Sunday, March 1, 2026

ONe PhOtO a DaY fEbRuArY 2026

 


FEBRUARY 1st SOMETHING I SHARED: a  delicious Japanese lunch with our Bhutanese and Japanese friends in Phnom Penh today 



FEBRUARY 2nd SOMETHING PINK

These are what I have always known as thousand-year-old eggs. They are salted duck eggs. The pink is to inform buyers they are ready to eat or preserved. They sometimes have a salty flavour but are always black and gelatinous inside with a rich and savory flavour 

* surprise Facebook Fab Four selection for this one 



FEBRUARY 3rd HANDWRITTEN WORDS: of a former colleague and treasured friend, who took the time to respond to our regular snail mail missives. Whilst we don’t expect a response we do delight in receiving one. There is something very special about hand written messages especially when they are on beautiful greeting cards. I always display them 



FEBRUARY 4th SOMEONE I LOVE: with all my heart 

* this one made it into the Fab Four on Instagram 



FEBRUARY 5th MY OUTFIT TODAY: possibly the oldest pants in my clothing collection but being orange they stay until they die. The T-shirt and krama are almost as old and good enough for a quick trip to the supermarkets after a very domestic morning 

* What a surprise me being me made it into the Fab Four on Facebook 



FEBRUARY 6th THIS MADE ME SMILE: My lunch at a fabulous local cafe today is aptly named the Rainbow Bowl and for vegetarian me committed to an ‘eat a rainbow diet’, it was the obvious choice 



FEBRUARY 7th WHAT I'M READING: the signs in the streets and at the local vendors that tell me Chinese New Year is approaching fast. Time to get the annual feast organised



FEBRUARY 8th ON THE GROUND: in front of a stall in the nearby run of flower vendors a very neat little roadside altar 



FEBRUARY 9th A FAVOURITE SONG: I don’t really have an all time favourite but since hearing Elisapie live at WOMADelaide last year, my go to tune has been “Wolves Don’t Live by the Rules,” and this is the collage I created to represent it. If you haven’t heard it please do 



FEBRUARY 10th TOGETHER: today at the pool. Better together! Together through thick and thin. Together in good times and in bad. Together forever! That’s us 



FEBRUARY 11th PART OF MY ROUTINE: every morning is to water the small terrace garden we created. It brings me colour and joy every day



FEBRUARY 12th WHAT I SEE RIGHT NOW: At 9.09am it’s children’s book about dental hygiene while I’m sitting in the waiting room at the dental clinic waiting for my 9am appointment  



FEBRUARY 13th SOMETHING TASTY: it wouldn’t be a real Aussie household without a little black magic. Even here in Phnom Penh I’m definitely a Vegemite kid



FEBRUARY 14th A HEART: cutout by me and framing a few of the special people I hold close in my heart 



FEBRUARY 15th A WEEKEND VIBE: for lunch today celebrating a birthday with friends in the shaded, green courtyard with delicious mostly cold rice paper rolls as menu options, a bar with locally flavoured cocktails and a fabulous outdoor photographic exhibition by a Local Khmer 



FEBRUARY 16th SOMETHING I BORROWED: is this beautiful Bhutanese belt. The colours, design and style all speak to me but it’s not mine 



FEBRUARY 17th A FAVOURITE PHOTO: I had to shrink the parameters for this prompt or I might have spent the entire day reminiscing over photos. This is my all time favourite shot taken in Cambodia 



FEBRUARY 18th LOVE IS... When I read this prompt this morning I said I would love to see this elderly couple today but it’s not likely. We rarely see them. Returning home from an outing there they were.  I think this is their entire home and she pushes her husband, who is severely disabled through the streets. Fortunately the Khmer are kindhearted people and it is common to see families rush to offer them meals, fruit, snacks and drinks



FEBRUARY 19th A LIGHT SOURCE: that is becoming more dominant in the ever changing sky scape of Phnom Penh, is definitely neon



FEBRUARY 20th WHAT CALMS ME: is writing. Since childhood I have kept diaries and journals and now I send snail mail, write a digital journal and blog and I found it forces me to reflect and clarify and it stills my mind 



FEBRUARY 21st SOMETHING RED: The sunset tonight in Kep had an eerily intense red glow



 FEBRUARY 22nd 5PM:in the garden of or very dear Khmer friend   

 


FEBRUARY 23rd A GIFT I'VE RECEIVED: today from the abbot of the monastery where we used to teach the little monks of Kep was this multi- coloured thread blessing with a gold prayer inscribed on it. Such a lovely gesture from an inspiring and devout Buddhist practitioner 

* This one made it into the Fab Four collection on Facebook 



FEBRUARY 24th A COLOUR I LIKE: well love actually and I was surprised to find these were the only two orange items I had in my luggage this trip 



FEBRUARY 25TH SOMETHING SWEET: Jam Roly Poly with the addition of toasted walnuts and mixed berries. Inspired by this prompt, today I prepared a modern take on an old fashioned recipe my mum used to bake when I was a kid



FEBRUARY 26th IN MY BAG: just the regular assortment of items I use almost daily



FEBRUARY 27th ON THE SHELF: in our bedroom are a few of our little treasures from travels in Asia. I love seeing them and repositioning them and others in the apartment periodically



FEBRUARY 28th KINDNESS:  This Abbot with the most radiant smile is the person who most embodies kindness I have ever known        

* Abbot Phat was included in the Fabbers for this prompt 



PROMPTS



Sunday, February 1, 2026

ONe PhOtO a DaY jAnUaRy 2026

 


JANUARY 1st SOMETHING FRESH: Fresh from the provinces and on sale in the capital. One of my favourite types of mobile vendors and the kind that most often tempts me. Handmade, eco friendly, rural enterprise empowering and employing rural women and men in timeless traditions 


JANUARY 2nd  MY WORD FOR THE YEAR: is HOPE and I so often begin and end messages, letters, blogs even posts with “I hope …” I do, I genuinely hope not just for me and friends and family but for the world. 

