Time for Tea

Well, Hello, its that time again when we join in with Abi to have a cup of tea and a chat- So do please come in and sit down. 

Sorry about the wet entrance way- with that massive thunderstorm we had earlier today, the rain just went everywhere, the lightening was straight overhead too..it's a good job no of us were out in it.

What would you like to drink? I have some really nice little packets of herbal teas that I picked up in Cambodia, would you like one of these...

Or just go with regular tea or coffee?

I'll be having the lemongrass tea- I tried Lemongrass tea first, way back in 2008 in Peru- and now I just love the stuff. I've been a bit decadent today too.... Instead of baking myself this week, I ended up trying a new little cake shop and bought a couple of slices of cake instead.

The cakes are gorgeous. Would you like a piece of the chocolate cheesecake?- It's very rich- but sooooo very good!

Please excuse the mess, There are bags of stuff everywhere. For one thing, I've started to put a few things away, ready to ship.  I know it's a little bit early, but July will soon be here and I don't really want to leave all the packing up until the last minute.

I've still got my weekend bags to unpack too! I was a bit late getting back last night after a wonderful weekend away. A few of us girlies- hardly girls at our ages- but you know what I mean! -had been up to the North of the island, right to the Tip of Borneo, to stay in a luxury villa! We were celebrating one of our little group member's birthday- such a great idea. We all had a very relaxing and fabulous time. Doesn't it look beautiful?

 - It really was!

 Now back to work with a vengeance. It's lovely to chat though. Hope everyone had a lovely Easter Holiday. I could show you a few of my Holiday snaps- but I'll save them for another time- I wouldn't like to think you'd fall asleep with boredom :)

Great to catch up with you all. I'll be here next month too- Join me then?

Amanda x

Six Word Fridays- Flowers

Apologies first for not being online, I was going to post things a couple of days ago- but all I seem to want to do since I came back from my hols was sleep and have hardly switched on my computer- but anyway -I'm here now...and here goes!

 

Joining in with Adrienne for Six Word Fridays here's my post for this week's entry for Flowers

 Beautiful blooms from faraway exotic places

 Colours that shimmer in brilliant sunshine

 Unusual shapes and potent fragrant aromas

 So different from my English garden.

Bye for Now, 

Amanda x

Happy Easter

Just wishing all you lovely people out there a very 'Happy Easter'

Spring Day 30

Spring Challenge Day 30

My final Day of my 30 day challenge- 30 pictures of Spring in the tropics. It wasn't quite what i would be used to in England- That would be Daffs, Crocuses, Lambs and Easter eggs... but it did get me to look around a lot more at what was going on around me here in KK.

So for my final picture, joining in with Peggy at 30 days of Spring, here's some great Lotus flowers.

Loving the pink hues :)

Have a great Saturday

Amanda x

The end of the Holidays & Six Words Friday

Hello, I'm back from my trip and hopefully back to the land of technology, regular postings, uploaded photos and catching up with all those great blogs out there that I've missed whilst I've been away.

So now I'm playing catch up. Starting off with 'Six words Friday'. A lovely little meme set up by Adrienne at my memory art to share a photo with six words. This week's theme was eggs...and even though I'm drooling over the lack of chocolate Easter eggs over here. I did spot some rather strange looking pink ones in the market in Phenom Pehn. 

Anyway, Six words Friday"- Eggs"

Wonder what came first - Chicken? Egg?

Next, I have a few Spring photos left for my 30 days of Spring...fourseasonsthirtydays A day by day look at Spring.

Day 24

Blue Skies

Day 25

Greenery

Day 26

 Sunny break times

 Day 27

 Swimming Galas

Day 28

 Water lilies

Day 29

 School trips out

Hopefully, all will be back to normal by tomorrow and i'll continue with my catch up and tell you all about my Cambodia and Myanmar holiday.

Thanks for being patient

:)

The Best Laid Plans

So the best laid plans.etc etc- yep, my daily Spring postings and catch ups from my holiday have to come to a standstill! Primarily, because of my own carelessness ...you see I've lost my smart phone...Ok, this might not sound like much- but when you're in the middle of Cambodia and you loose your phone somewhere in the huge expanse of temples that is Angkor Wat.. you can quickly say goodbye to having any more contact with the outside world as you know it!

