Tuesday, October 31, 2023

oNe PhOtO a DaY OcToBer 2023:

 


OCTOBER 1st RED: wine! A rare treat in Cambodia. Glad to be me



OCTOBER 2nd BLACK: driftwood washed in on the tide and looking artistic against the white sand in Saracen Bay



OCTOBER 3rd WHITE: Long stretch of white, sandy beach without a single other soul in sight. That’s island life

 


OCTOBER 4th GREEN: Yesterday we did a short jungle hike - more like a bush bash as us Aussies might say and the end point after walking through walls of green was this rapidly flowing waterfall. The overnight monsoon rain had added substantially to the volume of water and a delightful young compatriot volunteered to guide us having been there the day before. Today is all about returning home- speedboats, tuk tuk and buses with a bit of luck and a fair wind we’ll see the sunset from the terrace



OCTOBER 5th BLUE: I’m going with this shot of the faded blue of the facade, doors and shutters in an old residence in Kampot. It’s from the archive and one of my all-time favourite images of Cambodia especially now that that it has disappeared due to renovations

 


OCTOBER 6th YELLOW: I have no idea what these flowers are used for but it must be a Khmer dish as they are always available fresh in the market and always attract a million tiny bees

 


OCTOBER 7th PURPLE: These tiny, local eggplants about the size of a quail egg, are popular across South East Asia and used in soups, curries and hotpot dishes. I find them rather bitter and prefer the elongated variety but they are in abundant supply in the markets at the moment



OCTOBER 8th AQUA: Out on a Sunday afternoon stroll keeping our eyes peeled for aqua. We decided to stop for gelato and this little aqua hare doorstop caught my eye



OCTOBER 9th PINK: Nothing says the tropics like frangipani flowers. Pink frangipani and the fragrance is the bonus



OCTOBER 10th GREY: A grey shadow selfie inspired by the grey planks of the deck and the bright sunshine today. Swimming for sanity; my movement meditation routine that clears the monkey mind and brings inner peace - Om Mani Padme Hum

 


OCTOBER 11th BROWN: Gifts from nature discovered on our urban wanderings and now a brown bouquet in the guest room

 


OCTOBER 12th ORANGE: Anyone who knows me knows….

 


OCTOBER 13th NEUTRAL TONES: my collection of sea shells in a glass jar in the bathroom. Displaying the neutral tones of nature in water to make the colours shine


 

OCTOBER 14th FAVE COLOUR: Mine is orange and today is the middle day of the three-day holiday for Pchum Ben. The second most important religious festival in Cambodia and we were at Wat Ounalom early this morning to take in the activities of families honouring their ancestors and celebrating with offerings. It was a hive of activity and all the monks were resplendent in their orange robes

 


OCTOBER 15th BLACK + WHITE: of the inner-city scape: the imprint left on the wall when an adjoining building is demolished

 


OCTOBER 16th STRIPES: This pattern of vertical and horizontal stripes denotes a temple or monastery of the Theravada Buddhist faith. This particular one is Mongkolvan Monastery, and it is currently festooned with both flags and buntings after a recent refurbishment and for the Khmer Pchum Ben festival, which officially ended yesterday. We stopped in this morning to enjoy the tranquillity of the grounds dressed in all their finery. For vegetarians like us these flags also alert us to the fact that particular food outlets are 100% pure vegetarian


 

OCTOBER 17th FLORAL: Today’s purchase at the local market as a floral offering for our home altar

 


OCTOBER 18th POP OF COLOUR: Not just any colour but definitely my favourite and one of my favourite subjects too. Orange monks



OCTOBER 19th ONE COLOUR: The chocolate brown of freshly roasted local coffee cooling off on the footpath. It was the wafting scent in the air that attracted me to the scene and the process was fascinating 


 
1. Spinning the drum to cool the beans after they have been roasted over charcoal


2. Cooling off 


3. Spraying with a solution of palmsugar and water, which creates a caramel flavour 


4. Finally spreading the beans out to complete cooling before grinding as required 

*That's the complete local process for roasting which we smell from our fourth floor apartment regularly including today. Just in case you are a curious coffee addict like me 

 


OCTOBER 20th TWO COLOURS: The gold and brown design of windows in a local pagoda

 


OCTOBER 21st PATTERN: The pattern of shadows cast on the ceiling in our bedroom due to light from the outside shining through the breather bricks of the side wall, which you can see on the right side of the image. Just one of the many original features of our apartment, which I adore

 


OCTOBER 22nd MATCHING: architectural features in these adjoining apartments in Phnom Penh. Remnants of a bygone era lovingly restored and maintained

 


OCTOBER 23rd DARK: The dark selfie reflection in the puddle of rain on the flagstones surrounding the pool today seemed ominously like my mood in recent times

 


OCTOBER 24th LIGHT: The beautiful atrium in the centre of a traditional deco cinema building converted to a boutique hotel in Kampot. The perfect spot to appreciate the natural light, and blue sky while enjoying a delicious lunch

 


OCTOBER 25th PASTEL: We have recently started sending snail mail to friends and family again and I am always on the lookout for local images to post. Recent purchases include this set of pastel toned cards



OCTOBER 26th VIBRANT: art deco interior design is just one of the inspiring features of the Hotel Old Cinema in Kampot. Each room has its own individual tropical mural and a unique design. It’s got all the feel-good vibes. We can’t wait to go back

 

OCTOBER 27th GOLD: The pre-packaged boxes sold at various stalls in the markets and always purchased to give as an offering at pagodas. I’m always intrigued about what they may contain but I assume it would be a complete set of new robes for a newly ordained monk

 


OCTOBER 28th SILVER: The five silver rings I always wear. Each one was bought in a different country and for a specific special occasion. All of them are battered and scratched and I love them all. 
It took quite the act of contortion to get them all in the shot with the phone on 10 second timer

 


OCTOBER 29th DOTTY: An archive shot of the first thing that comes to mind when I think of dots. That would be the Yayoi Kusama Exhibition



OCTOBER 30th SUNSHINE: Blue skies, thirty two degrees and sunshine over the palms on riverside. Just another day in Phnom Penh

 


OCTOBER 31st RAINBOW: When I think of rainbow colours I always think of prayer flags flapping in the wind. This is an archive shot of the covered bridge in Thimphu and one of my favourite images from that dearly loved kingdom

 


THE PROMPTS

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