Four Years in A Row

                                                                        "My dad's investment in education was a result of                                                                              his strong belief in possibility relative to time."

"It's not impossible, it's just not time to make it possible" has been jotted down in my life diary as a motto of mine. All it takes is time, during which initiatives, passion, commitment, and tireless efforts have to be taken and made. In the other words, being optimistic is a key. Thinking positively, constructing a clear vision of what you want to happen, and projecting what will befall you along the way down the road will diminish impossibilities and create more possibilities.

Back when I was a country boy living roughly 25 kilometers away from the provincial town in a small business village where I spent 15 years before moving to Phnom Penh in 2009, I never ever imagined I would have a chance to leave Cambodia for the pursuit of education abroad. However, there was a person who had a vision for me; he is my dad. He believed that one day I would go abroad, thus, when I was in grade 10, at around 16 year of age, my dad decided to send me to study in the provincial town of Battambong with my female, 15-day-older cousin. Her name is Leangkhim, but I prefer calling her Sreymom; I don't know why when I try to call her Khim or Leangkhim, my tongue can't be twisted to utter that beautiful word. Over there, I lived with my aunt and uncle, Sreymom's parents. I lived there for about 3 months. Over the course of some three months, I gained substantial knowledge through enrolling in some of the most famous teacher's courses of maths and physics. 

It was the first time in forever I lived out of my parents' sight, and it was also the beginning of my belief  in the same thing as my dad did. I started to realized that my dad's investment in education was a result of his strong belief in possibility relative to time. It is similar to planting a tree. It will takes 5 or 10 years, for some trees it may exceed a decade, to fruit. Hence, what that belief taught me was I had to be patient and to sharpen my knowledge, waiting for the opportunity to come.

At the end of my 11th grade, I came to Phnom Penh during vacation to study. I spent most of the time of the day taking math, physics, chemistry special classes at Chey Thavy private school, located in an area proximity to Bak Touk High School. It was quite a famous school in Phnom Penh, whose name spread all over the country. When school time started again, I returned to Kampong Cham, and came back before the national exam started. It was an intensive study, I would call it.

As a result, after 5 years, my effort paid off. I was awarded scholarships abroad 4 academic years consecutively, commencing from my third year in college.  At the conclusion of my junior year (3rd year), I was granted a scholarship to go on an exchange program in Japan. Four months after returning to Cambodia which was in the beginning of my senior year (4th year), I won another scholarship to go on another exchange program in Japan. A year later, in my last year at college (5th year) I got another opportunity to be a short term exchange international student in the United States of America. I returned to Cambodia in mid-May 2014 to receive my engineer's degree from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC). Amazingly, I won another scholarship to go to grad school in Japan only a few weeks after my return to Cambodia. At the moment, I am preparing to set off to Tokyo, Japan in late March or early April 2015. This marked my 4-years-in-a-row scholarship awarding in my undergraduate life. Compared to others, this may mean nothing, but to me it means more than anything I could say. I, at the moment of writing, still could not believe I could break this record of mine. I, when in high school, would imagine I would one day sit in a classroom equipped with high-tech learning materials, taught by highly specialized professors, and the like. AND ultimately I could achieve my dream, and it is beyond my expectation.

Therefore, keep your belief in the right thing you are doing. One day it will happen, and maybe beyond your expectation. Stay true to yourself, and wait for great things to occur.

The Change Now

                                   

Buddha: "As above, so below,         

                as without, so within."     

       

A man walks himself, a family needs a caregiver, and a country needs a leader. Cambodia is facing the growing political change demanded from its people. July 28 election revealed the victory of Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) again after decades of ruling while Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) gained more seats of 55 to 68 of CPP in the parliament. This result is not bad news for Cambodia. While some Cambodian people want CNRP to run the government, immediate change is peace nowhere in the country because the might makes right.

Prime Minister Hun Sen, in his long ruling, has been able to prevent political fragment and insecurity with the neighboring countries. Slowly, the government has also pushed 7 percent of annual economic growth, though compared to Vietnam and Thailand, Cambodia’s economy still lags behind. Admittedly, the government has disappointed its people for its weak constitution, corruption, and non-rights-based development, for which some people cried for “change, change” now. Some other people want to see a new government’s ruling. Cambodian people especially youth, thus, don’t know the consequence of change. The story goes on. If change is easy and peaceful, change deserves to be. Should there be another better alternative for both sides?

