Squeaky bits on my jog from Leisure after a week back on the bicycle. Bum complaining at the sudden abuse. At least I have lost a bit of weight with my haircut. No lice, either!

Beach. Prince a bit ‘freaked’ at the wave noise. The banging and crashing of maintenance work not helping.

Terry bringing tastes of Vietnam into the apartment. The hunt for local alternatives to some of the less common bits in the recipes. The surprise as to what is available, including cashew nuts from Vietnam.

Diabetic sensitive, Vietnamese ‘banana flower’ salad, with shredded cabbage rather than banana flower. Grapefruit, baby marrow, carrot, a touch of pineapple, deep fried spring onion, raw roasted peanuts (crushed), coriander and a dressing with lime juice, fish sauce, zylatol garlic and chili. Served with grilled pork belly. Smoked salmon on Parmesan crackers as a starter.

Fresh spring rolls with cauliflower noodles from Woolworths. Ham, lettuce, baby marrow, and carrots. Tasty and get to look at.

Butterflies from the Mekong Delta on small canvases in acrylics. Easier to manage than oil paints with the increased foot traffic coming through the studio. Phthalo blue-green mixed with Cerulean blue for the wings.

Paintings from Vietnam on one wall of the studio settling out the kinks from traveling. No damage, fortunately. My initial concept of using oil paints over the acrylic painting doesn’t seem necessary. The paintings, their own energy, and emotion.