A little background from Cindy~
Cambodia is a land marked by lovely people and stark memories of the Killing Fields and Pol Pot. In 1975 the population was seven million. At the end of Pol Pot's regime the population was down to four million: two milllion people were killed or disappeared forever and one million starved to death or died from diseases. All educated people were targets to be killed along with their families because in order to get rid of weeds you must take out the roots. Because the Khmer Rouge held the "intellectuals" to be contemptible, bullets were not wasted on them, instead they were tortured, beaten, clubbed to death--men, woman, children, babies. I don't consider myself an intellectual and I doubt that my colleagues do but in Cambodia at that time, we would have been targets.
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| The Killing Fields |
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| Memorial Stupa |
Now the population has grown to sixteen million and 50% of the population is seventeen and under. Teachers and parents, imagine a country filled with teenagers. Oh My Buddha!
After visiting the Killing fields we visited the prison where the inmates were tortured. We were able to meet a man who survived the ordeal, an artist who has drawn and written about his experiences. He and another survivor have started a foundation to help the families of survivors and to be sure that these horrible times are not forgotten.
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| The Artist with his Book |
When people were starving, they ate whatever they could find, including insects which happen to be a good source of protein. Actually insects are promoted in many countries, including our own, as good sources of protein. So sometimes things we see as eccentric really have a strong foundation.
A short story from Dennis~
Well, I'll try to keep it short. Our "family" (that's what Sonny our guide calls us and actually this is one amazingly fun group) went out for dinner in Phnom Penh. Everyone orders and pays individually for their food and drinks. Not too easy on the wait staff as that means 16 indivual bills. So Andrew (from the UK) orders a tarantula appetizer. Turns out the plate came with three fried tarantulas.
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| The Infamous Appetizer |
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| Andrew devilishly scheming |
Rather than have to eat three himself, he devised a devilish scheme. Says Andrew--"Eating tarantula is a man thing! We're the three men in the group so we each get one." Gille (French-Canadian), Andrew, and I are supposed to each eat one. I passed on the duck embryo in Saigon but couldn't pass on this test of my masculinity. (Still glad I passed on the duck egg.). Well. It didn't taste like chicken but it actually was okay. It was fried in oil, it was greasy and salty, two of my favorite "flavors." (See Facebook for the video) If I'd had some peanut butter. It would have been perfect! Also, no peanut butter in Cambodia, at least not on that table.
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| Crickets and Chips |
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| Yum! |
Since then, I've also had beetles and crickets. Not as good as spiders but still tasty. Will have to ask Kroger in Bloomington, if they'll stock those delicacies for me.
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| Possibilities for Krogers |
Our next adventure with how foods can be used came on a walk home one night--feet tired and dried out from all the walking. What's this a foot massage? Yes, a fish foot message for as long as you want for $2.00, including a can of beer. I loved it and they ate my feet up, so to speak. (See Facebook for video) Cindy wasn't quite as thrilled as I was. We got both the "massage" from the little fish and then switched tanks to the big fish! Just the cure for sore feet.
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| Fish Foot Massage |
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| They loved my feet! |
I love being tickled so I was in seventh heaven. I asked Cindy what she thought about moving to Cambodia. Her reply? "There's also fish in Lake Monroe in Bloomington. Bummer!
