JULY 1st HELLO: from me at breakfast at my favourite eatery in Phnom Penh. That’s my selfie for the month sorted too!
JULY 2nd NO FILTER: A sunset view of Phnom Penh across the Tonle Sap River with a Bhutanese prayer flag flying from the balcony of our friends’ apartment - cropped but no filter
JULY 3rd AIR: Although they look like shadows, they are actually breeze blocks which allow the air to circulate in this gorgeous, open, light gallery space at the historic Art Deco train station building in PP. The renovations are as yet incomplete but I already love it
JULY 4th DRINK: Ian’s choice at the sky bar where we celebrated his birthday was this drink. I’ve never before seen a cocktail served in an enamel mug and spritzed with whiskey at the table
JULY 5th OPEN: This long neck variety of avocado is not one I’d encountered until I arrived in Cambodia and I struggled to know if they were ripe or not at first. The only real way to be sure is to open one. This one looks perfect to me
JULY 6th GOLD: The Buddhas and acolytes in Cambodian pagodas are almost always gold. This is the shady zone, where the boys like to sit during break time. It’s just outside our classroom door in Wat Phnom Poon
JULY 7th FIRE: The outdoor food stalls in Old Market Street Kampot almost all cook on charcoal. This was the fire roasting a pumpkin and heating up for the lunchtime pizza trade this morning
JULY 8th COOL: Despite being 28°C today it was windy, rainy and overcast and most of the boys were claiming it was cold. This one decided it was cool enough to wear his blanket to class. He also thinks he is a pretty cool character!!
JULY 9th STARTS WITH C: That would be cookies and coffee at home after a walk in the monsoon rains
JULY 10th PEN: This tiny pen lives in my purse and there have been many times when I’ve been glad to have it
JULY 11th GREENERY: There is no shortage of lush green environments in this part of the world especially now during monsoon season, but that doesn’t deter the mobile motorcycle-trailers from plying a very successful trade selling locally propagated greenery. They usually travel in groups of three or four, all selling largely the same plants, and I am always thrilled to see them almost empty at the end of the day. This was the beginning of the day’s trading and there were two others parked on the opposite side of the road
JULY 12th STARTS WITH T: I love it when the original Art Deco tiles are incorporated into the renovations of old colonial buildings from a by gone era. These were discovered in Phnom Penh recently
JULY 13th BUTTON: Coconut shell buttons on a favourite Chinese style shirt. This one is a copy of the original I bought at WOMAD 10 years ago. As I loved it so much I had it copied in black hemp
JULY 14th POSITIVITY: My new one-year visa for Cambodia was recently issued and the word MULTIPLE referring to the number of entries I can make into Cambodia, gives me hope that travel restrictions will be eased and travel to international destinations may once again become possible
JULY 15th HELPFUL: If there is one helpful thing we can do to get a degree of safety for all in the current situation, economies kickstarted, community life resumed, travel options opening up and life back on track, I personally believe it’s get vaccinated. We had our first jab today and that’s Ian in the go position with eyes firmly shut and looking the other way
JULY 16th SOMETHING RED: A cockscomb flower from the garden. They just randomly pop up and bloom in various spots around the front yard and always remind me of visiting the Mogul Gardens in Srinagar, Kashmir on my very first overseas adventure many decades ago
JULY 17th SUN: Don’t even know how the sun suddenly became star shaped but that’s exactly what it looked like: no editing
July 18th “LIFE IS ….. what happens when you’re busy making other plans” - thanks John Lennon. We went out on the mangrove road for a bike ride this morning and saw so much bird life: swiftlets, egrets, hoopoes, drongos and more that 10 brilliant turquoise kingfishers. Feeling blessed
JULY 19th ALL WHITE: A spray of orchids from our garden where they seem to thrive on neglect
JULY 20th AT WORK: Although we are officially retired we do volunteer teach the little monks of Kep. It is far more like being at pleasure than being at work most of the time. This is An and Gam the two longest standing members of the class busy in today’s lesson
JULY 21st OLD: This is an old, Tibetan silver locket which actually opens. The symbol in the design is the word “Om” written in the Tibetan script used in Mahayana Buddhism and therefore religious texts in Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal and other countries in that region. I treasure it and wear it often. I only wish I had thought to put some Bhutanese soil in it before leaving the kingdom. Maybe one day I’ll have a chance to go back and do just that
JULY 22nd PETALS: Of the ten lotus blooms which grew in our pot pond - just this one didn’t open. Instead all the petals dehydrated in the intense heat. I’ve never seen a dried lotus bud before so I cut it and kept it. Now it rests in the hands of Buddha
JULY 23rd SHOP: We had to take a quick break in the class yesterday as the shaved ice vendor arrived on his motorcycle shop. For just 25 cents or 1,000 riel he will shave the block of ice into a cup add red or green syrup or both and top it off with evaporated milk. Great little one-man, low cost start-up business. If only there were a way to not use plastic cups and straws ……
JULY 24th PEACE: This is an archive shot from 2009 when I organized a student and teachers’ Japan trip for the international school, in which I was then working. These eight students got to toll the Peace Bell in Peace Park Hiroshima and learn the history of that city
JULY 25th ART: Although the gallery space in the Art Deco train station is not complete, there is still some art hanging. This piece immediately caught my eye. There is only street art here in Kep and it hasn’t stopped raining yet today so this is a shot from a couple of weeks ago when we were in the capital
JULY 26th CURVES: A favourite piece of jewellery was broken by the airline on the last trip we took! Luckily for me I discovered this on arrival in Bangkok, where I had bought it. Bingo! We went back to the same little street vendor in Khao San Road area and bought another one and when we got home to Kep I adapted the first one. So now I have two and I love them both and wear them often
JULY 27th FUEL: Just possibly the unhealthiest slice I have ever made. It was an experiment and it didn’t really set properly but it is a sticky, delicious disaster - human fuel
JULY 28th ANIMAL: This style of guardian lion is usually found in pairs guarding the entrances to temples and businesses in Cambodia but this one was solitary and seemingly abandoned but carved from beautiful marble with a patina
JULY 29 FADED: A functioning bakery in very dilapidated premises- faded glory. We have to check on it each time we visit Kampot because I so don’t want it to disappear. Anyone got a cool million to invest in a restoration project??
July 30th MY FAVE WORD: well this is one of them and an archive shot from 2017 when we last visited New York City.
“If you only carry one thing, throughout your entire life, let it be hope. Let it be hope that better things are always ahead. Let it be hope that you can get through even the toughest of times. Let it be hope that you are stronger than any challenge that comes your way. Let it be hope that you are exactly where you are meant to be right now, and that you are on the path to where you are meant to be ….. Because during these times, hope will be the very thing that carries you through.” Nikki Banas
JULY 31st DREAMY: Just another dreamy, monsoon sunset in Kep
THE PROMPTS
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