One PhOtO a DaY sEpTeMbEr 2024:

SEPTEMBER 1st THINGS I LOVE: include travel and photography: capturing the images that reinforce the memories. Just a few of my favourite travel pictures from my collection

SEPTEMBER 2nd A COLOURFUL DOOR: Actually one of four wooden panels that are the doors of the main entrance of a Chinese Temple built during the time Cambodia was a French Protectorate. It is now in the grounds of a school in our local neighborhood. These panels all depict door gods or deities in pairs

SEPTEMBER 3rd ARTISTIC SELFIE: I am neither very artistic nor good at selfies so as my dear ole mum used to say, “That’s as good as it gets.”

SEPTEMBER 4th A PLAYGROUND: very near our home and actually full of kids in the late afternoon but I thought it was a bit weird to photograph other people’s children without their permission

AUGUST 5th A CUP OF TEA:   I almost never drink tea; give me coffee every time. There are very few varieties I can stomach. However I do always have some in the house as we have guests and friends for whom it is their preferred tipple so that’s the cup of tea for me

SEPTEMBER 6th SUNRISE: from our front terrace in Phnom Penh. It’s an archive shot from September two years ago as I was sound asleep at sunrise this morning and after months of waking up at 2 or 3am and lack of sleep I’m revelling in actually sleeping again 

AUGUST 7th CURVES: I spent a couple of hours yesterday morning trying to clean the curves and straights of the fretwork security screens on our terrace. It’s rather the thankless task as they don’t actually look much better than when I started but I at least know I did it 

SEPTEMBER 8th SHADOWS ON THE WALL: Our standing Buddha casting shadows on the living room wall that make it look like it has faces on both sides

SEPTEMBER 9th INTERESTING DOOR KNOB: on the main doors of a local Chinese Temple. The square in the centre contains the auspicious Chinese character meaning double happiness which is most often associated with weddings

SEPTEMBER 10th IN MY HAND: is the stick of the Tibetan Singing Bowl I recently bought and like to ring almost everyday. The pedantic in me knows the bowl is actually on my hand but that was what prompted the shot

SEPTEMBER 11th A CANDLE: There are several candles in the house but I really like the ceramic pot that this one is in. There are some Aussie touches in our Asian decor too

SEPTEMBER 12th FAMILY TRADITION: The only thing I can come up with is baking. I can never remember having bought desserts at home or sweet snacks in our school lunchboxes. My mum baked everything we ate and had a rule for herself to give at least half of it away. I too follow this tradition as these cookies baked today are already packed to gift

*unexpected this one was chosen for the Fab Four on Facebook 

SEPTEMBER 13th A BICYCLE WHEEL: Rear bicycle wheels lined up on a busy corner and available for public rental

SEPTEMBER 14th HIDDEN BEAUTY: The architectural hidden beauty can be overlooked amongst the development and bustle of inner city living but we are fortunate to live in one of the oldest districts of Phnom Penh and I still notice little remnants

 SEPTEMBER 15th A FENCE: that surrounds the beautiful green space of Wat Phnom and one that mimics the peaks of the traditional rooflines as seen in the pavilion behind it. Just five minutes from home and a little haven in the mid city

SEPTEMBER 16th A STATUE: of a Khmer warrior at the stunning pool we often swim in

SEPTEMBER 17th BUBBLES: of a celebratory nature.  A very old fashion but delicious Kir Royale cocktail on the terrace at home

 SEPTEMBER 18th A COLOURFUL MURAL: down a back alley and almost always at least partially covered by parked food trucks And overhead wires

SEPTEMBER 19th WILDFLOWERS: They do grow wild all over Cambodian but this particular one is on our terrace. The best I can manage given that we live in a bustling capital city of about two and a half million people

SEPTEMPER 20th ARCHITECTURAL FEATURE: I love the turrets we randomly see all over the city and this one is just metres from home

SEPTEMBER 21st PLAY TIME: for adults at one of our favourite sky bar locations with Aussie guests and mates

SEPTEMBER 22nd A NATIONAL FLAG: The Khmer flag is frequently flown on public holidays in Cambodia and we just happened to have one at home so that we too can follow the local customs

