still have the same wish “to be a well-educated woman”. 

My bucket list might have been a little vague and silly. Yet, it was really where I started dreaming of going to Hawaii, knowing that someday I could do it. Last week, I made my first trip to Hawaii, one of the most famous places in the world for its natural beauty. The trip was intended for the 11^th Annual East-West Center Graduation Student Conference for Asian and Pacific Region. The conference, held on February 16-18, 2012, was hosted by East-West Center at the University of Hawaii in Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Fundraising

I submitted my abstract to East West Center in November.  I did it 5 hours before the deadline (Hawaii and New York have a 5 hour difference time zone).  My friend had sent me the link two days before the deadline, but I did not get to see it until the last minute. I had a midterm exam on that day, managed to write my abstract, and sent it to the center right away. I thought my abstract was not going to be selected because I did not have much time to work on it.

But a few weeks later, I received an email from the center, informing that the abstract was selected. Here came another issue. Since there were so many students coming to join the conference, the East-West Center did not have enough money to provide travel grants. Now I thought again that I could not make it to Hawaii because the travel expenses were too expensive. I talked to many people at Bard and some other friends, but there was not any way I could receive a travel grant. 

Fortunately, my great friend in New York City suggested that I do a simple fundraising. We started writing an email to everyone in my contact list. I posted the message on my Facebook wall, telling friends what I was going to do and asking them to help if they could. It then all worked out. Friends and supporters were kind enough to contribute to my fundraising. Some gave $25, some contributed $50 and others dropped $200. That made it possible for me to go to the conference. I eventually raised $1,113, and spent $998.50 on the plane tickets. Then I used the rest for transportation from and to the airports and food as I stayed in Hawaii for 4 days. Thanks to everyone who contributed to make my dream come true. 

Conference

The conference was a great experience in that it brought educators and learners from Asia and Pacific to share and learn from one another, and it was a place to build connections. At the conference, about 96 participants came from about 20 different countries in Asia and the Pacific Islands. It was a wonderful, educational gathering. The participants presented their graduate thesis and dissertation on diverse fields ranging from education to gender issues to securities markets and more. There were great discussions in parallel sessions. It was such an educational moment that everyone was hopping to see one presentation to another. Besides, it was also a great opportunity for participants to meet and talk with their peers from different regions. Luncheons were set up to bring presenters together to exchange their thoughts and cultures.  I set with a Buddhist monk from Burma, and found him eating at 1pm. Even though Cambodia is a Buddhism predominant society, there was something new to learn about Buddhism in Burma. Buddhist monks in Cambodia are not allowed to eat after 12 noon. I then learned that Buddhist monks in Burma follow similar rules to what the Cambodian monks do, but as a student in grad school, the Burmese monk somehow cannot manage to abide by the rules; thus, must eat later during the day if the school schedule forces him to. After all, religion rules might be flexible if the practitioners are not that extreme? 

The conference ended, but I still have contacts of everyone. In fact, I am still in touch with some of the participants. This is going to stay as one of my abroad experiences. I am sure it will be so to many of the participants. And we may see each other again in other parts of the world. 

 The director of education program at East-West Center giving an opening speech

Exploring

After the conference, I had one day to explore Honolulu. My dorm sister and another Cambodian friend, who both were going to the University of Hawaii in Manoa, welcomed me warmly. We ended hanging out with other two Cambodians, who came all the way from Japan to join the conference, and a Chinese Ph.D candidate from South Carolina. My friends took us to Hanauma Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The bay attracts millions of visitors from all over the world due to its unique natural beauty and friendly weather.

The admission to enter the bay was $7.30 for tourists, and free for students who go to schools in Honolulu and Honolulu residents. Before going to the beach, we had to wait to watch a short film that advises us how to behave during our visit. 

Hanauma Bay was born from a volcanic cone and now inhabitants about 400 species of fish, including some rare sea turtle like the Green sea turtle (Wikipedia). The beach was probably one of the most picturesque places I have ever been to.  The very clear, turquois water with fresh, sweet air and warm sun reminded me of Sihanouk Beaches in Cambodia.  Visitors can swim and watch some of the most rare fish species of the bay. Tourists are advised to not mistreat the sea lives. For example, you should not feed fish. You should not step on the coral because it is the food source for the fish. “Watch, but don’t touch” was the most important rule.  

We left the beach at around 2pm and got back to the university campus at 4pm. I packed and got ready to leave for New York. My flight left at 7:30pm and I arrived to Newark Liberty International Airport at 10:30am on February 20. 

The trip was great both the conference and the exploration of Honolulu. I wish I had some more time to see more things. But I am confident that someday I will be able to go back there again. Starting from my little bucket list game, dreams can become true. Don’t be afraid to dream and work hard toward your goals. True courage is pursuing what you dream of even though everyone else says it is impossible. If I gave up, I would not have been to Hawaii. Doing fundraising was one of the most challenging parts in this process. It is always hard to ask people for money. However, you should believe that if you show them that you can do it and that you really want to do it, there will be kind people out there who will help you one way or another. Remember that we shape our destiny.

Thanks bang Chantevy for a great stay. :) 

What The Americans Would Like the World to Look Like--American Grand Stategy

This evening I joined a talk in New York City. It was organized by Bard Global International Affairs (BGIA) as the talk series of their 10^th anniversary.

