THE PROMPTS FOR THE
MONTH
THURSDAY 1st ART:
the stunningly simple and instantly recognisable art of Leunig
FRIDAY 2nd
SOMETHING: We are now sure we are going to leave Bhutan at the end of this year
and something I know I will miss is the ever-present prayer flags. So now I'm
stock piling and I don't know anyone who wouldn't enjoy receiving a string of
them big small or otherwise
SATURDAY 3rd WARM: A
non-school day for me but not so for Ian and I got warm toast with miso,
organic tomatoes and parsley for breakfast in bed. Warms my heart and motivated
me to get up and finish my exam writing
SUNDAY 4th MUSIC:
The gigantic prayer wheels at lhakhangs all have a stick to strike the bell
hung above as they turn and on weekends or auspicious days the lhakhang
resounds with the music of temple bells as the devotees circumambulate
MONDAY 5th GIVE:
Today I was given this extra task, to write all the second place certificates
from the Senior School Athletics Competition so that we can give them out when
we hold the Junior Sports Day on Saturday
SECOND CHOICE (one
day later) MONDAY 5th GIVE: Bragging rights. My students struggle with poetry
analysis and I tried to select a poem that was fun and challenge them whilst
also proving that they can do this. It gives me such a thrill that given the
open-ended nature of the final question one of them chose me and wrote such a
nice comment. It's not every day that students are thankful or appreciative.
Made my day Samphel Kinga
TUESDAY 6th CRAVING:
7 weeks into the long final term and I'm craving a good long adventurous
holiday but I'll take the 10 day break in early October while planning next
year's three month jaunt
WEDNESDAY 7th THE
LITTLE THINGS: On Wednesday I eat lunch with Class VIA and as soon as they have
finished chanting prayers there is a rush to the teacher’s desk to share their
lunches. We have an arrangement that I will only take a little of theirs if
they will take a little of mine. This is the state of my tiffin after today's
swaps. It's their little acts of kindness and willingness to share with me and
each other that make these little people such a delight
THURSDAY 8th
READING: Letter writing is an essential and examined part of the curriculum
here and after pen-pals in America last term, this term writing responses to
each other has proved to be the motivator. Class VIA got a big kick out of
playing parent when they answered classmate’s letters and they were enthralled
reading their individual replies today
FRIDAY 9TH CIRCLE:
The first thing that came to mind was the Wheel of Dharma which is always
painted on lhakhang doors here. I love the symmetry of the design and the
underlying meaning of the connectedness of the universe and the cycle of life
SATURDAY 10th BLACK
& WHITE: On Thursday I bought new sports shoes for Sports Day and beyond.
They got their first airing today and they just happen to be black & white
with a splash of orange of course
SUNDAY 11th YUM:
Sunday breakfast is always yum. Today was no exception
MONDAY 12th PRETTY:
I tend to do bold or bright or traditional or ethnic. I'm not really a pretty
kind of person but I do think these handmade Japanese paper and lacquer
chopstick rests qualify as pretty and they are an item we use everyday
TUESDAY 13th MOTTO:
this motto has worked for me before but I'm struggling with it right now. I
guess it's more of a mantra than a motto but it's my daily battle
WEDNESDAY 14th FOLD:
Another lasting legacy from Japan. Never be without origami paper even if the
only thing you can fold is a paper crane. I have taught every class I've ever
had how to fold them too
THURSDAY 15th YES:
Class 6A were keen to participate, broken fingers and all, in our
interpretation of "yes" today. They get the big thumbs up from me
everyday. They are such a sweet, cooperative, motivated and considerate group
FRIDAY 16th SAFE:
This is one of the emergency exits at school. I have raised my concerns about
how safe it is to lock it closed in a basement area and several other staff
have agreed but this is still the situation
SATURDAY 17th
DANCING: Today is a Hindu celebration -Busukarma Day. It involves blessing and
giving thanks for machines: cars and other vehicles are decorated and
construction workers are blaring (or blasting as they like to say here) loud
music and dancing
SUNDAY 18th PEACE:
We were up above Thimphu on the Phadjoding trail today flying prayer flags
to bless the life of newly arrived Elijah Gregory Harris with peace and
prosperity
MONDAY 19th TIME
FOR....: dinner and a drink after a long busy day at school and a session in
the pool
TUESDAY 20th
WRINKLES: I have plenty but I see them as laugh lines and they are even more
prominent when I smile
Wednesday 21st
OOPS....: these delicious looking (tasting) Indian deserts arrived on my desk
this morning and I had every intention of taking them all home to share with
Ian and our houseguest. Oops one of them just didn't make it....I couldn't
resist the temptation at lunch time. Oops I also thanked the wrong person
for them, not realising who actually left them for me
THURSDAY 22nd
SQUARE: Rubic's cube the iconic game of squares is currently very much in
fashion at my school. So among the jumble of things you definitely need on your
desk in class 6 is the classic game of squares
FRIDAY 23rd MACRO: This is a tiny section of a huge outdoor fresco at Tango Monastery where we
hiked to today to celebrate Blessed Rainy Day
SATURDAY 24th DIRTY:
How do you buy your potatoes? Clean or dirty? We don't really have a preference
and usually alternate but we do buy organic, locally grown at the Centennial
Farmers' Market here in Thimphu
SUNDAY 25th WHAT'S
INSIDE: I have something of an addiction to cane-ware of all kinds and these
locally-made Bhutanese containers are used for carrying packed hot lunches and
storage of food but I put all kinds of different things inside them. These are gifts
for our return to Australia and what's inside? ...... well more small gifts to
carry home actually
MONDAY 26th FREE: as
a bird and Bhutan has an abundance of rare and endangered species to admire.
All archive shots but all wild and free and taken by me
TUESDAY 27th CREATE:
Most of what I create is culinary in nature and today was no exception.
Tomorrow's lunch and Japanese snacks for the class X students staying for
supervised study at the end of the day. Now packaged to go with chocolate cake
WEDNESDAY 28th THE
SEASON: It can't seem to make up its mind what season it is here at the moment.
Grey skies and torrential rain one minute and blue skies and sunshine the next.
The season is definitely changing. Hopefully the monsoon is a thing of the past
and the hint of autumn in the air persists
THURSDAY 29th STOP:
This tractor's trailer has been parked near our house for almost a week since
it broke down right there. The stop sign painted on the tailgate is a permanent
fixture while it's the willow twig that is supposed to warn drivers of its
current immobile state
FRIDAY 30th GO: At
school you don't get to go home until after evening prayers and today I thought
the skies might even indicate that the monsoon is over and we no longer have to
think rain rain go away. I am now gone 2 weeks holiday starts now
