Kratie, the Mekong doorstep!

Then I headed to Kratie, another province stands by the Mekong River. It was a five-hour drive from Preah Vihear, and the journey was not really bad. I was accompanied with jokes and fun from my colleagues in the same car. And what really blocked my ears and isolated all my senses from the surrounding environment was my little pink mp3 player. It saved me from boredom and tiredness.

When I arrived in Kratie, it was just another new page of painting flipping just in front my eyes through the car's windows. From a very dried and warm Preah Vihear province, now I encountered a landscape filled with green leaves and wet ground. That was a very sweet welcoming scene that made me stuck to complain about the long drive.

The Mekong river contains its lowest water during this month, but this does not mean that everything around it should be quiet. The river bank was full of people jogging, selling varieties of fruit and food, eating, and chatting. (but I did not notice people smoking). Hotels were full of tourists, and this made taxi and tuk tuk drivers to force their machines rolling on days and nights.

I could not waste my time as I would stay in the province only 3 nights. I tried to get benefits and entertained from this fantastic atmosphere to release my stress from work during the day time. In the morning before the Sun rose, I jogged along the river bank with other colleagues. It was a perfect morning to get sweat out as river wind followed me as I moved. The sound of crickets in the grass lane forced me to take my earphones out. I could not describe it more than the peaceful mind I got after jogging.

My team, after a long day of meetings and field visits, found a secret place to enjoy. It was not a hidden spot that people there could not find, but it was just not an interesting and well-known place. It was the river sand, just at other side of the river. It was a five-minute drive by boat. We did exercise, drank beer, and had dinner. Our evening was not dark as the local villager brought his battery and light bulb to make the spot more or less like a saving-energy pub.

My happiness ended as the time to go back to the city arrived. But I had a wish before I returned. I wanted to bring at least some of the good things from here to my family. Instead of just sharing photos, I wanted to buy some food and fruit. I bought some Krorlan (sticky rice in bamboo) and grapefruits, which are among the best products Kratie could make and grow. I was right as my family did not complain about those stuff.

(Enjoy more photos here!)

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ទិដ្ឋភាពនឹកស្មានមិនដល់!

ម៉ោង៥ទាបភ្លឺ មេឃនៅងងឹតនៅទ្បើយ។ ពូប៊ុនលី ភ្ញាក់ពីដំណេកនៅពេលនាទ្បិការោទ៍។ គាត់ប្រះខ្នងដេកទៅវិញ ដោយគាត់ដូចជានៅងងុយនៅទ្បើយ។ “ផាំង!” សំទ្បេងលាន់ឮខ្លាំងអមដោយពន្លឺចែងចាំងមួយប៉ប្រិចភ្នែក បានធ្វើឲ្យគាត់លោតចុះពីលើគ្រែ រួចរត់សំដៅបង្អួច។ “អូ! សំទ្បេងផ្គរ និងពន្លឺផ្លេកបន្ទោរទេតើ! ភ្លៀង!” គាត់ស្រែកហាក់ដូចជាភ្ញាក់ផ្អើល។ “តើខ្ញុំចេញទៅរត់ហាត់ប្រាណយ៉ាងម៉េចហ្នឹងកើតទៅ?” ពូប៊ុនលី កំពុងសម្រាកលំហែកាយនៅមាត់សមុទ្រ ហើយមានគម្រោងរត់ហាត់ប្រាណនៅតាមឆ្នេរនៅពេលព្រលឹមស្រាងៗ។ វាគឺជាសកម្មភាពដែលគាត់ចូលចិត្តបំផុត ហើយមិនអាចខកខានបាន។ “អញ្ចឹងមានន័យថាខ្ញុំមិនអាចរត់បាន?” គាត់សួរខ្លួនឯង។ “ចុះបើខ្ញុំរត់ ខ្ញុំពិតជាទទឹកខ្លួនជោក ហើយទូរស័ព្ទក៏អាចខូច ព្រោះខ្ញុំតែងស្តាប់ចម្រៀងពេលរត់។ ស្រួលមិនស្រួលអាចរន្ទះបាញ់ទៀតក៏មិនដឹង!” គាត់ដើរទៅដើរមករអ៊ូតែម្នាក់ឯង។ ពីរបីនាទីក្រោយមក គាត់ទំនងជាមានដំណោះស្រោយ។ គាត់ពាក់អាវភ្លៀងដែលគ្របពីក្បាលរហូតដល់ជង្គង់។ គាត់ដូរស្បែកជើងកីទ្បាជាទីស្រទ្បាញ់របស់គាត់ ទៅពាក់ស្បែកជើងផ្ទាត់ ដែលអាចដោះចោលនៅឆ្នេរខ្សាច់ ហើយរត់ជើងទទេ។ គាត់ក៏កំណត់ទូរស័ព្ទដាក់ “Fly Mode” ដើម្បីកុំឲ្យមានសេវា ដែលអាចស្រូបរន្ទះ ហើយគាត់ក៏...

