wEeK oNe FeBrUaRy 2015
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
2. MAIL: Although it
has been a long time since we have had a mailing address, these items ordered
by us and sent to a dear friend’s house in Melbourne, were the mail waiting for
our arrival when we got there today. (All are destined for Bhutan – the books
to help children celebrate the year of reading in our 2 schools and the hat
along with a lot of other gifts not purchased on line are for the many
Bhutanese colleagues and friends who have helped us in the past year) The mail
we were actually hoping to hear was that our stalled visa applications had been
approved and were not going to delay our return but that was not to be… still
hoping to go ‘home’ to Bhutan
3. WATER: This social
enterprise funds safe water access to those in need and you can even track the
exact project your purchased bottle is assigned to fund. Drink water and be the
change you want to see in the world at the same time- it doesn’t get better
than that.
4.
REWARD: After being on tenterhooks for over a month and fearing the worst last
week, the reward for patience, perseverance and a positive attitude was this
message we received today. Just mine to go but our faith will be rewarded. Yay,
Yay, Yay. We are going 'home' to Bhutan and the journey begins
tomorrow!!!!!!!!!
5. SOMETHING BLUE:
This is the new blue Boom Swimmer waterproof speaker we bought yesterday, as
they are so useful in the classroom
6. MAKES ME SMILE:
to see my inspirational husband and this hotel worker who takes just delight in
his humble job and has welcomed us back into the fold in Bangkok like we are
family so many times in the last 4 years. We can learn a lot from the Thais with
their winning smiles and genuine joy for living. Thanks Yuth for making me
smile when not much else had all day.
7. STRIPES: The
shadow on the ceiling created by the lampshades in our favourite and most
frequented vegetarian restaurant in Bangkok tonight at dinner
8. IN MY BAG: The
eclectic collection of things that I believe will make our lives in Bhutan more
comfortable, help celebrate the year of reading or be good gifts for friends in
my bag, waiting to go back with me. There were actually some clothes and a set
of sheets too but not everything is visible when you have close to 30 kilos!
wEeK tWo
FeBrUaRy 2015
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
9. ENERGY:
Consumption and generation of energy must be one of the most important issues
facing the world today. Signs like this give me hope that we are getting the
message and learning to become more conscious of the role we can all play in
saving the planet
10. THIS INSPIRES
ME: to believe that I will be going back to Bhutan very soon. The relief is
palpable. Sorry that 2 photos this month are screen shots of emails, but
delighted at the messages they contain
11. ON THE WALL:
These ticket vending machines and the fare calculation charts are on the walls
of every BTS station in Bangkok. Having prepaid rabbit cards is way more
convenient however because it means we don’t have to use the machines, remember
to have coins available or join long queues and we even get a discount on the
fare. We have had our cards for over 3 years and the credit is always there
when we return even if a year has elapsed. It is a smart and easily used public
transport ticketing system – Australia could learn from this!
12. POINTY: The headdress of traditional Thai dancers is very pointy and glittery with it. We stopped to admire these girls going through their routine at the outdoor venue at Erawan Shrine in central Bangkok and couldn’t help but notice their pointy headdresses.
Second photo to show the entire headdress. The women performed regularly throughout the day accompanied by a group of male musicians and are paid by worshipers in return for having their prayers answered.
13. TEMPTATION: The
temptation we most often give way to in Bangkok is to eat exquisite Thai
vegetarian food at Khun Churn almost every meal and this trip was no exception
14. LOVE: This is an archive shot but given the anxiety
and effort that has gone into first getting approval and then finally getting
our visas issued I think Valentine’s Day pales into insignificance, and the
truth is we LOVE Bhutan and couldn’t be happier
about going back tomorrow! It is a sticker on the window of the café half way
up to Taktsang and I took it on only our 3rd day in the country back
in 2011
15. SPOT: This is
one day late as yesterday we finally flew into Bhutan and I knew I wanted to be
right here. There was a time when I thought I would never be standing in this
spot but there I was this morning standing in front of my new school happy as a
lark to be starting the new school year with some preparation time still left
before the students begin
wEeK
tHrEe FeBrUaRy 2015
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
16. FROM WHERE I
STAND: on the balcony of our fourth floor apartment in Mothithang this is just
one of the captivating views and we were very glad to see it after our first
night home this morning
17. ROUTINE: Having
only been in the country 3 days, living in a new place and going to our new
schools for only the second time we haven’t really established any kind of
routine yet but breakfast on these chilly mornings is porridge and coffee. That
is a routine that has survived the relocation
18. BEDSIDE: My
improvised bedside table
19. FRESH: The fresh and reconstituted dry ingredients that turned into our dumpling filling for the Chinese banquet we cooked for dinner tonight to celebrate Spring Festival and Losar in Bhutan.