Professor Walter Russel Mead is a professor of Political Studies on American Foreign Policy at Bard College. He is also a writer and editor of American Interests blog. A writer of a number of books on American foreign policy, he used one of his works in a class I am attending—Special Providence.

When talking about American Grand Strategy, I first had no idea of what it was. But to most American citizens, professor Mead said, it is the goal of what the Americans would like the world to look like. To understand better of the Grand Strategy, it is important to understand the goal. So what is the Goal of the strategy? 

To See the World that Is More like Europe today--Europeanizing the World--Free, Peaceful, Prosperous, and Open to trade and investment with the US. To see the world that would not want to go to war, free, happy, wealthy, and cooperative in trading with the Americans. 

However, the Americans today do not have any power to control the Europeans, so why would they want the world like the second Europe? Why would they want the world that they cannot control? 

The answer is the EU is already doing whatever the commands the US would do to them, so they are where the US is happy to see. 

Next is how could the United States reach this goal? Most people want to live in a happy, free, prosperous, and open world, so America is not alone. Their will be those who share common interest. What the Americans need to do is to get them to work together toward the goal. 

Europeanizing the world, turn the world to be a liberal, rich, and open! This sounds terrific! But nothing is easy when implemented. So what are some main challenges for the Americans to face?

Religious extremists, nuclear weapons, and most threatening difficulty is the uprising China. 

First, religious extremist like al Qaeda who sees the west, America in particular, an evil. Those who disagree with capitalists and believe this is against their religion. The terrorist group is a relative small, unrepresentative organization who could cause a huge destruction and more violence to the world than any other well-organized group.  

To deal with this group, the United States works collaboratively with other nations who share common interests to cope with them. Also, nuclear weapon is a threat to the world, and it prevents the Americans from reaching the strategy. Nuclear weapons can cause a massive destruction to the world. 

Second, the rise of China. If China were to be the world's most powerful nation, it might need to treat Asia or the world just like what the Nazi Germany did in the world war II so that it could maintain its power. In addition to this, China already is having a number of problems at home, including human rights, democracy, inequality labor treatment and other political issues. 

Getting China to agree with the US will be one of the most difficulties. On the one hand, the U.S has to work very hard in a soft, persuasive way to engage China to understand the goal. On the other hand, if soft approach does not work or if China would take a step to conquer Asia aggressively, "the 21st Containment against China" strategy will be put in practice. The U.S allies which includes Japan, India, S. Korea, and Vietnam will be joining this policy. 

Last but not least, the "Capacity". Capacity refers to how the US get the poor nations to walk on the same path? How could the poor contributes to the Grand Strategy if they are still facing poverty, famine, unstable politics, corruption, unjust at home? So the solution is to help them develop so that they could be a little bit more like Europe. This is a very difficult task, but "I am optimistic that together we will get there" said Mead. 

To me, this sounds very positive. The idea that the world is peaceful, free, rich, and happy is terrifically amazing. And I do agree with some of the challenges Mead raised. But I doubt if this is really what the Americans want? I guess this is more like what serves their interest of modern imperialism. And I doubt if the United States will ever get there while they are still facing economic crisis at home. Again, this is still a question mark "?" 

Your Kids can call themselves "Americans" legally...

“Khmuoy(a polite word to address a younger girl in Khmer language), Will you return to Cambodia after you finish school?” a woman, relatively young-in her thirties, asked me, “Is there a job for you?”

Her questions surprised me for a moment. I said, “Yes, if you keep searching, I’m sure there is”.

“Stay here!” she responded. “America treats people very well and equally, and there’re lots of opportunities here.”

For her, America seems to offer everything that Cambodia could not afford to from jobs, money, entertainment to modern lifestyles, and more.

This is not a new narration. I have heard the same description from other friends of mine who have been to the US to pursue higher education, and were told a similar story. Yet, it did strike me. Having been in the Cambodian community over the last weekend in Virginia, I learned that there were those who actually thought the US was a much better place for them compared to Cambodia where they were born.

It is true that America is the world of wealth and prosperity, the golden opportunity, and most importantly the land of hope and dream, for many to strive for. For that matter, the woman was right. What she saw in America is what she did not see in her land of birth—freedom, democracy, equality, pride and prospect. This is not what The Kingdom can offer compared to the New World. Yet, each and every individual nation retains uniqueness.

Cambodia is not the haven for people to dream of, but it is where Cambodians truly belong to. It is where you can express yourself in Khmer—the language you were born with, talk about your favorite food without having to explain what it looks, smells, or tastes like, and tell your favorite fairy tales to your five year old sister proudly. It is home where you eat rice and Prohok. Also, you do not need to wear snow shoes, jackets, warm hats, gloves and thick socks to keep yourself warm from these 20 inches of the white world.

Most importantly, Cambodia is where you need to share and contribute to for betterment so that your children will have a Cambodia, more or less, similar to the US you enjoy today. If you want to stay in the US the rest of your life and expect that your kids who will be born in the land of pride will go to a good school, have a good job, and be able to call America their native land, you are not wrong. But, there will be those Cambodian children who will be born just at the same time as your kids were and be treated the life you experienced before moving here. Those could possibly be your neighbors’ new generation, your cousin’s boys and girls, or even your sisters and brothers’ kids.

Coming to the US is a great journey and wonderful life experience. However, I do not buy the idea that the US is the paradise while Cambodia is the hell. If you wish to see Cambodia that could afford your dreamed life, reside in and help develop our nation, and get your dreams come true.