"I'm glad to have friends who understand Cambodia who will read my stuff.

For those of you who don't know me, I lived in Cambodia from 1994 through 2001, and have been back several times since then. Ken and I started Canby Publications in 1996. It's named for my hometown in Oregon.

Good morning CC writer. Cambodia is in definite need of coherent material by foreigners who arrived during UNTAC or just shortly afterwards.I arrived in late 96 and have been here ever since and have lived remote and rurally with my wife and two teenage kids for the last 20 years.

Anyway should you ever feel the need to get away from it all and can bear the rigors of an isolated and rustic life you would be most welcome as a guest in our home. You would have your own cabin(a vestige of a once prosperous homestay).. No strings or bills attached. And I can further assure you that my wife's cooking certainly excels the culinary standards of Capitol's "cuisine."

As for me I have a MA in Comparative Literature
and speak 5 languages at a native or advanced level. I have recently been diagnosed with cancer of the urinary tract but have not yet experienced any debilitating symptoms. Plus if you need a place to polish up your literary efforts you will be left alone. The offer is open until my health conditions change. Cheers

Taabarang--that is a wonderful invitation, and I'll let you know when I'll be in country.

I have been revising my book all day, and it's going well. I'm neither a journalist nor a historian, but I'm a person who spent a good long time in Cambodia. Not as long as you!

It sounds like you're living in a beautiful locale. Should you require or desire a place to stay in the Pacific NW, we have a lot of room on the farm. You and yours are welcome here, too!

Cinnamoncat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:04 am http://ojalart.com/literary-arts/short- ... ing-birds/

Just read it and it was a fun read. Even has taxi girls in it, lol. What's not to like about it?

It had this line in it:

...fell to his knees, and said “Som toe,” which means “please.”

I thought 'som toe' meant 'sorry,' but I guess it has 2 meanings?

I'm on a roll this year and have already finished 4 books so far and started on a 5th, so glad to read something short like this for a change. (Best so far this year was Sapiens: A History of Mankind, in case anyone was curious, LoL.) I'm a sucker for Amazon Prime's First Reads each month and always get stuck reading some random novel from their picks.



PS- Barang Chacoot was being a total ass, and while I respect that you're so easy going, CC, nobody wants to read that crap, so he's on Mod Preview until he can show that he's ready to behave.

Good story. Thx for sharing. I would prefer another ending so they fly away and are finally really free. At least some of them. Otherwise it seems that you, the writer, think they don’t want to be free because they are used to that life in a cage. But isn’t it the hope that everything can get better that pushes us to be better than yesterday or to have a better life than yesterday. Give us some hope lady. Gl with your book.

DrRawBlueGreen wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 5:12 am Good story. Thx for sharing. I would prefer another ending so they fly away and are finally really free. At least some of them. Otherwise it seems that you, the writer, think they don’t want to be free because they are used to that life in a cage. But isn’t it the hope that everything can get better that pushes us to be better than yesterday or to have a better life than yesterday. Give us some hope lady. Gl with your book.

An alternative conclusion : )

I have a soft spot for anyone that reads my work. I'm grateful!

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 4:52 am

Cinnamoncat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:04 am http://ojalart.com/literary-arts/short- ... ing-birds/

Just read it and it was a fun read. Even has taxi girls in it, lol. What's not to like about it?

It had this line in it:

...fell to his knees, and said “Som toe,” which means “please.”

I thought 'som toe' meant 'sorry,' but I guess it has 2 meanings?

I'm on a roll this year and have already finished 4 books so far and started on a 5th, so glad to read something short like this for a change. (Best so far this year was Sapiens: A History of Mankind, in case anyone was curious, LoL.) I'm a sucker for Amazon Prime's First Reads each month and always get stuck reading some random novel from their picks.



PS- Barang Chacoot was being a total ass, and while I respect that you're so easy going, CC, nobody wants to read that crap, so he's on Mod Preview until he can show that he's ready to behave.

Yes, pretty sure that som toe does mean sorry, but I'm hoping Jamie will step in. Jamie's the man!

violet wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 6:38 pm

rozzieoz wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:55 pm Cinnamoncat and Violet - we should do a CEO ladies meetup.

CC, let us know the book launch date. Didn't you say you would be back in Cambodia for that?

I will let you know as we get closer, and yes, I plan to be in Cambodia for that.

Cinnamoncat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 5:51 am

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 4:52 am

Cinnamoncat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:04 am http://ojalart.com/literary-arts/short- ... ing-birds/

Just read it and it was a fun read. Even has taxi girls in it, lol. What's not to like about it?