“May your choices reflect your hopes not your fears” 

Nelson Mandela 



JANUARY 3rd A NEW HABIT: has become hibernating indoors and recharging. I haven’t been out at all today and possibly won’t. I haven’t been feeling myself at all recently. Not exactly sick but lethargic and ill at ease so I have decided to look after me more and spend more time simply allowing myself to be. Reading is not a new habit but one I increasingly spend more time on



JANUARY 4th MORNING LIGHT: from the terrace of the Aerie this morning moments after I opened my eyes 



 JANUARY 5th A QUIET MOMENT: late afternoon playing crapette, which is a bit like double handed patience, on the terrace 



JANUARY 6th MY SHOES TODAY: are my well worn and well loved Birks.  In the market it often pays to cover one’s toes 



JANUARY 7th SOMETHING INSPIRING: for me will always be words. I have always kept a book of quotes, over half the two hundred plus notes in my phone are quotes or my own writing, I write blogs about other people’s words and have inspirational phrases displayed at home. This is a favourite and the background photo is one of mine taken in our early days with the original class of the little monks of Kep 



JANUARY 8th A GOOD START: to today was a healthy breakfast, which included Ian’s homemade sourdough and a poached egg



JANUARY 9th A SHADOW: of us out walking in the afternoon for a change 



JANUARY 10th OUT THE WINDOW: in the living room, where we spend much of our time and through the window in the guest bedroom to the terrace where we spend even more time. I love flow of the space in this


JANUARY 11th SOMETHING I BOUGHT: to celebrate new year having recently tasted Aperol Bianco at a local pizzeria. Somehow on the night we were more inspired to have a Poinsettia cocktail (Cranberry Mimosa). Looks like an impromptu celebration is set to occur



JANUARY 12th A FAVOURITE PLACE: of mine has always been in the pool, swimming for sanity: my movement mediation, exercise and happy place 



JANUARY 13TH SOMETHING COLOURFUL: This beautiful tote bag adorned with an indigenous design for which the artist was acknowledged and rights paid



JANUARY 14th WHAT MADE ME SMILE: today was this street side shoe repairer’s chair, still very much in use. He’s got his spending priorities right because that’s his brand new fixed-wheel bicycle in the background and he is very proud of it 



JANUARY 15th IN MY HAND: the Tibetan Singing Bowl I bought in Bhutan which I absolutely love



JANUARY 16th A CORNER OF MY HOME: My cosy little corner of the bedroom



JANUARY 17th SOMETHING SOFT: The soft, fuzzy, new growth of the sword fern, we always refer to as a Mr Curly, in the garden bed



JANUARY 18th TODAY'S VIBE: is Spritz Bianco at twilight after quiet domestic day at home. The good life ….



JANUARY 19th MY DESK: is more of a collection point than an actual desk since I almost never sit there 


JANUARY 20th MY REFLECTION: in the review mirror of the electric tuk tuk we were in this afternoon 



JANUARY 21st A LITTLE CHAOS:  A typical corner in Phnom Penh with moto parking, street side vendors and a cafe with pavement tables behind that ensures all

pedestrians must walk on the road to avoid the chaos



JANUARY 22nd A SNACK: Mini toffee donuts in the local style on a tray, in the street and in the sun but a favourite snack of kids here 


JANUARY 23rd LOOKING DOWN: through the jumble of wires to the mobile vendor serving the young women taking a break from working in the bar below our apartment



JANUARY 24th A PLANT: Some cuttings from a stunning hibiscus I got to day and hope I will be able to successfully strike



JANUARY 25th A FAVOURITE THING: The city views from a favourite watering hole around sunset 



JANUARY 26th IN THE KITCHEN: We had a breakfast guest and I requested my favourite breakfast so Shakshuka in the making in our kitchen



JANUARY 27th SOMETHING TINY: the gaggle of new cacti that are appearing at the base of what is already the smallest potted plant I have ever had 



JANUARY 28th THE SKY TODAY: was grey and overcast without even much colour at sunset so I’m going with an archive shot taken a couple of weeks ago with moody end of year vibes



JANUARY 29th A MOMENT OF JOY: phone in hand, munching on birthday cake his smile says it was a moment of joy 



JANUARY 30th A GOAL I'M WORKING ON: adding variety to my exercise routine colour coded records help me see what’s missing - first yellow addition this month, today thanks to this prompt 



JANUARY 31st A FRUIT: breakfast for us today and there was yoghurt added too

*This one even made it into the Fab Four on Facebook 




PROMPTS