THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH
WEDNESDAY 1st VICE: I guess my biggest vice is coffee. It is the one thing I have never really tried to give up. You just wouldn’t want to know me in the morning if there was no coffee in my life
THURSDAY 2nd FUN: Learning can be fun for these little monks with such exciting props to keep them interested. Unfortunately, they were having so much fun with the phlat balls that they actually forgot to keep counting which was rather the point of the game
FRIDAY 3rd LEAF: This beautiful leaf was on the beachfront strip at Kep this morning when we took a quick stroll before our bus ride to Kampot. Magnificent huge trees provide shade for most of the beach zone and although they are never bare, there are always some red leaves under them and in the canopy. Unfortunately, I don’t know what kind of trees they are but they are certainly an asset to the atmosphere
SATURDAY 4th WEEKEND VIBES: Time for a home pedicure after the thrashing our feet have had walking an average of 10kms a day on our recent trip. Torrential monsoon rain inspires happy at home activities. My feet are going to love me again
SUNDAY 5th SUNSHINE: These days it’s overcast or raining most of the time but there was a brief glimpse of the sun and a spot of sunshine on our way back from the monastery this morning
MONDAY 6th INK: The blue and red ink stamps We use to encourage and motivate our little monks to write. They love to apply them to their arms and faces as tattoos but we do try to discourage that
TUESDAY 7th FLYING: One of our favourite things to do when we lived in Bhutan, was flying prayer flags to commemorate special events and occasions. Now we have prayer flags flying in Kep as a reminder of that beautiful kingdom and all the joy it brought us. Recently we have had very strong winds and today with the front doors open the flags were flying in the living room. It sent my heart flying back to the kingdom of happiness
WEDNESDAY 8th CITRUS: I have come to appreciate limes since moving to Kep. They are cheap, readily available and so versatile. We use them in refreshing drinks and to add a touch of citrus to salads, curries and other savoury dishes on a daily basis. One of the joys of being expats is adapting our diets to the availability of the local produce and to suit the local climate
THURSDAY 9th PURPLE: Is not one of my favourite colours. However, eggplants add an essential hue to our efforts to eat a rainbow and Baba Ganoush is the perfect dish to make with them
Friday 10th HEART SHAPED: Cookies inspired by the cookie cutter left in our kitchen by a previous resident of this house and today’s prompt. I’m more a wholesome and nutritious kinda baker so I was totally out of my comfort zone with this style of baking but gave it a go today. Just couldn’t bring myself to dip them in chocolate too, as the recipe requested. They are already decadent enough for me
SATURDAY 11th CHEEKY: Despite our best efforts to keep this cheeky tokay gecko outside, it snuck in again last night when we left the living room window open. It immediately beelined for its favourite position - hanging upside down on the wall behind the fridge. Ian successfully caught it and removed it to the garden again this morning. This week we have enjoyed the company of a two-metre snake, several frogs, a snail and now a tokay gecko indoors. Oh, the joys of the monsoon season. Luckily most of these intruders seem to be glad to return to the outdoors just ‘the monster’ as we refer to him persists
SUNDAY 12th UPSIDE DOWN: Necessity is the mother of invention! The cut in half upside-down pet bottle, turned funnel, enabled us to filter out the red peppercorns from the Vodka in which they were steeping this morning. Our first attempt at red pepper spiced vodka but the results are not to be tasted until September. We are undertaking an Arid (alcohol-free) August in the vein of the popular Dry July practice of many Aussies. July was the holiday-birthday month so that was not a possibility. With visitors arriving, it will be just the thing for a Celebratory September.... Bloody Mary’s to come!
