tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142756019421680632024-03-21T01:59:50.469-07:00Cat In BhutanCat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-66316335970026324952015-12-26T17:46:00.002-08:002015-12-27T03:36:55.870-08:00Last<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCb2GR5v8m45DbuOijByfCo7tkEAxt7U5Cou3fNfDXGZ6RtTSeOVmzhXZuej5aOgKl9FJhBoAlk4JLKwZ8IVrscNsD_T7dOFyBGtenvMg2iJp9Fj6-SooWHer6pNqjPcvOK8eY6y2WNo/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCb2GR5v8m45DbuOijByfCo7tkEAxt7U5Cou3fNfDXGZ6RtTSeOVmzhXZuej5aOgKl9FJhBoAlk4JLKwZ8IVrscNsD_T7dOFyBGtenvMg2iJp9Fj6-SooWHer6pNqjPcvOK8eY6y2WNo/s320/IMG_2317.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EK3q_AGM9agn4RBEoMugEumCQtwfJIhTZKOoqlK0gdeO5zwBGFt36TOh28tdCNlysuf6saxIlwqemofpo3HHcj2NpeV8t_8l1_MY2UsPb-EDsjRVS7MT_iCin82possWowpIkrHqtC0/s1600/IMG_2395.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5EK3q_AGM9agn4RBEoMugEumCQtwfJIhTZKOoqlK0gdeO5zwBGFt36TOh28tdCNlysuf6saxIlwqemofpo3HHcj2NpeV8t_8l1_MY2UsPb-EDsjRVS7MT_iCin82possWowpIkrHqtC0/s320/IMG_2395.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz_9h7u6800mJ4CClnHEIR0qWXtVtZOamATauD_BWqWM-Wi6XJTVQb6O5k0lxCY-fWXWvju1KAot4X4G8dbv8IdiGqMcee6WyzDCiYC3twxVem0tZ2UotcAOpVbqvncBJbPnWz8AZhHA/s1600/IMG_2353.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTz_9h7u6800mJ4CClnHEIR0qWXtVtZOamATauD_BWqWM-Wi6XJTVQb6O5k0lxCY-fWXWvju1KAot4X4G8dbv8IdiGqMcee6WyzDCiYC3twxVem0tZ2UotcAOpVbqvncBJbPnWz8AZhHA/s320/IMG_2353.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzzPAPQ1lSSmhXNxwYWJgE2ZVTnjmKaw4atbe0lNUkQMMsM1e44QcS1WCdXgmGQ6i24Q8ZGYlx0yXyHX3Bzm3Bxn5tMNOlCogUnpHkMm0dLBpvo_5b_5CMwpPHFIqieRf5GX4QJKHATI/s1600/IMG_2519.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhzzPAPQ1lSSmhXNxwYWJgE2ZVTnjmKaw4atbe0lNUkQMMsM1e44QcS1WCdXgmGQ6i24Q8ZGYlx0yXyHX3Bzm3Bxn5tMNOlCogUnpHkMm0dLBpvo_5b_5CMwpPHFIqieRf5GX4QJKHATI/s320/IMG_2519.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GNc225wVUXWcqfq2Ul5gXMtFqiUftClyC7TwLiQImYuYxfYm53EUp6Y7B9tq89I1DO0Z-W1ilLbOGbmnO3eoxFjwIkxLhR27HlGGzerMeK4N6iTPyQlDa_qeQQfAX47OJwkwrv3D5Eg/s1600/IMG_2539.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GNc225wVUXWcqfq2Ul5gXMtFqiUftClyC7TwLiQImYuYxfYm53EUp6Y7B9tq89I1DO0Z-W1ilLbOGbmnO3eoxFjwIkxLhR27HlGGzerMeK4N6iTPyQlDa_qeQQfAX47OJwkwrv3D5Eg/s320/IMG_2539.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgiYFb7Q3dJjOi0QqKhtSXHzsdVHOurcFxrUGnl1V4dbX6GtCo-snO9dhBAwKrUwaF-jha8WDJLovITBt3MYk_2nby27cBUAC5wFOUSZ8DUVn_7uuyVWlqnG-bCJ9_WCETOJGNthBafA/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAgiYFb7Q3dJjOi0QqKhtSXHzsdVHOurcFxrUGnl1V4dbX6GtCo-snO9dhBAwKrUwaF-jha8WDJLovITBt3MYk_2nby27cBUAC5wFOUSZ8DUVn_7uuyVWlqnG-bCJ9_WCETOJGNthBafA/s320/IMG_2545.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4T0WQYJpG1bOrvDOxEzdGEs-It1DtAhSBGwu8RgcTSBhwQEjQSRhUnCUhSGO48oZNdzQBi9fCEnZw0avO-Zhi8DTE-EpSex13-SkGTZ0UPOcXc5sA2TN3W9-46nHpKqpcLFD2HgX44M/s1600/IMG_2494.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4T0WQYJpG1bOrvDOxEzdGEs-It1DtAhSBGwu8RgcTSBhwQEjQSRhUnCUhSGO48oZNdzQBi9fCEnZw0avO-Zhi8DTE-EpSex13-SkGTZ0UPOcXc5sA2TN3W9-46nHpKqpcLFD2HgX44M/s320/IMG_2494.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3pcWAgyypU9S-0Pe6JyPuELZ93LOit3sujj_9gYGdA2dcwnk7k2ZNJbfKjMsPbbugPy4TgyOfZrnk_fgabTx1HZtOsWl25La2PFrEKvYv6uAHQUwW-aY-wzF1eG1y4Pp4t7Wj11OZ0w/s1600/IMG_2506.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3pcWAgyypU9S-0Pe6JyPuELZ93LOit3sujj_9gYGdA2dcwnk7k2ZNJbfKjMsPbbugPy4TgyOfZrnk_fgabTx1HZtOsWl25La2PFrEKvYv6uAHQUwW-aY-wzF1eG1y4Pp4t7Wj11OZ0w/s320/IMG_2506.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My heart hurts a lot. Leaving is not easy and Bhutan is still impossible to describe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wanted to write a post about things I will miss. Then I
wanted to write a post about things I take for granted after living here for a
year. Then I thought about writing a post about things I’m looking forward to
in order to help myself with the transition. But these are all shit ideas.
Words do not describe the people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had, or the
ways in which I’ve changed. Much of this I haven’t fully processed myself. All
I know is that my heart hurts when I force myself to confront the fact that I
have less than 48 hours left in this country. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I read Slyvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar” earlier this year and
in it her characters says, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
“I saw my life
branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future
beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and
another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and
another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and
Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and
Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and
another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs
were many more figs I couldn't quite make out.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 31.5pt; margin-top: 0in;">
“I saw myself sitting in the
crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my
mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but
choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide,
the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the
ground at my feet”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
… Hello biggest fear of my life<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i>For a long time I’ve been afraid of growing old and realizing too
late that I hadn’t made the most with my life, or made a wrong decision
somewhere along the road. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I can see now, however, is that these decisions don’t
have to be scary and limiting. They can be the most empowering and enabling
aspect of our lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A fellow teacher, and a very good friend, Alex Rothman, has
made a few videos about his time in Bhutan. His last video is titled “The
Unbearable Lightness of Being in Bhutan.” In the video he talks about chance
and how randomly our lives are shaped. Apart from an incredible representation
of Bhutan in the last three minutes that makes me tear up, he shows a different
take on how our lives are shaped.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/07FIDMBBzhc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/07FIDMBBzhc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It's true that there are countless unknown variables in my life that could have prevented my coming to Bhutan if things had been slightly different. I have no idea if my time in Bhutan was because of chance,
making the right decisions, randomness, fate, or some other mysterious magical
pull Bhutan was able to have over me. All I know is that I ended up here and I
am better for it. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
There are a lot of outside variables that will affect the life choices that I am able to make. But I choose to have faith in life that if I continue to make them based on curiosity and being open to any love that comes my way, that I'll end up in the right places. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I still have no idea who I am. And I am excited about that.
The world is full of knowledge and understandings that I have yet to encounter,
people to meet, and lessons to learn. I am less sure about everything, and more
confident that it’s exactly how I’m supposed to feel.<o:p></o:p>Every year that we live changes us. This has been the most beautiful year of change in my life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However I do love the person that I am in Bhutan and I fear
that when I go home I will lose that. I didn’t expect to meet other foreigners
that would impact my life so drastically. In them, I see glimpses of the person
that I want to grow into. That means my next big challenge will be to resist
falling back into old habits and make a conscious effort to carry lessons that I’ve
learned in Bhutan with me as I move on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And it will truly be a challenge considering that I’m not
ready to move on. I don’t know how it’s possible for me to pack my bag right
now, yet I have no choice. If I had been a better learner this year I would be
more at peace with the impermanence of this experience, but I find myself
entirely attached to this place and it’s people. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
My vice principal has said to me that everyone we meet in our life somehow impacted one of our past lives. If that is the case, then I can only hope that in any future life, or hopefully in the future of this life, I will again meet with the people I now call friends and family.<br />
<br />
If you enjoyed Alex's video, here's another one that shows the Fourth King's birthday celebrations at his school which closely mirror the celebrations had at my school,<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8-Do5v16NRE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8-Do5v16NRE?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-60927374112068720182015-11-26T05:22:00.000-08:002015-11-26T05:38:17.564-08:00Puja<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yesterday I was invited to the annual puja (a religious gathering) of the family that owns the house I live in. I've attended a few puja's since being here but I've never taken many pictures or really written about them. So I tried to take pictures of all the food - and there is a lot of food - the praying and the dancing. </div>
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When we first arrived around 3:00 pm we were served suja and accompanying tea snacks. Suja is butter tea - butter, salt, and tea churned together. I really don't enjoy it but drink it when served at gatherings like this. Except for the popcorn ,the snacks are very standard for Bhutan: puffed rice, wheat things, and flattened maize kernels. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cI6QtvG8h-abFKFWHB0iMr8f70d7oxR7yQVWawiJgv01xfEHuPvgecIzsY4JXIRQ6J7l8y5sLYK_bY7ESDnqPJfP8UEA9ws6f8tyZpeduTfkCy_bwBpcS8JioaV_JyiS60I8zQWOuoc/s1600/IMG_2198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cI6QtvG8h-abFKFWHB0iMr8f70d7oxR7yQVWawiJgv01xfEHuPvgecIzsY4JXIRQ6J7l8y5sLYK_bY7ESDnqPJfP8UEA9ws6f8tyZpeduTfkCy_bwBpcS8JioaV_JyiS60I8zQWOuoc/s320/IMG_2198.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a picture of my suja and a dish that is made from rice with boiled egg, oil, chili powder, and coriander.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjBVxeEozg1ShgD5ct5UMv4RxzJtgNAmXjjxSn86hr9OSdFkAPumQK49KQ4KfjrA8RmVicSm3O01otPIQjiNhJvSumpmqhl6nkvGEJXiPn8CH5ohK_7faG-kdsri1qM-A-_ChlFEN54s/s1600/IMG_2199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjBVxeEozg1ShgD5ct5UMv4RxzJtgNAmXjjxSn86hr9OSdFkAPumQK49KQ4KfjrA8RmVicSm3O01otPIQjiNhJvSumpmqhl6nkvGEJXiPn8CH5ohK_7faG-kdsri1qM-A-_ChlFEN54s/s320/IMG_2199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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After the rice dish I was given chunkay. This alcoholic dish is rice fermented with yeast with added bits of boiled egg. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRMTBjwraReBGtMwjvefowgDnDd1f6pA2zGpUjJzlkqvHyYWWwll6UEv5v3bmbJ9eJg1uFkC4CE4QYXQr0b-cyDcg-AWQyq5ZD3UIhl8MBfBy5COHwwD3CQiZvfsJ3q4erHrN8wa4gNU/s1600/IMG_2237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRMTBjwraReBGtMwjvefowgDnDd1f6pA2zGpUjJzlkqvHyYWWwll6UEv5v3bmbJ9eJg1uFkC4CE4QYXQr0b-cyDcg-AWQyq5ZD3UIhl8MBfBy5COHwwD3CQiZvfsJ3q4erHrN8wa4gNU/s320/IMG_2237.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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When families have pujas they request monks and lamas from local monasteries. The monks arrive the day before and prepare the family's alter room. The monks create the statues made of flour, water, and rice and paint them with water colors. All families have alter rooms in their houses but during pujas they give offerings of fruit, veggies, and junk food seen just behind the butter lamps. After the ceremony, it is believed that the food is blessed and that eating the food will bring blessings and long life. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Hw0bFiGWUxlKkEt4KGETlni8a30Zyq-bNcQ6O-aizXTzsKZqbBw1XJ8MUNDhFzUgY4igvfYQ77YvHbadVlJMDtvJVZqOtxhMLVivPRuivFRfvZTlqNvHV-56RQcGPou5ncmI62z6h50/s1600/IMG_2202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Hw0bFiGWUxlKkEt4KGETlni8a30Zyq-bNcQ6O-aizXTzsKZqbBw1XJ8MUNDhFzUgY4igvfYQ77YvHbadVlJMDtvJVZqOtxhMLVivPRuivFRfvZTlqNvHV-56RQcGPou5ncmI62z6h50/s320/IMG_2202.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Across from the alter, the monks and lamas spend the entire day chanting in order to appease the local deities and drive away the demons.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnN3BU-lLVt4gErwLjBaqa0mAK-bt3E9c6HQPCs0RmEHIB_it6L1tCpdkkFkfSYiTIuY0vdP5J_LXhMz1rT0pwZum9bh3B67K30u_wpS5ZogX_4imvrSF7E9npiBos7xsp5gBbOpQW88/s1600/IMG_2205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnN3BU-lLVt4gErwLjBaqa0mAK-bt3E9c6HQPCs0RmEHIB_it6L1tCpdkkFkfSYiTIuY0vdP5J_LXhMz1rT0pwZum9bh3B67K30u_wpS5ZogX_4imvrSF7E9npiBos7xsp5gBbOpQW88/s320/IMG_2205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then there's this - my attempt to take a video but also not be annoying with my camera. So we have the view from my camera sitting on my lap as I scan the room. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GRbPp3AaxJk/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GRbPp3AaxJk?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Along with the food, other items are blessed such as arra- the homemade alcohol. After it is blessed it is, naturally, served out of a human skull to insure blessings and long life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Mb8OGfBf2P-nZD6vavYjgML5FiHH7m6bLe_Vp188YOfm0XWV9kdVIvoOGspi4jJfmv7DrP8kuVjUFoNLOFYptphDAZIUpOxYhgPNKfYXHKlhu2-n2ZBszqtNFJkQ1QJpi6iIPCWVmNw/s1600/IMG_2232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Mb8OGfBf2P-nZD6vavYjgML5FiHH7m6bLe_Vp188YOfm0XWV9kdVIvoOGspi4jJfmv7DrP8kuVjUFoNLOFYptphDAZIUpOxYhgPNKfYXHKlhu2-n2ZBszqtNFJkQ1QJpi6iIPCWVmNw/s320/IMG_2232.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUKo55HIcLOJM7AyWxBdd_ud07iFs3jaNDDU2GKpU0PvH9-oCbaJYyC6TLvNmrzXkCNjtGPSa5n6doKzUIYWkMRhrfyduUMml-oMKY2gMviNcpfhf6g1X_RTu_YH0-7sUgwWJrD6hhZk/s1600/IMG_2233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUKo55HIcLOJM7AyWxBdd_ud07iFs3jaNDDU2GKpU0PvH9-oCbaJYyC6TLvNmrzXkCNjtGPSa5n6doKzUIYWkMRhrfyduUMml-oMKY2gMviNcpfhf6g1X_RTu_YH0-7sUgwWJrD6hhZk/s320/IMG_2233.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've told two people about the human skull and they had a LOT of questions. So to explain further - Bhutanese cremate their dead. After the cremation they go through the bones and look for skulls and thigh bones that are still intact. They use the thigh bones to make horns that the monks use to make music during ceremonies and the skulls are cut, painted, and turned into proper bowls. </div>
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There are lots of preparations done for pujas. Sometimes people have to sacrifice their time, their money, and their cows. It makes you wonder if the white cow has any idea that she is resting under her friend's, or more likely family member's, bloody skin. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotoNs02Po5p8Xzljb8TsmgIoWkyDD1j-bAQ-hw06c8IcKQFMVFv023Xlixsfc8oKlrukvvlXo85bRXMdBNDL83GNS0hKc00_9QHlOrn5WGe480khBDlYTozUc9PDYov5ivLj80kfsQLY/s1600/IMG_2224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotoNs02Po5p8Xzljb8TsmgIoWkyDD1j-bAQ-hw06c8IcKQFMVFv023Xlixsfc8oKlrukvvlXo85bRXMdBNDL83GNS0hKc00_9QHlOrn5WGe480khBDlYTozUc9PDYov5ivLj80kfsQLY/s320/IMG_2224.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The spread - rice along with many different versions of the unlucky cow who was alive just a few days before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgq3QM3XvgKtp8Z5tCZWLBVblCztlrttUG2tEPCGCVGLeN2jaZI4J-gywUEhtGKp67YIfl_0a1LvTF2d5DxlRvvSf7Gb6xO9f5F6hyLBGBtP_Ou9Ez9Xca2hhARyIyBtOkjmcBfNwPAE/s1600/IMG_2241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgq3QM3XvgKtp8Z5tCZWLBVblCztlrttUG2tEPCGCVGLeN2jaZI4J-gywUEhtGKp67YIfl_0a1LvTF2d5DxlRvvSf7Gb6xO9f5F6hyLBGBtP_Ou9Ez9Xca2hhARyIyBtOkjmcBfNwPAE/s320/IMG_2241.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And the stove that it was all cooked on. </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghibZfc_mdnPl4ITo2El-m5tAr40WMJAuj5tQuFpYsYfpvl6fm2xsR4qaWy4YUVpqFZrMMb6E-I_iR_tJXgKlS8bhz7J2kz_feAZ51JUeseJW6kFx7jrptI5gB1Dso4xNscHHNiveYnLc/s1600/IMG_2245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghibZfc_mdnPl4ITo2El-m5tAr40WMJAuj5tQuFpYsYfpvl6fm2xsR4qaWy4YUVpqFZrMMb6E-I_iR_tJXgKlS8bhz7J2kz_feAZ51JUeseJW6kFx7jrptI5gB1Dso4xNscHHNiveYnLc/s320/IMG_2245.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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And finally, while we may enjoy sweet deserts after dinner no Bhutanese meal would be complete without Doma - the beetle nut that give some of the Bhutanese their distinct red mouths. </div>
