The five great things about being sick while overseas!!

Oh my gosh!! Yesterday I had the weirdest stomach bug known to man! Henceforth, therefore, I didn't come into Siem Reap to send a message.  I have nothing much to update you on, as I have been sick, but the great news is Tash's mother is arriving in two days, so we will be visiting the temples nearly and I reckon will be giving you some of the best posts yet, with amazing pictures.

What I did notice while I was sick though, is that there are some great advantages to being sick in an Asia country rather than at home.  So I thought, since I have nothing else to share, I may as well share these:

Dan's 5 reasons why being sick overseas is not so bad!

1./ DVD's are much cheaper.  
OK, they are pirated and ok, they rob companies of there rightful income, and ok, its stealing and I wouldn't steal a car, but as the saying goes I would download one if I could.  In the last 36 hours I have watched the first series of V, the first 2 series of the United states of Tara, a full series of Family guy, All of the Young Ones, and Point Break. Good news is all these DVD's cost me about 20 bucks! I'm practically making money!

2./ You make gains on your budgeting!  
While on money, we all know that when you budget money while overseas you usually break it.  Well, a few days with a stomach flu and you're back in the black baby! I have only spent about 30 dollars in 3 days  on water, small meals, and DVD's!

3./  If you have travelling buddies, they can look after you!
This is much more of a novelty that you may imagine!  Once you've moved out of home, unless you are partnered, who looks after you? No one!! But I had DVD's provided for me and all my shopping done! Better yet, I didn't even pay for it!!

4./ Calling in sick is ok!!
If you are volunteering, you need not feel too guilty about not rocking up for work.  Yes, there will be one day without the crazy white guy, but its not as if management can dock your pay and there is no requirement for medical certificates!!

5./  You can have your choice of meals!
I wanted a toasted sandwich for dinner last night,  Ham and Cheese.  Its a great sick snack, because if you are going to throw up, it comes up soft!  Actually, a slight digression on my point, there are a number of foods that are great if you may be throwing up soon be it for stomach bugs, sea sickness, or whatever. You just need to remember that it does in fact need to be able to come up soft, so banana's, Sao's, water crackers, and the like are all good because they don't hurt as much on the up chuck!

Back to my point though, Tash was kind enough to ride into town to get me dinner and the toasted sandwich I got delivered to me was the single best toasted sandwich I think has ever been created, neigh, brought to life, my the hand of man.  In fact, it wasn't technically a sandwich.  It started off as a toasted ham sandwich with, I think, a béchamel sauce (white sauce for lasagne).  Then, they took said toasted sandwich, and rubbed garlic on one side, placed cheese on top, and put it under the grill! It was a mix of a cheese pizza and toasted ham sandwich... AH-MAY-ZING!  And better yet, I didn't throw it up!!

So, tell me, what are your favourite sick moments/foods! Comment below or on Facebook!

Daniel
Follow me on twitter @TheDanFactor

Cambodia, Seam Reap: Dinner Part 3: Banana, Coconut and Sago dessert

So, today is my birthday! Therefore, I'm not going to write a massive blog as I'm gonna enjoy my birthday dammit!! So far I have received some lovely messages from home and gone for a ride around the Royal Residence and taken some pictures which I will upload in my next post.

Here is my the dessert I promised you all.  It may not be to everyones taste but I quite enjoyed it and, again, its really simple to make.

Banana Dessert

Cut a large banana in half, then slice down the middle. Cut in half again diagonally.

Boil 2 to 3 cups of water, add 2 dessert spoons of sugar and one ladle of pre cooked sago.  Add the banana and one cup of coconut cream. Simmer until soft (about 15 mins). Add a pinch of salt and mix well.

Banana Coconut and Sago Pudding

This is not my dessert above.  I ripped it from the net as my camera battery had died by the time I got around to finishing.  But you get the idea!!  ENJOY!!

Daniel

Twitter: TheDanFactor

Cambodia, Seam Reap: Dinner Part 2: Khmer Amok and my morning in an orphanage

Today has been a good day.  I got to spend the morning working in a Catholic orphanage run by some lovely nuns.  The children there are awesome, aged from new born to five.  Unfortunately I don't have any good photo's as they nuns don't allow them, unless you donate large wads of cash or its your last day working there after a reasonable period, but I managed to get the photo underneath taken and smuggled out thanks to my partner in crime Johanna from Holland (who coincidently is working there).  The baby never cried the whole time, until we took this photo!! I swear!!! Oh, and obviously when I left because I make THAT much of an impression on people when I meet them for the first time! ;)

The orphanage actually was quite well run, I thought.  The first time I walked in half the children wanted to be picked up and carried for a bit which was nice.  I was consistently walking around lost with a child in each arm while Johanna did the real work and changed some nappies (diapers). But I got used to it and was loving it by the end.  Well, basically all I needed to do was play with children, so I fit in well.  By the time I had finished, I had only been pee'd on twice! Winning!!

