Cambodian Car

It is flat and smooth, and on the top of it, there is a sculpture of Angkor Wat temple. If not being told, perhaps no one could possibly imagine that this is a car key.

This car key looks physically very simple and therefore it is very easy be cloned. However, if the cloned key is used instead of the original one to ignite the car, there is a sound spoken immediately that “you cannot use the car, please try again.”

The echo is made by a golden Cambodian car, Angkor 333.

“Ouch! Please take good care of me; I’m hurting,” is another sound spoken by the car when someone hits the seat.

“It speaks other sentences when you close the door so strongly,” said Nhean Phaloek, the 51-year-old car inventor, proudly claiming that this is his third homemade car but the first to talk and what makes it mainly different from other cars is that it is controlled telepathically.

“Within 5 meters, I just snap my finger or think of opening the car’s door, the door will open immediately,” he said, adding that no one could use this car beside him.

This specialty has drawn people’s attentions nationally and internationally. And so far, there have been a lot of local and international media companies coming to interview him, he said.

“CNN, AFP, AP, NHK, TVK, CTN, The Cambodia Daily and many others have already come to ask me about my new car,” said the inventor.

“Most of them said that it was unbelievable that I manage to create such a special car because I haven’t had any proper education and there aren’t any car industries in Cambodia,” he added.

Nhean Phaloek has only finished grade 1 in the old education system, equally referring to grade 12 in the present system. After finishing school, he became a motorbike mechanic.

Then, he started having an idea of inventing his own car for use and said, “I do not want Cambodian people to use other countries’ products [cars] from one generation to another.”

With talent and great effort in doing research in addition to the mechanical skill, he successfully gave birth to his first car in 2006, operating on motorbike machine.

In 2007, the second generation of his car came to existence, updating the old one by equipping with air-conditioner.

22 months later, he has successfully invented the third car, the telepathic car to talk.

It costs him $5,000 to invent the latest car, he said, continuing that he will not sell it but will keep for showing his accomplishment.

Kong Pharith, a 48-year-old former mathematics and physics teacher, has also successfully created his own car – a “tribrid” car operating on solar energy, electricity and gasoline.

He has come to talk to Mr. Phaloek to combine their knowledge to create a new telepathic car operated on solar energy. However, Mr. Phaloek has denied cooperating, explaining that “solar energy is used effectively with only big car but not small cars like his.”

Nhean Phaloek has not sastified with his achievement yet. He said with hope that he will continue doing research so as to upgrade his car.

“In the future, I want to invent an automatically ignited car whose steeling wheel will mechanically come outward when the driver is in the car; and come inward when the driver is out the car,” he said, adding that the car will automatically close its doors and stop its engine, as well.

“The fourth generation of my car will be one operated on wind power,” he said.

By Veng Rachana

One Evening after the War

“One Evening after the War” is really one of the good Cambodian drama films despite few weaknesses.

After the war, is it certain that peace will come instead? And will people live in harmony and peaceful lives? The answers are all revealed in this film.

“One Evening after the War” is a 108-minute movie directed by Rithy Panh and was premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. The film shows about a life of a soldier who receives nothing at all after the war.

When the civil war ended, Cambodian people struggled to go back to their normal lives – the peaceful lives. Savannah (Narith Roeun) is a soldier who is a survival of the war, and whose family were killed almost all in Pol Pot regime. He lives with his uncle in Phnom Penh and makes a living by being a boxer. He meets a 19-year-old bar girl, Srey Poeuv (Chea Lyda Chan) and falls in love with her. He wants her to stop working as a bar girl, but she cannot since she is indebted to the bar owner and is forced to keep working. Sovannah wants to clear her debts so he teams up with an ex-soldier and plans a crime, robbery, which could give him some money.

The film perfectly reflects the reality in society in 1990s in Cambodia. Soldiers hardly find a well-paid job after the war. Therefore, they will inevitably face poverty, the enemy of every people. With guns they have from the war and the pressure from the poverty those people could possibly do anything even the evil ones such as crimes.