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After dinner there were a few hours of traditional dancing. Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures of the dancing which makes my mission to take pictures of the whole night feel unfulfilled.<br />
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While driving home after the puja around 9:00pm, it struck me how familiar this all feels. Not to say that it feels <i>normal, </i>because believe me I don't feel normal drinking out of human skulls or watching cow skin dry, but it feels familiar. And part of that is due to how welcoming everyone in Bhutan is, especially the family that owns my house. In a way, it was a little Thanksgiving celebration for me as it came the day before Thanksgiving - not that anyone in my village knows what Thanksgiving is.Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-55512325725637464092015-11-26T00:55:00.002-08:002015-11-26T05:41:24.495-08:00Autumn <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Things have been changing a lot for me. The last time that I posted was just after my parents visited. That was only a month ago but I was in a very different place then. School was still in full swing and the everyday routine carried us along until the king's birthday neared. After the three-day celebration in honor of the king's 60th birthday, exam prep started and everyone became focused on the end of the school year. </div>
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Another way in which things are changing is my mindset. In the last few weeks I have purchased all of my plane and train tickets for my slow journey home in January. I don't leave Bhutan for five weeks and I don't reach home for two and a half months but planning my traveling has created an entirely different mindset for me. Now everything I do is done through the filter that I'm leaving soon and have to make the most of it. Of course in many ways this whole year has been that way, but now more so than ever. </div>
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Bhutan is always beautiful, and as the seasons have changed I've grown to appreciate all of them. But now that we are making a full circle back to winter, I think I can say that autumn is by far the most beautiful in my eyes. The rice turns a golden brown and the rivers go back to being clear bright blue. Watching the rice as it was planted, transplanted, grown, harvested, and finally sucked has been fascinating. </div>
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Rice fields in the village above my school. </div>
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Sunday picnics by the river with Sebastian and Holly. </div>
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The paddies are cut down, laid to dry, shaken to separate the rice, and then the stalks are put in haystacks. </div>
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This view from a small monastery in the forest is called Jiligong - or Cat Place. </div>
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All 500some people in my school made their way down to the village Lhakang where the Thromdre was hanging during the first day of birthday celebrations in honor of the king. </div>
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The Thromdre - a hand-sewed silk tapestry only displayed on special occasions. </div>
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In other news, here is a tidbit about school and academics for anyone interested in the school system of Bhutan, especially any potential BCF teachers. These are things that I did not know to expect when coming to Bhutan and it might help mentally prepare anyone thinking of teaching here. </div>
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Everyone at every grade level takes district-written exams in Punakha. The exams, which teachers do not see before the students take them, range between one and a half to three hours long. The idea behind the district mandated exams is that it makes grades fair and equal across the district. But the curriculum standards for the students, in my opinion, are way too high and not having access to the test worries me. </div>
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Coping for classwork and homework is a common practice here and is not yet regarded the same way that it is in the U.S. I can see that a year of relying on others for answers has left many students feeling very alone on their exams. During this year I tried to crack down on the coping habits in my class which resulted in some students not doing the work at all - one of the many ways that trying to implement "western" school standards felt like fighting an uphill battle. </div>
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I've reflected a lot recently on academics because the time in nearing when I will have to submit my first set of grades for an academic year. And, likewise, will have to fail students for the first time. Students need to achieve 40 marks out of 100 for the year in order to pass. This is strikingly less than the 60% required in the U.S. but even so, a number of my class 4 students will have to repeat.</div>
<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-15777582095904884652015-10-18T06:59:00.001-07:002015-10-18T07:14:38.832-07:00Parents <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you hear that Mom and Dad visited me in Bhutan?? If
you’re fortunate enough to live in the greater Richland/Kalamazoo area you must
have heard, and more likely than not, you’ve already been shown pictures. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But for anyone who may have fallen through the cracks of my
father’s reach, here is a little update from their trip. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I never thought that I would admit this, but my having my parents see and experience my life and my job felt really
important. In a strange way, it almost validated what I am doing as real. Having
them come to Bhutan, see my village, meet my students, eat lunch with my
school’s staff, and hike the mountains that I live in made everything feel
different. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I consider myself pretty independent so I’ve been trying to figure out why their validation of my life was suddenly so important. I've done things in the past knowing that they disapprove but I'm never deterred for it. But I've realized that it's not their approval that I wanted (I already had that), just their understanding of what it is I'm doing and what I'm going through. <o:p></o:p></div>
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My entire life my parents have been pushing me in certain
directions, acknowledging when I succeed or fail, encouraging me, and supporting me even if they don't fully agree with my decisions. Since moving to Bhutan last January, there has been a
disconnect in their acknowledgement and validation. Of course they are my
biggest fans and have supported me in every way possible during the past ten
months. But they were only able to do this from afar. They listened to my
stories and saw my pictures, but there is an aspect of Bhutan that is only
recognizable in person. Stories are only select details and pictures never do
life justice. So having Mom and Dad come, see my life, and actually play their
role as my mom and dad who observe my life and support both the good and the bad was unexpectedly important for me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Their trip was a perfect mix of relaxing days in nice hotels
and also getting them a little out of their comfort zone by “roughing it” in my
house or the tents on the trek. We did both touristy things like visiting the
Punakha Dzong and the famous Tiger’s Nest in Paro, along with non-touristy
things like visiting my classroom and going for walks in villages that are
definitely off the beaten tourist track. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course we also went on the Druk Path Trek. We started in
the Paro Valley around 2,400 meters and our highest peak was around 4,200
meters, or 13,800 feet. Trekking the Himalayas was a new experience for all of
us and also helped to remind me how fortunate I am to have two parents who are
healthy and fit enough to do it. Following are a bunch of pictures from our
trek because Bhutan is just too beautiful not to show off: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGQKyg59qUiH_tCkvdyW-uSnrdx67biobSlzsTZ43wtYiHL9_FGsq7eEIya6cTQ4TW5oVheNy2fzjqN_g5GZzgnyqcqreePTkOZWhvrJlfQoMS-3_aA4B7YDWWwgahZtbloU3TBHBwkI/s1600/IMG_1001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXGQKyg59qUiH_tCkvdyW-uSnrdx67biobSlzsTZ43wtYiHL9_FGsq7eEIya6cTQ4TW5oVheNy2fzjqN_g5GZzgnyqcqreePTkOZWhvrJlfQoMS-3_aA4B7YDWWwgahZtbloU3TBHBwkI/s400/IMG_1001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZulJz1JSkDVEiBQqx1_9TNPC62Is7s3P0OqPFtq6rMm85Ix_7FnIBZu1UwLQfc9zd8pPZ1eIyTdkdVA_WDQoK3YLsPiMDuj8qBum1tKjde_wIPLiuJB2xpG7VLfV_19wtKam4BrR3QA/s1600/IMG_1039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZulJz1JSkDVEiBQqx1_9TNPC62Is7s3P0OqPFtq6rMm85Ix_7FnIBZu1UwLQfc9zd8pPZ1eIyTdkdVA_WDQoK3YLsPiMDuj8qBum1tKjde_wIPLiuJB2xpG7VLfV_19wtKam4BrR3QA/s200/IMG_1039.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBE92SL5dw9r9pBLPgvoyp7ThdHYlfuU9GiljbvweaZtSVGdix3PWiXmk1fGtDaBRGLYpe-Odc6BndSpr-6xJOLaAnh3W7y0gb-3JQVMD-5ghAoo_vai_TBk0hM170XSW5EcFOJsf3aF8/s1600/IMG_1057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBE92SL5dw9r9pBLPgvoyp7ThdHYlfuU9GiljbvweaZtSVGdix3PWiXmk1fGtDaBRGLYpe-Odc6BndSpr-6xJOLaAnh3W7y0gb-3JQVMD-5ghAoo_vai_TBk0hM170XSW5EcFOJsf3aF8/s200/IMG_1057.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5DKH8MwxTkxX6U_iyQXVkqzKmA51SEDTk-F6vm7Xz94oW1YV99iFikvtguInhFBtHj3kZxD7FHMtcTv3NyKE8KouoY2GfI24DIuIDDRb5S4LggzD_1VVondaPv-zZapZYkxQUbn3hh8/s1600/IMG_0999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5DKH8MwxTkxX6U_iyQXVkqzKmA51SEDTk-F6vm7Xz94oW1YV99iFikvtguInhFBtHj3kZxD7FHMtcTv3NyKE8KouoY2GfI24DIuIDDRb5S4LggzD_1VVondaPv-zZapZYkxQUbn3hh8/s400/IMG_0999.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl9JR0AAzl3h0wiv2m6VUiYqCnmBceob0hMjrWNA3huCqnsVDxy0CmmBtYQD4RTzzS6dKfwvIZLxmRpmHDrLgWmb3Q9MAnrp2-Y3ObY5wo4V3kojySMzDUzUS4o4MTJ6wWNCqJIpwc6g/s1600/IMG_1072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl9JR0AAzl3h0wiv2m6VUiYqCnmBceob0hMjrWNA3huCqnsVDxy0CmmBtYQD4RTzzS6dKfwvIZLxmRpmHDrLgWmb3Q9MAnrp2-Y3ObY5wo4V3kojySMzDUzUS4o4MTJ6wWNCqJIpwc6g/s200/IMG_1072.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ6yffT9TqA6l57wJjEgn9NGS7vxqr-LfiRKaj0aRtTNaLPlqPZ1C0M1m336QTVQagaV_dQSM3ksJMi7qwzZ2fDd5HMFOX3VjRLsRaPXF7bhHTlDogQAo7mkhFTR2kHjejrNPlO_11Wc/s1600/IMG_1014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ6yffT9TqA6l57wJjEgn9NGS7vxqr-LfiRKaj0aRtTNaLPlqPZ1C0M1m336QTVQagaV_dQSM3ksJMi7qwzZ2fDd5HMFOX3VjRLsRaPXF7bhHTlDogQAo7mkhFTR2kHjejrNPlO_11Wc/s200/IMG_1014.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBEHPRMLdf9TkQYBbISoCdYvggrOpgUty4G4sGwgh1uWYv0nVj74u54Diw3qc2P7_Y5hpH2X-AGig8f_luEXMxtqHJC0moYoXn_T2PEY1eDjie990APcNpExbXAYUenJn0_tWjy9wP1A/s1600/IMG_1212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBEHPRMLdf9TkQYBbISoCdYvggrOpgUty4G4sGwgh1uWYv0nVj74u54Diw3qc2P7_Y5hpH2X-AGig8f_luEXMxtqHJC0moYoXn_T2PEY1eDjie990APcNpExbXAYUenJn0_tWjy9wP1A/s200/IMG_1212.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5O12K7aavpjtryP9212CY5HMeuOOFHGUvq0-hD_yhFBeqUCBZ4UfLdYnoixfqH2QsSlvc5W3JjsTF4FD7EZD48mDtm9jBmHohVaMB8xgCeRoWHpH6NY25LR0_iAgiWvdhpBnSyxYAzw8/s1600/IMG_1303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5O12K7aavpjtryP9212CY5HMeuOOFHGUvq0-hD_yhFBeqUCBZ4UfLdYnoixfqH2QsSlvc5W3JjsTF4FD7EZD48mDtm9jBmHohVaMB8xgCeRoWHpH6NY25LR0_iAgiWvdhpBnSyxYAzw8/s200/IMG_1303.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGIk6H9oRQaTFVfawfoDK1KxdGnDVpFDijhb4VDC_-5kvdZ3NYTysWLCdDIyJFb0aCtdImYrr7FmEXkefQ0eJO9Z0K9o8jKDsuM7peys2qvE7pFIIEO09kTMsifHhfMYHzGtceMNTQNk/s1600/IMG_1173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGIk6H9oRQaTFVfawfoDK1KxdGnDVpFDijhb4VDC_-5kvdZ3NYTysWLCdDIyJFb0aCtdImYrr7FmEXkefQ0eJO9Z0K9o8jKDsuM7peys2qvE7pFIIEO09kTMsifHhfMYHzGtceMNTQNk/s640/IMG_1173.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
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My camera is an interesting mix of Bhutan through my lens and my parents. I found dozens of blurry pictures of the side of the road that Mom took as we traveled around Bhutan. She obviously felt the same way about the roads that I did when I first arrived. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm2JucvI4u-OS27-YQjaj0Q0ppdg4N6Lfi0QqL5ha02PU66444N1T93XqBy04Olgl9c-rHL-4IlVzljfp7MtEfmzaNc_oP_xo3T8lOzIGs3z7vubNzyPR8Fea10BUp7es39Q6OtDepZg/s1600/IMG_0852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCm2JucvI4u-OS27-YQjaj0Q0ppdg4N6Lfi0QqL5ha02PU66444N1T93XqBy04Olgl9c-rHL-4IlVzljfp7MtEfmzaNc_oP_xo3T8lOzIGs3z7vubNzyPR8Fea10BUp7es39Q6OtDepZg/s400/IMG_0852.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Their visit also encouraged me to take pictures of things that I've become accustomed to but still have no pictures of like chilies drying on rooftops or trees growing out of abandoned and disintegrating houses.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJUMkztEWZC3RXdAkIYM-NT5n6TX_ZoFcoFYyVk9nLLOua2CBUa5V3fFspECwKo-hi46VrnHGvqwWbT3jmkFLfEQKF7OZ3mj1NxUVJz4SZ0QX7CJM8AjjCgZ4889y3WbWWpSXv5PzB3c/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJUMkztEWZC3RXdAkIYM-NT5n6TX_ZoFcoFYyVk9nLLOua2CBUa5V3fFspECwKo-hi46VrnHGvqwWbT3jmkFLfEQKF7OZ3mj1NxUVJz4SZ0QX7CJM8AjjCgZ4889y3WbWWpSXv5PzB3c/s400/IMG_1341.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
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One thing that I’ve believed for a while but that has been solidified by my time in Bhutan is the idea that all spiritual beings on Earth recognize the same God but are polarized by language translations and rituals. Being able to share these thoughts with Mom and discuss the incredible similarities between our Christian faith and the Buddhism of Bhutan was another highlight for me. Growing up in a conservative Catholic church I sometimes worry that I’m on the wrong side of the spectrum of our faith. I think I had some religion teachers who focused more on the fear of God than the loving side of him. So being able to agree on some of these ideas with Mom, the person most responsible for my faith, I have to admit was reassuring.</div>
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Now that Mom and Dad are gone, I’m left with only three
weeks to finish my syllabus, final exams, and the end of the year. The rice is
being harvested, the chilies dried, and everyone is starting to wear more
layers as the weather turns cold again. I’m worried about all of this finishing
up too quickly and not recognizing the time as it goes by. A few weeks ago I
made the final decision not to return for a second year. I can only pray that I
am fortunate enough later in life to return to Bhutan to visit again.</div>
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Lastly – a paragraph I felt compelled to write when I finally looked
up from my computer screen after writing this blog: <o:p></o:p></div>
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As I sit on my balcony in my pajamas with a cup of tea and
my laptop, I am once again comforted by the smells, the sounds, and the
landscape. The sky is blue and the sun has warmed the air. I have been out here
two hours and the sun has moved so that it is close to setting over the
mountains on my left. The shadows have moved across the fields, the forests,
and the hills and continue to change the valley. I can actually smell the
chilies and cheese cooking. It is an appetizing smell and I’m disappointed in
myself for being too lazy to do anything other than oatmeal for dinner. The
grandpa from my house is sitting in his Gho with the cow and it’s newborn calf.