Last night for dinner we ate at the night markets and had BBQ again.  One of the children who came to our dinner for homeless children (read here) asked us to buy him some fried rice, which we wouldn't because firstly, we don't want to encourage begging, and secondly, we had plenty of food which we offered him instead (stir fry veggies with rice and calamari).  The little blighter refused it, walked to another table to collect some cans and bottles, scored a cup of soft drink, then promptly came back to enjoy his rice and calamari and soda.  It was quite funny.  The are all very street smart.  I tried to pic a sly on my phone, but it didn't turn out too well.  Here is is anyway!

Urchin with his meal and drink!! 

OK, speaking of dinner, I owe you the main dish - Khmer Amok.  I think most everyone will love this! I was hesitant, because I am not the biggest fan of fish, but this recipe is awesome and Khmer Amok is one of Cambodia's signature dishes!  If you really don't like the idea with fish your can replace with chicken or beef! 

Main Course: Khmer Amok

Spice paste

So, you need to create a base paste for this recipe.  To create the paste you soak 2 dried chilli's in water until soft. Finely slice 2 sticks of lemongrass, a shallot, 2 cloves of garlic, on Kaffir Lime leaf, a finger of turmeric, 1 slice of galingale and the chilli's.  By finely I mean finely. My cook kept telling me to go forever! Whack it into a mortar and go to town on that bad boy with your pestle. Mix in 1 tablespoon of crushed peanuts, 4 dessert spoons of Chilli oil (though this may not be necessary. I was told it wasn't spicy and was purely for the colour when cooking), a dessert spoon of oil, half a teaspoon of shrimp paste and a pinch of salt.  Pestle away!! Pestle until a fine paste.

Khmer Amok
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add two dessert spoons of the spice paste and fry, adding one ladle (half a cup or so) of coconut cream. Add half a teaspoon of chicken salt/stock half a teaspoon of sugar, 3 squirts of fish sauce, half a teaspoon of palm sugar and mix.  Add the fish (or substitute). Add a ladle of water and simmer for 3 minutes adding coconut cream or water if need. Add half a sliced onion and a shallot.  Simmer for five minutes until soft.  Add two eggs and and hand flu off spinach or broccoli leaves and mix well.  Serve in Banana leave (if available) and garnish with coconut cream.

Serve with Rice

Khmer Amok

Please try it or leave me a comment to let me know what you thought!! :)

It's my birthday tomorrow, so we'll be having dessert!! :)

Daniel

Follow me on Twitter @TheDanFactor

Siem Reap, Cambodia: Dinner, Part One: Fresh Spring Rolls

Hello All!
The last two days have been great! I am really settling in to Jimmy's school and I start at another school tomorrow!  So I will be working at Jimmy's school in the evening from 5:00pm til 7:00/8:00pm and another school during the day!  So excited!  Last night half the class gave me hugs as they left! They are SO CUTE!!!  They finish each class with the song "If you're happy and you know it"and a song that goes like "I love you, you love me, were a happy family" I recognise it but I don't know the name!  Anyway, I think Jimmy's school is going to set up a website so I will link you to it when its established!!

After my last blog I got to my class on time, JUST! After teaching children the "ch" sound the night before last I headed to a farewell dinner at a local italian restaurant.  We then went out for a drink and found the local hooker bar which was DISGUSTING!!  It was full of male tourists, mainly old and/or fat guys with local young attractive girls.  It was just gross because you look at the 'couples' and got visuals and I was all like  "EEwwwwwwwwwww".  I tell you what though, if you need a bit of an self esteem boost its a good spot to stop by.  I felt much better about myself and my appearance!  Moreso than when I went to Telethon live!!  Our group were there for 15 seconds, more than enough time, then left and went to X Bar which was much better.  X Bar is opposite the night food stalls and is a roof top venue which offers a nice view over the central pub district of Siem Reap.  Of course, I don't think there are any buildings in down town Siem Reap that are taller than 3 or four stories so you wouldn't call it a sweeping view, but it is nice none the less! :) Drinks are cheap, gin and tonics are $1.50, beers 50c.

