The raining season has finally kicked in. It's been a nice relief from all the dry weather. I no longer have to worry about dirt creeping up into my eyes and nose each time it picks up when a motor bike or a fast car passes by me. The school year has also come to an end. I survived my first year of being an English Teacher in Cambodia! Can I get a high-five for that?!? It was a great year, one which I really enjoyed getting to know my students. There were definitely some challenging moments but it the end everything pulled through. Now that school is over I've been able to spend a little more free time at home. It's been a nice break to wake up and just enjoy the day either reading, planning and preparing for upcoming projects, making coffee and spending time with my host family.
My bong srrai (older host sister) is an excellent cook. There are still occasional dishes she likes to whip up that are made out of fish paste and cooked with chunks of fat and intestines but on a daily basis she usually makes a delicious Kamar dish. She's already well aware that I enjoy eating both cooked and raw veggies and that i'll eat any kind of fruit that is offered to me. On this particular day she made bon chio, which is kind of like a stuffed pan cake but it's made out of flour and rice paste. This is probably one of my favorite meals to eat in Cambodia. I can buy one in my market for a quarter and be fully satisfied but when my host sister told me that she was going to make bon chio and that her bon chio's are more delicious than the ones they sell at the market I felt this urgency to capture this in action. So I watched and learned how she mixed flour, uncooked rice, two eggs and water into a bowl. She slowly grinned the mixture that turned into this yellow paste. Then she poured a cup of paste onto a heated skillet and stuffed it with pork and veggies. She flipped it on its side a couple of times and wa la. She topped it off with this savory peanut sauce and side of cucumbers and salad.
My yay (host grandmother) is a tailor. She spends most of her early mornings cutting and sewing. She's quite crafty at making shiny pillow cases, women's bras and shorts for boys. She travels to Phnom Penh every once in a while to buy different kinds of materials. She often returns with bundles and bundles of fabrics decorated with all sorts of intricate designs. I like to go through her scraps and pick out the ones I could use to make into a head band. I like wearing it around the house because every time I do she often comments and smiles about it.
My first rainbow in Cambodia. I was out biking when I saw this and pedaled as fast as I could back to my house to snatch my camera and run outside to catch it. I made it just in time.
Some desserts in Cambodia mainly consist of rice. I like rice but I don't necessarily love it. However, I will eat it if it's baked in a banana leaf. My host sister made som jay which i couldn't get enough of. Basically, you use a banana leaf and stuff it with rice and a banana. Then it gets tightly wrapped and is placed in a closed lid pot where it bakes in an open oven. The final result is a delicious rice role with a sweet surprise in the middle.
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