One PhOtO a DaY AuGuSt 2025

 

AUGUST 1st UNDER MY FEET: are the vintage tiles of the floor of the gallery we visited this morning

AUGUST 2nd A QUIET JOY: is having the deserted beach completely to yourself early in the morning or actually just being on the beach anytime

AUGUST 3rd SHAPES IN THE CLOUDS: I just spotted that there is a face intently peering through the clouds 

*If like me you find these things difficult to spot, this might help 

AUGUST 4th IN MY HAND: Hand in hand. You and me. Today, tomorrow, forever….. 

AUGUST 5th SOMETHING THAT COMFORTS ME: The soothing sound of this Tibetan singing bowl causes me to stop, breathe deeply, quieten my mind and calm my senses. Om Mani Padme Hum 

* this was selected for yhe awesome eight on Facebook. Yay yay yay 

AUGUST 6th MY SHADOW: on the wall in the living room created by the reading lamp as the sun wasn’t playing nicely when we were outdoors. Love the effect of my glasses which is what got my attention when I was reading

AUGUST 7th A LITTLE CHAOS: in the kitchen while I was preparing tonight’s Buddha bowl ingredients for cold buckwheat noodles and vegetables with coconut peanut sauce 

AUGUST 8th SOMETHING THAT SPARKLES: is the sea at sunset 

AUGUST 9th COSY CORNERS: Two new eateries in our neighbourhood located in a fully renovated colonial building on a corner in the old French quarter. Both interiors and exteriors have a cosy chill vibe about them 

AUGUST 10th MY REFLECTION TODAY: in a Jin Shan peasant painting in the living room 

AUGUST 11th WHAT I WORE: Back in the 1990’s as you can no doubt tell, as a favour to a girlfriend for her graduation from fashion design, I modeled her designs and creations for the final assessment fashion parade. Probably never been more out of my comfort zone 

AUGUST 12th A TINY DETAIL: The elements of decor, like the expression on a Buddha’s face, that create just the feeling of calm and tranquility that soothes is a tiny detail I seek to achieve at home 

AUGUST 13th SOMETHING THAT’S CHANGING: These chillies. It’s a collage shot. Fresh a week ago they are gradually drying 

AUGUST 14th IN THE KITCHEN: street side in Phnom Penh 

AUGUST 15th SOFT FOCUS: A portrait of a very pensive little girl in the back of a tuk tuk - her focus is soft as is the focus on her

AUGUST 16th A DOORWAY: in the old French quarter and in a beautifully restored building too. Still haven’t tried the food though 

AUGUST 17th LOOKING UP: at the  ceiling of the train station when we were there buying tickets earlier in the day 

AUGUST 18th SOMETHING GREEN: Lotus pods and leaves which are often sold with the flowers here in market stalls. The seeds are eaten as snacks green from the pods too 

AUGUST 19th ON THE WALL:  at the Colin Grafton Exhibition we visited this morning. Photographs from the era just before the city of Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge 1972 - 1975

AUGUST 20th SYMMETRY: Every mandala has symmetry. The term "mandala" itself comes from Sanskrit and means "circle," and it is a representation of the universe used in both Hinduism and Buddhism as a focus for both spirituality and meditation. This one adorns our living room wall and was one of the final things I purchased in Bhutan last year  

AUGUST 21st FEELS LIKE HOME: because it is but it feels more like home with fresh flowers from the market on the hall table 

AUGUST 22nd SOMETHING I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO: is the land borders between Thailand and Cambodia opening again. An archive shot from when we went home in February and I do love to walk across borders and this is the bus we left PP in then, to give us that opportunity one more time 

AUGUST 23rd SOMETHING OUT OF PLACE: When I saw this I immediately reacted, Oh no! In my head, I could just hear some kid somewhere saying, “Where’s my teddy mummy?”

* This was a Facebook Fab Four 

AUGUST 24th SUNDAY MOOD: Late breakfast followed by snail mail writing on the terrace. Monsoon moments 

AUGUST 25th SOMETHING STARTING WITH B: Buddha. This one is very special to me. It stands in an alcove in our bedroom and the hand gesture or Mudra is very unusual and I have never discovered the precise meaning. 

