Enjoying the Cuisine: Surviving and Thriving Part 2

Real quick before I share about the culinary delights of Cambodia... Last last weekend (so Feb. 16-19) we went to Thailand. Usually people go to the mountains or the beach for a long weekend. Well, like Ava Michelle and I said on November 13- "We threw normal out the window at the RDU airport!" Granted, we did wind up at a beach. It just happened to be a beach on a Thai island called Koh Chang. We had an awesome time- delicious food (real life Pad Thai!), elephant trekking, Tree Top Adventures aka a high ropes course in the forest, air conditioning, hot showers, and a nice little break from city life. The only bad part was that we spent as much time on buses as we did enjoying Thailand. Oh, and crossing the border on foot is a nightmare. Enjoying the Cuisine: Surviving and Thriving Part 2 - try everything: it might surprise you - don't eat too much of anything: you can always find more later but you can't undo damage to your stomach once it's been done - sometimes it's better not to ask what's in a food until after you try it - pace yourself on the rice: there's not really an alternative if you get tired of it - the food on the street carts or at the market is just about the best you will find, especially for the price (a full meal for $1, adding a large fresh fruit smoothie will bump the bill to $2) - taste the fruit!: it looks weird but there are things like dragon fruit & mangosteen & lychee that you can only find as artificial flavorings in America. - quiz a local on how much random things should cost: just like with everything else, they'll try to overcharge White people - know where you can get a simple Western meal to renew your taste buds - be generous: Cambodians love to share everything, especially food. They will insist you take some of anything they have so make sure you return the favor. - do away with germaphobia: like I said, sharing is common. At my work for lunch, everyone puts their food in the middle while everyone crowds around on the floor and takes a little of this and a little of that to add to our own portions of rice. It's a great way to try lots of new foods and even better if I don't like what was packed for my lunch! - be open-minded when ordering: you don't always know what you're going to get when you are an English speaker ordering from an all-Khmer menu with blurry/no pictures. I would advise learning the word "noodles" ("mee" in Khmer)- they are a safe bet and delicious on their own in case you accidentally order some mystery meat. - learn to like spicy foods - don't try to eat on a moto: I was eating pineapple on the back of a moto one day since it was lunchtime and I had a 20 minute ride ahead of me. My Khmer-speaking driver pulled over and told me something about my food. I broke him off some pineapple but he refused it. I figured he was asking me not to eat on his bike- strange but his moto, his rules. We started on the road again and through some charades, I realized that he had told me not to eat because the dust from the road would get in my mouth. What a sweet guy! - don't try to keep up with Cambodian appetites: for such small people, they put away a lot of food! They will insist that you eat until you're stuffed but don't give in, especially if you are visiting for a good while. Eight weeks is a long time to appease people at the price of your discomfort. - accept the fact that you will probably get sick: it's part of the experience and won't last long. Fun things I've tried: - grilled mini bananas - Khmer coffee (basically espresso with sweetened condensed milk) - insects: crickets and the like - pureed fish with chile peppers - Ramen noodles (yes, like in the package) for breakfast - mangosteen* - fresh passion fruit juice - dragon fruit* - lychee* - limpot* - ohm-puhl* (that's the Khmer name, I don't know what it is in English) - coconut cake balls - fried frogs - sweet purple rice - ice cream-like substance made from beans and one made from tapioca - green tomatoes are common too which is cool *A Google search may clarify what some of these look like. I didn't know until I saw them here. The next things on my list to try are an avocado smoothie (don't be skeptical yet) and an Indonesian restaurant in town- I know that's not Cambodian but still... Also, if you are interested in pictures here is the link to my album on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151539154524179.552253.624354178&type=1&l=fb2fdc9a01

Getting Around Town: Surviving and Thriving part 1

So I thought I would switch it up a bit. Although I have loved my time here in Cambodia, most of the best moments are silly little things that mean nothing to anyone but me. Instead, I figured I could use this opportunity to enlighten you on how to survive and thrive in Cambodian culture. Edition one will obviously be transportation... IN GENERAL: - A "moto" is the shortened term for motor bike - A tuk-tuk is basically a carriage pulled by a moto - Tuk-tuks cost about twice as much as a moto but you can share them with 3-5 other people (depending on how much you like them). - Honking is rarely vicious. The horn is used to tell a car to scoot over so you can pass, or let a smaller vehicle know you are coming up on them so they don't accidentally swerve in front of you, or sometimes just to say hi. It is more strange to not hear a horn than it is to hear one. - Traffic laws don't really exist. Technically, you drive on the right side of the road but if the left side seems more convenient then go for it! It is not unusual to have 6 lanes of traffic- 2 going the same direction as you, 2 coming at you, and 1 crossing each way in front of you (Sorry if that doesn't make sense). You just do what you gotta do to get where you gotta get. BEFORE TRAVELING: - If possible, get a Cambodian to help you get a tuk-tuk or moto- they can explain in Khmer plus locals get a much better deal (for everything). - Find and keep with you a bilingual map (both in Khmer and English)- thankfully, pointing is universal. - Allow 10 extra minutes for explaining to the tuk-tuk or moto driver where you want to go- they will probably have to consult at least 2 other people before even pretending they are familiar with your intended destination. - Give yourself another 5 minutes for when the driver gets lost and has to back track or stop and ask for more directions. - Don't pay what they ask for initially- it's usually about $.50-$1 cheaper than what they say. If you're patient, a lot of times they will give in before you will. EN ROUTE: - If you are in a tuk-tuk, just sit back and relax. Sit on the seat facing backwards to avoid the dust if possible. - Motos are a different story... - Be alert but not too alert: it is absolutely necessary to keep your arms and knees as close to the moto as possible to avoid getting knicked by passing vehicles, and avoid the exhaust pipe by your feet. It also helps to pay attention to where you are so when the driver almost misses the road, you can catch it before he has to turn around and face oncoming traffic. - Enjoy the ride. There are some great sights to be seen on Cambodia roads such as oxen crossing city streets, motos hauling absolutely anything (the most impressive I've seen is a guy with a couch and an oversized chair), and shops that might be fun to visit later. Plus, focusing on other things keeps your mind from thinking up all the terrible scenarios that could happen in such crazy traffic. - Practice your balance: it's awkward (and probably not encouraged) to clutch the wait of the Cambodian male drivers and some of the motos don't have a handle behind the seat. Anyways, the more relaxed you are on a moto, the more legit you seem. - Avoid skirts... until you are comfortable enough to side-saddle. But even then, avoid skirts. ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN TACT: - Always exit from the left side to avoid getting what they call a "Cambodian tattoo" - aka a burn from the exhaust pipe. - Try to pay with exact change- there are many times when drivers conveniently don't have change on them... WALKING: - It's always easier to depend on your own feet to get you from point A to point B. It will definitely take longer but the exercise is nice and you can avoid language barriers. - Prepared to be offered a tuk-tuk or moto at least once every 2-3 minutes. Just shake your head and smile. They will usually give you even bigger smiles in return- I've never seen people so happy to be rejected. - Stay hydrated... it gets hot here. - When crossing the street, be brave but cautious. The drivers are crazy but they do slow down for pedestrians so just be ready to weave and run until you make it safely to the other side. - Watch out for dogs. Most are nice and the others might only have a fierce bark but I'm not going to be the one to find out. - Figure out a way to pass the time. The streets of Phnom Penh aren't exactly pedestrian friendly so you may have to take the long way around sometimes. A fun game I play is trying to see how many people I can make smile on each trip- my record is 18. And as our host mom says every time we leave the house... "Good luck!"