Driving from Paro to Thimphu in Bhutan, the first thing to strike me was Katy Perry's "California Gurls" coming from the car radio.
I had landed into Paro International Airport, sweeping majestically down into Paro Valley from the snow-topped mountain peaks of the Himalayas. As we quickly descended, the verdant valley became visual from the monsoon fog and cloud of a Bhutanese July. Rice paddies impossibly climbed the walls of the valley and emerald crop fields spread across the valley floor. Squat and solid buildings became coherent, always white with timberwork and elaborate designs painted and carved on the beams and frames. The airport building was in the same Bhutanese style, as mandated by the driglam namzha cultural policies.
The driver from Royal Thimphu College, Sonam, was at the airport to greet me. He admitted that he loved American pop music, and possessed a vast collection of mp3s that were plugged into the car radio. As we drove the windy mountain roads from Paro to Thimphu, the juxtapositions were rich and complex. At one turn was a herder with his cattle walking right on the road as Faith Hill sang, "Let me let go, baby / Let me let go / If this is for the best / Why are you still in my heart / Are you still in my soul / Let me let go." Another hairpin turn and Hoobastank provided the soundtrack to Buddhist prayer flags flapping in the wind, strung across an ancient river path. When we pulled up to an old man's roadside shop, with strings of dried cheese adorning the opening, Sonam gently turned down the volume to a trance re-mix of "(I've had) The Time of My Life" to ask the shop keeper for a packet of doma. Doma is a traditional item consisting of an areca nut wrapped in a betel leaf and smeared with lime (not the fruit, but calcium hydroxide). You chew the whole thing and it produces a mild stimulant. Eventually you spit it out, not unlike chewing tobacco in the United States. Besides being a known carcinogen, chewing doma also has the side-effect of staining your teeth a bright red. Sonam offered some doma to me and I politely declined, although I did try some later (read on for that story).
Royal Thimphu College is located about 11km from the Thimphu city center, and we turned off of the main highway for the college about 7km before the city limits. The college is nestled beautifully in the mountains, surrounded by pine trees. This time of year, the tops of the nearest mountains are shrouded in fog and gives the whole locale a mysterious "Brigadoon" quality. The college also has a spectacular view of Buddha point, a huge golden Buddha statue overlooking Thimphu. I hear that during orientation there will be an excursion to that point that I an anxious to partake.
Upon arrival, I was shown to my apartment and met my "buddy" Arun. I put buddy in quotations because he was assigned to me as a "buddy" to show me around and help me learn how to navigate. I also think that we will become real "buddies" as he seems nice and wants me to play for the staff football (e.g. soccer) team. I took some time in the afternoon to unpack and get settled and take stock on the supplies that I will need to buy in town.
Late in the afternoon Arun stopped by and I went with him to the football game. I didn't have any boots or a kit (e.g. cleats, jersey, shin guards, etc.) so I just watched. The teams seems to be at about the level of play that I'm used to from the Minneapolis leagues, so I am looking forward to gathering the necessary items and joining the team. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the paradoxes and complexities of globalization are in full-effect in Bhutan. Throughout the football match, I was struck by the globalism of football. The RTC team all decided to wear red Arsenal jerseys and many players had bags, shorts, and other paraphernalia from global teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, ManU, Brazil, etc. There were Coca-Cola and Fanta bottles and I was amused by the phone ringing on the bench near me, tinnily blaring out David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World."
After the game, Arun and Sonam and I went into Thimphu for some supplies and dinner. I did not have much cash on me, but managed to exchange at a shop about $100 for Nu5,000 (that's Bhutanese Ngultrum, by the way). I bought some pillows, sheets, and blankets and then purchased a B-Mobil SIM card to use. It looks like I may have to purchase a cheap phone here, because I didn't unlock my iPhone before I left and the other old phone I have with me doesn't like the Bhutanese bandwidth. Everyone communicates via mobile phone here, so it looks like it will become a necessity. We had a late dinner at a Nepali restaurant called Cypress in downtown Thimphu. It was quite good, and I had my first experience of the Bhutanese comfort food, Ema Datse. This dish consists of chilies in a cheese sauce. What's interesting is that in every book I have read on Bhutan, all of the authors make a big deal about the spiciness of Bhutanese cuisine. While it is true that chilies go into most dishes, I don't find Bhutanese food to be particularly spicy. Ema Datse, for example, tasted like a mild mexican cheese dip to me. So far I haven't had anything nearly as spicy as I enjoy in the States. We also had a round of Druk 11000 "Super Strong Beer." It has an ABV of 8%, but it's still a lager and does not have a strong taste compared to anything with hops. It was refreshing, though. There's another Bhutanese beer – Red Panda – that is an unfiltered wheat beer and that I've heard is delicious.
