 |
|
|
|
Viewing 163 - 171 out of 187 Blogs.
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to all moms everywhere. My daughter along with her brothers baked cupcakes for their mom. The cupcakes tasted incredibly yummy. As for the admin, he is busy enhancing KhmerSocializers.com by constructing movie trailer, mp3 and free text messaging to any cell phone across the globe pages. These pages are expected to become live sometime this coming week. KhmerSocializers.com is continually evolving so are we, and our members are also doing a wonderful job at keeping this fast-growing and vibrant online community very active. Do expect more interactive pages and resources to come. Thank you for being a part of and help grow the fine online community; others coming aboard afterwards will deeply appreciate all efforts put herewithin.
Posted On 05/10/2009 15:07:25
KhmerSocializers.com Press Release
KhmerSocializers.com Is Now Up And Running
Posted On 05/09/2009 02:29:46
16 And Saving Cambodia
Posted On 05/05/2009 22:58:11
CNN Hero: Turning Wine To Water
Rena’s Story – Khmer by Codesign
Angkor Wat - Elephant Terrace
Angkor Wat - Elephant Terrace This terrace leads into what is considered the Royal Court. Much like the Egyptian Pharaohs, the Khmer Kings were deified royalty. In fact, many ancient civilizations had god-kings. Incan Emperors of Peru, early Japanese Emperors, kings of Mayan city-states, and some Javanese Kings were all god-kings. Even some Roman rulers were deified posthumously by the Roman senate. But it is still a strange thing to imagine today. In practice, the position meant both isolation and exaltation. Much like the stone temples from which commoners were barred, the Royal Court was a realm reserved only for the king and his attendants. The idea of the god-king was an integral element in the establishment of the Khmer Empire, and both traditions trace their roots to the Javanese god-kings. The Khmer Empire officially began in 802. Before this, this area was just a conquered portion of a vast empire ruled by a Javanese god-king centered in what is now modern-day Indonesia. It was from this empire that the concept of the god-king began in the Khmer Empire. This empire placed a man named Jayavarman II in charge of this area. Jayavarman II declared the Khmer Empire independent and himself the devaraja, or god-king, of the new empire. The first capital was established where the Roluos Group now stands, almost 15km (or 9 miles) away. In the beginning of the 10th century, King Yasovarman moved the state capital to this site. The area remained the center of the Khmer Empire until the Khmers faded from power. With the exceptions of the state capital at the Roluos Group, the temple of Angkor Wat to the south and the state temple of Ta Keo to the west, the rest of Khmer history is distilled inside the walls of Angkor Thom. Each successive king left his mark, which Jayavarman VII successfully incorporated into his grand city. The harmony of the combination of a new structure like the Elephant Terrace with pre-existing elements like Phimeanakas and the Royal Enclosure attest to his success. It is almost certain that this terrace was a gathering spot for the Khmer army, and one can imagine the army returning victorious to reconvene for a celebration on the terrace. Before ascending the throne, Jayavarman VII was one of the Khmer Empire's greatest generals. Jayavarman VII's predecessor was killed when the neighboring Chams invaded and took over the area. Jayavarman VII led the successful campaign against the Chams to recapture the capital of the Empire, and he quickly and successfully set about reorganizing and restoring the city. He also continued to be a successful general, defeating the Chams on numerous other occasions, eventually sacking their capital in 1191. He enlarged the Khmer Empire to its greatest extent, winning land in what is now present day Thailand, in addition to that gained from the Chams. Another of his impressive feats was to unify the Khmer Empire under Mahayana Buddhism. Jayavarman VII is best remembered for the impressive buildings he left behind. These impressive buildings, which were only possible by his battlefield victories, simultaneously represent his military skills, which was perhaps his greater strength. So it makes sense that this terrace, which served as a focal point for the Khmer military, was a centerpiece of Jayavarman VII's capital. To learn more about the Elephant Terrace, visit http://Geogad.com This content was written and provided by Georgi Dagnall. For further information, please visit http://Geogad.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Georgi_Dagnall
Posted On 04/28/2009 23:36:19
Pradal Serei, The Khmer Ancient Way Of Combat, Is Still Alive In Cambodia
