MARCH 1st MORNING COFFEE: is vital for me and when it’s -1°C outside it might actually be lifesaving. From a life in the tropics to a life in the Himalayas it’s only breakfast and coffee that remain the same
MARCH 2nd SUNSHINE: Not every day does a pack of horses and mules wander along the main thoroughfare through the centre of the city. Like us they were seeking the sunshine in -2° degrees! We too, walked along the road. At 8am this morning this was the scene in Norzin Lam, Thimphu and the police had to herd them back onto greener pastures
MARCH 3rd HOME: For at least the next three months our home is in Thimphu. “Word nerd me.” When you unexpectedly find a whiteboard in your new place of residence and you are always collecting quotes, begin a new quote a day routine. Pretty serendipitous since we have come here to teach!
MARCH 4th SELF PORTRAIT: Starting a new routine on Monday morning with three mindful circumambulations of the chorten above the school compound. Back to casual clothes again as the students are not yet in attendance
MARCH 5th ARCHITECTURE: Traditionally Bhutanese architecture features these wooden beams and window and doorframes beautified with colourful designs and the eight auspicious symbols. This building we visited today is a wonderful fusion of newer construction and materials but with all the traditional designs and symbols that have adorned public places for centuries. I also love the reflection in the doors of the mountains and today’s brilliant blue sky
MARCH 6th GOOD TOGETHER: Giant prayer wheels, butter lamps and chortens are always good together. After we finally got our Medical Certificates completed today we stopped by the Memorial Chorten and lit a butter lamp, circumambulated the chorten and spun the prayers wheels in gratitude
MARCH 7the TINY DETAILS: The parable of the four friends is well-known all over Bhutan and wall mural illustrations of the story abound in public places. This is a tiny detail of the one in the entrance to our school
The bigger picture of the Four Friends Parable
MARCH 8th STYLE: When you always wear shorts and you haven’t experienced a winter in seven years, style just doesn’t enter into it. It’s put on enough clothes until you are warm and go out and buy a track suit tomorrow. Taken the day we arrived in Bhutan exactly two weeks ago
MARCH 9th SHADOWS: This morning we are not actually at school but the sun is playing hide and seek. This was taken early Thursday morning when the shadows of me, the plant and the roof, playing in the entrance to our new school amused me
MARCH 10th ON MY FORK: there was fried rice but that was the only forkful I ate. As always, I reverted to eating with chopsticks after I got my shot. The things we do for PAD!
MARCH 11th HANGING: These are Gyeltshens and they always hang under the eaves of traditional buildings especially Lakhangs. They add a splash of colour to public places. I spotted these walking to school this morning
MARCH 12th THE COLOUR BLUE: Today we were at school at 7am to participate in the Buddhist ceremony for purifying and sanctifying the new school buildings. (Lapsang) We had the privilege of witnessing this ceremony conducted by monks and local language facilitators. We sat on carpets and listened to the chanting and classic instruments being played. This Buddhist symbol was directly in front of me during the ceremony and it is the colour blue
MARCH 13th HANDMADE: These beautiful handmade baskets come in a variety of sizes and can be either round or square. They are hand woven in the east of Bhutan and traditionally made to carry food. The top fits tightly over the bottom to seal the container. This one is intended for an entirely different use but while we are here in Bhutan it is a welcome addition to kitchen storage
MARCH 14th SYMMETRY: The wheel of Dharma is a metaphor for the spiritual teachings the Buddha used leading his disciples and to subdue negative forces. I saw this embroidered representation in the Green Weaving outlet adjacent to our school today and it is both symmetrical and very visually appealing to my mind
MARCH 15th BOOKS: I spent a great deal of time today cataloguing my class library and all of the books, which I was more than grateful to have and the three students who shouldn’t have actually been, were chafing at the bit to take them away! The bookshelf might arrive next week but for me the classics were a walk down memory lane and the new releases were a revelation but only one Bhutanese author among them so I had to feature that book and I wanted to take it home to read myself
MARCH 16th LOOKING UP: Out in the sunshine today walking and had to take the opportunity to take a selfie looking up with the prayer flags flapping in the wild wind behind me
