Gifts from the heart

I had a very lovely birthday, full of good food and nice gifts. Steve bought me a beautiful scarf that I've been lusting after. I spent lots of time reading and responding to lovely emails and messages full of nice wishes. I ate bagels and cream cheese, and drank wine on the balcony, and took a lovely nap as the rain fell outside and cooled off the afternoon.

The most interesting part the day was the gift Sovann got for me.

He was excited to cook dinner in honor of my birthday, and I was very happy for him to do so. He made pork ribs and fish amok, and it was all delicious. In addition, he gave me a gift, presented in the same heart-shaped box that he had proudly presented to Jaz on Valentine's Day.

I couldn't imagine what would be inside.

No, really: I could never have imagined.

It was a big, juicy, American-size fried chicken leg. (And a little plastic bag of spicy sauce to go with it.)

He knows that my favorite part of the chicken is the leg. Here, chicken is more expensive than duck, and Cambodian chickens tend to be a bit scrawny, so he searched the market for the biggest one he could find, and he was proud to tell me how much he paid for it. (One dollar.)

If a gift is meant to reflect that you've put some thought and effort into choosing it, and that you've considered the recipient's tastes, he did a beautiful job, especially since this whole birthday-celebrating, gift-giving nonsense is a totally foreign concept for him.

I wish I could say that I do as well in my efforts to join in and understand foreign customs.

He apologized over and over for not having a "good gift" for me. I assured him over and over that I loved his gift and it was very thoughtful. He apologized again, this time because "Cambodian people are so poor." I reminded him that gifts are not always something you can buy, but often what you do for someone, what you give from your heart.

Americans may have the big wallets, but many Cambodian people have much bigger hearts.

It was a lovely birthday.