Consultant and Tech Blogger Chamnan Muon got his start in the digital and technology sector after he volunteered with the Google community in 2013 as a map maker. Originally from Battambang, the computer science graduate is now an information-technology consultant at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center. This week, Vandy Muong met him at the CJCC to talk about his digital life in the capital.

Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC)

CJCC is an education centre and working space related to education. I started working there in 2011 in information technology and as part of their PR staff. So I’m involved in all the IT, website, social media, press and poster design work. I often meet there with colleagues on weekends because it’s a good place to work and learn; it’s a place where I feel I know who I am. I created a digital marketing service team because I like learning about technology. We offer consulting services to friends who have problems with ideas and technical issues with digital projects, so we tell them about techniques to reach their goal.

Beyond the Post Office

In Cambodia, the Post Office is the only place that people can send and get things from overseas. But, in other countries, when people buy online, they send things with a postal code to a specific place. It is the right time to have this in Cambodia, which is why I’m in the process of creating it for Phnom Penh. For me, I like ordering stuff online (eBay or Aliexpress), which is what pushed me to share this idea. This article [about creating a postal code system for Cambodia] is the most viewed and popular on my blog. I want to list all provinces (not only in Phnom Penh) in one customised map. Right now, the big challenge of receiving mail from overseas is for local authorities to know where to deliver packages.

Google Business Group Phnom Penh

Google Business Group Phnom Penh is a community of business professionals, entrepreneurs or basically anyone who is interested in Google products. When I was in university, I was passionate about science and technology. At the time [2013], I learned to analyse statistics on Google news [and] volunteered to get involved with the Google community here. I received training and had the chance to map the location of tourist sites and local businesses on Google Maps. In 2015, Google Maps created a new community called the Google guide community and I became a map maker and organiser for them. I participated in Google digital business marketing in Vietnam in 2015 and had a chance to join Google guide local summit in the US last year.

The football pitch

During my free time, I exercise and read books. People say music or games can reduce stress to help relax, but I don’t like music and I never have music in my phone or laptop, except I do have video games for my children. When I am stressed, I play football or search for new videos or news related to digital and technology developments. Photography is also one of my hobbies. It helps entertain me a lot. Football is a good sport for team-building among co-workers and friends, but unfortunately I don’t get to play that often due to time constraints.

Himawari hotel

The Himawari Hotel is one of the more high-end hotels in Phnom Penh. After I graduated from university majoring in computer science in 2008, my first full-time job was there … [working in] internet support and service. With my background in information technology, I worked as an IT officer at the Himawari for almost two years. Each workplace I’ve been at has had a different culture or way of working and the people [at the Himawari] were friendly. It’s different from working in an educational institution.