Saturday started like most other weekends and with no particular plans.
It’s amazing how quickly things can change. A brief phone call during breakfast saw our leisurely morning turn into a physical workout fit for an elite athlete. Okay, maybe I am making that bit up. I have to be honest, while the Joker has been out constructing houses for nine months in blistering heat, I haven’t had to do much physical exertion , apart from the occasional bike ride on flat land and a walk into town now and then.
But when our friends Bun Theun and Sophal put in a call while we were munching our cereal and sipping on coffee last Saturday, to come and work we said we’d be there soon. Well, if we want to get technical, the request was made to the Joker and I volunteered to go as well — what was I thinking?
Before we knew it we were out in the steamy heat shovelling shit, scuze the language and taking part in our friends’ working bee.
I’m not sure of all the ins and outs but for some reason a few days earlier the drain in front of Bun Theun and Sophal’s home was dug out. It took place all along the street so I think this was organised at some official level.
The thing is, this drain is not just a storm water system, to cart off excess water. Like so many of its kind in Cambodia, it is essentially an open sewer. All sorts of crap — literally and figuratively — gets fed into this drain. We were pulling out plastic bags, squashed plastic bottles, and other debris. It had all been dug out to deepen the channel and was piled up in several huge mounds in their front yard. And they wanted help shifting it. They took the opportunity to put some new pipes in, so the dirt was being used as fill basically, to cover the pipes over.
So there we were at 9.30am, sleeves rolled up, ready to tackle a mound of shitty dirt. Fun times.
Before I knew it, I had a shovel in my hand and I was making very slow inroads into the huge mound in front of me, tossing one small shovel load at a time onto an old rice bag strung between two bamboo poles. What can I say? Who needs a wheelbarrow when you have bamboo and rice sacks? Of course the wheels would have been handy to save the back-breaking lifting but a wheelbarrow might not have made it through the banana trees.
While I was putting in this hard labour, the Joker was having a cruisy time glueing a few irrigation pipes together. Yeah, I know who got the right end of the stick there.
I was working with a couple of Khmer guys, shovelling and carting and it was hot and sweaty work.
Fortunately, Sophal came and rescued me and told me it was break time. I willingly followed her, relieved to give my muscles some reprieve — they were starting to burn under the strain of months of little physical effort.
So, I found myself in Sophal’s delightful kitchen, helping to chop vegetables, which included bitter melon (I think) and onion and I stripped marom leaves (also known as moringa) — a medicinal plant with many health benefits — for the curry she was making.
Sophal is renowned as a wonderful cook so I was excited about trying her curry. She has a beautiful big space for her kitchen with loads of bench space. But in true Khmer style she sits at a low table to chop and cook.
But I love how most Khmer families cook outside. It really is very practical — especially in the heat. Cooking outside means your house stays cooler. And Khmers cook in these fabulous big pots over open fires.
True to form, Sophal’s curry, served with dried fish, chilli and omelette, was delicious. And while I enjoyed a deserved rest and the most delicious fresh coconut juice I’ve ever had, the Joker got into the hard labour and shifted more dirt.
It’s not how we’d planned to spend our Saturday but you really do feel like a part of the community when friends feel comfortable calling you and asking for help at a weekend working bee. But these delightful friends sent us packing shortly after lunch. I’m not sure if it was because Bun Theun wanted a nap or because he thought the Joker needed one.
Terri Oliver Steffes says
Sam, great post, the food looks amazing but I am at a loss at where you are and what you are doing there! I love the scenery. Why are you moving, um, poop? Good to meet you and I will be back. Found you via facebook!
Sam Walker says
Hi Terry,
Thanks for stopping by and for the feedback. At the moment our blog is essentially an expat and travel blog about our life in Siem Reap, Cambodia, so I wrote the post expecting people to know that. I will rectify and update and clarify your other point. Thanks again. Look forward to “seeing” you back here.