THE
PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH
SUNDAY 1st
BLUE: The smallest note of the Bhutanese currency is 1 Ngultrum and its blue.
When 50 Ngultrum is a dollar that's not worth much but it is pretty especially
on a blue prayer flag. It also features the oldest Dzong in the kingdom
Simtokha Dzong
MONDAY 2nd ROUTINE: Today is Teachers’ Day in Bhutan. It's far from routine. After a full
day of activities and entertainment at our respective schools, 1,600 teachers
from the city of Thimphu gathered together with the Prime Minister, Education
Minister and many cabinet members to celebrate and eat dinner. Just home at
11:30pm and we gave up dinner to escape early!! No, nothing routine about today
at all
TUESDAY 3RD
N IS FOR: The fresh faced nuns of
Phongmey watching the local Tshechu performance with delight. An archive shot
from 2012
WEDNESDAY 4TH
BALL: As a hangover from when I coached table tennis in the east of Bhutan I
have a collection of new bats and balls. They were always so hard to come by in
Trashigang and Samtengang. When we first moved to the capital I bought a supply
not realising they would always be available and most kids who play own their
own here
THURSAY 5TH
BUTTON: Although I usually call these badges, I think button is also correct.
Every teacher who attended the evening celebration for Teachers' Day in Thimphu
on Monday was given one of these buttons of the two living monarchs of Bhutan-
commonly referred to a K4 and K5
FRIDAY 6TH
AIR: I love it when the air is turbulent and playing with the prayer flags
above the school grounds. I was totally distracted in evening prayers watching
the spectacle and imagining this shot today
SATURDAY 7TH
THIS MEANS A LOT TO ME: It was a startling revelation that I have no single
possession that fits this prompt. However as a teacher the gratitude and warmth
of students is the one thing that really means a lot to me. A cherished student, I last taught 4 years ago but am still in contact with, posted this on my
Facebook page
SUNDAY 8TH
MY SUNDAY: Out and about with the love of my life, appreciating the blooms of
the season, art at Vast Gallery and traditional crafts at the Tarayana Fair.
Just how Sunday should be spent- in the pursuit of beauty and joy
MONDAY 9TH
A SIGN: A totally Bhutanese sign showcasing both English and Dzongkha languages
and the lovely iconography of 2 of the auspicious, religious symbols in
3-dimensional wood carvings as the hooks
TUESDAY 10TH
TRAVEL: This is an archive shot of when we last left the kingdom in January. If
you are leaving you have exit via Paro International Airport and the take off
and landings there are very impressive. We always hope for clear blue skies
like this day so we can see the Himalayas
WEDNESDAY 11TH
TINY: The tiny little shoots of life that are these sprouts, which have begun
to grow as a result of Ian's experimentation and our need to eat healthily and
engage in good nutrition
BTW:
This is the ingenuity of his sprouter - designed by Ian and made from an oats
container, plastic fly screen and wire.
THURSDAY 12TH
TEXT: This is a screen shot I keep in my phone along with many other simple
quotes to remind me to be positive and grateful
FRIDAY 13TH
MIRROR: There are almost no mirrors at school but after my walk in the morning
to get there I usually use the darkened rooms in the empty corridors to check
my appearance. As I did it this morning it occurred to me that this might make
a good mirror shot
SATURDAY 14TH
EYE: The day we went to look at the apartment, where we now live and I had the
interview for the job at the school, where I now work, we were in a taxi when it
was side swiped. Luckily we signed for the apartment and I was accepted for the
job before my eye looked like this
SUNDAY 15TH
LUNCH: My favourite Bhutanese snack-momos was the reward, after over 3
hours trying to complete my fourth exam paper, detailed model answers and
Blooms Taxonomy this morning
MONDAY 16TH
BEHIND: These hand woven child carriers are nothing more than a long wide strap
but this man has secured the child firmly behind him and she is peeking out
from behind him too
TUESDAY 17TH
LIQUID: of the celebratory kind. I submitted
4 exam papers with detailed model answer sheets and marking schemes as
well as Blooms Taxonomy breakdowns for each paper this morning. I was the first
teacher to submit my papers and on the due date. Certainly cause for some
liquid celebration tonight
WEDNESDAY 18TH MESSAGE: On our way home from school today we climbed the
temple steps and found this message carved in stone and painted leaning against
the wall chorten. I guess it's a prayer but I can't read Dzonghka. The only
character I recognise is "OM" the character on both the top
line and second line on the left
THURSDAY 19TH
MY FAVE COLOUR: orange without a doubt. Just a few of the orange accessories I
wear on the odd days when my clothes don't incorporate the colour and on some
days when they do too
FRIDAY 20TH
TRIANGLE: Just had to wing it with what I had at home, but there is a triangle
within a triangle thanks to my obsession with stationery
SATURDAY 21ST
FLOWERS: Just a snapshot of the many flowers in bloom at the moment in Thimphu.
Most came from the garden of Yeedzin Hotel, which is always spectacular
SUNDAY 22ND
TIME: Me a long, long time ago in my third year of teaching. Thanks to Shirley
Curtis (a former student) for sending it to me not so long ago. Me, just the
other week in my thirty-seventh year of teaching and still loving the students
and the places teaching has taken me
MONDAY 23RD
MADE BY ME: on a regular basis but not today. Variously know as Russian
Teacakes, Cashew Shortbread and Madam Vicky's cookies
TUESDAY 24TH
IN MAY BAG: are all the items; personal and professional I think I need to
survive a day at school. I love the traditional Bhutanese cloth, the little
drawstring bag is made of too
WEDNESDAY 25TH
BLURRY: Our once fabulous view is now no more than a blurry outline of the
temple between the floors of the construction
THURSDAY 26TH
SOMETHING: I never tire of is the play of light and shifting cloud formations
on the mountains, especially in this the wet season when the air becomes
crystal clear after the rains. Probably should have saved this for view from
the bed since I took it standing at the foot of the bed but it was today’s view
and I loved it to bits
FRIDAY 27TH
MOODY: The magical and moody skies of the rainy season viewed from Royal
Thimphu College. Look closely to see the Buddha at Buddha Point facing in the
opposite direction from the perspective in Thimphu
SATURDAY 28TH
VIEW FROM BED: in every direction. That just about covers it and I'm glad the
Himalayas appear in one of them
SUNDAY 29TH
ON THE TABLE: momos again. Our usual weekend lunch treat and regular order of
"double double" for a mere $3.30
MONDAY 30TH
HAIR: A dear Australian friend, who taught in Bhutan for a year, wrote, raised
the money and published this set of books for Emergent Readers. They were
distributed free of charge to many schools across the nation in 2015. She
called for photos from those of us still in the field and almost all the photos
in this "Hair" title are my photos and I even got a feature
appearance. Kids at my previous and current school get such a kick out of it
when they discover me in their library book
TUESDAY 31ST:
WHAT I SAW TODAY: The first try on of the costumes for the PP-3 Concert which will
be held on Saturday. They looked so cute even with the track pants underneath
