THE PROMPTS
SUNDAY 1st ONE COLOUR: Anyone who knows me knows that would be orange. If there is a choice of colours available I’ll always choose orange. Just a flat lay of a random selection of orange things in the house at the moment
MONDAY 2nd FLOWERS: I don’t know what kind of flowers these are but I do often admire them. They grow in the gorgeous garden of a very dear friend
TUESDAY 3rd SUGAR: Vegan chocolate coconut brownies for dessert tonight. PAD you made me do it!
WEDNESDAY 4th NATURE: Nothing quite soothes the soul like sunset at the sea. My go to place for nature’s blessings
THURSDAY 5th IN THE MIDDLE: This is my favourite Cambodian snack. They are made of sticky rice and there is fresh coconut cooked in palm sugar in the middle. We buy them at least once a week for the monks. After today’s class there were two left over so we each got one too
FRIDAY 6th BIRD: An archive shot of a kingfisher sitting on the branch outside our bedroom window in Rangjung, Bhutan. Of the many bird shots, I have, this is my all-time favourite. This was a regular resting spot from which it could view the river below and swoop in to catch a meal. I dubbed this spot the singing tree at the time as so many different species of birds perched there and sang joyfully in the mornings, over the two-year period we lived in that house
SATURDAY 7th SOMETHING I DO EVERY DAY: would be drink coffee and read. It’s the simple quiet life that soothes my soul
SUNDAY 8th A FAVOURITE WORD: I was going to choose gratitude as it’s something I practice every day but the wordsmith in me had to select “Coddiwomple”, meaning to travel purposefully towards and as-yet-unknown destination. I want to perfect this talent
MONDAY 9th A CORNER OF MY HOME: This my favourite corner of the living room. I like it because the serene and calming mood it creates provides a perfect reading nook. The morning light at breakfast time today seemed to perfectly illuminate the mandala
TUESDAY 10th OLDER: Early yesterday morning two of the older monks in our class came to visit us at home to tell us that there would be no classes this week. They are all off on a road trip to visit Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri this week. I am so happy for them and thrilled that they were considerate enough to come and inform us. Actually, they are all getting older now and I might have to drop the little monks of Kep moniker
WEDNESDAY 11th THIS MAKES ME HAPPY: So, a friend contacts me this morning and says she’ll pop over for a coffee. I immediately decide I better bake something as it’s not often this happens these days. I decided on chocolate muffins, baked them and then by the time they cooled and I sprinkled them with icing sugar, she informed me she was on the way! Baking always makes me happy and sharing makes me happier - just donated two to our new neighbours
THURSDAY 12th GRASS: Rice is the seed of a grass and right now it’s harvest time here in Kep. The variety eaten here is Oryza Sativa- Asian rice. This bunch came from a paddy that will be harvested this afternoon
FRIDAY 13th SOMETHING I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: is definitely love. I was all set to post a shot of my partner and then realised that he is not a something so it wasn’t at all appropriate so this archive shot from NYC 2017 covers both options
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SATURDAY 14th THE WEATHER TODAY: was hot and sunny so we waited until late afternoon to swim so we could enjoy the twilight at our favourite viewing spot on our walk
SUNDAY 15th WAVES: The perfect prompt for today’s picnic and boat trip in Kep Bay. Although for most of the day, the ocean was almost completely flat, except for the wake created by the boat, on the way back there were actually a few gentle waves lapping the side of the boat with shoals of tiny silver fish leaping out of them. It feels like such a privilege to be able to share such a simple outdoor activity with friends when so much of the world is in lockdown, confinement or quarantine. Feeling blessed
MONDAY 16th SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL: is most definitely a swim in this gorgeous pool set in the middle of a lovely garden at twilight after a long, hot humid day
TUESDAY 17th WHAT I’M DOING TODAY: I’m back in the classroom with our little monks and encouraging correct spelling on the board and full sentences and clear pronunciation as they give their 4 sentence summaries of vehicles. It was thumbs up for good concentration and application this morning .... now to work on actually listening to each other!
