oNe PhOtO a DaY JuNe 2023:

JUNE 1st A SINGLE FLOWER: A frangipani flower resting on a palm frond in the bustling inner-city zone. I spotted it returning home from our early morning walk today and decided to take it home for the small altar in our entrance

 

JUNE 2nd YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK: I don’t really have a favourite but I can certainly say this is the book I have bought the most copies of in my life. It holds a special place in my heart as a result of the years I spent living in Hiroshima city. I have gifted it to children, left class sets in Tanzania, and copies in three school libraries in Bhutan and taught countless children and teenagers to fold paper cranes

 

JUNE 3rd EMPTY PARK BENCH: Not one but two very unusual, concrete, empty benches in a shady courtyard. I spotted them yesterday, in the late afternoon when the cool breeze brings people outdoors. At that time there are very rarely empty benches as the demand usually outweighs the supply in downtown Phnom Penh

JUNE 4th PATTERNS IN NATURE: The beautiful lace-like pattern in this fallen leaf caught my attention strolling home yesterday. Even the destruction of insects leaves behind a pattern of intricate beauty

 

JUNE 5th CHILDHOOD TOYS: This is the gift I selected and bought to send to a friend in Chile who has just recently had her first child. I thought it was perfect for an Aussie living in Cambodia. Syd the Sleepy Koala made by Beebee + Bongo a social enterprise teaching knitting and crocheting skills to provide fair and flexible employment to marginalised communities in and near Phnom Penh. A childhood toy embracing two of the cultures we love

 

JUNE 6th CLOUD FORMATIONS: The dark, dramatic, gloomy cloud formations of the monsoon season roll in mid to late afternoon in Phnom Penh and the often-torrential rain that follows is a relief from the heat and clears the air and dusty streets

 

JUNE 7th DOORWAY OR ENTRANCE: A new business in our neighbourhood has recently painted their entrance with this Khmer warrior image. I believe it’s a restaurant but it wasn’t open yet when we strolled by and I snapped this shot

*Just for the record we now know its a Spa

 

JUNE 8th REFLECTIONS IN WATER: Walking along riverside this morning a puddle provided the only reflection visible as the river was mostly rippling with the current in the overcast conditions or dappled by the drizzle. The monsoon moods continue but the break from the sweltering heat and intense sunshine is a relief

JUNE 9th VINTAGE OBJECTS: abound and are still very much in everyday use here. I love the basketry which is still handmade and readily available. We saw this mobile vendor early this morning near the market and I was delighted to realise that there are at least three of his wares in regular use in our home

JUNE 10th FRUITS & VEGETABLES: A sample of the fruits and vegetables we have in stock to see us through the weekend and well beyond considering today is a celebratory occasion and we are going on a date night

 

JUNE 11th EVERYDAY OBJECTS IN BLACK AND WHITE: A selection of the books set in this region from our shelves. I read every day and consider it a pleasure and a privilege to have the time for it

JUNE 12th A LONE TREE: flowering on the corner of our street and providing much sought after shade in this busy downtown zone

JUNE 13th ABSTRACT CLOSE-UP: taken inside our apartment and such a surprise that it looked like this close up. You’ll never guess what it is?

 

JUNE 14th A FOOD DISH OR MEAL: Tonight’s dinner is build your own Buddha Bowls with a base of chilled soba noodles, a rainbow platter of vegetables and a sesame, coconut peanut sauce. An Asian fusion dish I love to make and eat

*This one was selected for the fab grid on Instagram

 

JUNE 15th MORNING COFFEE: The plans to have a morning coffee in a new to us venue this morning, have gone by the wayside, while we wait for our Mt Fix-it to resolve a plumbing issue. The usual spot on the terrace with breakfast is the regular morning coffee routine and now the monthly selfie, albeit a sleepy face selfie, is done too. I’m never awake until the first cup of coffee is consumed and here is the evidence

 

JUNE 16th A PET SUCH AS DOG OR CAT: A pampered pet traveling in style on the streets of Phnom Penh

JUNE 17th STAIRS OR ESCALATORS: The alleys and laneways of Phnom Penh reveal the stairs that provide access to the maze and labyrinth of tiny, old apartments that are concealed behind the modern, street side shopfronts. It’s a world from a bygone era and a community we are happy to reside within

