wEeK oNe MaY 2015
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
MONDAY 4th
TODAY I SAW: After waiting 2 months, with a vast empty space in the living
room, while we searched for a suitable sofa we waited another 2 weeks to find
cushions for it and have covers made. When I saw this tonight it warmed my heart.
No-one works harder or is more selfless than Ian in my opinion and the wait and
patience was worth it to see our apartment really does have a comfort zone now!
TUESDAY 5TH
RED: Today the red I have predominately seen is red pen and lots of it,
checking essays and marking exercise books and I couldn’t make myself take a
photo of that so…… this is a shot from just over a week ago. One of the
children at school brought this stunning red poppy as a donation, to the
greening the school campaign, because it was his birthday. It struck a real
chord with me because it was just days before ANZAC DAY. It inspired me to want
to speak at the assembly on the day and I spent the rest of the morning
thinking about song lyrics related to those “green fields in France”
WEDNESDAY 6TH
10 O’CLOCK: Unfortunately Wednesday morning is exam time in my school and at 10
o’clock, this is where I was and have been for the last few weeks in fact!
THURSDAY 7TH
KEY: Not so original but the key to the front door in the door! We only have
one key to our new apartment so we have to try to co-ordinate to get home
together. Since I am almost always last home Ian carries the key bearing my
name daily!
FRIDAY 8TH
FOUR THINGS: The four traditional Bhutanese
items that were a part of my attire today include my white background maroon
and black patterned light weight summer ‘kira’ (or skirt), my white wandue (or
shirt), my maroon tego (or jacket) and the mulit-coloured little essentials bag
I carry around with me daily. All made from traditional Bhutanese textiles and
mostly hand woven. I happened to be wearing them all in the schoolyard when I
took this shot and realized they were four things I really like.
SATURDAY 9TH
PEACEFUL: There is nothing quite so peaceful, calming and kind as the Buddha’s
face. Even non-Buddhists across the world are attracted to the imagery and here
in Bhutan it is ubiquitous and pervasive. This statue is in Centenary Park in
Thimphu and is apparently Thai in its iconography.
SUNDAY 10TH
PLAYGROUND: The kitchen, playground of cooks and wannabe chefs. Any guesses
what I was making?
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
MONDAY 11th
UPSIDE-DOWN: This one had me flummoxed for a long time but then I realised that
the rash, hives, welts or whatever they are covering my body in an ever more
pervasive manner have turned my life upside-down recently. Never before have I
felt that my body was my enemy but now the endless itching is driving me crazy
and making me want to claw my skin off. It is certainly exacerbated by heat and
to that end I have taken to wearing the cotton dressing gown – or Yukata, as it
is known in Japan where I bought it. Now after owning it and loving it for
almost 10 years, I notice that alternating rows of characters (some of which I
can read, though the text is not clear to me) are UPSIDE- DOWN is that what
made it a tourist item in the first place??? This is the part of it in my lap
today. I wonder how many others can see which are upside-down and which are
right side up?
TUESDAY 12TH
EYES: Well all eyes were everywhere when we were evacuated for the earthquake
tremors today. I like the green / blue colour in my eyes: they change colour
without me knowing so I’m always interested in what colour they come up in
photos! In the car park once we were out, and knew that everyone was safe and
sound we didn’t really know what to do next. Eventually once the epicenter came
to light we opted for mass prayers right where we were! Extra photo of that
below.
WEDNESDAY 13TH
HANDS: My hands have been doing way too much exam paper writing, collating,
stapling and checking recently but this was in one of the last papers I graded
today and it also marked the completion of the first round of exams. It’s rare
to give 100% for any answer and it definitely deserved it and the smiley face –
Well done Tshering.
THURSDAY 14TH
HEART: A truly beautiful story by one of Bhutan’s most talented and popular
writers in my humble opinion. I have yet to find a child that didn’t see the
good in this book and even our Maasai students in Orkeeswa, Tanzania, chose to
include it in their reading to primary school students’ presntation. This
somewhat battered copy is now going though the hands of Druk School primary
students and being very well received.
