KhmerKitchen
Contact:[email protected]:http://savannahyagm.wordpress.com
YoungAdultsinGlobalMission2016-2017
LivingandLaughinginKampongChhnang,
Cambodia
KhmerLanguageLesson
CelebrationSeason
Mango:ស"#យ (swai) *My daily mango consumption over the past few months has steadily gotten more and more out of
control…
Thelastcouplemonthshavebeenabitofawhirlwindforme!SincemylastnewsletterIhaveattendedInternationalWomen’sDay,3weddings,2housewarmingparties,aweeklongKhmerNewYearCelebration,asurprisebirthdayparty,theRoyalPlowingCeremonyholiday,aweeklongretreatwiththeother8YAGMvolunteersandaweekoftravelingwithmytworoommatesfromthestatesthatcametovisitmehere.
Lessonlearnedfromallthiscelebrationandtimeoffforholidays:Cambodian’sknowhowtolive.
Butreally,whilethelastfewmonthshavebeenthehottestmonthsIhaveexperiencedinmylifesofar,theyhavealsobeensomeofmyfavorite.Ithasbeensuchajoytocelebratealltheseholidaysalongsidemycoworkers,friendsandhostfamily.ThroughthemIhavelearnedsomuchaboutthetraditionsandvaluesofCambodiaandhavegottentoseesomeunbelievablybeautifulplaces.Nottomention,IhavereallyperfectedmyKhmerdanceskills.NowwhenmystudentsstarttoquizmeondancemovesinthemiddleofourEnglishlessons,Icanperformeverysingleonetheyshoutoutatme.
Theonlydownfalltohavingsuchaneventfullastcouplemonthsisthatitmadetimeseemtogobysofast.SomehowIamnowinmyfinalmonthandahalfhereandwhileIamstartingtogetexcitedtoreturnhome,inmanyways,oneyearsimplydoesnotfeellikeenoughtime.Butthenagain,wouldanyamountoftimebeenough?Asfornow,IplantotakeinasmuchasIpossiblycaninthenextsixweeksandtakecomfortinthefactthatIwillgettotakeallthesestoriesandfriendshipswithmewhenIleave.
Forlunchanddinnerherewetypicallyareservedricealongwith1or2entreesandasouptoallshare.Hereisoneofmyfavoritesoups,SamlorMachuYuon.
Ingredients:*canbeadjustedbasedoningredientsavailable350gfreshfish,thicklysliced(orchicken)100gpineapple,thicklysliced100glotusroot,verticallysliced2ripetomatoes,slicedinwedges½smallwintermelon5garliccloves,chopped3-4cupsofwater5tbsptamarindjuice2tbspfishsauce2tspsugar1tspsalt20gcomboofm’amleaves,khmerbasilandsawmintCutlotusrootsinto4-cmpieces,thensliceverticallyandsoakinwater.Usingawoodenchopstickstirtherootssothetougherfibers“catch”thewoodandcanbetwistedoff.Setaside.Fryfishuntilgoldenandsetaside.Then,boilwaterandaddlotusrootsandwintermelon.Afterthelotusandmelonhaveboiledforabout5minutesaddthetomatoesandpineapple.Oncetheskinstartspealingoffthetomatoesaddthefish,tamarindjuice,sugarandsaltthenremovefromheat.Brownchoppedgarlicandimmediatelyaddtothesoupandfinishbygarnishingwithm’amleaves,basilandsawmint.
SamlorMachuYounlooksalittledifferenteachtime,buthereisoneexample.
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OneoftheSLCvillages,SokSenchey,ishometoawomannamedNovTaingLengwhohaskindlywelcomedmeintoherhometimeandtimeagain,alwaysofferingmesnacks,icedcoffeeandaplacetostayshouldeverIneedit. NovwasborninKendallprovinceandmovedtoKampongChhnangshortlyafterhermarriage.Formanyyearsshelivedinaneighboringcommunewheresheworkedinacassavafactory. In2012,aftergiftingherhometohernewlymarrieddaughter,NovandherhusbandmovedtoSokSencheytostartanewlife. OverthenextfiveyearsNovandherhusband,alongwiththeirtwosons,wholaterjoinedthem,workedhardtocreatethelifetheydreamedof.StartingwithnothingbutacouplemangotreesandabedcoveredbyatarptheytookadvantageofeveryopportunityLWDprovidedandgraduallyestablishedforthemselvesahomeandplotoflandthatisfilledwiththrivingagriculture.
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Today,NovalsoholdsthepositionofVillageMemberinhervillage,arolethatservestoexplain,motivateandencouragehercommunitytoimprovethecircumstancesoftheirlives.Sheworkshardtoshareherexperiencesandknowledgewithherpeersandthroughheroptimismandperseveranceshesetsanexampletoall,ofthepowerweallpossesstomakechangeintheworld. Despiteallthechallengesshehasfaced,includinglosingherhusbandinthelastyear,NovhasshownastrengthIstillcan’tfullycomprehend.IamsothankfulIhavehadtheopportunitytoknowandlearnfromthisincrediblewomanandamgratefulfortheopportunitytoshareherstorywithyou.
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OneoftheLWDprojectsIhavegottentoworkwiththemostisonecalledthePostSocialLandConcessionProject.Backin2008theinitialSLCprojectwasstarted,whichsoughttoprovidepropertytolandlessfamiliesinvariousprovincesacrossCambodia.Thenin2015thesecondphasebegan,takingplaceinfourvillagesinourprovinceofSameakiMeanchey.Thepurposeofthisphasewastocontinuetoprovideagriculturalland,developcommunityinfrastructureandestablishsustainablelivelihoodsforthesefamilies. OverthecourseoftheyearIhavegottentoseemanydifferentaspectsofhowthisworkistakingplace.IhavecometounderstandexamplesofthechallengesandcomplexitiesofwhatdevelopmentworkentailsandobservedexamplesofinspiringleadershipbyboththeLWDstaffandcommunitymembers.Butmostimportantofall,Ihavehadtheopportunitytowitnessincrediblypowerfulstoriesofhopeandofresilience.ItisoneofthesestoriesIwouldliketosharewithyou.
Wordstothinkabout:
ALookatSocialLandConcession
Left:FellowLWDvolunteers(Amanda,Kurt,RachelandAshley)andIattheweddingofthedaughterofoneofourco-workersinPhnomPenh.Middle:Myhostfamily(Seyla,Monika,MakaraandSarun)andIatAngkorWatfortheKhmerNewYearcelebration.
Right:MycoworkersandIreceivingablessingfromthemonksforourNewYear’sCelebrationattheoffice(alongwithallthestaffmotosandcars).
“Hopeisamodeofsurvival.Ithinkhopeisamodeofresistance…Ifyoulookathopethatway,it’snotastateofmindbutsomethingweactuallydowithourheartsandourhands,tonavigateourselvesthroughthedifficult
passages.”–BarbaraKingsolver
