APRIL FACELESS SELF PORTRAIT: Playing with the shadows and light on the terrace and enjoying the early morning cool breezes
*This one was selected for the Facebook Fab grid
APRIL 2nd OUTSIDE: I’m always happy to spot gum trees on the trail running parallel to the train line and this morning was no exception. Not complaining about the aircon carriage, which is actually a bonus as its been extremely hot lately but it does mean taking pics through grimy windows
APRIL 3rd SOMETHING PURPLE: A beautiful purple flower in my favourite secluded garden in Kep
APRIL 4th ABOVE YOUR HEAD: Our second trip to the pagoda today for special memorial services and the decorations for Khmer New Year are already up and its looking great. There are hundreds of umbrellas and traditional scarves above my head. Second selfie this month too
*The decorations that have been made as preparation for Khmer New Year
APRIL 5th SOLO: vendors plying their trade with hand carts, on moto food trucks or from shoulder poles still abound all over Cambodia. Phnom Penh is no exception and I often wonder how many kilometres they clock up on a daily basis
APRIL 6th ARTIFICIAL: The Royal Palace under artificial light as we strolled by today
APRIL 7th SOMETHING GOOD: Ian’s homemade bread making the apartment smell delicious
APRIL 8th A FAVOURITE SPACE: The terrace of our apartment is where we eat almost all our meals, cool off and entertain. It is certainly a favourite and ever evolving space which I love even more now we have finally installed a spirit house
APRIL 9th EGG: Yay! This prompt inspired a delicious soft-boiled egg breakfast
APRIL 10th ENTRANCE: to Street 5, which is closed off to traffic but not pedestrians this morning looked like this. The whole block is full of monks, devotees and ceremonial paraphernalia and decorations as the ceremonies and celebrations for Khmer New Year begin in earnest. We awoke to squealing and water fight shenanigans from the nightclub district at 3am and are now being soothed by the sound of dozens of monks chanting
APRIL 11th DELICATE: Lotus blooms rarely last more than a single day and yet they are always locally available. Folding in the petals for display is also a very delicate process. I can’t resist them and always think of the quote, “Like the lotus we can rise from the murky mud, bloom from the darkness and trust in our unfolding.” No wonder I cannot resist them
APRIL 12th A NUMBER: It’s not often that we are number one at anything but we were happy to claim the prime river view and street scenes seats in the local last night when we spontaneously decided to slip out to enjoy the revelry of dancing, water fights, drinking, overbearingly loud music, street side BBQ’s and general frivolity as the whole city turns up the dial on celebrations preceding Khmer New Year
APRIL 13th A PATTERN: The exquisite dragonfly and leaf pattern rendered in lacquer on a coconut bowl I recently purchased
APRIL 14th THIS SEASON: in Cambodia is celebratory as today is the first day of Khmer New Year, called Maha Sangkranta. On this day people wear new clothes, and decorate their spirit houses or front porches with flowers, fruit and incense to welcome the new angel who will come and take nourishment then bless the household for the whole of the coming year
APRIL15th SOMETHING WHITE: These white, feather-like seeds are from the spectacular Flamboyant tree which are all over the Kingdom of Wonder. I have loved them since I saw them used in garlands in Bhutan. These are from my seed pod display in the living room
APRIL 16th WHAT INSPIRES ME: most of all is travelling to somewhere new. Even though we lived in Kep for almost five years we never visited Angkol Beach until this morning
APRIL 17th STARTS WITH B: The blessing of burning Bhutanese butter lamps is my choice for today because although it is an archive shot today we got news that makes us believe we will be blessed enough to be in Bhutan again
APRIL 18th MIX: This feature wall is a mix of old shutters and in a mix of bright colours in a new resto-bar in Kep
APRIL 19th CARD: I have something of an obsession with cards and postcards and buy, collect and send them regularly. This is one of only two reclining Buddhas we have and both came from Lao
APRIL 20th ALLEY: The indoor-outdoor zone of the local market is maze of alleys and half covered areas, which can be very difficult to navigate. It has evolved over time with an old wooden house functioning as the administration office buried in the heart of it and every conceivable item is available. It’s just a matter of finding what you need
*This one was selected on the day as a fabber on Facebook
APRIL 21st LEAFY: Since moving in we have been trying to cultivate a wall of leafy greenery on the terrace of the Aerie as a privacy screen as we would rather not view the neighbour’s washing or antics from our terrace. I think it’s coming along nicely and the soon to arrive rainy season may just keep it alive in our absence
*This one was chosen as a fabber on Facebook too
APRIL 22nd SOMETHING PRETTY: a pink cannonball tree flower I spotted in front of the National Museum returning from a breakfast out with a friend this morning, fits the bill for me. I was actually looking for an alternative to flowers but once I realized that today is Earth Day I decided this was just perfect
APRIL 23rd OPEN: Whenever I see Khmer grown lotus roots I always buy them. The key is to ensure that the ends are all completely closed and they have not been exposed to the air. It’s only when you cut them open that you can see if they are clean and fresh like these that I purchased in the market this morning and have since turned into my favourite salad
APRIL 24th PEACEFUL: In my mind there is nothing more peaceful or calming than the sound of the ocean. This was taken a week ago, on our last day in Kep when we were out walking in the early morning and there was not another soul in sight. The inner city in a heat wave is not so peaceful actually
APRIL 25th FOUND: I finally found the courage to trust another hairdresser in Phnom Penh and maybe I’ve found my regular now. In a heat wave a number zero with the clippers is just perfect! Another selfie done for this month too
APRIL 26th BOWL: We had just decided that we were going to have Buddha Bowls for dinner when I looked up today’s prompt so I decided that was the shot to take. The bowl I almost always eat dinner from at home with a favourite dinner we haven’t had in a while in it, is it for today
APRIL 27th FOUR-LEGGED: Geckos are the most frequent four-legged friends visiting our home but these Tokay Geckos are usually heard but not seen. They can be quite aggressive and are always very loud. Khmer believe it’s a blessing to have one in your house. The markings are very striking and they give you the impression that they are always watching you
APRIL 28th SIMPLE JOY: Creating a wall collage of photographs of us and family and friends that spans a forty-year timeframe. I added three more this morning. It brings me joy every time I pass by and I often stop and look for an image of someone I’m thinking about
APRIL 29th FAMILY: Three generations of one family on one motor scooter. This is the norm here. The most I have seen are six members of the same family on one Moto but today this was the best I could get
APRIL 30th POP OF COLOUR: When we hung the art, we returned from Australia with, it seemed a bit too gloomy against the stark white expanse of wall. After long deliberation we purchased this incredible pop of colour by a local artist to add to the mix
THE PROMPTS
