To the workplace unlike others

Have you ever been attached to any of your workplace very much that you wish you will never have to leave?  But life is a bitch. Nothing good comes forever. 

It was in 2017 when I got recommended by a senior of mine to join the best workplace I had; USAID Development Innovations project implemented by DAI Global. The project works on accelerating the use of ICT to enhance development works in Cambodia through many means.

As my first experience working in the development world, I did not know what to expect and kept my expectation to what I’ve been told about CSOs. However, my experience proved in contrast. I got spoiled by my workplace. Almost in every way. 

At DI, I get to do a lot more amazing things I have never thought I could. I was given the power to be creative. I give ideas. I lead my own task. And own my responsibilities. Other than my job, I was able to do a lot more to help DI improve Cambodia. 

2 years was totally in a blink of an eye. I will miss everything from the office. From the morning greeting when I walk into the office to the random sarcasms during work to the food crave at 4. I am very thankful to all the opportunities given by the place. All these couldnt have happened because of the awesome people inside. 

Thanks B Mesa for connecting me to the job. Thanks B Ty and B Thon for the process. Thanks B Bol for all the guidance. 

Thank you Leng for all the support and direction in the 1.5 year. Thanks Tiff for all the help. Thanks B Phat for all the design and artwork. And thanks B Leanghort and B Simeng for the technical support. 

Thank you B Setha for your great guidance. Thanks B Chan for all the advice and food. Thank you B Pork for always backing me up.

 Thanks to my workplace bestfriend Gechheang for all the mental and labor support. We have a lot more to share. Thanks Sreylen for the support for the last few months. 

Thank you team; Bong Samnang, Bong Thany, Foard, Chandy, Bong Phay, Bong Pounlok, Bong Vannarith, Kimly, Davuth, and Om Ny for making everything possible. 

Also thanks to my YIP squads, first batch, second batch, and third batch. You guys are the best!

Lastly, thanks to Bong Theavy and Kate. Without your support, mentorship, guidance, and encouragement from the back, I would not have today. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. 

These are the memories and values that I will be carrying next. 

I’m everything my family does not want me to be

Expectation. Everyone faces expectation. High or low, it just sets the standard to hurt one’s feeling if they are subjected to expectation.

Even worse, if you are from a typical Asian household, you might as well have felt the pressure and expectation since you’re very little. 

We’re trained to be a good child. To be a good student. To obey. To achieve. To be the best of all as they have envisioned. 

I’m none of them. Or at least to their expectation and definition of a good child. 

They wanted me to be an outstanding student. I’m just average.

They wanted me to study medicine. I went for politics. 

They wanted me to live abroad. I came back. 

They wanted me to run a business. I work for a living. 

They wanted me to get married. I’m not straight. 

They wanted me to follow them. I fight back. 

As much as I take pride in myself about what I have achieved so far, they are just not gonna be proud of me. And that’s just it. 

I’m just tired of fighting back for who I really am and what they should expect out of me and maybe it’s really time that I drop my dream and walk on their path. 

Someday, I’ll have the confidence to go to a coffee shop alone

“Someday, I’ll have the confidence to go to a coffee shop alone” I told myself. And I did it. I did it after a few years of confidence building. After a few years of being scared to just get out there and buy things and do things on my own.

I suffer from a tremendous lack of confidence ever since I began notice, probably at the age of 6.

I remember being scared just to go talk to the vendor. When I was around 6, my family was at an amusement park and I wanted to go play at the pop the balloon stall 10 meters away from my dad. I asked him to get me there but he insisted that I go alone. I didn’t get to go and went to play with my little brother instead. 

I remember one thing that might led to this. It was a few years before I was 6. One day during my kindergarten class it was raining hard and the students rushed to the store downstairs during recess. In that moment, I was pushed and fell on the muddy flooded floor.

Maybe it got stuck there. I remember at grade 4 I still could not go to the stores behind my building without my best friend. I would ask him to accompany every time. But maybe he got annoyed. He stopped saying yes after a few years. 

It was grade 8. I still could not go. I asked random people to help buy me things while I stay in class. But after a while, things changed and I started doing it on my own. Step by step. Little by little. 

Up until today, I’m still proud of how long I have come so far. And there are so much more negativities in life that I think I have managed to breakthrough. How about you? What kind of obstacle that you are proud to have overcame?