More of the rice has been harvested from this morning. Somewhere a fire is crackling, dogs are whining, cows mooing, and the birds are singing. I can hear small students from school
playing and rambling in Dzongkha that I don’t understand. Amidst all of this
noise it remains the most calm and still place I have ever called home. If
I was never reminded of the all the family and friends I have waiting for me
back home I might stay here forever. <o:p></o:p></div>
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*fun fact: I almost published this blog with calm being
spelled as clam which is funny because this place is nothing like a clam. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span> <o:p></o:p><br />
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**fun fact #2: This one isn't so 'fun'. When I reread that paragraph I'm reminded that it's impossible for me to understand what someone who has never been to Bhutan imagines when they read my posts or see my pictures. That is one of the most frustrating aspects about living so far from home. But it's also what makes life interesting. If that wasn't the case, the desire to travel and experience other places and cultures in person would be diminished. I read a T.S. Eliot quote this week that really spoke to me: "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." Traveling to faraway lands for me isn't about running away from home or the things I don't like, but about exploring and experiencing something so totally different from what I know that I'm able to return home and see things through a new lens. One of my goals in life is to acquire many of these lens's to see things as clearly as possible. </div>
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Furthermore - these long ramblings at the end here are a result of staying in my flat all day and trying to write my final exam. Normally these thoughts go in my journal but today I happen to be blogging and just add and add and add.<br />
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<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-49671006136638702702015-09-27T06:01:00.001-07:002015-09-27T06:18:28.993-07:00Variety Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I <i>loved</i> my school's variety show. It was held Friday and Saturday night and was a compilation of dances performed by students in all grades kindergarten to class 10. The show included traditional Bhutanese dancing and singing, contemporary Dzongkha songs, English songs, Hindi songs, and even southern Bhutanese (aka Nepali). </div>
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My class did a contemporary Dzongkha song which we started practicing for about two weeks in advance. Our after school rehearsals were not always very productive but the kids had a lot of fun with it. My boys especially had a <b>lot</b> of passion but not a lot of rhythm.<br />
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Before the show I did some of the girls's makeup. I had a real "proud momma" moment seeing them in their fancy Kiras with their hair and makeup done.<br />
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Group pictures before the show:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLfhTER3hzMwgeVgGUMLdUgfgqIDoK_DfoepPzEnBJVBw_FTXbgYf_50p8Xazfyqq8iGTwzRSQwuXgsirAn564bA5IYcsET0V4Bd72tgpzIbOLRNG_7-8OX0rz8VuMMlXduRBXnn-TNI/s1600/IMG_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLfhTER3hzMwgeVgGUMLdUgfgqIDoK_DfoepPzEnBJVBw_FTXbgYf_50p8Xazfyqq8iGTwzRSQwuXgsirAn564bA5IYcsET0V4Bd72tgpzIbOLRNG_7-8OX0rz8VuMMlXduRBXnn-TNI/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span id="goog_550942809"></span>It took all day but I managed to upload some short videos of some of the dances from the show. I think these show the great <i>variety</i> in the variety show.<br />
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To start with a video of my class 4B:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jQZWymqTcvY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jQZWymqTcvY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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This is a Southern Bhutanese dance. Southern Bhutanese originate from Nepal and thus have a Nepali influenced culture:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/s_vi/E6O4S7ByrjY/default.jpg?sqp=CMS7n7AF&rs=AOn4CLAWtk25mw_0G5WYxO4RTPnDT3DAGw" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E6O4S7ByrjY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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Traditional Bhutanese dance: </div>
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And of course everyones favorite, hip hop dances:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gpKZOglr2Nw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gpKZOglr2Nw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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A lot of the students in my school have real motivation problems when it comes to academics but they love dancing. It was really special seeing everyone in our Multipurpose Hall happy, excited, and passionate about what they were doing. Now to find a way to transfer that to the classroom. </div>
<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-52143646303124989892015-09-05T06:30:00.000-07:002015-09-05T06:37:18.814-07:00August<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It was really great having Nick here. It illuminated
some of the ways I’ve changed, but it also helped me to see Bhutan through new
eyes again. Of course he was seeing everything for the first time and that reminded me how special this place is. But it also left me feeling quite
homesick when he left. His presence here was a reminder of the community of
people who love me from back home and it reminded me how much I miss those
people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The most special part for me was having him come to my classes. My students were SO excited. He gave them mini tubes of toothpaste and they told him they would "eat it like chocolate." To which Nick became very concerned because apparently that can actually be really dangerous. My kids were amazed at how "long" Nick is and asked why he has long hair because "long hair doesn't suit boys." Needless to say, almost everything about Nick was completely new for them and they loved it. They are still showing off their notebooks where they got his signature. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Luckily, this week after Nick left was the literary festival at school. As
the primary coordinator, I wasn’t left very much time to mope around and feel
homesick. Basically the literary festival is a week long program where normal
classes are shortened and everyday is ended with a literary program ranging
from reading sight words for younger students to debates and dramatizations for
older students. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My class four students were signed up for story telling.
They all wrote their own stories and we practiced the art of story telling for
about two weeks before the festival. Our main goal was for them to put feeling
in their voice. A couple students picked that up fairly quickly. But for many,
it was a first attempt and they didn’t quite understand where to put the
inflection. For example most went something like this, “Pema and Dorji WENT to <i>punakhaaaaa </i>forthefootballmatch and they
won. THEY felt happy and told their parentssssss.” But it didn’t matter, I was
very proud of them all the same. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a different note, this week I decided to
write down strange thoughts as I had them throughout the week. Going
back and reading them all together makes everything sounds bad and sad and
dirty. But it’s not! In the moment things don't seem so dirty:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I wonder how long I can let this mold grow
before it becomes a problem?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Is living in a room with a moldy ceiling
dangerous for my health?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I miss my friends.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I wonder how much of what I say goes completely
over my students’ heads?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I thought the rains ended in September?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I’ll leave this cobweb because it makes a good
fly catcher.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How many more days can I go without a shower?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I should wake up early for a run.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Why do I keep setting my alarm to wake up early
when I know I will wake up to rain?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">How long was that leech on my foot?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I feel really guilty about throwing this leech
over my balcony. Hopefully it survives and lives out its life down in the
garden.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I am so tired.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">So much inflection in so many wrong places.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I wonder what is in my water that gives me a
rash?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This ema datsi is going to give me diarrhea.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">This samosa is going to give me diarrhea.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Could this rice possibly give me diarrhea?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">These mushrooms are definitely going to give me
diarrhea.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I wonder how unhealthy my body is right now from
so much diarrhea.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Why is this the third time in one week that I’ve
come home to a flooded room?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I am the hairiest person in Bhutan.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I wish Nick was still here.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Too much water on the floor, not enough water in
the taps.</span></li>
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I sound like a dirty person. But I’m not. Not<i> really</i> anyway. Most of this doesn’t get
me down at all anymore. During Nick’s visit it became clear that either dental
school has turned him into a bit of a germaphobe or I’m actually just really
unhygienic. I’d guess it’s a little bit
of both. Regardless, I take it as it
comes and most of it doesn’t bug me. I had a leech come out of my tap a couple
weeks ago and I actually started laughing. A few months ago I probably wouldn’t
have turned my tap back on for at least a week out of fear. But things are
different now, in a good way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Another thought I just had: I probably shouldn’t say
diarrhea five (now six) different times in this post. But here we are. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
(pics of Nick's visit below \/ \/ )</div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-6841202820714822262015-08-30T09:43:00.000-07:002015-08-30T09:43:09.832-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nick visited this week! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It started with a day at school,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP1BZKD7ZHqC-7LRYoXZFhEFVStJYsgwsHejAejnQhV1htYieUbR5ciVXz0Lhtk5mo3B7n1nMMU7XL2PHN5I_2fhtDZ0VVI6XwBMA1iFFPDTJyjLS_3QAKW5w4UC-b8JA9hNhdrzdZ_Q/s1600/IMG_9859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgP1BZKD7ZHqC-7LRYoXZFhEFVStJYsgwsHejAejnQhV1htYieUbR5ciVXz0Lhtk5mo3B7n1nMMU7XL2PHN5I_2fhtDZ0VVI6XwBMA1iFFPDTJyjLS_3QAKW5w4UC-b8JA9hNhdrzdZ_Q/s400/IMG_9859.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
where Nick entertained his adoring fans. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu9s-5spslMrNSNZ_aQJlF6S0U_UszZmjmmhPf6XN1nKm5gnlHagfqzzbNN52Wzl86HR8Pv82_vU3IzfGSILkdvIjCrMmPOhD-fsmkTEeJ0aWRK3m18lf9DWRDUSA0cmsqgf8dpcwT2U/s1600/IMG_9930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu9s-5spslMrNSNZ_aQJlF6S0U_UszZmjmmhPf6XN1nKm5gnlHagfqzzbNN52Wzl86HR8Pv82_vU3IzfGSILkdvIjCrMmPOhD-fsmkTEeJ0aWRK3m18lf9DWRDUSA0cmsqgf8dpcwT2U/s200/IMG_9930.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJV4api7cm0G9Mo5CTAdgbBLHu9EXP6az0PK_Ojk7VIS08PlwFAUKCZYcYD6W4gNcyGHSQmK1-SfiaffL0AzFmFj5KNP-jOq3GDtTwbzksd4LOtJHwPrZ4zR8QtOO7hJwgu9beHHzX3ok/s1600/IMG_9896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJV4api7cm0G9Mo5CTAdgbBLHu9EXP6az0PK_Ojk7VIS08PlwFAUKCZYcYD6W4gNcyGHSQmK1-SfiaffL0AzFmFj5KNP-jOq3GDtTwbzksd4LOtJHwPrZ4zR8QtOO7hJwgu9beHHzX3ok/s200/IMG_9896.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Autographs were signed, </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7_zaNauxJyxMO8NX4839fK_Tn-ONaFPWBp9W1taTCGW2CpOo10gmS_QUmgoPB77nXR93G8wqs7PfMgTkUG1eFUI24eaNhGy3fUeTREtCXA7WWMK5YR19gkaeDXvi9VgOZO33ThhHC3w/s1600/IMG_9920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv7_zaNauxJyxMO8NX4839fK_Tn-ONaFPWBp9W1taTCGW2CpOo10gmS_QUmgoPB77nXR93G8wqs7PfMgTkUG1eFUI24eaNhGy3fUeTREtCXA7WWMK5YR19gkaeDXvi9VgOZO33ThhHC3w/s320/IMG_9920.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_G_GAcKV-JC4BV7uT0iO_l9y8_niEpVCvQZ7j8HSjh1N-PBPxjAqwhlrijYOhOOr7hvf6pjvIs_F5OqwKv9i8Q7nw-aRlnoTlIhhAk1A9SR2ecyNRVm7_APgxfzgDMWGLDwGbsWJwpsQ/s1600/IMG_9913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_G_GAcKV-JC4BV7uT0iO_l9y8_niEpVCvQZ7j8HSjh1N-PBPxjAqwhlrijYOhOOr7hvf6pjvIs_F5OqwKv9i8Q7nw-aRlnoTlIhhAk1A9SR2ecyNRVm7_APgxfzgDMWGLDwGbsWJwpsQ/s320/IMG_9913.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
and toothpaste was a coveted gift. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj7WgoUjxSbt2dEE8zT6pqzvJBd0-Z838nkcGjNVzkMjcJRt3NOKhPO2343GjnO2CcKdEXZLLCdhrisscvBIdhYNY0gbmQ8VD5eASo-rlh2tSsWhJH0PfKzlFGxWgrIgGHNYrhlC0oqE/s1600/IMG_9912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj7WgoUjxSbt2dEE8zT6pqzvJBd0-Z838nkcGjNVzkMjcJRt3NOKhPO2343GjnO2CcKdEXZLLCdhrisscvBIdhYNY0gbmQ8VD5eASo-rlh2tSsWhJH0PfKzlFGxWgrIgGHNYrhlC0oqE/s200/IMG_9912.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OR6_panwUNjPdS8KXr-e1zOm-1lGgSGlIOYntyYnV7X8lFmfprq4j1_HNWdVbnQ4bUDmSkLmiyMcLAkMrvK7ehahzn934tP55MlGObsUwrnRHpglmaO_acp_fng1s_x4bvbrAILDZ80/s1600/IMG_9885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OR6_panwUNjPdS8KXr-e1zOm-1lGgSGlIOYntyYnV7X8lFmfprq4j1_HNWdVbnQ4bUDmSkLmiyMcLAkMrvK7ehahzn934tP55MlGObsUwrnRHpglmaO_acp_fng1s_x4bvbrAILDZ80/s200/IMG_9885.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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On Tuesday, after punching the clock and watching students take a test, </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGAclAY-979M_Gk8nje6H-Z5q3C_dakkvI-HdfNPRNEzJrjdWtGL-jy5TJlq3X-ojxcp2PH12Ay77JihfHiPwCzecQzobadmyx9NkVuFstg6W_w4u7y4oJb_qn8pu0HJ-tuuMnT4bDF0/s1600/IMG_9948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGAclAY-979M_Gk8nje6H-Z5q3C_dakkvI-HdfNPRNEzJrjdWtGL-jy5TJlq3X-ojxcp2PH12Ay77JihfHiPwCzecQzobadmyx9NkVuFstg6W_w4u7y4oJb_qn8pu0HJ-tuuMnT4bDF0/s320/IMG_9948.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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we traveled into the valley to visit the Dzong and explore. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWajuCrp6KehMZ4abZoi30BG7URZCC-3i3OQift-SCcc98MsvMr1M02iGivVwqjZ_mRh1QfNYwIWP4FRSzGMT1EZhas3T4LTsus5RYXXLFetcE8zF0DSnXRF-NEZ1rlX-NKQ6jI4eJzwk/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWajuCrp6KehMZ4abZoi30BG7URZCC-3i3OQift-SCcc98MsvMr1M02iGivVwqjZ_mRh1QfNYwIWP4FRSzGMT1EZhas3T4LTsus5RYXXLFetcE8zF0DSnXRF-NEZ1rlX-NKQ6jI4eJzwk/s200/IMG_0021.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF77rbO7AS6fG9P4XFw50iQXVzSYlExeyW30i0_9jsBg613QwlPJEaU4bkS3_5amSfoHkh7mYqft9zaQwNVd6m3AY_nxi8JXVR6nxgSa_Ni8eeciz9LssY_IOImXYAnpP7bHJcaJaHOek/s1600/IMG_9996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF77rbO7AS6fG9P4XFw50iQXVzSYlExeyW30i0_9jsBg613QwlPJEaU4bkS3_5amSfoHkh7mYqft9zaQwNVd6m3AY_nxi8JXVR6nxgSa_Ni8eeciz9LssY_IOImXYAnpP7bHJcaJaHOek/s200/IMG_9996.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0SoljsS4LY-wj5-5X_FCu8251osIgNfBd6WgzvQ6Sk9Q3Z3VC2tB-7Vso2A0dj-eAJyFJR8T0dNfri5FfdPqhJJztB2mIR83zPZF7q0FKfM9MMXhOwPvU6ZDhYi33DmTfJyPe-QL2pw/s1600/IMG_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0SoljsS4LY-wj5-5X_FCu8251osIgNfBd6WgzvQ6Sk9Q3Z3VC2tB-7Vso2A0dj-eAJyFJR8T0dNfri5FfdPqhJJztB2mIR83zPZF7q0FKfM9MMXhOwPvU6ZDhYi33DmTfJyPe-QL2pw/s400/IMG_0020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuDVfrdYOBWXyp9DzY-d6vds56T_zg-tILWOtHgkNYS1UPCpba30gg8vE_zI6lUu4e7WrRE9F9wR8qjD_-I_pZPQeOUCktCGE2tWyWeiMVhvEiwY34TKmGxUkgJYn6BrACSHfWXEdcpM/s1600/IMG_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDuDVfrdYOBWXyp9DzY-d6vds56T_zg-tILWOtHgkNYS1UPCpba30gg8vE_zI6lUu4e7WrRE9F9wR8qjD_-I_pZPQeOUCktCGE2tWyWeiMVhvEiwY34TKmGxUkgJYn6BrACSHfWXEdcpM/s400/IMG_0031.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
