ODDS and ENDINGS

Time to say good bye to our almost year and a half sojourn in The Kingdom of Bhutan.
Is it shangri-la?  Well, no.
Is it a most wonderful place? Absolutely.
But if you've been reading these blogs, then I don't need to tell you that.

Here are some scattered pictures and stories that I thought you might enjoy.

Here is the view from our balcony in the Punakha valley.  I came here to do some health care training to the staff of this 5 star resort.  I still can't quite believe they pay me to do this.  It's rainy season and the river is white foam.

There is every imaginable shade of green in the rice paddies and on the mountainside.

Two very happy campers---not roughing it at all!

And just in case you get tired of ALL

THAT green, why there is a golden temple on the hill side!

Or just another beautiful dzong...

Of course, rainy reason also means rock slide season...

We hope the Bhutanese version of fuzzy dice will protect us!

And it's a time to say good-bye to new friends.

Rick's IT department took us out to dinner at a place called The Yak.

Glad to report there was not a single yak there, unless you count the stuffed ones in the front window.

They are a fun bunch.  I will miss being called Madame Phyllis.

Afterward, they insisted on karaoke, and who are we to say NO to making fools of ourselves? 

 The odd part was that 1/3 of the songs were in Dzonka (duh), another third in Hindi(and they all knew the words) and finally the English songs were all pop culture that we had never heard.  We finally found an Elvis song, and lowered the bar as low as it would go.

You may remember that I once told you that driving was the most difficult thing I have done here.

There are NO traffic lights in this country and only a handful of cross walks.  But I do

love this sign for one--the man is wearing his traditional national costume!

Not that anyone pays any attention to the sign or the crosswalk!

I loved having a car---but maybe I should have done more of this:

There is an average of 7 curves in the road per kilometer here.  Not a place for the car sick.

But it also means that almost every curve presents an OMG moment.

Take for example, this one:

This is Dobji Monastery---not a tourist destination, not famous---but what a view!

Our 14 y/o Monk/guide.

 One last road sign picture:

Does this mean that you can speed if you're single??

It is the Indian Army that develops the roads in Bhutan.  The job is herculean--but they do have a sense of humor. Some other signs I remember:

Better to be Mister Late, than late Mister.
Be gentle on my curves.
Watch out for shooting stones. (landslides!)
Take Whisky, drive Risky.
This is a roadway, not a runway.

So, it's good bye the Land of the Thunder Dragon and hello to The Land of Enchantment.

(It will be wonderful to get back to the Land of Good Peanut Butter.)

But mostly, it will be more than great to see many of you again!

We've missed you.

Tashi Delek and love to all,

Phyllis and Rick

TARA---my favorite Buddhist Goddess

THIS is a musing with music!  Before you read whats below, click on this link to give you the sound of Tara's mantra being sung...You can then listen while you see the pictures and read what I've written:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je0fXOaVIzA

Ritual is everything in Bhutan.  You think Catholics have a lot of ritual?  Nothing compared to Buddhism as it is practiced here in Bhutan. It has color, incense, sacred dance, ritual food, long horns and cymbals, colorful clothing---and even ara, the local hootch.  I never tire of these ceremonies. 

The pantheon of Buddhas and deities is too numerous to count, with complicated names and sometimes fierce faces.   

There is only one female character of real importance, sometimes called "the mother of all Buddhas"...AND I can pronounce her name!  Let me introduce you to TARA...

This is the WHITE Tara....and there are 20 more, of different colors, in different poses and for different blessings.  She is considered a female bodhisattva--or a being who at one time attained enlightenment but rather than opt to go to Nirvana, she chose to be reborn to the world to help others attain enlightenment.  Have you ever met people who seemed wiser than their years?  Maybe they are bodhisattvas!  All Taras are about compassion. White Tara represents the enlightened activity of pacifying, which means overcoming sickness, early death and obstacles to success in one’s life.  You might note that she has 7 eyes---can you find them above?  (note: one is hiding...)   Tara remains among the most beloved icons from the vast pantheon of Mahayana Buddhism deities, inspiring countless Buddhist saints and lay practitioners on their path to enlightenment.

She's a good one to know.  AND you can pronounce her name.

Here is her mantra.  It is in Tibetan, and no I can't translate it, only to say it is about wishing you long life and compassion.  

So, FINALLY, Bhutan built a temple to her---the first one in the country.  And it took a queen to do it!  We spent a few hours there, on a drizzly day in Thimphu.  Here is what it looks like from the outside:

And here's what it looked like when they did the consecration ceremony just this past June.  