SEPTEMBER 23rd AN OLD PHOTO: I specifically went to this gorgeous shop in Kampot immediately after we arrived today for this prompt. They have an extensive collection of old black and white photos of many South East Asian countries but of course I was attracted to the Cambodian images and had to buy a few including this one of traditional dancers

SEPTEMBER 24th A CAR INTERIOR: I’m hoping the open boot counts? Having sold my last car in 1989 this was my best option today. It’s seemed a bit invasive to be sticking my head or phone into someone else’s vehicle. This driver is looking for passengers and the open boot indicates he is definitely going today as in that esky are fresh crabs. This is how it works in towns across Cambodia. Open the boot show the cargo and anyone interested negotiates a passenger price with the driver and off you go

SEPTEMBER 25th A ROOFTOP: Several rooftops actually. Taken from a rooftop bar overlooking the Russian Market in Phnom Penh

SEPTEMBER 26th BOOKSHELF: A house is not a home until it contains books. We have very few shelves in our home and there are little piles of books in each of them. This is the bedroom collection of books we are currently reading and those that are still unread

SEPTEMBER 26th BOOKSHELF: A house is not a home until it contains books. We have very few shelves in our home and there are little piles of books in each of them. This is the bedroom collection of books we are currently reading and those that are still unread

SEPTEMBER 28th A NEON SIGN AT NIGHT: Well neon lights on the iconic old bridge in Kampot, with its eclectic styles from the various repairs and reconstructions  over the years

SEPTEMBER 29th CLEAN: That’s how you get the dishes clean if you are a street side vendor in the market area here in Phnom Penh!

SEPTEMBER 30th A BATHROOM: in our apartment where the mirror reflects the family of friends collage I created on the wall opposite it

PROMPTS

oNe PhOtO a DaY jUnE 2024:

JUNE 1st I AM … re-retired and very excited about the upcoming adventure. Despite having repeatedly stressed to students not to bring us gifts of course some of them did. I adore this bouquet given to me yesterday and what better gift for a former English teacher than a handful of books

JUNE 2nd I HELD THIS … keep cup full of coffee at a little rest spot on our hike this morning

 

JUNE 3rd I WALKED HERE … at the Zangdo Pelri Lhakhang today. Circumambulating the chorten and the whole compound turning all the giant prayer wheels along with the old timers who were delighted to see us there

JUNE 4th I FEEL … 
At last I’m free
To breath and be me
To wander where I like 
To go slow and see
To take my time 
And just to be 

This is re-retired me

 

JUNE 5th I SAW … this on the early morning City Bus today. Three orange clad “De-suups” (which translates to guardians of peace) heading to their assignment for the day sitting on the engine cover as the bus was packed with commuters, school children and others like us enjoying the service

JUNE 6th I LOVE … Bhutanese Culture. Today we went to see the ‘Her Expression’ exhibition celebrating women artist and this was probably the most traditional piece and the one I was immediately drawn to. It is titled “Window of Devotion” and it was created by Choney Pelzang

JUNE 7th I HAVE … an obsession with both prayer flags and prayer wheels and this shot ticks all the boxes. I also have a feeling this road trip is off to a great start

JUNE 8th I LIKE TO EAT… local and sustainable whenever possible. Now that we are in Haa that means Hoentey: a kind of dumpling made with buckwheat flour in the pastry and dried turnip greens in the filling. Both local products

 

JUNE 9th I READ THIS … “Monk Chasing Monkey” by Kunzang Choden who happens to be my favourite Bhutanese author. I bought it when we first arrived and read only half before there was no time to read and then started it again yesterday and read almost half in one sitting. It’s fabulous

 

JUNE 10th I STOOD HERE ... at the lookout point for Tigers Nest Monastery just 10 minutes ago. Bhutan’s most famous landmark.  Now visited for the sixth time and always well worth the strenuous climb

JUNE 11th I WORK HERE ... I’m happy to say I no longer work anywhere for a salary but my current “work” is showcasing the beautiful Bhutanese culture to our guest and I am enjoying it very much

JUNE 12th I LIKE TO … eat momos and these were extra special as they were three different vegetarian varieties - chillies and cheese, mixed vegetables and cheese and sag

 

