oNe PhOtO a DaY jAnUaRy 2023:

JANUARY 1st ME, TODAY: in my happy place at the pool having just completed my laps and changed coz I forgot I was going to take a pic while I was in the water. Starting the year as I mean to continue looking after my own wellbeing

 

JANUARY 2nd BLACK & WHITE: is the perfect format for the traditional Khmer house room in our hotel in Battambang. Off on a new / old adventure as of today

 

JANUARY 3rd YUM: Freshly squeezed pineapple and orange juice in a cute little cafe in Battambang. I love the address printed on the glass. Not too many places have a street one and a half!

JANUARY 4th A PAIR OF SUNGLASSES: In Cambodia these guard dogs, referred to as 'Dvarapalas' are found at the entrances, the perimeters of stupas and prayer halls inside the compounds and along fences to temples. Their primary purpose is to protect the temples. Today I had a little fun with this one at Piphetthearam Temple and they aren’t really sunglasses but my transitional reading glasses but that’s why I don’t need sunnies anymore

DECEMBER 5th RANDOM BEAUTY: I just couldn’t resist playing with the menu in Miss Wong Cocktail Bar tonight. A birthday celebration for a travelling buddy in the quirky Shanghai cigarette girl poster girls’ decor

JANUARY 6th STREET FOOD: It’s not every day that street food is served to you as a treat in the hotel lobby. This hotel has really spoilt us on this our third visit and we were greeted with two of these plates of typical street desserts on our return from viewing sunset at Angkor Wat today

JANUARY 7th THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Today we visited the breathtakingly beautiful Ta Phrom, which is the temple featured in Indian Jones film “Tomb Raider.” (2001) The great outdoors has definitely ventured indoors in this and many locations but it’s the sheer majesty of nature surrounding the structures that adds to the awe, at this the world’s largest temple complex, inspires

 

JANUARY 8th MINIMALISM: Whilst I love the aesthetic of the Khmer script, there is definitely no comprehension on my behalf. Only the English, which possibly doesn’t even relate to the sign, conveys anything to me! Minimalism in terms of language skills?

JANUARY 9th AN ENTRANCE: that was built in the tenth century and is ornate and inviting. It reveals the impressive treasures of Bantey Srei, the Citadel of Women and my all-time favourite of the temples in Angkor Archaeological Park.  The only one I never want to miss

JANUARY 10th A FAVOURITE BOOK: I don’t really have an all-time favourite but I am tempted to re-read this one now, having just returned from Siem Reap and our fourth visit to the temples of Angkor Wat. It really does provide a lot of insight into the tenth century society that existed when Angkor was a living city and that gave me a new perspective on what I was seeing this time round

JANUARY 11th FRIUT IN A BOWL: Just those purchased yesterday in the market for our breakfasts and mostly already consumed with yoghurt today

 

JANUARY 12th GRATITUDE: I have so much to be grateful for today. I have my beautiful sister travelling with me, we finally got a train trip and to one of our favourite places in Cambodia, we have seen the countryside we know and love so well and many old friends. Gratitude attitude

 

JANUARY 13th PETS: abound in the temples and this one is a favourite of the little monks of Kep. Although this little monk looks like he is strangling the cat, he is actually just trying to get it to face the camera. Killing it with kindness

 

JANUARY 14th A WATER VIEW: Yesterday we took the Crab Shuttle from Kep to Kampot and we had spectacular water views of the coastline and mangroves but for me at least, the final leg on the river just before sunset as the fishing boats were all heading out for the night was the highlight

 

JANUARY 15th PATTERNS IN THE SKY: Beams of coloured light illuminating the sky behind the big durian in Kampot

*this one was selected for the fab 4 on Instagram. Yay, yay, yay

 

JANUARY 16th THE COLOUR YELLOW: The spectacular Japanese meal we had tonight at a lovely local place included these two dishes which were predominantly yellow. Feeling the love

JANUARY 17th FOOD AND DRINK: Popcorn counts as food, right? A bit heavy on the drinks aspect but signature G&Ts are definitely worth the splurge. We did actually eat a delicious meal here too but there were no drinks in that shot

 

JANUARY 18th SHADOWS & LIGHT: We visited the Air Gallery at The Factory today and saw some incredibly creative and talented photographers’ work, which included many images playing with the idea of light, shadows and exposure but it seemed like cheating to photograph a photograph, so I present my attempt in the outdoor zone of this creative art space inside a converted factory

JANUARY 19th BREATHTAKING: After almost seven years in the country we finally made it to the Royal Palace today and buildings, Buddhas, gardens and especially the murals really were breath taking. This was my favourite shot of the day

JANUARY 20th IN THE KITCHEN: tonight’s monster rainbow salad, greens, Camembert and Dukkah dinner sitting on the bench top since it is already beer o’clock on Saturday in the Kingdom of Wonder

*This one was selected in the fab grid for this prompt 

and Ian's was too, our kitchen appeared twice for one prompt

 

JANUARY 21st IN THE SUN: We just arrived in M’Pai Bay and it’s a sheer delight to be facing this magnificent view and several days of lazing about in the sun

 