The last two mornings I have been woken by one of my neighbours blasting Cambodian music from around 6:00am which has been driving me insane.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for cultural respect and cultural differences, but I'm also all for not waking up before dark unless I have to!!  Seriously, its starts pre dawn and goes until after dinner and the speaker is right outside my window... We found out it was for a wedding which kinda makes me go "Awwwwww", but then I hear the music which sounds like chain-smoking parrots trying to play the bagpipes and I get over that pretty 'awwww' feeling pretty quickly! Today is the last day though, so no more pre dawn wake up music, I hope!

Anyway, onto positive things!! I had my cooking class yesterday and I learned how to make 3 local dishes:

1. Starter: Fresh Spring Rolls
2. Main: Khmer Amok
3. Dessert: Banana dessert

So today, I'm going to talk through the fresh spring roll recipe, tomorrow the Khmer amok, and on Saturday the banana dessert!

Personally, I love fresh spring rolls! I can be in the mood for deep fried spring rolls occasionally but nine times out of ten I will always go the fresh ones.  The good news for vegetarians is that they do taste great with no meat, so you could probably serve them to us meat eaters without any grumbling!! I'm not sure of the whole gluten free thing, but I think they are that too - for all the hippies!  ;)  I'm kidding!! The only reason I put this in is because I know my mother, who loves and adores me, will now make them for my gluten-free Grandmother while telling her all about how amazing and clever I am!!

STARTER: FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Dipping Sauce
Making the dipping sauce its actually really easy. Put three ladles (about 2-3 cups) of water into a small sauce pan and boil.  Add two dessert spoons of fish sauce, 3 teaspoons of palm sugar, 1 teaspoon of white sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, a half teaspoon of chicken salt. Simmer for two minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool.  Finely chop 1 clove of garlic, 1 chilli, and 1 shallot with the juice of two limes and add to the sauce. Put in a dipping bowl and cover in crushed peanuts.


Fresh Spring Rolls
Finely slice half an onion, 100g of baby prawns/shrimp, 200 g of minced of finely chopped pork.  Heat 3 dessert spoons of oil and add one glove of crushed garlic.  Brown the garlic and add the pork.  Add a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of chicken salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 2 splashes (squirts from the bottle) of fish sauce and cook for two minutes. And the shrimp and onion and cook for roughly three minutes, add a squirt of oyster sauce at the end. Allow to cool for a bit (not too long though, I don't think its too important so just leave off the heat until you start making the rolls).

Now you just roll them up in rice paper. You just need to buy rice paper in those packets and whack the rice paper in water for 15 secs or so so it isn't hard anymore. Put the wet rice paper on a wet surface (e.g. a wooden chopping board) and try your luck.  We added the ingredients in this order. Shredded carrot, then bean sprouts, basil, lettuce, cucumber, then the pork and prawn mix.  Now practice your rolling skills. I found this a little tricky at first. Its just important to remember to roll firmly and fold the sides in at the last roll.

Here are mine.  The first one was my first attempt and is looking a bit sad because it split a bit, but the others are perfect! :)

So, you should try your hand at them and let me know what you think!! :)   Tomorrow I will run through Khmer Amok.  It's a fish dish and let me just say, as a person who usually doesn't order fish, it's bloody good!!

Until tomorrow!

Daniel

Follow me on twitter @TheDanFactor

Siem Reap, Cambodia: A little tour

I'm really starting to get around Siem Reap now, so I thought I might give you a little tour of this part of the world and where I am living.

I'm staying in a small home stay, a few kilometres outside of Siem Reap, which costs me 180 bucks a month! Pretty amazing, huh!!  And I get a free bicycle as well!! My room is quite spacious really, if Spartan. I have a large double bed, a few benches to keep my things, an ensuite and the complex has an outdoor communal kitchen area which is really nice as I have been able to meet some other volunteers from other parts of the world (mainly European so far).

Here is the street my home stay is situated, and my trusty bicycle!! 

Around the corner on Shoe St, I have all the necessities I could possibly need.  Shoe St is lined with, well, shoe stalls, but it also has many local eat shacks, two petrol stations, and a hairdresser.

A hair salon around the corner from where I am living...

My local petrol station!!

One of the cool things I kinda like here, is that streets are named, either officially or unofficially, by what is on them.  For example, Airport Rd goes to the airport, Pub St has lots of pubs, my street comes off a street with lots of shoe salesmen... Shoe St!!  It makes remembering street names easier!!

Shoe St, with all their shoe stalls

One of the entrances to Pub St which has a lot of the...wait for it... pubs!!

Siem Reap, while poor, does have a lot of charm.  One of the things I like about it is there are lots of little streets and side alleys which you can continue exploring and find exciting new places to dine and drink at, or even get a massage!  I find this really nice! I like a place that can slowly reveal itself to you rather than be right and in your face from day one.