The characters also make very good performances even though they are not quite famous and not often appear in the other films. Sovannah and Srey Poeuv, the main characters, and the others can change their moods, facial expressions and act as if they were in the real situation.What is special which makes this drama film different from a number of Cambodian films is that all the characters use their own voices to express their emotion in each plot. Most films in that time did not use the natural voice of the characters but from the other professionals.

One weakness in the film should be the plot in which Savannah and his partner go to rob the gold sellers and leave Srey Poeuv behind in the car parking a little bit far from the robbed house. Rithy Panh should have parked the car with the already-stated engine at the nearest part to the house so that the two robbers could escape immediately. They should not have had a long run to reach the car.

Rithy Panh, the director, should also have made the police arrest Srey Poeuv because it is by no means certain that she is Sovannah’s accomplice.

However, compared to the others, this movie is very good. Audiences, especially the Cambodian people should search for and watch it with their own eye in order to find out how lives of soldiers were after the war and evaluate the quality of the film by themselves.

By Veng Rachana

New Education System, New Problems

The Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has innovated a new education system to all high schools nationwide in this 2009-2010 academic year, so as to better the education quality. However, it has made some students very worried especially about the decision to choose class to study.

“It is a dilemma. I cannot decide what class to study,” say Sam Y Learng, 16, a grade-ten student at Son Thor Muk High School after given the information of the new education system.

“I’m still not sure what are science and social science, and what are the jobs related to them,” he continued.

Some students claimed that they were still very young and did not know much about the society. Therefore, it was really hard for them to make a righteous decision.

Kang Kim Chhun, 16, who just transferred his school from Kratie province to Phnom Penh this year said, “I just come from the province and don’t know what the preferable jobs are so it is difficult to me to make decision.”

Sok Sovanna, a Bak Touk High School principal, said “some students still did not know how important their decision was, and did not even care about the class they were going to choose. They tended to depend on their friends.”

Heng Theara, 17, said “I don’t know what class I should choose. But I have heard that most of my friends will choose the Science Class; perhaps I choose it too.”

Mr. Sovanna added that some students choose the class not because of their own decision but their parents’, and “sometimes they are forced by their parents.”

Kean Lim Hout, a Mathematics teacher at Son Thor Muk High School, also showed his concerns of this problem. He said some parents were uneducated or had low education so the decision on class selecting may not be very effective. Consequently, students would face difficulties.

“If students who are not really good at mathematics and happen to choose High-Level Mathematics Class [Science Class], they will find it difficult to understand the lessons,” said Mr. Lim Hout.

After choosing and studying in either class, students will not be given another chance to choose or to swop their class; therefore, they would regret, he added.

Son Thor Muk High School principal, Mark Chor Reaksmey, also acknowledged the problem. However, he said that MoEYS have already prepared some measures to deal with this.

He said all schools would start explaining the new system to all the grade-ten students since the beginning of the academic year and tell them to prepare themselves for specialized subjects.

“Schools are supposed to have a meeting with students at least twice per year to explain the system to them,” said the principal.

Before the semester two exams, schools would remind students again and ask them to consult with their parents, he said. “Teachers will also help give advice,” continued the school principal.

The new education system is created since 2008, and applied to only grade 11 and 12. Unlike the old one, it is more specialized requiring students to study specific subjects that gear them for universities.

When finishing grade 10, all students must study thee compulsory subjects: Khmer Literature, English, and Sport. They also have to select other additional courses, forming two different class categories – High-Level Mathematics Class and Foundation-Level Mathematics Class.

The High-Level Mathematics Class refers to the Science Class taken by only the outstanding students. In High-Level Mathematics Class students have to choose three subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

The Foundation-Level Mathematics Class can refer to both Science and Social Science and is taken by any level of students. Students can choose any four subjects they like including two new subjects – Economics and Computer.

“Students must make a cautious decision,” said Mr. Reaksmey, the principal.

By Veng Rachana

Role of Juana, The Pearl

The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck (1948), is a novella describing lives of a Red Indian family who had been mistreated by the Spanish since their ancestors. The story began with a misfortune befallen Coyotito, and proceeded by the discovery of the Great Pearl of the World, after which evil things continually occurred to the family. Juana was the main female character of the story. She actively played very significant roles since the beginning till the end of The Pearl.

