July 4th (2020)

 

4th July

Day 112

Awake at 4 something and forced myself back to sleep.

I am up and about just after 7am.

While having toast and apple jam and Lipton's Yellow tea at the computer next door, I do the preparation for tonight's Malaysia 'Project'.

I go out and grab some items for lunch.

After a while being back, an elder Khmer gentlemen visits Colors of Cambodia and asks about me and asks to see my passport. Wow, they really do check to see where we overstayers are residing. He wrote my name, passport particular and something in Khmer, wished me well and left. These certainly are interesting times.

Lunch is bok choy (Chinese veg) with black sauce stir fried keoy teow and pork mince. I don't have either meat balls or fried ikan bilis (small dried fish) so it is a simplified version. This Covid 19 lockdown really does help you appreciate what you had before it came along.

Many of the ingredients to cook Malaysian food are available here, but it takes thinking ahead and planning.  The Old Market, which would have had many of the ingredients, would not have minced pork, or sesame oil, so I compromised.

I have to think in advance about tomorrow's couscous as there are no pomegranates right now. Perhaps a Moroccan chicken dish with carrots and potatoes with the couscous. I must remember plenty of fresh coriander and lemon.

The 'Malaysian Project' was quiet, but fine. However three hours in that hot room with only fans, not air conditioning, always leaves me exhausted. It's lucky that lunch stretched to dinner too, as I was tired, too tired to cook. Lucky too that I bought a bottle of Bunty's Pear 'cider', it's much nicer than beer.

And then off goes the electric. But it's not off for long this time.