The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Study Abroad Experiences: Studying in the United States” plus 9 more

Sreng Mao: ACE/IDP

Monirath Siv has been studying in the US since starting high school in 2006. He spoke to Lift about his recent experiences. In his words:

In 2012 I graduated from Washington University with a major in biology and a minor in public health. Fresh out of college I joined a two-year national service commitment with Teach For America and have been teaching biology, environmental science and introduction to research at a high school in Camden, New Jersey. I am also pursuing a Master of Education in urban education and a certification program in secondary biology at the University of Pennsylvania and expect to complete my teaching commitment and graduate degree by June 2014.

It is incredibly important to be inquisitive about opportunities and resources when you study in the United States.

Choice and opportunity are the most rewarding aspects of my experience in the pursuit of higher education in the United States.

I lived in California, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and they are very different. There are Cambodian communities in each state that I could be a part of. I also had the chance to meet so many different people from all walks of life. I have a great social life here in the US and it's hard to find a place where you can meet people hailing from everywhere around the world like America. It's an environment for me to grow, not just academically, but also personally.

Your academic success in the US depends on what you want to study. My accomplishments came because I have strong linguistic skills. I was trained to critically scrutinise and be sceptical when reading and I can write really well due to the rigor and structure of the graduate program I'm in.

Doing something and failing is not proof that you cannot do it. You should set the highest standards for yourself. Never settle for anything less than doing your best. At the same time, be humble enough to see the flaws you have and thrive for better. I learned so much about my own deficits as a scholar and have continuously identified opportunities to fill those gaps. I have developed the thirst to have a sense of other disciplines I wish to know more about, and that can be a very good thing for anyone; knowing how little you know is the sign of an inquiring mind of a lifelong learner.

Are you interested in studying in the US? Visit an IDP Study Abroad Resource Centre today to discuss your options with a trained counsellor.

To be pronounced husband and wife in the Khmer tradition means the bride and groom go through a marriage ceremony fully supported by both parents and known by relatives and friends. The traditional Khmer marriage still plays an important role in modern Cambodia.

The traditional way of life in Cambodian society does not allow a couple to live together before marriage. Doing so in secret is especially frowned upon.

Ly Bunthoeun, 24, had his wedding six months ago and said he and his wife had loved each other and struggled for 10 years to get married.

"Though there have been lots of obstacles, we never acted foolishly, especially never staying under same roof before marriage, because this act is considered wrong and would shame us and our family," said Bunthoeun, a financial coordination officer in a private company.

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Bunthoeun and his wife set a good moral example, but now there are young couples who decide to live together secretly before marriage. Why do they do this?

Piseth (not her real name) is living with his girlfriend in a rented room. He said they were in love for three years before deciding to move in together. Their parents have met and know about their love but aren't aware that the couple lives together.

"We are afraid of being found out by our friends and parents, and we rarely allow guests at our house," Piseth said. "We love and trust each other, that is why we dare live together. We are completely sure and our parents are 90 per cent sure about our future marriage. We hope to get married when we can afford it."

Second-year university student Chan Phalkun said: "I think it is modern but not really appropriate. I do not support this."

"Couples living together is like being husband and wife, but only marriage can properly make two people husband and wife. If they live together without getting married it affects our cultural way of life as well as their reputation."

Ket Monyvathana, a senior student at the Institute of Foreign Language, said: "It is a right for the couple if they want to get married or not. They might have problems with finances or something that would not allow them to get married quite yet."

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Choeung Yoeung, a 47-year-old mother of six, said: "I could not accept it if my children dared to do this." She believes it is against Cambodian tradition and would ruin parents' reputations.

H.E. Thai Naraksatya, secretary of state of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said: "For a couple to live together but not get married would affect parents since they always hope to see their children have a bright future."

Khus Thida, an executive director of Silaka, believes living together without or before marriage is like playing with fire. Cambodian society is still a society that needs the involvement of parents and relatives, she said.

Ly Bunthoeun advised the younger generation that "no matter how modern and developed the country is, tradition still exists so we should not follow Western culture".

Run Sreysras, 22, actually works in a bank, but she wants to be a love and life consultant.

Once, Sreysras's friend was heart-broken: she felt her boyfriend loved another.

"She told me about her problem, and I was always there to give her encouragement and advice. I therefore feel that I like consulting." Sreysras explains, adding that "Everyone else's happiness is my happiness."

Sreysras advised her friend to confront her boyfriend. The boyfriend admitted he loved another and Sreysras told her friend to let him go so she could forget him and be happy after a while again. It worked.

