Wood you like something to drink?

A staff member was under the weather the other day. The signs of sickness were clearly evident on her face. It looked like she had worked three days straight without sleeping. But knowing how much the staff sleeps throughout the day, this was hardly the case. Probably a stomach flu.

So how do Cambodians relieve sickness? Honest to truthiness, by drinking boiled wood water. That is, pieces wood, bark, and root are boiled in water and then strained leaving the remaining hot liquid ready to drink.

I only noticed this because with each sip of the drink she was holding, Kai-O would squinch her face contorting every muscle so that there was no question that it tasted terrible. So I smelled it. It smelled like wood. I didn't drink it because it smelled like wood and I don't drink wood.

Through translation, I learned that it is customary for Cambodians to drink boiled water in wood to feel better. All I can say is, "Wow."

~ J-Dub