I really didn't think I was so tied up with my phone- until I didn't have it anymore. I'm not one of these people who seem to have their phone glued to their hand (Or maybe I should have, ha ha , I wouldn't have lost it!) and I really didn't think I used it that much.

 Until of course I wanted to check the time, or take a photo with it, or upload a photo or two- or send an email- or check my blog- or any blog for that matter...or goodness me, even make a phone call on it.

You don't realise what you have until you don't have it anymore!

The last couple of days have found me trying to negotiate my way around my  various email and facebook accounts, my blog lists and all my contacts, trying to change passwords and increase all my privacy settings...it's a pain! But hopefully whoever found my phone- just got rid of the sim card and did nothing with the information on it..I can only hope!

I won't really settle though, as even though  my passwords have been changed my emails may have been accessible etc etc- so i feel a little vulnerable.

Any advice out there- will be gratefully received!!

Anyway I still plod on and for the next week or so will be dependent on hotel computer and internet access- which is interesting to say the least!

So I'm going with the flow.

Posting what I can, when I can.

Reading when I can... and probably having to leave any uploading until I get back from my travels.

Which is a shame, as I had a few regular posts that I wanted to share such as 'My one photo, 20 words' and my '6 word Fridays'.

So until then, many apologies for the lack of ...well, everything...

and if you do have some wonderful words of wisdom of what I can do to salvage my now exposed '' virtual life'', I will definitely listen :)

Spring Days 20 - 23

10 Things Tuesday - Market Day 2 & Days of Spring

Here's 10 more Market delights and then to round it off, a couple of Days of Spring Shots.

What would you like today?...

Bananas?

Pineapples?

Soursop?

Garlic?

Pandan?

Pumpkin and Squash?

Eggs?

I really have no idea what these are..?

Or Persimmion- I thik? :)

Spring Day18 & 19

Growing Beans

And more sudden showers :)

Sorry I haven't got round to reading or commeting on any of your lovely blogs whilst I'm away. I shall certainly try to rectify that whenever I can find reliable internet accessibility. Until I do.. I shall see you tomorrow for more 'Days of Spring' and 'One Photo : 20 Words'

Bye for now,
Amanda x

Simple Women's Daybook and Spring 16 & 17

Spring Photos- Day 16 and 17

Now, these might not look much, but when you have pineapples and bananas growing in abundance all around you, it should come to no surprise that these form a large part of my staple diet.

Raw, baked, fried and made into cakes and desserts- what's not to like.

Moving on to:
My next instalment of my 'Day Book', Monthly musings and not so carefully thought out waffling about my day to day existence!

So joining in with thesimplewomansdaybook, here's a look into my life as it stands today the 6th April 2014!

Outside my window...I have a change of scenery..as I'm in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. It's dark, hot and humid- and i love it! I arrived here yesterday and it's a city that has a great feel about it. My little hotel is down a very dusty, uneven side street, opposite a high walled temple. At this time in the evening there's the sound of people in the streets, frogs in the gutters, motorbikes zooming past-and the chirruping of cicadas in the trees.

I am thinking ...how warm it is, and whether or not the mosquito's that are whizzing around my ankles will bite or not. Might need extra repellent tomorrow!

I am thankful..that I am on holiday.It's been a long hard term and everyone was ready for a break. I am particularly thankful that I'm lucky enough to spend my time here in Cambodia. I'm also thankful that there are less stringent pharmacy laws over here, as I have managed to get some over the counter antibiotics for a throat infection- without the need and expense of seeing a doctor :)

I am creating... some space on my camera card to take lots of new photos this week.. you know me- it will run into the hundreds before the week is up.

I am wearing...My third set of clothes today! Having pounded the aforesaid hot, sweaty and dusty streets of PP in cotton skirts, T shirts and faithful old sketcher sandles..elegance is not an option!

