THE PROMPTS
FRIDAY 1st VIEW FROM A WINDOW: The soothing sight of the calm ocean from the window of the best private library in town. Double happiness - new books to read and ocean views
SATURDAY 2nd A DRINK: Actually, it’s a rare night for all three of us to be at home but that’s the way it was tonight, so it’s a drink each and one I have never consumed outside of Laos
SUNDAY 3rd DREAMING OF.....: seeing my sister this year. It’s been almost 2 years since we saw each other and she was planning a trip to Cambodia before all this chaos started. I just hope we get to meet this year. I miss you Sonya
MONDAY 4th NEIGHBOURHOOD: You have to feel blessed when a lot of your neighbourhood looks exactly like this. Just another thing to be grateful for
TUESDAY 5th A FAVE ROOM: not so much for the room it’s self but for the heart-warming interactions that take place inside it. I’m delighted to be back teaching the little monks of Kep today
WEDNESDAY 6th I MADE THIS: game hoping it would help the little monks to learn left and right while also providing some classroom fun. It wasn’t my original idea but they did enjoy it and now that classes have recommenced we will dig it out and play again
THURSDAY 7th THROWBACK: Even though this was taken in today’s class it could well be a throwback to simpler times. The joy of playing with a yo-yo despite having to stand on the table to use it because you are so small and the string is too long
FRIDAY 8th THE SKY: had interesting cloud formations over the distant Bokhor Mountains across Kep Bay this morning
SATURDAY 9th I MISS: People and social gatherings for sure but there are simply too many people to get into a single photo. Next would have to be TRAVEL
SUNDAY 10th SELF CARE: My idea of self-care involves a good solid set of regular practices spiced up with a few treats and pampering. Enjoyable exercise is also part of the mix but I couldn’t get cycling and swimming in a flat lay
MONDAY 11th WORKING HERE: I don’t really work anymore but I was working here preparing the monks’ lesson for tomorrow this afternoon
TUESDAY 12th SNACK: After class today, we all had this style of sticky rice pyramid filled with shredded coconut cooked in palm sugar. It’s is my favourite Cambodian snack. We like ours with coffee when we get home and the little monks had theirs with milk and chocolate
WEDNESDAY 13th TWO THINGS: I was once again working on resources today so that I have two sets of flash cards for our current transport vocabulary. One with and one doctored to be without words for word recognition and eventually spelling practice. This one is a bit tricky for them at the moment and I particularly like the “chelihopter” version I heard yesterday
THURSDAY 14th IN THE KITCHEN: Not a day goes by without a lime being sliced in half and the juice added to a drink or meal in our kitchen
FRIDAY 15th REFLECTION: of the magnificent trees surrounding the pond in the Kep National Park. Perfect stop for an iso therapy picnic lunch
SECOND CHOICE 15th REFLECTION: As I picked up my phone at the breakfast table, I saw my hands reflected in the stainless-steel coffee pot
SATURDAY 16th I ISOLATE HERE: My favourite corner of the living room with the fan blasting straight at me, is the place I have spent most of my time recently: reading, engaging on social media, chilling and sometimes even eating with my dinner on a tray in my lap - this is definitely my space
SUNDAY 17th I FEEL....: INSPIRED. After what seems like a long time today I woke up feeling inspired. We invited four special friends over for dinner later in the week. That’s the largest gathering we have had for months even though it’s less than a quarter of the usual crowd. We can still all safely socially distance or physically distance and socially connect as I prefer to think of it. The joy of that upcoming event inspired to make a special dish for each of them. Each is a dish we regularly cook and I have seen them enjoy immensely in the past. Each also improves with refrigeration and over time. So now to create the rest of the menu to tie together one Chinese, one Japanese, one middle eastern and one Scottish dish. There’s the challenge
MONDAY 18th I DID THIS TODAY: I re-coloured my hair back to the intense vivid shade I love using henna. I also need a cut but I feel like I’m returning to the real me
TUESDAY 19th MAILBOX: This is the only mailbox I’ve ever seen in Kep and I’ve never seen it opened or anyone ever put anything it in. Since the mail is never delivered, unless the address includes your telephone number so the post office can call to to tell you to come and collect it, you never even know if you have mail or not. I wrote a postcard last week to mail to a friend in the US and when I took it to the post office to mail it, I was told no they aren’t accepting mail due to Covid-19! I guess no international passenger plane services means no international mail! So it now seems perfectly acceptable that the post office neither accepts nor delivers mail, so why would anyone need a mailbox?
WEDNESDAY 20th MY ISO CREW: Just the three of us sharing our little bungalow and plenty of garden. We have not been in lockdown or strict isolation here but we three have tried to do the social distancing thing and be safe, responsible and respectful. None of us at our best this afternoon after a rather late and indulgent night with dinner guest last night
THURSDAY 21st ROUTINE: A part of our regular routine on Tuesdays and Thursdays is teaching the little monks of Kep. Their lessons after such a long break now involve a mixture of review, routine practice, new material and spontaneity. Getting complete sentences and extended summaries is an ongoing challenge but we gave it another shot today
FRIDAY 22nd I’M READING: menus again. As things slowly and responsibly open up again it feels like such a privilege to be reading coffee shop and café menus again. Today we visited Kampot and met up with friends. Four of us were able to drink coffee and eat in two different venues both of which were set up to enable customers to be socially distanced. I’ll never take this simple pleasure for granted again
SATURDAY 23rd SOMETHING GREEN: One of today’s cooking projects was what I have now dubbed Pauper’s Pesto. From fresh Thai basil straight from the garden, to adding garlic and peanuts in the blender, then stored in a jar for future quick easy meals and finally taste tested with noodles for lunch. Thanks Ian
SUNDAY 24th BREAKFAST: Special Sunday breakfast with poached eggs, cheese, fresh greens from the garden and tomatoes served on toasted ciabatta with chilli jam and Vegemite. Kampot shopping days enhance the deliciousness of the daily menus in our house
MONDAY 25th LUNCH: We are really a two-meals a day household but as the Dalai Lama says you have to “Learn and obey the rules very well so you will know how to break them properly” So today’s lunch was corn on the cob with lime juice, black pepper and butter with a side of konbu
TUESDAY 26th DINNER: My signature dish, Beijing Salad: so named as it’s based on street food we ate in China’s capital in the 1990’s. A few embellishments and adaptations later and is my go to Asian summer salad
WEDNESDAY 27th SOMETHING I WORE: Traditional Bhutanese dress was something I wore at least five days a week for over five years and I still love it. This was the last time I wore it, last year when we returned to the kingdom to see a former student graduate from university. I still love this elegant attire and still own a few kira (the skirt) and wangdue and tego (shirt and jacket). I’d love the opportunity to wear it again too
THURSDAY 28th ALONE: in the little monks class today it was he alone who remained focused and on task. Good on you Gam. In 41°C heat in a galvanised iron shed classroom that’s very praise-worthy
FRIDAY 29th TODAY I: got drenched in a monsoon downpour while cycling but I was actually wearing my bathers under my clothes as I was on my way to the private pool in which we swim several times a week. I also did my regular laps and exercise routine in delightfully cooler conditions. Thanks to Ian for snapping this photo of me
SATURDAY 30th OUTSIDE: Just noticed this spectacular show outside at the very moment I was about to post another photo. Simply glorious
SUNDAY 31st SELFIE: Taken about a week ago because I knew this prompt was coming up and I’m so hopeless at them I thought I should practice. A zillion attempts later I actually like this one