 

JUNE 18th FOOD INGREDIENTS: All that’s required to make my signature dish - Lotus Root Salad

 

JUNE 19th LAUNDRY HANGING TO DRY: inside Wat Ounalom compound is all orange monk robes and they are draped anywhere space allows

 

JUNE 20th GRAFFITI-COVERED WALLS: Here in PP some alleys are bustling with community activity, others are picturesque nostalgia of a bygone era and well… some are simply graffiti covered walls and strewn with garbage but all of them provide access to residences. The laneways and alleys absolutely fascinate me

*this one also got selected for the fab collection on Insta 

JUNE 21st BIRDS IN FLIGHT: One of my favourite wall art discoveries, which is more treasured than ever now that the wall has been painted over and a bar and beer advertisement have replaced it. It’s somehow poignant and haunting due to the expression on the character’s face. Both the birds in flight and the person seem to be trying to escape…… but what?

JUNE 22nd A SINGLE CANDLE: in a ceramic container on the bedside table in the guest room

JUNE 23rd A COLOURFUL DOOR: In the art gallery we popped into yesterday this very colourful door led to the office area. Today has been spent on a bus heading to HCMC and now after checking in at the hotel and a long walk searching for doors it’s beer o’clock and time to holiday

 

JUNE 24th SUNRISE OR SUNSET: Not being a morning person, I knew it would be a sunset for me. Sunset view in HCMC yesterday while people watching. Vietnam is synonymous with motor scooter culture as is Cambodia but the orderliness of the traffic here was a change and surprise

 

JUNE 25th ARCHWAY OR BRIDGE: The back courtyard exit from the Fine Arts Museum in Ho Ch Minh City. The museum itself is a spectacular colonial building and it houses a huge collection by mostly Vietnamese artists and was well worth a second visit

JUNE 26th A STATUE OR MONUMENT: Yesterday’s visit to the Fine Arts Museum provided this statue entitled “opposing the enemy.”

*NB: eight hours on a bus and arriving in the dark in Da Lat made me grateful I had taken this yesterday

JUNE 27th CAR OR TRUCK IN THE STREET: Sitting in a cafe by the Hô Xuân Phong, which I assume is the name of the lake, it seemed fitting that a water truck should idle by and surprising that the passenger even noticed I was taking a shot and smiled and gave me a peace sign. I’ve only heard “Good morning Vietnam” once so far this trip when it was once a thousand times a day

 

JUNE 28th FRESHLY BAKED GOODS: Anyone who has visited Vietnam has enjoyed Banh Mi and it’s freshly baked bread like this that makes it possible to make those delicious sandwiches a staple for locals and tourists alike. We usually call this “air bread” but when in Rome…..

 

JUNE 29th A STACK OF BOOKS: Having walked in circles using google maps to find a bookstore to no avail this afternoon, all I’ve got is a stack containing our two passports and the information book in our hotel. It’s a bit of a stretch and it saddens my teacher’s heart to think we haven’t seen a single bookstore in the week we have spent in Vietnam. I can only hope we have been looking in all the wrong places

JUNE 30th A BUILDING WITH INTERESTING WINDOWS:  I knew we would be on a bus for most of today, so I have a building with interesting, fretwork covered windows surrounding the door in a semicircle. We stumbled upon this yesterday in our wanderings around Da Lat and the weather worn wooden frames and door also appealed to me

*Post posting update: This one made the Fab Four too! 

 

THE PROMPTS 

 

 

TIBETAN REFLECTIONS AND TRAVEL TALES

Reminiscing

Tibetan Culture 

 

31st /8 

Today I picked up a brochure about screenings of Asian documentary films in Phnom Penh and I set about trying to book to see the Cambodian premier of “ Metok” which is a Tibetan tale. Booking was no easy task but I’m so glad Ian persisted on my behalf. He of course cannot go but was happy for me to.

 

It got me thinking about the time I have managed to spend in Tibetan places: Lhasa, Leh, Xia He, Zhong Dian and Langmusi. I cannot imagine it being possible to fly, train, bus, taxi or boat about so freely any more. It seems so long ago now that I was in any of these places but the memories came flooding back.

