I, Robot- Runaround( p7~ p17)

Mike Donovan and Greg Powell had trouble when they found that the robot named Speedy had not come back for five hours after sending for the selenium. They tried to speak to him by radio, but it did not work on the Mercury Sunside. They needed Speedy because he could get the selenium to protect them from the full heat of Mercury's terrible sun.

Even though both of them were wearing the new insosuits, it won't protect them for more than twenty minutes in direct sunlight. Meanwhile, Mike had an idea to use old robots to take them outside the station. The robots were extremely large and three metres tall. The robots could talk and bend slowly, but could not move unless someone rode them like a horse. Both of them rode the robots through the door and along a narrow passage into the tunnel. They tried to find Speedy, the fastest SPD-13 Robot produced by the United States Robots Company.

They made contact with Speedy by radio, but he was behaving unusually. Then, the two men went back to the shadow of the cliff and got down from their robots. Powell asked whether Donovan said something wrong to Speedy when sending him for the selenium. Powell worried that Donovan had broken the Three Laws of Robotics that are built into a robot's positronic brain. First, a robot must not injure a human being or allow a human being to come to harm. Second, robot must obey the orders given by human beings unless they conflict with the First Law. Third, a robot must protect itself, unless this conflicts with the First or Second Laws.

The reason why Speedy was acting unusual was that Mike used the second law to send him for selenium, but Speedy used the third law when he was in danger with some gas above the selenium pole, so it came to a conflict between the second and third law. However, Powell put himself in danger by using the first law to make the conflict come to the end. "A robot cannot watch a human being in danger without helping", said Powell. And then, he went out in the hot sun to call Speedy back. "Boss, what are you doing here? And what am I doing? I am so confused," said Speedy. Finally, Speedy got that selenium back in forty-two minutes and apologized for the runaround he gave Powell and Donovan.

The Role of Student in Cambodia

In Cambodia, all children have obligation to go to school. Beginning from the age of six, all children can go to an elementary school. After taking six years to complete an elementary course, they jump up to a secondary school for a period of three years, and then, continue to a high school for another three years. Even though some students are from different religions, including Islam, Buddhist, and Christianity, they are equal to go to school. For example, if a child who is Muslim, he or she is also considered to be right to go to school like a Buddhist child does. It is not so serious matter between Muslims, Buddhist, and Christian people to take action in education system.

Usually, from elementary to high school, it is divided into two period of studying time. There are the morning class and the afternoon class. Each of the class takes four hours and all students can take different lessons each hour. However, subjects like mathematics or literacy are more difficult, so they have about six hours per week. But for some subjects like geography or history, they have about two hours a week. English and French are compulsory for secondary students. After reaching a secondary school, all students can choose between English and French. If a student chose to study English, he or she has to continue it until finishing high school by studying English as a foreign language. However, If a student chose French, he or she cannot study another different language besides French.

In the city, the majority of students are able to pursue their study up to high school, but some students cannot continue it because of financial problem, violent in family, or society's effect. Especially, the students in rural area are hardly keep on studying when they have various difficulties such as helping their parents work on farm, having not enough school to go to, or the lack of local teachers. Even though children want to go to school, they cannot. They have responsibility for their role to go to school, but they are forced to take it away by surrounding effect. This is a serious problem in which the government has to deal with. According to Educational Project Team Report, the Cambodian government has plan to encourage all students to continue their study at least to secondary school. The goal is 95% of enrollment students in secondary school at the year 2015.

Besides student's role, parents have an obligation to sent their children to school and give them support, both financial and spiritual factors. Parents are the most important people to take responsibility for paying school fee. If they ignore it, student must not be able to go to school. However, in exceptional case, some students can go to school without paying for an entrance fee or anything else when they are so poor, or their parents passed away. Most parents pay the school fee, but surprisingly some parents compel their children to work at their young age without going to school. This problem is still happening even recent time.

Gender Discrimination

After recovering from the civil war in Pol Pot regime, Cambodia has faced a great deal of problems. For example, there are some problems, such as economic growth, infrastructure, poverty, health care system, education system, and politic crisis.

