With Friendship, True Love and Brotherhood

After encountered such harmful comments over my saying “With friendship, true love and brotherhood”, I decided to do some illustrations and demonstrations over this self-symbolized sentence. As u knew, this phrase has been with me ever since I first posted here, so this sentence became a new part of me. So, I do not wish to see any fallacious comments or misunderstanding on this saying.

First of all, “With Friendship” refers to the way I treat new people I met. I never think those people who are new but completely stranger to me as an enemy, but a friend who will bring new experience and life lesson to me. For me, making new friends is becoming my nature, so I don’t want anyone to see it as “kidding stuff”. Furthermore, Friends to me is essential, specially, to the future coz we can rely on each other for some emergent occasion. Ever since the “War of Words” in CF, I learned that there is nothing better than the words “Friend”. I have to make myself available to everyone, be helpful and ready to give assistance in any minutes of life. So, all in all, “Friendship” is a part of my mission on earth.

Secondly, it’s about the words “True Love”. Even I don’t have love and never experience love before, but my heart knows that true love is really exist. For this “true love” there are two things connoted. The First “Love” is my love for my country, FOR “KHMER-BEING”. I want to tell my country that I am ready to die for Khmer sakes. The other “love” is for one certain person, to whom I will meet, fall in love and marry in the future. Although, there is no sign of love for me yet, all my heart turns to people I know. For every people I meet, I will share my love for each of them fairly and no significant tendency. It doesn’t mean I LOVE them in that way, but love them as a good life partner. To sum up, despite my careful defining over the word “love”, I use this word widely and unlimitedly and also regarded as my tradition.

Last but not least, treating people I know as brother and sister is also my instinct. SO, the word “Brotherhood” is not for man only, but also refers to woman. “Brotherhood” in Khmer (PEA TA RAK PHEAP) is defined widely and not based on sex. It doesn’t matter whether that person is a boy or a girl, u have to treat them as your elder or younger brother and sister, so do I. There is a saying in Khmer “At home different mother, outside same mother”. That’s mean at home we have different mother so we don’t have to care much about other people, but if we go outside, we should each other as brothers. Despite my deep belief in Khmer old saying, I still think that we don’t really have to think whether we are at home or not, we must always taking good care and being a brother or sister to other people we care most about, including our friends and someone we can trust. Thus, last of all, “Brotherhood” doesn’t stands for man only, but woman as well.

In conclusion, I don’t care if u guys and girls get boring reading my short essay, but to me its very fundamental to state my saying “With Friendship, true love and brotherhood” clearly so that there will be no more misunderstanding, confusion, understatement and over-exaggerate. For everyone, Thanks you for reading this.

dont take rekoman's words too hard ..

in english, love means fu-king and passion .. there are many kinds of love, love for a father, love for a brother, love for nature, various degrees on the word only appearant in other languages.

brotherhood in my book conjures images of unity/alliance ... nothing sexual about the word at all .. unless put into context..

btw, your essay rocks! i read the entire thing ..

Thanks alot

We are aware of the kind of love we have for our brothers is totally different from the love for a a significant other. What you gotta understand is that you can not openly announce it so freely. We westerners treat it as an unspoken bond..the worst thing you can do is address the matter publicly cause others will precieve it as a homosexual act.

Now, i dunno the story behind all this but if one of my boys told me they loved me openly and randomly in front everybody..i'll be sure to punch out their grill.

trust me if you grew up here you'll be schooled on it.

I do understand that Srok Khmer and the westerner have their own perspectives over the word "love"... and my problems are all with the words "love". but i think i have a plan on it.

Sorry but i dont quite understand.

You can not say i love you to another guy cause it will leave him in an awkward position...in other words you are basically attacking his manhood and the only thing left for him to do is to defend himself.

I stated that my "love" is for my country as well as for one certain person. AND LIKE I SAID "SROLANH (LOVE in KHMER)" DOESNT MEAN SEXUAL OR PASSION, But about emotion and devotion. "SROLANH" IN KHMER IS MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN THE ENGLSH "LOVE". UNDERSTANDDDDDDDDDDDDD.

Good post, khun denith. You will ALWAYS have my respect and my support. Do not take their insults to heart.

The Tao Te Ching explains life much better than you can.

I think the meanings are the same, you just use the term too loosely.

Try using chol chet sometimes.

I'll be your brother Nikki, lol..... You can share all you want, you don't have to hide or sugar-coat anything. Some people are just afraid to be theirselves, how gay. I liked your essay.

I dont like how the members in the cambodian chat like to tear each other apart--specially their own kin. Members like Nikkie are pivotal for this forum--as he provides a very balanced and purely 'Cambodian' point of view. Being as that he IS living in Cambodia.

I share solidarity with you, mizz. He did write a well written essay. The fact that he explained himself to prove a narcisstic comment by another paints Khun Denith's true face and his humble and respectable character.

Nikkie, you are my brother. Remember that.

Amen! I thought he would have gotten more respectful comments by his fellow Khmers. Instead, he's told to change his words and to hide his feelings.

