Monday, October 31, 2016

oNe PhOtO a DaY oCtObEr 2016

oNe  PhOtO  a  DaY oCtObEr 2016

THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH


SATURDAY 1st YELLOW: The silhouette of the prayer flags flying at Chelela (the highest road pass in Bhutan), as seen through a bright yellow flag at 9am this morning


SUNDAY 2nd BLUE: The brilliant blue wooden shutters of a shop window in Haa, Bhutan contrast sharply with the fade window designs


MONDAY 3rd PURPLE: Some beautiful purple Bhutanese textiles and the purple logo of the business card of a dear friend who is visiting us right now and loving the adventure and the photogenic aspects of the kingdom and its culture 


TUESDAY 4th WHITE: We spent a lovely day in in artisan quarter in Thimphu and this rendition of the White Tara or Goddess of Compassion struck my fancy



WEDNESDAY 5th RED: One of the masks used in Tshechu Dances on display at an art outlet


THURSDAY 6th GREEN: We woke up in this green garden setting at Kichu Resort Wandue this morning


FRIDAY 7th GREY: The slate grey rock face supporting the most iconic destination in Bhutan, which was our destination today. It’s 3,000 metres up and a wonderful way to appreciate the Buddhist perspective on life.  Fabulous achievement on an auspicious day. Feeling blessed to be a Taktshang


SECOND CHOICE : We spotted a huge troop of these grey langurs yesterday on the drive back to Thimphu from Wangdue. They are so agile and playful in the treetops and were such a delight to see even if it is not the greatest photo


SATURDAY 8th ORANGE: The warm orange light and orange glow of the brass butter lamps burning is a truly beautiful Bhutanese image


SUNDAY 9th PINK: Pretty pink packages of local incense available at the duty free shop in the departure lounge of Paro Airport


MONDAY 10th BLACK: Bhutan has an ongoing love affair with chillies and these local Bumthang, black chillies are a real blessing


TUESDAY 11th AQUA: The conch shell decorations almost always include coral and turquoise or chips of turquoise stones, which I think are aqua in colour


WEDNESDAY 12th BROWN: is the predominant colour in many features of Bhutanese architecture


THURSDAY 13th GOLD: This symbol is synonymous with Buddhism and it is almost always portrayed in gold. I really don't know exactly what it means but to me it means Buddhism. It is from the walls of Tamshing Lhakhang and was taken in the rain yesterday as today we are in limbo waiting for the roads to be cleared before any buses can leave


FRIDAY 14th SILVER: Almost every restaurant / noodle joint in Bhutan has this threesome and usually in silver of the stainless steel variety. What do they contain? MSG, Chilli in one form or another and Sichuan Pepper popularly know as thingye here


SATURDAY 15th FAVE COLOUR: I love every shade of orange and this cascade of orange dahlias, on the wall in the main street in Trongsa grabbed my attention this morning, even though we were totally preoccupied with the fact that we are stranded and have been trying to get home to Thimphu for 3 days now. Instead we are back in Bumthang where we started out yesterday morning


SUNDAY 16th RAINBOW: The spectacular rainbow colours of the weaving in one of the most expensive and elaborate styles of Kira worn at festivals and other special occasions here in Bhutan


MONDAY 17th TREE: The magnificent Bodhi tree which graces the courtyard of the Punakha Dzong. This is the species of tree under which Buddha gained enlightenment. They frequently grace the inner courtyards or temple surrounds. This one is enormous and spectacularly impressive. 



TUESDAY 18th POSITIVE VIBES: When I want to create good vibes I fly prayer flags. These are the most recent ones I flew on Chelela, which is the highest road pass in Bhutan. They were flown to bless a dear fiend's baby. I know I will sorely miss this ritual when we leave


WEDNESDAY 19th FOOD: Great Indian food tonight at a place new to us and well worth returning to. The AV on the main drag in Thimphu and frequented by expat Indians


THURSDAY 20th RIGHT NOW: You know you are doing something right when first thing in the morning a class ten student begins with "May I come in.?" And follows up with a whispered "chocolate....." then deposits this on your desk with a wicked grin and wanders away!!! Wow Thanks Karma. I feel great right now 


FRIDAY 21st STUFF: This is one of the little traditional bags I carry daily. Remarkably it can hold all the stuff, which I think I need to have about my person as a teacher. Displayed are the contents today


SECOND CHOICE: This black stuff is impossible to come by in Bhutan and our supply ran out months ago but a visiting teacher from Adelaide gave me these two tubes today and the final 3 months just got a whole lot easier


SATURDAY 22nd CHOCOLATE: Handmade, homemade chilli chocolate from the Himalayas


SUNDAY 23rd WISH: I often wish it was Sunday - the only work free day in Bhutan. And if my wish came true I would spend it just as I did today. Visiting the market, chilling in Ambient Cafe and cooking up a storm with the market purchases: spicy pumpkin soup, salad with konbu garnish and roasted veggies (stained purple by the sensational Bhutanese tree tomatoes they were roasted with)


MONDAY 24th BLANK: I always select greeting cards that are blank so I can personalise the message for any occasion. Of course the image is important too


TUESDAY 25th TOGETHER: Treepies together at twighlight


WEDNESDAY 26th MY COUNTRY: Despite the fact I live in Bhutan and it often feels like home, it's Australia that is really my country and at the beach where I feel most like I have now arrived home


THURSDAY 27th LEAF: The deep green and intricate patterning of a hydrangea leaf up close


FRIDAY 28th SPOON: Both options are in my desk at school available for use with my packed lunch. However I choose the chopsticks over the spoon every time but I lend the spoon to both students and staff regularly


SATURDAY 29th FASHION: Teenage fashion Bhutanese style. Saturday is the day you can dress casual if there are activities at school and the fashion sense emerges


SUNDAY 30th STAR: Having been camping all weekend, arriving home to a clean house, freshly laundered sheets, a delicious dinner and ingredients for a burrito and salad lunch including a 5 star chocolate treat, I know without a doubt my husband is the real star. However my packed lunch with a chocolate pick me up will be very welcome



MONDAY 31st BUCKET LIST: We bought this apartment new in 2013 and it has always been rented out. For now we are happy to live abroad but ..... it's on the bucket list to one day live here