Sponge and custard

Friday 1^st June was International/Cambodia Children Day and a public holiday for us. We decided to visit the Childrenville orphanage where Chris is involved, another of our quite regular visits.

Last time we were there, we took a Jigsaw of the British Isles for the children to complete and during putting it together we were talking about British food. Angela was explaining the dessert sponge and custard and promised to make it on a future visit.

So to celebrate Children’s day we decided to make and serve sponge and custard. We bought the basic ingredients on Stung Treng market and bought pieces of cake at the bakers shop on the way to the ferry across to Thala Barivat. The ferries don’t run to a timetable, they leave when they are more or less full or when the driver wakes up. This time we patiently waited maybe one hour before making the 10 minute crossing.

At the Bakers in Stung Treng

There are now 20 children at the orphanage, four children from the same family having recently come to stay permanently.

Making Leggo people . Donated by our friends Pauline and Graham.

 As usual the children were happy to see us and after an hour or so of playing games Angela started to make the custard.

The person in the cap is Sebastian a short term Volunteer from Germany.

The older ones were very interested to watch the basic ingredients blend into the finished custard.

Separating the eggs etc

Quickly the cake was cut, put into dishes, custard on top and the children all sat at the table and ate every last drop and crumb.

In the kitchen, custard under way.

 They loved it. Typically they never hung around to talk about it- each one picked up their dish and spoon and carried them around the back of the building to the washing area.

Don't talk to me I'm busy!!!

We were surprised that all the children from the smallest up took part in the tidying and cleaning up from the meal.

Looking good, almost there!

Then they went to play one of their games which involved no expensive equipment just needed some lines drawing in the sand with a stick. When they got bored of that game, a short rest then another game this time with a plastic bottle partly filled with sand. This was thrown, retrieved by one, whilst the others hid and tried to overrun the base with the bottle on it.

Playing a game with lines drawn in the sand

I have given one of the older boys a copy of Treasure Island to read and he is using it to practice his English language. We talk about the story and how far he has got and he asks about words he cannot understand e.g. oilcloth, earshot, I understood when he told me about Jim saying goodbye to his mother and leaving the Inn where he had lived all his life. I demonstrated Fifteen men on a dead mans chest should be sung with gusto!

At the table

We left mid afternoon having enjoyed their company.

Typical Cambodian camera posing!

 The return journey involved two hours of waiting for the ferry in the rain; we are told it doesn’t sail during the monsoon rain which happens every day at this time of the year.

The ferry jetty in Stung Treng viewed from the beer table.

We arrived back in Stung Treng town at 5pm and finished with a can of Angkor Beer or two sat at a table by the river watching the sun set.

Sun in my eyes! Note ice and straw with the beer.