Phnom Penh Traffic

Driving in Phnom Penh is an exciting experience...

Tuk-tuks and motorbikes rule the road, serving as pick-up and delivery trucks as well as buses.

Traffic lights are few and far between, leading to a phenomenon in which, at intersections, people just inch out until they are in the middle of the road and oncoming traffic can do nothing but yield.

Here's a quick taste, on our way back from our cooking class past one of the city's big markets:

Plae Pakaa: Children of Bassac Dance Show

While in Phnom Penh we decided to check out the highly rated Plae Pakaa dance show at the National Museum just around the corner from our hotel.  We went on the night that the performance presented was a medley of dances from around the country: Children of Bassac.

Pretty cool! I definitely recommend checking out the show if you're ever in Phnom Penh.

First off, the buffalo sacrafice ceremony, kab krobey phek sra, traditionally performed by the Pnong ethnic group, asking the spirits for peace and good health for the community.  I liked the drums... kind of a dope beat, huh?

Then, the beautiful Apsara dancers (remember all the Apsara carvings at Angkor?) perform classical Cambodian dance:

Look at those headdresses!!

I love the flowers in their hair:

Next, the fishing dance, Nesat, celebrating water and the livelihoods it provides.  Also, some flirting.

Next, Sovann Machha, the golden mermaid from Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana.  She's the mermaid who attempts to spoil Hanuman's attempts to build a stone bridge to Lanka.

There's the eponymous mermaid:

Hanuman is like "heyyyyyy!":

This dance is the dye-crushing dance, traditionally done at wedding ceremonies:

Phloy Suoy dance, using the phloy, a bamboo instrument.  The dance is a harvest dance meant to invoke rain for crops and bring a successful harvest:

The Krama dance, showing all the different uses for the traditional and widely used Cambodian checkered scarf, including a head covering, baby sling, towel, sarong, bag...

And, finally, the Chhayam dance, a traditional Khmer dance involving the long-drum, clackers and other noise-makers.  It's a comic dance, with funny face-paint and lots of phyisical Three Stooges-style comedy:

Phnom Penh: Market Tour and Cooking Class

Another stop on my international cooking class and market tour expedition: Phnom Penh!

We took Scuba Steve's advice and scheduled a Khmer cooking class at Linna Culinary School, taught by the lovely Vong Linna, who teaches Khmer cooking to tourists, but also teaches professional courses in Western and other cuisines, as well as food safety to Cambodians.

We had a great time, thanks, Steve!

First, the market tour... Vong Linna was very excited about showing us everything at this bustling and crowded morning market.  It was one long lane of vendors, some with tables, some just selling goods off of a tarp on the ground.

These poor chickens have no idea what fate holds for them in the near future:

I imagine they will soon end up thusly:

Anyone for pork?

Dried fish and lots of it, much probably fished from Tonle Sap, where we had kayaked a few days prior.  Vong Linna told us that whatever fish was not sold fresh on the first day after it was caught was then sold dried:

This honey vendor, my favorite sight of the tour, was wandering the length of the market, selling her goods.  Her honeycomb looks like it was clipped right off of a tree branch, doesn't it?  No fancy bee hives for her.  Plus, the honeycomb comes complete with bees still in it!:

This sorta gives you a sense of how crowded the market was... sorta:

More fish and seafood:

Ok, onto the cooking part of the class.  Vong Linna showed us how to make fresh summer rolls, so we rolled and ate a few to tide us over until the rest of our meal was complete:

Then we headed down for the main event, beef lok lak and Khmer pumpkin soup!  Below are the ingredients for the Khmer pumpkin soup:

Tony and Emily, deep in concentration as they prepped their mise en place:

Me, rocking the mortar and pestle like a boss:

Tim, also showing 'em how it's done with the M&P:

The boys face off in the soup challenge:

Emily assists the chef de cuisine:

In goes the pumpkin:

Keep stirring!

Vong Linna shows me and Tony how to properly flip the beef lok lak:

Finishing off the sauce:

The final result!!! My favorite part was actually the dipping sauce for the beef lok lak... freshly ground Kampot peppercorn plus salt and lime juice... amazing and the perfect acidic complement to the rich lok lak sauce:

Tony and Emily giving their best blue steel with their lovely finished meal: