THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH
THURSDAY 1st TWO: little monks cooperatively trying to
complete a Khmer alphabet puzzle after today’s English class
FRIDAY 2nd COFFEE: About once a month we have a
shopping day in Kampot. The main reason is to stock up on coffee but there are
always plenty of other treats to be had. Today was already set for that exact
purpose so I present Rumble Fish Coffee- blended and roasted locally from
regionally selected beans. It’s worth the bus run every time
SATURDAY 3rd FOOD: After our big day out in Kampot,
where the best regional market is located yesterday, today has been mostly
about cooking up the treats we brought home. We both love to cook so we were
doing turn about in our tiny kitchen. Tonight’s fusion dinner is savoury
muffins, green mango salad, Beijing salad and lotus root salad. Since we didn’t
invite the whole neighbourhood in for dinner, there will be a few more meals
containing those salads too
SUNDAY 4th SHADOW: The blinds we bought cast
interesting shadows on the smooth tiled surface of the floor in the bedroom,
but also let in much more light than we anticipated. I spent this afternoon
hand stitching thick cloth to back the very one which cast this shadow too
early this morning
MONDAY 5th LOUD: This is a female Asian Koel and we
are woken up by its loud cries every morning. The male and female have
distinctly different calls and they are very talkative. We hear them all day
everyday but at twilight when this was taken they are most vociferous and
loudest
TUESDAY 6th SILENT: Living in a place that perfectly
fits Rudyard Kipling’s quote “with Asian indifference to mere noise”, we are
thankful for the silent sanctuary of the magnificent garden which surrounds the
pool where we swim three times a week. Snapped this quiet corner after a
refreshing dip late this afternoon
WEDNESDAY 7th BEGINS WITH B: Buddha. Images and
statues of Buddha abound in Kep, but I love this one at the entrance to Veranda
Resort on the periphery of Kep National Park
THURSDAY 8th DIFFERENT: After 38 years as a teacher,
the thing I am most sure of is, the reality is every child is different and the
only thing you really hope is that you make a difference. Each photo was taken
by me at the time I was teaching those children and they are but a small
snapshot of the many individuals who clearly stand out in my mind
FRIDAY 9th PEEP: An archive shot of the moon peeping
through the palms and trees in our front yard a few days after the super blood
blue moon. I so loved the quality of silhouette in this I had to use it for
today’s prompt
SATURDAY 10th SAVOURY: My signature dish Beijing
Salad, which I am now able to get all the ingredients for locally, so it makes
regular appearances on our menu. It is an original adaptation of my own based
on a street food we often ate in Beijing in the 1990s- hence the name
Above is
the cooked and cooled portion, which is prepared separately and then the raw
and blanched veggies are added in to create an “eat a rainbow” delicacy
SUNDAY 11th ICONIC: Cambodia just has to be Angkor
Wat. An archive shot from our last visit there
MONDAY 12th PASTEL: skies at twilight over Kep Bay
TUESDAY 13th HA!: Considering coffee is just about the
only thing I am truly addicted to, this sign in our fave coffee shop in Kampot
struck a chord
WEDNESDAY 14th CLOUDS: The morning clouds over the
beach after a very hazy start to the day in Kep
THURSDAY 15th BLUE & WHITE: A small selection of
the Japanese blue and white crockery we have purchased from the recycle shop in
Kampot over the last few months. In my opinion no one does blue and white
better than the Japanese when it comes to crockery, around which a whole movement
is based and the yukata on which it is standing has been in my possession since
leaving Japan more than 15 years ago
FRIDAY 16th MONEY: Here in Cambodia two currencies are
used. Both American Dollars and Cambodian Riel are available in ATMs and most
transactions require both. No coins are used and the riel are always the small
change with 4000 to the dollar. Certainly improves your mental arithmetic and
the locals are whizzes at the calculations. My tired old non- math brain needs
to calculate transaction before approaching the counter
SATURDAY 17th GREEN: Today we left the green palms and
beach scene of Kep behind. We are headed for the mountains in Mondulkiri but
not before a bit of rest and respite in the capital
SUNDAY 18th BREAD: Alfresco breakfast on the balcony
of our guesthouse in Phnom Penh this morning consisted of fresh bread still
warm from the market and a pineapple. When you travel with a jar of Vegemite, a
knife and coffee, picnic style breakfasts are the go
MONDAY 19th SEASON: Here in Cambodia it seems there
are only really two seasons- hot and humid or hot and wet. At least the food is
always fresh and a wide variety of fruit and vegetables are always in season.
