oNe PhOtO a DaY: wEeK fIvE jUnE 2015

wEeK fIvE jUnE 2015

THE PROMPTS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY 29^Th ANIMAL: The day we arrived back in Australia and all I could think of were these road signs, which couldn’t be anywhere else. This one is actually off the screen of an ATM machine. Gotta love OZ!

TUESDAY 30^TH DESIGN: Nothing can quite compete with natures designs: sunset at Semaphore Beach

WEDNESDAY 1^ST IN THE HOUSE: We have been out of the house for hours today and after 2 hospitals and having my dearest sister admitted this was what was required when we were finally back in the house

THURSDAY 2^ND SIGNED. SEALED. DELVERED: Ordered online, signed on the dotted line, sealed in their own packaging and sealed into a sturdy box too. Then delivered to the door less than a day later. Thanks Apple Store. There will be one school in Thimphu well wired for sound now and each department gets to choose its own colour. I hope you like the blue one Tshetsho!!

FRIDAY 3^RD OUTING: Being home means lots of outings and excursions but the pick of the bunch today was this outing and gathering of old mates in the city after a delicious Chinese dinner in an old favourite haunt.

SATURDAY 4^TH RED, WHITE, BLUE: Even here in Adelaide the Stars and Stripes feature as the red white and blue best option  

SUNDAY 5^TH ME TODAY: Not exactly a glamorous look but this was me today visiting my beautiful sister in the burns unit. Every precaution is taken to avoid infection after skin grafts are done

wEeK tWo JuLy 2015

THE PROMPTS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY 6^TH MY NAME: Hope it’s readable the best I could manage today

  

TUESDAY 7^TH MINIMALISTIC: Even when it comes to cooking less is sometimes more. This delicious pasta sauce prepared by Ian tonight had just 5 ingredients and was "to die for"

WEDNESDAY 8^TH INSIDE MY FRIDGE: One of my favourite things and something we have to indulge in when home in Australia is cheese. This isn't my fridge but it is for the duration of our stay, so some of the best locally produced cheese is in my fridge right now

THURSDAY 9^TH STREET: Not really a street but close enough.  This is ANZAC Highway a major connecting route in the city of Adelaide. We were screaming up here to collect my beautiful sister being discharged from the Royal Adelaide Hospital today. Thankful the traffic was light, the skies were blue and we were driving and not on our bikes like we always were when we lived here. Welcome back to a family environment and your own home Sonya. This was the street to your salvation.  

FRIDAY 10^TH MY STORY: For a lot of this year I have been turning my life energy around with positive thoughts and action. This little app, called Gratitude Journal, I bought last week has added to my routine to build self-esteem and focus on happiness. I love it

SATURDAY 11^TH LATE: It is now very late in the day for this Australian holiday and we had one last late walk along Jetty Road savouring the wild winter weather and raging winter ocean. Good Bye Oz. See you next time round

SUNDAY 12^TH EARLY: Leaving too early, on an early morning flight, and wanting to get home to Bhutan early enough to have some free time before school starts. How can one’s heart be in some many places?

wEeK tHrEe JuNe 2015

THE PROMPTS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY 13^TH CALM: I am feeling calm and relaxed in this room, which we got as an upgrade in our favourite hotel in Bangkok.

TUESDAY 14^TH CHAOS: The current chaos of the usually tidy and empty bench / divan that is the entrance to our home. Now we are unpacked it contains the gifts and requests we brought back with us to Bhutan

WEDNESDAY 15^TH ON MY MIND: This idea has been on my mind all summer break I know I have a workshop to deliver most probably on Saturday and at various times over the last 3 weeks it has been on my mind and ideas about what to do have come to me Finally today I started to get it organised

THURSDAY 16^TH STARTS WITH T: the tiger mask hanging on our living room wall along with the rest of the set that is always hung together in Bhutan

(1 dragon, 1 garuda, 1 lion and 1 tiger)

FRIDAY 17^TH SPECIAL: The special treats I brought back from Australia and shared with all my lovely Bhutanese colleagues and friends today

SATURDAY 18^TH BOOK: Not exactly one book but the set of books written by Andrea Chisholm and recently published in Bhutan for Emergent Readers. I was so thrilled to deliver 2 sets to my school today and offer one more to a nearby government school. Brilliant work Andrea I am proud to have contributed some of the photos.  

SUNDAY 19^TH SIGN: On our walk downtown today I spotted this sign, marking a zebra crossing in a school zone. I love that the picture is a boy in a gho and knee-high sox and that it could only be taken in Bhutan

wEeK fOuR jUnE 2015

THE PROMPTS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY 20^th CAR: This electric car belonging to the Thimphu Thromde (or Municipality) is often parked and charging in this position and is a clear indicator and example of Bhutan’s green credentials

TUESDAY 21^ST REAL: I'm both relieved and grateful to have my REAL visa stamped in my new passport even if I did have to pay again. At least now I'm good to go (or should that be stay) until 12th February

WEDNESDAY 22^ND FAKE: I have long loved having bunches of fresh flowers indoors but the Buddhist reverence for nature forbids picking flowers so here in Bhutan I try to contain the desire to decorate with them. Nonetheless I still find fake flowers a very poor substitute, especially when even the colour is inaccurate- wisteria is never yellow

THURSDAY 23^RD TOY: I love toys that require manual manipulation and are not battery-powered gadgets and these small wooden spinning tops exemplify that.

FRIDAY 24^TH BLOOM: Right now in Thimphu city sunflowers twice as high as the average citizen line the streets and are in full bloom in private gardens

SATURDAY 25^TH TWO OF US: dressed and ready to attend the annual concert for PP-Class III students.

SUNDAY 26^TH NEGATIVE SPACE: The sky as negative space behind the logo on the window of the best cafe in Thimphu - Ambient Cafe

wEeK fIvE jUnE 2015

THE PROMPTS FOR THE WEEK

MONDAY 27^th CLOUDS: After brilliant blue skies and blinding

sunshine this morning, the moment I stepped out doors to walk home I could see these dark clouds gathering today. Even though I kept stopping to take photos of the ever darkening sky, I managed to make the 3km back home before the skies opened up with torrential monsoon rain and this first shot of the clouds from the school exit proved to be the most dramatic

TUESDAY 28^TH LOOKING IN: This is the second half of lunch and I was so delighted to see a group of girls enjoying some quiet reading time when unnoticed I was looking in their classroom. The boys at the back are also having fun with an indoor game without disturbing anyone  

WEDNESDAY 29^TH LOOKING OUT: across the school grounds from the lower primary area to the teaching building and administration block and the Himalayas beyond

THURSDAY 30^TH TRASH: No matter how clean and green you think your environment is there is always some trash lurking on a school campus

FRIDAY 31^ST I BOUGHT IT!: I noticed a new gallery with my favourite photo of the reigning royals of Bhutan taken this year in Sakteng, on my way to a friends birthday celebration last Friday and on Sunday I went back and I bought it!! It now proudly hangs near the front door of our home suitably decorated with the white blessing scarf know here as a Kahdar

SATURDAY 1^ST FICTION: One of my favourite pieces of Bhutanese fiction and by my favourite author too. I think it might be her only adult fiction but please correct me if I’m wrong. Her children’s books are simply beautiful and I was glad to see one (and buy it) in a second-hand bookstore and café in Adelaide while we were home for the summer break.

SUNDAY 2^nd A LITTLE MOMENT: of hesitation on our afternoon walk this afternoon looking at this magnificent view, when we realised we should have already started on our way back home because we were definitely going to get caught in the monsoon cloud burst and yep we did! No harm done.