We drove back to RTC in a misty and cool night, with Sonam taking the road curves impossibly fast and singing at the top of his lungs, "What is love? / Baby don't hurt me," Arun bobbing his head like he saw from the movie "Night at the Roxbury," and chewing vile-tasting doma. What an odd and fantastic first night in Bhutan.
...
Today is a quieter day and I have had much more time on my own. Arun showed me around campus again and we had breakfast at "The Canteen" on campus. (Bhutan tends to use fairly archaic British terminology a lot. For example, the college also has an "infirmary" – referring to the campus clinic.) I had some time in the morning, and then I met up with Arun and some other staff for lunch back at the canteen. We actually cannot go into Thimphu until 6pm today because all vehicles are banned in the capital on Tuesdays. Only taxis are allowed to drive in town, and even then are restricted to even-numbered taxis and odd-numbered taxis alternating weeks respectively. Bhutan has certain designated days like this. Tuesday is administrative day and all alcohol is also banned. Tonight, Arun and I will go into town to get groceries and more supplies as I got a salary advance of Nu10,000 as a settlement bonus.
Another interesting aspect of being in Bhutan is the dress. From all I have read before I came, everyone made a big deal about the driglam namzha policy, which decrees that all Bhutanese wear Ghos (men) and Kiras (women). However, I discovered that this policy was fairly lax and now Bhutanese are only required to where traditional dress for administrative and business functions and in places such as temples and royal buildings. On my first day in Bhutan, I saw virtually no one wearing ghos and kiras (because it was a holiday). Especially in Thimphu, people wore Western-style clothing and the shops were bristling with Western clothing products. Today, however, is an administrative day and most of the college staff were in traditional dress – although not everyone, so I'm still confused as to the actual policy.
English is widely understood and everyone I have encountered can converse freely in it. I have asked several people what local language I should learn, and surprisingly most people say that Nepali is the most helpful and widely understood. At least at RTC, this is the language that the staff converse in. I may try to learn a little bit of Nepali and a little bit of Dzonkha (which is technically the official language), but I suspect that I will have difficulty becoming fluent in either one. In thinking about how I am going to conduct my dissertation research, I will probably have to rely on a translator to at least navigate the nuances that English cannot pick up.
The legends are true, there are many wild dogs running around that sleep all day and (literally) bark all night. Earplugs are definitely a necessity at night. Several dogs seem to love sleeping on my doorstep.
Right now it is pouring out – it is the monsoon season, after all! I am spending the afternoon writing this and getting my things together, and will probably also begin to prepare my lessons. I hear that some other Americans arrived today, but I haven't met them yet. Orientation does not start until Friday, so I have a few more days yet to get used to things and find my way around. I am glad that I have come early, as it is a good way to ease into things. The campus is mostly empty, with no students and no academic staff around. The administrative staff are all here, though, and that is good to be able to meet them more one-on-one as I will rely on them once the semester starts on August 6th.
I had landed into Paro International Airport, sweeping majestically down into Paro Valley from the snow-topped mountain peaks of the Himalayas. As we quickly descended, the verdant valley became visual from the monsoon fog and cloud of a Bhutanese July. Rice paddies impossibly climbed the walls of the valley and emerald crop fields spread across the valley floor. Squat and solid buildings became coherent, always white with timberwork and elaborate designs painted and carved on the beams and frames. The airport building was in the same Bhutanese style, as mandated by the driglam namzha cultural policies.