"When the problem had been solved, I felt so excited because I did good to help my friend." says Sreysras.

Talking to people about love and life was what she liked the most said Sreysros.

Obviously, being a love and life counselor is a niche job but Sreysros thinks it could help people.

Mr Hash Veasna, founder of My Best Consult, gives suggestions and tips:

"In order to give suggestions on any problem a consultant has to have a good understanding of the society. Observing, reading and listening are a consultant's main activities. Compassion for people is essential for the job," says Veasna, adding that if someone had these qualities and knew what people around are about she or he already had a good idea of the consulting job.

Veasna goes on, underlining the importance of understanding a person's problem: "Consultants need to ask in-depth questions to dig up the root of the problem. They need to gather information clearly to be able to give good advice."

After the problem is discovered possible solutions have to be pondered. "Consultants have to find points of opportunity and omission within the problem and then give the person concerned several solutions to choose from," Veasna says. In the case of Sreysros's friend leaving the boyfriend was the best opportunity to restore happiness in the future. Loving someone and not being loved back on the other hand grants misery.

In some cases however people with a problem don't reveal its nature with words for reasons of shame and fear. "We [consultants] need to pay attention to their [problem holders'] behaviour and ways of communicating when we interview them. We should analyse and think critically of what they are saying to check whether it is true." Veasna explains.

In case consultant candidates have the skill to truly understand people's problems they still have to consider well if they would like to become full-time consultants. Unlike in Western countries seeking professional advice for problems of love, marriage, and life is uncommon.

If someone still wants to pursue this dream job he or she can improve their chances of success and broaden their knowledge by becoming a studied psychologist.

Keo Chanthy, 26, who is now living in the United States through the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) program, shares her experiences and the benefits she receives.

At this point Chanty and her husband, 31-year-old An Sopoly, have been living in the US for three years.

Chanty says that she applied for the program from 2007 until 2010 when she got a phone call and email from the Lottery Program telling she had won a DV.

Then she had to complete forms and provide evidence supporting her background, such as birth certificates, identity cards, her resident book, passport, a medical examination, marriage certificate and study certificates.

"I was single when I applied but at the time when I won the Diversity Visa Lottery in 2010, I had just married my husband. So I had to submit proof from the court and some evidence of the relationship to show the ambassador that it is a real marriage," she said.

"I had to have a direct interview a couple of times at the US embassy. Then I passed the interview so the embassy gave the visa to us," she said.

The Diversity Immigrant Visa program allows winners to live legally in the US.

Chanthy spoke of the benefits she had received from the program.

"The benefits I have received are being able to live the United States legally as a DV immigrant for up to 10 years, I am eligible to work in US, I have the chance to become a US citizen after five years, and I got some benefits from US government services, such as medical care and student aid, where the government pays for school," she said.

Chanty is now a full-time student, a pre-school teacher as her part time job after school, and she works as an operator for a big airplane component supplier on the weekend.

"The most disappointing thing to me is that my background in education is not accepted or recognised over here so I have to start over my life in education again," Chanthy said.

There are also common challenges that immigrants, including Chanthy, have to deal with as they confront the difficulties of living abroad.

"The most difficult one is the language barrier and culture. English is my second language so I had a hard and uncomfortable time understanding what was said in native American [English] the first time, but it is a lot better now," she says.

"Everything is different from Cambodia so I have to learn everything such as culture, how to eat, what to wear, using credit cards, filling up gas, drinking Bud [Budweiser] and a lot more in daily life," she added.

"Besides that, the weather is also a problem for me because I grew up in a warm country but I moved here to live the cold state and the food is different. It's hard for me to find Asian food in most restaurants so I have to cook by myself every day," she said.

Though she has gone through difficulties in the US, she still appreciates the positives points of the country.

"I can say that it is harder for me to live here that when I lived in Cambodia, but I have to admit that living here can have more benefits than living in Cambodia such as good Medicare, good education, safety, not much corruption, people respect each other, human rights, living standards, high wages and the government cares about people and others."

Chanthy does hope that Cambodia can become developed and a real democratic country soon. To engage in the development process, she expects to run some businesses such as owning a school, printing company and farm that can make a lot of jobs for Cambodians and could help Cambodia's economic growth. And she hopes to share her education and many other things that she has learned from the US with Cambodia.

