Happy Halloween!

Students from my village.

I decided to bring some American culture to my students and I taught them about Halloween. We made masks, we watched Megamind, we made ghosts out of tissue and covered our lollipops with them. They also learned how to say trick or treat and the meaning behind it. Teaching them about my favorite holiday was definitely a treat and it made me miss home of course but it also helped build my excitement for next year. Because I'll be able to celebrate it with my friends and family.

Happy Pchum Ben

Pchum Ben came around at the end of October this year. It's the holiday that Cambodians celebrate to remember those who have passed away. I spent this holiday with my training host family last year but I was really happy to be able to spend it with my other host family this year. We went to the Wat (Buddhist temple) and offered food to our loved ones who have passed on and we also gave food and money to the monks. My host family also took this opportunity to take family photos. We also got blessed by a monk and walked around this beautiful and colorful watt.

Mmmmm, Can I Have Seconds On Some Duck Fetus?

My host family invited me to tag along with them and to take a drive out to our provincial town. I was excited to be included so I happily accepted their invitation. We visited family, did some errands, and stopped on the side of the road to eat some traditional Khmer food. Corn was in season so it was definitely a treat to eat some delicious roasted corn. I also tried something that I have been holding out on and I think it's because I haven't been open to it. So, when my family offered me duck fetus I kind of hesitated but I finally overcame my fear and gobbled it up. The name sounds bad, it looks kind of unnatural when you crack the egg open and unshell it but I have to say that once i topped it with garlic and hot sauce...it wasn't to shabby. I paid no attention to the texture (it wasn't gooey but I did have to chew it a bit longer just to swallow it down) and to my surprise it tasted just like a boiled egg. One of my friends here told me that Cambodians believe that eating duck fetus gives you strength and energy. Maybe because it has an extra amount of protein. I also enjoyed watching my family's reaction while watching me eat the duck fetus. I told them that we don't really eat this in the U.S and they think we're missing out.
Who knows...maybe we are but I'll go ahead and take a nice juicy burger over duck fetus any day. Mmmmmm

My host family. Don't be offended my host dad's shirtless baring. Most all Khmer men walk around shirtless parading their rice bellies. It's something they're proud of.

My host parents left out of town for a weekend and left me and my host grandmother alone. We had a great time just the two of us. She took me with her to the watt along with other yay's from our village. We tagged along on the back of a wagon that was pulled by a motorbike. I didn't count to see how many of us squeezed in the back but we definitely were packed in there. I can't remember which holiday or event this was but I know it involved the thirty day celebration of Pchum Ben.

The yay's getting their money and prayer blessed.

My yay and her friends walking in pond water that is considered sacred and blessed.

All smiles all around.