Concerning with education system, there are many cases that Cambodian people cannot go to school and learn something. Moreover, there are not enough schools, especially in the countryside. Even though a small number of students can go to school, the girls are found fewer than the boys. We usually saw the case in some places, where there was no even a girl in the classroom. However, recently the numbers of girls going to school are increasing remarkably.

In the past, Cambodian people had an idea that the girl was weaker than the boy, so it was no necessary for her to be educated at all. The girl was just better to stay at home and help do house's work. After getting married, woman had a responsibility to take care of the children and to do house's work. Women had no right to decide thing or to deal with any issues, but a person who could decide what to do in the family was the husband. Sometimes there were cases that a husband used violence against his wife. The wife could do nothing, but just kept silent and bear it.

Nowadays, many girls are enrolled in school like the boys. There are a great number of girls enrolling in the university. The women have chances to take a job, to join a community, or to work in the government institution and also to challenge as a candidate in the national election. However, men are still more powerful than women in work or government institution. For example, there are very few women in the parliament, and of course, we rarely find any women who function as a leader.

In addition, many men usually think that they are stronger, have more knowledge and work better than women even though the government has adopted legislation that ensures women right are promoted and protected. The government has also committed to enabling "the full and equal enjoyment of all human right and fundamental freedoms by women and girls is a priority".

In the near future, women are expected to be equal as men like in the United States, Japan and the EU, where women are as strong as men and have their freedom or right to work and join any activities in the society.

Getting Married in Cambodian Culture

Marriage is very important for our life time. So the Cambodians think when they marry
someone, they have to live and do everything for that person to be able to lead a happy life. Before getting married, thinking properly of whom you marry is the most important thing for us. In Cambodia, of course, people generally appreciate your wedding ceremony, but they do not consider divorce as a reasonable way. I mean that it is better not to get divorce if you have any solutions to deal with your partner. In addition, it must be a difficult situation for you to find anyone to get married with you again after your divorce. The majorities of Cambodian people think that someone who, one time, gets divorce can do it again and again. So it is said that you had better not to marry someone who used to get divorce.

How do people think about the traditional wedding in Cambodia? So let find out what kind of wedding ceremony we do in our culture or religion. In the past time, it was said that it look around seven days to hold a wedding ceremony. After that, it has been shorten to three days. Because of something to do with our culture, it was common to do something to show our unforgettable culture on the wedding day. However, in the present time, we spend only one day to celebrate a wedding ceremony. What a unbelievable thing people have shortened seven days- wedding ceremony to one day- ceremony. So I will explain something more about the present-time wedding in Cambodia.

First of all, before getting married, we have a courtship pattern which is conducted throughout the whole country. However, it is said that courtship patterns have differences in some areas. It is common for Cambodian people to get married between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five. The girl usually gets married quicker than the man does. After a spouse has been selected, parents will meet each other to talk to reach an agreement and investigate each other to make sure that their son or daughter marries into a good family. When both sides agree to the marriage, presents, usually fruits, have been exchanged. It means that the bride side decided to accept the groom side courtship. Marriage between close blood relatives is also common in Cambodia, especially in rural area.

Holding the ceremony is going to be in next process after the courtship has been successfully completed. The wedding ceremony starts in the bride house in the morning and finishes at night. Early in the morning, there is a march of ceremony in which the bride and groom lead a walk and followed by a number of guests. Everyone needs to hold some fruits, sweets or candies in hand. The march probably begins about one-hundred meters far from the bride house. They all have to walk slowly in traditional dresses toward the bride house with a traditional music playing at the same time. After that, at home the Buddhist priests offer a short sermon and recite prayers of blessing. Parts of ceremony involve ritual hair cutting and tying cotton threads soaked in holy water around couple's wrists. The parents and parents-in-law offer their blessings to the couple. It is a sign showing us that they give the bride and the groom good thing and happiness. The legend of Preah Thaong and Neang Neak is held in wedding ceremony, in which the groom carries the bride's scarf and walks to her room. It symbolizes that the groom is from afar and is marrying into the bride's family. The guests are welcomed and offered rice porridge and some fruits in the morning ceremony, as well. After holing the ceremony all morning at the bride's house, in the afternoon the couple is required to go outside and to be taken some memorial pictures in beautiful wedding dresses. And then, there is a wedding party at a hotel or restaurant where all the quests can have their dinner and enjoy wedding music and song. At the dinner party, the couple can receive presents given by the guests. Both the bride and the groom are required to cut the wedding cake and give a piece of it to their guests. After dinner party, the couple has to go back home, and at night, it is a good time for them to have their wedding sexual intercourse for the first time. It is the last step and clarifies that the ceremony is completely ended.

