THE PROMPTS
SATURDAY 1st I WOKE UP HERE: Technically I was up and mobile but I’ve never been a morning person, so I actually woke up here. The smell of this delicious breakfast and coffee was wafting through the house and finally it wasn’t just a matter of my eyes being open, I was in fact awake
SUNDAY 2nd SUNRISE / SUNSET: After several false attempts the monsoon has finally arrived with complete cloud cover, torrential rain and howling winds for the last 24 hours. The electricity has also been also out for at least 12 hours. Therefore, I’m glad I took the time to appreciate and photograph the spectacular sunset from our yard, the night before the skies opened up
SUNDAY 3rd KINDNESS: Last night we had a few friends over for dinner and one of them gave me the equivalent of $20 for our little monks’ project. Even in tough times with uncertain employment people perform random acts of kindness
MONDAY 4th A QUIET MOMENT: Since the whole Covid-19 crisis began I have been focusing on gratitude, positivity and taking a quiet moment to practice meditation and mindfulness on a daily basis. I have also been sticking with my vow to post a selfie at least once a month and try to improve my hopeless selfie skills
WEDNESDAY 5th FLORA: The hard as nails Moringa Tree seedpods against a stormy monsoon sky. From this angle it’s easy to see how they got the common name drumstick tree
Above you can see more detail of the tree supporting one of the orchids that has outgrown its coconut shell container
THURSDAY 6th PEOPLE: This is an archive shot of some beautiful Japanese people to honour the special significance of today. “May Peace Prevail on Earth” On this 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima take a moment to think about how to create peace in a world so desperately in need of it. For many war and oppression are the norm. Whatever little we can do, we must do it. ‘No more Hiroshimas.’ For a city close to my heart and a culture that has endured, let us never forget
FRIDAY 7th ART OR CRAFT: We are back in the capital and staying in a favourite hotel in the artisans’ district. A big bonus of Phnom Penh for us is being able to visit art galleries and have cultural experiences
SATURDAY 8th HAPPY PLACE: There are lots of things I enjoy but my happiest place will always be in the classroom interacting with students in a fun and meaningful way. This is an archive shot taken last month by Ian but it’s currently my favourite photo of the little monks and me. We are all so focused and obviously enjoying ourselves. I also know just how fortunate we are to still be able to interact in this way
SUNDAY 9th SWEET: The sweet finale to an extravagant celebratory dinner was this chocolate volcano cake. PP turning on the charm
MONDAY 10th SUNNY: The Giant sitting Buddha at Wat Phnom Poon, where we teach the little monks is now almost complete. On this blue-sky day in July it was bathed in brilliant sunshine. Today is grey with complete cloud cover so once again one from the archives
TUESDAY 11th WAVE: Yesterday’s monsoon skies and stormy seas created a wave or two at the usually calm and flat waterfront area near the Crab Market in Kep
WEDNESDAY 12th CREATE: These days the things I most often create are lesson plans, flashcards, posters, worksheets and teaching and learning resources for fun activities in our English classes with the little monks of Kep, and that was exactly what I was doing for most of this morning
THURSDAY 13th FRESH AIR: The highlight of the monks’ class for some of them is being able to get out in the fresh air and play at the end. Having new toys from the capital doesn’t hurt either
FRIDAY 14th I MADE THIS: picnic brunch for three for us to enjoy at the pond on our National Park hike this morning
SATURDAY 15th A MASK SELFIE: We are fortunate here that masks are not mandatory but we do wear them in situations where we feel it is prudent. With a big festival and public holiday week coming up we have also just returned home laden with supplies and will remain here as much as possible, as Kep is a prime tourist spot and the beaches and public spaces will be packed, starting later today.
Above is my fave mask photo from early March, though obviously it’s not a selfie
SUNDAY 16th I VALUE:
I value effort over results.
I value experiences over possessions.
I value clarity over clever concealment.
I value time over money.
I value people over places.
I value simplicity over expense.
I value integrity over acceptance.
I value gratitude over gifts.
I value friends who value me.
(The pictures left to right top to bottom embody these ideas - I wrote it first then searched for archive shots! The things we do for PAD. Time well spent this morning. Feeling good)
MONDAY 17th FINISHED: These are all finished now: some for a second or fifth time! I’m so very grateful for the library of a dear friend and the treasures it contains. As new purchases were made yesterday I’ll be back to reading in digital format for a while but there is something very magical about being transported to another world by the written word.
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” – Anna Quindlen
TUESDAY 18th IN MY HOME: are 400 prayer flags we bought in the monastery above the house, in which we used to live in Rangjung, Bhutan, when we were visiting there last year. These will be gifted to the Abbott to bless the new pagoda Wat Phnom Poon, when construction is finally completed: from one sacred Mahayana Buddhist culture to another Theravada Buddhist culture with love
WEDNESDAY 19th WHAT HAPPINESS LOOKS LIKE: These little guys live in tough conditions but to see them laughing almost hysterically is definitely what happiness looks like to me. So much the better that my new teaching resources, which were pictures of them, induced this hilarity. It makes the moment that much sweeter. Go on admit it that brought a smile to your lips!
THURSDAY 20th SHAPES: Everyday objects in our house come in a variety of shapes, colours, sizes, textures and materials
FRIDAY 21st JOY: Living the simple life and enjoying simple pleasures like the joy of splashing your feet in the cool water at the end of another very hot humid day
SATURDAY 22nd THIS EVOKES A MEMORY: I long ago decided to buy a small piece of jewellery as a remembrance of places. This simple locket was the souvenir I bought myself in Bhutan last year. It is the Dzongkha script for “om” which is the beginning of the blessing / chant, “om mane padme hun” and one of the very few words in Dzongkha I can recognise
SUNDAY 23rd PET: We don’t have a pet but this nightly visitor sneaks in through the living room windows and hangs out in the kitchen behind the fridge or under the oven. If you enter the room while it’s in transit it adopts this ostrich position. I used to refer to it as the monster but these days we just accept that we each have our own domain and mean each other no harm
MONDAY 24th PLANT: Organic Hibiscus Roselle from which the most refreshing infusion can be made
TUESDAY 25th LIFE IS: about taking risks, following your heart, honouring your choices, moving forward and living with compassion, respect and gratitude. An archive shot taken almost 16 years ago, with a camera before mobile phones or selfies were even a thing. Glad I chose to spend the greatest part of my life with you Swifty
WEDNESDAY 26th SHADOW: The intense light of the tropics creates great shadows - just me under the trellis at home
THURSDAY 27th BEAUTY: Now is the time to admire and appreciate the beauty of rural Cambodia, as development is rapidly changing these vistas. Soon they will only be memories of a long-gone era
FRIDAY 28th COFFEE: You don’t even want to know me until I’ve had my first cup of coffee in the morning
SATURDAY 29th HOW I FEEL: Today I was inspired to try my hand at a flower mandala with the only things I could find in the garden. It’s far from perfect but I felt a little bit creative and it’s a good reminder of the impermanence of everything and that flowers always make you feel better
SUNDAY 30th TAKE IT EASY: An early morning bike ride to the bakery for breakfast baguettes and a quick stop at a fruit truck for a kilo of mangosteens means the entire rest of the day is set aside to just relax and take it easy
MONDAY 31st ENERGY: Homemade energy drinks - a smoothie made with mango, passion fruit, guava, green coconut flesh and coconut water! Perfect pick me up for a hot humid day. Now it’s time to go swim