JUNE 13th I KNOW … I have visited and photographed this gorgeous Dzong many times before but I had to go inside once more today as I may never get another opportunity and I simply love the original 17th century structure

 

JUNE 14th I LOVE THIS VIEW... Any view involving the masked dancers of Tshechu is definitely one I love and this small rural Lhakhang in Nimalung this morning was really delightful

JUNE 15th ON WEEKENDS I ... always try my best get outdoors and explore and hike. Today was no exception and we discovered the monks at Tamshing preparing butter lamps and sculptures for a ritual

JUNE 16th I CREATE … room picnic meals when we travel because I miss having at least a third of my diet raw every day. This was dinner last night

 

JUNE 17th I BOUGHT … ten sets of prayer flags to fly at every mountain pass on this road trip and today at 9am we hoisted this set at Thrumsing La. At 3752 metres it’s the highest pass heading east

 

JUNE 18th I LOVE THIS TIME OF DAY … when we circumambulate any chorten that happens to be nearby, as we have every day since we arrived in Bhutan in late February. 

I love it even more when we have just added the splash of colour of these prayer flags in memory of a friend’s mother, who recently passed away and for whom a funeral was held today in Adelaide. We did exactly the same for the deceased’s good friend over a decade ago and as luck would have it, this was our one day in the same town. Memories and memorials to mark big life events. 

JUNE 19th I LIKE TO DRINK … red wine but only when the weather is cool. Despite being summer it’s still pretty cool out in Trashiyangste so we were on a mission today to find some. Its isn’t easy to come by but we have ourselves a treat or two night

 

JUNE 20th I DON’T LIKE TO …. get to places only to find them closed. Today we visited the College for Zorig Chusum (tertiary institution for learning the 13 traditional arts of Bhutan) arriving just before lunch so we got to see several classes in action but the showroom and shop were locked up tight and I would have made a purchase to support the talented, budding, young artists had they been open

JUNE 21st I WENT TO … College for Zorig Chusum or more accurately went back there today and we made a small purchase to support their vital work in maintaining the arts and crafts of Bhutanese culture

JUNE 22^nd ON SATURDAYS I … do my best to live in the present and appreciate time and place. Today we departed Trashiyangtse and we just had to stop by Gom Kora to circumambulate, turn the prayer wheels and take in the atmosphere of one of Bhutan’s most historically significant sights. She was beckoning me to join her and like all locals thrilled we were participating in the everyday rituals 

JUNE 23rd I ONCE … stood in the police box in the main traffic circle in Thimphu but I made no attempt to direct traffic. It was a public holiday and the street was closed but I later discovered you are definitely not meant to do that …. Oops (Archive shot)

 

JUNE 24th I SAT HERE … in a new to us vegetarian restaurant for breakfast. I also donned my new T-shirt for the first time - it says “Hello Bhutan”

 

JUNE 25th I CAN … still bring a smile to a child’s face and make a connection even without a shared language. Today’s excursion to Trong Heritage Village in Zhemgang was delightful and the scenery on the drive in was surreal

 

JUNE 26th I CAN’T … even begin to imagine working these steep sloped paddies all my life, but today’s vista included many even steeper than these and it was mostly elderly folk out doing the work too

 

JUNE 27th I LIVE … in the present and have returned to my long term commitment to a slow, simple, sustainable and safe lifestyle. If there is a fresh salad made from local ingredients available in town, I will sniff it out! Today I did exactly that

JUNE 28th I WORE THIS… One of my most comfortable travelling outfits and now we are back in Paro I’m glad to abandon the hiking pants for a while

 

JUNE 29th I FOUND … the perfect Bhutanese birthday gift for the man who loves to cook and will miss this cuisine. That’s to say nothing of me also reaping the benefits of a few delicious dinners. Who cares if the luggage is overweight?

 

JUNE 30th I DO THIS ON SUNDAYS: I make a point of Sunday being a fun-day and today was no exception. As our last day in Bhutan with a late departure, it had to be about spending time with the fabulous four and they even brought a surprise guest too. Spending time together over the last 18 weeks has brought us so much joy. Fingers crossed this isn’t the last time we all hang out together in the kingdom but it will never be goodbye 

 

THE PROMPTS