The first key role Juana played was a devoted mother, who was willing to do anything to save her son. Illustrated in the novella, after Coyotito had been stung by the scorpion, she, without thinking of her own life, sucked and spat the puncture again and again to avoid the poison spreading to the other parts of the baby’s body. So as to ensure the baby’s life, she also did the most ever surprising thing in her society – demanding Coyotito to be sent for the doctor. She knew that it would be impossible, but as a mother, she did not give up any chance to save her son. The Quote, “Then we will go to him,” (Steinbeck, 1948, p. 7) is what she said to the crowded neighbors, showing that she was strongly determined to recuing Coyotito in all possible means.

Besides, Juana functioned as “a pillar of strength for her husband” (http://www.shmoop.com/the-pearl/charactors.html). She always assisted Kino both physically and emotionally. As depicted in the story, when going to find the pearls, she did not uselessly sit still but coordinately drove the double-blade paddles with Kino. While Kino was diving down the sea, she superstitiously made the magic prayer for him to find a pearl, and meanwhile, she was also keeping the canoe still so that it would not flow away. In addition, Juana was always with her husband to give him support and strength. “He felt a little tugging at his back, and he turned and looked in Juana’s eyes, and when he looked away he had renewed strength,” (Steinbeck, 1948, pp. 48-49) is a quote from The Pearl, displaying that whenever Kino was in terrible situation and lost confidence and power to struggle with, Juana was the most important person he needed to give him back courage and strength.

However, these roles were not highly valued by either her husband, or society. For example, Kino and Juana equally put their effort to find the great pearl so both of them must have equal right to own it. Nonetheless, it seemed like only Kino had ownership on it. Kino always kept and decided what to do with it. Moreover, in the family Juana did not seem to have any right to make decisions. It was Kino who held this authority. The quote, “We will, Father. And we will be married now. Kino has said so,” (Steinbeck, 1948, p. 27) presents apparently that unless it was the Kino’s decision, she could not be married. What she could do was just to give suggestions to Kino, yet they were taken for granted. Another quote, “...they were not walking in single file, Kino ahead and Juana behind, as usual…” (Steinbeck, 1948, p. 84) also illustrates the inequality in society, specifically referring to Juana’s inferiority to Kino. In short, no matter how she had contributed to the family, she was poorly appreciated, for she was a WOMAN who was supposed to be obedient and submissive to MAN.

All in all, The Pearl reflects gender bias in society through the roles of Juana and Kino. As a woman, Juana was supposed to be passive and submissive, yet she had given great assistances to both Coyotito and Kino. She was always a very devoted mother and wife. She was the source of wisdom and strength, keeping the family alive. She was so strong a woman who was not weakened by such social inequality, and therefore undoubtedly deserved a name of “the Super-Women of submissive housewife” (http://www.shmoop.com/the-pearl/charactors.html).

By Veng Rachana

Reference
Steinbeck, J. (1948). The pearl. London: William Heinemann.
Juana character analysis. (2009). Shmoop University. Retrieved November 25, 2009, from http://www.shmoop.com/the-pearl/charactors.html

Media Violence

“No news is good news.” This proverb simply means that most of the news, which media disseminate daily, is bad news covering wars, conflicts, accidents, murders, and other crimes, all of which are violent. Movies, films, cartoons, video games, and some advertisements often contain at least one plot of fighting or other acts of aggression. But have people ever noticed the violence depicted in those media? A report from researchers on media violence in 2007 suggests that by the time a U.S. child starts elementary school, he or she will have seen 8,000 murders and 10,000 acts of violence on TV (http://www.cybercollege.com/violence.htm). Does this violence exposure adversely affect human behavior or society? Some people say that it is irrelevant, but the following arguments will show how media violence causes people to be more aggressive.

