That’s cool-cold, another jetlag

By Tith Chandara

Feldefing – Munich- Germany – I miss my university-junior-hood when I was in Bonn, Germany and it was my first time abroad. I got a feeling of strength again because of the

Walking on the street, there are kind of this tree-wall along the way. The weather is cold enough to make me catch a fever.

time different. The weather now is about 10 Degree Celsius. That’s cold for us.

I woke up too early in the morning looking out through the window, feeling not freezing but shacking, hearing sound of birds singing in the jungle at the training center of GIZ called the International Conference Centre Feldafing (Pearl on the lake Stanberg) I am curious to see the view of the landscape. It’s a Greeny landscape covered of trees and a lack nearby.

Today is the first day of the training. Everyone is looking forward to walking round and taking photograph.

Where we go…!

Welcome me back, Germany!

By Tith Chandara

We are currently on board. Below is Kabul. We can see clearly the desert landscape and ice on the mountain.

On board, Germany (13 May, 2011) – Is this my dream? While I am writing this blog, I am now on board on the Thai Airways heading to Munich International Airport in Germany. I can’t believe I have another opportunity to come back and see you again. Nice to see you!

It’s only one hour left, then I arrive Munich after sitting, sleeping, playing game, listening to music, eating, drinking (coke, wine…) and chatting with friends. Now I feel my eyes are hurt because usually this time I was sleeping in Cambodia. It’s 11:30 p.m. in Cambodia, but 6:44 p.m. here on the plain. I need rest and sleep, but I can’t; maybe because I am so excited again to come back. I am looking forward the cooler weather, European food, the way people walk fast, tram, train, Bus, McDonald, Pizza Hut, DM store, Media store, TV tower, BMW, Audi, Mercedes car… 🙂 What I should miss, people who helped me during my first visit. I wanna see something new.

Along the way, I had seen many interesting landscape. What brings me most interesting piece to see is the desert landscape in Kabul. I was WOW to see snow melting on the cliff of the desert mountains. We have 22 people from various institutions in Cambodia divided into two parts, outreach team and legal team. We are expecting to have a two-week study tour in Germany (Munich, Nuremburg and Berlin) and the Netherland (for only legal team) in the program of Khmer Rouge Tribunal Fellowship Program under sponsored by a German organization, GIZ.

Welcome myself back to Germany. I can’t wait to see you. See you soon. Almost, almost! The plain is starting to go down step by step now. I have to turn the computer off and say “Yeah! Welcome back to Germany!”

Mountain Paradise

By Tith Chandara

It was an chilly morning to climb up the Dong Rek Mount to reach Preah Vihea Temple.

It was an icy morning when I climbed up a mountain, a 320 kilometers away from Phnom Penh. On a cliff, the cloud clogs my eyes not to see the cloistral of a temple clearly. I just had nothing to say, but slipped my mouth a word “It’s fantastic… so fantastic! It’s a paradise!” I felt like I was one in the 12^th century. The ecstasy atmosphere around wraps a great celestial edified the Prah Vihear temple on 525-meter cliff of the Dong Rek Mountain.

Built in the 11^th and the 12^th century by the Suryavarman I and II, Prasat Preah Vihear was acknowledged in the UNESCO World Heritage Site listed in July, 7, 2008. It has been an argument between Cambodia and Thailand to own this temple. After the 1962 ICJ (International court of Justice) ruled this temple to belong to Cambodia.

Moving, smiling, running around and taking photo before the sun rises up. It was a bitchy

I will never forget the trip to Preah Vihea Temple.

blur of cloud. The temple serves as a stylish to a representation of the Mount Meru, the home of the gods. I could touch it; kick it as if I was one of the gods. The sculptures are dancing on the wall surrounded by flower flourishing as a fence fill more fascination charming me to take pictures more and more. Unbelievable, my camera’s memory was full; the battery was low. That trip drove me a dream to see a dramatic world of tremendous scenery. I will never forget it.

Back Home, Back to School, Back to normal life

By Chandara Tith

Sometimes back home from abroad is not always exciting. Now I’m back from a temporary life in Germany to Cambodia to continue my Bachelor degree in the Department of Media and Communication (DMC). This is the final year which I have to write my final thesis to meet the requirement to complete the degree

I just want to share what was so surprised with my class. Unbelievable, for just two months I left to Germany, my friends in Cambodia can work to earn lots of money. Now, among 19 students in class, 18 of us have our own laptop.