Although I know these as cold rolls they often appear as Spring Rolls on the
menu here, so today’s lunch is a season
TUESDAY 20th A NOTE: We left Phnom Penh in a rather
upmarket 14 seater van this morning. There were only 7 of us when we departed
20 minutes early after wrangling to get the seats we’d booked behind the
driver. I noticed a note stuck to the steering wheel and I guess that’s how we
managed to locate the other 5 passengers who joined us as we made our way out
of the city
WEDNESDAY 21st OH NO!: another establishment that asks
you to remove your shoes before entering. Don’t get me wrong having lived in
Japan for many years I fully appreciate the value of being barefoot indoors.
Here however so many of the places that post these signs have filthy floors and
staff who are in footwear and they lead you to indoor/ outdoor spaces, which
are almost never swept, like the garden oasis mentioned. You leave
struggling to put your shoes or sandals back on with dirty feet or socks and
wonder what the point of asking you to remove your shoes really was. Pet peeve
in foreigner cafes now successfully aired
THURSDAY 22nd LAST THING I BOUGHT: We are travelling
so many tickets and meals have been bought and the last item I paid for was the
tickets to a magnificent magical day at an elephant sanctuary today for my
birthday. But the last actual thing I bought was this Buddha charm to replace
the charm I lost over a month ago. It hangs in my ear
FRIDAY 23rd CANDY: or this case, sweets might be the better term. Ian’s
Scottish mother used to always give us a tin like this when we set off on an
overseas adventure and as a result whenever I see them I purchase them for our
next trip. I found these in Kampot recently and resisted opening them until yesterday
when we had already been travelling for almost a week. I no longer see the dual
purpose of the empty tin being a portable ashtray as I once did since we long
ago gave up smoking. But this is a candy/sweet that will forever remind me of
dear Evelyn
SATURDAY 24th PERSPECTIVE: A ‘peron’s eye view’ of
this exotic looking bird. It was taken from the deck of our bungalow this
morning when I wandered out to see who was making all that racket. I often
wonder what a bird’s perspective of the world would be……..
SUNDAY 25th WHAT I DID TODAY: was travel the 196
kilometres from Sen Monorom to Kratie and then kick back and relax
TUESDAY 27th CUTE: kid on the footpath in Kratie,
shouting ”hello” as happens with regularity all over Cambodia
WEDNESDAY 28th PATH: At 6:45am it’s difficult to pick
a path around the central market area in Kratie with motorcycles, vendors and
their wares and pedestrians all vying for the limited space.
THURSDAY 29th LEAVES: In a world so overrun with
plastic, it makes my heart sing to see these local food items wrapped and
displayed in leaves. It’s safe, hygienic and environmentally sound. Let’s ditch
the plastic and return to former practices
FRIDAY 30th APPLE: This particular variety of apple is
known as rose apple or water apple. They are currently in season and we see
trees laden with them everywhere. Although I am very fussy about apples due to
my father being in the packing and distribution business, I love this variety
SATURDAY 31st OH MY: after fifteen glorious day of
travel the holiday is over and we head home to Kep today. As usual we have
succumbed to the temptations of the capital and have had to purchase a few
treats for us and more resources for our little monks. Now we have an extra
piece of luggage to hold all the new items and feel like we are travelling like
locals
OH MY second choice: This little coconut so wanted to
grow- despite being wrapped in gold foil and no doubt being used as an altar
decoration when it was tossed into the street it sprouted