恭喜发财！ 新年愉快!
20. THIS IS SO ME: I love orange and this is the new cup I bought today to use at school this year. I am also very fond of cooking especially when I have free time so I can potter about in the kitchen at my leisure. Therefore today on the second day of a 5-day weekend I just had to whip up a chocolate cake for no particular reason and use my newly acquired cake tester. Improvising a cooling rack by balancing a sushi rolling mat is also pretty much a ‘so me’ thing to do!
21. MATCHING: These students were part of the performances to celebrate His Majesty The King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s Birth Anniversary in Changlimithang Stadium today. Not only were all the students in matching clothes but also the scarves they used were matching the huge banners hanging in the corners of the stadium and the same 5 colours used to represent Buddhism (green, blue, yellow, white & red)
22. MACROS: I captured these ornamental plum blossoms
blooming on our now familiar walk into town from home and this is a sure sign
that Spring is on its way. Even though minimum temperatures are still falling
below zero, I have seen these magnificent trees in full bloom in the snow in
northern China and they always herald the arrival of Spring and remind me of a
friend there who bears the same name – Hong Mei
wEeK fOuR
FeBrUaRy 2015
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
23. FIX: Chang
Gangkha Lhakhang is one of the oldest and most precious temples in Thimphu. It
features in a novel taught at class IX level and we were delighted to discover
that we can clearly see the roof from our new apartment. Today we had the joy
of visiting it for the first time and these workers with the aid of only a
minimum of resources were undertaking their duty to fix the now crumbling
walls. They were also as fascinated by us as we were with the work they were
doing
24. 12 O’CLOCK:
Today was the last day at school without students and I am thrilled to say that
at 12 o’clock the corridors were completely empty because every teacher was
deeply engrossed in preparation for the arrival of students tomorrow: some were
working on lesson plans, some were collecting textbooks, some were decorating
and setting up their classrooms, and some were immersed in writing registers,
updating students’ bio data, completing timetables and a myriad of other admin
tasks. It is so nice to be part of a dedicated, motivated and energetic team.
Hope we all can maintain it throughout the term
25. REFLECTION: This
scene in the parking / drop off area of my school today is a reflection of just
how different my current school is from those I have taught at in the past.
Never before have I seen Bhutanese school children dropped off at school quite
like this, nor have I been asked to supervise this process, but the most
surprising of all was the number of student-volunteers who came forward to
direct the traffic flow, cheerfully greet the arrivals and open and close car
doors for them!
26. GROW: This tree
on the very edge of the school parking lot seems to grow as we watch. Only a
week ago it was completely barren and adding to the wintery landscape but now
it is coming to life before our very eyes. More evidence that spring is really
on the way now
27. STILL LIFE: of a
teacher’s desk in week one of the academic session, only 2 days into teaching.
With a variety of tasks to complete, many meetings to attend, essential
planning and preparation to submit, an unfamiliar system to master and new
responsibilities to embrace at this early stage in the term, a concerted
effort, constant multi-tasking and never wasting a second at school are
required but the rewards with the students and especially in the classroom make
it all worth the effort
28. THANK YOU: Druk
School staff and students for making me feel welcome, taking the time to
explain and answer my million and one questions and embracing new ideas when
there are already so many other demands being made on your time!
1. STARTS WITH R:
This is my ceremonial scarf known as a “rachu” and women wear it to all formal
events in Bhutan.
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