អាណិតគេច្រើនពេក អាចធ្វើឲ្យខ្លូនមានទុក្ខ! ផ្តល់ករុណាឲ្យគេវិញ ទើបនាំមកនូវសេចក្តីសុខ!

កន្លែងធ្វើការងារមួយចំនួនបានបិទទ្វារ បុគ្គលិកបាត់បង់ប្រាក់ចំណូល។ ចាប់តាំងពីមានការរាតត្បាតនៃជំងឺកូវីដ ១៩មក ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើដំណើរទៅច្រើនកន្លែងនៅក្នុងប្រទេស។ ទោះជាប្រទេស កម្ពុជាពុំមានការឆ្លងនៅក្នុងសហគមន៍ និងពុំមានមនុស្សស្លាប់ដោយសារជំងឺនេះក្តី ក៏យើងឃើញយ៉ាងច្បាស់នូវផលប៉ះពាល់របស់វាមកលើជីវភាពប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ។ ចំណូលរបស់ពួកគាត់ធ្លាក់ចុះ ឬបាត់បង់ដោយសារមុខរបរទទួលទានលែងមានដំណើរការ និងកន្លែងការងារត្រូវបានបិទទ្វារ។ ថវិកាសម្រាប់ជួលផ្ទះ ឬផ្គត់ផ្គង់ម្ហូបអាហារ ថ្នាំសង្កូវនៅពេលឈឺថ្កាត់ មានកាន់ តែតិចទៅៗ ហើយសមាជិកគ្រួសារនីមួយៗ ជាពិសេសកូនៗរបស់ពួកគាត់ ត្រូវរស់នៅយ៉ាងរឹតត្បិត។ ពួកគាត់មិនអាចស្ថិតនៅក្នុងស្ថានភាពបែបនេះបានយូរទៀតបានទេ! ទាំងអស់នេះគឺជាសម្តីរបស់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋមួយចំនួនដែលខ្ញុំបានជួបសន្ទនានៅតាមបណ្តាខេត្ត / ក្រុងមួយចំនួនកន្លងមក។ ការគិតពីសុខទុក្ខរបស់ពួកគាត់ជាពិសេសកូនៗគាត់ និងមនុស្សចាស់ បានធ្វើឲ្យខ្ញុំពិបាកចិត្តយ៉ាងខ្លាំង។ ខ្ញុំបារម្ភពីរឿងមួយទៅរឿងមួយទៀត មិនអស់មិនហើយ ដែលធ្វើឲ្យចិត្តខ្ញុំកាន់តែស្មុគ្រស្មាញ លែងសប្បាយចិត្ត និងមានអារម្មណ៍នឿយណាយ។ ទុក្ខព្រួយ និងភាពនឿយហត់ចិត្តរបស់ខ្ញុំនេះ បើតាមអ្នកស្រាវជ្រាវផ្ន...

Too much empathy for others could lead to despair. Compassion is the answer!

Some workplaces closed their doors and staff lost their income. Since Covid-19 pandemic started, I have travelled to many places in the countries. I have talked to some people about their livelihoods. Although Cambodia has not experienced community transmission of the disease, it is obvious to witness economical impacts on people’s lives. Their income is decreased or taken away when their businesses go slower, and their workplaces are closed. This means less money for rent, food and medical care. Each family member in particular children needs to limit their basic needs. They could be in such a situation for longer! Those were the words I heard during my conversations with them. Thinking about their wellbeings afterwards makes me overwhelmed. I kept worrying about from one thing to another, especially about affected children and elders, which made me sad and exhausted. My sadness and exhaustion, according to neuroscientists and psychologists, could be an “empathy fatigue”. It is m...

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