(When the hands are turned outwards like that it usually means gift bestowing or openness I have since been told by friends)

AUGUST 26th THE LAST PHOTO I TOOK: in Kampot today. We went on a day trip and I’ve photographed this corner building many times before but I’m always delighted that it still stands and hopeful someone will buy it and renovate it to its former glory. Still standing as a remnant of the old Kampot. Waiting for the bus to depart now

AUGUST 27th A COLOUR THAT CALMS ME: Blue and aqua blue in particular is definitely the colour I find most calming. Water is another soothing, calming sensation for me. As much as I am drawn to the ocean and find it a place of solace and tranquility, it is doing laps in the pool that is my movement meditation, so I swim for sanity at least twice a week and often, as this morning, right here 

AUGUST 28th A SIGN OF NEWNESS: The tiny seedlings which have survived two ferocious monsoon storms and we hope will become our rocket salad crop 

AUGUST 29th A LUCKY FIND: an old photograph of us in the Shaping Market in the 1990s when we lived in Dali, China that I had long forgotten existed 

AUGUST 30th FAVOURITE THING TODAY: Playing Dicewords on the terrace in the late afternoon and as usual playing like a team helping each make the best score

AUGUST 31st A GOOD HABIT: is eating healthy, balanced, rainbow meals, preparing everything from scratch at home and prioritizing local produce. Last week’s selection of favourite, vegetarian meals from our kitchen 

PROMPTS 

One PhOtO a DaY JuLy 2025

JULY 1st CURRENTLY LOVING: The new, locally made, linen bedsheets and light fittings we deployed for the first time today. I love fresh bed linen and new and sprayed with lemongrass oil is even better 

JULY 2nd MY NAME: written by a generous and dear friend, who not only gifted me this book by a favourite author but also wrote this lovely dedication

JULY 3rd SOMETHING OLD: This is an original wood block print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, I bought in Hiroshima Japan when we lived there.  It was the cover of a children’s story book dated 1891 

JULY 4th NEIGHBOURHOOD: The view from our back balcony moments before the monsoon showers commenced. This is our neighbourhood and a community of diverse but cohesive and accepting people 

* selected for the notable nine 

JULY 5th SIMPLE: Possibly one of the simplest forms of transport, the cyclo, is a part of the identity of Phnom Penh. This is also a fabulously simple solution to the mobility issues arising from the relatively new introduction of pedestrian street on Saturday and Sunday nights here. We pondered how those unable to walk the ten blocks for which it extends along the riverside and the two blocks back that no vehicle can access, would be able to participate. The simple solution is let the cyclos in 

JULY 6th FAVE CORNER: This magnificent, heritage building houses UNESCO in Phnom Penh and stands on the corner of Royal Palace Park diagonally opposite the palace. It is such a beautifully restored building, which is only open to the public one day a year and I have availed of that opportunity twice now. I often go out of my way to pass the spot and admire it 

JULY 7th BEHIND THE SCENES: In the alley entrance way to our apartment this scene is an everyday occurrence. We call this guy Mr Rice and he cooks up those large pots of rice on charcoal burners three at a time and then delivers them on the back of his motor scooter to many of the street vendors in our neighbourhood. He returns with empty pots after every delivery and starts the process all over again for 8-10 hours a day. For him, like many other families who sell street food in this community, including the woman in the background,  it’s a way of life. He always has a smile and a greeting when we pass by and ensures residents, motor scooters and deliveries have the access they need

JULY 8th A LIST: of blessings for Chinese New Year which I wrote and translated so our dinner guest on that occasion could each select a red envelope with not money but a blessing for the year ahead in it 

JULY 9th THANKFUL FOR THIS: frequent flier friend, who comes to visit often and is always such good fun. Welcome back Barry

JULY 10th MY BAG: is an authentic artwork by Ruth Napaljarri and depicts the Green Budgerigar Dreaming of central Australia. She belongs to the Warlukurlangu Artists group and receives royalties from the sales. It was a birthday gift and has become an absolute favourite shopping tote 

