khmer sources

"To be a celebrity is something difficult and quite unattainable for most people. I used to feel that it was too—when I was a child I used to wash cars for a living," says 24-year-old television presenter Soun Pheakdey, aka D.J A No.

"On screen you are one person, and off you have to be another, and I’m not entirely sure people understand what being in the limelight means. It requires understanding, it involves pretence and you are constantly trying to live up to everyone’s expectations of you. Sometimes I come to work feeling unhappy, but as soon as that camera points my way I need to smile. It wouldn’t do to be sad, my viewers don’t expect that." "Pretence," she says sagely, "is part of my job description."

Soun presents five programs on Cambodia’s TV3 channel—a health and beauty show, a cooking show, a women’s chat show, the Dara Spy Show (a celebrity chat show), and a ‘celebrity versus viewer’ game show.

"For single women we explain how they need to take care of their bodies. For men, we help them to understand women. For housewives we provide cooking ideas, because as the Cambodian proverb says, ‘Good food will make the husband come home everyday’. And besides providing entertainment, education and information, all of these programs try to inform viewers how to live in a modern civilized society. In society, television is essential for everyone and it has three main roles, to provide information, to entertain, as well as to educate."

While she powders her face—part of a grueling daily 3-hour make-up regime—Soun explains how she made it on screen. "When I was younger I hadn’t a clue about the world of television, and before I could present shows I had to learn certain speaking techniques as well as brush up on my general knowledge so I could keep up with my audience."

In 2002, Soun beat off 4000 other Cambodian wannabe beauty queens, in a pageant sponsored by a Thai make-up product. Her win was an entrée into the world of film and television, where she now enjoys a rare and accomplished status on screen. Soun’s first break was as a newsreader on TV5, after which she spent time as a DJ at 98 FM. She has also appeared in 21 films and countless karaoke videos. She began work at TV3 earlier this year.

Casual in jeans this afternoon and with a genuine smile, Soun refers to her alter-ego saying that A No the film and television star is quite different from the everyday A No—"the outside A No".
"A No on screen is sexy, often nasty with comical characteristics. But A No on the outside is just the same as other Cambodian women. She is gentle and sympathetic—happy all the time. She is younger and more polite."

This young woman also loves to shop and admits to spending $300 a month on new outfits and beauty products. "You can see the evidence of my shopping addiction at home! I have three huge closets that I usually add another three outfits to each month." This is a rare liberty in a country where most Cambodians struggle to earn that much in a year. But Soun, well, she doesn’t wash cars anymore.

She doesn’t understand why Cambodia is so behind the rest of the world, but she is hoping her shows will provide some positive diversion for her younger viewers.
"We are living in modern times, why don’t we care [about] ourselves? The rest of the world does. With these programs I want to inform Cambodian women and teenagers, all of TV3’s watchers, to understand modern life and get some new insights. But these shows are meant to make people happy, after they’ve finish[ed] work or study. They are especially aimed at young people who get into bad activities, especially the young who are suffering from drug addiction."

So does this incredibly busy woman have time for romance or a hobby, or even a snooze for that matter? She very coyly says "no" to the former, lowering her lashes. A hobby? "I don’t have free time for playing any sport or reading books. I have to work from morning to night."
Sounds like sleep is out of the question.