During our time in Pursat, they cooked huge amounts of food for everyone in such great variety. There were curries (with green eggplant – that I really should not have eaten with my allergies), seafood stir fry, porridge for breakfast, cooked noodles, and fried duck egg done easy. They cooked in vats and pots that they brought from various kitchens (like the lady across the street, the house we had to wedding in, the whole village seemed to pitch in).
(Pictured to the right: Green Eggplant Curry, Seafood Stir Fry, Steamed Fish, and Rice)
I was a little uncomfortable, because they would rouse us up at 3am in the morning to put on our cakes of face masks. Then, we would have to get our hair done. Then squeeze into the dresses. The morning ceremonies usually last until 9am-10am (it starts around 7am), and by then we have been up for over 5-6 hours. The days would be SO long. I would expect it to be 2pm, and it would still be before noon. Finally around 10am, they would serve breakfast, usually of porridge. The porridge was a delicious broth with cooked rice and meats in it. I would generally put bean sprouts and chilly pepper sauce in it.
Sometimes there would be something else, a picture opportunity or something. However, usually we would break and they would prepare for lunch and the afternoon ceremony. Sophea and I would generally try to break out and rest in the hotel room for around an hour. After we come back, we would eat lunch and then they would change our make up, hair, and costume. Lunch was generally curries, stir fry, noodles, and rice. And beer. They have “Ankor” and “Anchor” (HA HA, PUN) beer.
Throughout the day, they would have some fruits. They also had these rice cake wrapped in banana leaves, that were generally REALLY delicious. They’re like little dessert patties with various fruits. This was a banana one. I think my favorite is the jack fruit.
Dinner is a haze to me. Usually it’s noodles or cooked chicken and rice. The first night, was a blur. I think it was noodles. The second night, I was having none of that and felt sick and just slept through dinner and went back to the hotel. The final night, the reception night, was an 8 course meal of appetizers, such as packaged pickled garlic cloves, crunchy spring rolls, various cuts of cold cuts, papaya salads, and entrees like curry, various meats, fish, etc… Unfortunately I ate and ran, since I was a bridesmaid. The cake was a little lackluster and had bugs all over it. : P However, the food put out was delicious and plentiful and there were bottles of jack daniels on each table. (not that I got to really take part)
And these people know how to party and LOVE to dance! Seriously. I think cameras were on our party and I swear we might be put on youtube as crazy foreigners or something.