In the kitchen...Sad to say this isn't my kitchen, but I've had some great food today. It started off with lots of fresh fruit, toast and homemade jam for breakfast. Then for dinner this evening was a delicious vegetable stirfry with lemongrass, spicy basil and brown rice.mmm Oh, and there may have been an odd ice cream or smoothie thrown in there somewhere today too!- medicinal purposes only- honest- very soothing for a sore throat!

I am going ..to the museums, markets and killing fields tomorrow, then onwards to Siem Reap.

I am wondering.. how far I actually walked today- I'm footsore and very weary, So I reckkon quite a few miles.

I am reading..lots of easy chic lits on my kindle- perfect holiday reading-although I did pick up another Jo Nesbo thriller from the Hotel Book exchange pile!

I am hoping ..that all will go well next week, when I get to Myanmar. Stepping out into the unknown makes me a little nervous. I know I'd never been to Cambodia either, but Myanmar seems to have a lot of the unknown abot it:)

I am looking forward to ...visiting Angkhor Wat later this week.

I am learning..to cross the road carefully, dodging in and out of motorbikes, tuktuks and cars. I am also learning that you do really need to drink an awful lot of water to replace lost fluids in this heat...and consequently I am learning to never pass up the opportunity of a bathroom when you see one!

Around the house..well, it's not my house,although I wish I had some of the decor,..there are whirring fans, chatter from other guests, the smell of orange blossom and frangipani...and my room that has so much stuff sprawled across it, it looks like I have been here for weeks!

I am pondering..whether to buy some of the lovely crafty things i have seen here or wait until I'm further into my trip..decisions, descisions...

A favourite quote...I haven't really got one for today..although I did think (on more than one occassion today) that 'only mad dogs and Englishmen' - 'go out in the midday sun'..Perhaps I need to add myself to that list too!

A glimpse of my day..

A visit to the King's Palace!

Hope you're all ahving a good day too:)

Amanda x

Six Words Friday - Colour & Spring Day 15

Colour

Colourful toys. Packed away. Playtime over!

Linking in with Adrienne for Six word Friday

Spring Day 15

 

New little chillies bursting with colour and flavour- Unfortunately I can take no credit for growing these... I just have to buy mine from the market!

I'm off on my holidays tomorrow- Cambodia and Myanmar- hopefully I shall be able to find some wifi available somewhere, as I'm planning to continue to send my regular 'Days of Spring' posts as well as my other regular postings.

 However- If it means that this doesn't happen- please stick around and I'll catch up when I can. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend:)

Amanda x

Photo Heart Connection & Day 14

Photo Heart Connection is a monthly link up with Kat at Kateyestudio. It's the coming together of  picture and emotions, something that speaks to us through our photos, taken throughout the month before:)

For my March connection, I was drawn to this image - shadows on the beach at Gaya, I love the lines that lead to the sea- like a giant hand stretching its fingers to reach the water. But mostly I love the memories it evokes- of lying on golden sand, on a Saturday afternoon, in term time. Shaded by the tree, yet the hot sun filters through the leaves. Book in hand, ears filled with the gentle lapping of the waves, a faint smell of leaves from the dense jungle behind and a stillness of mind. Time to just sit, breathe and just be. Soaking it all up and storing it into those memory banks for a time later, when darker, hectic days are the norm and beach days will be a thing of the past.

And I couldn't resist giving you the full picture...Idyllic!

 

Spring -Day 14

  Yet more Spring Rain- Torrential and Thundery!!

\
Amanda x

Spring Day 13

Just another Spring day in the tropics :)

 
Joining in for 30 Days of Spring :)

10 Thing's Tuesday- Market Day 1

Oh, it's ages since I have written a 10 thing's post- but I never seem to find the space to slot one in. But I had so much to show I thought I would try and fit a few in- so here we go. These are just some of the food to found at the local market. It's all  a bit different than Tesco's, that's for sure!

Curry pastes

Onions

King Prawns

 

Fish- I have no idea what these are!

  Fresh Chicken

 Dried Fruit

Spices, curries, different flours

Pulses and beans

Fresh 'Greens' and Herbs

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

 

Then to finish it all off - My Spring Picture for Day 12.

Another Glorious KK Sunset.

Until Next time,

Amanda x