KUYCHAN – "Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."-Barack Obama

March 16, 2020

Mental Illness

There are many people suffering from mental illness around the world. This is still a health problem that occurs in every family that they need to learn and understand about their health. This leads to a very big problem in Cambodia, my country. This problem not only about the medication, but also the discrimination that society yet need to understand. It’s also known as the stigma. In Cambodia, people don’t understand about the mental illness. They would call those people “crazy person”. Also, when they see those people, it likes seeing a ghost, bacteria that they don’t want to stay near. In class, we read different stories related to mental illness that happen in the past, especially women who suffer from postpartum. In those years, when mental illness exists, many people think that they need to stay alone, take in the medication, and rest. Those stories also show how lock a person in the room can make them worse. In the yellow wallpaper, the character who suffered from mental illness became worst. She imagined that there are people on the wallpaper, she stressed herself out, and she can’t even stay with her baby. Another story, shows how mental illness affect the family by losing their beloved child, or how they can’t adapt to it.

This is why mental illness is a health problem that needs to be raised by people. People should learn, understand about it as much as they can. The stigma of people with mental illness should also stop.

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020

The Process of Outdoor Leadership Program

For this round, our Outdoor program is working on translating our English module to Khmer language which is our native first language. Since our target participant is Cambodian high school so we need our workshop to be in Khmer. Not only translating the module, we also started a workshop with our Liger students to get feedback, and also the improvement that we need before contribute it outside to other students.

Mission Started

After trying the workshop flow, and recheck the module in Khmer, now our journey started. During the time that we worked on our module, we also started to find our partner. Kape is an organization that is located in Kampong Cham. We started by getting to know their students by playing some games; name games, and energizer games. It is not only about game, we also try out some of our workshop activities to see how can we change the structure once we work with them. Also, we observe that many students really passionate about this field, and really want to catch this opportunity

Time passed, we change, and recheck our module, and structure again. After that, we try out with another school. Happy Chandara is school that found by a French NGO that give a free quality education for every woman in Cambodia from primary to high school. Our team spent a whole morning doing workshop, played games, and get to know each other further. It was a really great experience for us to contribute this to them.

The Experience

As an Outdoor leaders, we are not only focus on workshop, but we also need to experience the outdoors, and how to lead others during trip. Our team used to go to Kirirom National Park, and Mondulkiri province last year so this year we did a further challenge for me, and also the team. We went to Aural mountain which is the tallest mountain in Cambodia. Spending 3 days, and two nights in Aural mountain was a memorable experience even though we don’t get to reach the mountain top, but we got to see beautiful nature, the sound of animals, and also challenging myself with a steep hiking.

The Outcome

There is always sharation at Liger at the end of every exploration round. I am really happy to share people with my experience, my journey, and how I am as an Outdoor leader. I am a person who never love to hike, do exercise or anything hard, but this is me changing myself into a different person. Now, I am Kuychan You who love hiking, seeing nature, be an outdoor leader, and continue with this incredible experience.

November 3, 2019

“Make a Wish, Take a Chance, Make a Change”

I have a chance to grow up and experience many things as a usual Asian kid. There are many things that we do especially wish or pray for things, but usually, we never work to accomplish it. I know that some people are born to continue their family business, but every people on earth at least take a chance to create a change. I am here in a boarding school to be a change agent and every year, at least I got to do some small change to my community, local opinion or even social opinion. This year, I have been doing a workshop to a school from Singapore, Model United Nation and Tos Merl or known as the Traveling Theater that we have created.

Liger and Crest have partnered to do a workshop as Crest Secondary School visit Cambodia from Singapore. This workshop is to show leadership skills that we have in our school to share with them. Doing a workshop for Singapore students is exciting. My team and I have prepared it as good as we can to make a one day workshop worth to the students that spend their time with us. As a Leadership school, we want to show them our unique learning and our student’s leadership skills. This is a significant chance for me to share and learn. As we begin a workshop, it is a little bit hard because we need to make them feel welcome and comfortable to do things with enjoyment. It makes me see the reality of how people connected to each other in different ways. In this small workshop, I have changed at least 20 people mind to do a new style of living, learning and team building. To that, it is one of the prospect’s skills in the future that everyone needs to have.

There are wars, conflicts, and issues from country to state to province and to many people that are in enormous suffering. That is why there is a United Nation that collaborates with many other organizations and countries around the world. To that, different school starts to create a Model United Nation that allows students to discuss the issues that are currently happening. It is a tremendous opportunity for me or any students to learn about the current event not only in a specific country but, in a world that accommodates 195 countries. I learned to be a delegate that tries to solve the problems about countries and others. This is a great starting process for us students in the future because the United Nation can solve their 17 goals by getting help from the citizens, especially the young generation.

