Returning to Rangjung

Our return to what was our hometown for 2 years began with the very familiar journey from Trashigang to Rangjung. Every bend, stand of towering prayer flags, village, chorten and sheer drop on that road is burned into our memories and I found myself grinning from ear to ear the whole way.

The driver, who we recognized and contracted to take us drove down the main street calling out the window “Lopen” - the Dzongkha word for teachers and the traders and old friends in the many general stores responded by waving and grinning as much as us.

As soon as we had deposited our luggage in the guesthouse I donned my kira to walk back down to school. After enjoying cool and sunny conditions across most of the country, the humidity and heat of Rangjung was a shock and I was bathed in sweat by the time we entered the school gates. As luck would have it we arrived in the middle of the lunch break so it was perfect timing, allowing us to speak to students without impacting on their classes. The school grounds now contain a newly consecrated chorten and a half completed clock tower commemorating 100 years of education in Bhutan but little else had changed.

Bush telegraph ensured that students were instantly aware of our presence and they appeared from every direction, to greet us or to simply stand and stare. My original home class came running and within no time 12 of the 13 XC students who qualified for class XI studies, were standing before me. They couldn’t quite believe that I had kept that final promise that I would return and I could hardly comprehend it myself. We were all thrilled to be back in each other’s company. It took me a while to realize that there were only boys in the rapidly expanding crowd of former students. Then 2012’s female class captain now school counselor was immediately summoned and the XC group was complete. Questions flowed and conversations about the current locations of other classmates and the achievements and events of the last 9 months were shared. When classes began we had already established that I would return for each lunch break and after school for the next few days to maximize our time together.

Our colleagues and the community were equally welcoming, inviting us for tea, and enquiring about experiences since leaving and expressing their desire for us to return to Rangjung to teach again. Word was out that we had reapplied to teach in Bhutan and over the next few days we repeatedly tried to explain that we have no say in our possible placement for 2014 but to no avail.

We alternated visiting each of our schools in the mornings and afternoons and the time spent in the lower secondary school was no less intense. Students rushed up shouting, “Sir is back, Sir,” and  “Sir is teaching us English, Sir?” as we entered the school grounds. Some children approached shyly and stood mouths gaping in awe, while others confidently resumed conversations as though we had been chatting just a few moments earlier. We attended a few classes and Ian addressed the morning assembly, in addition to answering the many questions enquiring little minds proposed.  On our final day in Rangjung one pair of vivacious twins with whom we had frequently interacted, informed us that they had visited our house the previous evening. They were perplexed that we no longer resided there. In their minds everything had obviously returned to 9 months ago when we left.  

The reunions and casual catch ups continued over the 3 days we were in town and it was an absolute delight to be on familiar territory and to be welcomed back so warmly. In fact we took to taking the back streets between our schools for fear of offending people by refusing their hospitality. There is in fact a limit to the number of mango juices, cups of tea and momos, 2 people can consume. The overwhelming number of invitations we received from colleagues and friends immediately allayed our initial concerns about the guesthouse not providing meals.  In fact it felt odd to be treated as celebrities when we had once been ordinary members of this Rangjung community.

The only non-school activity we engaged in was to hike up to an old chorten we long ago named Joyce’s Chorten, in the relative cool of the early morning. We had promised ourselves we would return to that much loved and tranquil place and once again hang a string of prayer flags there and that is exactly what we did.

Before arriving, news had reached us about our good friend, local guide, horse trader and taxi driver, Lobzang. He had acquired a new, secondhand vehicle and was eager to take us for at least part of the return journey. Perfect! We said our goodbyes with light hearts thinking we will be back in the Land of the Thunder Dragon again soon and it will once again be possible to visit dear friends and former students and colleagues. 

Time to leave!

Classes are over and home exams are done and dusted. I felt a sense of loss yesterday when I knew the class IX and XI students would be leaving for home. The boarding students were of course, over the moon about finally returning to their families and I couldn’t bring myself to watch them depart. It is so final seeing those bedrolls and suitcases walk out through the school gates. I took my remaining exam papers home and buried myself in marking for several hours rather than watch them go. Even so I left the campus to calls of

“ Safe journey Madam.”

The Board Exams loom large on the horizon starting with English on the first 2 days. I am having a really tough time, as they like to say here. Hours upon hours of marking papers and even though mostly the scores are higher than I expected it is not the same as teaching. For me it is tedious surviving the complete lack of contact with students: my only reason for being here. Luckily for me my home class has requested an extra grammar class tomorrow and I willingly agreed. We still have some time together and I am careful not to infect them with the gloom I am feeling.

