MAY 1st I AM: trying to hold it lightly and keep the faith
MAY 2nd I HELD THIS: very old iPad which has just been repaired and I only ever use for reading as I do almost every day being mindful of the fact that it’s a privilege to have time to read for pleasure
MAY 3rd I WALKED HERE: yesterday evening returning home from a stroll along riverside. It is the same small street we use early in the morning after visiting the market but it sure looks different at night
*this one was selected for the fabbers grid on Instagram and I must say I love it too
MAY 4th I FEEL: a little lost at the moment actually but this afternoon we saw from our terrace and then in the street the huge parade honouring Buddha Day or Vesak Bochea Day as it is known here so I can honestly say I feel blessed. Having never seen it before I’m glad we scurried to Wat Phnom and witnessed it
MAY 5th I SAW: these exact images of the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha on ox carts in the parade through the streets yesterday and today I saw them in Wat Ounalom as we took the shortcut through the temple grounds trying to avoid the heat walking home
MAY 6th I LOVE: to travel. This was taken on this day in 2013 in Monduli Juu Tanzania
MAY 7th I LIKE TO EAT: a rainbow every day. Homemade, fresh food made from scratch and containing all the colours of the rainbow is the staple in our household
MAY 8th I HAVE: a new drought resistant portulaca plant that I bought from a roving plant cart in the street yesterday so of course it now looks like the monsoon has now begun as we are in the midst of a thunder, lightning and rain storm
MAY 9th I READ THIS: I was so pleased with myself reading this and knowing that it is the name of Buddha’s faithful companion. The plaque is on the wall of a property I knew to be used as a mediation retreat so it seemed perfect, that was until the Khmer owner explained to me that it means “bliss” in Khmer and that was her intention. Well that’s perfect too really
MAY 10th I STOOD HERE: yesterday afternoon after a long-awaited swim. It’s heaven in the water and my go to meditation and wellbeing routine. Finding my way back to me again
MAY 11th I WORK HERE: in the kitchen most days. This was the beginning of a dish using Greek pilaf and steamed spinach to make dolmades. We can’t get vine leaves here so I improvised
MAY 12th I LIKE TO: try to create a calm and tranquil aesthetic inside our home and delight in purchasing local flowers regularly for the sheer pleasure they bring
MAY 13th ON WEEKENDS I: have no particular agenda and let my mood take me wherever. Today it was to take a walk through a district we usually only ever see from a Tuk Tuk and that’s where I saw this giant wall art
MAY 14th I LOVE THIS VIEW: of Phnom Penh taken from a favourite rooftop bar that we haven’t actually been to for a while so this might just inspire another visit before the monsoon season settles in
MAY 15th I KNOW: from experience that despite it being two and a half years since I shattered my kneecap, if I don’t regularly do the strength and balance training exercises it gets more painful and less flexible. This is the location in the apartment where I always do them as the countertops either side allow me to catch myself and never fall. That’s the remaining real-life fear; falling again. Taken on timer on selfie mode
MAY 16th I CREATE: photographs, tranquil interior decor, exercise routines, lesson plans, memories, blogs, sweet treats, collages, eco wraps, flower displays, travel plans, healthy vegetarian meals, and calming, green outdoor spaces. The latter was the focus of attention for a large part of this morning and gardening like many of the other activities creates a sense of inner peace
MAY 17th I BOUGHT: this Miao minority group, embroidered child’s tunic in a market in Guizhou China over twenty-five years ago and I’m thrilled it now hangs in our apartment
MAY 18th I LOVE THIS TIME OF DAY: when drink o’clock meets sunset and a flash of blue colour in the sky makes you believe the torrential rain, thunder and lightning is a blessing because it clears the air and your mind
MAY 19th I LIKE TO DRINK: iced coffee, but only in a real glass, in a cool, shady outdoor setting and preferably somewhere I’ve not been before and certainly never in plastic or with a plastic straw. That set of criteria is not always easy to meet but today’s prompt inspired me to get out and enjoy a treat
MAY 20th I DON’T LIKE TO: watch as the workers who have been fixing leaks and replacing the guttering clamber over dangerous ledges and the anti-theft security screens and hoist themselves onto the roof from this ladder. I’ve been hiding indoors until they are safely back on the terrace and the work is complete
MAY 21st I WENT TO: The World of Mouy Chorm Fashion exhibition opening last night and I can definitely say as original and interesting as the garments were, I was not tempted to buy any of them and don’t think they suit the lifestyle or climate here at all
MAY 22nd ON MONDAYS I: love to visit the local market early in the morning when everything is fresh and restock the fridge for the coming week. There are stalls with more exotic produce, more colourful displays and a greater volume of goods but this vendor has the best smile and is always cheerful
MAY 23rd I ONCE: walked the catwalk in clothes designed by a friend as a part of her final year of Fashion Design. This prompt called for an archive shot and this is a photo of a photo
MAY 24th I SAT HERE: on a bar stool in our favourite rooftop bar with the Phnom Penh skyline and dramatic monsoon skies as the backdrop
MAY 25th I CAN: now tell the difference between the two different species of hornbills which we regularly see in Phnom Penh. Tonight, we were happy to spot both Greater Hornbills and Wreathed Hornbills in their favourite location at Wat Phnom. The only one I could capture on the wing with my phone was the wreathed variety
MAY 26th I CAN’T: see without my glasses these days and I can’t imagine life without being able to read either. However, I do love my new glasses
MAY 27th I LIVE: here in Phnom Penh. This was taken earlier this week from a sky bar only a couple of blocks from home
MAY 28th I DO THIS ON SUNDAYS: Actually, I have no particular routine on Sunday or any other day for that matter. The one thing I can think of is that I try to remember to swap the indoor snake plant for the one on the terrace so that both get a week in the outdoors and a week indoors. Even then I don’t always remember to do it! The joy of retirement
MAY 29th I WORE THIS: Twenty-six years ago, after fourteen years together, on the day we were married, I wore this traditional Japanese “haori” gifted to me by my closest Japanese friend, with pants and a camellia in my hair. It was a private ceremony with only two witnesses and a photo shoot in the Adelaide Botanical Gardens. I still own it and wear it and love it
MAY 30th I FOUND: this tiny, Japanese, ceramic figurine among our possessions in Adelaide earlier this year and now it has pride of place on a shelf in the bedroom. The peacock feather was also a street find when we first arrived in Phnom Penh
MAY 31st I DID THIS GOOD THING: This morning I baked oatmeal cookies with dates, mango, pineapple, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and chocolate chips because tomorrow we will visit a friend at her work place and they have had a very busy week and deserve a treat
THE PROMPTS
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