A big part of me wants to be like Henry David Thoreau and live a minimalist existence in natural surroundings. There are so many material items that I enjoy that I could do without. Maybe one day I'll get there, but for now here is a random list of some of my favorite stuff in no particular order:
1) Our hammocks. We bought a pair of
Eno DoubleNests a couple of summers ago, and Matthew had some straps made so that stringing them up between trees is a cinch. We always take them backpacking and sometimes on vacation. We have even slept in them a couple of times. They are lightweight and pack into an attached compression sack nice and tidy. When we are in Utah, we store them in the trunk of the car in case we need to do some spontaneous hammocking at any time. I heart hammocks.
2) My Immersion Blender, the
Cuisinart SmartStick, which I have had for a few years now. I love how you can just stick it in a pot on the stove and puree without having to transfer to a different container, or make a smoothie in the cup you will drink it from. And so easy to clean, just a quick rinse in the sink. I hardly brought anything with me to Cambodia, but I did bring this with me. These days I've been using it to make mango smoothies (can't wait for the return of mango season) and to make refried beans, which have become one of our staple protein sources in our Cambodia diet.
3) My chemical peel solution. I use the
25% TCA from Skin Obsession. First of all, it is so inexpensive. $30 dollars for a bottle that will last for several applications, compared to hundreds of dollars to have a professional apply it for you. I love do-it-yourself stuff for cheap as well as anything resembling a medical procedure, so this is extra fun for me. It is so satisfying to have a whole layer of skin peel off and have fresh skin underneath. I researched home chemical peels when I was figuring out how to improve my scars after my accident a couple of years ago. I read several articles from medical journals and also online forums of people who do chemical peels themselves at home. But the plastic surgeon ended up doing such a good job in fixing my scars that I've mainly had fun using it to remove little areas of discoloration from the sun, stave off tiny wrinkles, and improve my skin texture. Just a warning to anyone who might be thinking of trying at-home peels--this strength of peel can seriously burn you if you don't know what you are doing, and it takes some grit to get through the stinging sensation when you apply it. I started by experimenting with weaker peels that only make skin flake a bit to get my feet under me, and worked my way up to a stronger peel when I felt more comfortable. In the picture my skin is starting to peel probably 4 days after applying the solution. So much fun.
4) My
foot heater. One of my friends at work had one, and I stole it from her so much that I knew I needed to get one for myself. It is perfect if your coworkers like more AC than you do. It heats up your whole body. What I like about it compared to a space heater is that it isn't nearly powerful, so it isn't a fire risk or burn risk and it doesn't consume much electricity. In the winter, sometimes I put it under my blankets for a few minutes to warm things up before I go to sleep. Nothing feels better than putting my feet on this and feeling the warm air blow up when I'm cold. It's reminiscent of snuggling up by the heat vent on the floor with a blanket. So good. But definitely not needed in Cambodia.
5) Earplugs. Such a simple little item that makes life so much more comfortable to me. I always take a pair with me when I travel anywhere. Any noisy, obnoxious environment can be blocked out. Especially handy when staying over at a friends or relatives house and sleeping on their couch or floor. When the rest of the house gets up and starts roaming around, I can just plug out the noise and go back to sleep. If I ever make it to my own Walden pond, I might feel justified in bringing a pair.
6) Electric Fans. I have loved fans since I was a little kid. I love the sound of wind they make, I love feeling the breeze. My favorite thing is to have a fan blowing on me at night. The sound soothes me to sleep and blocks out ambient noise around me. Unlike my foot heater, these come in handy in Cambodia.
7) Cable ties. Readily available in Cambodia. Lately, I have developed a love for these. When something needs to be rigged up, these ties never fail to come in handy. Check out
all the things you can do with cable ties. Maybe these could come to Walden...
8) Decongestant nasal spray. When I was a kid, I had one cold after another. The most tortuous thing was trying to sleep with my nasal passages plugged. I hated it. It wasn't until pharmacy school when we had a lecture on certain over-the-counter products that I decided it was time for me to give the nasal spray a try. The next time I had a cold, I squirted the stuff up my nose and I could breath again. Having cold is no longer such an ordeal. As a pharmacist, definitely my favorite OTC product. Just don't use it for more than 3 days (you could get rebound congestion) and you're set.
9) My Bicycle.
When I was grade-school age, I was a bike-riding fiend. Every day I was roaming around the neighborhood and I loved it. Since I don't have a car in Cambodia, Matt suggested I get a bike to get around. I was a bit nervous at first riding my bike around in the crazy Phnom Penh traffic, but now I wouldn't want to be without it. I much prefer riding my bike when possible to having a tuk tuk take me somewhere. I feel so free and independent again. I had forgotten how much I love bike riding. I usually take my backpack with me and come home loaded with groceries in my pack and in the basket. Matt got a bike also. Sometimes he bikes to work, and also goes on biking treks for exercise. He has taken me on some really fun biking excursions through Phnom Penh. I am visiting Utah right now and find myself missing my bike. I've had the urge to hop on and go for a ride multiple times. In the first picture, a man I had purchased grass from was loading it onto my bike for me (I buy grass from a roadside vendor to make hay for my bunny). Cambodians can tie anything to a bike. They are really really good at that.
10) Motorcycles. I love motorcycles. But I'm also terrified of them. At one point a few years ago, due to a tragedy in our family, Matt and I swore off them forever. That didn't last though. I have fought the idea of getting one of my own, but it is hard to resist in Cambodia. Everybody has a motorcycle. A few times since moving to Cambodia we have rented motorcycles to get around when we were out of town and needed transportation. I fall in love more every time. We've ridden along countryside dirt roads, and through a national forest. Once, when we were in the town of Kampot, I rented a motorcycle and rode it to a zoo, about a half an hour away. Once there, I actually rode the motorcycle around the zoo to see the different animals. Matt rented a motorcycle also and joined me later in the day. I had the time of my life. Matt is an old pro. He's owned a motorcycle before. And it is certainly no big deal to Cambodians. But to me it is so exciting. I've pretty much decided not to get one for traveling around Phnom Penh, though it is tempting. Riding a bike in the Phnom Penh traffic isn't danger free, but adding the speed of a motorcycle is one level of danger too much for me in a country where I've been in a serious traffic accident already. I'll still be able to rent them when out in the countryside where I feel a little safer. And just maybe I'll get a dirt bike to ride along mountain trails one day when we come back to the US.
To any friends who have blogs, and also Matt, I'd love to see your list of favorites.
In general, I like the food in Cambodia. On the left is a picture of some roadside food that I bought for maybe $1.50 near my house. The good. As for the bad (from my perspective), there are some things that Cambodians eat that I don't, such as a variety of fried insects, coagulated blood chunks, chicken embryos, river snails, and a snake-on-a-stick snack that I saw for the first time last night at a big gathering. Prahok, a fermented fish paste which is widely used here, is probably my biggest omission. Cambodians know that foreigners can't stomach it and I am often asked if I have tried it, though no one has offered it to me yet. When I was younger, I might have been more interested in trying some of these foods, but I think years of reality tv shows featuring disgusting food eating competitions such as Survivor, Fear Factor, and The Amazing Race, have removed the charm for me.