Unfortunately, Everest was covered in clouds during our flight from Delhi, but we were able to see the third highest mountain in the world: Kangchenjunga (8600m)
Sweeping in Bhutan "On the Wings of the Dragon" (the motto of Druk Air)
Verdant steppe fields and rice paddies
The Paro International Airport terminal
Dismbarking
The driver from Royal Thimphu College, Sonam, was at the airport to greet me. He admitted that he loved American pop music, and possessed a vast collection of mp3s that were plugged into the car radio. As we drove the windy mountain roads from Paro to Thimphu, the juxtapositions were rich and complex. At one turn was a herder with his cattle walking right on the road as Faith Hill sang, "Let me let go, baby / Let me let go / If this is for the best / Why are you still in my heart / Are you still in my soul / Let me let go." Another hairpin turn and Hoobastank provided the soundtrack to Buddhist prayer flags flapping in the wind, strung across an ancient river path. When we pulled up to an old man's roadside shop, with strings of dried cheese adorning the opening, Sonam gently turned down the volume to a trance re-mix of "(I've had) The Time of My Life" to ask the shop keeper for a packet of doma. Doma is a traditional item consisting of an areca nut wrapped in a betel leaf and smeared with lime (not the fruit, but calcium hydroxide). You chew the whole thing and it produces a mild stimulant. Eventually you spit it out, not unlike chewing tobacco in the United States. Besides being a known carcinogen, chewing doma also has the side-effect of staining your teeth a bright red. Sonam offered some doma to me and I politely declined, although I did try some later (read on for that story).
Royal Thimphu College is located about 11km from the Thimphu city center, and we turned off of the main highway for the college about 7km before the city limits. The college is nestled beautifully in the mountains, surrounded by pine trees. This time of year, the tops of the nearest mountains are shrouded in fog and gives the whole locale a mysterious "Brigadoon" quality. The college also has a spectacular view of Buddha point, a huge golden Buddha statue overlooking Thimphu. I hear that during orientation there will be an excursion to that point that I an anxious to partake.
The faculty apartment blocks
The master bedroom (there is also a second, smaller bedroom)
The living room and dining room
The new performing arts center
The amphitheater
A view of the golden Buddha
Upon arrival, I was shown to my apartment and met my "buddy" Arun. I put buddy in quotations because he was assigned to me as a "buddy" to show me around and help me learn how to navigate. I also think that we will become real "buddies" as he seems nice and wants me to play for the staff football (e.g. soccer) team. I took some time in the afternoon to unpack and get settled and take stock on the supplies that I will need to buy in town.
Late in the afternoon Arun stopped by and I went with him to the football game. I didn't have any boots or a kit (e.g. cleats, jersey, shin guards, etc.) so I just watched. The teams seems to be at about the level of play that I'm used to from the Minneapolis leagues, so I am looking forward to gathering the necessary items and joining the team. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the paradoxes and complexities of globalization are in full-effect in Bhutan. Throughout the football match, I was struck by the globalism of football. The RTC team all decided to wear red Arsenal jerseys and many players had bags, shorts, and other paraphernalia from global teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, ManU, Brazil, etc. There were Coca-Cola and Fanta bottles and I was amused by the phone ringing on the bench near me, tinnily blaring out David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World."
The football pitch on campus
Playing with the effects on my camera
A dog decides to join the game
A son of one of the players, who entertained himself unsupervised the entire game
If I could sum up globalization in one picture, this would be it
After the game, Arun and Sonam and I went into Thimphu for some supplies and dinner. I did not have much cash on me, but managed to exchange at a shop about $100 for Nu5,000 (that's Bhutanese Ngultrum, by the way). I bought some pillows, sheets, and blankets and then purchased a B-Mobil SIM card to use. It looks like I may have to purchase a cheap phone here, because I didn't unlock my iPhone before I left and the other old phone I have with me doesn't like the Bhutanese bandwidth. Everyone communicates via mobile phone here, so it looks like it will become a necessity. We had a late dinner at a Nepali restaurant called Cypress in downtown Thimphu. It was quite good, and I had my first experience of the Bhutanese comfort food, Ema Datse. This dish consists of chilies in a cheese sauce. What's interesting is that in every book I have read on Bhutan, all of the authors make a big deal about the spiciness of Bhutanese cuisine. While it is true that chilies go into most dishes, I don't find Bhutanese food to be particularly spicy. Ema Datse, for example, tasted like a mild mexican cheese dip to me. So far I haven't had anything nearly as spicy as I enjoy in the States. We also had a round of Druk 11000 "Super Strong Beer." It has an ABV of 8%, but it's still a lager and does not have a strong taste compared to anything with hops. It was refreshing, though. There's another Bhutanese beer – Red Panda – that is an unfiltered wheat beer and that I've heard is delicious.
