Pizza

Being a generous dynamic teacher I thought it might be nice if my afternoon class made pizza. This is a challenge because Cambodians do not generally eat a) cheese b) bread (base) c) nice Italian meats d) most forms of vegetables in a form you would recognise or in the case of my class e) listen to any form of instruction the first time you say it.


On Tuesday I got the children to write to their parents (or other adult generally responsible for their welfare!) to get a class load of different ingredients. Always a risk you can end up with a bag full of the same thing.... Luckily there were some more modern Khmers in my class and they together with a Malaysian and a Filipino bought good ingredients (cheese, ham, sausage, olives, tuna and pineapple). The other children generally bought onions (I had 7) and green peppers (I had 4). This is probably because they understood what an onion is and secondly because I spent about half an hour previously explaining what a pepper was. Some children for some reason decided a potato would be tasty on a pizza - I said specifically DO NOT bring a potato! They probably misheard!!! Anyway, it is quite advanced for some Cambodians to know what a potato is so I guess I should be grateful.


I made the dough this morning and luckily it rose as required of it... It won't surprise most of you that I've never been much of a person to bake/cook. This was a personal achievement for me as I eat out every night here!


Anyway, the class took 2 hours. 13 children, kitchen the size of a stamp with the Khmer cook looking on in horror as the kids charged through her domain!! Most Khmer homes do not have an oven so it was also a novelty to have an oven (for me and the children) to cook the pizzas. Of course it was not a normal oven - It was a Cambodian one... Not too hot and likes to turn itself off. Helpful. Anyway, at the end of the day it was all fine - 13 munching kids or alternatively telling me their pushy parents want the pizza "to look nice" [insert swear word I said in my head at this point]. I was covered in tomato and flour.

Do you want a piece? ... no thought not

I also had a parent come and see me today to demand their 7 year old got homework... what was she supposed to do with her child if I didn't send homework? [errrrr...play/talk with her?? - (again, said only in my head!)]

Tomorrow photo workshop with CCH children. For now - beer!