Meet a Connect Moderator: Sophea

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Caption: A photo of Sophea in front of the Angkor Wat temple, the Local Guides pin, and the words ‘Sophea Tieng’ inside a frame with the Google colors.
Caption: A photo of Sophea in front of the Angkor Wat temple, the Local Guides pin, and the words ‘Sophea Tieng’ inside a frame with the Google colors.1000×500 211 KB

Connect Moderators are Local Guides just like you and me. They apply the knowledge they’ve gained as active members of our community to moderate Connect and help improve the experience for everyone. You may see them welcoming newcomers, explaining the program, answering questions, and sharing their knowledge with others.

Each month, we share some personal insights from one of our amazing Connect Moderators. This month, meet Sophea ( @Sophia_Cambodia ). Sophea lives in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and speaks English and Khmer.

Name: Sophea Tieng

Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

**What I love about being a Local Guide:**I love to travel to new and different places, take photos and gather information about these places, then share that on Google Maps. Later on, I [like to] write detailed stories on Local Guides Connect.

Caption: A photo of Sophea at the Banteay Srey temple in Cambodia. (Courtesy of Local Guide @Sophia_Cambodia)
Caption: A photo of Sophea at the Banteay Srey temple in Cambodia. (Courtesy of Local Guide @Sophia_Cambodia)1219×914 437 KB

Why I’m a Connect Moderator: I believe that as a Connect Moderator, I can help others in many ways, especially the new Local Guides who join Connect and don’t know what to do at first. I enjoy reading their posts and adding encouraging comments so that they contribute more meaningfully.

My favorite things to explore: New destinations and lesser-known areas. I also enjoy trying the local food, interacting with people, and participating in traditional events at the places I visit. I consider traveling, capturing photos, and sharing my stories on Connect some of my greatest strengths that help inspire others.

**My favorite type of contribution(s) to make on Google Maps:**Adding new local businesses and rural tourist destinations managed by local communities to Google Maps is one of my most favorite things to do as a Local Guide.

Caption: A photo of Sophea enjoying kayaking and camping in Stung Treng, one of the Ramsar sites in Cambodia — a wetland of international importance. (Courtesy of Local Guide @Sophia_Cambodia)
Caption: A photo of Sophea enjoying kayaking and camping in Stung Treng, one of the Ramsar sites in Cambodia — a wetland of international importance. (Courtesy of Local Guide @Sophia_Cambodia)994×1280 282 KB

Languages I read/speak/write fluently: Khmer is my first language and the official language of Cambodia. It is one of the more complicated languages to learn. English is my second language, but I can speak, write, and read it just as well as Khmer. In my free time, I am a freelance translator (Khmer-English and vice versa).

Places I’d like to visit: I want to see sakura (cherry blossoms) in Tokyo, the Northern Lights in Iceland and Greenland, and Paris’s Eiffel Tower.

Fun fact about me: I love taking photos and posing like a model :blush: . I also like to think of myself as a tourism ambassador helping to promote local destinations.

Interested in becoming a Connect Moderator? Want to learn about other Connect Moderators? Find out more here.

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Great introduction @Sophia_Cambodia , nice to hear from you! I also would love to visit once Tokyo with the cherry blossom :cherry_blossom: .

Your photo loving matches perfectly with my selfies, one with you posing like a model LOL :sunglasses: .

Thank you @InaS for the introduction!

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Hi @Sophia_Cambodia , great to know more about you. You entered in Connect in a great way, I I’m happy that I had the opportunity to talk with you about "food from the wild. You are already a tourism ambassador, every one of your words is telling us about that.

I’m happy to have you as a moderator here in Connect (you deserve it). I’m sure we can learn a lot from you.

Thanks @InaS for letting us know more about a great Local Guide

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Hello @InaS

Thank you for another good news. Good to know @Sophia_Cambodia better she has been quite active on the posts and replies too. I think we have been good friends since the beginning days on connect.

