oNe PhOtO a DaY FeBrUaRy 2020

THE PROMPTS 

SATURDAY 1st IMPERFECT: The movement and ripples on the water create an imperfect reflection but the beauty of nature is still revealed

SUNDAY 2nd IN MY CUP: is a rare treat of hot latte, which was the reward after yesterday’s 10-kilometer hike in the National Park

MONDAY 3rd DOORWAY: The rustic and discreet doorway off a back lane to one of Kep’s perfectly serene but luxurious waterfront resorts

TUESDAY 4th IN MY HAND: is my awesome, orange, traditional, basket packed and ready to go for and over-night stay on Rabbit Island. Travel light and travel far

WEDNESDAY 5th TELL A STORY: Our tribe gets together on Tuesdays when most people don’t work. We are an evolving number but our overnight stay on Rabbit Island last night included 5 nationalities, 4 native languages, 3 females, 2 locals and one hellava lot of fun. Just for interest there was a 53-year age difference between the youngest and oldest. It’s always a hoot and diversity is the key

THURSDAY 6th FLOWER: I only know the common name of “Lobster Claw” for these flowers but I adore them. I was trying to juggle the shade to get a photo of this one when it was offered to me as a gift. How lucky am I?

FRIDAY 7th BEGINS WITH F: Fresh fish for sale in the Kampot market this morning

SATURDAY 8th I HAVE TOO MANY: scarves but as you can see I’m incorrigible enough to be still buying new ones. This is a small sample of those I have here in Cambodia but I know there are several dozen more in storage in Oz. These were purchased in 5 different countries and one is at least twenty years old and the colour palette exactly matches my clothing..... so yes I'm obsessed

SUNDAY 9th SILENCE: “Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom” Francis Bacon

MONDAY 10th WRITING: We often do a ‘write and wipe’ activity in our classes for phonics or spelling. Recently we replaced the laminated sheets and marker pens with chalk on the desks to be more environmentally friendly. This was taken a week ago when we were reviewing sight words the boys know

TUESDAY 11th SKYLINE: An archive shot of the iconic NYC skyline, taken when we had the rare privilege of being able to live there for a month to celebrate my 60th birthday. Memorable moments

WEDNESDAY 12th THE SMALL THINGS: It’s the small things we do every day that make a big difference. Making every decisions count - saying no to plastic, doing the little I can to save the planet; living with gratitude and making healthy, sustainable choices

THURSDAY 13th ON THE GROUND: The mold that is used to create the decorations used on the temple currently under construction at the pagoda where we teach the little monks. The top of the outside walls of the temple will be covered in these decorative pieces eventually but for now both the mold and the pieces made from it are drying in the shade on the ground inside the as yet unfinished space.

FRIDAY 14th I LOVE THIS: archive photo of us taken a few years ago when we were so completely at home in a culture we adore and admire. We were feeling content, relaxed, happy and comfortable in our own skins. Many thanks to McKenny for taking this shot. It is a totally memorable moment. There are so few photos of me that I even like but I do love this one and the memories it evokes

SATURDAY 15th GET IN THE PHOTO: Almost every time we go past the giant crab someone is trying to take this shot, so after living here for over two and a half years this prompt inspired me to have a go.

SUNDAY 16 WINGS: A depiction of Garuda on the walls of a temple in Kep. Garuda is a mythical figure half eagle and half man. He is the mount of Vishnu in Hindu mythology and a symbol of birth and heaven and the sun and fire in the Buddhist context. For this reason, he is almost always depicted in red and gold in Cambodia. He retains the beak, wings and talons of a bird and is considered a warrior

MONDAY 17th LEAF: I often put leaves in a vase and love the colours in this particular leaf. I was astounded to see this leaf grew roots in the vase and now that the original plant has disappeared from the garden, I will have to plant it out

TUESDAY 18th SHOW HALF: Two delicious drinks consumed on our day out in Kampot - pineapple with mint and iced coffee

WEDNESDAY 19th MORE THAN ONE: size, more than one pattern and more than one use - today’s eco-wrap production in preparation for the up-coming market

THURSDAY 20th GROWING: Two brothers, both monks. One with a little growing still to do but both demonstrating a sound knowledge of phonics and a willingness to learn

FRIDAY 21st FRI-YAY: Homemade frittata and salad with feta for dinner with a good book to keep me company while Ian steps in as the pizza delivery person tonight to help out a friend

SATURDAY 22nd HOME DECOR: A tranquil and calming corner of our living room with simple home decor created from treasures from Bhutan and Cambodia

SUNDAY 23rd BIG & SMALL: bungchu or woven containers from Bhutan. They were traditionally used to carry meals and eat from but they are now used for a multitude of purposes. This is the biggest and newest one I possess and also the smallest and oldest one. They are in fact made much, much larger too but to my knowledge never made smaller. The smallest one is used as a holder for my favourite traditional brooch and the large one is intended as a gift

MONDAY 24th CORNER: An aesthetically pleasing, little corner at the entrance to a very dear friend’s house in Kep

TUESDAY 25th HEART SHAPED: In today’s class my self-inking, heart shaped stamp proved to be just too tempting and a few tattoos were definitely in order

WEDNESDAY 26th WHITE ON WHITE: with that resort vibe of Bougainvillea on the sand

THURSDAY 27th DELICIOUS: I think his face says it all! The little monks of Kep were treated to pizza today by generous donors and they really couldn’t have been happier about it. 13 boys and 5 pizzas devoured in approximately 5 minutes! No doubt about it, it was delicious or as they chose to say, “Very ឆ្ងាញ់ chhngnh!”

Same day a group shot – looks like everyone agrees

FRIDAY 28th UNDER: This was taken in yesterday’s class while we were reviewing food vocabulary filling in time as we waited for our pizza delivery. Under all those hands is a picture of an apple. The little monks of Kep never tire of this game. “Hands on heads. Touch apple.”

SATURDAY 29th REPEAT: Umbrellas, loungers and tables for hire early in the morning when only a few locals have hit the sand. By afternoon it will be packed solid and the competing boom boxes and karaoke of picnickers’ will be deafening