Don't listen to them nikki, i'm being real. You're in for a rude awakening if you expect other to see it the way you do round here. A strong word like love should be reserve for your girl and other things you feel passionate about. Just dont go around saying I love you to every Khmer person on the streets..you will certainly catch a beat down.

DLG: As I understand it, isn't he residing in Srok Khmer? Why would your words even apply to him? Why tell him about what you see you around you when he lives on the other side of the world?

He's living in Cambodia--the life in the American 'streets' where you and many others are so accustomed to does not pertain for Nikkie. Last I remember, Cambodia and The United States were TOTALLY different countreis with different social norms.

Hmm.. how did you come to that conclusion??? Please explain what you mean.

It's a nice essay, I, for one, find it a shame that guys are afraid to show their feelings for one another.

Cause he is mingling with westerners on this board and they will see his approach on certain things differently. It is easy for Khmers to revert back to the ways of the motherland but it is a complete culture shock for a newbie like nikkie to understand western way. We've all been there and some of us are still getting used to it.

How is he a newbie, he has more posts than yourself--and has been to MANY countries. Cambodia, Thailand etc. Do you boast that?

His kindness has attracted many posters--I myself like his style of post and his funny/warm hearted posts. Unlike to the combative posts that some posters make in this thread.

You should learn from him. And Im talking to you, DLG.

You can go on and patronize him all you want. If I were him i would want to be schooled. As i said before I dunno the whole story but he is clearly bothered by a comment made by a certain member regarding that love issue and from what i gathered it didn't register with him all too well. So instead of telling him it's all good to express his feelings in that way, i am explaining how some may not find his words as comforting as he may have wanted to project.

I understand fully where he's coming from.. now what he needs is to comprehend is where we're coming from...ya digg?

If thats how you see things--then thats your individual opinion. And you're entitled to that.

I have to agree with DLG. He is mingling with westerners and this is an English speaking forum. If he wants to properly interact with people in the world wide web, he's gonna have to use proper terms/expressions and such. And I bet he's mainly here to improve his English and connecting with the English speaking world. No offense Nikkie. You're cool the way you are and I'm sure you're learning a lot.

Thanks for all ur support. But here is more about the words "Love".

You guys may be confused with "Srolanh" in Khmer, but "Love" here refers to this word "Pheakdey Pheap". Here, this "Pheakdey Pheap" will leads me to devotion, meaing that, im ready to sacrifice my strength to help each of u guys in term of "Love". So, its not the passionate "love" but the devotion "love" i have for u guys.

Maybe, this time u see them more clearly.

Briefly, The saying can be concised into "Share, Dare and Care".

DSL - http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?...t&p=2312988

First of all,Thank you Dr.Phil. Secondly; Nice well written essay. You can't compared "Srolanh" with "love" it got two completely different meaning. It might in the same in khmer,BUT to us westerner it don't work that way. I'll give you credit for trying though.

SIRI
we don't b!tch about our own kin(kind),we just tell it like it is,the truth hurt,you know !

Nice essay. I like a man who isn't afraid to express himself. Westernized men are so afraid of being emasculated if they dare express their feelings to anyone but their girlfriend.

you can love me nikki..........................love me long time.

^ ehem...whoa there.

Arent you a guy?

Thanks thanks u guy.

Yul heuy Sir! Peak'dey-peap=true love, men maen sayk'dey sro lanh payt doch k'near (k'teuy lol) noh tay!

YEP!

hey, why was my name in this? haha. TRUE LOVE = REAL LOVE = Bong SROLANGh oun MEIN TEIN. And nikkie..you don't quote another guy's pic and say..."HEY! WASS UP THERE?"...people will get the wrong impression. Siri: no one is bashing nikkie, we're just giving him some insight as to how some phrases can be interpreted by different cultures. Learning is part of life. There's a big difference when you say, I love my friends and I love my boy friends.

http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?...t&p=2377327

SO whats wrong? i just bored and post from my instinct.

when guys quote other dude's pic and have caps on and says...HEY, WASSS UP THERE?...people will think you're gay.

last thing i want people to think is that im gay........................so...................what you all doing later............

DAMN IT... What will be a best solution to not making someone else think im a gay, and no more gay comment on me?

lol on topic again please.

Don't worry too much about what other people might think. You don't have to bend over for them... umm HHAHAHAA

or do you?

Hey listen to the mod, back to the topic.

yes. i'm giving out warnings next time.

dont worry nikki i understand your kinda love.

p.s no one will think ur ker'derrl if u keep saying you love the poontang! I love the poontang! see............it works!

you are one of a few genuinely nice people here on AF! dont let anyone else spoil that

Thanks for that encouraging people.

Nobody on a message board will ever full understand the importance Nikkie's phrase "With friendship, true love, and brotherhood" has!

*waves peace banner*

Nikki, now I know who you look like. you look like dith pran!! I just realized that now. But ya...you really have strong khmer beauty, bro.

Dith Pran, how come? back to 1979s, no no, im not going back there.

lol lol im not saying you lived back then. Im just saying you look like him. All this time i knew you looks someone familiar--but yea--now i know who tho.

R U Serious? he thin and im a bit fat.

you're right siri. he looks like somnang ngor, that actor who plays dith pran. but just a bit chubbier version.