THE PROMPTS FOR THE
MONTH
THURSDAY 1st TODAY
IS...: the end of an era. I lost a sliver charm of the Chinese character fu- “福”, which I have worn in my ear for almost 30 years. To
stop myself thinking about it, I decided to think of 100 things over that
period of time that I am grateful for while swimming laps this afternoon. Now
we are home and I have hung this “Om” in its place in the sleeper. So today is
also the beginning of an era. I hope I get to wear this one for just as long if
not longer than the last
FRIDAY 2nd PLAY: We had
a play-day in Kampot today and along with household goods and supplies and a
few essentials and treats for us, we stocked up with treats, stationery and
playthings for our little monks. This is just a small selection of the bootie
SATURDAY 3rd SMELL: The
delicious smell of Chinese food currently fills the house. Inspired by
purchases of ingredients we found in the market in Kampot yesterday I started
by making Lotus Root Salad first this morning and continued with a dish I call
Beijing Salad. It’s made from cooked tofu skins and will have raw veggies added
when it cools. Because of the smells, I’m now hungry even though we almost
never eat lunch
SUNDAY 4th YES: Today we
said yes to spending Sunday morning making resources to teach our little monks.
When you don’t work full time it’s not so onerous to give up part of the
weekends
MONDAY 5th THREE:
delicious pieces of the Vegan chocolate cake (with a texture more like
brownies!!) which I donated to our neighbour honouring my vow to give away half
of everything I bake. It was a real treat too
TUESDAY 6th SKYLINE: At
sunset near the crab market in Kep today the skyline was awash with pink and
the sun was a luminous red ball
WEDNESDAY 7th DOORWAY:
The Khmer style back entrance doorway to the first hotel we ever stayed in, in
Kep. I don’t think it is ever used but its atmosphere of former grandeur evokes
Angkor Wat and romantic nostalgia. It was here that we fell in love with the
location and decided to live in this lovely seaside town
THURSDAY 8th BEAUTIFUL:
It’s rare to have cut flowers in the house here but when I saw these
beautiful lotus blooms in the market this morning, I couldn’t resist them. I
know they are meant for altar offerings but they do look beautiful in our
living room
FRIDAY 9th PINK: This is
the inside of the beautiful lotus blooms I purchased and posted yesterday. They
have opened up like delicate balloons now and I am hoping to dry the seedpods
inside
SATURDAY 10th ON THE
TABLE: The results of this morning’s baking are now on the table! Shortbread
with walnuts, known as Russian Teacakes. I haven’t made this original recipe
since leaving Australia as I usually adapt it to contain cashews or chocolate
chips as they are more readily available
SUNDAY 11th BEGINS WITH
T: Due to this prompt we rode our bike out for a bit of local temple and
exploring today. There is still plenty for us to discover in Kep
MONDAY 12th MY INSPIRATION: comes from
beautiful words that speak to my heart, the friends and family who support and
encourage me, the many children and young people I have had the privilege to
teach and learn from, the travel experiences that have forever expanded my
perception of the world and the astounding beauty and ever changing face of nature
TUESDAY 13th BRIGHT: I’m
not sure what the specific use of this bright shining ornament in the monastery
is, but I’m pretty sure it is not what Gam is using it for. That guilty
expression is a dead give away
WEDNESDAY 14th I LOVE:
Ian; as simple as that - the love of my life
THURSDAY 15th BLACK
& WHITE: Monochrome has always been a favourite dress style of mine and
these are the last two clothing purchases I made in Kampot, against a
background of the one remaining Kira from Bhutan, I still have in my possession
FRIDAY 16TH TRAVEL: My
biggest addiction is travel and we have always celebrated every birthday and
significant life event and anniversary by travelling somewhere new, but with
deep concern for the environment, I sold my last car in 1989 and its is the
humble bicycle that fulfils our daily travel needs. This second-hand
Japanese ‘shopping’ bike was one of our first purchases in Phnom Penh and it
serves me well with its adapted local basket for carrying the marketing and
teaching resources. Ian has a near identical one and they represent the best
$100 we spent last year. We average 15-20 kilometres a day and sometimes just
get on the bikes and take a spin at twilight because we can and because there
is nothing quiet like the wind in your hair and a good 'coddiwomple'
SATURDAY 17th IN THE
DETAILS: I think creating delicious food is all in the details. These are the
ingredients for one of the two fillings for the dumplings we made for a Chinese
New Year celebration today
SUNDAY 18th STRIPES:
since this weekend has largely been spent in the kitchen what came to mind is
the delicate stripes of the pattern in one of our Japanese recycle shop plates
MONDAY 19th BENEATH MY
FEET: This prompt made me start to think about the many surfaces beneath my
feet on a regular basis and how much of the time I’m barefoot. This is a snap
shot of the dozen or so that featured today
TUESDAY 20th TIME: We
are at Kep Garden School today and our day, like the kid’s day is divided into
playtime, lunchtime, class time and home time
WEDNESDAY 21st TWIRL:
Spaghetti for dinner and twirled around chopsticks. Very few meals are not
consumed with chopsticks in this house
THURSDAY 22nd LITTLE:
Grateful to have these little guys in our lives
FRIDAY 23rd DEPTH OF
FIELD: A custard apple growing in the magnificent garden at Maison de Yaya
where we swim
SATURDAY 24th
ARCHITECTURE: There are many formerly grand colonial residences now in ruins
scattered around Kep but the architecture of this particular one intrigues me.
I wonder was it a school, offices or a community centre..
SUNDAY 25th MY FACE:
reflected in the mirror in our bedroom. It’s rare for me to wear makeup these
days. I snapped this shot just before leaving home for an equally rare Saturday
night out in Kep last night
MONDAY 26th NEED/ WANT:
This prompt has had me feeling blessed all day. We are fortunate to lead simple
lives and be able to afford almost everything we want. I need coffee to start
the day, but want for nothing. I was inspired today to pack a picnic lunch and
cycle to the end of the coastal road where the mangroves meet the road in a
dead end. We need to appreciate all we have and want less
TUESDAY 27th SOMETHING
OLD: and very beautiful is the Banyan Tree which stands in front of the Kep
Secondary School almost directly opposite our home
WEDNESDAY 28th STREET:
The main coastal street in Kep is quiet and tranquil on a Wednesday morning but
come the weekend or any public holiday, the beach teems with swimmers and
sunbathers, the shady spots under the trees are packed with crab eating
picnickers and the road is crammed with motorcycle vendors wending their way
through near standstill traffic and double parked vehicles. I know I prefer our
quiet, contemplative midweek beachside cycling along this street
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