JANUARY 1st ME, TODAY: in my happy place at the pool having just completed my laps and changed coz I forgot I was going to take a pic while I was in the water. Starting the year as I mean to continue looking after my own wellbeing
JANUARY 2nd BLACK & WHITE: is the perfect format for the traditional Khmer house room in our hotel in Battambang. Off on a new / old adventure as of today
JANUARY 3rd YUM: Freshly squeezed pineapple and orange juice in a cute little cafe in Battambang. I love the address printed on the glass. Not too many places have a street one and a half!
JANUARY 4th A PAIR OF SUNGLASSES: In Cambodia these guard dogs, referred to as 'Dvarapalas' are found at the entrances, the perimeters of stupas and prayer halls inside the compounds and along fences to temples. Their primary purpose is to protect the temples. Today I had a little fun with this one at Piphetthearam Temple and they aren’t really sunglasses but my transitional reading glasses but that’s why I don’t need sunnies anymore
DECEMBER 5th RANDOM BEAUTY: I just couldn’t resist playing with the menu in Miss Wong Cocktail Bar tonight. A birthday celebration for a travelling buddy in the quirky Shanghai cigarette girl poster girls’ decor
JANUARY 6th STREET FOOD: It’s not every day that street food is served to you as a treat in the hotel lobby. This hotel has really spoilt us on this our third visit and we were greeted with two of these plates of typical street desserts on our return from viewing sunset at Angkor Wat today
JANUARY 7th THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Today we visited the breathtakingly beautiful Ta Phrom, which is the temple featured in Indian Jones film “Tomb Raider.” (2001) The great outdoors has definitely ventured indoors in this and many locations but it’s the sheer majesty of nature surrounding the structures that adds to the awe, at this the world’s largest temple complex, inspires
JANUARY 8th MINIMALISM: Whilst I love the aesthetic of the Khmer script, there is definitely no comprehension on my behalf. Only the English, which possibly doesn’t even relate to the sign, conveys anything to me! Minimalism in terms of language skills?
JANUARY 9th AN ENTRANCE: that was built in the tenth century and is ornate and inviting. It reveals the impressive treasures of Bantey Srei, the Citadel of Women and my all-time favourite of the temples in Angkor Archaeological Park. The only one I never want to miss
JANUARY 10th A FAVOURITE BOOK: I don’t really have an all-time favourite but I am tempted to re-read this one now, having just returned from Siem Reap and our fourth visit to the temples of Angkor Wat. It really does provide a lot of insight into the tenth century society that existed when Angkor was a living city and that gave me a new perspective on what I was seeing this time round
JANUARY 11th FRIUT IN A BOWL: Just those purchased yesterday in the market for our breakfasts and mostly already consumed with yoghurt today
JANUARY 12th GRATITUDE: I have so much to be grateful for today. I have my beautiful sister travelling with me, we finally got a train trip and to one of our favourite places in Cambodia, we have seen the countryside we know and love so well and many old friends. Gratitude attitude
JANUARY 13th PETS: abound in the temples and this one is a favourite of the little monks of Kep. Although this little monk looks like he is strangling the cat, he is actually just trying to get it to face the camera. Killing it with kindness
JANUARY 14th A WATER VIEW: Yesterday we took the Crab Shuttle from Kep to Kampot and we had spectacular water views of the coastline and mangroves but for me at least, the final leg on the river just before sunset as the fishing boats were all heading out for the night was the highlight
JANUARY 15th PATTERNS IN THE SKY: Beams of coloured light illuminating the sky behind the big durian in Kampot
*this one was selected for the fab 4 on Instagram. Yay, yay, yay
JANUARY 16th THE COLOUR YELLOW: The spectacular Japanese meal we had tonight at a lovely local place included these two dishes which were predominantly yellow. Feeling the love
JANUARY 17th FOOD AND DRINK: Popcorn counts as food, right? A bit heavy on the drinks aspect but signature G&Ts are definitely worth the splurge. We did actually eat a delicious meal here too but there were no drinks in that shot
JANUARY 18th SHADOWS & LIGHT: We visited the Air Gallery at The Factory today and saw some incredibly creative and talented photographers’ work, which included many images playing with the idea of light, shadows and exposure but it seemed like cheating to photograph a photograph, so I present my attempt in the outdoor zone of this creative art space inside a converted factory
JANUARY 19th BREATHTAKING: After almost seven years in the country we finally made it to the Royal Palace today and buildings, Buddhas, gardens and especially the murals really were breath taking. This was my favourite shot of the day
*This one was selected in the fab grid for this prompt
and Ian's was too, our kitchen appeared twice for one
JANUARY 21st IN THE SUN: We just arrived in M’Pai Bay and it’s a sheer delight to be facing this magnificent view and several days of lazing about in the sun
JANUARY 22nd ONE: All the boats on the island we are staying on dock at a new concrete pier but there is still one very old, very decrepit wooden jetty at our favourite swimming spot
JANUARY 23rd A VINTAGE SIGN: This vintage sign we stumbled upon on an early morning walk this morning has ocean views over the fishing boats and all the feel-good beach vibes
JANUARY 24th 5 O’CLOCK: It’s rare for me to be up before sunrise but I was this morning. Today we return to Phnom Penh after a relaxing time on Koh Rong Sanloem
JANUARY 25th A FAVOURITE COLOUR: With me it’s not so much a favourite but the favourite colour - orange. We are yet again enjoying happy hour cocktails and this isn’t even my drink. I couldn’t make myself order Aperol Spritz when I actually don’t like it much but a lovely young lady in the bar let me photograph hers! The things we do for PAD
JANUARY 26th EVERYDAY MOMENTS: As a part of my gratitude practice I try to take a moment every day to observe and appreciate the quirky, aesthetic, beautiful or absurd aspects of the world around me. Today’s find was this piece of art in a cafe I have been in many times before without noticing
JANUARY 27th EXPLORING MY CITY: Chinese New Year is coming up and by following the sound of the drumming while we were at the market, we stumbled upon this incredible aerial scene. They are practicing for the Lion Dance they will perform repetitively for the celebrations to come
JANUARY 28th STAIRS: Escalators count as stairs and these are the ones I didn’t want to see my sister climb today at the airport. After a month in Cambodia she left this morning and we already miss her dearly and are eagerly awaiting the next visit
JANUARY 29th STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: We pass this little cafe regularly when we go to the market and I have dubbed it the cyclo cafe as the cyclo riders all park on the corner and have cold drinks there after their morning market runs. I was thrilled to capture it with two cyclos with passengers passing by and all the regular cyclos parked outside and the riders within
JANUARY 30th A GLASS OF WATER: It’s a bit tricky to dress up a glass of water but I gave it my best shot with an ice cube, a slice of lime and a stainless-steel straw to say nothing of standing it on my newest coaster as the inaugural drink!
JANUARY 31st ON PAPER: Most of the advertising in these parts is neon, painted directly onto the walls and fences or laminated paper hanging on security doors. This old printed on paper ad was a real find in our laneway wandering today and I recognize enough of the Chinese characters to guess it’s a money lending company. Now, long defunct I would guess from the state of the wall and paper
THE PROMPTS
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