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Nick posed for a Maybelline comercial </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSUPq2HHeajmyiTkOKyRn6o2dv9KnZCwCucm7STyZaykxmHKuRscg8o6-olmkEoqCTxLyxDIC0ywrQSBTb1OFdq1VdMQdlAVVbQKD_d2y3_1eXFx7AIwqlS2Njkcj4x7TVX8EPdNKo1g/s1600/IMG_0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSUPq2HHeajmyiTkOKyRn6o2dv9KnZCwCucm7STyZaykxmHKuRscg8o6-olmkEoqCTxLyxDIC0ywrQSBTb1OFdq1VdMQdlAVVbQKD_d2y3_1eXFx7AIwqlS2Njkcj4x7TVX8EPdNKo1g/s400/IMG_0052.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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while I posed for a sunglasses commercial. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMJ0WiR3ZJMevDE_KS0U4P6_g0o00wuQKONnn9uo-XnSYk8KYi8s_aRZ8XBed6CX4fzzOWLkTs1vsbQqjUqMkOwFWPGhKRnG1UoQ6RqYEiXGVI8IehE7Mz1Q-SFhh_-S0WDysjFLRXrI/s1600/IMG_0081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMJ0WiR3ZJMevDE_KS0U4P6_g0o00wuQKONnn9uo-XnSYk8KYi8s_aRZ8XBed6CX4fzzOWLkTs1vsbQqjUqMkOwFWPGhKRnG1UoQ6RqYEiXGVI8IehE7Mz1Q-SFhh_-S0WDysjFLRXrI/s400/IMG_0081.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Of course we had to go see the world's largest statue of Buddha, </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVlrN1DXLBJoKipM_SgUMSE4quVbX3MAsJwgtYCwMrSoZoCnl2P4EVr_vdPPYVcTvqKwqLTXqgu9hrTafh4fMi-PoeC3bO3OnPM27BvD-lat_ainRwGTHp_UgePFXVJ-ifcoLR6WIH0o/s1600/IMG_0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVlrN1DXLBJoKipM_SgUMSE4quVbX3MAsJwgtYCwMrSoZoCnl2P4EVr_vdPPYVcTvqKwqLTXqgu9hrTafh4fMi-PoeC3bO3OnPM27BvD-lat_ainRwGTHp_UgePFXVJ-ifcoLR6WIH0o/s640/IMG_0119.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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and take one of our only pictures together in front of it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbPWskcSpSVZ1mONvmymRYFRjuKxxPfqkb1JGZXAMq4Er4mgsht3ATjxjgrPqyHODca3ubowZHNh9okhx3aHrF-jX8OtlJKBVQjjmsA9H4moiRBIf6M236aAPeGq7p47tkE33Zm5B41M/s1600/IMG_0121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxbPWskcSpSVZ1mONvmymRYFRjuKxxPfqkb1JGZXAMq4Er4mgsht3ATjxjgrPqyHODca3ubowZHNh9okhx3aHrF-jX8OtlJKBVQjjmsA9H4moiRBIf6M236aAPeGq7p47tkE33Zm5B41M/s400/IMG_0121.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Sometime later we ventured on a trek to Bumdra monastery and saw Paro Taktsang on the way. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtT5-VKvpNHMaTGOCTQlOqfpnqGfXT28NdmB4tH0coacMmHLDUUEU3mxGe8uQSjd0-pvzlkXDE6a0cAdJ5fMXTbd5WqOCVT6c5Vwp2DPWqbo3Kk7XHMTtKp6rcXHiZBUJoqcQ-hXIerjc/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtT5-VKvpNHMaTGOCTQlOqfpnqGfXT28NdmB4tH0coacMmHLDUUEU3mxGe8uQSjd0-pvzlkXDE6a0cAdJ5fMXTbd5WqOCVT6c5Vwp2DPWqbo3Kk7XHMTtKp6rcXHiZBUJoqcQ-hXIerjc/s400/IMG_0205.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Halfway up and he aint even tired. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1vkbcUNScL-8iTEEeTg_TZ-7kz2xhIYc04P3IgfiIMNluMisMIKbTkJrdtv40_vUwbNDLMr-eZi_IjNdMzf47NowI0MyhtCpbXHCpDnNcZfz8OHHIj4xmnWOm5XwmAbCZkqFkF71_rA/s1600/IMG_0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1vkbcUNScL-8iTEEeTg_TZ-7kz2xhIYc04P3IgfiIMNluMisMIKbTkJrdtv40_vUwbNDLMr-eZi_IjNdMzf47NowI0MyhtCpbXHCpDnNcZfz8OHHIj4xmnWOm5XwmAbCZkqFkF71_rA/s400/IMG_0228.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Five hours later we made it up into the rain and the clouds </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLqtbEKBtQu2qH9sunz07aCQIupPHaZJa2yBN4jMeeGYThTpi9UJGOnYL2GjT7YdoaZwDLrg_-waSDtpGWaLhK5N3Wtste6raYlZ0utWSu1HpcvWAHNKKxhMEYRLNIxlbn_omarFN1gI/s1600/IMG_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLqtbEKBtQu2qH9sunz07aCQIupPHaZJa2yBN4jMeeGYThTpi9UJGOnYL2GjT7YdoaZwDLrg_-waSDtpGWaLhK5N3Wtste6raYlZ0utWSu1HpcvWAHNKKxhMEYRLNIxlbn_omarFN1gI/s400/IMG_0264.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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to the most peaceful place,</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13t4QIuukOxWGozjpveJxTXBWNawW2ISmwrF40s40Ky2bQqf6JS1SjeT5Uklw4g8QKBaYfF7DVV1KJwesYwby3sMqYUQfOokZ1KXkdHWw-F1EFklxoYisspRO9njkTbI4yetrkdtZnrw/s1600/IMG_0285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13t4QIuukOxWGozjpveJxTXBWNawW2ISmwrF40s40Ky2bQqf6JS1SjeT5Uklw4g8QKBaYfF7DVV1KJwesYwby3sMqYUQfOokZ1KXkdHWw-F1EFklxoYisspRO9njkTbI4yetrkdtZnrw/s400/IMG_0285.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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where we set our tent up wrong. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C9TeDmGiy39plen5qcVNRX8rgS5iE2AMxXyG8vzdgIz0pSeu_iDS7hl28dGGbKUQV6CPMU1tuOz2K-SGQI_v2EsTpAfNiHpYu8XkxIY1qsurSypC6udaZ7Pnui5kf1DgPgPFzU2_ag4/s1600/IMG_0299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0C9TeDmGiy39plen5qcVNRX8rgS5iE2AMxXyG8vzdgIz0pSeu_iDS7hl28dGGbKUQV6CPMU1tuOz2K-SGQI_v2EsTpAfNiHpYu8XkxIY1qsurSypC6udaZ7Pnui5kf1DgPgPFzU2_ag4/s400/IMG_0299.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The next morning was clear, cold, and according to Nick not a good time to take pictures. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZHC5QMcI_VrjR46VOQ51gsz-UuzvP2ik2xc4SOHb7j1m0POYC-mFwlDLQc9825j7lk-qCY15QAqLLgiZEpu1W5gALUivk_cTu_waAkOS4zBncrsIuP3iYemYgA7RsMQOTxSPvq4fRm0/s1600/IMG_0338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZHC5QMcI_VrjR46VOQ51gsz-UuzvP2ik2xc4SOHb7j1m0POYC-mFwlDLQc9825j7lk-qCY15QAqLLgiZEpu1W5gALUivk_cTu_waAkOS4zBncrsIuP3iYemYgA7RsMQOTxSPvq4fRm0/s400/IMG_0338.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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But I disagreed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWpwFheHXYD7kQGMbAXZ9Tfs0Amxm4yyPCZyMPHLy7gCvlmZYqMb0Tob5iMDKt3ybelLghIN0m2P9p83eOmPQSd0NbWR6pNSdCc9BhgvLQwzcdbvNGsmDBJhlYi7PC2acRiFLIyDg7Uo/s1600/IMG_0342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWpwFheHXYD7kQGMbAXZ9Tfs0Amxm4yyPCZyMPHLy7gCvlmZYqMb0Tob5iMDKt3ybelLghIN0m2P9p83eOmPQSd0NbWR6pNSdCc9BhgvLQwzcdbvNGsmDBJhlYi7PC2acRiFLIyDg7Uo/s400/IMG_0342.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A bit later Nick had to do his annual check of the rice crop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihw2yJ7cMM_Zjo3zB0_vnTmKAy36wVLTs4yHJazxb6dzBzBEtiArOw8UJOdyTr-BFW37wkWKc66aqKmbTszQNLVqlz82ZmfcDxyGdoAGi3vNnuQ07pqNkUltgcd5nw8MtYrlT6j2AXG8Y/s1600/IMG_0376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihw2yJ7cMM_Zjo3zB0_vnTmKAy36wVLTs4yHJazxb6dzBzBEtiArOw8UJOdyTr-BFW37wkWKc66aqKmbTszQNLVqlz82ZmfcDxyGdoAGi3vNnuQ07pqNkUltgcd5nw8MtYrlT6j2AXG8Y/s200/IMG_0376.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6G7fbW3qYbhTeuvPdt3fEkhbBVKUbKY92td1SzY29rh1tiH1ZL66yR8UaD9JvxqdWuXtExkZz74WCls56CVo3-a8vkCF7GHP3WKkbAK4uCzVDWmFisD07336pVCv3cFMYXJCD_qRXcn8/s1600/IMG_0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6G7fbW3qYbhTeuvPdt3fEkhbBVKUbKY92td1SzY29rh1tiH1ZL66yR8UaD9JvxqdWuXtExkZz74WCls56CVo3-a8vkCF7GHP3WKkbAK4uCzVDWmFisD07336pVCv3cFMYXJCD_qRXcn8/s200/IMG_0380.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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and cheer on his favorite archers at the archery tournament. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgne3AKwCLxuBE5R2XjtoVCQd3UFAu3c9_lK3mlaoj5_icdu6zOZYGPt0SMdw9As9JEw-L37U8UuIqMZpYuOMR6PjOaZyCbiMlHxyAfQ4cVU6ELVI3vWSbk5o7iZS3DPusfpytlnYimvJg/s1600/IMG_0439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgne3AKwCLxuBE5R2XjtoVCQd3UFAu3c9_lK3mlaoj5_icdu6zOZYGPt0SMdw9As9JEw-L37U8UuIqMZpYuOMR6PjOaZyCbiMlHxyAfQ4cVU6ELVI3vWSbk5o7iZS3DPusfpytlnYimvJg/s320/IMG_0439.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYJTZMgV-TcQCMOv8poKl6DN8duhp9qP3JLVtamveYxfMQoHP5c5L5sffbVPSQwUOth3wvyvdIg8Kk00kXWcTJOHh-TmF-oEuGxURGYZOiLomLhZQPijN232ydeRtlu32iqANtj4ruEg/s1600/IMG_0521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYJTZMgV-TcQCMOv8poKl6DN8duhp9qP3JLVtamveYxfMQoHP5c5L5sffbVPSQwUOth3wvyvdIg8Kk00kXWcTJOHh-TmF-oEuGxURGYZOiLomLhZQPijN232ydeRtlu32iqANtj4ruEg/s320/IMG_0521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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All of that was finished before visiting the ruins of a Bhutanese fortress</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeImGRuBiTySoZ3xGiwYt0INZbybyzSurGVclY7Jp3TwWmU0nrYC8I_n16DSxs_5LTL_C3rRnXqS9B1FPqyrJSJ6FIqNGJU5gWCgMkuwJVgLIFweKmpVwib4pdDWSz26up9oArgNMxPg/s1600/IMG_0410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeImGRuBiTySoZ3xGiwYt0INZbybyzSurGVclY7Jp3TwWmU0nrYC8I_n16DSxs_5LTL_C3rRnXqS9B1FPqyrJSJ6FIqNGJU5gWCgMkuwJVgLIFweKmpVwib4pdDWSz26up9oArgNMxPg/s400/IMG_0410.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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where the walls were as thick as his arm span. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45zLxaNNBa-F8e5__g6kcR8FSOKiz4YhGTwtGmiYz5uojJfONN3zEuO3dyvNOAyzoYmMnlowGJK0PX0jz804O9fYVVaXhAsCABwZsyceaPofLmg9sBTr4o3XyWiM4qYP88CxAItq8Q-Y/s1600/IMG_0419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg45zLxaNNBa-F8e5__g6kcR8FSOKiz4YhGTwtGmiYz5uojJfONN3zEuO3dyvNOAyzoYmMnlowGJK0PX0jz804O9fYVVaXhAsCABwZsyceaPofLmg9sBTr4o3XyWiM4qYP88CxAItq8Q-Y/s400/IMG_0419.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And many bhutanese had placed their loved ones ashes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTYVEZ7gtghJc3NNhO2Pvn1QH8FDQ3B71lILYirlQvy56y3f-Cw7mEJuiQdcGjI90oxweorw8AqcXpBRCpngaZHPS6IwXrdK2WTZbGLaKueilGOX8XqXXFFnVJ1SaU5G9KL1A0EJb_Jo/s1600/IMG_0400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTYVEZ7gtghJc3NNhO2Pvn1QH8FDQ3B71lILYirlQvy56y3f-Cw7mEJuiQdcGjI90oxweorw8AqcXpBRCpngaZHPS6IwXrdK2WTZbGLaKueilGOX8XqXXFFnVJ1SaU5G9KL1A0EJb_Jo/s400/IMG_0400.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We took another picture together</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLJjTVwr6Y9Z940mtfw95N8uhfIycCSzSmhqgA2EWil3swWeGkDtkQDLZ4Thu4g-qMobEEQl0xMU_RwXocAO89gy4amFZU3jsverz-MqA7nEDGLsxHidgARmg1T_up9O5egXVzJGEB60/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLJjTVwr6Y9Z940mtfw95N8uhfIycCSzSmhqgA2EWil3swWeGkDtkQDLZ4Thu4g-qMobEEQl0xMU_RwXocAO89gy4amFZU3jsverz-MqA7nEDGLsxHidgARmg1T_up9O5egXVzJGEB60/s640/IMG_0407.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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and Nick took one alone. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMRalgLyyIaqjBkt80UQEqHThq5HFq5dk-G3H73LRVL3qSgQq4eRA8dy_771pNy_brFFLhzIDar-diS-3CMxqo5O1vsJ9h6qa1TTNcImFdjV11V8I6BUhah8L-U5BWsYPO5eVnpPHKMQ/s1600/IMG_0414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMRalgLyyIaqjBkt80UQEqHThq5HFq5dk-G3H73LRVL3qSgQq4eRA8dy_771pNy_brFFLhzIDar-diS-3CMxqo5O1vsJ9h6qa1TTNcImFdjV11V8I6BUhah8L-U5BWsYPO5eVnpPHKMQ/s400/IMG_0414.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then he left and I went home to sadness and beetles.</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/s_vi/s6rknOKmJfc/default.jpg?sqp=CODjjK8F&rs=AOn4CLCMqLPzk9bVSdioIWBerkNjOcFQ_A" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s6rknOKmJfc?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-7139941568121648202015-08-13T07:31:00.000-07:002015-08-13T07:32:07.881-07:00Ama<div class="MsoNormal">
At home I like to imagine myself as a pretty emotionally
stable person. That’s not to say I don’t get upset, angry, sad, frustrated,
ecstatic, etc. But I generally know where the emotions come from; I can
rationalize them, and handle them accordingly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bhutan has been a different story. I don’t know what it is
about life here, but emotions have a way of sneaking up on me and totally
consuming me for that hour, day, or even week. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, I was bouncing along last week, completely
content and at peace with life when my mood cracked. Not in the middle of
teaching a rowdy class or some other stressful situation like you’d imagine. I
was simply sitting in the staff room, listening to music on my headphones, and grading
some essays when apparently I decided I was over it all. I didn’t want to grade
any more notebooks, prepare any more lessons, and I sure as heck didn’t want to
walk back into the classroom and attempt to tame the wild beasts. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Of course I survived that momentary collapse of my
mentality, and I’ve survived many others. But I still don’t understand what triggers them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But today was a little different. Today I miss my mom. I
know exactly where it came from and it actually feels good to be able to
pinpoint that. I never know if talking to people back home makes me feel better
or worse afterwards. It’s like my brain adjusts to being in a long distance
relationship with EVERONE I love back home, but then the internet allows me to talk
to them and it reminds me exactly how wonderful they are and how much I’m
missing by not being with them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And my mom is a special person to begin with. Who do I miss
when I’m sick and have to take care of myself? My mom. Who have I seriously
learned to appreciate for being a human dedicated to cooking and feeding me? My
mom. Who do I now realize must have spent way too much energy cleaning up after
me because I cant even clean up after myself when I live alone? My mom. Who do
I think of when I go hiking because she has “always had a dream of climbing a
mountain”? My mom. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She has given more to me than any other human being (with
the exception of my dad? Not sure you can put them into a hierarchy.) I
DEFINITLY wouldn’t be here in Bhutan right now if I had had someone else for a
mother. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know everyone (or most very very fortunate people) like to
claim that they have the “best mom in the world”. I hope that is true for
everyone. I also know that I am feeling “Bhutan emotional” - but I especially know
that I can undoubtedly say that mine is the best mom in the world <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for me.</i> The person that I am has needed,
and continues to need, the person that she is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-------<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This post has had almost nothing to do with Bhutan but
what’s the point of having a blog if I can’t take the liberty to write about
whatever the hell I want to write about. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
More on Bhutan next time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peace ~ Love ~ And GoHugYourMom</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
- compliments of a class IV student - </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-75550921558756268452015-07-23T06:23:00.000-07:002015-07-23T06:23:51.476-07:00Summer Break <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Note: this is one of those posts that makes me reflect on my life and wonder how on Earth I ended up here and question why life is the way it is. If anyone has the answer to that question I'd welcome your opinion. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yalama!! I’m already starting to fall back into the swing of
school and I haven’t blogged about my summer break. That’s probably for a few
reasons: I felt totally exhausted the first few days home; I never know how to
talk about my experiences here; I’m lazy; and I’ve been spending too much time
reading about things like artificial intelligence, global warming, and electric
cars (I’ve never experienced a more tremendous paradox than reading about these
things in a country that is still mostly without internet). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Also, less so now, but at the beginning I really didn’t like
writing this blog. I felt weird about writing and publishing into the abyss
that is the internet, and I was (still am) just embarrassed to have other
people read my writing, even if this is only an informal blog. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I still feel most of that, but I also have learned to
appreciate it. In a world of limited internet access and the total
impracticality of phone calls home, this blog has allowed me to document small
bits of my experience and attempt to share it with everyone I love. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So I’ve learned to welcome this blog as an opportunity to
grasp onto a connection, or an attempt at a connection, with important people
in my life whom I would not otherwise interact with (even if it is one-sided
and virtual). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Yet I’m still so bad about posting regularly. But what to
do? <o:p></o:p></div>
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So summer break… <o:p></o:p></div>
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[Backstory: summer break is pretty much the equivalent of winter break in the USA. It's a two week holiday right after mid-term exams before the second term starts. I used my break to travel east with all of the other BCF teachers.]</div>
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Writing a play-by-play of everything I did would be really
boring. Like always, I’ll let pictures do most of my talking. But a quick
summery would include: </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Traveling two days in a bus to the east side of
Bhutan, to a Dzongkhag (district) called Trashigang.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Traveling halfway back and stopping to spend
time in central Bhutan in the Dzongkhag of Bumthang (sadly it’s actually
pronounced Boom-tong).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Reconnecting with the other BCF teachers from
all over the country in a whirlwind of stories, venting, drinking, games,
inspiring ideas for the future, and another sad goodbye. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->New experiences including: <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->learning how to transplant rice paddies in the
fields, <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->trekking for a few days and crossing a pass
4,200 meters high, <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->rolling dice and having my future told to me by
a caretaker at a monastery, <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->finding coves and little pools in the rivers of
Bhutan to swim in,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Courier New"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->and many other experiences too small to mention
in a blog but that sprinkled my holiday with more awe and wonder and left me feeling like I actually live in a sci-fi novel that combines: “Little
House on the Prairie” “The Lord of the Rings” and a history book about Buddhism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some other cool things happened like having pizza and
French fries on the dinner table but they were almost untouched at the end
because everyone preferred Bhutanese for some reason. Or taking a nap next to a
river under a sea of prayer flags with a friend and being woken up by a villager
who spoke no English but then invited us to his family’s puja (religious party