Though it has not been announced here before I suspect that most people are aware we have decided to accept the challenge and adventure of new teaching positions in Tanzania next year. For BCF blog readers Tim rather spilled the beans on that one some time ago!!

Right now I am full of mixed emotions about leaving Bhutan. I feel so connected to my class and every everyday sight is being burned into my memory because we won't get to see this for much longer but at the same time I want to claw my eyes out after marking for 8 hours in a day. I am sad to be leaving whilst simultaneously counting down the days. It is never easy to walk away and currently there is so much left to do and so very little time remaining, that the anxiety grows daily.

To change this mournful tune let me focus on one of the most unique and visually awesome experiences of Bhutan.

The biggest and best celebration of the year happened last weekend in T/gang: TSHECHU.

It afforded us some well overdue time out. I promised myself that I would finish all 3-class sets of English Paper I before going. This is a reward system I have employed for years to get me through the most onerous of tasks. Make the reward so great that you will apply yourself diligently to the task, in order to be rewarded. (I actually think that is how I made it through college!)

This time it meant missing the first day but by the time we did get there it was possible to relax and enjoy it. What a welcome break. Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday was the big event.

We booked into a hotel in T/gang and treated ourselves to lazy nights in front of a TV, hot showers and daytime sojourns to the activity at the Dzong as well as taking time out for long last looks at the spectacular scenery from the lookout, for 2 full days. We had Becky in tow when we left Ranging and she embraced the festivities and time out with the same gusto we did. Ashley called announcing her presence not long after we arrived in town and once it was officially the weekend Tim from Yangste fronted up too, so it was a bit of a break and catch up too even though at no point were all 5 of us in the same place at the same time.

This year quite unexpectedly we even got to spend the afternoon in the "box seats" with VIP and dignitaries of all sorts. This was entirely due to Ashley’s charm and influence but we were glad to go along for the ride. 

We positioned ourselves at the first level up in the “Dzong” administration area, not up in the gods where the lamas and later royalty were, but it was still a great vantage point and I remember looking longingly up to that zone last year when we were watching our first ever Tshechu. I am not so comfortable in exalted company and felt like an impostor despite loving the perspective from a photographic point of view

The final day that space was definitely off limits as Her Majesty the  Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo was present and it was impossible to get anywhere near that sacred territory.

We were happy to spot her from a distance in the crush of the crowd of commoners. If the truth be known we were happier back where we belong with the crowd of fascinated onlookers at ground level. 

In actual fact we were grateful to be inside the Dzong at all, as we had lazed around in the morning adopting a holiday mentality and not long after we entered the performance area, it was declared too full to allow entry to any more spectators.

There were a few new masked dances performed on that final day this year. I believe that they were commemorating the visit and honouring the heroism of the 7-day war fought in 2003. I may be entirely wrong on that front but it was the way they came across.  Though very militaristic, the brand new costumes and masks were very impressive.  

Right now we have to focus on the tasks and responsibilities at hand. Exams…packing…. posting and leaving are all high on the list but one at a time.

Australia is also a welcome thought and I definitely need the brain space before we start our new adventure in Tz. Unbelievably it has been 2 years since we were home. We will arrive in February after a short vacation in the US that was planned and booked when we had no idea where we would be in 2013. I am so looking forward to great cups of coffee, chilled Sauvignon Blanc, long chats, fun bike rides and raw beetroot salads!!! 

GAMRI CHU – the Gamri River

The rhythm of our lives is measured by this river.

 It’s both a comfort and a concern.

It sounds like the ocean and makes me feel less landlocked.

It roars like thunder and I often awaken wondering if that is rain or the river.

It’s young and active carving it’s way through a lush landscape: This is not “Old Man River”.

It lessens the longing for Australian beaches.

It drags boulders and tumbles rocks along its bed, producing a sound like ice in a blender.

It’s ochre red flow spells disaster – Landslide above!

It’s a spellbinding spectacle with prayer flags fluttering above.

It’s playground for children in the sweltering heat of summer before the rains come.

It’s demonic, claiming the lives of the unwary and unprepared in monsoon floods.

It’s a bathhouse, a laundry, a swimming pool, a water source and an inspiration and a warning.

It’s a constant in our lives and a friend.

It is really Summer vacation now! Hooray!

The first day of the break we declared a marking free zone and cooked up a “no curry today” dinner to celebrate Ian’s birthday, which he just happens to share with none other than Guru Rimpoche himself!! We invited every BCFer in the east but understandably many were unable to escape on day one and the rigors of exam marking and landslides blocking the roads forced them to send apologies. We did however have a fun time with those who could make it and the western style food went down a treat.