Pradal Serei, The Khmer Ancient Way Of Combat, Is Still Alive In Cambodia Pradal Serei, The Khmer Ancient Way Of Combat, Is Still Alive In Cambodia Pradal Serey, or Khmer Boxing, means "free fighting style" in Khmer language. It is believed to be the oldest of South East Asia's ancient martial arts. Bas-reliefs at the Bayon, in the ancient city of Angkor, show Khmer soldiers displaying combat techniques involving knees, elbows and kicks. Even though any written record of Khmer boxing had been lost for centuries, it is believed by the Cambodians that this was the army's standard combat style at the time of the Khmer Empire's maximum expansion (9th century AD). Pradal Serey, or Khmer Boxing, means "free fighting style" in Khmer language. It is believed to be the oldest of South East Asia's ancient martial arts. Bas-reliefs at the Bayon, in the ancient city of Angkor, show Khmer soldiers displaying combat techniques involving knees, elbows and kicks. Even though any written record of Khmer boxing had been lost for centuries, it is believed by the Cambodians that this was the army's standard combat style at the time of the Khmer Empire's maximum expansion (9th century AD). Khmer boxing was on the verge of extinction, together with all forms of Khmer culture, during Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979). In order to rapidly create a new, ultra-Maoist society based on an Utopian, agricultural life as in the centuries before, the Khmer Rouge announced Year Zero and systematically destroyed the country's infrastructure. All "enemies of the revolution" were executed. These included teachers, aristocrats, educated people, monks, doctors, artists, foreign speaking Cambodians, actors, singers and Khmer boxing practitioners. Everybody else was sent for re-education to labor camps upcountry, which later became sadly known as the "killing fields". Millions died of starvation, diseases and summary executions. A big portion of the centuries-old Khmer cultural heritage, including pradal serey and its teachers, disappeared in only four years. Following the country's slow recovery from the 20 years-old civil war that erupted after the Khmer Rouge were ousted by the Vietnamese in 1979, Khmer boxing slowly resurfaced in small, private schools in Phnom Penh. Far from being commercial operations, such schools were created by survivors, to pass whatever was left of pradal serey to the new generations, thus keeping the country's heritage alive. Since 2003, Khmer boxing has been officially supported by the Government as an important part of the Khmer heritage and it's attracting a growing number of young athletes. Professional fighters now earn a living from sponsorships and cash prizes, but they're far behind their Thai counterparts in terms of income. On average, a professional Khme boxer earns 20 USD a fight, plus some goods from the sponsors, mostly Thai-based companies already involved in muay thai events in Thailand. Cambodian authorities have been very vocal about the history of their native martial art, especially with their Thai neighbors. Whilst pradal serey was already around approximately one thousand years ago, no such thing as muay thai, or even muay Siam, was recorded at the time. Moreover, they argue that when the Khmer empire collapsed in the 12th century AD and Angkor was abandoned to the jungle, Siamese intruders captured Khmer soldiers and assimilated their captives' fighting style into their own army's standard. Thus pradal serey is, according to Cambodians, the true ancestor of muay boran and so of muay thai! Don't tell this to a Thai, though... From a spectator's point of view, pradal serey appears very, very similar to muay thai. In truth, many techniques derived from muay boran are actually known and permitted in muay thai professional bouts, but they are very rarely implemented. Cambodian fighters instead rely much more on elbws and knees, often performing stilish and graceful moves reminding of muay boran forgotten moves. Khmer boxing is exciting to watch, as it's faster and more technic than muay thai, without the brutality proper of Let Wei. Nowadays Pradal Serey has its own boxing circuit and fights are televised on Cambodian Channel 3 and 5 on weekends. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lorenzo_Sonelli
Posted On 04/28/2009 23:29:20
Calling All Food Lovers
As of now there are tons of Khmer/Thai food cooking videos under KHMER RECIPES in the header. I know we all want to cook, but some of us just don't know where to start. Cooking as instructed on these videos will be the first step on your path to become a great chef, and who knows what direction a small act such these will take you. As long as action is initiated, it will lead you somewhere, and you must be constanly aware of where you are heading so you will end up at your chosen destination. Be where you want to be safely and sound is always a good thing. As KhmerSocializers.com ages, the number of recipes in Khmer Recipes page will increase and hopefully be more organized and categorized. Start cooking, your stomach and loved ones will love you. Oh, more thing about cooking...you must love to cook and you must cook with love meaning you truly, wholeheartedly love and adore the people you are cooking for; they are the ones who make your world brighter on a daily basis, and the grass is actually greener on your side when these people are in your house. When you cook with love, cooking is really a pleasant, almost euphoric experience.
Posted On 04/26/2009 07:01:42
Tiny Toones Cambodia
|