Oh. Darn.

Well, to make more poignant my sadness about the change from Malys to Maly, I learned today that the white Malys flower is jasmine, only the most beautiful and fragrant (and delicious in tea) flower in all the world. *sigh*

Another Must-Read

If you have not yet read George Orwell's Burmese Days, now is the time. It's a sad novel, to be sure, about the damage done to a culture and to many a human soul by colonialism. And a fellow Volunteer commented to me that Flory should be the vice-president of the Most Humiliated Protagonists Club.

But somehow, it's also a really enjoyable read. The best parts are the uniquely Southeast Asian details: the preciousness of ice during the hot season; the poor quality, physically and otherwise, of available books; the proudly kept long mole-hairs. Actually, maybe you should visit Cambodia before reading this book. I bet it makes the experience that much more vivid.

You Don't Have To Call Me Darlin'

In Cambodia, people don't usually address you by your first name: they use family or status terms. Older siblings are called Bong, but so are people of the same general age group as you are. Ohn seems to be used for younger people in general. Ming, Bhoo, and Om are titles used for aunts and uncles as well as people of your parents' general age group. Yeay and Ta are titles for grandparents and the greatly aged. Monks are called either Loak Ta, Loak Bong, or Loak Pa-ohn, depending on their age in relation to yours. Teachers are called Neak Kru (women) or Loak Kru (men). And important people like your boss, the village chief, the commune chief, other political personages, and the school director are usually called by their titles.

At home, I'm Bong Maly to all my younger siblings and Maly Ain (my Maly) to my mother. If I'm far away and someone is shouting, they call me Maly Uy (dear Maly). At school, I'm Teacher (not Neak Kru, strangely).

So with all this status-conscious naming, what do sweethearts call each other? Boys are called Bong and girls are called Ohn. Is this what husbands and wives call each other, I asked my family. Oh, no. Married couples have a special form of address. If their child is named Vanny, one calls out Ma Vanny (mother of Vanny) or Pa Vanny (father of Vanny) to locate the other. I asked my mother if couples use each other's first names: she said no.

Comfort Food

Vegetarian food has come to Battambang:



!

I could stop here but I feel compelled to gush. A fellow Volunteer who learned of this vegetarian restaurant in Battambang town (on the diagonal road between the bus station and Road 3) introduced me to the "mee ayu veng" (long life noodles) and I am hooked! Noodles, warm broth, mushrooms, veggies, and fake meat all delicately complement each other in one delicious bowl. It ain't no black-bean burger, and the menu isn't quite as extensive as that available at Sunflower, but this is the most delightful culinary discovery I've made in Cambodia since pumpkin stir-fry. One more visit and I think I will officially be a regular.

The restaurant-review deets: the clientele seems to be mostly Cambodian with the occasional Westerner, and a bowl of long-life noodles and a cup of iced coffee comes out to $1. Per Cambodian custom, they're open when they're open.