អូនរាំសមទេ?Upbeat Khmer song for the soul
The past week has been a very hectic schedule for me. I missed using computer and internet so much. It seemed like I was away from the civilisation. Beside reading books and newspapers, internet is another window to the outside world for me. I would read global news from all over. Google search on topic I don't understand. Interacting with Khmer students from all over the world. Read and post my comments on our Khmer fellows' blogs. I feel so free to express my opinion. I don't know if I could live without the internet.
I just uploaded a "Saravann" song. This song is one of my favourites! "Oan ram som tay?" . It's appropriate, since our Khmer New Year is around the corner. I don't know duets who sing this song. I'm guessing the guy's voice is Chhom Bunyong. But for the girl's I don't know whose voice might belong to. I need you expert out here to identify the female vocal is, because she sounds soooo good !!! Listening to these kind of upbeat songs always make me happy. The lyric is proper, yet flirtatious.
Press PLAY on Esnips player below to hear "Oan Ram Som Tay ?"
| Oan_ram_som_te.mp3 |
Over the week I had a chance to finish my reading "The Garden of Eden" by Ernest Hemingway. I didn't like the book at all. I wrote a brief review over at my
LibraryThing.
My review: "Garden of Eden"
The story is the about David a writer with his newlywed wife Catherine on vacation in the south of France and Spain. Catherine then fell in love with another girl Marita. Catherine brings Marita into David life.
In the story, it's the most conversation between a husband and wife I ever read about. Pointlessly on most part, they talk incessantly about everything and about nothing. I gave 1 1/2 stars because there's no point of climax in the story at all. What they did was drink, have sex, drink, go swimming, have haircut, meet another girl, drink more, Catherine drives to town alone and ended unfinished. There's no more to read. Whew! I sighed and scratched my head.
I can't relate to the story line.It just doesn't apply to an average person who is an amateur writer where the wife doesn't work spent such a lavish vacation, then they hook up with another girl involve with a love triangle. I wasted my time of reading the whole 245 pages of this Hemingway and learned not a single thing from this book. I just didn't get it. I am sorry I felt short on the psychology of what Hemingway was trying to portray. This book is off from my shelf.
Vanak,
Cambodia
21 February 2007
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9 comments:
Hemmingway is one weird fellow. He is always about masculinity; what a man should be. I too am not his biggest fan. Alot of his books are required reading for Colleges and Universities.
Hemmingway, despite fame and fortunate, did not want to grow old and weak. In other words, instead of living to old age, he decided to end his life with a shotgun.
I like some of his work, though. Somehow he's kind of inward person which is trying to impress people through his writing that he's actually hiding something. Some literature critics call him a corward 'coz he intentionally hided something which should've been introduced to his reader.
I usually give the book a tolerance of 100 pages. If it doesn't perk my interest in 100 pages, I'd stop reading it and start looking for another to read. As for "The Garden of Eden", it was no good for the fist 100 pages, I thought it's going get better. After all, written by a Nobelaureat master in literature, it got to be good. I was deeply disappointed. My first read of Hemingway and I happened to picked the wrong book of his to start with. I won't give up but will try another Hemingway if I come across his other works
Khmai & Chanbopha, you both are truly literary critics!
You have such a high tolerance level, Blog By Khmer. For me, if a book does not interest me by the first 5 pages, bye-bye. My logic is, if the book cannot draw my attention after the first page, chances are, there's not much for me.
You're also too kind to the two critics who left comments regarding Hemingway. They are not being fair to the greatest writer of his time. Hemingway is like Picasso to art. They led a contreversial life. Picasso died a poor man and Hemingway died by committing suicide.
Please do not be discouraged by "The Garden Of Eden", which was written during his declining health. There's a reason why this book (1986) and "Islands In The Stream" (1970) published posthumously. Please give him another chance. May I recommend you to try his earlier works such as, "To Have And Have Not", "Across The River And Into The Trees", "The Old Man And The Sea", and "The Sun Also Rises".
BTW, I enjoy the music being played on your website. However, is there any way you can play more than one song? After hearing the same song over and over again, it's kind of boring.
Enjoy!
eh fan, thanks for introducing more of work. I am afraid so that I was not fair enough to have quoted my univ. professor, but I'm deeply enthralled by some of his great work as I said and really am. Well, I can see you're a great fan of his...I'll try to read some more...Again, thanks for sharing.
Sousdey EH Fan!
Thank you for shedding some more light on Ernest Hemmingway. I followed your link and read more on his bio . My conclusion, a great writer he was. Since you mentioned it, i guess it makes sense when books are published posthumously I should be aware for those books "ain't that good". I honestly never thought of that. I will try to look for EH other works. I think I once or twice saw "To Have And Have Not" here in Phnom Penh. Will look up for it again.
Books in Phnom Penh Cambodia I wouldn't say they are plentiful in compare to well developed western countries. So that's why every time I got a hold on one book, I mostly give a tolerance threshold of 100 pages. Some books are slow to start with but later picked the speed real good. One book I read was "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follet. This one got to be my favourite so far this year.
I appreciate for letting me know the autoplay media player is somewhat anoying or boring when it plays everytime the webpage is reload. I thought like that too. So I did turn the autoplay off. Only if you want hear it, you can click the Play button.
Again thanks for visting and your comments.
Sousdey = Hello (in Cambodian / Khmer language)
I am not an expert on books but I love reading. And like you, I have encountered some forgettable books of famous writers. I agree with eh_fan, Ernest Hemingway's books are not so bad at all. Try reading The Old Man and the Sea.
Good poems. sad poems. After reading it it is sad. like poverty, crimes, tov som tean nov protes chit khang.
Oun Rom Som Te. You are right it is by Chhom Bunyong, the female voice is his sister, Chhom Nimol [the female lead of Dengue Fever]. ^_^
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