First, media violence has physiological effects on people, which puts them at the risk of aggressive behavior. Actually, while people are watching action movies or films or playing video games, they often change their moods from a normal one to happy, satisfied, frightened, scarred, panicky, shock, or anxious one according to the conditions or situations that characters are in. Some of them even unconsciously stop breathing until the violent plot is over. As a matter of fact, while consistently exposing to violence imagery and changing moods like this, those people will experience increased heartbeat, faster respiration, and higher blood pressure. Researchers say that these stimulate the “fight-to-fight” response and predispose people to act in a hostile way in the real world (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence .cfm).

Second, media violence makes people become desensitized to aggressive behavior. With the repetition of violence portrayed in different media including newspapers, radios, televisions, and films, people, especially children who are more vulnerable, will believe that the whole society as well as the whole world is full of violence. They will assume that those aggressive activities are common and fine, for they have seen them a lot. As a result, they will be less disturbed and have less sympathy for the victims of violence when witnessing the real world ferocity. Professor V. B. Cline, R. G. Croft, and S. Courrier (1973) states “boys who watch more than 25 hours of television per week are significantly less likely to be aroused by real world violence than those boys who watch 4 hours or less per week,” (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media_violence.cfm). What is more, the desensitization will accordingly cause those people to believe that violence is an appropriate method of problem solving which results in being more likely to act hostilely in the real world when encountering frustrating situations.

Last, media violence leads to aggression through imitation. Naturally, after watching acts of violence illustrated in media, children often imitate the vicious activities of those media heroes and villains who used violence to solve problems or to take revenge on each other. A study conducted in 2003 by the Kaiser Foundation finds that nearly half of parents with children between the age of 4 and 6 report that their children have imitated the aggressive behavior from TV (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/ effects_media_violence.cfm). Anecdotal evidence also suggests that the imitation behavior does take place. A teenager in Los Angeles, for instance, said the movie Scream (1996) inspired him to kill his mother; in fact, he wanted to wear the “grim reaper” mask and use the voice-distortion box featured in the film, but he could not afford to buy them (Rodman, 2006, p. 177). Some media, such as action movies and video games, also teach people how to fight and to use a stick, a sword, and a knife as a weapon. In addition, some of them even teach people how to handle a gun. The teaching from media together with the imitation of young children will result in altering their characteristics and behavior from non-aggressive to aggressive ones, and will negatively affect their developmental stage.

Critics may say that media violence is just an entertainment – a make-believe show –and people know it is not real so it should not have such a serious effect (Baran, 2006, p. 413). For a single show, that is probably correct, but for many shows, that is a problem. If media violence had no effect on aggressive behavior, why is V-chip – a device to control programs, in particular violent and sexual ones, on TV – created? The answer is by no means certain that the media violence does cause aggressive behavior. To illustrate, Professor Leonard Eron, University of Michigan, who in 1960 studied 856 grade-three students living in a semi-rural community in Columbia Country, New York, finds that the children who watched violent television at home behaved more aggressively in school. Studying the subjects again when they were 30 years old, the professor reports that those who had watched more violent TV were more likely, as adults, to use violence to discipline their children, and to treat their spouse (http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/effects_media _violence.cfm). Thus, to deny that media violence has no effect on aggressive behavior is unacceptable.

All in all, there have been many researches and studies proving that consistently exposing to media violence causes aggressive behavior even though it is believed to be just an entertainment. It has the most influence on children through physiological effect, desensitization, and imitation. Children who have seen a lot of violence in media will become aggressive ones, and will continually become aggressive adults when they grow up, which will bring harm to not only family but also society. Therefore, all possible actions have to be taken immediately. Film makers had better think whether it is essential to include violent plots in their productions and if possible, try to eliminate them. Family especially should restrict children to those violence scenes demonstrated in the media. It is time to take action before the problem is exacerbated.

By Veng Rachana

References
Baran, J. S. (2006). Introduction to mass media communication: Media literacy and culture
(4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Research on the effects of media violence. (2009). Retrieved January 2, 2010, from Media
Awareness Network Web site: http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/violence/
effects_ media_violence.cfm
Rodman, G. (2006). Mass media in a changing world: History, industry, controversy.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
TV and film violence reaches a new high in 2006. (December 27, 2007). Retrieved January
2, 2010, from http://www.cybercollege.com/violence.htm