It had this line in it:

...fell to his knees, and said “Som toe,” which means “please.”

I thought 'som toe' meant 'sorry,' but I guess it has 2 meanings?

I'm on a roll this year and have already finished 4 books so far and started on a 5th, so glad to read something short like this for a change. (Best so far this year was Sapiens: A History of Mankind, in case anyone was curious, LoL.) I'm a sucker for Amazon Prime's First Reads each month and always get stuck reading some random novel from their picks.



PS- Barang Chacoot was being a total ass, and while I respect that you're so easy going, CC, nobody wants to read that crap, so he's on Mod Preview until he can show that he's ready to behave.

Yes, pretty sure that som toe does mean sorry, but I'm hoping Jamie will step in. Jamie's the man!

សុំទោស Som Toah - can mean a number of things like "Sorry" or "Excuse me/Pardon me..."
សុំ Som(1) - means to ask/beg for something
ទោស Toah - means "Fault" "Error" "Guilt" "Blame" etc
so basically Som Toas is you Asking/Begging for forgiveness

សូម Som(2) - whilst generally it can be used interchangeably with the សុំ Som(1) above, សូម Som(2) is the word that by its self means "Please" and is used at the start of a sentence as a pre sentence Particle,
for example if you was to order a beer at the bar you would say "Som(2) Beer Mouy Orkun"
verbally they are exactly the same, but when written down (in Khmer or translating) they are slightly different

So basically the answer to your question is "Som Toe" doesnt really mean please, it means more like i'm sorry/excuse me, "Som(2)" by its self means please when used as a pre sentence particle, but when paired with a word it means the same as Som(1) and can be used interchangeably

khmerhamster wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 4:45 pm

Jamie_Lambo wrote:

Cinnamoncat wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 5:51 am

General Mackevili wrote: ↑Sat Feb 02, 2019 4:52 am

Cinnamoncat wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:04 am http://ojalart.com/literary-arts/short- ... ing-birds/

Just read it and it was a fun read. Even has taxi girls in it, lol. What's not to like about it?

It had this line in it:

...fell to his knees, and said “Som toe,” which means “please.”

I thought 'som toe' meant 'sorry,' but I guess it has 2 meanings?

I'm on a roll this year and have already finished 4 books so far and started on a 5th, so glad to read something short like this for a change. (Best so far this year was Sapiens: A History of Mankind, in case anyone was curious, LoL.) I'm a sucker for Amazon Prime's First Reads each month and always get stuck reading some random novel from their picks.



PS- Barang Chacoot was being a total ass, and while I respect that you're so easy going, CC, nobody wants to read that crap, so he's on Mod Preview until he can show that he's ready to behave.

Yes, pretty sure that som toe does mean sorry, but I'm hoping Jamie will step in. Jamie's the man!

សុំទោស Som Toah - can mean a number of things like "Sorry" or "Excuse me/Pardon me..."
សុំ Som(1) - means to ask/beg for something
ទោស Toah - means "Fault" "Error" "Guilt" "Blame" etc
so basically Som Toas is you Asking/Begging for forgiveness

សូម Som(2) - whilst generally it can be used interchangeably with the សុំ Som(1) above, សូម Som(2) is the word that by its self means "Please" and is used at the start of a sentence as a pre sentence Particle,
for example if you was to order a beer at the bar you would say "Som(2) Beer Mouy Orkun"
verbally they are exactly the same, but when written down (in Khmer or translating) they are slightly different

So basically the answer to your question is "Som Toe" doesnt really mean please, it means more like i'm sorry/excuse me, "Som(2)" by its self means please when used as a pre sentence particle, but when paired with a word it means the same as Som(1) and can be used interchangeably

While som does mean please, as I understand it, if you use it by itself you are asking for something for free.

For example ‘Som gay’ - means ask from them, but is understood to ask them to donate or give for free. Does anyone else have same understanding?

I’ve been to a shop and said ‘som coca muoy’ to which she replied with a laugh ‘som ort ban, Ming lowit ban, khmuoy dinh ban’

By which they meant I won’t give you a coke, I’ll sell you a coke, you can buy a coke. Us foreigners - myself included - are so keen to use ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ in contexts which Khmer people never would.

tbh ive never heard that and never had that happen to me, and i use Som a lot
Som at the start of a sentence is a polite request particle or as my dictionary states :- a polite term used to introduce a sentence. It means 'please,' would you...,' 'would you please.'

the old lady was probably just cracking a joke sayin she can give you one but youre gonna have to pay for it lol