NOVEMBER 1st NEGATIVE SPACE: A little prayer wheel which lives near our front door and usually gets spun on our way out of the apartment
NOVEMBER 2nd ON THE TABLE: a still life of letter writing for my snail mail project. I like to write in cafes and an old favourite lunch spot reopened this week and we had to go back for the dish we always loved this afternoon for lunch.
Lunch
NOVEMBER 3rd MUGS: My three favourite coffee mugs with very typical Cambodian scenes depicted on them
NOVEMBER 4th MONOTONE: Those rare glimpses of the imprint of buildings long gone …. The slow steady march of development
NOVEMBER 5th CIRCLES: in one of the many cane, rattan and bamboo basket ware stalls in the Russian Market precinct. I absolutely love these stalls and am frequently tempted. Today I succumbed to something completely different …
*this one appeared in the fab five on Facebook
our purchase
NOVEMBER 6th A BRICK WALL: with traditional shutters and the black stains of damp from the wet season. It’s inside a temple compound and from the orange robes hanging and in the window I guess it’s utilised as housing for the monks
NOVEMBER 7th WATER IN MOTION: the ripples and flow of the Tonle Sap with a sunset cruise boat in the early evening
NOVEMBER 8th HIGH ANGLE: Street life in Phnom Penh featuring the cyclo-riders conducting a city tour for tourists as they do most afternoons
NOVEMBER 9th LONG SHADOW: When we lived in Japan we had some very good friends, who whenever they sensed you were getting uncomfortable sitting seiza style would say, “Long legs please!” These types of shadows always make me recall that expression
NOVEMBER 10th TECHNOLOGY: When both your brother and sister and others are coming to visit today, the technology that allows you to track their flights and know their much awaited arrival is about to happen, thrills me
NOVEMBER 11th SOFT: I used to think cashmere was the softest fabric in the world but just hours before we flew out of Bhutan this year I was gifted this stunning, baby yak hair shawl by a group of former students who are now wonderful friends and adults. Now I know this is what soft really means. Not a lot of opportunities to wear it in the tropics but I will use it when we travel in winter climates
NOVEMBER 12th A TOY OR GAME : We usually travel with this compact game and play it at home too
NOVEMBER 13th MULTIPLES: A 3-day public holiday starts tomorrow in Cambodia and multiples of every brand of beer are being loaded into outlets all across the city today
NOVEMBER 14th DELICATE THINGS: Like many others the most delicate things I can think of are flower petals and this Cuban Ginger currently flowering on our terrace is no exception. The blooms rarely last more than a few hours and the scent is gorgeous
NOVEMBER 15th ABSTRACT: Sometimes when you accidentally move the camera you get an abstract image that looks like something completely different. This reminds me of birds taking flight
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NOVEMBER 16th BICYCLE: A basketry vendor in the market zone scanning for customers
NOVEMBER 17th TIMELESS: Cambodia’s timeless transport option still very much in use on a daily basis and it always comes with a smile
NOVEMBER 18th MIRROR: The mirror finish on these windows reflects the surrounding buildings
NOVEMBER 19th RUSTED BEAUTY: Several artists in Cambodia work with metal and rust to produce spectacular pieces. I regret not recording the name of the artist, who created these but I thought they were most impressive
NOVEMBER 20th MYSTERIOUS: We have recently learnt to make a traditional Khmer dish using these lace rice noodles but it is mysterious to me how they can possibly be made
the dish itself
NOVEMBER 21st OLD & NEW: Art. The ancient art of stone rubbing from a stele, I purchased in the 1980s in China and a modern lithograph with a limited numbered print run of a street scene of Phnom Penh I purchased just after we moved to the city
NOVEMBER 22nd BANANA: Thanks to our lovely Khmer neighbour we now know that at Water Festival offerings and altars should include flowers, incense, poha (flattened rice) and bananas. She also kindly donated us poha and bananas and showed us how it is consumed locally. As we don’t have an altar of our own we made the offering in front of one of our standing Buddhas and there it remains until I see her dismantle hers.
the full scene
NOVEMBER 23rd DARK AND MOODY: entranceways in the back lanes of Phnom Penh belie the often light and cheerful residences within. This one is off the laneway to our apartment but it is not our entrance
NOVEMBER 24th A BUS STOP: No need for a bus stop here buses can and do stop wherever they feel inclined, so I guess a stopped bus will have to do
NOVEMBER 25th LOW ANGLE: shot taken from the base of a very tall palm
NOVEMBER 26th FAMILY HEIRLOOM: Having lived in seven different countries over the course of my working life, I have precious few possessions that are heirlooms but this little chopping board qualifies. It was my mother’s and only ever used for garlic and onions so the strong flavour didn’t taint other chopping boards and transfer to other food. I’m pretty sure but not certain that my younger brother who is now in his sixties made it in year eight woodwork classes
NOVEMBER 27th A POT: used for Buddhist ceremonial purposes and on sale in Russian Market this morning but not purchased by me
NOVEMBER 28th NOISY: Last night we attended a very special 50th birthday celebration and whilst dinner was being served sedate, live music was played but after that it most certainly got noisy
NOVEMBER 29th A MOMENT: early this morning when the nightlights were still on, the sky was lightening up but the sun was not yet visible. The Big Durian in the traffic circle in Kampot which we often refer to as the ‘durian-about’
NOVEMBER 30th HARD: I believe this style of bike was more often used to carry goods than passengers. There a still a few that function in Kampot but this one would be mighty hard to ride considering the lack of seat and the state of the handlebars
PROMPTS
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