KhmerKitchen

Contact:savannahsuephelan@gmail.comBlog: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