oNe PhOtO a DaY MaY 2020

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

oNe PhOtO a DaY ApRiL 2020

NO PROMPTS: IT’S GRATITUDE MONTH

WEDNESDAY 1st GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for Ian’s avid interest in fermenting, pickling and preserving. We always have a supply of chilli options to spice up our lives

THURSDAY 2nd GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the fact that we can still swim in this private pool and enjoy the solitude of the garden at twilight on a regular basis

FRIDAY 3rd GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for the beauty of language: the comfort it brings, the escape it provides and the hope it inspires.

This is the quote by Lori Deschene from my hand-written collection that I believe is very pertinent for these times

SATURDAY 4th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful to own this simple, single-speed, second-hand bicycle. It provides me with mobility and exercise and ensures I live according to my principles and in the slow lane. Win, win, win

SUNDAY 5th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for this word game that we have played a few times lately after not having played for months, if not years. It’s a great challenge and much more social than the many different word games I play on line

MONDAY 6th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful I long ago gave up chemical dyes, I have a supply of henna and can colour my own hair at home for about 50 cents a treatment. Keeping positive while keeping up appearances

TUESDAY 7th GRATITUDE: I’m eternally grateful to this wonderful woman, who has had such an incredibly positive impact on our lives here in Kep. She is sincere, generous, kind, compassionate, fun- loving and a devout Buddhist, who embodies the principles in which she believes. It is a privilege and an honour to be able to call her a friend

WEDNESDAY 8th GRATITUDE: I’m always grateful for the mango trees in our yard for the shade they provide and the green environment they create but right now I’m especially grateful for the abundant crop they produce while they are in season. Our house owners made us this gift just yesterday

THURSDAY 9th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful that these hand-made, local products are still readily available in the market place and the skills to create them still survive. I can never resist purchasing and delight in their functional simplicity and beauty every time I use them. Today I can appreciate time-honoured, traditional design and natural materials

FRIDAY 10th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful I adopted a mindfulness and meditation practice a long time ago. I like to use an app on my phone and the irony of the first screen that popped up, in the lower part of this screen shot, was not lost on me today. However, I persisted and eventually the connectivity returned and as is often the case the daily quote was poignant and the guided meditation rewarding. Be grateful for calm and seek it out in these troubling times 

SATURDAY 11th GRATITUDE: I’m not sure why these three were at the beach late yesterday afternoon but I’m eternally grateful that we spotted them when we were on our exercise outing and that they called out to us and chatted in English. It’s been over a month since our last class with the little monks of Kep but just seeing the smiling faces of these three made my day. Makara was in the van fast asleep. nothing new there LOL! Hoping to be back in the classroom before too long. We desperately miss them all

SUNDAY 12th GRATITUDE: I am extremely grateful for this private library containing many English titles and especially the book I selected yesterday and have already half finished. All the more so since I have almost exhausted my supply of free download books, most of which have been classics. I have purchased and read many new digital books in the past few weeks but a real book in hand is still a better, more satisfying option 

MONDAY 13th GRATITUDE: Today is Khmer New Year and although celebrations have officially been cancelled, there were still flowers available in the market. It is the one time of the year we see these cut flowers available for purchase in Kep. Though, I’m sure, they are intended for altars, I couldn’t resist buying some for the house we are staying in. There are almost always flowers from the garden, displayed here so it’s perfect to honour that tradition and respect the owner with a simple offering. Time to be grateful for the beauty of nature and the little things that bring lasting joy

This is me arriving home from the bicycle ride in the rain to purchases said flowers. Grateful for the rain too actually

TUESDAY 14th GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for the ocean. I’m sure it was a big factor in choosing Kep as a place to live. It has always been my go to place both when I need calm and solitude and when I’m filled with joy and gratitude. Right now, I hope the oceans are healing. I took this shot on our walk just before sunset yesterday afternoon

WEDNESDAY 15th GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for the diversity of cultures I have been able to observe and live in. This is the little spirit house, which has been adorned with offerings for the Khmer New Year, in the garden. I didn’t even notice it until today but it must have been done a couple of days ago. I still have so much to learn about Khmer culture

