OCTOBER 1st RED: wine! A rare treat in Cambodia. Glad to be me
OCTOBER 2nd BLACK: driftwood washed in on the tide and looking artistic against the white sand in Saracen Bay
OCTOBER 3rd WHITE: Long stretch of white, sandy beach without a single other soul in sight. That’s island life
OCTOBER 4th GREEN: Yesterday we did a short jungle hike - more like a bush bash as us Aussies might say and the end point after walking through walls of green was this rapidly flowing waterfall. The overnight monsoon rain had added substantially to the volume of water and a delightful young compatriot volunteered to guide us having been there the day before. Today is all about returning home- speedboats, tuk tuk and buses with a bit of luck and a fair wind we’ll see the sunset from the terrace
OCTOBER 5th BLUE: I’m going with this shot of the faded blue of the facade, doors and shutters in an old residence in Kampot. It’s from the archive and one of my all-time favourite images of Cambodia especially now that that it has disappeared due to renovations
OCTOBER 6th YELLOW: I have no idea what these flowers are used for but it must be a Khmer dish as they are always available fresh in the market and always attract a million tiny bees
OCTOBER 7th PURPLE: These tiny, local eggplants about the size of a quail egg, are popular across South East Asia and used in soups, curries and hotpot dishes. I find them rather bitter and prefer the elongated variety but they are in abundant supply in the markets at the moment
OCTOBER 8th AQUA: Out on a Sunday afternoon stroll keeping our eyes peeled for aqua. We decided to stop for gelato and this little aqua hare doorstop caught my eye
OCTOBER 9th PINK: Nothing says the tropics like frangipani flowers. Pink frangipani and the fragrance is the bonus
OCTOBER 10th GREY: A grey shadow selfie inspired by the grey planks of the deck and the bright sunshine today. Swimming for sanity; my movement meditation routine that clears the monkey mind and brings inner peace - Om Mani Padme Hum
OCTOBER 11th BROWN: Gifts from nature discovered on our urban wanderings and now a brown bouquet in the guest room
OCTOBER 12th ORANGE: Anyone who knows me knows….
OCTOBER 13th NEUTRAL TONES: my collection of sea shells in a glass jar in the bathroom. Displaying the neutral tones of nature in water to make the colours shine
OCTOBER 14th FAVE COLOUR: Mine is orange and today is the middle day of the three-day holiday for Pchum Ben. The second most important religious festival in Cambodia and we were at Wat Ounalom early this morning to take in the activities of families honouring their ancestors and celebrating with offerings. It was a hive of activity and all the monks were resplendent in their orange robes
OCTOBER 15th BLACK + WHITE: of the inner-city scape: the imprint left on the wall when an adjoining building is demolished
OCTOBER 16th STRIPES: This pattern of vertical and horizontal stripes denotes a temple or monastery of the Theravada Buddhist faith. This particular one is Mongkolvan Monastery, and it is currently festooned with both flags and buntings after a recent refurbishment and for the Khmer Pchum Ben festival, which officially ended yesterday. We stopped in this morning to enjoy the tranquillity of the grounds dressed in all their finery. For vegetarians like us these flags also alert us to the fact that particular food outlets are 100% pure vegetarian
OCTOBER 17th FLORAL: Today’s purchase at the local market as a floral offering for our home altar
OCTOBER 18th POP OF COLOUR: Not just any colour but definitely my favourite and one of my favourite subjects too. Orange monks
OCTOBER 19th ONE COLOUR: The chocolate brown of freshly roasted local coffee cooling off on the footpath. It was the wafting scent in the air that attracted me to the scene and the process was fascinating
*That's the complete local process for roasting which we smell from our fourth floor apartment regularly including today. Just in case you are a curious coffee addict like me
OCTOBER 20th TWO COLOURS: The gold and brown design of windows in a local pagoda
OCTOBER 21st PATTERN: The pattern of shadows cast on the ceiling in our bedroom due to light from the outside shining through the breather bricks of the side wall, which you can see on the right side of the image. Just one of the many original features of our apartment, which I adore
OCTOBER 22nd MATCHING: architectural features in these adjoining apartments in Phnom Penh. Remnants of a bygone era lovingly restored and maintained
OCTOBER 23rd DARK: The dark selfie reflection in the puddle of rain on the flagstones surrounding the pool today seemed ominously like my mood in recent times
OCTOBER 24th LIGHT: The beautiful atrium in the centre of a traditional deco cinema building converted to a boutique hotel in Kampot. The perfect spot to appreciate the natural light, and blue sky while enjoying a delicious lunch
OCTOBER 25th PASTEL: We have recently started sending snail mail to friends and family again and I am always on the lookout for local images to post. Recent purchases include this set of pastel toned cards
OCTOBER 27th GOLD: The pre-packaged boxes sold at various stalls in the markets and always purchased to give as an offering at pagodas. I’m always intrigued about what they may contain but I assume it would be a complete set of new robes for a newly ordained monk
OCTOBER 28th SILVER: The five silver rings I always wear. Each one was bought in a different country and for a specific special occasion. All of them are battered and scratched and I love them all.
It took quite the act of contortion to get them all in the shot with the phone on 10 second timer
OCTOBER 29th DOTTY: An archive shot of the first thing that comes to mind when I think of dots. That would be the Yayoi Kusama Exhibition
OCTOBER 30th SUNSHINE: Blue skies, thirty two degrees and sunshine over the palms on riverside. Just another day in Phnom Penh
OCTOBER 31st RAINBOW: When I think of rainbow colours I always think of prayer flags flapping in the wind. This is an archive shot of the covered bridge in Thimphu and one of my favourite images from that dearly loved kingdom
THE PROMPTS