Most of Cambodian never had the opportunity to see a play, especially in the rural area so we have an exploration that gives Cambodian a chance to see a play. This is really an unexpected opportunity for us because, for me, I never know that Cambodian never have a chance to see a play or even have groups of people go and hosting a campaign that’s why I learn that it’s really important for us and others to show them an educated play, films, and other shows. As I experience on a trip, it made me really proud to see the villagers express their feelings and show how they really need this in the community, especially for their children to learn. This is a small part to see a true problem and knows about Cambodian needs.

Things are always full of needs and help. I learned a lot about our people’s needs and social thought. I see the conflict and feel the redness that shows it needs help. I hear the sound of shouts to get succor. My five senses all feel what is now needed. The new generation will the 17 goals to their last chapter like a novel. Every life born to “Make a Wish, Take a Chance and Make a Change” to the country and to the planet that we are living in.

October 28, 2019

ប្រធាន៖ «មានពំនោលមួយបានពោលថា «គុណធម៌ ជាតម្លៃនៃ សន្តិភាព»

គុណធម៌ជាតម្លៃពិត ដែលមនុស្សគ្រប់រូបគួរតែប្រកាន់ភ្ជាប់ និងស្វែងយល់បន្ថែម តាំងពីដើមមក។ មនុស្សដែលតែងតែមានគុណធម៌ជាប់ខ្លួន បានផ្ដល់អត្ថប្រយោជន៍ជាច្រើន ដល់សង្គម និងប្រទេសជាតិ។ រីឯ អ្នកដែលគ្មានគុណធម៌វិញនោះ គឺមិនបានធ្វើអ្វី ដែលផ្ដល់ទៅសង្គមដែលខ្លួនបានរស់នៅ ឫពឹងពាក់ឡើយ។ ជាមួយគ្នានេះដែរ យើងឃើញថា មានពំនោលមួយបានពោលថា «គុណធម៌ ជាតម្លៃនៃ សន្តិភាព»។ តើទស្សនៈខាងលើ មានខ្លឹមសារយ៉ាងណាខ្លះ?

