May 24th (2020)

 

May 24th
70 days here

'Sunday morning brings the dawning
It's just a restless feeling by my side
Early dawning, Sunday morning
It's just the wasted years so close behind.'
(Velvet Underground with Nico, 1967)

Today is Eid Mubarak for my Muslim friends.

It is the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, and is now a time of celebration. The name Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, the word stems from the Arabic root “ar-ramad,” which means scorching heat and is the hottest summer month.

I am awake at 5am.

I shower, take bread butter,  blackberry jam and 'Red' for breakfast, then saunter through the alleys to get to Psar Chaa (the Old Market). I am constantly surprised just how quiet that area is now. Pub Street seems forlorn. Buildings are up for rent or sale, others seemingly abandoned. Hedonism seemingly does have a stop too. It is the first time in eight years of visits, that the area seems so forlorn. Even the tanks where fish nibble feet have gone. No more racks of 'Hippie' clothes either. All gone. The alleys are just that, alleys. Unswept, alleys where drying plants tumble from the balconies which were once graced by an abundance of flora.

At the Old Market I ease my way through the aisles to find the chicken selling lady. She has moved. I look again and find her where the woman I had bought squid from had been before. I buy chicken legs with thighs attached, then move on to find the ladies who sell lemongrass, galangal, red onions, garlic and potatoes.

Having bought what I need, I go outside to look for Sita. Not because the shopping is heavy, it isn't, but because his life is hard and tuk tuk customers few.

Phany delivers the chhakhvay (Youtiao) while Salone and Lem So Leong assist me with cleaning the chicken and potatoes, as I begin making the chicken curry. It is my own adapted version of the Malay/Nyonya style of cooking with coconut milk (santan).

I sweat quite badly as I cook, and end up taking my shirt off as it is soaked through with sweat. There is no air conditioning in the 'kitchen', and a small fan doesn't really help much.

I cook the curry in three stages. Firstly cooking the onions, garlic and spices adding the meat and then water, and allowing that to cook until oil separates from the water. The second stage is the potatoes and finally the coconut milk and cook slowly. Then it is a wonderful red brown colour and done.

After cooking I shower, yet again. After lunch I am very tired and take a nap. Now I sit on the side of the bed writing, and feeling lazy.

I'm no Keith Floyd, Anthony Bourdain or even a Jamie Oliver, but I can cook simple things. I eat the chicken curry with the chhakhvay, but the others prefer white rice.

Tomorrow, at 9am, I am due to look at a potential apartment, but I think that I have already decided to stay where I am. It makes financial sense, unless that apartment is something quite out of the ordinary, which is doubtful. My stay at Colors of Cambodia, it seems, is conditional of me paying for the extra air conditioning consumption.

Today's spend
Old Market….$8
Tuk tuk (to help Sita's family out) $2

Total spend $10.