Friday 1st 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.