If you want to watch this ceremony, try this link (about 4 minutes).Scroll down a bit on the page and you can click on the video--and see the inside of this amazing place! Also toward the end, there is a man speaking Dzongka, the national language.  Bhutan is the only place you'll ever hear that spoken.  Thank Tara that English was introduced in schools in the 60's!

http://www.bbs.bt/news/?p=40957

The yellow robes: past king and present king. Orange robes: prime minister and important govt. officials. Beautiful women: various wives of the two kings (K #4 had 4 wives!)  Person not shown is the Bhutanese equivalent of a pope, called the Je Khenpo. Two white skirted guys are monks and dancers.

I am sorry to say that no pictures are allowed in the inside---and it is elaborate and ornate beyond your imaginings---but here is a bit of the detail on the outside:

Carved and painted wood

 Carved and painted stone (that's sanskrit, I think).  It is usually a mantra.

 The most elegant trash receptacle I've ever seen!

Almost every inch is painted with large murals, all depicting various aspects of Buddha's life, as well as the pantheon of deities and enlightened beings.  They are almost too big to photograph so I take smaller shots of details that I like:

And this one is a bit scary, but certainly colorful!

Here are your intrepid tourists, taking it all in:

You know about my fondness for windows and doors:

I apologize to my Buddhist scholar friends about this brief overview of a very important goddess.

But you get the gist and that's all I wanted to do---just take you into my world for a bit.

But it won't be my world for much longer!

One final musing before we take the big metal tube through the sky.

Soon!

Wishing you long life!

Phyllis

GRADUATION: Bhutanese style

I am sure many of you have been to umpteen graduations --
but never one like this!

Royal Thimphu College (RTC), where Rick works and we live, just had their 3rd graduating class: 307 young men and women who had completed three or four years at the college.
There was some pomp and circumstance, but mostly there was COLOR! and RITUAL!

Have you ever been to a graduation where:

There's an altar

                       
Where monks blow horns and beat symbols



Where ceremonial butter tea is offered

 Where chocolates are given to the audience

and where all the graduates wear their very best handwoven national dress: kiras for women and ghos for men:

It can take up to a year to weave some of these fabrics.  The colors are all bright and vibrant!  The traditional long scarf on the left shoulder is called a rachu and only worn on special occasions.

This is one of my favorite students, Sangay (name means buddha), in his traditional handwoven gho.  The white scarf is called a kabney and also is only worn on special occasions or when going into a monastery or dzong. 

The color of the kabney indicates your rank.  

There's no name for what I am wearing.  I designed it from a men's gho and had a local tailor make it for me.  I was a little concerned how this would be accepted at this traditional event, but was delighted to find that everyone liked it -- a fusion of east and west!  Orange and yellow are very popular colors here -- they are the colors of the flag and the king.  Orange is most certainly the new black here! Why wear black -- it's so boring!

Every big event like this has to have an Honorable Chief Guest.  Bhutan's Prime Minister was going to come but he had to make a trip to Japan instead (Japan gives Bhutan lots of machines, etc.) so we got the Home Minister instead.  As a govt. official he wears an orange kabney.  All the faculty is required to line up to greet him as he arrives.  Here are a few of the faculty, some of whom are wearing their traditional dress from India etc.

The students await the Minister as well:

The stage is lavish and colorful---a special brocade-covered chair for the honorable guest, a few lamas and monks to do the chanting and the multinational faculty make for a colorful lot.

Speeches are made, tea and chocolates are given, rice is thrown (religious reasons), chants are made.

Then, each student's name is called, they walk across the stage, make a deep traditional bow using their kabneys and rachus, get the photo with the Minister and exit---all done with applause, respect and solemnity.

 Last but not least, we all stand to sing the College song (Rick and I mumble through it)

And a Buddhist chant (now we really mumble through it)

Then finally we all move outside to the bright, thin, clean air of the Himalayas--to take a million photos and of course, to EAT.  The College feeds everyone--students, graduates, parents, families and chillips like me and Rick.

Here is a smaller group with their diplomas:

And because I can't resist, I sneak back into the auditorium to sit in the Chief Honorable Guests special chair---

But back to the food and dancing:

A monk enjoying the food (note his wonderful boots)

Traditional dancing (everyone here can do the traditional dances and they are oh so tolerant to teach us westerners)

I saved the best picture for last:

Here is Rick and all his women.  This lovely gaggle of amazing women are the ones he works with most closely in this data base development work.  They adore him...me, too!

We are off on a short trip tomorrow---to the Haa valley (three valleys over from ours) for their summer festival.  I promise to report the colorful and wonderful things we encounter there!

Marketing in Bhutan

No, I don't mean marketing--as in MAD MEN marketing.
I mean...going to the market!

Rick and I both LOVE markets---prefer them to almost anything else.  The colors! The smells (+/-)! the exotic fruits and veggies!

So when I first came here as a tourist and saw the Centenary Market in central Thimphu, I said to myself:
 I could live in Bhutan!  And now here I am, going to this market every week.