For this I can inspire to the future that university students may require a laptop for their study. This is also a result from the development.

An event recovered memory

I went to the 7th International Music festival in Phnom Penh, where there were performances of German classical music; I felt as if I was in Germany again when I sit there and listen to it. The place was full of foreigners mostly German went to enjoy together under the topic of Inspiration-Transformation, Relevance and influence of folklore in Western classical music.

Though the show was different from Cambodian classical performance, I fondled that I like it. A German lecturer asked me that do I like this music because most of the young Cambodian seems to like rock, pop and modern music. I replied that I don’t know myself how I like it now. Before going to Germany, I don’t like this kind of music, but now maybe I got used to the German culture and I used to go to see some performance like this in Germany, the Beethoven festival in Bonn for example. When I listen to it, I stimulated to see my activities I did in Germany. The German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Dr. Wolfgang Moser stated, “We subconsciously draw information in stimulation from the deep source of our culture for everyday life and daily activities.” Accordingly, the show reminded me the temporary life in Germany.

Come back and work on the same theme

While I was working with CARE in Germany, once I worked on an article about Climate Change. When I come back here, I have some ideas about it and make a short video documentary about climate change regarding with plastic bags. “Why plastic bags?” aims to encourage people to reduce using plastic bags and switch to use paper bags and others ways, advocate the government to implement some kind of policies or restrictions to supermarkets or markets or any others firms related in order to reduce giving their customers plastic bags, but paper bags or clothe bags that they can use more than once, encourage NGOs like CARE and involve with them in making such a campaign regarding this issue, and also to response to the climate change circumstances.

These ideas results from what I understand from CARE while I was working there on the topic of Climate Change. It gives me clear perspective of the issue.

I never regret to spending time working with CARE, but appreciate the organization that helps me a lot for my future works. As a result, the project above gives me only one week to make it done, and now I already know clearly where I should go while I used to work on it.

Life here is a very busy life. I don’t even have spare time to enjoy. Whole week include weekend is full of works. I don’t know is it a good activity to be in such a busy life like this.

What do you think about this my dear readers?

After the rain falls

By Chandara Tith
Bravo! I found the way to enjoy my life and work in Germany. I have been here 6 week 5 days 3 hours. I get used to most of the things and I feel that I can adapt the jet lag and understand how things work quite well. I have been learning, testing and practicing all the time.

Thanks for everything!

After the rain fall, the sky will be clear. After I faced lots of new problems, I realized and can deal with it by myself. I have been written something about my problem and speak it out to my friends and my colleagues about my feeling and the difficulties I have faced. Now I removed my misgiving and misery. Thanks to all people push me and encourage me all the time. You guys taught me and gave good advices.

With all comments, suggestions and criticisms, it results me to be a good man and be qualified in my career in the future.

What Should I do?

By Tith Chandara 

I want to enjoy my favorite stuffs, but while I am working on it, I feel that it’s not so interesting for me and I can’t entirely enjoy it. 

This year the Department of Media and Communication (DMC) selected me with four other classmates of mine to do internship abroad under the support from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Now, I am working for CARE-Germany in the Press office where I like very much and where I wish to work. 

I like Germany. Germany is a very nice place for me to live. Since living here, I have known 

Some of the press officers of CARE are watching my video documentary I shown them. CARE has a very good office and comfortable to work. All the staff are friendly and helpful. I like my work there and the environment there, but how can I find it more interesting to me? Photo: Tith Chandara

 and understood a lot from it. However, I encountered some problems while I am working here. 

How can I enjoy my work? 

“In fact, I really really love working in the press office of CARE-Germany during my summer internship.” I like writing, I like reporting (on the CARE’s blog) and I like the working environment in the office. Everybody in the office is friendly and helpful. I found my improvement, but I don’t enjoy it very much. I don’t know why I got bored with those stuffs sometimes. 

I got a feeling that “I am not good, I’m not good” all the time and very worry of what I am doing while I think my works are not satisfied. I afraid that when I go back to Cambodia, I cannot mark the DMC and worry to be the one destroying the school’s reputation or else I might get negative criticism from my school mates. This feeling always stuck in my mind every minute. 