Sophea, you owe me one remember? We talked about a party for this and It’s yet to come. Congratulations and see you at the party !!! LOL

Cheers

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Thanks @InaS for introducing Sophea

Again, Congratulations on being a Connect Moderator @Sophia_Cambodia !!! :tada: , it’s great to know more about you and thanks for sharing all your traveling posts full of amazing photos. The northern lights surely its one of the most increadibles shows that nature can offer, it’s definitely in my bucket list !

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It’s always fun to learn more about fellow Local Guides and today it’s @Sophia_Cambodia hooray! I have to say that coming from Cambodia, I was surprised to read that you wish to visit the Northern Lights in Iceland and Greenland, both places that I have been to and written posts about these places here on Connect. You will find both totally different to the places you have already visited and I really look forward to reading your Connect posts about your visits there :wink:

Haha, I always knew that you liked taking photos and posing like a model Sophia and in fact I commented on this very point on one of your earliest posts on Connect. You might remember I mentioned or asked something along the lines on how many dresses/outfits do you have lol. Welcome again to the team of moderators.

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Hi @Sophia_Cambodia

So nice to meet you! I love seeing how you and I both enjoy kayaking; the water looks so beautiful in your photo. I too would love to see the Northern lights; that would be such a magical sight!

Great idea @InaS for writing this article to introduce fellow connect moderators. It was a fun read. :blue_heart: :green_heart:

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Good to know more about you @Sophia_Cambodia I would love to visit Angkor Wat some time I envy you :slightly_smiling_face:

Paul

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Glad to know more about you @Sophia_Cambodia

Thanks @InaS for sharing this post.

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It is the first post I am reading here and I am fascinated by your experiences and culture! I would love to visit Cambodia and Asia in general.

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Thank you @LuigiZ - that’s great then we can hang out and be a partner in crime, lolz

Thank you for the warmth welcome :slightly_smiling_face:

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I remember we talked earlier about wild animals @ErmesT and then we talked about food in the wild and edible flowers and plants. Thank you for all the support you have given to me and other local guides so far. I indeed feel warmth to have a family that is so welcoming and supporting.

Thank you @InaS for the introductions :slightly_smiling_face: that’s so meaningful for me to be part of Connect!

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@SholaIB right Shola I remember we almost joined Connect at the same time and often come across each other, you had many wonderful posts too. You have been here as long as I remember and I am very grateful to have your support for this entire journey of mine.

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Thank you @LaloPadilla that’s so cool - I wish I would have a chance to go to these two places. Maybe sometimes in the future when we can travel as normal.

I admire @AdamGT who have been there already.

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Thank you @InaS becoming Connect Moderator was so overwhelming and beyond imagination - I still cannot believe it. From Cambodia, a very small country I got this chance among many other local guides. I have done contributions on Google Maps actively from 2019, add several local businesses and new places in the map, add photos, give comments, write travel stories and many more. I am so grateful for the opportunities to be in the board and got the recognition from Google on my voluntarily contribution.

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@AdamGT finally you are back to be Adam :slightly_smiling_face: I remember well and we had several pleasant exchanges. I think the earlier communication and support I got at that time of starting was something to inspire me to walk this far. Thank you for all the fun and exciting communication that we exchanged. We talked about travels and I don’t know perhaps I got the inspiration from your post about Iceland and Greenland and the Northern Light. Maybe some days in the future I could experience it.

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Thank you @AZ_2021 that place is uniquely beautiful and a very good spot for kayaking I beleive you will enjoy it as much as I did - I wrote an article about it earlier here. You can find them here.

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Thank you and welcome you anytime @PaulPavlinovich it is now a good time to see Angkor Wat - not so crowded. When you feel like you are ready, welcome you and @AdamGT here :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thank you dear @NareshDarji @PatrickGarcia really appreciated and welcome you to Cambodia anytime!

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I don’t think it will be for a while my friend @Sophia_Cambodia we had grand plans for a USA/Euro trip next year but the economic situation is changing so we will see what if anything happens.

Paul

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