 

1/9

 

Me thinking I would be the only member of the audience - not true it filled up

I saw the film tonight and thought it was lovely. To me it was filled with familiar visuals. Being a documentary there were no grandiose stunts or hollywood style romanticism just a simple, heartwarming story with minimal dialogue and a powerful message of endurance and resilience, brilliantly understated historic perspectives and stark realism. The cinematography is inspired and understated and has the vibe of a hand held family video.

 

My only criticism would be the English subtitles.  Whilst the meaning was perfectly clear, proof reading would have ironed out the glitches.

 

Ikigai Arts Center film screening 

It has had me reminiscing about my own encounters with Tibetan culture as a traveller.

 

Residential area in Labrang Monastery (1995 we think LOL)

What an absolute privilege it was to see Lhasa when it was mostly inhabited by Tibetans and the traditions, rituals and customs dictated the rhythm of daily life and the Chinese presence though visible was the anomaly.

 

My most vivid memory is staggeringly slowly climbing the stairs to the Potala Palace, long before a public square existed right next to it, in 1986. In sweltering heat and suffering from the altitude those stairs were an ordeal. An elderly couple at least twice my age, breezed past me, effortlessly gliding up those steps in long thick robes carrying butter for the lamps inside and incense and other other offerings and all without raising a sweat! The cool, dark interior of the palace was a welcome relief at the top but musty smelling, damp interiors and the maze of interconnected corridors and rooms was discombobulating and bewildering. At that time there were few tourists and most people present were fulfilling a life long dream. I marveled that we could stroll through the living quarters and throne room of the Dali Lama.  It was possible to wander freely inside and easily get lost. The smoky, dark atmosphere and the heavy scent of melted and often rancid butter certainly deterred any lingering or snooping. I imagine it to be a very different experience now.

Monks studying religious texts in Xia He 

Only months later inspired by that glimpse into a culture so complete unknown, Ian and I braved the terrifying, two-day bus journey from

Srinigar in Kashmir to Leh in Ladakh through a landscape that posed such enormous challenges and dangers, it didn’t seem possible that anything could thrive. Yet a vibrant Tibetan enclave complete with family run guesthouses, cafes, vegetable market, general stores, handicraft outlets and a small school with a vast dry dirt yard and flag pole, emerged from the barren winter landscape. We hiked those free stone walled alleys and rugged mountain paths to choruses of children calling hello or shyly giggling from behind hands covering their faces and occasionally trailing us out of sheer curiosity. No one tried to sell us anything and most were surprised to see us looking at their wares. Many stall vendors in the street were fascinated by us. They often gently touched our arms or stroked my hair with expressions of awe on their faces. A truly magical week evaporated in a flash and a 30 minute flight returned us to Srinigar.

Nomad in the Main Street of Xia He - what looks like her knee is in fact a baby’s head. The baby is nestled in her robes. She had given birth only a few days before having walked for two days to get to town for that reason! 

Some years later we set out for Xia He in Gansu and stayed in a hotel which although incredibly rundown and comically managed had once been one of the winter palaces of the Dali Lama. Walks into town afforded us the opportunity to observe the harmonious relationship between the Muslim Hui people and Tibetans living  in this far flung outpost. Both minority communities lived side by side and maintained their own religious and cultural identities while interacting amicably. Perhaps the open animosity they endured at the hands of the authorities  formed the basis of their unbreakable bond but it looked like genuine friendship to me. Muslims ran stores that sold Tibetan fabric, robes, tents, door cloths, incense, scrolls, prayer flags, and all the trappings of Buddhist ceremony. The Tibetans traded butter, skins, dried meat, knives, turquoise and coral, labour and horses.

 

Nomads camping in the fields between Xia HE and Labrang Monastery we saw them often walking into town from the palace guesthouse.

It was here that we were given Tibetan names by a small group of monks, who   appreciated receiving photographs of themselves rehearsing for an upcoming festival, though trying to distribute the pictures turned into a rugby scrum. We had followed the sound of long horns to find all kinds of musicians in rehearsal and then stumbled upon more rehearsals of acrobatic stunts and dance on a riverbank and taken photographs. We printed them locally and shared. We were dubbed Tshering Dorji and Tashi Dema.

