THE PROMPTS FOR THE
MONTH
1. RED + WHITE: two letters from the Dzongkha
script, which is what is used in Bhutan and it is closely related to Tibetan.
Actually it is the same letter twice if I am not mistaken. I love the way it
looks like a pair of eyes
(especially
if you view it upside down) - like big brother is watching us. It is part
of the signage for a bank on the main street in Thimphu
2. SOMETHING
BEGINNING WITH K: the special coronation blend of whiskey produced here in
Bhutan, known as “K5”. In this case
“K” stand for the king and yes the 5
is because he is the 5th monarch of the kingdom
3. MATCH: in fact
not a perfect match but very close and pairs of phalluses just like these
adorn, the walls and entrances of many traditional homes and buildings in
Bhutan. This shot from archives was taken in the district where we now live but
never imagined that we would, at the time it was taken in February 2011
4. STARS: of the
Bhutanese cinema from yester year found on the wall of the now disused cinema
in downtown Thimphu
5. ON THE TABLE: a
plate of momos; Tibetan style dumplings. We consider them Bhutan's best local
snack food and indulge whenever we can.
5b. ON THE TABLE:
Ian on the table and receiving treatment in the physiotherapy department of the
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital in Thimphu, where he has been
for the last 4 days. At least it is finally starting to make a difference and
the swelling is going down even if he still needs the crutches to walk. Thanks
Tshering and Sandy for doing such a great job
6. VIEW: the view of
the Haa valley in the far west of Bhutan taken from Chelela the highest road
pass at 3,988 metres, as we came through this morning. Just managed to snap a
shot before those clouds dropped down and blanketed the whole valley, already
half the peaks are concealed.
7. FIRST: first and
only chorten I have ever seen with its own roof protecting the central
structure, which usually contains the treasure or religious relic.
8. I’VE NEVER….
wanted to drive on these treacherous, narrow, mountain roads in Bhutan where hairpin
bends, switch backs and sheer drop-offs, combine with landslides, rock falls,
road blocks, near misses and low visibility but always showcase magical
scenery, and finally leave you in breathtaking wonder that you actually
survived the journey. I am however
delighted to have been a passenger and survivor of many awesome adventures
across the kingdom, including today’s trip from Haa back to Thimphu.
9. ALIVE: these dogs
might look dead but they are very much alive and simply resting, despite the
fact that this is the main intersection at the traffic circle in downtown
Thimphu. They sleep here most afternoons and as anyone who has ever visited
Bhutan would know, like stray dogs all over the country, they keep the
population awake with their almost constant howling and barking all night long.
10. SHARP: These
darts known as “khuru” in Bhutan might not look sharp but they are indeed
sharpened to a fine point and can penetrate a solid wooden target from
approximately 20 metres when thrown by someone with the requisite skills. Khuru
or Bhutanese darts is just one of the traditional sports played here
11. GOLD: a hand
held prayer wheel in motion at the newly consecrated lakhang (monastery) in
downtown Thimphu this morning
12. INTERIOR: of the
same lakhang as we saw yesterday, still crowded with devotees listening to the
eminent lama deliver an inspirational sermon. Every corner of not just the
hall, but also the grounds was teeming with people. I was even discouraged from
spinning the prayer wheels because the tinkling of the bells distracted those
who were listening intently
13. LOOK UP: from
the grounds of the same lakhang, standing at the bottom of the poles of prayer
flags it is always lovely to glimpse the blue sky above when you look up
14. OLD SCHOOL:
there is nothing quite so old school as having no traffic lights in the entire
country and even in the busiest intersection downtown having a police officer
in a police box directing traffic all day everyday.
15. TORN: the cliff
face is torn apart by blasting and excavation for road widening and the road
itself is torn up by the monsoon rains and unrelenting, heavy traffic – makes
for scary summer journeys on the lateral road from west to east in Bhutan
16. LISTENING TO…..:
most days several times a day we have the opportunity to listen to birdsong and
this Red-vented Bulbul is pretty common all over Bhutan
17. SUNSHINE: the
monsoon season provides weather alternating from torrential rain and nearly
white out cloud cover conditions to blue skies and blindingly bright sunshine;
the rays seem to select particular subjects to illuminate in the late afternoon
in particular
18. ADMIRE: everyday
on my way to school I make a point of stopping to admire the view from the bend
in the road above the primary school but recently it has been completely
obscured by cloud cover. This was the 6am view from the living room window this
morning and I am glad I took the time to admire it as the valley was cloaked in
cloud by the time I headed out. The rice is flourishing now
19. CURLY: What
immediately came to mind when I saw this prompt was these fiddlehead ferns,
which are a summer treat here in Bhutan. They are usualy served with sauce made
from “datse” (homemade cottage cheese) like so many other Bhutanese dishes. We
like to call them “Mr. Curlies” with due respect and admiration to Michael
Leunig of course.