THURSDAY 16th GRATITUDE: I’m always grateful for the beautiful Khmer people, who live life to the fullest, focus on the present and persevere with dignity, resilience and humour. At the moment I’m particularly grateful for this father and son duo, for the giggles and playfulness that fills the garden thanks to this young boy. He is quite the determined little character

FRIDAY 17th GRATITUDE: Today I am grateful for the flowers in this magnificent garden, which I could only showcase in a collage. All these and many more are blooming now. Not only does it provide aesthetic beauty but it also attracts so many birds and butterflies. Yesterday we saw the flash of brilliant aqua as a kingfisher scooted through

SATURDAY 18th GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for clear blue skies and natural vistas. On our bike rides we are fortunate to still be able to access long stretches of coastline still undeveloped and retaining majestic beauty. Not to mention actually being able to be outdoors and having the time to stop and appreciate

SUNDAY 19th GRATITUDE: For the past 10 days we have been house sitting this beautifully decorated and appointed property, which to belongs to a dear friend in Kep. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be in isolation here and the change of scenery this has provided us with but I will also be very grateful to return to our little home tomorrow

MONDAY 20th GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful I love to bake and that this is the first thing I wanted to make when we got home. I baked zucchini, banana and chocolate chip regular and mini muffins for a sweet treat today. Now to give half away as that’s the rule in our house....

TUESDAY 21st GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for imported Thai mangosteens. These were sold for a very good price from the tailgate of a truck in the Crab Market this morning along with local rambutans and durians, which we didn’t buy. The local crop will be available soon but after checking the price of these for over a week today it was too hard to resist

WEDNESDAY 22nd GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for locally sourced beeswax. We have finally found and purchased natural Cambodian beeswax, so we no longer need to import wax to continue to make our eco-wraps. Payment made and delivery in Kep via the bus company in less than 36 hours

THURSDAY 23rd GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for the little things one buys and finds. The treasures that bring back memories and thoughts of travels, adventures and happier times

FRIDAY 24th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for all those years I spent studying, reading and writing Chinese because now I can read these labels (and the ingredients lists).Therefore I can also tell which is the sesame oil, black vinegar, rice cooking wine or soya sauce, even though I feel I’ve forgotten so much and we get to make more authentically flavoursome food too

SATURDAY 25th GRATITUDE: I’ve always loved a market and I never fail to visit the markets when we travel. In these uncertain times I’m grateful for our local market with both domestic and imported produce still readily available and regularly restocked. It may not be the best or the cleanest but it supplies diverse range of goods to appreciative local and foreign customers

SUNDAY 26th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful for this little house we rent. It is surrounded by a garden with fruit trees, conveniently located, quiet and owned by the best Khmer family ever. It’s hard to believe we’ve been here over two and a half years but now more than ever we are grateful to be here and have no intention of moving on any time soon

MONDAY 27th GRATITUDE: Today I’m grateful for a spontaneous and unexpected invitation to stay to lunch with a dear friend. I am grateful for the taste sensation of homemade Tunisian style vegetables, couscous and harissa

TUESDAY 28th GRATITUDE: I am extremely grateful we got the opportunity to go up to the pagoda and surprise our little monks late this afternoon. Look at those smiles. They were pretty happy to see us but I think we were twice as happy to see them. This is the best thing that has happened in the last six weeks. After seeing their faces and in the light of discovering Khmer classes have started again, we have decided to recommence classes next week

WEDNESDAY 29th GRATITUDE: I’m grateful to the talented Koi for making this wooden resource box for us. Now all the games, puzzles, stationery, manipulatives, posters and workbooks we use with the little monks can be safely and securely stored at the pagoda and we don’t have to carry those we want for the lessons up and back all the time. Perfect timing with the rainy season just beginning and classes hopefully starting next week

THURSDAY 30th GRATITUDE: In the tradition of saving the best til last, for the last 37 years I have been exceedingly grateful that Ian has been my soul mate, my lover, my fellow adventurer, my sounding board, my travelling companion, my co-conspirator, my shoulder to cry on, my biggest fan, my support, my partner in crime and so much more. I simply can’t imagine life without him and I don’t want to try - taken at our picnic on the beach tonight