The trend among young couples of pre-wedding photo shoots just keeps getting hotter. Vann Mineareasey and Sim Kimsan, who are going to tie the knot next year, got their photos taken on a Kep beach because they wanted to always keep the "unforgettable moments".

"I think pre-wedding photographs are good because in the future we will be able to look at them and remember back to how we felt when we were young," Reasey said. Although they both felt shy with so many eyes on them during the shoot, they still did their best to look natural, because these photos are the evidence and memory of a couple's love, according to Kimsan and Reasey.

"I was feeling so excited and great," Kimsan said.

"When I saw all photos with my fiancée I realised just how romantic and strong our relationship is," Kimsan added.

Good luck to the two lovebirds!

Analysis
When the ruling Cambodian People's Party promised civil servants a pay rise earlier this year, some suggested it was also trying to give them a reason to vote for it in July's national election.

The 20 per cent increase came amid the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party's pre-election push to lure the support of those in the civil service by promising them a $250 minimum wage if it formed government.

Analysts attributed some of the CNRP's success at the ballot to its ability to capture the vote of disenfranchised government workers.

Now warnings are continuing to come from unions and the opposition that, even though the election is over, leaders can no longer take this increasingly powerful voting bloc for granted – now or in coming years.

Opposition lawmaker Son Chhay said yesterday that a 20 per cent increase to civil servants' salaries – even annually, which the government has promised – "does not even cover inflation" and won't be enough to appease civil servants in the long-run.

"The government needs to … provide civil servants a decent living and enough for food to feed the family. We have explained in detail where the money would come from," he said, adding that cracking down on a $500 million "embezzlement" of tax would easily cover the pay rises his party pledged pre-election.

Days before the July ballot, figures released by the government showed teachers across the board would receive raises, suggesting it sensed a potential loss of support.

In August – as the opposition continued disputing the results of the ballot – the Ministry of Economy and Finance announced it would increase the baseline wage of civil servants to $80 per month from about $62, as well as give 90,000 workers a 40 per cent pay rise.

When asked to provide a breakdown of increased expenditure from the government's 2014 draft budget – which is $500 million bigger than this year's – Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said a significant amount would be spent on civil servants' salaries, but declined to elaborate.

Ath Thorn, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers' Democratic Unions (C.CAWDU), said it was promising that the government was paying more attention to civil servants.

"Allocating more money for civil servants in the budget and raising wages shows some respect for the role they play in the economy," he said.

"Our hope is that they will continue to increase salaries now that the government has lost so many seats [in parliament]."

Many civil servants make less than garment workers and are prevented from forming unions due to a 1994 law that contradicts the constitutional right to organise.

But the growing political clout of civil servants means the CPP must continue to try to appease the workers' demands, at least until the opposition takes its seats in the National Assembly, Thorn added.

"If the new government does not consider improving the salaries of civil servants, they will lose more support during the current mandate."

But Ou Virak, Cambodian Center for Human Rights president, said the level of support from civil servants for the ruling party is something that has been overestimated.

"[The CPP] tend to think that they have support [from civil servants] because they show up to rallies and events and wear the [CPP] T-shirts," he said. "Resolving this issue will go a long way towards de-polarising Cambodia."

Even so, while the government would pay close attention to civil servants' demands, its pledges of higher pay may be an insincere attempt to avoid a further hemorrhaging of support to the opposition, he added.

"There's plenty of room for them to improve salaries in this current budget, but it remains to be seen whether these pledges will turn into something more than that."

For now, Siphan, from the Council of Ministers, said the government would not change its policy of annual 20 per cent increases.

Unlike the CNRP, he added, the government would not play with the livelihoods of workers by promising an "unrealistic" $250 minimum monthly wage.

"The government has a program to raise salaries, but we don't buy votes from this.

"The other side buys votes by offering $250. It's not possible," he said.

But Chhay, from the CNRP, said the government would need to do something if it wanted to keep civil servants on side or win back those it had lost in July.

"They can't bear the behaviour of the ruling party anymore," he said.

"The choice for the CPP is to at least pay them better.

"If they want to bring them back to support them, they have to pay them."

A labour union representing a minority of workers who have been striking at SL Garment Processing (Cambodia) Ltd for nearly three months released a statement yesterday, calling the strike bad for the industry's reputation.

Without specifically mentioning the Coalition of Cambodian Apparel Workers' Democratic Union (C.CAWDU) – which represents the majority of SL's roughly 6,000 employees – Chea Mony, president of the Free Trade Union, which represents some 2,000 SL employees, condemned the recent violent turn protests at the factory have taken.