20. MOMENT: after
the jostling crowds, scorching heat and burning sun at the Bajo Sunday Market
we had to take a moment to cool down and this refreshing Bhumthang made apple
cider in our favourite hotel restaurant was just what the doctor ordered. Just
one of the many Bhumthang products that are not so easy to find outside the
district.
21. BASIC: Bhutanese
classrooms are pretty basic: just the greenboard (they’re not black but they
are magnetic!) a place to pin notices, a collection of photos of the royal
couple and a stack of exercise books and textbooks, being the norm! Nice to see
that given the opportunity the students are still keen to engage, especially
when it involves group work.
22. I WORE THIS!: a
combination of blue wangdue (shirt) and tego (jacket) to match my kira (skirt)
: all 3 constitute traditional Bhutanese dress for women and I wear it every
weekday for school. Today I was not happy with the colour matching after I was
dressed but then a class VIII girl greeted me at school with “Madam is looking
beautiful,” just after I took this photo at the prayer wheel on campus, so
perhaps I am finally adopting a
Bhutanese sense of fashion.
23. MACRO: my
favourite traditional Bhutanese brooch featuring a dragon. Since none of the
items of national dress for women have any fasteners, a belt (mine is featured in the
background) and
safety pins are essential for holding it all in place in this modern age. Most
women usually add a brooch to their tego as the final touch and I have a small
collection though this is the favourite by a long shot
24. WATER:
constantly flows from this tap despite the sign; with no handle it is actually
impossible to turn it off. This is a common problem across Bhutan, where water shortages are also a huge problem. Even in the
monsoon season when water is flooding the roads, supply is cut off and then
when it returns water gushes from faucets, which cannot be turned off
25. HOME: this home
in the village closest to where we live has always seemed charming and
well-loved to me. It is surrounded by much more imposing traditional structures
but this one just looks so much like home.
26. FUN: I have
always admired the way Bhutanese children and adolescents can make their own
fun without fancy gadgets or electronic devices. This is a shot from archives taken
at the annual school picnic in Rangjung 2012. It is my first home class and by
far the class with which I have had the most fun in Bhutan
27. TEN: the top ten
prayer flags on the newly erected and incredibly tall pole, which was put up
yesterday as part of the ceremony and consecration of the Goddess of Knowledge
statue in the primary school
28. COOL: after a
hot, sunny afternoon and 36 hours without water, at dusk the dark clouds rolled
in, the thunder growled, lightening flashed and the skies opened up. It was
deliciously cool to be soaked to the skin and carrying bucket loads of water up
those treacherous stairs to refill our 60 litre plastic bin in the kitchen. I’m
now cool and its cool we have at least a 2-day supply of water on hand. Water storage being a reoccurring theme in Bhutan this is not that unusual and our neighbours looked and behaved exactly like me. Thanks
go to Ian for snapping the shot
29. REPEAT: the
symbols and motifs of Buddhism are all repeated in the designs on woodwork,
fabric, scrolls, murals, jewelry and costumes for festivals and masked
dances. The face of the dragon is a
favourite of mine and I posses a painting and a brooch as well as many photos
of it. In fact it is a repeat of the image on my favourite brooch posted for
prompt 23: macro
30. LOST: the people
are completely lost under these stacks of dried pine needles. We often see
walking mountains of pine needles heading up the paths around our home and we
assume that they are used in the cowsheds before ending up as compost
31. RISE: before our
journey to Thimphu this morning I was wondering just how high the luggage on
the roof rack was going to rise before we departed and just for the record one
level higher than when this shot was taken. Never would space inside the
vehicle be taken up by luggage no matter how much there is. Nine passengers
also crammed inside with the driver and we all arrived safe and sound (70 kms
in 3 hours).
Well that’s it. I
gave it my best shot to showcase Bhutan and follow the prompts. Just the odd
one from archives but all Bhutanese through and through. What do you think did
I succeed? Do you have a favourite?