What I found not interesting to me is the work seems to be again and again. Besides reading and writing in English, I cannot do more. Another thing, I am not yet specialized in the field of my work. I am so young in “Humanitarian works” because I haven’t yet involved in-depth in the field. Most of the time I didn’t know where and what to start. “I have to read and read and read everyday.  “But OK!!! This is the time for me to learn.” 

I am sponsored to intern here in Germany; it’s a long journey, it’s a costly trip; I shouldn’t make my sponsors and people at school disappointed with me. I have to improve my knowledge in the international stage, making myself, my class, my generation, my school and my country marked. 

Be Polite or Serious? 

I don’t know what kind of person I am. I always please people and don’t want to see them so busy because of me and my work. I want to do things by myself first before letting the otheres to help. Am I  polite? 

In Germany, I got many suggestions not to be so polite. Some of my colleague said to me that 

I was offered a chance to an international conference in Bonn where there were many participants from different countries. A man at the conference told me that I am so polite. I should not be so polite and be polite in the right way. Photo: Tith Chandara

 being polite is important; it doesn’t mean that you (me) have to be polite all the time. You (me) have to make clear of what you (me) are thinking of and try to show up and convince people about your (my) ideas. 

OK! Now I am trying to be tougher with what I am doing. I have to throw away some of the politeness and making myself stronger. I should stand to be a strong man. What I should do now is to enjoy working and make my stuff more joyful though I got bored with those stuffs sometimes. 

Feeling of Fail 

“People cannot produce good products with the stuffs they found boring to them, “said I. 

This is a very wonderful chance for me to explore and working in the real working environment abroad. 

But, for now, I feel that I am not yet, good enough to work toward my career. 

I am not alone, few friends talked to me about thier internship, and they discovered the same problem. For that, I know what to do next.

“Personally, I like working with creative stuff and something new.” Every night in Germany, I gather all of my photos in my hard-drive and select some of them to make some designs. It helps me both: to improve my favorite skill in creative design and multimedia and also to make my brain runs and increased my ability to what I prefer for the thesis. 

For this, I will ask not only working on writing and reading, but also help the office in other press works so that I can combine all works together. Try to speak out and change my habit of “being silent” to talk more and more.

Actually, I am not a careless man. (Please give me a feedback if I am) But; sometimes, when people get bored with something we don’t like, they might just let it be so that the result is not good. 

I want my work more joyful and really want to be a good intern for this summer. I’m trying to work hard and work smart every day, but how can I enjoy it more. I don’t want to hear bad criticism when I finish my internship. What should I do?

I am a Foreigner

 

By Tith Chandara

I walked down the street off from one to another to get to know the town. I was directly walked to the river Rhine. Different from Cambodia, There is quite at 9:30 am. People were just having exercise on the street and the markets were quieted. Photo: Tith Chandara (Self-Timer Captured)

I saw foreigners found it hard to communicate with non-English speakers in my country. I could see their astonished face seems like “How can I get help?”

When you’ve never been out of the country, you never feel that you are a foreigner. You have seen foreigner in your country and say something behind them.

Really!! I’m sure that more or less you will feel being a foreigner and face some problems while living abroad.

When I travel somewhere, I need to hold two maps: the city map and the sub-way route map. People are staring at me and obviously known that I am a foreigner.

What would you do if you understand nothing?

While I went shopping, all the descriptions on the products and any other information in the market are in German. I hardly recognized what it is, but just guessed and bought it for a test.

A new me:

I temporary set up a new life in Germany. It is a completely new life. Living in the dormitory and travel by sub-way every morning is a new habit while in Cambodia we have something to eat in the kitchen and go out anytime by motorbike.

This is a development of life in the development world. Culture shock is not an issue. Having a real problem is an issue. She is my friend came to Bonn/ Germany with me, Pin Manika

At Tannenbusch, Bonn/ Germany, there is a supermarket selling various products and foods. Pin Manika is having a look at some fruit because she could not find Asian food to eat. Photo: Tith Chandara

said she never left her parents for such a long time.  “Now we are a foreigner,” Manika spoke with smile.

Cambodian parents do not let their children living further from them or leave them before married, except for some reasons. This is a culture of dependent that children, mainly daughter have to live with family until they get married.

I live alone in the room taking care of myself and any other problems occurred accidentally.

One life in two different place is like this. I realize how is life. Growing older, I have to depend on myself.

