The Drinking Part

Cambodians don't drink, or smoke a lot. I figure because it is expensive for them to do so. It simply does not makes sense to drink or smoke when you do not have enough to get by.

But drinking the local brew Klang makes you a real man. Somehow I think the alcohol content is more than the 7% it claims to be. One can later I already feel giddy liaoz. Remember the household with pool table and styrofoam boxes? They sell ice! Iced-beer in a village! When we celebrated Hailiang's birthday, he treated us a whole carton of Klang! Ice-cold Klang! And this Klang is really smooth, not like the disgusting Tiger we have back here. The chief has quit drinking, so Huo drank on his behalf on our insistence. True to the fact that they seldom drink, after one can, he is already talking loudly and sprouting nonsense. Well he is not the only one, Chinyee also talked pretty loudly.

After we left the village, during our last days in Phomn Penh before breaking party, we celebrated Chow Yong's birthday. I did not puke on him as promised but we sure got really close to it. Beer was cheaper than mineral water, so we really overdid it and bought too much. It didn't help that Chow Yong brought in another dozen to expend his USD as well as for the occasion. The wooden pegs on his body numbered 23, his age at that day. So on his birthday, we drank to our fill, the 4 of us, Chow Yong, Jean and Peishan. When we realised there is simply too much, we would have to find some way to finish it; by playing Indian Poker. The loser is to drink what is poured out into the glass. Boy, Bayon (another local brew) stinks! Worsed still if you are forced to drink it. Poor Henry and Hailiang lost so many rounds that we brothers had to chip in and help drink some for them. When all the beer is finally wiped out at 4am, Hailiang and I realised we were locked out by our dead asleep roomate. So we had to bunk in with Chow Yong upstairs, who had to catch a ride out to take a flight later at 6am. Till today, I still don't know how we could first make our way upstairs without stumbling, and then wake up again at 6am just to see him off at breakfast. I hope to see Klang in Singapore someday, it will remind me dearly of my time in Cambodia. Whoever that imports Bayon should be hanged.

Another thing is that Cambodians have very sweet tooth. Tukalok is our favourite dessert drink. It is a powerful fruit blend that has every tropical fruit taste in it, with lots of sugar in it as well =P Every night in the village, we will make a cup of instant Milo for our village chief. At first, it was upon his request. Later on, it became Hailiang and my habit to make a cup for him every night and talk to him till it was time for us to sleep. On our last day, Huo helped himself to a glass of Milo which he shared with the chief as well. Unknown to us, he had added an amount of sugar locals would do to their own drink. So when we had a sip, none of us could swallow it without sticking out our tongue in disgust.