JANUARY 22nd ONE: All the boats on the island we are staying on dock at a new concrete pier but there is still one very old, very decrepit wooden jetty at our favourite swimming spot

 

JANUARY 23rd A VINTAGE SIGN: This vintage sign we stumbled upon on an early morning walk this morning has ocean views over the fishing boats and all the feel-good beach vibes

 

JANUARY 24th 5 O’CLOCK: It’s rare for me to be up before sunrise but I was this morning. Today we return to Phnom Penh after a relaxing time on Koh Rong Sanloem

 

JANUARY 25th A FAVOURITE COLOUR: With me it’s not so much a favourite but the favourite colour - orange. We are yet again enjoying happy hour cocktails and this isn’t even my drink. I couldn’t make myself order Aperol Spritz when I actually don’t like it much but a lovely young lady in the bar let me photograph hers! The things we do for PAD

 

JANUARY 26th EVERYDAY MOMENTS: As a part of my gratitude practice I try to take a moment every day to observe and appreciate the quirky, aesthetic, beautiful or absurd aspects of the world around me. Today’s find was this piece of art in a cafe I have been in many times before without noticing

JANUARY 27th EXPLORING MY CITY: Chinese New Year is coming up and by following the sound of the drumming while we were at the market, we stumbled upon this incredible aerial scene. They are practicing for the Lion Dance they will perform repetitively for the celebrations to come

 

JANUARY 28th STAIRS: Escalators count as stairs and these are the ones I didn’t want to see my sister climb today at the airport. After a month in Cambodia she left this morning and we already miss her dearly and are eagerly awaiting the next visit

 

JANUARY 29th STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: We pass this little cafe regularly when we go to the market and I have dubbed it the cyclo cafe as the cyclo riders all park on the corner and have cold drinks there after their morning market runs. I was thrilled to capture it with two cyclos with passengers passing by and all the regular cyclos parked outside and the riders within

JANUARY 30th A GLASS OF WATER: It’s a bit tricky to dress up a glass of water but I gave it my best shot with an ice cube, a slice of lime and a stainless-steel straw to say nothing of standing it on my newest coaster as the inaugural drink!

 

JANUARY 31st ON PAPER: Most of the advertising in these parts is neon, painted directly onto the walls and fences or laminated paper hanging on security doors. This old printed on paper ad was a real find in our laneway wandering today and I recognize enough of the Chinese characters to guess it’s a money lending company. Now, long defunct I would guess from the state of the wall and paper

 

THE PROMPTS

 

 

A Visual Feast in PP

With images from village life, Kanha Hui’s photography embellished with paint, thread, ink, stencil and paper cut techniques tells a story of identity. Her work touches on feminism and self-determination, critically examining the traditional roles of women and children in her society. The current exhibition was inspired by the Cambodian proverb, “Men are like gold,

Women are like white cloth.” It’s well-known and means men are able to recover from their past missteps and shine themselves off again to their original brilliance unlike women who carry the stain of their mistakes forever.

 

I guess this spoke to me because I struggle to comprehend, adapt to the current systematic changes and fit in socially when I return to my “village.” This artist not only returns to her village but questions the status quo and establishes community art projects for women to participate in and thereby build self-esteem and connection beyond the household duties the women mostly engage in.

 

I’m thankful for opportunities for visual stimulation that the capital can provide. There are many locations in the city where contemporary and inspirational art and photography can be seen.

 

In particular we regularly enjoy the selections of Stan at the Gallerist for the images we are able to view as a result of his enterprise and network of young talented Cambodian artists.

Although the above-mentioned exhibition is being staged elsewhere the current work in his gallery is also a thought provoking and passionate expression of pressing social issues and the environmental concerns of young Khmer artists. Of course, of particular interest to us were the magnificent large format hornbill pieces.

 

 

At the moment the Photo Phnom Penh Festival 2023 is taking place and establishments all over the city are exhibiting work from both local and international photographers.

 

The collection by Kim Hak at the Institute Français du Camboge depicts a ten-year period in Cambodia with images from many provinces. Some familiar and still visible rural scenes contrast starkly with those depicting the cityscapes, which greatly differ from the current visual in our urban environment.

 

Olivia Gay’s scenes of everyday life in France provide a vibrant backdrop to the quiet courtyard and contemporary open space adjoining the library of the same venue.

 

The Factory also currently has a collection of both foreign and Khmer acclaimed photographers’ images as a part of this festival in addition to the contemporary art, which is hung and the street art images, which adorn both internal and external walls throughout the complex.  

Reoccurring themes of development, environment, society, culture and tradition are featured in the diverse offerings of the photographers and artists on show at Air Gallery by Sar’art. Each has a specific style and perspective of lived-in spaces and highlights the forces of change.

There is a collection on the external wall of the French Embassy, which always has a thematic exhibit on display as well as images in hotel lobbies and various other venues around the city. It’s a feast for the eyes and an insightful reflection of the ever-evolving landscape of our times.

 

There are still more photographers to discover in this two-month long festival and we are looking forward to doing exactly that.

 

Visual stimulation and insightful creativity are more reason to love living where we do. Gratitude Attitude.