Given that the marking process is now complete and it took a grueling 80+ hours, I can gladly say that the worst time of the term for me is now over! Mid terms, unlike finals actually go back into the hands of students so I like to keep track of common errors and analyse the results “class-wise” to make the most of the experience in terms of improving students’ outcomes. I also expect students to analyse their own scores and I will discuss them with each student individually in week 1 before the regular marking routine takes over. Last year I actually corrected all the essays and short stories but this time I opted for merely marking the errors and dividing them into the criteria on which the scores were based: punctuation, grammar, spelling, expression, style and content. This shaved a massive 25 hours off the marking time for me and I figure those precious few who will want to know the precise errors and corrections will ask and the vast majority like students all over the globe will look at the score and leave it at that.

In addition to the focus on writing skills, for my own amusement I record some of the more humorous statements and spellings on the exam papers. As the time wears on the desire to complete the process takes over and less and less are recorded but here are a few that took my fancy early in the piece.

“….after many requestisations”

“Although he is good in study even day by day he is drepproving”

“their healthy will be healthy,” which so nicely accompanies “should be practically practice it,” by the same student.

“The door of his room was knoccing”

“Starting from small insects and up to humane beings go in pursuit of weathy, comforts and enjoyments which causes their lives sufferings”

“We the educated people strongly say that it is going toward left field.”

“…we with a sealy reason are frighting”

“I conclude by saying / praying to be our motherworld as the ‘English Popular Zone!’”

“I understood that ‘as we saw so shall we weep.’”

“ he was habituated in the using of drugs”

“…but one thing is that he can’t is misplaced his parents”

“It was his thinking in his mind”

“ I use simbolic language when I communicate with dump and dafe”

“ Before he was brilliant and brave and all this is lost and his life is in a miserable”

“At last he found that it was unrequired love but his love was on process”

In the few days since the horror ended, we have started our preparations for the hike to Sakteng. Ian got the ball rolling and applied for route permits for us on Monday while my nose was still firmly buried in papers. Just half an hour ago we were called by the DEO himself and told that the permits are now ready in Trashigang!! Up until then we didn’t realize that we would actually have to have paper copies as in the past when we have applied for these types of permits, the approval has gone through official channels without us even knowing anything about whether it has been approved or not. We are hoping that they will be faxed to the local post office as we have already made one trip to T/gang this week. We have also prepared lots of food for the 2 days on the trail and although we were initially told that we would have to carry supplies for all the rest of the time as well, as no food would be available once we arrived, it has now been amended to being possible for us to get rice and emadaste there! If not we will survive on “Maggi” the local term for instant noodles, which are always available. Time will tell. 2 friends have pulled out which we are very sorry about. Scott in particular, called in sick yesterday and we will sorely miss his company and good humor. The heavy rain yesterday and more today has me somewhat concerned about the condition of the trail but at least it is a distraction from the worry about leeches. There have been various communication issues with the driver/guide but Tim and we, are set to take off at 0700hours tomorrow morning. Currently the bed is scattered with possible clothing items and the usual collection of chargers and the ironing board has become the resting place of supplies and edible items. Somehow they all have to fit into 2 daypacks and we will strap on sleeping bags and hope that we are up for challenge. With a bit of luck and a fair wind the next blog may have some beautiful Brokpa people and the scenery of Sakteng.

1 chorten, 2 chorten, 3 chortens 4!

The two most calming and enigmatic visuals in all of Bhutan are the chortens and prayer flags in my humble opinion. I never tire of photographing them and at any point in time one is never very far from one or both. They are addictive and they come in an incredible range of simplistic styles, each with its own allure.

Last Sunday we finally decided to take a walk up behind the mini hydro electricity plant in Rangjung. From the road on the opposite ridge you can see 3 chortens marking a path up the mountain and it looks very enticing. We have been promising ourselves to go up there and explore for a while now so this was our chance.

From our balcony we can see a picturesque little settlement that is often bathed in very intense narrow beams of light when the surrounding area and Rangjung itself is looking rather gloomy. Try as I might to photograph it, I cannot capture its charming allure. For this reason I think of it as a kind of enchanted place and Ian refers to it as the “country club” as there is large cleared area that is always intensely green between the few scattered houses. We suspected that our chorten route would take us up to this hobbit like hamlet and were looking forward to seeing it up close and personal.

