Part I: Why do I blog?

General, Opinions / By

Some readers are wondering about what really inspires me to keep blogging about Cambodia and the region, especially amid busy schedules at school and work. After going through old emails sent from some readers, I’ve decided to share a reason each in the next blog posts, and hope that other people or budding bloggers can relate to one of of those. They might get amused or inspired. Here’s why I want to blog about this topic: Why do I blog?
After I wrote this blog post in 2012 “In Pursuit of Happiness in Vietnam,” without any doubt, I got both positive and negative feedback. Of course, there was negative feedback because some people think I was downgrading the medical system in Cambodia. For obvious reasons. As much as I want to highlight the negative feedback, I think the positive one really outweighs it.

January 14, 2014
Name: tekhor pheng
Subject: Hi
Message: Hi there! I am very interesting in your blog. Could I have the contact number of the translator?
regards,
Tekhor
Me: Which translator, Tekhor?
Tekhor: I mean the Khmer to Vietnamese translator.
Me: Are you looking for a translator who can translate from Khmer to Vietnamese? What’s that for? I’m just curious. I can find out who is available for that assignment.
T: I will send my mum to HCM for treatment very soon, yes I need a translator you mentioned in your block…
Me: Oh, I see. I will ask my mom for his number.
T: Thanks in advance. I am waiting but I will leave tomorrow morning….

After that, I immediately texted my sisters who then asked my mother for the phone number of the translator that my parents normally hire when they go to Vietnam for a medical check-up/treatment.

About four months later, I received an unexpected email from Tekhor. This time, I could not even blink while reading.
T: Hi good morning,
Too long not communicate. Hope you are fine. I would like to say thank you for your help always.
My mother has been operated and been treated successfully by now from serious sickness. Uterus cancer is not a not a common sickness but it is intense one. She will visit the doctor once again this month end.
Experience from this, it will apply to my life as current situation in Cambodia in term of health services. My mother is actually in the first-b stage, as doctor statement in Vietnam where the doctor in Cambodia said that my mother was in a fourth stage( last stage) of the sickness and made us very nervous condition even financial support hunting to save her life.
Lastly, I am proud to have you, your ideas and the full if ethic doctors in Vietnam to help my mother life.
Regards,
Tekhor
Did I just hear him say “Uterus Cancer”? This is no laughing matter. I have heard countless times of how some Cambodian doctors failed to diagnose patients with cancer or any serious/chronic disease. A month before writing this post, another Cambodian friend of mine texted me for the number of a good hospital in Bangkok. I gave her the number of the hospital I’ve visited twice in Bangkok with my parents.
So, this is the one of the reasons why I blog. Share any piece of advice or any bit of information you find useful on your blog. People like Tekhor and his mother would appreciate more information from you who can have access to the Internet and the world outside. Help comes in different shapes and forms, and information is aid itself. Once again, I just want to state what has been said before: charity begins at home. You begin from your home, your country.

5 thoughts on “Part I: Why do I blog?”

  2. Daravuth

    we need more people like you 🙂 Sharing is always a good thing to do. I always promote the culture of sharing within my own team too.

  3. avis

    agree with you keo. there are a lot of people do their real activites in of course real world. but the world paradigm just changed. people being so dependent with all information through internet. our simple share might be help them so like u said before, we start it by home, by ourselves.

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