MONDAY 13th EYES: This is a popular recognition book with those learning to read at Kep Gardens school. The eyes are hidden under the fold down flap, which says Peekaboo
TUESDAY 14th EDGE: Picturesque, though it is, currently it is impossible to discern where the edge of the road and the beginning of of the adjoining fields, is. With nearly constant rain for the past few weeks, it is no longer possible to cycle to our little monks’ class. This was taken from the Tuk Tuk on our way home this afternoon. We still got soaked but not bogged or mud splattered, so that’s a win
WEDNESDAY 15th ANIMAL: Almost every Khmer family in this area seems to keep at least a few of these cows. They are by far the animal most commonly sighted in these parts. They are somehow an asset although they are not milked and not raised for meat. Many locals hand feed them or spend part of their day walking them to and from roadside spots including the median strip, where they can graze
(NB:There were so many negative comments about this shot when I posted it in PAD that I felt compelled to remove it. In fact, the cow is not starving, maltreated or undernourished but it’s typical of the thin breed and it must have been taken at an odd angle. I am happy to report we have seen it several times, happily grazing in the same location and supervised by its owner, since this shot was taken)
THURSDAY 16th TOPPINGS: of passionfruit pulp, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds and roasted pecans added a touch of decadence to a dessert of layers of cinnamon coconut cake, espresso jelly, kheer and ice cream. It’s not often we have such concoctions and I did wish I could have served it in the Deco Parfait glasses I have at home in Oz instead of these everyday water ones but there were no complaints about the taste
FRIDAY 17th SOMETHING WARM: The glow of a scented candle subtlety lighting a framed photo of a tree from Tanzania on my dressing table,qualifies as something warm and calming in my view
SATURDAY 18th WHITE ON WHITE: The first purchase we made towards the already well-established garden in our rental house. We were told it’s a Cuban Jasmine but after observing its habit and flowering we think it might be a relative of the ginger family. If you are familiar with these exotically intoxicating perfumed blooms please let me know what they are...
SUNDAY 19th TRUST: With the monsoon rain and growling thunder, a baking day at home was required. I set out just trusting the power would remain and got lucky. My trust was rewarded although it was out for several hours later in the evening
MONDAY 20th NATURE MACRO: A fragrant Ylang Ylang bloom in the garden of the pool where we swam again this afternoon
TUESDAY 21st WILD: Monks are not the first thing you think of as wild. However, once we get going on an activity and the competitive aspect cuts in, things get pretty wild in our outdoor classroom. Here the race to be the first to complete their colour alphabet one letter at a time relay style, is in action
WEDNESDAY 22nd KISSES: An archive shot and who could resist, Elephant Nature Park’s naughtiest pachyderm-Hope. Raised by Lek after being orphaned he hands out sloppy kisses to all. The one and only time I’ve ever been kissed by hefalump and Ian captured the moment
THURSDAY 23rd BRIGHTLY COLOURED: pencils for our little monks: purchased from recent donations and part of an ever-growing mountain of resources we carry back and forth every lesson
FRIDAY 24th NINE: These nine little monks are the current members of the English class we teach. We began with twelve and only six of these are from that original group. Some have gone and returned, some are new and some have disappeared completely but we persist and these nine are more than enough to keep us on our toes, especially with the addition of two enthusiastic village boys who could not be persuaded not to come
SATURDAY 25th ROUND: wagon wheels utilized in the fence of a local hotel. Very few wagons are still operational but we do see them pulled by oxen on the local roads occasionally
SUNDAY 26th WALL: Detail in a section of an old, ornate wall, from one of the many abandoned colonial mansions in ruins in Kep
MONDAY 27th ON THE GROUND: My own footprint just before the tidal wash erases it, brings to mind the old adage - “take only photographs, leave only footprints...”
TUESDAY 28th SILENCE: These silent sentinels stand watch over the little monks we teach. The monks engage in raucous play and shouting in their presence but settle into silence when we get into the writing in exercise books task
WEDNESDAY 29th A PAIR: This one brought out the English teacher in me. Nine individual items we always refer to as a pair in English. I could only think of one more and I didn’t want to disassemble my bike for the handlebars just to include them in picture
THURSDAY 30th YES: to my first attempt at growing orchids and seeing this new bloom on the stem that was once without any hint of flowers. Also, yes to the first truly blue sky and maybe just maybe an end to the monsoon and accompanying rain
FRIDAY 31st RED: So Many Asian cultures and cuisines revolved around the humble chilli and Khmer is no exception. We regularly receive them free with a few spring onions and a handful of herbs at the vegetable market. My preference is for red over green but it’s Ian that is the true addict and any colour is OK so long as it packs a punch
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