We set off earlyish but not in the cool, quiet, still of the morning as we had originally planned. It is hard to not have at least a brief sleep-in on Sunday morning when it’s the only day of the week one is not heading for the chalkface!

We more or less followed our noses to the hydro plant and then set off on the first narrow foot trail we spotted.

This was always gong to be a relatively easy walk but we were surprised at how quickly we fell upon the first of the chortens. I was climbing and panting and thinking that if we were Julian and Shauna, or Lisa and Scott or even Maureen and John, all BCFers from our intake and all in different and far flung places now, we would have been doing this in our first month or so in Rangjung. BUT seasoned hikers from mountainous environs we are not and we are still finding our climbing legs and building our stamina. For a couple of plains dwellers we are doing OK. Nonetheless most of our students can bolt up these kind of inclines without raising a sweat and wearing traditional dress and thongs! (flip-flops or slippers as they like to call them here)

Anyway sweating but undeterred we continued on our way and felt truly blessed that at this point, the unrelenting sun decided to take cover in the clouds. The second chorten afforded us a great view of the monastery but not our house but then a little farther up the trail, even it became visible. Now I just don’t get how we cannot see the chortens from our house but we can see our house from the chortens? It doesn’t add up but I have now spent a week staring meaningfully up at that same cliff face and they just can’t be seen!

On we plodded and within moments, we arrived at the third but as it turns out not final chorten. It also manifests as a group of chortens not the single entity. The area around it was littered with what looks like cotton wool and the pods, seed and membranes from the pods were also strewn about the place. The locals call this tree a cotton tree and I can certainly see why but I wonder if it is really kapok or if indeed that is even a natural substance. If anyone reading this knows I would love to be enlightened. (feel free to comment)

This collection of chorten, chedi, or stupa (depending on which Buddhist culture you are residing in) came with the accompanying “corral” of prayer flags. This too is Ian’s term as we don’t know why some of these stands of prayer flags are fenced in and others are standing like giant sentinels on the bends of roads. 

However this group of chortens was preceded by a cluster of prayer flags. The Standard group of three chortens was very well established with huge concrete bases and cleared areas and steps!! As is often the case it is clear that there are frequent visitors, who tend the site even if they are never present when we are. Nearby we were dumbfounded to see a huge water pipe and concrete tunnel (the Morgan Whyalla pipeline Ian joked) How anyone could get machinery to that point was a mystery to us and we pondered if it was possible to have done it all by hand while we hung out there and caught our breath.

Eventually we decided to keep on trucking upwards.

We were now not exactly sure where this trail would lead us but with the monastery, our house and my school disappearing and reappearing from view as we climbed we were in no danger of getting lost. 

Before we knew it we were facing a previously unexpected 4^th chorten, which just happened to be on a farm road, that looked set to return us known territory and Rangjung in particular. Maybe that is how machinery got to the lower point, as this was definitely a vehicle friendly road.

Unsatisfied with having not yet sighted the “country club” we continued up a narrow trail on the opposite side of the road. This goat track was only spotted because a man out collecting pine needles, for reasons best known to himself, darted up it after stopping to stare in awe at us for a while. 

We were equally amused by each other’s presence and exchanged the Dzongkha greeting “Kuzuzang pola!” This being the most useful of the less than 10 phrases I can now say! On this track we found ourselves finally looking sideways at the small collection of houses we see daily from the balcony. 

When the track petered out a few metres later and left us on a bit of a clearing with a bird’s eye view we figured that would do us on the upward ever upward front for the day.  We sat ourselves down listened to the birdlife, watched the red-bodied dragonflies, spotted beds of rice seedlings patiently awaiting replanting and wild figs and wondered why we had taken so long to get to this little haven so close to town!

As usual we spotted a great collection of birds only some of whom we were able to photograph so that we could look them up in the bird books once we got home. We heard several cuckoos but they were as elusive as ever.

Luckily, the road to which we returned, allowed us to make the walk a loop and I find that so much more satisfying than up and back on the same path. We took one steep shortcut and managed to keep our feet and cut off kilometres of winding dirt road by navigating the steep, slippery, near vertical descent. We made a mental note that this would not be the path of choice after heavy rain as much of it was obviously a waterway!

As we came back into known territory I had to take photos of the chortens, which mark the entrance to Rangjung and the one located in the centre of town as these are the mainstays of our chorten life.

I can’t help but be reminded of the chedi which was the only tourist attraction in Nakhon Pathom and which we could see from the Foreign Language teacher's office in a school we would rather forget in Thailand!!