Mango cobbler

I recently tried out a recipe that I would never have conceived of in America. It is ripe mango season here. To me that is a very good thing because I like ripe mangos. I have discovered all kinds of ways to eat (and serve) a mango. The staff gave me a lesson on cutting mangos at the office one day. It caused many laughs (mostly for them) as I am quite an amateur. They taught me two methods: 1) there is the easy cut method with the peel still on, scoring it in to cubes and eating it right off the skin (my preferred method because it is fast and easy). 2) the tradition peel, cut and slice method which is how mango is usually served in restaurants. I have watched ladies at stalls do this in a blink of an eye. They obviously have more mango slicing experience than I.

A friend of mine who recently moved here from the US showed me a tool I never knew existed - it is a mango corer slicer (similar to the ones you can find for apples, but made specifically for mangos). Who knew? I wish I had one. Maybe on home leave I will hunt one down as there will be a mango season in Mozambique.

Mangos are the talk of the town. At a breakfast with girlfriends last weekend we were talking about the yummy mangos, we went through a list of things to do with a mango. One girl mentioned it was like Bubba on Forrest Gump listing the ways to prepare a shrimp...we had sliced mango, mango sorbet, mango salsa, grilled mango, mango smoothies, mango bread, mango pudding, the list went on and on, then I told them about this recipe I was going to try - a mango cobbler. Hmmm, we all wondered aloud what that would be like.

The conversation inspired me to try that evening. My other motivation is that Kenyon has tried one piece of a not quite ripe yet mango and decided he doesn't like them. I wanted to present ripe mango in a way he might reconsider his opinion. I shared this dilemma with a colleague and she shared a recipe with me that her mom used to make when she was growing up in the Phillipines. She told me the recipe, I did the following with the mangos, then followed an online recipe for the cobbler (I'd share it with you, but it is currently in a box on it's way to Africa).

Fruit filling:
3 cups ripe mango (approximately 4 medium sized)
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring water to a boil. Add sugar then the fruit. Boil for a few minutes to let the ingredients mix.

Kenyon will still tell you that he isn't a fan of mangos, that he doesn't like the fruit at all, but that night he ate half a pan of cobbler!

NOTE: if you'd like the official recipe, let me know and I will post it once our boxes arrive at our destination, or you can email me and I will send it to you.

chum-reap-lee-ahh (good-bye in Khmer)

Today, we leave Cambodia on our way to Mozambique, Africa.
This was not part of the original plan. I originally thought we would be in Cambodia at least one year...but plans can unexpectedly change.

In Cambodia, the formal way to say good-bye is hands together in a praying position and say, "chum reap lee ahh." (Ronald McDonald, from Bangkok, and I are demonstrating this on the right) So, I find myself formally saying good-bye to Cambodia.

In my old role I visited Mozambique a few times. In fact, it was the last country I visited before making the move to Cambodia. There are many things to like about Mozambique and I look forward to discovering this new location and getting to know the staff teams there.

Change seems to be a constant in our lives. I can tell you - no matter how many times I have to do it - saying good-bye never gets easier. Many tears have been shed about this change as I have really enjoyed serving with the staff teams here. I will miss them dearly.

Good-bye, Cambodia! Thanks for the memories.

bits of my weekend - volume 1

A few months ago Kenyon and I were weighing our options and one strong contender was a return to the United States. At that time I found this blog. New York City was a strong possibility as we could both find the kind of work we want to do there. As we considered the cost of living, the taxes, the possible commute times, etc, we were less excited. I continue to read this blog and like the idea of sharing photos from the weekend. Here is my first installment of bits of my weekend...it may continue as a weekly event or show up from time to time. We'll see...

This was an unusual weekend. Our last in Cambodia and also Easter weekend. I had intended to take lots of pictures. I failed to do that, but this small selection gives you an idea of my last weekend in Cambodia.

movers came, our stuff is on the way to Africa

attended a joint Easter service with some girlfriends - Jenni and Erin. I am gong to miss these ladies!

following lunch at a great Mexican restaurant we visited the local foot massage parlor. following the foot massage we visited Beautiful shoes. each of the ladies had a pair shoes made  like the ones I am wearing in the picture. These are a copy of one of Lesley's shoes - handcrafted shoes, $5 one hour foot massages, good friends - there are so many things I will miss about Asia!

 Saying good-bye is rough! We haven't been here long, but I had a great community of ladies to hang with. We support each other in many ways. Going through this experience, of trying to live in a foreign land and learn a new language, is very bonding. Their friendship has sustained me many times. Ladies, thank you for the gift of your friendship!

I don't think I can drive in America again

I hadn't realized it, but I have become very comfortable driving in Phnom Penh traffic. I was recently with a colleague from America and she commented that I calmly drive through the streets, while at the same time being quite aggressive in how I drive. To get anywhere here, one must be aggressive. After her comments I started to realize the things I do while driving that would never be acceptable in America.

In Cambodia, it is not uncommon to drive up the wrong side of the road simply because it is more convenient. I would certainly get a ticket for that in America.

In Cambodia, it is expected that drivers will push their way in to whatever space is available in front of them, regardless of the size of their vehicle or how this might affect the flow of traffic. This would be considered extremely rude in America.

In Cambodia, the proximity of my vehicle to that of others on the road is close enough to touch - this is necessary so someone doesn't do what I mentioned above (squeeze in to whatever space is available in front of them). Yes, this all happens while moving or stopped. This would be considered dangerous in America.

I rather like that lanes are suggestions, stops signs are ignored, that there is nothing wrong with going the wrong way, or cutting through some place like a gas station is perfectly acceptable. I've wanted to do these things before in America, but knew the social conventions wouldn't allow it. Sure, intersections are a little more risky and I still fear the possibility of running over a family of five on a motorbike - but, all in all, I like the steady flow of traffic and the diversity of vehicles that I see around me.

Without my realizing, I have become calmly aggressive while driving in Phnom Penh. I will have a vehicle to drive in Mozambique. I wonder what that will be like? Will my newly acquired driving techniques be unacceptable there?

another cross-continent move - not an April fool's joke

In an unexpected turn of events, Kenyon and I are making another cross-continent move in less than a year. Next week, we are moving to Mozambique, Africa. I can tell you from experience frequent moves of this caliber are NOT recommended. I am in the midst of "fun" transition stuff - trying to wrap-up my current job, sort and pack our belongings (again), try to think of all the things I'd like to know about our new location (again). It doesn't matter how much I do it, saying good-bye is never easy. I have shed many tears about this move, it is the people I will miss most. I have grown close to many of the staff over the years (including my time prior to relocating here). When they ask, "will you come back to visit?" It is very hard to answer that question. I simply say, "I don't know."

It isn't all bad. As is common in life, this is a bittersweet experience (good and bad at the same time). There are many things to look forward to in our move. I like the people that I know in the Mozambique office. I like the scope of work they are doing. The times I have visited before, I found the places very beautiful and the culture very welcoming. The coast is supposed to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. And, I am quite certain I can learn Portugese (Moz was colonized by Portugal) much easier than Khmer.

Kenyon is looking forward to some things too - he has vowed not to get a haircut until he arrives in Africa. He is already in need of a good cut, but he doesn't care how nappy it is getting, in his opinion no one on the continent of Asia can cut hair as good. I hope there are other things he will find that he likes besides a good barber.

Thanks to those of you who continue to follow us on life's journey - looks like we get to explore a different part of the world soon and discover what it is like to live there.