thing). Or being welcomed by villagers who asked us to sing songs from our
country and ending the night with everyone belting “Bohemian Rhapsody” much to
the villagers confusion. Or traveling to many different communities physically
near to each other but separated by mountains and culturally unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or.. Or… Or…. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> Let's just get to the pictures. </o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf4CNa795UPgxAPEkh0Pkm6r0sQenvEAun1aSsCghNx2iftpeS7JcvzSk9w2KkO-2R8h0eEeNAcqYu-tY3WH_RqTQsHdsqOGhebpD8TYD2jzMwpI933pHCvWmy6kCkQGJZmeNXXu74fA/s1600/IMG_9144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDf4CNa795UPgxAPEkh0Pkm6r0sQenvEAun1aSsCghNx2iftpeS7JcvzSk9w2KkO-2R8h0eEeNAcqYu-tY3WH_RqTQsHdsqOGhebpD8TYD2jzMwpI933pHCvWmy6kCkQGJZmeNXXu74fA/s400/IMG_9144.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Traveling across Bhutan is the best of times, and also the worst of times. Once you get past the constant fear of falling off the road to your death and your spine adjusts to the bouncing and jolting, then God's green Earth smacks you in the face and you decide there's nothing you can do to control the situation and you might as well stop worrying and smell the roses. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE1ZcEEbegkQznwUAfrw22s0jZiYq7hMu86fOUU1PuxGCQmmumiMEVYL-GfbM3hbAozb72aBrCRKNUdGrDdA0A0dVFb2lVfN3EPNq2to5G_pbkejqU2ONWrPjTA5QxTpDB2GakgKcEgY/s1600/IMG_9160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAE1ZcEEbegkQznwUAfrw22s0jZiYq7hMu86fOUU1PuxGCQmmumiMEVYL-GfbM3hbAozb72aBrCRKNUdGrDdA0A0dVFb2lVfN3EPNq2to5G_pbkejqU2ONWrPjTA5QxTpDB2GakgKcEgY/s400/IMG_9160.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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See above comment. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1r9-5VAloH3VAnH3FuMF4A7Dt8ZH2lY8VWm6C6lb3J_rnoqwSZfAAdp785AAz_BUEgYDnpEbCUK330sd7GGzOTPkFWkrvlfDk2PnD4MUGLIGOW7hxu8VmFn0ZS3BzyYCd67bbxBPawU/s1600/IMG_9176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC1r9-5VAloH3VAnH3FuMF4A7Dt8ZH2lY8VWm6C6lb3J_rnoqwSZfAAdp785AAz_BUEgYDnpEbCUK330sd7GGzOTPkFWkrvlfDk2PnD4MUGLIGOW7hxu8VmFn0ZS3BzyYCd67bbxBPawU/s400/IMG_9176.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Really cool monastery with the 8 stages of Buddha's life depicted in statues. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzDKDSzo2O7koF6gJpBLw0Sx29D6adx_XxipvwmkjzrT7jHWzxO72Gdsxfo7t-uFCRqsyePmJIvgLJ_rwLvJWKjCmmi8z_TkqXh-0Z4X75FeXpRzqCuHZBDK43zuZFj6Ub1tijO4uzbM/s1600/IMG_9186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdzDKDSzo2O7koF6gJpBLw0Sx29D6adx_XxipvwmkjzrT7jHWzxO72Gdsxfo7t-uFCRqsyePmJIvgLJ_rwLvJWKjCmmi8z_TkqXh-0Z4X75FeXpRzqCuHZBDK43zuZFj6Ub1tijO4uzbM/s400/IMG_9186.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Traffic jam! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvuGWNILpWeFoYgL7Lg_dq0vtq6cG-r3tbJZ4CRokhyphenhyphen5WC4NXnRhtjPEjrKWQ_-9mxxmAMKi4XCdL5JPjnHQWFI8wL51xsq1qmprXSyxBKrKZ0OFP79i0q-FzgAjFgvjH91lR8xNNwL0/s1600/IMG_9242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvuGWNILpWeFoYgL7Lg_dq0vtq6cG-r3tbJZ4CRokhyphenhyphen5WC4NXnRhtjPEjrKWQ_-9mxxmAMKi4XCdL5JPjnHQWFI8wL51xsq1qmprXSyxBKrKZ0OFP79i0q-FzgAjFgvjH91lR8xNNwL0/s400/IMG_9242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not bad scenery for a primary school. The fence is the boundary of the school grounds. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFeCj8jZJRHtrcAgSFt5XnefgWwEDQlx8seYq00QdjCB2wL7XSZ5Yeguj7szm1MIP_8EZw5GhvLWTNMQPVwbq2PgkgQVTAEnM4ucn5I5wFuUaJNUe-6x8ho5DOmOHZyvzWNfpdokVcrk/s1600/IMG_9275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFeCj8jZJRHtrcAgSFt5XnefgWwEDQlx8seYq00QdjCB2wL7XSZ5Yeguj7szm1MIP_8EZw5GhvLWTNMQPVwbq2PgkgQVTAEnM4ucn5I5wFuUaJNUe-6x8ho5DOmOHZyvzWNfpdokVcrk/s400/IMG_9275.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Have you ever seen a trash pit lined with grass and little flowers? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM8oOo0zjqAKOgpbccVdhBR6-N8L4pyBd0qtBKCRVrIbPLsO8hlpCBtnXCvGJjfJt6pACyFeOy6OYSIf9DP4pyNulkv4cKD3yMClqvjhfu_zWIvpDBUQgT7fhYn3RfeDdOdkBTCl0ph0/s1600/IMG_9276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmM8oOo0zjqAKOgpbccVdhBR6-N8L4pyBd0qtBKCRVrIbPLsO8hlpCBtnXCvGJjfJt6pACyFeOy6OYSIf9DP4pyNulkv4cKD3yMClqvjhfu_zWIvpDBUQgT7fhYn3RfeDdOdkBTCl0ph0/s400/IMG_9276.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This school is doing it right with Degradable and Non-degradable sides to the trash pit. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpnAXZOc_WARs3RQWnNbXRl01yrGeMNru8uR_CjOIM_wwIhKTXVpk5yb5dAdaIr_pvLEP1VM5dJauQLLLrWWbBeblgSwYArMoUJrSy8aV50NIOx9HpCcup6uVRfeFIlfBjpc6HYCnkrw/s1600/IMG_9278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpnAXZOc_WARs3RQWnNbXRl01yrGeMNru8uR_CjOIM_wwIhKTXVpk5yb5dAdaIr_pvLEP1VM5dJauQLLLrWWbBeblgSwYArMoUJrSy8aV50NIOx9HpCcup6uVRfeFIlfBjpc6HYCnkrw/s400/IMG_9278.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Toilets can be beautiful too. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRspK15IWryxs7VQSdm16FCKAaxciJ8AEwY4m7_IeQ-NDYA5CYqDD1uZU-WZs2aBq8ruKZyZVKd5yHxGVqRWqY4I1hneDr_-O6I_LmypHOGycTRFZSt5CT0jlzcSl9umr9IrA6Wa28pps/s1600/IMG_9350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRspK15IWryxs7VQSdm16FCKAaxciJ8AEwY4m7_IeQ-NDYA5CYqDD1uZU-WZs2aBq8ruKZyZVKd5yHxGVqRWqY4I1hneDr_-O6I_LmypHOGycTRFZSt5CT0jlzcSl9umr9IrA6Wa28pps/s400/IMG_9350.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Flowers 4,200 meters high. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidizviccJTwI5n51CXBEmrjZLa-FPXSlnFAJT0g90WpYUQvq9cqUKSuHULDzetbiQVm43N2owkM7YfL1umaH5NK4H3aA-0UhfrxMZ8SI61B0NMsU5GJNAwYhl4as0VOazl7je-l1KJqI/s1600/IMG_9355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidizviccJTwI5n51CXBEmrjZLa-FPXSlnFAJT0g90WpYUQvq9cqUKSuHULDzetbiQVm43N2owkM7YfL1umaH5NK4H3aA-0UhfrxMZ8SI61B0NMsU5GJNAwYhl4as0VOazl7je-l1KJqI/s400/IMG_9355.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A little rain never hurt anyone. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Vt5xFz4MHVFzxK16TSoHiYmofYA4OdDLF5QAOyHAy0LZaYyqQhm25vlRX4oU30nKxz0c672TfJVXlHOprD4fH6ZEobVnVPXQt-ly4BkVlmqcQOR4P8NqWPY_q-e8Pj3GQGdqvpCoqVI/s1600/IMG_9359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Vt5xFz4MHVFzxK16TSoHiYmofYA4OdDLF5QAOyHAy0LZaYyqQhm25vlRX4oU30nKxz0c672TfJVXlHOprD4fH6ZEobVnVPXQt-ly4BkVlmqcQOR4P8NqWPY_q-e8Pj3GQGdqvpCoqVI/s400/IMG_9359.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The mountains are inhabited by nomadic communities of yak herders. This is one place where we ran into a few yak herders taking "shelter" from the rain. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kbBDYbwI-JbLKKgtXNpBoyRuI0o09dc_wDb2ZabT7V8z7cpjh8kSyuRRcD1UXptbCMseRkBxSk7Ijlv5b6oxsR4dKGr4YmuAMBDjU0GRWuQ-AXQfyVzAdMQ9q4i432tP3hyphenhyphenAQFDV7g4/s1600/IMG_9364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5kbBDYbwI-JbLKKgtXNpBoyRuI0o09dc_wDb2ZabT7V8z7cpjh8kSyuRRcD1UXptbCMseRkBxSk7Ijlv5b6oxsR4dKGr4YmuAMBDjU0GRWuQ-AXQfyVzAdMQ9q4i432tP3hyphenhyphenAQFDV7g4/s400/IMG_9364.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After hours of going up up up, all of a sudden we came upon the pass. And also this yak. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMRNtfIfZjmPrcLndCGYz-zAfFw0T_NbyFZpdfVCaOY6YtM8n7v-iBg340xVFwgbw_wHyEliyTMeW4RGxO0nczHPxBWB4_9yOrIMv1ZuSjRf_nh4FGS8v4zn1YxffoOLAC0QdfajFIU4/s1600/IMG_9368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMRNtfIfZjmPrcLndCGYz-zAfFw0T_NbyFZpdfVCaOY6YtM8n7v-iBg340xVFwgbw_wHyEliyTMeW4RGxO0nczHPxBWB4_9yOrIMv1ZuSjRf_nh4FGS8v4zn1YxffoOLAC0QdfajFIU4/s400/IMG_9368.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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At first he was not chill</div>
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Then he was chill so we snapped some pics. </div>
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Up in the clouds. Check out those stacked stones. </div>
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My little contribution. </div>
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Made it down into the valley :) </div>
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"Burning Lake" - Bhutanese belief has it that Pema Lingpa (now a saint) jumped into the lake with a burning butter lamp, retrieved hidden treasures, and reemerged from the water with the lamp still burning in his hand. It is a very important spiritual site for the Bhutanese. </div>
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Bumthang honey production! Real life - Bumthang honey is the best honey. </div>
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Death has never been so sweet. </div>
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A lhakhang (temple) in the Tang Valley built into the rock cliff. This is where I rolled some dice and revealed my fortune. It was actually only one word, meaning "good". No need to wait and see how that plays out in my life. </div>
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Old Bhutanese art work. </div>
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The Tang valley in Bunthang, the last day before I traveled back west. </div>
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Alas! All exceptional things come to an end and I'm back in Thinleygang in the middle of a work week. Maybe I'm still riding the high from vacation, but so far the second term is going really well. I'm enjoying more responsibility and have a better sense of what the heck I'm actually doing. Let's see how long that lasts :) </div>
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Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-71716153621183106222015-06-27T04:40:00.003-07:002015-06-27T04:43:22.615-07:00Pictures <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nothing like taking a break from grading midterm papers in order to post some much overdue pictures. These span the past month or so, although most of them are from the last two weekends. </div>
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Fun teaching tidbit for the day: The first thing that my students were asked to do on their midterm was write a "Once upon a time" story no more than 150 words. One student wrote a story about a grandma who found a little tree at the market and bought it. That tree's name was Ass. Grandma loved Ass very much.... </div>
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I'll never tell you which one, but one of these beautiful girls has a grandma that loves Ass.</div>
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A lot of lucky things have happened to me since being here. I don't know which one I can attribute to this gem but I am grateful for them all. </div>
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The rainy season does have it's perks. Like sitting on my balcony watching a storm to see it end like this. </div>
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Unfortunately, as reading Game of Thrones has taught me: "Words are wind". </div>
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Teachers day celebration. </div>
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Sports day opening ceremony. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2UH-KD-mhuXquIvPuLPPSMgYC_hZDRuldsQVeP1qIU0PQz4oNancUqwhBR3Rx__AXLpU1ly0CrfLMNxnlcvbawAMGSx7UkjwqLgjyeaX1rr0a5-r988Lm7a-1Hd9bnfqnbLA6TSbaYA/s1600/IMG_8647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2UH-KD-mhuXquIvPuLPPSMgYC_hZDRuldsQVeP1qIU0PQz4oNancUqwhBR3Rx__AXLpU1ly0CrfLMNxnlcvbawAMGSx7UkjwqLgjyeaX1rr0a5-r988Lm7a-1Hd9bnfqnbLA6TSbaYA/s400/IMG_8647.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Man down! </div>
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Not a bad view again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWib016KrhLLt2IT_1O4zh2hlIfziGLOqPrkFT4ovkhY01mJvtzY1gxT8HWf5JxTG30m5Zux5kx_vWQjCylCJTlvkIzbkvVR5H3V26x22G1eqXH8AR6WYEQVJ0G8xz8zPm-Cy4JU-5FsI/s1600/IMG_8691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWib016KrhLLt2IT_1O4zh2hlIfziGLOqPrkFT4ovkhY01mJvtzY1gxT8HWf5JxTG30m5Zux5kx_vWQjCylCJTlvkIzbkvVR5H3V26x22G1eqXH8AR6WYEQVJ0G8xz8zPm-Cy4JU-5FsI/s400/IMG_8691.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Who get's lonely when you have roommates? </div>
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This is the beginning of our school's attempt to clear the forest and start a hazelnut plantation. Students were given picks and shovels and told to clear the area. </div>
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Last picture of my view :) </div>
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Last Sunday a group of teachers and I traveled about 3 hours to the consecration of this house newly finished for a Lama going into solitude for 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days. We made offerings, got blessings, ate lunch, and as seen above, did some traditional dancing. </div>
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After lunch, we embarked on a 2 hour hike up to a monastery perched on the side of a cliff. </div>
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The clouds make it hard to see, but these are the steps leading into the monastery.</div>
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View of the valley halfway back down. </div>
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Group pic. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMOYJGc4Geg-Qr-fTryEqUIi7YxR7nKSEad2kQLmKck6oxTJPNbctqmuX_mKvKyDZ2YT6LuCXHhwIPBRbSRuZEt7kMyRc-XIX0wdUImE1GsSkHUTiviKW5aGFUfDyMzgij1_9qP8qryo/s1600/IMG_8801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMOYJGc4Geg-Qr-fTryEqUIi7YxR7nKSEad2kQLmKck6oxTJPNbctqmuX_mKvKyDZ2YT6LuCXHhwIPBRbSRuZEt7kMyRc-XIX0wdUImE1GsSkHUTiviKW5aGFUfDyMzgij1_9qP8qryo/s400/IMG_8801.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was told that this rock has been here since the 8th century. Naturally no one actually knew the meaning of it. </div>
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More dancing. </div>
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Angay (grandma) and BooBoo, my friend Kinga'a mother and daughter. </div>
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Friday was a national holiday so we journeyed into the Phobjikha valley. </div>
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I had the rare and very fortunate opportunity to take pictures inside the Dzong (monastery). The jokers/clowns you see here actually asked me to take their picture. Normally no pictures are allowed inside. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLR2ZsYLXv1-YhOBvPeyeb3l4ul0b3vVEfvar5flhiQ9LBqci4Ag7Nody7GsD512Jbkyez8p18IhH1V8CDFub8-T385jxjkLUFE7YJgLjnGY4XQOtz6e8TlBGOT7I8eZq0pE08GVThxlI/s1600/IMG_8850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLR2ZsYLXv1-YhOBvPeyeb3l4ul0b3vVEfvar5flhiQ9LBqci4Ag7Nody7GsD512Jbkyez8p18IhH1V8CDFub8-T385jxjkLUFE7YJgLjnGY4XQOtz6e8TlBGOT7I8eZq0pE08GVThxlI/s400/IMG_8850.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Prayer ritual from above. </div>
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"Ok everyone now cheese" </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0gSRcc_xxR0EFQDxkTIWWzqI47lFu1lldcSzQ8dl7_OVD6BPjZb32Ky8DmAIeURKvhdigR2bh3sUeNyVcj0eA4j4IgVT8BLV80afvtTZxcHcUFZ8JzGIfC9iXkfiqlTAxGYh1Js3xcY/s1600/IMG_8863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0gSRcc_xxR0EFQDxkTIWWzqI47lFu1lldcSzQ8dl7_OVD6BPjZb32Ky8DmAIeURKvhdigR2bh3sUeNyVcj0eA4j4IgVT8BLV80afvtTZxcHcUFZ8JzGIfC9iXkfiqlTAxGYh1Js3xcY/s400/IMG_8863.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Photobombed by the jokers. </div>
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In front of the Gamtey Dzong. </div>
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Lunch! Rice, radishes, chilies, mushrooms, chilies, and cans of ice tea. The dogs know what's up. </div>
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Well this is one way to break in new shoes. I guess that's why I got black right? </div>
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I really thought we were both going for the "hands in the air like we just don't care" pose. I'm usually left hanging when I try to do spur-of-the-moment things like this. </div>
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Wandering amongst the prayer flags. </div>
<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-5918387129213534462015-05-30T07:37:00.000-07:002015-05-30T07:41:17.594-07:00LifeIt's been awhile. Can I say that I've been busy in the humdrum of mid-semester teaching life? I do the same thing each day, repeating each week; yet, I'm not sure I could use the word monotonous to describe my life either. I find that I have all the frustrations of being a teacher, but am able to leave them at school. My days are stressful, but my life is peaceful. For a few weeks now, I've been trucking along, putting in extra time and energy to help my students make the progress that they need to before the midterm, all with the mid-term break as a light at the end of the tunnel.<br />
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Even so, I'm blown away by the fact that Monday is June and that we have less than three weeks before exams start. How am I possibly almost halfway through the school year?<br />
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I expected that by now I would be totally comfortable and at peace here. And in most ways I am. More often than not I feel like I have this whole teaching thing down, I eat chilies like a pro, I have friends and "family" here, I'm happy, healthy, and shouldn't ask for anything else.<br />
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I thought it would be a sign of strength to be able to say that I've reached a place where I no longer crave western comforts. I wanted to come here, live a minimalist life style, and be able to go home and live a simple life more in-tune with God and the earth. But I've found that there are some things inside me that have not (and maybe will not) change.<br />