Overall, it is not easy for anyone to have a good partner and marry his or her. So I may say that getting married is so complicated, but it is exciting and important for everyone through a life time. In my opinion, the most interesting thing of marriage is that it differs between one country and another country because of its culture and religion. For example, marriage in Christ's culture, Islamic culture and Buddhist culture are different. There are various processes of each religion. The couple wears different wedding dresses concerning with each culture. However, a common thing is that getting married is to live together as a family.

People Whom I Respect

I was born in Phnom Penh city in a poor family and grew up there. I am so proud and happy to live with my lovely family. This is because I have good parents and brothers who always encourage me to overcome everything. Even though I am not in a rich family, I think that I am loved by my family members.

My parents are so kind, and also respectful of others. My father works hard to help me and my brothers be able to go to school. He studied hard at school, and he used to work in the government. Because of his effort at work, he was twice sent to study more in other countries, including East Germany, Soviet Union and Vietnam. He is getting older and older and does not look so healthy. However, he is still working in the air force to support the family. He is a quiet man, so he does not talk too much with us. However, I know he loves us and always takes responsibility as a good father. When I look into his eyes, I recognize that he is proud and happy to have me as his son. He can send me messages through his feelings rather than talking too much. Talking about my mother, she is a silent woman, as well. I mean my mother and father have almost the same personality. My mother is weak, so she always moves slowly. For example, she walks and eats slowly. Additionally, the way she speaks is kind of slow, too. Of course, I know that she is tired everyday because she has to get up early in the morning, and then she leaves home for market, where she sells fruits every day to earn money in order to support our living. I remember she said, " I am so happy when I can send all of you to school even though I am tired, or have any difficulties." She added that the most important things for us was to go to school. I was extremely very excited and happy to hear her words. My parents always let me do what I want. As I remember, when I started to play Sepak Takraw in junior high school, my parents told me that I could do it if I continued studying. They gave me hope, so I tried my best. As a result, what I achieved was that I was chosen for the national team.

I think that I am a lucky son to have parents like them. I respect them and will never forget them as long as I still live on the earth. Now, I cannot see their faces, but at least, I can hear them talking on the phone. Their kindness makes me stronger and pushes me to try harder.

When I came to Japan, I thought that it was a good place for everyone to live because here they have everything. However, I was shocked when I saw some news on TV or newspapers showing that there were many cases of murder in families. There are cases where a wife killed her husband or children, or in reverse, a husband killed his wife or children, grandchildren killed their grandparents, etc. I am still wondering why this happens in a rich country like Japan. I think the love between parents and children in Japan is low compared to the majorities of countries around the world. So I really want to know exactly whom Japanese children love and respect.

Finally, I just want to say that I love my parents and my brothers. They always give me strength to do things. They encourage and respect me, and I respect them, too. I am committed giving something back to thank them. I think I have to respect myself, too, and then my family before I can respect others. How can you do something for anyone or be respectful of them if you do not know who you are, in which family you were born, and in which country you are from?

Fathers Should Spend More Time With Their Children

Spending time with children is very important for every father. Children need parents to be with them to take care of them and to support them both morally and spiritually. It is said that mothers are always closer to their children than fathers. This is because fathers are the main people in their family, so they have to work hard to earn a living, rather than just staying at home and spending more time with children.