"It gives a bad reputation for factories in Cambodia," Mony said yesterday. "That's why I have to request an end to this kind of protest."

During demonstrations in front of one of SL's Meanchey district factories on Thursday and Friday last week, security guards and other SL employees fired air rifles and flung marbles from slingshots into a crowd of protesters, C.CAWDU, vice-president Kong Athit said.

At least 10 strikers were hospitalised for injuries sustained from the projectiles, by Athit's count.

SL officials on Sunday asserted that demonstrators, not company officials, began throwing objects.

But rather than casting Cambodia's garment industry in a negative light, the prolonged strike at one of Asia's largest garment processing factories reflects the consequences of Cambodian factory managers refusing to seriously negotiate with their employees, said Moeun Tola, head of the labour program at the Community Legal Education Centre.

However, Tola added, the seeming animosity between unions – C.CAWDU released a statement decrying tactics used in an FTU garment strike in early June – undermines their shared objectives.

"That is not a good image among the trade unions.… We want to see the unions on the same page," Tola said. "You need to protect and work for the benefit of the workers."

Cambodia is now home to more than 30 garment worker unions, Tola said.

Mony yesterday denied his statement was a shot at C.CAWDU, adding that the increasing length and intensity of the strike could inspire garment workers at factories across the Kingdom to begin an industry-wide strike.

"I am worried that all workers over the country will join a big strike because they are angry with [SL's] use of violence on the workers," Mony said.

Upon hearing of the letter in an interview with the Post yesterday, Kong Athit, C.CAWDU's vice-president laughed.

"I have no comment on that," Athit said. "I don't want to comment on [Mony] anymore."

The Appeal Court yesterday failed to uphold a July 2011 Phnom Penh Municipal Court verdict that sentenced three men to prison for drug dealing.

In January 2010, the suspects were arrested in Daun Penh district after police allegedly found 500 grams of an unidentified "white powder" drug and a pistol in their car.

Lot Sereibot and Thai Seth – a Cambodian-Australian – were given 10-year terms, while Sim Bunsan received a two-year sentence for being an accomplice.

At the hearing yesterday, the court decided that due to a lack of evidence, the case would be sent back to the municipal court for further hearings.

Speaking at the court, Thai Seth said he had recently returned to Cambodia after 16 years in Australia when he was arrested.

He claimed to have gone out to buy things for his child's birthday party when the police stopped his car and found the drugs.

"I was not involved in [the crimes] committed in this case.… Please, I ask the court to drop the charge."

Seth added that the pistol belonged to a man named Roth, who escaped.

Sereibot said he was a policeman and chauffeur who was simply driving Seth on the day he was arrested.

The men also denounced statements they initially gave to police declaring their guilt.

Fifty days after the ruling party and opposition last met to negotiate a solution to the ongoing political deadlock, officials from both major parties met yesterday morning at the National Assembly.

But those who were hoping for any kind of expedient resolution or at least a template for specific reforms will be sorely disappointed.

It appears a three-hour discussion was not enough, with the parties' working groups – consisting of five officials from each party – not reporting any major breakthroughs and instead pledging to report back to their party leaders before further negotiations take place.

Speaking after the meeting, Cambodia National Rescue Party spokesman Yim Sovann and Cambodian People's Party lead representative Prum Sokha said they had agreed to further debate on election reform.
Such a commitment is not new.

Following a meeting between top leaders on September 16, a joint statement was released pledging bipartisan commitment to unspecified election reform and further negotiation.

Both parties yesterday still appeared reluctant to discuss specific details of any reforms.

"We have exchanged our views with each other and we have promised that we must continue to meet again to resolve problems, which we have not completely agreed on before the end of this week," Sokha said.

Although parties raised their individual agendas in the meeting, he added, the working groups have no power to make any decisions.

The CNRP's requests, as outlined by the party last week, ask for an investigation into election irregularities, electoral reforms based on UN and NGO recommendations and the symbolic dismissal of the National Election Committee leadership.

The CPP's Sokha yesterday emphasised that the opposition's demand for an investigation, although presented, was not discussed.

He said that only electoral reform was discussed, based on the September 16 agreement.

The CNRP's Sovann said the working groups would continue to debate technical aspects of reform, while a future meeting between the leaders – as yet unscheduled – would deal with outstanding, and more sensitive, political issues.

He also reassured supporters his party was not planning to end its boycott of the assembly.

"As long as there is no real resolution, the [CNRP] would like to declare to the public that [it] will not join the parliament."