So, now I am a foreigner. I am not in my country where I know what to do and where to go. Here, I have experience new things start from getting to know, test and get it.

Visual Entertainer, a life of Imagination

By: Tith Chandara (ទិត ច័ន្ទតារា)

Pol Chakrya, a graphic designer

Have you ever stuck looking at the advertisement on the newspapers with its graphic design? Say Sovann Samphors, a 3^rd accountant student at VANDA institute said “I wonder how the designer can get the idea. It forbids me to move forward; sometimes, to look at the advertisement with good graphic design on the newspaper.”

From the past last to ever since, Cambodia has a great idea in arts and design. When the age of electronic and information technology comes, graphic design is becoming more interested.

A graphic designer in her 20s, Pol Chakrya has been exploring this career since 2004 training at the Vocational Training Center in Battambang after finishing highs school. “I didn’t know what the graphic design is at that time, but I just know that I love drawing and painting,” she said.

Since the career requires her more than eight hours sitting in front of computer per days, she has her glasses to protect her eye otherwise her eye will be hurt.

She said to get a career as a graphic designer; it requires having trainings, initiative to in-depth and concrete design concept with doing research and observation through others’ masterpieces. “By doing so, it can reflect us to generate new ideas to add on with our work,” Chakrya said. Much more that this she recommended to have great concentration, honest to what we are doing and people around. “But, we should make sure not to make it the same as the other,” she added.

Christine Schmutzler, a master of fine art with her career as a graphic design lecturer and also an independent graphic designer advised to be passion, creative and very flexible. “This is the profession which will never stop,” she said.

“Cambodia is in need of many things, but not in need of graphic designers,” said Christine. Since it is the developing country, designing job still left behind. “A graphic designer, do not expect to get high salary, but do it through your passion which you find it interesting to work on.” She mentioned that this career is good for woman since it is not so hard working out.

Maruhan bank brochure designed by Chakrya

Chakrya said that to be a graphic designer; she needs lots of time to think of new idea and also how to make her work satisfied by clients. “I find it hard when the clients don’t understand the concept of design,” Chakrya complained. She has to challenge with many competitors now in Cambodia because the design world is reaching more and more and there are many advertising agencies as well as graphic designers.

She also said that through this career, she could get much benefit whether the appreciation and reliability from surrounded people. “Now, I love this job very much because it doesn’t make me stressed out.”

Share our Experiences to Younger Generations Share Vision:

Bridging gap between university/school and work

By: Tith Chandara (ទិត​ ច័ន្ទតារា)

The team went to BBU to share their experiences about ICT.

When the job market is becoming more and more complex, a group of Information Technology (IT) people formed a group helping Cambodian students to open the gap between university/school and the real working environment. It is called “Share Vision” team.

Share vision is a team aims to share experiences and skills in IT related to students at the university level or schools based in order to bring the space between the schooling and working reality. A founder of the team, Chhun Samnang working in Yoolk as software developer, said “curriculums in school, some of which are out of dated are different from the reality work when they take to adapt. If we introduce what the reality working environment, it will guide them to see what they are going to do and they can do.”

“Cambodian people hardly formed the communities to share experiences to each other; even there is Barcam Phnom Penh which is held once a year and talked in general about IT, we want to have more discussion in a specific topic.” He continued.

Such an initiative idea for this activity Samnang explained that this idea came from the meeting of Barcamp in Phnom Penh when IT interested people came to share their experiences and knowledge in IT to all participants. Then they formed this team latter after to make the project run. Now there are around seven active members out of 30 who are all volunteered when they have free-time from work.

Another founder of the team, Suy Channe, Product Manager from the Innovative Support to Emergencies Diseases and Disasters (InsTEDD) said “We are now working. We want to help the society as much as we can. So we came up with this idea.” “The standard of graduated student is still limited which is not good enough to be selected to work,” she continued.

“Most stuff in the real work place hasn’t been taught in school. Then, we can share what we know, give some tips as a short training for them to understand the reality of the real world,” said Channe. She mentioned that all the members are equal. No somebody is the leader or the owner of the team.

Since started in 2009, the team has been going to some universities and schools such as Built Bright University (BBU), Cambodia University for Specialties (CUS), and SETEC University sharing their experiences in different topics. Each time, there were around 50 to 60 students mainly majored in IT and non-IT attended.