មុននឹងបកស្រាយប្រធានឲ្យកាន់តែមានភាពច្បាស់លាស់ យើងគួរតែយល់ដឹង ឲ្យច្បាស់ទាក់ទង ទៅនឹងប្រធានខាងលើ។ គុណធម៌ (—ធ័រ) ធម៌ដែលមានដំណើរចម្រើន សេចក្ដីសុខទុក្ខ តាមជាន់តាមថ្នាក់ បានខាងអំពើល្អអាក្រក់ គឺបុណ្យបាបដែលបុគ្គលធ្វើ ។ ឧទាហរណ៍ សេចក្ដីល្អ, សេចក្ដីបរិសុទ្ធ, សេចក្ដីអាណិត, ប្រណី។ល។ ចំណែកឯពាក្យថាតម្លៃ(តំ-ល៉ៃ) វិញ គឺផ្ដោតទៅលើអ្វី្ៗដែលថ្លៃ ប្រាក់ដែលត្រូវសងដល់អ្នកដទៃ ដោយខ្លួនបានទិញវត្ថុអ្វីៗពីគេ ដូចជារបស់មានតម្លៃ អស់តម្លៃ ចុះតម្លៃ ឫសងតម្លៃ។ ចំពោះពាក្យថា សន្តិភាព គឺផ្ដុំឡើងដោយពីរពាក្យគឺ សន្តិឫសាន្តិ និងភាព។ ពាក្យថាសន្តិឬសាន្តិ(សន់-តិឫសាន-តិ) គឺចង់មានន័យថា សេចក្ដីស្ងប់ សេចក្ដីសាន្តត្រាណ សេចក្ដីរាបទាប ៈ ជាឧទាហរណ៍ ស្រុកមានសន្តិ។ រីឯ ពាក្យថាភាព(ភាប) វិញ គឺបានមកពីបាលីនិងសំស្រ្តឹតលាយគ្នា ដែលផ្ដោតទៅលើ បែបបទ លំនាំ សណ្ធាន ឬទ្រង់ទ្រាយ។ ដូច្នេះហើយ ប្រធានខាងលើដែលបានលើកឡើង បានសំដៅទៅ អំពើល្អ ជាអ្វីដែលថ្លៃថ្នូរ ដែលនាំមកនូវសេចក្ដីសុខ ឬមានភាពសុខដុមរមនា។ ការមានគុណធម៌ក្នុងខ្លួន ពិតជាអំណោយផលមួយដែលល្អ ហើយចាំបាច់ជាខ្លាំង នៅក្នុងសង្គម។ នៅជុំវិញពិភពលោក មានមនុស្សជាច្រើន ដែលបានផ្លាស់ប្ដូរសហគមន៍ ឬប្រទេសរបស់ពួកគេ។ នៅក្នុងប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តខ្មែរ សម្ដេចនរោត្ដម សីហនុបានមានស្នាព្រះហស្ត ក៏ដូចជាគុណធម៌សម្រាប់ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា។ ព្រះអង្គទ្រង់បានទាមទារឯករាជ្យ ពីប្រទេសបារាំងមកឲ្យប្រជាជនកម្ពុជា ដែលបានរងទុក្ខនៅក្រោមការមើលថែ របស់អាណាព្យាបាលបារាំង។ ជាងនេះទៅទៀតទ្រង់ ក៏បានអភិវឌ្ឍប្រទេសកម្ពុជាឲ្យកាន់តែរីកចម្រើន ដែលប្រជាជនយើងស្គាល់សម័យនោះជា សម័យសង្គមរាស្រ្តនិយម។ សម័យនេះ គឺមានភាពជោគជ័យយ៉ាងខ្លាំង ហើយក៏ល្បីឈ្មោះទៅលើផ្នែកផ្សេងៗដូចជា ឧស្សាហកម្ម កសិកម្ម ពាណិជ្ជកម្ម វប្បធម៌ ហេដ្ឋារចនាសម្ព័ន្ធ និងផ្នែកអប់រំ។ ទាំងអស់នេះ គឺគុុណធម៌របស់ទ្រង់ ដែលផ្ដល់សេចក្ដីសុខជូនប្រជាពរដ្ឋ នៅក្នុងប្រទេស។ ក្រឡេកទៅមើល ស្ថានភាពនៅប្រទេសនានាៗ ក៏មិនខុសគ្នាពីប្រទេសកម្ពុជាដែរ។ ក្រឡេកទៅមើល ប្រទេសប៉ាគិសស្តានវិញ គឺមានក្រុមថាលីបាន ដែលបានគ្រប់គ្រងទៅលើសឹងតែប្រទេសទាំងមូល។ ក្នុងនោះដែរ ពួកគេ គឺមិនបានលើកកម្ពស់ ឬឲ្យសិទ្ធិទៅស្រ្តីនោះទេ ដូចជាផ្ដល់ស្ធិទ្ធ ឲ្យបានមានចំណេះដឹងជាប់ខ្លួន។ ដោយសារតែមានការមិនស្មើភាព ទើបក្មេងស្រីម៉ាឡាឡា បានក្រោកឈរប្រឈាំងនឹងក្រុមថាលីបាន ដើម្បីឲ្យខ្លួនឯង ក៏ដូចជាក្មេងស្រីដទៃទៀតបានមានឱកាសចូលសាលា។ យើងអាចធ្វើការសន្និដ្ឋានបានថា ការក្រោកឈរនេះ មិនមែនជាការងាយស្រួលសម្រាប់ក្មេងស្រីដែលទើបតែមានអាយុត្រឹមតែ ១៥ឆ្នាំនោះទេ។ នៅពេលដែលម៉ាឡាឡា បានធ្វើនូវការប្រឆាំង ម៉ាឡាឡាបានត្រូវក្រុមថាលី បាញ់ដែលបានបញ្ជូន និងជួយសង្រោះបន្ទាន់ នៅមន្ទីរពេទ្យអាលីហ្សាបេត ទីក្រុងបឺមីងហាម ប្រទេសអង់គ្លេស។ ការក្រោកឈើ លះបង់ និងគុណធម៌របស់ម៉ាឡាឡា ធ្វើឲ្យស្រ្តីជាច្រើនបានក្រោកឈរហើយមានសិទ្ធិនៅក្នុងការរៀនសូត្រ ដូចគ្រប់គ្នាដែរ។ ជាមួយគ្នានេះដែរ នៅក្នុងសម័យខ្មែរក្រហម លោកសាឡុុត ស ដែលបានស្គាល់ជាប៉ុល ពត គឺមានគុណធម៌ដែលបានមានគំនិតមិនចង់ ឲ្យខ្មែរក្លាយជាទាសកររបស់បារាំង ដូចក្នុងសម័យអាណានិគម។ តែគំនិតនោះបានបង្កឡើងចលាចលយ៉ាង វឹកវរនៅក្នុងប្រទេស ហើយក៏ជាប្រវត្តិសាស្រ្តដែលចងចាំជាមួយ កូនចៅជំនាន់ក្រោយដែរ។ នេះបានបង្ហាញ ឲ្យឃើញមនុស្សដែលមានគុណធម៌ លើសលប់ ដោយបញ្ចប់ដោយ គុណធម៌ខុសគន្លង។ រំលឹកឡើងវិញថា គុណធម៌គឺជាតម្លៃមួយដែលបានផ្ដល់សន្តិភាព តែបើគុណធម៌បានយល់ ជាន័យខុស នោះនឹងបានទទួលលទ្ធផលផ្សេងទៅវិញ។

