Dec 16 2007
Sharing My Life Through My Blog and Ca Kho Me
“So when you go home to the Philippines, do you still go back to Kamuning?” asked the young smiling girl at the back of my car.
“Yes,” I answer back. “I go home to my Mom’s house whenever I go to the Philippines.”
“And that Mommy, is she really your mother? She knows how to use the computer?”
“Yes, the commenter named Mommy is really my mother and she has her own laptop.”
“And it’s good that you’re through with that nasty bout of chickenpox.”
“Oh yes, it’s quite a relief. Honey and I were really miserable when we had it.”
“And where is Honey? Can I call him Honey too?”
“Uh, well no. Honey stayed home. He’s like Mr. Snuffleupagus. I talk about him a lot but no one ever sees him. He’s actually just my imaginary lover.”
“Oh, it’s probably okay that he stayed home. I’m sure that he could cook something really good for himself.”
Who do you think was this pretty girl at the back of my car? An old friend visiting me in Phnom Penh perhaps? Or maybe a fellow blogger EBing me in Cambodia. Why does she know me so well? She even guessed correctly exactly what Honey was doing at that very moment. The latter is close but no banana. This girl is actually Oki… not a blogger, but a lurker in my blog. She reads my blog but has never commented before I met her.
She and Rayts were having a southeast asian backpacking adventure and decided to meet me in Phnom Penh (well, actually I think I forced them). 
Exciting times for these two girls in their twenties, huh? I was actually jealous and after they regaled me with their stories, I wanted to haul Honey off his butt and take the Orient Express to China. Anyway, be sure to go to Rayts’ blog. She has exciting details about their adventures and the most exquisite photos of the sites, food, and people of Cambodia.
I brought them to my favorite restaurant here in Phnom Penh – the Vietnamese restaurant – and fed them fish, fried spring rolls, and noodles. Just to digress a bit… Honey tried to cook this fish… it’s called ca kho me which means fish in caramel and tamarind. This is how it turned out:
We couldn’t get the tamarind (because we never go to the wet market) so he used lemon instead. Just look how fatty the river fish is here in Cambodia. It’s as if the whole fish is as fat as the entire bangus belly.
Anyway back to Rayts and Oki… So this is the third EB of my life (and I think Rayts’ first) and I really had a wonderful time with the girls. I find it interesting that although you meet people for the first time, you have a lot of things to talk about. Such is the power of blogging… you connect with other people and they get to know you beyond the physical appearances for in your writings, you reveal more than your looks and clothes and hairdo could ever show. And you can’t fake your real self either. For in writing, you reveal more of your soul for you can’t hide behind the facial expressions and the make-up. And although I’m semi-anonymous in my blog, readers of my blog, like Oki, probably know me, Toe, more than most people who know my real name and who know that I really do look like Bea Lucero
Okay… the last part is a joke… I’m actually prettier than Bea Lucero.
- Happy Month-niversary to My Blog!
- Onion-Skinned and Spineless
- Home Alone
- The Amigas in Phnom Penh
- One More Chance
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How nice! I want to do a backpacking adventure there in Cambodia too, but maybe when I find myself closer than where I am right now.
Say I find myself in Cambodia, would you want to meet too? Not that I am planning this pretty soon…
mukhang saya ng eb nyo ah. =)
nyahaha. i wouldn’t even thought mauunahan mo pa ako magsulat ng entry na ito. si Ferdz naiinip na kakaintay ng “about toe” sa blog ko. as if may makikita siyang pekturs. haha. so, ca kho me pala ang tawag sa fish na yun. gustong gusto yan ni Oki, panay ang bangit sa isdang yan. did i ever tell you that Oki si half-japanese? haha. siya yung japanese na ayaw sa japan at sobrang mahal na mahal ang pinas.
meeting you would probably be one of the highlights of our travel. pramis. oha. di lang dahil pinakain mo kami. di lang dahil pinasyal mo kami. di lang dahil sinakay mo kami sa maganda mong tsikot.kundi dahil na-meet ka namin mismo. thanks. enjoy kami!
LIW, of course! But you have to hurry up with your planning… I’m only here until July.
