oNe PhOtO a DaY: JaNuArY 2016

THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH

FRIDAY 1^ST BLACK& WHITE: Friday January 1st Black & White: straight off the press in black and white. Lucky it's an English language newspaper. One of my bugbears as an English teacher in Bhutan is Romanised Dzongkha doesn't equal English. On the upside I do understand the meaning of the headline!!!

SATURDAY 2^ND WHAT I DID TODAY: was discover a new trail just behind our home and clock up more than 9 kilometres on it before lunch.

SUNDAY 3^RD WATER: filling the washing up bowl. We've had former students at our place for a reunion lunch today and I filled the bowl several times trying to prevent them from doing the washing up and make them behave like the adult guests that they are.

MONDAY 4^TH CIRCLE: the Om Cosmos mandala, which is the graphic representation of wholeness, unity and renewal. It increases healing and calmness by expanding consciousness and openness to the divine.

TUESDAY 5^TH LEAVES : fresh young parsley leaves thriving in the winter sun on our balcony, even though the temperatures are dipping below zero and there is often frost. Hope they survive our 3-week absence when we are on vacation

WEDNESDAY 6^TH SOMETHING BLUE: blue prayer flag against night blue winter sky

THURSDAY 7^TH READING: still my favourite thing to do on a flight. Both finished now lucky I've got the sequel with me for the rest of the holiday

FRIDAY 8^TH LANDSCAPE: more of a temple-scape than a landscape but hey we left the beautiful Himalayas where we live to be in in Bangkok yesterday so that seems totally appropriate

SATURDAY 9^TH SHOES: five shops in 2 different malls and countless try-ons today but Ian finally has a new pair of walking shoes which accommodate his orthotics and don't look anywhere near as bad as the original worn out clodhoppers! yay yay yay

  SUNDAY 10^TH LUCKY: There are a lot of things I feel extremely lucky about- lucky to live and work in Bhutan, lucky to be on holidays now avoiding the worst of the winter, lucky to have travelled as much as I have, lucky to have married the perfect partner, lucky to have a job I actually love .... However this slogan in a mall in Bangkok today struck my fancy. Right now I'm lucky to be travelling even if work doesn't always suck

SUNDAY 10^TH LUCKY 2: After posting the one above I saw my Facebook Instagram status for the same day and realised it also began with the word lucky – “Lucky we only buy one meal a day or I would have to waddle out of BKK This place is sensational- Broccoli Revolution.”

MONDAY 11^TH OUTDOORS: Even in totally urban environments like Bangkok the great outdoors makes its presence felt in the many parks and public nature spaces. I'm glad this prompt made me go visit a couple today

TUESDAY 12^TH SOMETHING I WORE: I wore my GNH Bhutan Polo today to fly HCMC (and not my breakfast or lunch all over me as usually happens when I wear white and eat spicy noodles in soup)

WEDNESDAY 13^TH THREE OF A KIND: vegetarian cold rolls all in a row and three of a kind. Vietnamese food is fresh, exotic, unique and amazingly delicious. I’m wondering if I should try to make all the prompts about food while we are here….. it’s a challenge

THURSDAY 14^TH CLOSE UP: We were pretty packed in close up and personal in the squeezy Binh Tay market today. I managed to get a close up of my all time favourite Asian vegetable – Lotus Root…… now I want to be able to make my signature salad with it for Chinese New Year. Just a matter of getting some back to Bhutan Mmmmmm!

FRIDAY 15^TH MAIL: Reading my emails over breakfast to continue with my fortnight of food while we wander Vietnam

SATURDAY 16^TH CHAIR: Still life on a chair. I can't resist buying and tasting exotic fruit when we travel and these star apples and rose apples were my selections in Saigon- continuing my fortnight of fabulous food while we wander Vietnam

SUNDAY 17^TH FACELESS: The vendors in the vegetable markets appear faceless when wearing their conical hats, especially from behind - continuing my fortnight of fabulous food while we wander Vietnam

MONDAY 18^TH WHITE: Continuing with my food theme, I have 5 fresh white foods from the market stalls this afternoon and the coconut ice-cream I ordered at dinner because the prompt entitled me to ……… first dessert this holiday and it was delicious!!

TUESDAY 19^TH IN THE HAND: The technique of rolling these delicious little snacks is all about how you hold the ingredients in your hand as you construct them. I haven’t mastered it yet by the locals are whizzes at it and this lovely young girl allowed me to photograph her doing it and then even offered the end result to me to try.

second choice --- IN THE HAND: One of my favourite shots from our last trip in Vietnam,

is a also included as it suits this prompt so well.

WEDNESDAY 20^TH PATTERNS: The patterns I made with our afternoon snack of pineapple and star apple in the beautiful bamboo bowl I bought along with the fruit in the market this morning

THURSDAY 21^ST MORNINGS: Early morning in the airport and still sumptuous scents and fabulously delicious looking noodle dishes being consumed by the locals

FRIDAY 22^ND NIGHT:  Vietnam is so much about incredible food but the night scenes of Hoi An with packed open-air restaurants are hard to beat

SATURDAY 23^RD PLAY:  Everything happens in the streets and footpaths here in Vietnam. While these guys play cards at a bar, right alongside them a street stall sells noodles and a happy customer consumes. Continuing my fortnight of food in Vietnam…

SUNDAY 24^TH WINDOW: Taking our first break after 13 kilometres walking today at a cafe we first visited and loved in Luang Prabang Laos. The Vietnam experience of food also involves fine coffee and a great reflection of the street life through the window of JOMA Bakery and Cafe

MONDAY 25^TH NUMBERS: Final Photo for the fortnight of food in Vietnam (leaving tomorrow) Fabulous fusion food at Highway 4 - number in the name!! Kimchi tofu broth with rice noodles wins the day 

TUESDAY 26^TH SIMPLICITY: The hand painted card I bought yesterday in Hanoi is simplicity itself. I love the simple design and the simplicity of old world snail-mail delivering something beautiful not a bill. I always buy cards and later delight in sending or giving them.

WEDNESDAY 27^TH TELEPHONE: "Answer that will you?" / Free the hands! Telephone shadow on the wall

THURSDAY 28^TH SMILE: Staff who always smile from the Land of Smiles - our last day in Thailand

FRIDAY 29^TH HOME: We returned home to our apartment in Thimphu today from a 3-week vacation so this prompt seemed very apt

SATURDAY 30^ST FLAT LAY: A selection of souvenirs and gifts from our recent trip to Vietnam; sometimes the lines blur and I can't bear to part with what was a gift and I have to give away something I bought for myself because it seems so appropriate for someone else. 

SUNDAY 31^ST ME: in my favourite colour and delighted to be "home" in Bhutan