WEDNESDAY 18th MY FAVOURITE FOOD: I don’t really have one favourite but I’m keen on the eat a rainbow philosophy of food and salads, so this is it. My signature dish Beijing Salad, which is my individual adaptation of a street food we used to get in Beijing in the 1990’s, hence the name. This bowl was part of last night’s Chinese banquet for a birthday celebration
THURSDAY 19th I WENT HERE: Today I was taking a shot for this prompt today when I stepped forward and my foot slid out from under me in water and so I went here: to Emergency at the Sonia Kill Memorial Hospital. Having fractured my kneecap. I have just undergone a procedure and a screw has been inserted!
This is the photo I intended to post
FRIDAY 20th STARTS WITH T: I’m going with teaching starts with T. This was taken during our class yesterday and that may well be the last class I teach for the next couple of months as a result of the accident that happened about five minutes later. Two to three months of healing and rehabilitation before I’m cycling back to the pagoda again, is the verdict of the experts, who reconstructed my knee yesterday afternoon. Couldn’t let this opportunity to showcase our clever little monks go by so teaching and of course learning it is
SATURDAY 21st THIS OR THAT: My lunch choices today included sticky rice with beans and bananas purchased in the local market or homemade cassava, corn, peanut and basil soup. I chose the soup. Both breakfast and lunch in bed today as I begin the rehabilitation process. I will make an effort to get up for dinner I promise
SUNDAY 22nd UPSIDE DOWN: An archive shot of shenanigans that took place on a day trip to Bokor with friends earlier this year, before the world turned upside down and it was possible to be light-hearted and playful. Hopefully things will turn right side up soon
MONDAY 23rd SHARP: I’m no big fan of cacti but there were a couple in pots at our house when we moved in and they have thrived. This one has devilish thorns that are so sharp and I have accidentally been caught on it a few times. Nowadays I have placed it in a safer location and do my best to avoid it
TUESDAY 24th SERENITY: meaning the absence of stress or anxiety, is embodied in the sight and sounds of prayer flags flapping over the mountains. I can recall standing under them and closing my eyes to listen to the sound of the wind and feeling completely calm. Yet again this is an archive shot. Given my lack of mobility at the moment I’m guessing there may well be a few archive shots for a while. At least it brought me enormous pleasure to peruse so many Bhutan photos this morning
WEDNESDAY 25th THIS SEASON: is harvest season. The rains have almost stopped and the harvesting is underway. This was taken just over two weeks ago and the grain has been completely processed now. We were given a beautiful bag of dried, threshed, and polished fragrant, white rice yesterday and plan to eat some with dinner tonight. It must also be the season for kindness because so many lovely people have rallied around and supported me in recent days
THURSDAY 26th AN EDGE: of the second-hand, wooden Japanese platter I am currently using as a tray at my bedside
FRIDAY 27th A PICTURE OF ME: taken today in the hospital after my first check up after surgery a week ago. I actually wanted to see the Physio but she was on leave and then after two hours waiting and being attended to, I was so exhausted and relieved that we could go home now I found my smile
SATURDAY 28th OUT OF FOCUS: The spinning movement of a prayer wheel captured and that out of focus blur being exactly what I was aiming for. Another archive shot from Bhutan. Another lazy stroll down memory lane while lack of mobility ties me to the house
SUNDAY 29th A VIEW: I never tire of. Kep Bay at twilight taken two weeks ago when we last rode by, stopped and took the millionth photo from that view point. Current goal is to do that again in Jan 2021 when things are going to be so much better
MONDAY 30th TINY PEOPLE: Ian was Class teacher, English teacher, Science teacher, Technology teacher, Sports teacher and Teacher-Librarian spending most of his working day with these tiny people for our last year of teaching in Bhutan. They were a class of just 5 and an incredible bond developed between them and us. They are still in contact via social media and have grown into amazing young people and they still love “their sir” but maybe not quite as much as me!