THE PROMPTS FOR THE
MONTH
MONDAY 1st DRINK: A
regular tipple for me is vodka and tonic and its drink o'clock right now
TUESDAY 2nd SO
COLOURFUL: New strings of prayer flags flying above Thimphu city at our local Lhakhang
- just a 5 minute walk from home. I never tire of seeing them and they are so
colourful
WEDNESDAY 3rd CAR:
This Hindustan Ambassador Classic is almost always parked near our house and in
excellent condition. It is a car I first encountered as a taxi in what was then
Bombay in the 1980s and I'm pretty sure it's the only one in Bhutan despite
being known as the "king of Indian roads" and this model largely
unchanged since 1960 is still being used as a taxi in India
THURSDAY 4th
TEXTURE: The texture of the bamboo tray and the variety of different textures
of some of the shells in our collection always appeal to me
FRIDAY 5th
COFFEE: I couldn't survive without coffee and usually drink long blacks, but
our regular order when we are out, is an Americano and a latte. Today at Thijha
as our beloved Ambient doesn't open until tomorrow
SATURDAY 6th
JUST NOW: I just now got everything prepared for our cold rolls with peanut
sauce and Beijing salad celebration dinner. What was going to be Chinese New
Year celebrations just turned into birth of the crown prince celebrations. The
future monarch of Bhutan was born yesterday and the birth announced this
morning - the jubilation in the air is palpable
SUNDAY 7th
I ATE HERE: making the most of the final few days of holidays on the eve of
Chinese New Year I cooked up an Asian style picnic lunch, hiked above Thimphu
city and enjoyed the view when I ate here today
MONDAY 8th
FAMILY: The wonderful family of Ambient cafe, who treat all their regulars and
everyone else who walks in the door just like family. I'm glad to be a member
TUESDAY 9th
A CORNER: This magnificent Garuda adorns the corner of an ancient building
inside the Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu and today it is Losar or New Year so
every corner was filled with buntings and flags. We went there especially
looking for a corner and found so many it was hard to choose
WEDNESDAY 10th
PINK: These Bhutanese men in ghos are playing 'kuru' or darts. Every time you
actually hit the target, 40 metres away you win a scarf. Usually they are red,
green, yellow, blue or white. Today I spotted pink for the first time
THURSDAY 11th
A WALL: We discovered this beautiful Wall Chorten decorated with prayers and
tiny memorials in the College of Astrology yesterday. It's a wall we will
explore again for sure. I knew at the time today being the first day of school
I would be trapped indoors and have only the classroom walls to consider. Love
these traditional wall chortens
FRIDAY 12th
PAPER: Traditional Bhutanese handmade paper with its imperfections, varying
thickness and beautiful texture. It's made from Daphne fibre and I cover my
schoolbooks in it - colour coding the 3 grade levels I teach
SATURDAY 13th
A PET: This is actually a stray dog not his pet but boarders lead lonely lives
and these two just had an instant sense of belonging together. This is an
archive shot from my home class clean-up campaign in Samtengang in 2014
SUNDAY 14th
MY HAPPRY PLACE: is out on a nature trail discovering a chorten and faded
prayer flags flying against a clear blue sky without another being sight. Ah!!
This prompt inspired a strenuous hike one kilometre up and 15 kilometres in
total. Thanks PAD
MONDAY 15th
YELLOW + BLUE: I struggled with this and only realised I was wearing yellow and
blue traditional clothes today, after I got home and took them off. Yellow silk
Wongju or shirt with a blue Tego or jacket photographed against my hand woven
Kira or long skirt
TUESDAY 16th
EMPTY: These empty hallways are usually crowded with students and very noisy.
It is eerily quiet now and there is something sad about a school without
students
WEDNESDAY 17th
A DOOR: In Bhutan almost every lhakhang door has the wheel of dharma painted on
the exterior and this one has a lovely patina and offers a glimpse into the
activities within
THURSDAY 18th
IN THE BACKGROUND: This crowd shot taken at the Paro Tshechu at about this time
last year includes the impressive and beautiful circular structure of the
National Museum of Bhutan in the background. Today I was simply too busy at
school so I had to use an archive shot
FRIDAY 19th
BREAKFAST: bagels with vegemite and tomatoes. Is not very Bhutanese but a great
blending of cultures. This is usually a weekend breakfast but we are keeping
the holiday feeling alive in this twilight zone while school is back but the
students haven't yet arrived. Great start to the 4- day weekend for HM the 4th
King's birthday.
SATURDAY 20th
KEEPING FIT: This app on my phone has really helped me with my walking goal of
10 kilometres a day minimum and tracking my efforts helps me stick to my
keeping fit routine. I screen shoot the personal best every time it changes and
this is the current one
SUNDAY 21st
HOBBY: Combining two of my hobbies today - hiking & cooking. We climbed up
to Chari Monastery and Meditation Centre with good friend Jude today and shared
a picnic lunch we prepared
MONDAY 22nd
ICE CREAM: This one is a day late as we were cooking a celebratory lunch
for 8 yesterday and then too stuffed to move but there is only one place to eat
the most delicious homemade, handmade ice cream in Thimphu and that Ambient
Cafe. So no excuses today we had to indulge just for the sake of PAD
TUESDAY 23rd
PASTEL: This tiny pastel design teacup was a gift, I was presented with
yesterday, by one of our lunch guests and a dear colleague. It contains a
jasmine scented candle and is a new product and entrepreneurial venture by a
recent graduate in Bhutan. Times are tight and jobs are hard to come by but
this young lady is trying out her luck in the market
WEDNESDAY 24th
PATH: One of the trails most travelled in Bhutan would have to be this one: the
path leading up to Tiger's Nest Monastery. It was the first day with students at school today and I literally didn't have 5 minutes to think about a photo but
this archive shot is the quintessential Bhutanese path festooned with prayer
flags and leading to a very sacred place
THURSDAY 25th
PEEK-A-BOO: This doe-eyed child seemed to be playing peek-a-boo when we
wandered by her home in Gelakha village in Wangdue Phodrang District. Another
archive shot as school takes over my life again. Hopefully I will be back on
track and taking the photos again daily soon
FRIDAY 26th
OUT OF PLACE: I don't really know what is more out of place a roller left
accessible in the play area at school or a Vice Principal deciding to just sit
up there and pretend to drive it at lunch time. Either way I can appreciate the
fact that is okay to play and overzealous protective legislation hasn't taken
hold yet in Bhutan
SATURDAY 27th
A SHAPE: Circles actually- made from some of my favourite kitchen bowls
SUNDAY 28th
I LOVE THIS: the spectacle of Tshechu performed inside the ancient rammed earth
walls of the Dzong and watched by devout Buddhists enthralled by the colourful
performance. An archive shot but our first opportunity to see Tshechu this year
is only 20 days away and we are anticipating it with excitement. Truth be known
I love Bhutan
MONDAY 29TH
LEAP: There were so many willing students ready to leap for this prompt for me
at lunchtime today. I chose a group I taught and loved last year but don't have
any formal instruction time with this year. Thanks Drukians
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