ជាចុងក្រោយ ប្រធានបទមួយនះបានឲ្យតម្លៃ និង ដំបូន្មានជាច្រើនដល់ទំពាំងស្នងឬស្សី ឬអ្នកសិក្សា គ្រប់រូបដែលកំពុងតែលូតលាស់ ឬរិះរកគំនិតថ្មីៗ។ ជាមួយនេះដែរ ការសិក្សាអំពីប្រធានបទនេះបានធ្វើ ឲ្យមនុស្សម្នាជាច្រើនកាន់តែយល់ច្បាស់បន្ថែមទាក់ទង នឹងពាក្យ«គុណធម៌»។ ក្នុងនាមយើង ជាកូនចៅជំនាន់ក្រោយ សម្រាប់ផ្លាស់ប្ដូរប្រទេសជាតិ យើងគិតថាប្រធានបទមួយនេះបានផ្ដល់ផលប្រយោជន៍ លើសលប់ឥតឧបមារ ដែលធ្វើឲ្យទំពាំងស្នងឬស្សីកាន់តែមានសក្ដានុពល នាពេលអនាគត។

October 2, 2019

Outdoor Leadership Program

I am very fortunate to have experienced the outdoor program in the last school year that giving the opportunity to us to learn more about nature, adapt living in wood and also learn much-needed education and expertise in outdoor. This successful project leads to a further project for me and other students to get the chance of becoming a facilitator that creates a curriculum related to outdoor which can contribute to government students in Cambodia. At the same time, we see that this outdoor education and experience is really needed in the government school because it provides basic skills to students that need it in the future.

To start or pilot a program to people, we have to learn, research, experience and especially set the impact statement for the project. “To empower Cambodian youth to be outdoor leaders and environmental stewards by introducing them to natural spaces, raising awareness of conservation threats, and nurturing the passion and skills needed to positively impact their communities.” is the statement that set by our team to be motivated and also remember that really is our mission for the effort that we put into. However, we need to educate ourselves more about facilitating people, skills needed and also understand the situation to assist different people.

Outdoor Leadership is an open topic and also it includes many different categories. Our team decided to create four main categories, such as leadership skills, medical and risk management, nature appreciation, and wilderness skills. The other two students and I are responsible for developing a further leadership module that contains different activities and games related to leadership. This is where we start to create possible learning and more detail about our workshop. Our team and other team are really look up to a future workshop that we have been practicing the activities and also revising for the past weeks.

Other members and I looking forward to the ideas to contribute out to Cambodia society that can get to know the skills and learning. This project is also a project that should consider in other places rather than Cambodia because students need different experiences and skills to expand their minds into a bigger picture.

August 5, 2019

Independent Semester

Being a grade 8 student is not that easy as you may think. I am a middle school student in the Leadership Academy and now in my English Literacy class is that the other classmates and I need to work independently and manage our time wisely like a University student. I need to schedule my own time and complete task on time without someone telling me to use this time for this or that so it is my priority to manage it and complete it. The How-to essay, How I change Cambodia, Vocabulary Log and Novel study are my and other students priority. Especially working on Novel and working it with a partner is more challenging as you need to keep this up daily.

My partner(Reaksmey) and I are reading to Killed a Mocking Bird written by Harper Lee. It is a very educational novel with high vocabulary for the learner to learn. An interesting fact about this book is that during the time that this book was published, there is no other author who would write about the stereotype and different people view others. We also write about our book review to this.

For me, I highly recommend this book to other students who interest in society in the past and how American stereotype used to be. Even though it is a fictional story, but it based on society during that time.

August 5, 2019

2018 – 2019 Last Exploration

This is the last exploration for this school year 2018 – 2019. The interesting points about this exploration are that we contribute the learning from an actual actress and actual movie director; Lianne O’Shea and Avive Rubinstein. It is a really great pleasure for us middle students to have a chance and learn with them. As we learn, it seems like we are the professional and we know the ideas of how the actors and set crews need to prepare for filming.