Carlotta, yeah ang saya-saya namin. We were hanging out like we were old friends.
Rayts, sulit na sulit yung pag-gising mo sa’kin at yung pag-istorbo ko sa inyo sa Toul Tompong.
Pareho si Honey at si Oki… favorite talaga nila yung isdang ‘yan.
Hehe… naunahan na nga kita… nasa bus to Phnom Penh pa lang yung nasa blog mo.
Ako naman, chronologically, this is really the next one na.
Hey, I’m glad you enjoyed our meet. Me too! You and Oki are really cool and I had a great time. And idol ko talaga kayo about doing these annual adventure trips. Hopefully on my next posting, you visit me again.
Such is the power of blogging… you connect with other people and they get to know you beyond the physical appearances for in your writings, you reveal more than your looks and clothes and hairdo could ever show.
hear! hear!
one time a guy was making kulit about my personality and I was not in the mood to tell him that I’m like this and like that so I simply said “read my blog na lang”…di ba easier? hehe minsan mas kilala ka pa kesa sa mga kaibigan mo hrhrhr
I was thinking maybe she’s your child, or a very curious friend’s child.
Man, that fish looked so delectable. Anyways, galing naman ng EB niyo, sa ibang bansa pa ginawa, hehe. Anyways, next year tiyak na magsasawa ka sa EB pag-balik mo dito, hehe.
Hmm, I wonder what my blog says about my personality? Weird perhaps?
Always great to hear about EB stories
That fish looks so healthy and delicious. I’ve been into mostly fish diet these days – it’s much safer they say hehe
Ay oo nga pala, may recall order ka nga pala for July 2008. I remember reading that somewhere in your blog before. Sige, sa iba na lang, sa sunod na destination mo. Kasi, I have stuff planned for 2008 already kasi eh. Alam mo naman ako, super ready…
Verns, hehehe… naku… so blogs din pala are deterrents for makukulit people. Lalo na makukulit na manliligaw.
Shoshana hahaha… no, she’s very mature actually. They both are. They’re just both very curious and adventurous… that’s why they spent several weeks traveling in exotic lands.
Snglguy, forget your blog… your pseudonym pa lang says it all.
Oh, but you have to come and eb me here. It’s so exciting to meet Filipino bloggers here in Cambodia. Malay mo… Mr. Snuffleuapagus might make an appearance just for you. 
Hi BW.
Oh, we both so love that fish. It’s the fattest fish I’ve ever seen. I can’t believe it’s healthy. Yes, this EB sure was fun. 
LIW, wow… you’re planning an exciting year ahead ha.
I’m sure we’ll bump into each other in one of our nomadic trips. 
pati pati si tutubi makarating dyan
Tutubi! When! Email me ha!
that’s wonderful! I enjoyed EB back in the MiRC days (chat). Hmm..the food looks yummy! Natawa naman sa last part hehehe.
Momoftwo, yeah it was fun. It was great listening to the girls’ adventures.
And we enjoyed the food too. 
what’s an eb?
EB with cyber friends, lurkers and non-lurkers are so fun. it’s fascinating how a part of our lives are shared through blogging.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a PROSPEROUS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!
Sixter, eyeball.
Sexy Mom, so true. We can’t help but reveal who really are through blogging. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
hey toe….. ano to????? youre the only person in my circle of friends who has a blog….I AM IMPRESSED!!!! I thought i was so high tech because may friendster na ako and then i see this!!! ha ha… you must have a lot of time on your hands!!!!!
anyway, what is an alphasmart neo?
so… im not so good at this so baka youll hear from me sa email nalang…. its less complicated…..
love you sister…. miss you……..
moonie
Moonie, ahehehe… nahihiya nga ako so I don’t really advertise that I have a blog.
I stumbled upon doing this by accident. Ako naman, I don’t have Friendster but I think Dinno has.
An alphasmart neo is just an electronic keyboard. That’s where I usually write my blog drafts or my journal or whatever. That way, Dinno and I don’t have to fight over the computer because we only have one. It’s really cool.
Naku, I miss you too and I hope you could visit me here soon.