With a new year starting I have been posting more than the usual. I want to share with you our amazing trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia. I have been trying to focus more on writing about daily life living here as an expat in Asia and less on photo challenges. This week’s photo challenge seemed interesting and as I searched our recent trip photos I found these windows, the theme set by word press.
Windows at Angkor Wat and surrounding temples were interesting with small pillar like spindles that covered the opening so only thin views through the intricately carved shapes could be seen. I am not sure of the purpose since your view was obstructed and little light could come in. Possibly it was to support the heavy stone structures that an opening for a glass-less window would not provide. Some of the window pillars were chipped and broken leaving space to see the views below.
View over the grounds around Angkor Wat
As I was saving these photos to my desktop I came across this photo.
Last spring our trip to Beijing brought us to the Forbidden City. We walked out of a gate along the moat only to realise this was not the entrance area. As we retraced our steps we saw this woman cooking out of the window. It was even funnier when we noticed the sign above her head. Bastet asked us to share a photo of a memory for her photo challenge, and this was a funny story (and it was also using windows) from our trip that made it quiet memorable. It also kept us in giggles long after wondering aloud what she was cooking and why she would be cooking there, of all places. The image lends itself to many ideas and you can let your imagination paint a story. 😉 What do you think she was cooking?
This is my response to 2 different photo challenges that I have combined into one. If you want to see more or find out how to post your own follow the links (above) to Bastet’s Blog and Word Press.
If you want to see more of our recent trip to Cambodia stay tuned… or check out these two recent posts.
- Angkor Wat Awe & Wonder
- Awe & Wonder: Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple)
Canadian Travel Bugs 
Nice photos of Angkor Wat! I had the same idea for my weekly challenge photo 🙂 🙂
http://celiaintokyo.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/weekly-photo-challenge-window/
We must have been commenting on each others at the same time! Great minds 😉
Now that is a fantastic idea actually…why smell up the house when you can cook on a wok on the window sill…thanks for the interesting contribution!
And I am sure the cooking would smell better than the toilets too 😉 It was pretty funny.
lol!
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You can but hope that there was an interior partition? I’m also trying to cut back on photo challenges this year but they are hard to resist!
I guess we should have gone around to see what was inside, but the not knowing leaves more fun for the imagination 😉
Photo challenges are great and keeps me creative gives me something to post on when I am stuck, but lately that is all I seemed to post on. I need to get back into writing more and documenting our time here. I found when I did post about things here I was rushed.
Great post…loved the carved spindles on the windows. I think the lady is cooking fish…that is a smell that lingers for a long time….what a great way to alleviate all strong odors!
Ha ha… of course the first thing out of our mouth was: Wonder what crap she is cooking ? My dad’s sense of humour is rubbing off. 😉
Great photos. I’m glad I can’t smell them! lol
LOL… 🙂
LOL CTB, hopefully she’s sterilizing towels (although I think not!). Excellent capture and good eye to see it in the first place. And you KNOW how I feel about Angkor Wat! Priceless 🙂
Thanks… it was a great memory and one of those ‘Only in China’ moments 😉
I love the second picture looking through the columns of the temple.
And… I guess it’s good she’s cooking *out* of the window? Well, she has to eat somehow, I suppose!
If you notice she is wearing a uniform, so I figure she is one of the grounds keepers that sweep up the leaves and trash left by visitors. Maybe that is the only plug and way she can get a hot meal at work… very inventive. 😉
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I’m thinking it was either the amount of smoke or the scent of the food that put that pot out to the window sill.
But “toilet”? I just don’t know what that has to do with anything. (Or at least I’m not willing to share my thoughts! Lol)
Nice window/spindle shots.
The woman cooking was probably just making do with what she had where she had it… which is pretty common here. Plugs are located in weird heights and locations, and then appliances have short little cords…could be the reason she made a window ledge her hot plate holder. She is wearing the bright orange shirt so I am guessing it is the street cleaner uniform… I wonder if she ducked into the toilets to cook her meal since working outside provides you with few other options 😉 Either way it is one of those “only in China” moments that make you do a double take.
The carvings at Angkor were lovely… every surface had design –even the windows.
Thanks for stopping by.
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I love that shot of the woman cooking in the window!
Yes toilet humour wins again… it was so unexpected and so China. After being here 4 years the funny things don’t phase us anymore, but this one still sends us into giggles.
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