Food for Happiness

​My feet are numb, my belly is full and I have the biggest smile on my face!
 
This is what happiness looks like for me ...  when I share a meal with volunteers, friends and families at my village home in rural Siem Reap!  

Authentic Food, Authentic Experience
I grew up in a rather large family and there were 12 of us at one stage! Not every meal we had was sumptuous, but there was plenty of laughter and joy simply by sharing - not only the food but more importantly each other’s company. 
 
Meals at my village home are jointly cooked by a few mothers from nearby homes. Some poor, some doing ok.  We share our food, drinks and laughter by sitting on a floor mat made from dried leaves.  Yes, crossing legs, bending knees, and occasionally using my yoga “child pose” to reach the shared dishes in the middle. 
 
When there is a reason (or not!), we gather together for a meal to celebrate.  When I say ‘we’, it always means a few nearby families. There are easily 20 people! The family and community spirit is incredible and these simple meals bring me more joy than the fanciest meal in a restaurant. 

Love Local Dishes 
You can always find good food in Cambodia regardless of your financial situation. This is all about simple dishes using local and seasonal produce that is available in the village.   
 
My favourite dish is Banh Chevwhich is like a savoury pancake with minced meat and fresh herbs plus salad as filling.  I also enjoy Beef Lok Lakwhich is a beef cube dish with

​the famous Khmer pepper sauce. So simple yet so good. The famous Kampot pepper mixed with lime juice, garlic and a bit of salt. Incredible!

Food With Love 
Every time a we have a group of volunteers helping us to teach or refurbish one of schools, we organise meals cooked by a local woman who is in huge need of help.  No kidding, her cooking has now become my source of happiness as I see the smile on her smile growing in confidence and skill.  This is a small step towards addressing a serious poverty and social problems but the ripple effect is driving positive change in the life of this woman and her beautiful family.  I call this cooking with love!
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Eating Out  
Occasionally I enjoy a good meal at a nice restaurant in the city of Siem Reap. Most of the tourists would be able to tell you about Pub Street, which offers cheap drinks including $0.50 beer and some local food. 
 
One of my ‘must eat’ restaurants is Olivewho serves fine French food. My favourite dish has to be the ‘Blue Cheese Soufflé’ that is cooked to perfection every time. 
 
There are many other nice places serving great food in style without breaking the bank. Malisis one. Beautiful setting with a stunning bar.


My Happiness journey
In this and my future blogs, I’d love to share with you what happiness means to me especially when I am in Cambodia. I call these as my currencies of happiness. 
 
I don’t believe there is an exact formula to happiness because personal perspective plays a vital role in determining what happiness means to us individually. It is more or less like a currency which works in one country but perhaps not in another.  Some currencies are worth a little bit more than others but there is beauty and happiness in every single one. 
 
There you have it, my take on “Currency of Happiness” in Cambodia!
 
Follow me if you like it. Let me know what your Currency of Happiness is. I’d love to hear from you! 
 
Of course we at PeopleStories are always happy to have volunteers over in Cambodia. See and feel for yourself how much real impact you can make and bring at the same time a smile onto your face ;-)