The very monks who named us and who were were later able to identify thanks to this photo! Photo credit to Ian and check out the fourth monk under the arm of the one standing!

 

Several years later we returned and saw and recognized some of the same performance troupe and they were able to tell us the fates of those no longer with them.

 

We also witnessed first hand the famed Buddhist debates, in which the monks engage. The main intention is to “defeat misconceptions on the philosophy of the Buddhist scriptures, to establish and maintain a defensible point of view, and to overcome and disprove any objections to that view”. Although we could understand not a single word, the highly exaggerated gestures, volume and animated body language was fascinating.

Monk rehearsing dance for the performance

Labrang Monastery and the town and surrounding countryside were teeming with pilgrims, nomads and townsfolk attending the festival and we finally saw the performance we had witnessed the rehearsals of years earlier- the first Tshechu* of our lives, not that we knew that that was what it was then. On that return trip timed for that exact purpose we also saw massive restoration of the original structures.

Man circumambulating Labrang Monastery 

While living in Yunnan, it became possible to visit Zhong Dian and we were eager to go. It was spellbinding to see again those now more familiar aspects of Tibetan culture:- stupas, prayer flags, giant prayer wheels, rammed earth buildings and butter lamps provided a visual feast. Chanting, circumambulating, prostrating and praying monks and lay people inside the monastery and street side young Tibetan horsemen and truck drivers strolled with a debonair nonchalance that made us feel anxious for their future.

Monastery in Zhong Dian 1997

On our second visit, years later, we were able to hang prayer flags for the very first time and had a very close encounter with a pair of Tibetan Mastiffs, in addition to seeing the interior of a tradition Tibetan inn, but the newly built four lane highway made me even more concerned about how long this little paradise could survive without being turned into a cash cow. Ironically we took treacherous narrow back roads on our bus journey in and the only other thing we saw on the last stretch of that highway when we joined it, just before reaching our destination, was a yak!

 

Hanging Prayer Flags in Zhong Dian 2005

 

Langmusi is a stone’s throw from Xia He and another enclave of Tibetan culture located in Sichuan. Travelling by car with a couple we met by chance and have now been friends with for over 20 years, enabled us the see much of the nomadic and semi nomadic lifestyle of those living between the two settlements. This trip was my first ever sighting of free ranging black pigs.

 

Zhong Dian 1997

However, the grandeur of Labrang was replaced by a raw realism and at least for us the realization that this civilization was being dispersed, diluted and disrespected. We struggled to find even basic accommodation on arrival and the sprawling dusty township was already pursuing tourism as its best chance of survival. We saw spectacular gorge scenery and met beautiful friendly people but also the harsh conditions and dire circumstances of many were glaringly obvious.

The harsh winters of Zhong Dian and the ingenious method of preserving these rammed earth walls from rain and snow melt - We have been fortunate enough to see these walls being rammed in both Xia He and Bhutan and even lived in a rammed earth home in Samtengang 

The upper level is the house we used to live in in Samtengang 2014 and the concrete is a modern concession to having running water in the kitchen and bathroom albeit COLD running water!

 

We declined the opportunity to attend a sky burial because it just didn’t seem appropriate to turn a funeral into a side show and sell tickets. But the upside was definitely the Tibetan food. My love of momos was born in Langmusi.

Of course Bhutan and our Tibetan friends there also came immediately to mind while watching the film tonight. Maroon robes will always do that. There is obviously a cultural and religious connection between Bhutan and Tibet. It made me think, maybe these were the stepping stones that actually lead us to Bhutan when we most needed it, when the bottom had just dropped out of our world and the road ahead looked bleak, not once but twice.

 

So much of my heart still remains in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon.

*Tschechu in Trashigang 2012 for reference -this was when we truly understood what we had witnessed all those years earlier

 

But I can honesty say, there is still so much to be thankful for.

 

Us after hanging our first ever prayer flags. It became a habit and we have hung hundreds of them in every pass in Bhutan we went through and every place we have hiked in the kingdom as well as every home we have ever lived in since living in Bhutan. 

NB: I'm sorry most images are Xia He, Zhong Dian and Bhutan and for the lack of photos of Lhasa, Leh and Langmusi - it was before we had digital cameras and we never converted many of our millions of film photos to that format!