I think when Sheryl Sandberg titled Lean In, she was talking about the best stance to shovel food from plate to mouth.
Common dish: Beef Lok Lak. Most meals in the dorm involve rice and meat.
Meal times are when friendships are made. In high school, there was a certain bond between anyone who stuck around to eat another hash brown (or six). Now at Harpswell, sitting down and sharing dorm food has been the most effective way to get to know the girls.
Trying Khmer dishes has not only enhanced my experience, but also earned me a little street cred with the ladies. Some past Leadership Residents used private plates and silverware, bought outside food, or were generally unable and unwilling to explore Cambodian cuisine. The Harpswell girls are not offended, but disappointed.
I still use common sense to avoid raw fruits, unfiltered water, and undercooked meat in order to avoid Typhoid, Hep A, or dangerous bacteria. But I'm also going to eat frog when someone offers it to me. As long as I stay safe, eating with the girls has proven a significant part of showing appreciation and developing a sense of understanding.
Meals are prepared by the students on a rotating schedule. The food sits in the kitchen, out of reach from the stray cats lurking in the dorm, and girls can eat on their own time. Every single meal comes with white rice. I've had more rice this week than I had eaten for the first twenty years of my life. I usually drench it in chili sauce, and after asserting my love for anything spicy, the girls were determined to test my limits.
Five of us went out to a local Korean chain for ramen. Shoes off and legs crossed on the floor, they told me to order a number from spicy level zero to seven. Because self-destruction is a cute habit of mine, I ignored three girls insisting that zero was their max, and I put up two fingers to the waiter. It wasn't easy. I think I can still hear colors. I asked if anyone knew what level seven tasted like. One girl looked me in the eyes, returned her gaze to her level three bowl, and softly said, "Hell."
In upcoming posts, I'll be sure to detail some specific dishes and street food.
Current favorite meal: Somlaw Koko. Like a Cambodian ratatouille stew, made with toasted rice and fresh vegetables like pumpkin, green beans, and mushrooms. Not my image. Not citing my source because this isn't for a grade.
Current favorite snack: Grilled bananas. They're about a third of the size of bananas in the U.S. Four for 50 cents.
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