The times I get to hang out and relax with a small group of my Cambodian friends are always an enjoyable experience. Everyone is very busy with work, study and family commitments that it is difficult to get together, but last Saturday I was able to invite three friends over to my house to cook together and watch a movie.
We cooked up a feast. I made a chicken and veggie stirfry with hoisin sauce, honey and rice noodles. Sorya delighted our taste buds with a super yummy bai char (fried rice) – she is so invited over again. The food was quickly devoured until we were all more than full.
Next we watched the movie Cool Runnings – which is an absolute favourite of mine and works really well as a cross cultural film. Rastafarian aside the girls could totally relate to the themes of the movie. We laughed so hard at the jokes, the Jamaicans struggling with the cold and having to kiss a lucky egg. When there are so many inappropriate movies out there I am glad I have this one that the Cambodians connect with. Even though the Jamaicans didn’t win they dared to take risks, they tried something new while being themselves and remembering where they come from. By doing this the team earned the respect of the world. What a beautiful message for the Cambodian people.
To finish off our evening I cooked up some pancakes (pikelets) with chocolate chips. They were so yummy and quickly eaten while we sat around talking and laughing together.
A night of laughter and relaxation is so necessary, especially in this busy, confronting and at times stressful environment. I thank God for friends like these that I share an enjoyable evening with. It was so needed – for all of us.