JULY 11th CURRENT VIEW: We just checked into our accomodation on M’Pai. Third time staying here and the view is a big part of the attraction. Even in the monsoon season this place is peaceful, calm and quiet

JULY 12th A QUIET MOMENT: under the old pier at low tide this morning but in reality island life in the monsoon is mostly a collection of quiet and quieter moments and that’s why we came 

JULY 13th CONTRAST: Rocks and sand, black and white, land and water- plenty of contrast and a stunning empty beach to enjoy 

JULY 14th A TOUCH OF BLUE: The best coffee on the island came with a touch of blue when I ordered latte

* unbelievably this one was selected for the Fab Four on Facebook 

JULY 15th WHERE I SIT: on the terrace for almost every meal. This was just before consuming breakfast this morning. In every season and often at other times too it is the coolest and most comfortable place, to say nothing of being the only dining table we have

JULY 16th PEEKING THROUGH: After a monsoon downpour the sun was peeking through the clouds in the still dark sky  

JULY 17th SOMETHING CIRCULAR: The circular inset in the wall of our apartment inspired the purchase of the giant steamer tray and then it provided a cool backdrop and easy hanging for some very special art we purchased from a dear friend who is an artist in Bhutan

JULY 18th FROM ABOVE: The city of Phnom Penh taken from our favourite sky bar  

JULY 19th SOMETHING FOUND: This artisanal syrup is something I often purchased when we lived in Kep and when we visited a month ago I saw it again but didn’t buy any and instantly regretted it. Today we returned to Kep and it was my first purchase. Mocktail mix for Arid August perhaps …. 

JULY 20th WORN: The weather worn platform that used to be a picnic spot in the mangroves but these days I think it might be a bit of a danger zone

JULY 22nd MIRROR: Playing around with the wall of hexagonal mirrors in a favourite hotel after a head shave and haircut yesterday in Kampot 

JULY 23rd IN THIS MOMENT: After table tennis and swimming I’m enjoying a Khmer frozen coffee and chill time 

JULY 24th  SOMETHING I BOUGHT: for my snail mail project - lots of postcards and greeting cards. I’m currently on an anti consumerism bent so purchases of clothes, household items and non consumables are out, until the end of the year. We shall see if I last the distance. Just my way of stepping outside the rat race for a while. I do enjoy setting myself these challenges to keep me living in the present more mindfully 

*this shot was selected for the Fab Four on Instagram 

JULY 25th UNEXPECTED COLOUR: I spotted these bamboo shoots in the local market. Although when bamboo is growing there are several combinations of colours and stripes, I’ve never seen cooked bamboo shoots that weren’t all yellow before 

July 26th MADE ME LAUGH: The individual in one of the the guard houses,  which are supposedly there to protect the occupants of the Royal Palace, soundly sleeping as we strolled by in the middle of the day. To be fair I don’t think it is actually one of the guards just someone availing of some shade and in need of rest  

JULY 27th HIDDEN GEM: I frequently lament the lack of live theatre here and yet just around the corner from where we live I spotted this live venue I have never noticed or seen advertised before now! It’s the hidden gem I need to investigate and support soon 

JULY 28th CHASING LIGHT: All day today it has been overcast and grey which means much cooler so I’m not complaining, but I was literally chasing the light for a glimpse of the sun on our evening stroll 

JULY 29th FLAT LAY: Every day the market vendors, who squat behind their produce in stalls and out in the open create flat lays that are their advertising. Today this one caught my eye when I decided to go looking for a flat lay instead of designing one for this prompt

JULY 30th FOLDED: Everything that makes its way into the cupboard that serves as linen press is folded to fit the space available

JULY 31st SHADOWS: When we were in Battambang about a month ago we saw a performance by Phare Circus called Rouge. It opened with this scrim and shadows depicting the horrors of the Pol Pot era in Cambodia. Of their many performances I have seen, this was the most unsophisticated but also most powerful

PROMPTS