FRIDAY 15TH
I FOUND THIS: little Buddha with a totally serene face while we were travelling
in Vietnam last year and instantly fell in love with it. The simplicity of the
design and the instant sense of well being the expression on his face induces,
is perfect for making me take a deep breath and relax. Currently he lives on
top of the bookcase in a favourite corner of the living room and is a treasured
part of our décor
SATURDAY 16TH
CLEAN: Saturday afternoon, the apartment is clean and the fresh vegetables we
bought in the market are clean and chopped ready for tonight’s salad for dinner
SUNDAY 17TH
HOME: Our newly established relaxation zone in the living room of what has to
be the best appointed and most comfortable home we have ever occupied in
Bhutan. Trying to give the décor a Bhutanese flavour without busting the bank.
We love it.
wEeK tHrEe MaY 2015
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
MONDAY 18th
MUSICAL: Students at Druk are very fortunate to have a Creative Arts
Co-coordinator when so very few schools in the kingdom do. As a part of the
musical offerings both traditional and modern western instruments are taught. I
found this gem in the music room today. I am not exactly sure what this musical
instrument is called but it is called but it resembles as horizontal accordion.
TUESDAY 19TH
MY MOOD TODAY: Hopeful- After a week of treatment I was again at the National
Referral Hospital today, availing of the after hours clinic in the dermatology
department and feeling hopeful that the miraculous lack of itching and reduced
rash is the beginning of a complete recovery and an end of the torture my skin
has been inflicting on me.
WEDNESDAY 20TH
EQUAL: Nothing about these 2 groups of students is in the slightest bit equal
but different as they are they still had a very engaging, sharing and learning
activity this morning as a part of
Druk’s Design for Change program and I was fortunate enough to participate in
it today too. Together they interact and engage in a very genuine and caring
manner.
THURSDAY 21ST
IN A DRAWER: With all this stuff in a drawer there are no points for guessing
I’m a teacher.
FRIDAY 22ND
WEATHER: In the last 24 hours we have had gloomy skies, rain, thunderstorms and
sunny, clear skies. I guess the weather is somewhat unpredictable as the
monsoon rainy season approaches. At least the skies were blue and the clouds
interesting above the school at morning assembly this morning.
SATURDAY 23RD
GOOD TIMES: We have had lots of good times here in Bhutan but this was a real
social occasion in our new apartment and a lot of fun entertaining and playing
host to guests from the hinterland as well as new and old friends. I’m sure it
is just the beginning of the good times.
SUNDAY 24TH
RULE OF THIRDS: The view from the temple steps near our house. Once a week I
try to come up the steps and appreciate the view across the valley even though
the wires do obscure it a bit.
MONDAY 25TH
LUCKY: I’ve taken to wearing this “om” charm again recently and I think it is
more of a blessing than a lucky charm but it does seem to bring me luck
wEeK fOuR mAy 2015
THE PROMPTS FOR THE
WEEK
TUESDAY 26TH
DAILY RITUAL: A new daily ritual for me
since joining Druk is to join my colleagues and drink boiling water throughout
the day rather than room temperature or chilled water as I have always done in
the past. Seems the health benefits are well documented too.
WEDNESDAY 27TH
BORROWED: I feel like I am currently on borrowed time in Bhutan at the moment
as my passport will expire in March and
that means I could only get a visa
until September 9th. Like
most places these days, one needs more than 6 months validity at the end of the
visa. For this reason we are going home in the summer break to get me another
passport and it will be the first time we have been in Oz in winter for over 5
years! This is also the first time I have almost filled a passport: only 2
blank pages left and maybe the journey home will at least get a stamp on each!
THURSDAY 28TH
PINK: Although we have very little space for garden beds at school there are
currently blooms scattered all over the campus and I found these pretty little
pink dianthus in the beds adjacent to the sports/assembly grounds today.
FRIDAY 29TH
STARTS WITH S: This PP boy’s smile, with almost no teeth caught my attention
while the whole school was on the grounds watching the Boedra (traditional
Bhutanese dance) competition today
SATURDAY 30TH
OVER THERE: is a whole herd of Takins: Bhutan’s national animal. They look
almost prehistoric close up (as you can see from the one below)
SUNDAY 31ST
HA HA HA: I have often giggled at this wall art in Thimphu and the caption in
particular: “Downloading Plaz wait……” Ha Ha Ha
Second choice:
SUNDAY 31ST
HA HA HA: Ha is the name of a spectacular,
and freezing district in the west of Bhutan. It borders Tibet and the snow-capped
peaks can be seen on a clear day. The district’s capital bears the same name too,
so obviously
Ha Ha Ha
NB
It seems now that many of my photos are taken with my phone rather than my camera,
I am joining the phone camera masses and mastering the art of the selfie
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