Molly's Top Ten

You know it's been too long since your last blog entry when you can’t remember your login or password. Some would take this as a sign to give up early and cease to write one last entry. But I can’t. Partly because I’d feel extremely lazy for doing so and partly because I feel that I owe it to Cambodia, this amazing country I’ve been entranced by for the past seven months.

So in its honor, I’m here to tell you about the top ten things I’ll miss the most about Cambodia. I cannot include the fascinating and inspiring people, organizations, or EGBOK Mission students I’ve gotten to know because my plane takes off in three hours and I could dedicate an entirely separate blog just to them.

Here goes; a brief synopsis of my most favorite things Cambodian:

1. Iced coffee. The drink should actually be renamed Sweetened Condensed Milk with Coffee Flavor since it’s sometimes literally one part sweetened condensed milk to one part Vietnamese coffee. I’m not making this a food blog, but I can’t leave out the necessities (i.e. anything with sugar).

2. Khmer dance/exercise class. Aerobics is fun, but aerobics with 5 EGBOK Mission students to blaring Khmer techno remixes for two hours in the evenings can’t even begin to compete with a class at LA Fitness. Plus, it costs a quarter per person.

3. Ponchos. The rain’s a pain, but at least you get to wear really fun colored, extremely unflattering 35 cent ponchos.

4. Fried bananas. Back to food. While you’re ordering your iced coffee, you can pick up a fried banana from the roadside stall that offers a few varieties: my favorite is the mashed-up banana rolled into a ball, breaded with coconut and sticky rice, then fried and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Yours for just twelve cents.

5. Gong Sabai (“Happy Bike” in Khmer). In Siem Reap volunteers bicycle everywhere. In America, I bicycle in spin class. Differences include the cute basket Cambodia bicycles have, the cheery bell that begs to be constantly rung, and the fact that I’m actually going somewhere when I pedal.

6. Asian t-shirts. Imagine picking up a dictionary, choosing four or five words at random, and designing a $2 t-shirt with the words in oversized bright letters. I gave up trying to decipher their meanings months ago. My favorite reads, “Happy happy April Fool’s Day! I love practical jobs!”

7. Taro sticky rolls. Back to food again. This time we’re talking sugar AND butter and the most doughy, taro-covered pastry in the world. Not exaggerating on that, either – I had a student try to see if the bakery lady would unveil her husband’s recipe and she wasn't even willing to go in the back and ask him for permission. Let’s just say I already know where my first stop will be on my next Siem Reap return.

8. Markets. Photos can’t do justice. Flailing eels, pajamas, school uniforms, spools of fabric, moto parts…you just have to experience it. Worst place to be in an earthquake. Whenever I’m in the Cambodian markets, I tell myself that when I get home I will never take emergency exits or fire safety procedures for granted.

9. Tuk Tuks. They’re rather slow, uncomfortable, and sometimes overpriced. But for the most part, tuk tuk drivers are helpful and happy to transport as many plants, shelves, and bags of rice that will fit.

 

10. This list hasn’t been compiled in order of ranking - maybe I should have clarified that earlier. However, I’ve saved the best for last. My most favorite thing? The countryside. Maybe it’s because I spent six months last year living in the middle of it, maybe it’s because I have memories of getting lost in small village dirt roads on my bicycle, or maybe it’s because of the phenomenon that no matter what you try to do, no photo editing program can improve the rice fields’ color and photo quality – it’s just already too beautiful.