oNe PhOtO
a DaY oCtObEr 2016
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
MONTH
SATURDAY 1st
YELLOW: The silhouette of the prayer flags flying at Chelela (the highest road
pass in Bhutan), as seen through a bright yellow flag at 9am this morning
SUNDAY 2nd BLUE: The
brilliant blue wooden shutters of a shop window in Haa, Bhutan contrast sharply
with the fade window designs
MONDAY 3rd PURPLE:
Some beautiful purple Bhutanese textiles and the purple logo of the business
card of a dear friend who is visiting us right now and loving the adventure and
the photogenic aspects of the kingdom and its culture
TUESDAY 4th WHITE:
We spent a lovely day in in artisan quarter in Thimphu and this rendition of
the White Tara or Goddess of Compassion struck my fancy
WEDNESDAY 5th RED:
One of the masks used in Tshechu Dances on display at an art outlet
THURSDAY 6th GREEN:
We woke up in this green garden setting at Kichu Resort Wandue this morning
FRIDAY 7th GREY: The
slate grey rock face supporting the most iconic destination in Bhutan, which
was our destination today. It’s 3,000 metres up and a wonderful way to
appreciate the Buddhist perspective on life. Fabulous achievement on an
auspicious day. Feeling blessed to be a Taktshang
SECOND CHOICE : We
spotted a huge troop of these grey langurs yesterday on the drive back to
Thimphu from Wangdue. They are so agile and playful in the treetops and were
such a delight to see even if it is not the greatest photo
SATURDAY 8th ORANGE:
The warm orange light and orange glow of the brass butter lamps burning is a
truly beautiful Bhutanese image
SUNDAY 9th PINK:
Pretty pink packages of local incense available at the duty free shop in the
departure lounge of Paro Airport
MONDAY 10th BLACK:
Bhutan has an ongoing love affair with chillies and these local Bumthang, black
chillies are a real blessing
TUESDAY 11th AQUA:
The conch shell decorations almost always include coral and turquoise or chips
of turquoise stones, which I think are aqua in colour
WEDNESDAY 12th
BROWN: is the predominant colour in many features of Bhutanese architecture
THURSDAY 13th GOLD:
This symbol is synonymous with Buddhism and it is almost always portrayed in gold. I
really don't know exactly what it means but to me it means Buddhism. It is from
the walls of Tamshing Lhakhang and was taken in the rain yesterday as today we
are in limbo waiting for the roads to be cleared before any buses can leave
FRIDAY 14th SILVER:
Almost every restaurant / noodle joint in Bhutan has this threesome and usually
in silver of the stainless steel variety. What do they contain? MSG, Chilli in
one form or another and Sichuan Pepper popularly know as thingye here
SATURDAY 15th FAVE
COLOUR: I love every shade of orange and this cascade of orange dahlias, on the
wall in the main street in Trongsa grabbed my attention this morning, even
though we were totally preoccupied with the fact that we are stranded and have
been trying to get home to Thimphu for 3 days now. Instead we are back in
Bumthang where we started out yesterday morning
SUNDAY 16th RAINBOW:
The spectacular rainbow colours of the weaving in one of the most expensive and
elaborate styles of Kira worn at festivals and other special occasions here in
Bhutan
MONDAY 17th TREE:
The magnificent Bodhi tree which graces the courtyard of the Punakha Dzong.
This is the species of tree under which Buddha gained enlightenment. They frequently grace
the inner courtyards or temple surrounds. This one is enormous and
spectacularly impressive.
TUESDAY 18th
POSITIVE VIBES: When I want to create good vibes I fly prayer flags. These are
the most recent ones I flew on Chelela, which is the highest road pass in
Bhutan. They were flown to bless a dear fiend's baby. I know I will sorely miss
this ritual when we leave
WEDNESDAY 19th FOOD:
Great Indian food tonight at a place new to us and well worth returning to. The
AV on the main drag in Thimphu and frequented by expat Indians
THURSDAY 20th RIGHT
NOW: You know you are doing something right when first thing in the
morning a class ten student begins with "May I come in.?" And follows
up with a whispered "chocolate....." then deposits this on your desk
with a wicked grin and wanders away!!! Wow Thanks Karma. I feel great right
now
FRIDAY 21st STUFF:
This is one of the little traditional bags I carry daily. Remarkably it can
hold all the stuff, which I think I need to have about my person as a teacher.
Displayed are the contents today
SECOND CHOICE: This
black stuff is impossible to come by in Bhutan and our supply ran out months
ago but a visiting teacher from Adelaide gave me these two tubes today and the
final 3 months just got a whole lot easier
SATURDAY 22nd
CHOCOLATE: Handmade, homemade chilli chocolate from the Himalayas
SUNDAY 23rd WISH: I
often wish it was Sunday - the only work free day in Bhutan. And if my wish
came true I would spend it just as I did today. Visiting the market, chilling
in Ambient Cafe and cooking up a storm with the market purchases: spicy pumpkin
soup, salad with konbu garnish and roasted veggies (stained purple by the
sensational Bhutanese tree tomatoes they were roasted with)
MONDAY 24th BLANK: I
always select greeting cards that are blank so I can personalise the message
for any occasion. Of course the image is important too
TUESDAY 25th
TOGETHER: Treepies together at twighlight
WEDNESDAY 26th MY
COUNTRY: Despite the fact I live in Bhutan and it often feels like home, it's
Australia that is really my country and at the beach where I feel most like I
have now arrived home
THURSDAY 27th LEAF:
The deep green and intricate patterning of a hydrangea leaf up close
FRIDAY 28th SPOON:
Both options are in my desk at school available for use with my packed lunch.
However I choose the chopsticks over the spoon every time but I lend the spoon
to both students and staff regularly
SATURDAY 29th
FASHION: Teenage fashion Bhutanese style. Saturday is the day you can dress
casual if there are activities at school and the fashion sense emerges
SUNDAY 30th STAR:
Having been camping all weekend, arriving home to a clean house, freshly
laundered sheets, a delicious dinner and ingredients for a burrito and salad
lunch including a 5 star chocolate treat, I know without a doubt my husband is
the real star. However my packed lunch with a chocolate pick me up will be very
welcome
MONDAY 31st BUCKET
LIST: We bought this apartment new in 2013 and it has always been rented out.
For now we are happy to live abroad but ..... it's on the bucket list to one
day live here
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