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There are days when I wake up and I still miss things like: endless flowing clean water, truly clean sheets, healthy smoothies, students who understand what I say, and dark chocolate. And while dealing with Aragog's offspring in my room (giant spiders), I curse this place and wonder why I ever came to a place where the mentality of the culture makes me feel like I'm going to hell for trying to kill a spider. -really the spiders are the bane of my happiness here, although I am trying to make my peace with them.<br />
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Now I know that it won't be long before I have these comforts again, and that makes the lack thereof easy to deal with. I also still have a long time here to adjust (or as I see it, forget about the good days when I had a washing machine). I don't know where I will be mentally by the end of this, but I'm trying to recognize that it probably won't be where I had wanted, and that's ok.<br />
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SO, since my life is full of reading, writing, listening, and speaking as I spend more and more of my time at school, I thought I might share a story from the class 4 textbook. This is one of my favorite texts that we have read so far. The Bhutanese curriculum focuses on academic learning, but it also has a Buddhist facet that shines through in the form of standards that reflect things such as Gross National Happiness and Life Skills.<br />
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A LOT of the curriculum is over my students's head. This story, however, they were able to grasp and they actually understood the question: "what lesson did you learn from this story?".<br />
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<i>Why the Sky Is Far Away</i></div>
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<li style="font-family: Cambria; margin: 0px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Marci Stillerman</li>
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In the beginning, the sky was close to the earth, and the people didn’t have to work for their food. All they had to do was cut away a piece of sky to eat. It tasted delicious, like meat or corn or honey or anything else they felt like eating. Since they didn’t have to hunt for their food, all they did was weave and carve and tell stories all day. </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span>When the great King Oba wanted to give a party, his servants would cut out pieces of the sky and shape them into wonderful forms – animals, diamonds, leaves, or flowers. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But as time went on, the people forgot to appreciate the sky. They took their food for granted, and they became wasteful. They cut far more sky than they needed and threw what they didn’t use onto the garbage heap. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The sky became angry because of the waste and the people’s ingratitude for his gift. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One day, the sky grew very dark. The people were frightened. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Oba,” a voice boomed above the king’s palace. “Wasteful one, king of wasteful, ungrateful people. If you continue to waste food, you will have no more of the sky to cut.”</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Oba was terrified. He sent messengers all over his kingdom. “Take only what you need,” they warned. “They sky is angry because of your greed. Stop wasting the sky, or there will be trouble.”</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For a while, the people were very careful. They cut only what they needed from the sky. They ate all they took. Nothing was thrown on the garbage heap. Nothing was wasted. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Once every year there was a great festival in Oba’s kingdom in celebration of this greatness. All the people looked forward to wearing their best clothes, dancing all day and night and feasting on wonderful foods. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Oba’s servants prepared magnificent food. They pulled pieces of sky down and shaped them into flowers and animals and every imaginable form. They colored them and cooked them and placed them on huge platters so that the food looked tempting and inviting. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The people came in gorgeous robes. Music played, and everyone danced. Soon the people became hungry and started to eat. The food was so delicious that they ate and ate until everything was gone. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>But the people were greedy and wanted to eat more, even though they were no longer hungry. They pulled down great quantities of sky and gobbled them up. What they couldn’t stuff into themselves, they threw on the garbage heap. Greedy and wasteful, they forgot all about the sky’s warning. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Suddenly, while the festival was still going on, the sky grew ominously dark. Thunder rumbled and roared, and fearsome knives of lightening sliced through the sky. </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“People of the earth,” the sky boomed, “you are wasteful and greedy. I warned you. I will no longer give you food. You will have to work to eat.” </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The sky sailed up high above the earth, far out of the reach of the tallest person. Ever since then, no one has been able to reach up and grab a piece of it, and the people must work hard on farms and in factories for their food.<span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span></div>
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<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-23437966838996021902015-04-28T09:21:00.001-07:002015-04-28T09:21:48.274-07:00Hiking<div class="MsoNormal">
At the risk of raising everyone’s false hopes that I am
starting to blog more often, I have to write about my hike today while the
experience is still fresh. I left the dirty dishes and the wet, dirty clothes
for tomorrow morning. Tonight, I will DOCUMENT MY EXPERIENCE. (shout out to
Brooke ;) )<o:p></o:p></div>
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If I have ever hiked in my life, it was today. Today is a
national holiday, which means no school for me. A friend, Ugyen, planned a hike
to a “nearby” monastery with her class of 34 8<sup>th</sup> grade students and
invited me along. I was really excited because I see the monastery everyday and
have been meaning to visit, but have never made the time. So this was the
perfect way to spend my holiday. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Ugyen has done this hike before and knew we needed to start
early. We met at 5:45am and started out on our journey around 6:00am. The plan
was to hike down to the river in the valley, cross at the bridge, hike up the
other side to the monastery, and then make our way down to a nunnery at the end
of the hill. After visiting the nunnery, we would follow the trail back to the
bridge and follow the trail back up to Thinleygang. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcWsK2Lq14lKVdwW-3V9bckmotQyD2lRKxIGy9y8SX_N_TqQ23CAun4-LBgTEBQHjttl4F1gz8Ye3yVwXMGkW-CizEVyMtW3BirjONhfkV3J5GdKK606vHVary8TLx7rRXLuBHs3tz-A/s1600/IMG_8165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcWsK2Lq14lKVdwW-3V9bckmotQyD2lRKxIGy9y8SX_N_TqQ23CAun4-LBgTEBQHjttl4F1gz8Ye3yVwXMGkW-CizEVyMtW3BirjONhfkV3J5GdKK606vHVary8TLx7rRXLuBHs3tz-A/s1600/IMG_8165.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6:00am start, ready to go. </td></tr>
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The first 1-2 hours were great. Although a little sleepy
from the early wake-up call, spirits were high and everyone was exited to reach
the monastery and have tea. Even while climbing the steep hill and feeling the
burn in our lungs and thighs, we were happy. This is what we expected; we were
mentally prepared for this. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXQq3Pf6G6jQjCEwxeN18BBGM72LDNR1iRzKnIhKmCyMy3IMQAaO5UB3zcgZyMYmBRQ5nWQ7OUXZrnSRqE-rtdqJCxnw0-EInEPo6NVeYmLiBddl5vj5dZYxQ2npthXoHupvbmk4swbI/s1600/IMG_8180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXQq3Pf6G6jQjCEwxeN18BBGM72LDNR1iRzKnIhKmCyMy3IMQAaO5UB3zcgZyMYmBRQ5nWQ7OUXZrnSRqE-rtdqJCxnw0-EInEPo6NVeYmLiBddl5vj5dZYxQ2npthXoHupvbmk4swbI/s1600/IMG_8180.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up, up, up we went.</td></tr>
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Finally, we reached the monastery around 10:00am. Because of
the holiday today, the monks had prepared tea and juice for the visitors.
Everyone took their turn prostrating themselves, making offerings, and saying
their prayers. After 45 minutes at the monastery, we hit the road again.
This time our path led strait down just for a few minuets before turning left
and becoming a relatively flat trail. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jAgxqAcK8Lo2Mx_BS11OtV12DAq9Z7OtN8N_ZTTQFRuEhV6fK_JIIp8JD-9DKSucY_Xgf4Aeh5G0cpZ-0v7UTVih3gZTVQJKfbRCN5VRUjheCTkU85jkHrBuYXrh1IdYWdyfT-qkqGA/s1600/IMG_8243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jAgxqAcK8Lo2Mx_BS11OtV12DAq9Z7OtN8N_ZTTQFRuEhV6fK_JIIp8JD-9DKSucY_Xgf4Aeh5G0cpZ-0v7UTVih3gZTVQJKfbRCN5VRUjheCTkU85jkHrBuYXrh1IdYWdyfT-qkqGA/s1600/IMG_8243.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYT8AHUyh72sZFx2oWdjYMZJ9Lnv2xEGeenk27HC-R6iS9gR5CfHt2WNdBAHoLhS7hjEa9RPMOAxqx_JOz5lXGB-ZF3dW__mzWKFUk1XARD6EFh3gfiTDPC_RSO4aNa7RHLe5X-x62q_4/s1600/IMG_8235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYT8AHUyh72sZFx2oWdjYMZJ9Lnv2xEGeenk27HC-R6iS9gR5CfHt2WNdBAHoLhS7hjEa9RPMOAxqx_JOz5lXGB-ZF3dW__mzWKFUk1XARD6EFh3gfiTDPC_RSO4aNa7RHLe5X-x62q_4/s1600/IMG_8235.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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For anyone who doesn’t know, this past summer my job
involved leading teenagers on service trips. As a trip leader, we are trained
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">risk management. </b>Today, this hike
involved taking the students out of the safety of the hostel and on a hike into
the forest. So, already, I could hear Jim’s (my boss's) voice in my head telling
me about group management and how to be safe. Our group split up into many
small groups on the way from the monastery to the nunnery and that was the
first time (albeit not the last) on this hike when I began to seriously doubt
how safe we were being. In the end, this leg of our journey took about 3 hours.
We had small groups of eighth graders wandering the forest alone heading in a
general direction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihai7-umwFHwovEAfR_vJEcrUue_CG7vALeRYjflZcUCf4znuB9sj2ifj-OtTE1YNLVZTmggg4EvT2_YSdGppTubFyRTQic6iNMZBh1hX3TrPFebP7nvZBmWL67HjIW4sO9ZQIDBNv8Nw/s1600/IMG_8467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihai7-umwFHwovEAfR_vJEcrUue_CG7vALeRYjflZcUCf4znuB9sj2ifj-OtTE1YNLVZTmggg4EvT2_YSdGppTubFyRTQic6iNMZBh1hX3TrPFebP7nvZBmWL67HjIW4sO9ZQIDBNv8Nw/s1600/IMG_8467.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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It was about two hours from the monastery when my small
group of students and I realized that we were definitely lost. I had to assume
that Ugyen was with all of the other students on the right path. Where we went
wrong, no one seems to know. But what I do know is we ended up in a village on
the wrong side of the hill and had gone way out of our way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieD50bawRttAMtkTJYU2Q51JBmBWirh0bi-uGw293HqNTIvTLtE2jHvZRzI9DS8lyVejwbDGJVa0o42437xLNHhTWzFxmN7rk7cE3l_YkdgRUu6r9P_wErBr9is_48n2e2a39I0i8cuUE/s1600/IMG_8285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieD50bawRttAMtkTJYU2Q51JBmBWirh0bi-uGw293HqNTIvTLtE2jHvZRzI9DS8lyVejwbDGJVa0o42437xLNHhTWzFxmN7rk7cE3l_YkdgRUu6r9P_wErBr9is_48n2e2a39I0i8cuUE/s1600/IMG_8285.JPG" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the nunnery, but there are worse places to be lost :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fine, that was fine at the time. I figured we would walk a
little bit, find the path again and be to the nunnery in no time. Boy was I
wrong. Not long after that I got a call from Ugyen
saying that she had also lost the trail and that she was with only two
students. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One sentiment that I’ve become very familiar with since
being in Bhutan is “but what to do?”. The people here use it when the situation
is unfavorable, or they are struggling a lot with something. They are using it
in a way that signifies: well this sucks, but we can’t do anything about it so
oh well. That is exactly what we said when we discovered that our once solid,
single group had broken up and, most likely, everyone else was also lost. What
to do but continue on. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually we found a road that a couple of the students
were familiar with and they knew that we could follow it in the right
direction. After 30 minutes of walking on this road, a pickup truck drove by
with about 10 of our students standing in the back hooting and hollering. They
stopped farther down the road and my companions and I also jumped in. By that time it was 1:00pm and all of our legs desperately needed a rest and our
bodies needed food. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Eventually, our entire group made it to the nunnery,
although no one made it without getting lost first. But the good news is that
we had made it! The worst part of the day surely was over. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37dowSF7KvzWZZ3h7vpFpgHMlHcrUAwovvd-FraVPOm6l9JceuI2Ew4iyhyphenhyphend8TOkdGM0PCvy5LyMagLFmMx3ZNIW3CZtjR6dhK91XV5cHVaiGaxJJSkZRL46pHx-eFRV_iuQKCCRIOXk/s1600/IMG_8324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg37dowSF7KvzWZZ3h7vpFpgHMlHcrUAwovvd-FraVPOm6l9JceuI2Ew4iyhyphenhyphend8TOkdGM0PCvy5LyMagLFmMx3ZNIW3CZtjR6dhK91XV5cHVaiGaxJJSkZRL46pHx-eFRV_iuQKCCRIOXk/s1600/IMG_8324.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group picture, but don't look for me- I am the "official photographer."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We visited the temple, ate lunch, rested our bodies before
continuing our hike back home. When we set out from the nunnery, we could see
the path that we were meant to take, and headed that way. I was bringing up the
caboose and assumed everything was going fine until some girls ahead of me
stopped to rest and we discovered that the front half of our group had gone
ahead and we were now separated again. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, no matter. I am trying to do my job as the caboose and
if Ugyen let some kids go ahead, she knows better than I do. So my smaller
group and I kept trudging along. Eventually, we found ourselves walking along
the side of a little water canal. About an hour out from the nunnery the boys
in the front stopped, yelled to the back that there was “no way” (as in there
is no path, no way to go through). Well we couldn’t go down the hill, next to
us was a dangerous drop off and we couldn’t exactly go up the hill due to
cliffs. When I got closer, I saw what the boys were talking about. The water
canal that we had been following bridged a deep valley with a little water
bridge. So we were lost again. I’m not sure whose idea it was, (probably one of
the boys) but all of a sudden students were taking shoes off to wade their way
across the bridge. There were about four students on the far side when a girl
who had crossed began screaming bloody murder. With my heart racing I started
yelling over to her to try to see what was wrong. Thank goodness it was only
leeches. From that point forward, every 10-15 minuets one of the girls would
start screaming from finding leeches on their ankles and legs. I’ve never had a
leech on me before, and I never knew how strong their grip is! Or how they
wiggle their way up your leg! They truly are disgusting creatures. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lg0gO_cLRiAhKGJwu_PSUDKqAnWUgEDDkHnDHNczE1tNR_iuUy96A9YBBKNQS1e9Rc89V922nRFZxJogGoxtcLbFiD9SkjHW19RSy4yaVk09hjkYSIcgPYhIY_8exqu972PBF5JECmQ/s1600/IMG_8433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lg0gO_cLRiAhKGJwu_PSUDKqAnWUgEDDkHnDHNczE1tNR_iuUy96A9YBBKNQS1e9Rc89V922nRFZxJogGoxtcLbFiD9SkjHW19RSy4yaVk09hjkYSIcgPYhIY_8exqu972PBF5JECmQ/s1600/IMG_8433.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So after forging the water bridge, we put on wet socks and
shoes and continued. The leeches continued to plague us, and we still were not
sure if the other half of the students were safe. But, what to do? Another hour
closer to home and again boys in the front were calling back, “No way, no way”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This time it turned out to be a fallen tree. I assumed this
would be easier to get through than the water bridge, but was soon proven
wrong. The tree was slippery! And too big to completely straddle while using
feet to anchor ourselves to the ground. So with a lot of help, and the
acceptance that our feet would land in the leech-infested water on the other
side, we became true tree-huggers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xzPHvweh2w6nPj0QNoXbjf9QB6BfPpUNRNwU75CfW6khN1GewSvv6_qQeuSUkD6AB-Q74gXg4g2ur_Ps6WNXN9QdnzvfbL2lBNt9hqBMOoyJMOP2c1WWS-WBEuD3ym4pjJXyqffLoXM/s1600/IMG_8459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xzPHvweh2w6nPj0QNoXbjf9QB6BfPpUNRNwU75CfW6khN1GewSvv6_qQeuSUkD6AB-Q74gXg4g2ur_Ps6WNXN9QdnzvfbL2lBNt9hqBMOoyJMOP2c1WWS-WBEuD3ym4pjJXyqffLoXM/s1600/IMG_8459.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Following, following, following the water canal we continued
until we reached the river at the bottom of the valley. At this point, our once
sunny sky had become dark and threatening. This was not the bridge we meant to
cross, but due to the big rocks blocking our way, we had no choice but to wade