MARCH 17th VINTAGE: These are koma. They are used to fix a full-length Kira at the shoulders and usually joined by chains. These were in a beautiful antique shop we often gaze in through the windows but it was open today so we popped in to take a look inspired by the prompt. So many vintage items and the most adorable elderly Tibetan trader who was determined to get Ian to don some of the things
MARCH 18th SIMPLICITY: Today was the first day at school for students and I wore traditional Bhutanese dress to mark the occasion. It won’t happen every day! This tego and wonju (shirt and jacket) combination is always held together with a brooch. My brooch is simplicity itself in design but treasured by me as it was a gift from a dear friend
March 19th MOTION: A giant prayer wheel in motion at one of the many downtown Lhakhangs where there are always plenty of devotees chanting, praying and prostrating, especially when the sun comes out
MARCH 20th REFLECTIONS IN WATER: It was raining today and we were waiting outdoors for students to arrive when I noticed the opportunity to see our borrowed umbrella and ourselves reflected in the puddle in the carpark
MARCH 21st ORDER: These days I eat lunch with my home class and there is definitely a distinct order to the way it plays out. We all put out a napkin, open our lunches and arrange them on it, then all the children chant a prayer in Dzongkha before wolfing down their meal so they can get outside to play for the rest of the break. My lunch was certainly the most orderly in the room
MARCH 22nd OLD & NEW: one of the oldest traditional buildings on the main street of Thimphu as far as I can recall. Many we loved have now disappeared but this old treasure is now adorned with neon signs commemorating Indian’s Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Bhutan today. There have been traffic restrictions and huge preparations for this and it was cancelled yesterday due to bad weather so there is a festive atmosphere in the capital tonight
MARCH 23rd STREET ART: in downtown Thimphu.This wall art that contains all eight auspicious symbols and has been there for as long as I’ve known the city. The wall gets a lot of runoff water so they are very worn and faded but I still love the effect with the cascading flowers. The Endless knot is the symbol of the endless wisdom and compassion of Buddha. I like it the most.
MARCH 24th AN UGLY FOOD: A flattened chickpea snack that I bought to try and has now turned into dinner. We have been in a training session all day and we were overfed delicious vegetarian food for morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea. Having got home after dark and still full from the day’s indulgences that’s enough for dinner tonight
MARCH 25th ABANDONED PLACE: These circular constructions have long intrigued me. They have never been used to my knowledge and certainly appear abandoned despite being in sound condition. We used to walk past them daily when we lived here years ago and now the eco-park is open and adjacent to our new school but they are still locked up tight and empty
MARCH 26th CLOUD FORMATIONS: through the trees and showcasing the gorgeous, natural setting of the Bhutan Institute of Wellbeing where we attended an all day “GNH Journey…..Walking the Path” workshop on Sunday. Today is completely overcast
MARCH 27th PAIRS: A pair of iPads and a pair of coffees. That just about sums up free time after school these days
MARCH 28th ADVENTURE: Since arriving there has been precious little time for adventures but last weekend while attending a workshop we did get to experience the great outdoors and indulge in a bit of Shinrin-yoku! This natural forest zone with prayer flags gave me some much-needed mental respite. Now that we are feeling more on top of things a similar adventure is planned for this Sunday
MARCH 29th MESSY: The national dress of Bhutan for males is a gho and children wear them to school in most cases. This shot was taken after lunchtime when all the children had been enjoying the sunshine and playing outdoors. The back is certainly not crisply pleated and folded, and that is how his mother would have ensured it was, when he left the house this morning. However, his class teacher quickly fixed him up before the children returned to their classrooms
MARCH 30th LAUGHTER: I have restarted my snail mail project and today I bought this collection to send. I’m hoping their arrival will induce laughter. The Phallus is an often used symbol in Bhutan and its origins date back to pre-Buddhist Bon rituals to generate fertility and prosperity
MARCH 31st FAMILY: This is the Bhutanese family we have known the longest and it’s a real joy to be a part of that family and our Bhutanese family of friends right now
THE PROMPTS
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