An Asian philosopher, Siddhartha, known as Buddha said “The way cannot be found by either indulgence or denial. We must walk a Middle Path.” Another notion of Buddha’s teaching lies in the belief that human can control thoughts, attitudes, and behavior, and that thoughts, attitudes, and behavior have consequences. These consequences, their causes, and their control are called Karma. The CPP has lost its seats to the CNRP. Now check and balance exists. This election is a good experience for CPP. The ruling government will be more careful with its actions. People’s demands will be taken into consideration by the CPP now. The fear of the CNRP’s potentially increasing power will only change the CPP’s behavior, better and better. There will be a day of changing attitude itself, and this change is the most peaceful one for all Cambodian people. Fullness can be completed by much force, and when there are two forces at the time, maximized gain is no being just like two objects are using its forces, crashing, and breaking. Siddhartha is a symbol of happiness guider. Siddhartha’s notion can be explained and it goes like this: Cambodian people are now gaining the heart of the CPP, and it’s time that the CPP, for the next national election, must learn to gain the heart of the people. At the same time, the CNRP will be one of the most significantly important force leading to balance. The two parties are the Yin and Yang. Moreover, politics cannot be detached from society as well. Politics declines when there is social decline. Both Siddhartha and Confucius were the cultural and social preservers. Born in the warring states, Confucius used Chung-yung meaning the Mean, moderation, and normality. It is the same as equilibrium or harmony. Cambodian people must consider political and social equilibrium for prosperity. One side looking is a mistake. It’s only a force that ignites another force to break the harmony.

During the party’s campaign just before the national election, a group from CNRP called another group of CPP “A Yuon”. Other Cambodian people, being angry with the police man, used the same word to the same nation. This is a show of social decline and disunity among Cambodians themselves. That word should not be used on both Cambodians and Vietnamese. Remember those words, thoughts, and attitudes that cause Karma. Vietnamese will only grow hatred on Cambodians. When will such Karma end? We first must stop the cause. There is another accusation by some Cambodian people I emphasize on the ruling government. If Cambodian government serves Vietnam, it means Khmer leaders serve another nation. Put simply, a man of his kind serves another man of another kind. If possible, it’s not exact when two men, three men, and more men of their kind serve another kind. One leader alone cannot hide his political purpose. He will have to directly or indirectly share with other below bureaucracies. It is crucially important that Cambodians try to find out the truth or it will reduce trust on the government only.

Another concern is the fear of Cambodia’s territory loss to Vietnamese. Think now of Vietnamese people living in Cambodia as it is possible that they come, live, and take the land from Cambodians in the long process. How it can be rests on the assumption that the more Vietnamese come into the country, the more chances they might claim independence one day. Since the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, state territory came to be recognized. Boundary line was created and international community also recognized every country’s territory including Cambodia. It is impossible to think of territory loss to Vietnamese residence in Cambodia. Vietnamese people will live as Cambodian citizen under the country’s authority. Of course, Cambodian will not be racist and use peaceful solutions. Cambodia must stop it, but not stop it by sending all of them back to Vietnam. The government should first stop illegal migration from now on, and gives a good living environment to Vietnamese who have long lived in the country. Some Cambodians have married Vietnamese and vice versa. The intermarriage of both nations can create the next generation cohorts. As new hybrids were born, the relation between Cambodia and Vietnam can be strengthened in the future. Most of Vietnamese follow Confucius’s philosophy and some of them are Buddhist. Confucius and Siddhartha were the two Asian sages whose approaches are humanism—the philosophy emphasizing on human welfare and dignity, and the belief that human intelligence and effort are capable of improving present conditions. Both men share the same approach. With one mix culture, the two nations can live with each other well. This solution is not too tolerant and harsh but moderate place.

If one force is struggling hard and another force response hard, consequence is ahead. Cambodian people must suffer the civil armed clash again. If following the moderated force, peace and prosperity can be found with both sides compromise harmony.

           The might makes right, so can the might be changed by the mind? So the might is hard (the government) and the mind (people) softens the might.

 Confucius: "The same knife can be used to save life in a surgery or to take  a life in anger. For both good and bad purposes, strength,  flexibility, and sharpness are virtues of a knife."

Written by: Sor Virakdara

Bachelor of Art in International Studies
Edited by: Uk Sovannara