across here. This is when it started raining. I made it about half way, jumping
from rock to rock, before accepting my wet fate. Of course I’m too ambitious to
give up that easily, so I made a jump for another rock that was mostly
submerged in water, slipped, and fell right to the bottom of the river. Of
course all of the students were very concerned for me and came running through
the water to help me. I was fine, until I heard thunder and saw lightening. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdmT8v5u2pljMUqcVOFVar9gLms9cpTRRy92R7S3WIw3xcE7JhOeFnju6phkUpb0iWdjR0aTPPvZR8Q9CZFyoX8BFcwt3pBLQoK2GfKx5z59zTaejXFSM7AIUYr9FsubiaAX2BdsLTkE/s1600/IMG_8469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdmT8v5u2pljMUqcVOFVar9gLms9cpTRRy92R7S3WIw3xcE7JhOeFnju6phkUpb0iWdjR0aTPPvZR8Q9CZFyoX8BFcwt3pBLQoK2GfKx5z59zTaejXFSM7AIUYr9FsubiaAX2BdsLTkE/s1600/IMG_8469.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Once again, those RLT instincts kicked in and I started
yelling for everyone to get out of the water. But then this only made people
try to move faster, resulting on them sipping on rocks and falling down deeper
into the river. If I hadn’t been concerned for their safety, I would have laughed
for a long time over that. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully, we all made it out on the other side of the
river. Wet, but alive. Now we had to find a trail that would lead us back to
the road. Eventually we did, and climbed back up toward our town. The rain
never stopped and by the time I made it home I was very cold. I arrived home at
exactly 6:15 pm. making this a 12-hour hike. The hike finished with my friend
saying, “I hope you are not unhappy. It is very likely we will have a fever
tomorrow”. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nerve-racking and exhausting, but still the best hike that
I’ve ever been on. I’m not sure that I’ve laughed so much in one day since
being here. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On a final note, as I lay in bed writing this, I discovered
a bloody ankle and a dead leech stuck to me. And that is AFTER taking a shower.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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<br />
<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-31309246633538669552015-04-26T04:46:00.003-07:002015-04-26T04:52:21.741-07:00Spring <div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll start by saying that yes, I felt the earthquake, but
myself along with everyone I love here in Bhutan are totally safe. The
experience was pretty crazy for me, having never felt an earthquake before. It
felt like I was standing on a floating dock (the kind they have at GL country
club) on a wavy day. A wild realization was that it was the solid earth under
my feet doing that, not water. It didn’t last long here in Bhutan and, in my
community at least, there is no damage. We were very lucky. However, keep those
who died or who are injured in Nepal and India in your prayers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now a chunky transition on to more positive topics: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Spring here is such a beautiful season. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– I warned you. I’m not a skilled enough
writer to make that transition smooth - Although my friends claim that we are
being cheated out of spring and jumping right from winter to summer this year,
I don’t mind. It’s still beautiful to me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I realize everyday that I’m in one of the most beautiful
places in the world. If I don’t realize it, I remind myself. I have to, or the
5 am alarm for “Teacher On Duty” days; the students who would like nothing
better than to be the center of attention everyday – even if it means being the
center of attention while being disciplined; the Saturdays when I remember that
everyone at home is enjoying their weekend while I’m still at work (yes we have
a half day of school on Saturday); it would all get me down. And believe me, some
days it tries to get me down. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then I look up at the mountains, or down at the
vegetable gardens that surround life here and remember where I am and how
fleeting this experience is. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My mother told me once that she loves the look of farms. It
gives her a sense of security to see massive fields of food growing. I never
understood or appreciated that sentiment until now. I’ve stopped looking up at
the mountains and started looking down at the farms. How the people of Bhutan
have managed to engineer farming on the side of mountains is beyond me, but I
am so grateful that they have. Forget about the fact that it provides the food
that sustains my life, but the fields are an intricate part of the landscape
here. The fields themselves are split into little puzzle pieces falling down
the side of the hills and mountains. Inside each field, the soil is plowed and
the vegetables planted in rows that turn these farms into textiles. I’ve never
before seen the beauty in gardening. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I first arrived in Thinleygang everywhere I turned
there were greens being sold or given to me for free and I ate them almost
everyday. That lasted for about two, maybe three, weeks. Now I can’t find them
anywhere in town. Their growing season is early spring, before the bugs come to
eat their leaves. So now there are new vegetables planted in the gardens and they
are just starting to grow. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I realized the other day that it’s already the end of April.
I did the math, and I’ve been here for three months. Some days three months
feels like nothing, and other days it feels like everything. During the highs
I’m afraid for my limited amount of time left here. And during the lows I make
an effort to remind myself how little time I have left here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bhutan is a land-locked country and once I
leave (be it in December, or four years from now) I’ll never be able to
experience Bhutan like this again. Sure, I have the opportunity to return as a
tourist, but that would be a drastically different experience, lacking the
freedom I enjoy so much. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1tHnc1AoXvVxWlLU3GCtmhYSpGgvfcD7i1c-OjrXFr-ro6KqQdHFs2pB4fALywbM_MGbGusifClIMT7OuA_khPbFlg64hydMdJpmk58WwL2pj819lo45DHRZ0J3ePEpSeyHG1dfiFn4/s1600/IMG_8012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1tHnc1AoXvVxWlLU3GCtmhYSpGgvfcD7i1c-OjrXFr-ro6KqQdHFs2pB4fALywbM_MGbGusifClIMT7OuA_khPbFlg64hydMdJpmk58WwL2pj819lo45DHRZ0J3ePEpSeyHG1dfiFn4/s1600/IMG_8012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1tHnc1AoXvVxWlLU3GCtmhYSpGgvfcD7i1c-OjrXFr-ro6KqQdHFs2pB4fALywbM_MGbGusifClIMT7OuA_khPbFlg64hydMdJpmk58WwL2pj819lo45DHRZ0J3ePEpSeyHG1dfiFn4/s1600/IMG_8012.JPG" height="266" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Last Sunday, April 19, my friend Ugyen and I went to the Rhododendron festival. It is a cultural festival that is named for the budding rhododendron flowers. Our students performed dances, skits, and sold homemade gifts. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJCXiFUyOpmgPb21qDTmIlVP03tBeW-hYFilggDGIEyxcs27uABGrCRyuUK7xuXsfvjb1J65WaTIqVVg8nPZWL5pn6L5e_6J0mvXJxpOZlZudZwQQXp43bXtVNm6Codz71_AgiNpIos8/s1600/IMG_7992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJCXiFUyOpmgPb21qDTmIlVP03tBeW-hYFilggDGIEyxcs27uABGrCRyuUK7xuXsfvjb1J65WaTIqVVg8nPZWL5pn6L5e_6J0mvXJxpOZlZudZwQQXp43bXtVNm6Codz71_AgiNpIos8/s1600/IMG_7992.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Also being sold were traditional Bhutanese dishes. I don't know the Dzongkha word for this, but it's some type of rice pancake with sauce on top of it. I haven't done any better of a job describing it than the picture would have on its own. But no one I was with knew what goes into preparing this dish. It was tasty though :). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9DoWhDVVH6f8kAVKktPfRNbdE31w1gm0NnRxvEqeO86jEsmtJoGZwo8Y1BAhC6EBTcNtTU-5BHpXGQYnjLK2qm5l8VC0-Vt8YIjEbmaCEXDuFKJ62i0hJ9K3SMwp9Qdt0MKpwSYXdvM/s1600/IMG_7990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9DoWhDVVH6f8kAVKktPfRNbdE31w1gm0NnRxvEqeO86jEsmtJoGZwo8Y1BAhC6EBTcNtTU-5BHpXGQYnjLK2qm5l8VC0-Vt8YIjEbmaCEXDuFKJ62i0hJ9K3SMwp9Qdt0MKpwSYXdvM/s1600/IMG_7990.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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At the festival, there were yak herders selling their goods as well. This yak was standing still as a statue, until I raised my camera to take a picture of it. Then it tried to charge me. In that moment I was more scared than I've been since coming to Bhutan. Thankfully it was tied up and the rope stopped it from running me down! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEU2BzWDyHrxBwMqxLGKepN2pachzDt6rE0hNiYSvRXi4kBrx0F54XEpoz-JvaAbFRX95byHRjfPHV_hQCYcseiVpVMLAl__zxdww_4OcKzJebWWmWjn2y0vHymZkS-N0_i9c4qu1pgI/s1600/IMG_8011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEU2BzWDyHrxBwMqxLGKepN2pachzDt6rE0hNiYSvRXi4kBrx0F54XEpoz-JvaAbFRX95byHRjfPHV_hQCYcseiVpVMLAl__zxdww_4OcKzJebWWmWjn2y0vHymZkS-N0_i9c4qu1pgI/s1600/IMG_8011.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The festival was held at a botanical garden about 40 min. from my village. This is my friend Ugyen and I with our homemade necklaces bought from the greening club. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_MSrkEzNoDWKQOv1DgyBqNTbpt0jAmKvdZmg6cW-5pjvNQGVwUmMG7Msy9BNpFJaLyDe8b3wrcynIyd3NcSP8N0akO7-CumArN_3b7ABwa0C3D40NQTOAKfIr4twpXLMKIljJUiKSc0/s1600/IMG_8125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_MSrkEzNoDWKQOv1DgyBqNTbpt0jAmKvdZmg6cW-5pjvNQGVwUmMG7Msy9BNpFJaLyDe8b3wrcynIyd3NcSP8N0akO7-CumArN_3b7ABwa0C3D40NQTOAKfIr4twpXLMKIljJUiKSc0/s1600/IMG_8125.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then, this Saturday, April 25, we had a school rimdro. This is just like the puja that my house had - a religious holiday meant for prayer and to make offerings to the Gods. This is the alter inside a tent set up on our assembly ground. The alter consists of offerings to the Gods including bowls of water, butter candles, food, wine, and more. Everything seen here has more meaning than I can describe here, or that I completely understand. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0jV8agFvQaDBbLHOBwY6Hk0TcHoInwdTN5ExNLbDwPwn2bKOP90wAwJmycmu5yZxWYUXbb5KndZasc0oN-8oj-xZI6f4R2d23MvKF3UELSy2-wAu5P8Jw8FqsSlESLmYXfZLA31YI7w/s1600/IMG_8124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0jV8agFvQaDBbLHOBwY6Hk0TcHoInwdTN5ExNLbDwPwn2bKOP90wAwJmycmu5yZxWYUXbb5KndZasc0oN-8oj-xZI6f4R2d23MvKF3UELSy2-wAu5P8Jw8FqsSlESLmYXfZLA31YI7w/s1600/IMG_8124.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Guru Rinpoche is a Buddhist saint who first came to Bhutan around 700AD and is responsible for bringing Buddhism to Bhutan. </div>
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I tried to sneak this picture of the reincarnation of Guru Rinpoche. He is the head of the Bhutanese church, but currently is still young, studying in a monastery here in Bhutan. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YYKSPK5OjxlquQTkBKchNzBGWyzCUju9WwDm1BWlWEeH_v6y_Gvmo8mQUhMGH2cspPaVmVPn8XnIXMJ1EJdXA5RnsJJ0SLUrvHmPvA8GLlQpX5C8c1mWvEHqUeTzP61L07b1kouGPdM/s1600/IMG_8043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YYKSPK5OjxlquQTkBKchNzBGWyzCUju9WwDm1BWlWEeH_v6y_Gvmo8mQUhMGH2cspPaVmVPn8XnIXMJ1EJdXA5RnsJJ0SLUrvHmPvA8GLlQpX5C8c1mWvEHqUeTzP61L07b1kouGPdM/s1600/IMG_8043.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another ritual of rimdro is the fire. People burned money, prayers written on paper, nails, and hair. It is believed that burning your nails and hair in this blessed fire will bring good fortune. I didn't throw any money into the fire, but I did pluck out one of my hairs to be burned. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeDZwDnMzJKYYG9FCFy8zFa_JtaBdOErBu9tPZu8kdAT1Cu8LVf-2aq8BbGvBEJ6KEbvyP1IyppG_2GsasN8SZJlJI25P0_L5TG6P4fJNLjAJ0C4L_UU3A6JVWn6C90qDxYRVpKXWmes/s1600/IMG_8051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeDZwDnMzJKYYG9FCFy8zFa_JtaBdOErBu9tPZu8kdAT1Cu8LVf-2aq8BbGvBEJ6KEbvyP1IyppG_2GsasN8SZJlJI25P0_L5TG6P4fJNLjAJ0C4L_UU3A6JVWn6C90qDxYRVpKXWmes/s1600/IMG_8051.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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One of the monks pouring offerings into the fire. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpN0ESxQJAXXPzfaub-lOkz3e4J8spjc80kH5Nqg42SgMF248OqBDZtHw25vXgoFxM5jw3zKBTS43c-JNNro_S_sCQLcm2IsyJmgwUmsQv1LexYIOzJOBsIBTEuVdkcjCUtwtPHpeT5w/s1600/IMG_8118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMpN0ESxQJAXXPzfaub-lOkz3e4J8spjc80kH5Nqg42SgMF248OqBDZtHw25vXgoFxM5jw3zKBTS43c-JNNro_S_sCQLcm2IsyJmgwUmsQv1LexYIOzJOBsIBTEuVdkcjCUtwtPHpeT5w/s1600/IMG_8118.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The disaster management team assembling students on the basketball court after the earthquake. </div>
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Other than ema datshi, I'd say the most offered traditional food here is suja - butter tea. This is how the Bhutanese churn up the butter and salt before adding it to the tea. This is the one Bhutanese dish that I avoid if possible. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6mOjk06HO-1MC4yoLKZJqKlVDFGymxm2X8q_Zp0pT4Ch_2OLgZiIpEcsaVXfRww5mWUnq5-TjaYYg2vfDKKbGvAwvpKbasKCTtxZPbt8jUKCPjsYoK7VHse6iCBEtmtOsTYO8YrHI04/s1600/IMG_8078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6mOjk06HO-1MC4yoLKZJqKlVDFGymxm2X8q_Zp0pT4Ch_2OLgZiIpEcsaVXfRww5mWUnq5-TjaYYg2vfDKKbGvAwvpKbasKCTtxZPbt8jUKCPjsYoK7VHse6iCBEtmtOsTYO8YrHI04/s1600/IMG_8078.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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Friends and I during the rimdro. </div>
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Students here love quotes. Classrooms are full of them. </div>
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A couple cuties using all their might to turn the prayer wheel on campus. </div>
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I told you the farms are beautiful didn't I? </div>
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A glimpse down into the valley during a morning walk. </div>
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These little guys are all over right now. Caterpillars and clovers are everywhere I look. I am constantly looking down hoping to find a 4-leaf clover. So far no luck. (pun intended ;) )</div>
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<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-51192609793263894072015-04-11T02:05:00.000-07:002015-04-11T02:17:20.059-07:00Pictures & Notes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Sometimes writing these blogs is easy and there are things I know I want to say. And then other times a lot of things have happened that I could talk about, but I can't write a blog explaining them. The past two weeks have been like that.</div>
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I've realized that I have taken so many pictures since being here but I've only uploaded a few. So, since I don't have the words, I'll let the pictures talk for me. I'll even go back in time to pictures I took when I first got here to shed a little more light on my life here.<br />
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(I was just looking at this post and discovered that if you click on the pictures they actually get bigger. Who knew?? ... you probably did)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7A3D8oR1qmZBF8Fm-3wE9Teeof0v72nymi3DhWNh22D7M7ljB6TcYucJpke94bjkO4Z2fm3KmXZVuitrMueo3YYwJChNA9iWAX3ohoFvNQLcnMFA75gAro1h5QSyltLE6kn4aJHJh9Hw/s1600/IMG_6963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7A3D8oR1qmZBF8Fm-3wE9Teeof0v72nymi3DhWNh22D7M7ljB6TcYucJpke94bjkO4Z2fm3KmXZVuitrMueo3YYwJChNA9iWAX3ohoFvNQLcnMFA75gAro1h5QSyltLE6kn4aJHJh9Hw/s1600/IMG_6963.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the vegetable market in Paro. The vegetable market that I go to in Bajo looks very similar. I've gone to the vegetable market in Bajo twice now and always stock up on produce. When that runs out, I buy vegetables from Thinleygang. The vegetables in Thinleygang are not very good though and I buy just enough to hold me over until I can get into town again. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLEQpFitWq2AOEwJ3KVNw518kITf03apM6_yjksnWgWOClxowTDth253pmm9GckqTlRpNp3vwTJq6HbkiRak1jBWuBeWx50cVsvvwNiFSFrhFlEeBjkis1HYfhfTtf6cAKF3eQA2xFOU/s1600/IMG_7127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLEQpFitWq2AOEwJ3KVNw518kITf03apM6_yjksnWgWOClxowTDth253pmm9GckqTlRpNp3vwTJq6HbkiRak1jBWuBeWx50cVsvvwNiFSFrhFlEeBjkis1HYfhfTtf6cAKF3eQA2xFOU/s1600/IMG_7127.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Truck drivers here put so much effort into decorating their trucks. Some even have colorful lights that decorate their trucks for night driving. </div>
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The wood carving in the Dzongs and for many religious articles, such as alters in peoples houses, is incredibly intricate. This is a closeup of a beam in the Dzong below. </div>