Arun tries out an umbrella in the shop
Druk 11000
Ema Datse ... yum!
We drove back to RTC in a misty and cool night, with Sonam taking the road curves impossibly fast and singing at the top of his lungs, "What is love? / Baby don't hurt me," Arun bobbing his head like he saw from the movie "Night at the Roxbury," and chewing vile-tasting doma. What an odd and fantastic first night in Bhutan.
...
Today is a quieter day and I have had much more time on my own. Arun showed me around campus again and we had breakfast at "The Canteen" on campus. (Bhutan tends to use fairly archaic British terminology a lot. For example, the college also has an "infirmary" – referring to the campus clinic.) I had some time in the morning, and then I met up with Arun and some other staff for lunch back at the canteen. We actually cannot go into Thimphu until 6pm today because all vehicles are banned in the capital on Tuesdays. Only taxis are allowed to drive in town, and even then are restricted to even-numbered taxis and odd-numbered taxis alternating weeks respectively. Bhutan has certain designated days like this. Tuesday is administrative day and all alcohol is also banned. Tonight, Arun and I will go into town to get groceries and more supplies as I got a salary advance of Nu10,000 as a settlement bonus.
Another interesting aspect of being in Bhutan is the dress. From all I have read before I came, everyone made a big deal about the driglam namzha policy, which decrees that all Bhutanese wear Ghos (men) and Kiras (women). However, I discovered that this policy was fairly lax and now Bhutanese are only required to where traditional dress for administrative and business functions and in places such as temples and royal buildings. On my first day in Bhutan, I saw virtually no one wearing ghos and kiras (because it was a holiday). Especially in Thimphu, people wore Western-style clothing and the shops were bristling with Western clothing products. Today, however, is an administrative day and most of the college staff were in traditional dress – although not everyone, so I'm still confused as to the actual policy.
English is widely understood and everyone I have encountered can converse freely in it. I have asked several people what local language I should learn, and surprisingly most people say that Nepali is the most helpful and widely understood. At least at RTC, this is the language that the staff converse in. I may try to learn a little bit of Nepali and a little bit of Dzonkha (which is technically the official language), but I suspect that I will have difficulty becoming fluent in either one. In thinking about how I am going to conduct my dissertation research, I will probably have to rely on a translator to at least navigate the nuances that English cannot pick up.
The legends are true, there are many wild dogs running around that sleep all day and (literally) bark all night. Earplugs are definitely a necessity at night. Several dogs seem to love sleeping on my doorstep.
Right now it is pouring out – it is the monsoon season, after all! I am spending the afternoon writing this and getting my things together, and will probably also begin to prepare my lessons. I hear that some other Americans arrived today, but I haven't met them yet. Orientation does not start until Friday, so I have a few more days yet to get used to things and find my way around. I am glad that I have come early, as it is a good way to ease into things. The campus is mostly empty, with no students and no academic staff around. The administrative staff are all here, though, and that is good to be able to meet them more one-on-one as I will rely on them once the semester starts on August 6th.
Himalayan rains.
The climate is so pleasant here!
Very Seattle-like and, if you enjoy the rain like I do, very relaxing.
Thanks for your wonderful, detailed accounting of your time so far in Bhutan and for the pictures. Love seeing pictures of the apartment so I can envision where you are living. Fascinating experience you are having - and will have!
ReplyDeleteYour descriptive prose and photos make it seem real even in Minnesota - what an exciting adventure! (btw, Charyut is Anne Black-Sinak)
ReplyDeleteGreat adventure!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting adventure Matt. Your mother shared this link with me and I'm looking forward to hearing more about Bhutan and what you discover. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete