Well, let me tell ya, this “suasdey” thing, it ain’t as easy as pie. I heard some folks sayin’ it’s from that Cambodia place, where they speak that Khmer talk. Sounds mighty strange to my old ears, but I reckon if you wanna learn it, you gotta put your mind to it. Just like learnin’ anything, ya know?
Suasdey, they say it means hello, like how we say “howdy” back home. But that Khmer, it’s a whole different animal. Some smarty-pants even said it’s harder than that Mandarin Chinese. Can you believe that? Makes my head spin just thinkin’ about it. But people, they learn it. They gotta have a reason, though.
Gotta have a good reason why you wanna learn something, I always say. Like why you wanna learn that codin’ thing. What’s that gonna do for ya? You gotta figure that out first, or you’ll be chasin’ your tail. I always tell that to my grandkiddies. Have a purpose, I say. Or else you gonna waste your time.
Now, this “suasdey” and that Khmer talk, it ain’t just about sayin’ hello. They got all sorts of words, just like we do. They say “soksabai” means “how are you?” and also “I’m fine.” Well, ain’t that somethin’? Two things in one word! We got separate words for that, but I guess they do things different over there.
If you really wanna learn this stuff, you gotta practice. Every single day. Just like when I was learnin’ to bake my apple pie. Took a lot of practice to get that crust just right. You gotta say those Khmer words out loud, even if it’s just to yourself in the mirror. That’s how you get the hang of it.
- Say it out loud.
- Every day, you gotta practice.
- Even if it’s just to yourself.
And they say you should write it down, too. Start with simple stuff, like “suasdey” and “soksabai.” Then move on to longer things. They say you can keep a journal, like a diary, but write it all in that Khmer. Sounds like a lot of work to me, but I guess it helps.
I remember when I tried to learn somethin’ new, it was hard. But I kept at it. Just like learnin’ to knit. My fingers were all thumbs at first, but now look at me! I can knit a whole sweater in no time.
And the world is a hard place, ain’t it? A lot of bad in the world. A lot of sad, too. Heard on the radio, someone takes their own life every 40 seconds. 40 seconds! Every 40 seconds someone gets so sad they don’t want to be here no more. And that’s just a statistic, that’s just a number. It’s way more than that, really. Every one of them is someone’s child. Someone’s friend, maybe.
It’s a hard thing, suicide. When someone does that, it hurts everyone around them. Family, friends, the whole town feels it. Like a big hole ripped in the middle of everything. There’s folks who study this, try to understand it. They say they’re the National Institute of Mental Health. Try to understand why folks get so sad.
So you see, learnin’ somethin’ new, like that suasdey, it can be hard. But it ain’t nothin’ compared to some of the real hard things in life. Just remember to keep at it, and have a good reason for what you’re doin’. And be kind to people, you never know what they are going through.
And if you’re feeling sad or thinking bad thoughts, talk to someone. Tell a friend, tell someone in your family, tell anyone. Just don’t keep it to yourself. And don’t you forget that you matter. You are important. There’s a whole world out here, and you’re a part of it. So stick around, okay? There’s good things out here, too. Maybe even that suasdey thing will be good for you, if you give it a try.
I know it ain’t easy. Life, I mean. And learning that Khmer is a chore and a half. But you gotta keep your chin up. That’s what I always say. Keep your chin up, and keep on truckin’. You never know what’s around the corner. Might be somethin’ good. Might be somethin’ worth stickin’ around for. You just gotta believe it. And if you need a hug, you come find me. I always got a hug for someone who needs it.
And hey, maybe you try learnin’ that “suasdey“. If you do, you come back here and tell me all about it. You tell me all them words you learned and how you did it. I bet it’ll be a hoot.