Story:

We need to know how the story goes and we learn about monomyths or known as the hero’s journey. Anyone can create a story, but a good story needs conflict into it so that readers started to feel the feeling of uncontrolled of how the main characters suffer.

Cinematography:

It seems like one of my favorites things to do, but it is too complicated if you have no passion for it. I learned that there are 2, 799, 360 shots so that if you are real professional cinematography, you properly don’t use only wide-angle and closeup for your film. There are more about this, but it’s too long to just write it.

Acting:

I am a shy person in front of strangers, but Lianne makes me start to have confidence and stop thinking about other people opinion. Acting class is not all about act and act and act, but it also includes meditation and knowing about the position where you can tell people that they are different without talking.

Screenplay:

Writing screenplay is not as easy as you may know. You need to write that can shoe the director, actors, and cinematographer to understand what do to want to act in that part or at this part. “Cinematographer think that they are creative in taking cinematography, but instead it was the writer who writes the screenplay that shows what the cinematographer need to do.” said Avive.

Last but not least is my own experience. Onset, I am an assistant director which everyone found it to be so cool, but it is not. It is an endless job even before the set start or even during the set. It seems like the actor and actress are kids, I need to keep them where I can see them or where I can know them easily. As I run around, shouting to keep everyone along with me and keep up with the director and cinematographer, it is tiredness, but a great experience.

June 6, 2019

Human Have Their Laws so For Objects

Every object has its own law like us human. In STEM class, we learned about Newton’s law of motion which includes First, Second and Third law of Newton. Newton’s First law of motion is also known as the law of Inertia. Inertia is a tendency of an object to resist a change in its motion. For example, when you suddenly stop the car. The car will stop, but your body stills keep moving forward. Newton’s Second law is focusing on the factors which are acceleration and Net force. Newton’s Third law force that reacts in pair when hitting each other. Other than that, we learned about Fluid Force which is focusing on pressure. To learn more about the pressure of fluids, we do an experiment of the egg into the bottle. We burned to create smoke and put it into the bottle and it creates heat so when we put the egg on the bottle, the pressure will pull the egg in. After that, we need to get the egg out of the bottle so we blow into the bottle. Once it contains full of air so the pressure inside will help the egg to come out of the bottle. People may think it is luck, but behind it is full of science.

June 4, 2019

Algebra

In math class, there are tons of numbers and tons of techniques that we have studied. I am one of the students that never enjoy doing things with Math, but as time go one, I start to understand the benefits and my life that need math to survive. Even though math is full of number, but for me, I keep it as an experience or a life problem that need to be fixed. It helps me with my logistic and thinking to be better. This is just our second year for me and other students to learn math in English which really make us understand. For my whole year of learning math, it kind of learning different to adapt to a new and weird thing.

As we are preparing for the next school year, the last chapter of this school year is learning and understanding algebra. In class, we learned and we practice it every single to get used to it and also to get used to the trick of an algebra equation. Even though we used to learn algebra in government before we are here in Liger, but it is always our challenge and obstacle to learning it due to the language and the old and modern ways of solving problems. The style of learning math always makes us improve our skills.

June 4, 2019June 4, 2019

Double Exposure Photo, Adobe Photoshop

For the whole year, we have been learning many different things like coding, story structure, Adobe, and many other things, but for the last chapter of this school year, I got to choose what I want to improve on more. For that, I chose to learn about Adobe Photoshop which is one of the Adobe programs that I need to be more familiar. Most people use photoshop is to only create a poster, menu or other simple canvas, but for me, I want to experience something new and look creative so I chose to work on Double Exposure Photo.

This is also my first time using photoshop to create a project than just learning to use the basic tools in it. I chose to learn Double Exposure Photo because it is one way to learn to edit, to cut and to learn more about art collaborate in one shot. When I learned, I used Adorama.com or known as Adorama Learning Center to learn as it is a great guiding website that includes both steps of doing it or video by showing it in Photoshop. For me, I prefer more on using video because it shows the basic and clearer information than writing. Even though watching video help to understand a lot than writing, but I still need to get it to slow down as there are tools and setting that I need to know more so I try to learn by seeing the tutorial and the explanation about what the different tools do to every part of the photo we are using. Doing a Double Exposure photo is challenging, but it’s fun once you accomplish it. It is like when you hike 20 km and once you reach the destination, you see the picturesque view. Another thing when you learn this is to have patience because there may be problems and photoshop is not responding so that is why patience is a way to make you succeed your goal. Once you finish it, you are going to feel proud of your work.