All villages and towns in Bhutan have an open air market---with locals selling local produce, grains and home made alcohol (usually attractively packaged in old plastic coke bottles). Thimphu's market is the biggest--a two story, open sided concrete building, with electric lights!

There is the GRAIN section:

These are piles of different types of rice.  Ever tried Bhutanese RED rice?  YUMMY!

And then all these weird sort of puffed things, which are dyed in bright colors, have no nutritional value, but show up at every party you go to.

SPICES:    yes, that is red chili powder, put in almost every dish, even at breakfast.  Ohhh, my poor stomach!  Bhutan is a great place for chili eating New Mexicans!

Not really sure what all these spices are...some of them are incense to burn in your home altar.  

Or, if you prefer your incense in stick form, that's available, too!  All of it handmade and local.

The vegetables and fruits you get all depend on the season.  Just to give you a taste:

Lots of chilis---no jalapenos, though. Many of them are hotter than jalapenos.

 Sugar cane from southern tropical Bhutan.

 Fiddlehead ferns from the river banks, now at the end of their
season so looking a bit bedraggled here!

Here's Rick buying carrots. Note the Bhutanese woman breastfeeding, which is strongly encouraged here. 

These are locally made brooms, made from grasses.  Cheap chinese brooms with handles are also available but don't seem to be used that much!  

Now, a few words about FRUITS.  Did you know there are over 2000 edible fruits in the world and the west eats only about 10% of  them?

This may be a new one for you: the JACK FRUIT:

Yes, I know it looks like a tumor.  Here's what it looks like in the inside.

Personally, I think it's too much trouble to prepare and eat.  

 

Here's a picture of the one of dozens of fruit stalls at the Thimphu market:

Our favorite fruit seller:

 Squash slices--type? anyones guess!

Fortunately for us, Bhutan does not grow DURIAN.  Have you tried it?  If not, I invite you to at least try it, but be sure and hold your nose.  Here is a durian fruit:

It is the most loved and most hated fruit in Asia. It is said to taste like heaven and smell like hell.  Just be glad the above picture is NOT a scratch and sniff.  The smell is described as garlic+ onion+ month old unwashed gym socks.  In fact, in Singapore, it is illegal to bring a durian onto the subway, plane or hotel. If you can get beyond the smell, what does it taste like? Here's what I found on the Internet: When the famous British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace tasted his first Durian in the 19th century, his comment about its taste was: "A rich, butter-like custard highly flavored with almonds, but intermingled with wafts of flavor that call to mind cream cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry and other incongruities.

"Incongruities" is a kind phrase!

But back to Bhutan:

CHEESE:  Let's face it, Asia is just not the place to be if you like cheese.

It's not that Bhutan doesn't HAVE cheese...it's just, well, mostly fermented yak cheese.  There are three varieties:

Here is the soft hockey puck shaped cheese, used in their national dish, ema datsi (chilis and cheese).

 And this is the hard variety---and I mean HARD.  Bhutanese put a square in their mouth and chew it all day.  It's a dentist's nightmare.  Any one of these could be used as a doorstop.

Now, let's talk about DOMA.  This one is hard to describe, but the closest thing I could relate it to is chewing tobacco--only it stains your tongue, teeth and spit a bright red color.   It is definitely a culturally acquired taste, as most Bhutanese love it and it makes most chillips(foreigners) throw up. It consists of an areca nut, wrapped in a betel leaf with a dash of lime paste. You put it between your gum and teeth, and then just let it sit there, chewing it on occasion. It is called "a conversation starter" and Bhutanese of all ages and genders love it, especially after a sumptuous dinner.  It is a traditional offering on all occasions.  First mention of doma in literature is from 1637!  Thankfully (in my opinion) the younger generation is not so into this, as they dislike the red spit, just as I do.  Still, I know many very sophisticated and educated Bhutanese who can't resist.  Old people tell me it keeps them warm in winter. Doma is so embedded in Bhutanese religious and temporal spheres that it is indispensable to the culture.

So, of course, you can buy it at the market!

The leaf:

The nut:

Here it is in action----

Despite what you/I may think, any Bhutanese would tell you that doma contributes to Gross National Happiness!

There is only one part of the market that I absolutely avoid.  But in my quest to show it all to you, I did go to the dried fish section.  I was there just long enough to snap this picture:

Don't even ask.....

And finally, my favorite part--the flowering plants, not to be eaten, but certainly to be admired!

If you want to see more of this amazing market, check out this 11 minute utube, done by some Brit tourist. At around 9 minutes, he covers the handicraft market which is just across the bridge from the Centenary Market. It is colorful indeed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxJ_wI7wTfY

Rick just arrived home from work. Soon he will start on dinner made from the fresh veggies we just bought yesterday at this market.  In the meantime, it continues to rain, and the laundry put out to dry this morning is nowhere near dry---ahh, the problems of the developing world! 

Wishing you love and good food!

Phyllis