In some countries, people have such long working hour that they have few hours at home. It means that they have less time to spend with their wives or children. According to an annual work hours' report in 2004 by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), workers in South Korean have the longest work hours among OECD countries. The average South Korean works 2,390 hours each year. This is 34% more hours than the average in the United State, which ranks 7th with an average of 1,777 hours a year. In Japan, ranking number five, the average work hours are 1,828 hours per year, higher than in the United States. So we can say that in developed countries, fathers spend less time with their children compared to developing or poor countries.

However, in Cambodia, the majority of fathers have a good relationship with their children even though they work. In general, they work eight hours a day from Monday to Friday or Saturday. Of course, unlike the United States or Japan, they start working earlier. Usually, they start at seven o'clock or eight o'clock in the morning and finish at five o'clock in the afternoon. A break time in the noon is two hours. Some workers go back home at a break time to have a good lunch with their family, and then they return to work in the afternoon hours. This is an important part for fathers in spending more time with the children. However, some workers have lunch alone at work, so they can have only dinner with their children. Additionally, some people work late at night, so when they arrive home, they probably eat alone and just see their children sleep. Probably, working hard is another factor because fathers get tired and have no desire to talk or do things with their children.

I think that it is so necessary for all fathers to spend time with their children because children really need their fathers to be with them and take care of them. Children may need to talk with their fathers about school lessons or the problems they have. Mothers alone are not enough for children to rely on. Both are very important to teach their children right from wrong. If parents ignore their children, they escape their burden but they make a big mistake, as well. Without having been told which path they should take, children may do something wrong. That's why children need strong support from their mother or father. At least, fathers should spend their weekend time with children if they are too busy with work on weekdays.

The National Health Care System

According to the World Health statistic 2008, in Cambodia, the male life expectancy average is 59, while the female average is 65. Moreover, the probability of dying under five is 82 per 1,000 live births, so I can say that the life expectancy is simply low. Firstly, we should think about the reason why our life expectancy is low. The way of living, food, environment, and of course, health care system are the main factors for our life expectancy. What kind of national health program does the Cambodian government offer to our people?

First of all, in my opinion, there are not enough hospitals, especially in the rural areas. The people there have difficulties finding a hospital in a small village. If they have a serious disease, they have to go to a city to find a big hospital. However, for people who live in the city, they are luckier than those living in the countryside because they can go to any hospital nearby when they get sick. Some national hospitals are large and have a number of doctors and nurses. The majority of hospitals receive funds donated from different institutes or organizations from abroad, such as the EU, the United States, or Japan.

However, there are some cases where illegal conduct is found in the hospitals when doctors ask patients for money before diagnosing a disease and sometimes sell the donated medicines to patients. Because of these illegal cases, the national hospitals have a bad reputation for service or staff's behavior. For rich people, they always go to a private clinic rather than a national hospital because they think that they can get a better service and will be cured faster.

In addition, a health care insurance system has not been created, so patients have to pay one hundred percent of medical treatment or medicine. It is a heavy burden for the Cambodians to pay for everything. Some people may decide not to go to the hospital to consult with a doctor even though they are sick. This is because they are afraid of the medical treatment fee, and they are frequently treated badly when they have no money to pay. I think that it is so embarrassing for us to have such a bad health care system. The payment should not be totally the citizens' burden.

However, in some countrysides, the government set up some projects to give better health care program. For example, the government built local health care facilities in a remote where the people have difficulty to go to a central hospital.

Besides the government, NGOs (Non Government Organization) do many activities to help the people who cannot afford to go to the hospital. For example, many organizations send experts on health care programs to meet the poor people or farmers who suffer from an illness, and then they deal with the problems, such as medical treatments and advices on health care programs.

Even if there are a number of organizations donating funds and giving spiritual and moral support to the poor, they still face many problems in getting a good health care system. There is a lack of medicines, health care facilities, and nurses to take care them. I think that the government should spend more money to create a national health care program, especially using the donated funds to legally help the people in need.