Share Vision welcomes volunteer from any field to share what they know in their work or what are the good practice that student get to adapt and expose to their own career that might not have in the school curriculums. It has a website www.sharevisionteam.org and email to info@sharevisionteam.org.

“The purpose is not to make this team popular, but we want Khmer share experiences to each other,” Samnang said. “Everybody learns from each other.” All people can join by pay nothing, but their potential and experiences to share to the students in Cambodia.

All of the share vision members are working in different places such as Yoolk, InSTEDD, Digital Divide Data (DDD) and some others.  They got time discussing for this project after work, usually on Saturday. Because they are busy with their work, the process is still slow, but their commitment and effort is much high. They have ambition to improve the standard of IT capacity in Cambodia.

Besides the share vision there is another program called “Developer Camp” conducted at on Saturday of the fourth week of the month. This is also the meeting of people in IT interested and it opens for all people to join.

Essay writing:

Internet, the Most Powerful Tool in Mass Communication

BY: Tith Chandara

People always talk about Internet that is one kind of media allowing them to find lots of information they need and enables communication and transmission of data between computers at different locations. Whenever people do research during the technological time, they always use this tool called internet. Here, this paper attempts to discuss the Internet being the most powerful tool in mass communication. Specifically, it describes the definition of the internet, the history of the internet, the uses of the internet, and why this tool becomes the most powerful in mass communication.

The Definition of the Internet

The world book Encyclopedia volume 10 (1996) says the internet, which means interconnected network of networks, links tens of thousand of smaller computer networks. These networks transmitted huge amounts of information in the form of words, image, and sound. The internet has information on virtually every topic. Network users can search what ever information they are now discussing on in a common interest through identification label that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the internet called domain name. Take something as example, http://www.norton-u.com is a domain name of Norton University website.

The History of the Internet

The book also says that the internet history began in 1960s founded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the United State department  of defense developed a network of computer called APRANET. Originally, this network connected only military and government computer system in order to make these system secure in the event of disaster or war. Sooner after, the internet was used to create a network that would allow users of a research computer at one university to be able to “talk to” research computers at other universities. Gregory R. Gromoy in his website (www.netvalley.com) told that in the early birth of the internet was from the telegraph. In 1858 people want to create a cable to establish carrying instantaneous communications across the ocean for the first time to communicate between human. Then it became to be telephone that was developed to the internet now by using modem.

The Uses of the Internet

Since the first start, internet is used for sending information and message between one to other people. Email, a program to send messages across a distributed network, is a natural used of networked communication technology that developed along with the evolution of the internet. It is now still being use popularly to bring the information and data from one internet user to others. Besides, internet an effect tool to entertain people. Whenever they want, internet serves them with various things. People can always play games on the internet, watch TV, listen to the live radio, and download software, song or even video. In addition to entertainment, people can run their business on the internet. Commercial websites allow users to purchase products worldwide. For example, amazon.com, Inc is an online shopping website based in America. It sales almost all kinds of products in categorize of books, movie music and game, digital and electronic devices, kindle, home and garden, grocery health and beauty, toys, clothes, sports, etc. These reveal that internet serves people muti-tasks include of education, media, public voice, business, and people’s connection.

Why Internet Becomes the Most Powerful in Mass Communication?

What bring internet to be the most powerful tool in mass communication is internet won’t be ignored and used by huge number of people. The internet world stage releases in June 2009 that the number of world internet users has reached to 1, 668, 870, 408 people. This is a very big number compared to the total number of population 6,767,805,208. With media, internet plays a good role allowing news agency or news website to publish breaking news that all over the world quickly get the news or the information. For instance, Google news publishes and updates its articles in just a short time. Besides breaking news, internet contains all kind of media. People can read news on the internet, can listen to radio on the internet, watch on the internet. This is a clear evident that the mass get all information from all mediums at the same time to result the internet in the most powerful tool in mass communication. Furthermore, mass communication is the communication of the mass or large groups of people. People can leave message, talk or even can see each other worldwide while they are using some kind of messenger. For example, Yahoo messenger allows yahoo users to communicate with message, conference, voice, files transferring, and camera broadcasting called webcam. The users may feel like they are talking face to face.

In conclusion, internet is a media links the world closer. Using the internet or the web, people can access to million pages of information. In the future, internet will probably grow more sophisticated as computer technology becomes more powerful. So get web browser software in to your computer with internet connection to access to the internet now.