April 22nd (2020)

 

April 22nd

Today I awoke at 05.25am.

06.27am

I am still thinking about breakfast. I am considering whether to have a breakfast bagel or not, maybe an idly and vadai, that is the big breakfast question. The problem in Siem Reap is that Indian eateries still see themselves as being restaurants, and open at restaurant times, not breakfast time. I really do not want to wait until ten or eleven o’clock to eat breakfast. 

To have breakfast is to break the night’s fast. And yes, we all know that the concept of ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ was created in the 19th century by James Caleb Jackson and John Harvey Kellogg to sell their newly invented breakfast cereal, ie Kelloggs Cornflakes. However, across the world there are very different breakfasts, from the rice congees of Thailand, China and Chinese in Malaysia, to Hong Kong Dim Sum, Indian fried breads, Vietnamese and Cambodian clear soups to English kippers (smoked fish) and American eggs and bacon. 

For the West, breakfast only really became popular in Victorian times, before that early eating was considered sinful (gluttony). It is said that it wasn’t until the 1920s that one of my favourite breakfasts came about - eggs and bacon. It is claimed the the famous psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud, had introduced his nephew Edward Bernays to this combination. Obviously by this time Freud, though born to Jewish parents, was not practising Judaism. Bernays, in America, was hired by the Beech-Nut Packing company to promote the sale of bacon. American minds were persuaded that bacon was a good solid breakfast, with the eggs that his uncle so loved.

Being too lazy to go out, or wanting to save money, or both, my breakfast is two pots of Dutchie Mixed Fruit yogurt, a banana sandwich and a mug of ‘Red’. Not, you notice, eggs and bacon.

Just now I had to go to the (communal) loo. There I was attacked by, and killed, two mosquitos. Then the thought occurred, maybe I’m only allowed one. Did I kill more than my allotted share of mosquitos? I am tempted to put up an apology notice.

8.30am

Feeling sleepy again. This is what happens when you stay up past 1am to finish your book. But, at least I’m showered. 

11.21am

Awake.

News today from Khmer Times is that ...

‘The Ministry of Health today said that there has been zero new Covid-19 positive cases yesterday, thus the number of cases remained at 122. This is the ninth straight day with Zero new cases.’

Good news for Cambodia, but over in Malaysia a status quo prevails. According to the New Straits Times....

‘Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the standard operating procedure (SOP) in place for the MCO (sic. Movement Control Order) would remain and the public must continue adhering to it.’

There’s no indication when travel bans will be lifted in either country.

Here, at art clubhouse and gallery of distinction Colors of Cambodia, Phany and the Advance Students (Cambodia’s new band) work both on their Khmer music and on their paintings. However Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it took thirty years to build the temple at Angkor, so progress is necessarily slow. When en passant I observe the delicateness, and detail of the paintings, and thst is when I understand why the progress is slow. The young artists sit on the floor before their creations, concentrating on their brush strokes, using one of the Winsor & Newton ‘round’ brushes, or a Japanese 1900 round, Sri Lankan 1900 round, or a Chinese number two brush for detail. Extra details are created with a Renaissance 0. Just like the brushes, colours come from a number of different manufacturers, including the Chinese ‘Maries’ and the Daler Rowney’s ‘Georgian’ range. Brushes were kindly donated by American artist Julia Haw, and Singaporean Foo Kwee Horng has also donated materials to Colors of Cambodia, as well his time tutoring.