We quickly escorted our brimming plates back to the table and began sampling the local cuisine: fish amok, a bite-size aromatic custard-like fish dish steamed and served in banana leaves; savory kuy teave noodle soup prepared with egg noodles, meat and greens, and num sang khya L’peou, a sweet pumpkin custard. Hidden amongst all of these tasty dishes I found a new favorite, lort cha, short thick noodles garnished with bean sprouts and topped with an egg.
I was listening to Carvan Palace, an electro-swing band from France.
I really enjoyed visiting the Tonle Sap Lake’s floating village. I loved floating along the river, lying on the prow of the brightly-colored boat as we drifted by families preparing for meals, washing clothes and watching their children play in the water.
I’m re-reading Salmon Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, a great book about a boy who goes on an adventure to help restore his father’s storytelling abilities and ends up creating his own story in the process.
Although I didn’t play any sports during my time in Cambodia, that doesn’t mean I spent too much time away from the “field.” In restaurants throughout Siem Reap, soccer was broadcast on every T.V.! Tiny, pixilated players ran up and down the television screen kicking balls that flew from out of one restaurant to score goals in the next as we walked past.