There is no shortage of different cuisines.  This morning I had an Indian curry for breakfast, I just had fresh spring rolls and a chicken and mango salad at a local Khmer food restaurant, and tonight I am going to a volunteers farewell at an Italian restaurant where the tiramisu is suppose to be to DIE for!  I love me some tiramisu!

I started teaching at a school last night (a difficult thing after the lunch I had yesterday :-S)! The children are amazing, quite bright!  I would love to tell you more about it, and I will, except I am due there in 10 mins so must dash!

I have just booked into a cooking class, which I will have tomorrow!  So hopefully I will have some recipes of some traditional Khmer food which I have actually tried and made myself!! :)

Until then!

Daniel

Twitter: @ThedanFactor

Check out my about.me profile!

Siem Reap, Cambodia: Happy Pizza!!

If you have never been to Cambodia, you may be forgiven for not knowing what "Happy Pizza" is. Happy pizza seems to have been the must-try experience for curious travellers to Cambodia for years. Happy Pizza is merely pizza laced with the token drug of the 70's - marijuana, something which is a legal here.  Just to put the record straight from the beginning, I do not condone the use of drugs, nor to a recommend making such a pizza if good ol' mary jane is illegal in your state/country.  I am merely a traveller wishing to try a new experience which I am sharing. And since a few people have asked about it, here goes.

I initially did a bit of online research and found a place recommended called "Happy Special Pizza".  It's a bit down the road from the old markets in the French Quarter on Siem Reap.  There is a string of three Happy Pizza restaurants, Happy Herb Pizza, Happy Special Pizza, and Ecstatic Pizza.   Happy Herb Pizza and Ecstatic Pizza were both not recommended through online posts though Happy Herb was recommended in Lonely Planet.  All the happy pizza establishment are quite small and individually would be easy to miss so its a good thing they are clumped together!  My choice, Happy Special Pizza, is the restaurant closest to the old markets, has a square white sign out the front with, what looks to be, a dazed blue sun. It is located around the corner from pub street (the main pub/club street in SR).  For a bit more info on them check out their website here.

While doing some online research I also came across chatter about 2-3 years old about a Cambodian government crack down on the practice, but there are three restaurants down this strip alone so I guess that may have just been all huff and no puff, if you know what I mean!

On the menu there are a range of pizza's which while not being of gourmet quality are quite reasonable, though maybe a little more expensive than other meals (in my opinion) here in Siem Reap.  While it is not specifically on the menu, when ordering a pizza you order with "no happy", "a little happy", "happy", "extra happy".  I ordered just a regular happy pizza in the flavour of foccacia (tomato paste, italian sausage, green bell peppers/capsicum mozzarella, blue cheese and black olives. Oh, and happy).   

When the pizza came out I was unsure as to how generous they were with the happy herb, but it seemed to be quite a healthy dose.  The pizza as meal itself was fine. You can't really knock a four buck pizza!! The toppings were generous and the ingredients were quite good.  

The method of creating the happy pizza seems to be pretty simple. A layer of dried finely ground marijuana is placed on the pizza, under the cheese before cooking.  If you are interested in creating such a pizza, below is a recipe I found online here.

Happy (Weed) Pizza

(This recipe was originally adapted  from StonerChef.com)

Ingredients

1 ounce cannabis
1 pizza, oven-ready
1 cup mozzarella

Procedure

Using a coffee grinder, food processor or similar device, grind cannabis into a fine powder. Spread cannabis evenly over pizza by sprinkling gently; then follow with the mozzarella. Instead of adhering strictly to the recommended pizza-baking directions, carefully cook the pizza for two or three minutes longer than stated at 25 degrees below the recommended temperature.

Update: In the comments, ChiefHDB mentions cooking the weed in some sort of oil or fat to release the THC. This thread on marijuana.com touches on the concept, and posits that the oil from the melted cheese is being used as the vehicle to absorb the chemical.

My Happy Pizza!

There you have it.

The initial effects of the pizza were nothing to write home about, even if I did only have the small pizza.  It was nice to try though and it isn't exactly unpleasant. :)  The pizza taste is definitely not enhanced may the addition topping, though I don't think thats the point, really.  Having said that, I bet dessert will taste AMAZING!!! The effects are suppose to take a while to kick in so I might need to write an update about the effects tomorrow... they are definitely starting to hit.

In all seriousness, I wrote this while eating it and afterwards so it couldn't have been that severe...could it?

Extra happy next time, perhaps?

Daniel

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Twitter: TheDanFactor