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This Dzong is being built in Bumthang. Because it's still in the early stages of being built, we were able to take pictures inside. It's almost all hand carved wood. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-c1sGUksCLZBp63K0-wHR-LSR6l7MjQUvykKd6QkivVDS3xN2ZkYgWcfhZ8XOlBZ5u88KC9RgB6vKOAAwKXXNYvpZJ6-IzhexB5KrR4nuR-hyFUtFUDX1ZOpRXW9Vv9Vpt7a3mPcqR98/s1600/IMG_7675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-c1sGUksCLZBp63K0-wHR-LSR6l7MjQUvykKd6QkivVDS3xN2ZkYgWcfhZ8XOlBZ5u88KC9RgB6vKOAAwKXXNYvpZJ6-IzhexB5KrR4nuR-hyFUtFUDX1ZOpRXW9Vv9Vpt7a3mPcqR98/s1600/IMG_7675.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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The god of judgement - taken at Punakha Tshechu. On either side of him is a man dressed in all black and a man dressed in all white to signify the good and evil forces in our lives. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIg4OVzIHUw6j9lNNrv4OeMvVkWTfz9175FY2-o2-OvFaHsCPNq4j-0_qQMGphpOH8Vk6yoM2KAFtgM4z9GCmNU6V4dQIOUBNIZJiCa8a29LQDmp2IcmjcTUWnhlT5e9gz23MLWqSnEI/s1600/IMG_7622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipIg4OVzIHUw6j9lNNrv4OeMvVkWTfz9175FY2-o2-OvFaHsCPNq4j-0_qQMGphpOH8Vk6yoM2KAFtgM4z9GCmNU6V4dQIOUBNIZJiCa8a29LQDmp2IcmjcTUWnhlT5e9gz23MLWqSnEI/s1600/IMG_7622.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is one of my favorite pictures I took while in Gasa. The cows here in Bhutan always appear so forlorn - as if they don't know they are standing in arguably the most beautiful place in the world. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gg56MaHyXwLqf0bE2lG9Y97UyIkB42WQ59TjbmRpZ_rb-v0laXAig5ljRC_AT1Cs5Yw__WjDep-XKn5huejbKaN9gZGcW_0KGoBK08vnRI0U3o9O7b5gkQKRXJbOBCJX4aXRyXQIxRw/s1600/IMG_7707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gg56MaHyXwLqf0bE2lG9Y97UyIkB42WQ59TjbmRpZ_rb-v0laXAig5ljRC_AT1Cs5Yw__WjDep-XKn5huejbKaN9gZGcW_0KGoBK08vnRI0U3o9O7b5gkQKRXJbOBCJX4aXRyXQIxRw/s1600/IMG_7707.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">It finally started to rain during the past two weeks. The dust is settling and everything is becoming greener, making this place somehow more beautiful - taken from my balcony. </span></div>
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The girls and I had to stop one day on our morning walk to school to admire the monastery sitting amongst the trees and clouds. </div>
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Dechentsemo had the Minister of Education pay a visit to our school last week. I asked Dawa (far left) to borrow a ratchu - a ceremonial scarf. She asked which kira I planned to wear for the Minister's visit and then decided that I not only needed a ratchu but an entire outfit, jewelry and all. </div>
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Fellow teachers and I waiting to welcome the Minister of Education to our school. The minister talked to us about the initiatives being taken my the ministry and their 10-year plan to revamp education here in Bhutan. - more on that to come in a later post. </div>
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By the way, no one here actually smiles in pictures. So if the future pictures of me are lacking a smile, it's because I always feel like a grinning fool standing next these people. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAZu7UCihHQ6ZNULo0zMEtowGMwhdeWLgl-clck6ZZ09QSxw-oND6-61bP_712vX-ONcTejw4M8DNxAZq-3hK0nRdYm5X5fzAuNH_O0gwJikGCrjjM2TnRBZvxTxwkv_yNHJFhvZvcfk/s1600/IMG_7754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAZu7UCihHQ6ZNULo0zMEtowGMwhdeWLgl-clck6ZZ09QSxw-oND6-61bP_712vX-ONcTejw4M8DNxAZq-3hK0nRdYm5X5fzAuNH_O0gwJikGCrjjM2TnRBZvxTxwkv_yNHJFhvZvcfk/s1600/IMG_7754.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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In order to welcome the Minister, all of the teachers lined up at the school gate. The Minister's car parked just outside the gate and he walked down the line, shaking hands with all of the teachers. </div>
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Lhendup Dorji proud of his egg masterpiece on Easter Sunday. </div>
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Actually painting Easter eggs, rather than dying them, was really neat because it allowed the kids to get creative and use details. This is a mountain landscape that Kinley Pem painted on her egg. </div>
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A few finished eggs and our palette. </div>
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The kids were very excited and quite amused at the idea of painting eggs. They didn't realize until the end of the day that the eggs were hard-boiled and that they got to eat them after. </div>
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The finished product - beautiful eggs and a group of proud budding artists. </div>
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During tutoring, Tshring started playing with my hair - which I obviously encouraged. Unfortunately it turned into an entire makeover for me. </div>
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Yesterday at school, my friend Lhamo organized a student - parent debate. It was a really cool event where parents who live in our community came by to express their opinions on hot youth-related topics and the students were able to replay with their own views. </div>
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In honor of sibling day that was sometime this week, here is a picture of my family according to one of my students. Just me and my two brothers, enjoying life in our Gho's and Kira's as always. </div>
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And the farthest throwback, to Feb 3. </div>
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A few other notes that I don't have pictures of:<br />
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1. The family that owns my house had a Puja last week – or a religious gathering where family comes into town and they pray a lot, sit around and talk, and eat a lot of food. Not far off of what I would have done with my own family if I had been home for Easter, which makes their Puja perfectly timed. I was invited to join them for dinner and even joined them in some post-dinner traditional dancing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Sam Blyth and a group of BCF’ers and other Canadians also paid Thinleygang a visit. I actually heard the sentence, “Ah Kalamazoo, I know right where that is. It’s not far from my friends who live in Michigan.” WOAH BABY. Someone here in Bhutan who knows my hometown? I was able to show them around school in the morning and have an incredible dinner with them Saturday night. - - - shout out to Sam, Andrea, and everyone at BCF for making this possible <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. I bought my first <b>real</b> kira – no hooks or Velcro for this girl. </div>
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4. And, finally, life goes on. My next goal while here is to immerse myself in my community as much as possible and be more present.</div>
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Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-22903649334469771262015-03-21T01:55:00.000-07:002015-03-21T01:55:29.971-07:00School<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Times;">If there is one lesson that I have learned over the
last three weeks, it is how to be patient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">I’ve been meaning to write a post about how school
is going, but I think I’m still figuring it out myself. The third week of
school is now behind me and I feel like I still have a lot to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Out of 7 periods in a day, I only have 3-4 classes,
and 3-4 free periods. This is a huge difference from the US and has allowed me
to do all of my planning and grading at school. Awesome right? I have thirty students
in each class, give or take a few, and after being told that I would probably
have closer to forty, I feel lucky with that number.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBepX2FmBWL64SIvDskvGLcQzA_Pt0cXnZgljYe3hSw_f3W_CijJDIJsZ2xR5r3pDgkhCly3cDa11Y5IgX1IJmTFLwV6uEAhwbirBckA_Z0XBH-8TFrrvq__wph8bfF8QCTLAlPCo9tDA/s1600/IMG_7690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBepX2FmBWL64SIvDskvGLcQzA_Pt0cXnZgljYe3hSw_f3W_CijJDIJsZ2xR5r3pDgkhCly3cDa11Y5IgX1IJmTFLwV6uEAhwbirBckA_Z0XBH-8TFrrvq__wph8bfF8QCTLAlPCo9tDA/s1600/IMG_7690.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The assembly ground and some classroom buildings. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">As a teacher, my first job is to get through the
syllabus. Fifty percent of the students’ final grade comes from two
standardized tests, the mid-term exam and the annual exam. The exam material
comes directly from the class IV textbook. Going through the text prior to
teaching any classes, I wondered how the students would measure up to the
curriculum. I quickly found out that most of my students are far behind where
the government expects them to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">My first week of teaching was quite frustrating. I
thought I was doing a good job of speaking slowly and clearly, but when I asked
a student if the other kids understand me, she said “no mam” and laughed a
little. Okay so I knew I had to reevaluate the way that I was speaking. Even
when trying to discipline, I found that students don’t exactly understand what
I am saying and that it is completely ineffective. To be fair, there are a few
students in each class who are more proficient in English and help to translate
for their peers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Another frustration that I faced the first week or
so of teaching is the lack of focus and attention that the students display. I
would ask students to discuss questions with their partners, or jot down their
own ideas on paper before sharing with the class. As soon as I stopped giving
instructions, they would start talking to others around the room and playing
with rubber bands or ink cartridges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">It took about a week and a half for me to realize
that most of the confusion and frustration is my own fault. I walked into class
expecting students to mostly understand me, follow directions, and at least try
activities, even if it was an exercise that they had never done before. Well
that didn’t happen, so I looked at the little things that <i>were</i> working.
I’ve noticed that my students are engaged when we do choral or echo reading
(reading together as a whole class) or when I ask them to copy off of the
board. These are tasks that they are familiar with and tasks that do not
require them to understand my accented English.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">I may not believe that exercises such as these are
the best way for me to teach, but I need to backtrack and start teaching that way
if it’s the way that my students learn. I definitely plan to begin to <i>slowly
</i>implement change in my teaching methods and begin to incorporate new
strategies and exercises, but I need to be patient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The assembly ground during a passing period. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Has it only been three weeks that I’ve been
teaching? It feels like so many more. Getting my students to where I want them
to be is a process, and I need to be patient with the process – easier said
than done I’ve found.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">It has really surprised me that classroom
management is my biggest struggle. I thought that the combination of CPS and
Kellogg elementary experience would have prepared me to effectively discipline,
even younger students. Today, on our walk home, I had a student tell me,
“outside teachers never want to beat the students, but sometimes they need a
good beating”. I couldn’t help but secretly admit that I agreed with that
;) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">But the reality is that I will never hit a student.
My students know this and take advantage of it. I am working out different
positive reinforcement plans and slowly trying to train my students to behave
even if I don’t have a stick in my hand. Another process I will have to be
patient with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hanging metal ring is our school bell. Someone rings it to signal the end/start of each period. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Other than school, life here is busy! I now have
jogging partners and we go at 6:00am every morning. After school, I tutor a number
of kids (right now it’s four but the number continues to rise) for an hour or
two, Monday-Friday. By the time we are done I have just enough time to make
dinner, do some cleaning (because I’m constantly making things dirty it seems),
and read or journal a little before bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">I was slowed down a little this week with a cold
that is going around school. I had to remind myself – and be reminded by more
than one friend – that it’s okay to skip certain responsibilities like jogging
and tutoring, and to get the rest that my body needs. As it always does, being
sick brought on the craving for the comforts of home. I had my first <i>real</i>
yearning for home food, home showers, and my home bed. Like everything though,
that too has passed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Although I’ve found my much-anticipated routine, small things continue
to change. I wonder when, or if, I’ll ever feel totally settled. But then this
is a process too, isn’t it? Patience, and finding peace in the process, will
help me to continue to feel happy here. That, and the occasional glass of
whisky with fellow teachers after school to take the edge off </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrSEazCa9JXW9tQt9zudLMJOZgI1kOWxDwx9qSEA_8URfDGfa7a1C__8Os71cSD5VyzwdRBm2ZeRLz9RzOBFb8BfFYGYYHkP2tYhc59Hk3h9JrKH2MP0Wrq9-8le7xo3FQ8NLE4pmrY8/s1600/IMG_7684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglrSEazCa9JXW9tQt9zudLMJOZgI1kOWxDwx9qSEA_8URfDGfa7a1C__8Os71cSD5VyzwdRBm2ZeRLz9RzOBFb8BfFYGYYHkP2tYhc59Hk3h9JrKH2MP0Wrq9-8le7xo3FQ8NLE4pmrY8/s1600/IMG_7684.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My crazy class 4A students. </td></tr>
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Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-17672710171637654162015-03-04T06:52:00.000-08:002015-03-04T06:55:52.049-08:00Another One Of Dylan's Videos Incase you missed it on Facebook, Dylan has created another video of our trip across Bhutan.<br />
<br />
Watching it reminds me how incredible these people are and how beautiful this country is.<br />
<br />
Enjoy :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/Vri25aQyAaY?list=UUviCJGk6cZEOp_87oitXo7g" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/Vri25aQyAaY?list=UUviCJGk6cZEOp_87oitXo7g</a><br />
<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-37606387173626771422015-03-01T01:50:00.000-08:002015-03-01T01:55:49.167-08:00Holidays <div class="MsoNormal">
The past two weeks have been filled with celebrations and
trips and friends and festivals and hikes and books and naps. I'm really living the good life here :) We have had such
an irregular start to our school year because of holidays that happen to fall
back to back here in Punakha. Frist was Losar (the New Year), followed the
king’s birthday, and then a religious festival called Tshechu. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We did have two and a half days with
students at school, however no classes were taught. The days were filled with
organizing students into class sections, cleaning the school grounds (which the
students did while I was told to “supervise”), and distributing textbooks. We
also had a lot of free time and spent it having tea with my 8<sup>th</sup>
grade girls, discussing differences between life for my students here in Bhutan
and students in the U.S., and many lessons for me in Dzongkha. School was let out on Wednesday, not to
resume until the 2<sup>nd</sup> of March, which meant that I was faced with 11
days of no school and no plans. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only time that I really socialize
with others in my community is during school. So I knew I had to go out of my
comfort zone and make a point to go visit people. I've had many colleagues say
things such as “come over for tea sometime during the holiday”. And in my head I respond with, when is
sometime? What if I come over and I’m interrupting something? What do people
even do here in their free time?? In the end I did manage to get myself out of my
hermit hole and was rewarded with successful social interaction!
One time I tried to go help a fellow teacher from school who was moving houses. But instead of allowing me to help, she sat me down in the sun with a book and
made me tea. It’s not what I intended, but it was a good start! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the King’s birthday, I went with
my principal and a busload of students from my school to a celebration and an
exhibition of reading programs that schools are implementing. The celebration
happens every year and our students prepared cultural dances to preform for
head officials in our district and spectators. The exhibition of reading
programs, however, was new. The King has declared 2015 as “Reading Year” so
each school is meant to develop a new program that will foster good reading
habits and a love of reading in the students. I was sent with the principal as
a representative of the group of three teachers that are responsible for
developing Dechentsemo’s reading program.
(If I haven’t already mentioned it, Dechentsemo is the name of my
school). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHYRvvPmEeyFwUKxskLz4v7raM4hArOweQ9qxCTsCVedCsJlsDZIl5mEyf4V7U1x62nzbtxE5a2AnMKF4zSlWkZJxzRXYqu4vh8fsreIm68jKJaGyzUtv2AXfxyk5bupwZ7sSq98LaIo/s1600/IMG_7539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHYRvvPmEeyFwUKxskLz4v7raM4hArOweQ9qxCTsCVedCsJlsDZIl5mEyf4V7U1x62nzbtxE5a2AnMKF4zSlWkZJxzRXYqu4vh8fsreIm68jKJaGyzUtv2AXfxyk5bupwZ7sSq98LaIo/s1600/IMG_7539.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students from Dechentsemo handing the Ministry of Education officials pamphlets and explaining our reading program. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along with students, the celebration also had professional masked dancers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys from Dechentsemo performing their dance. </td></tr>
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I also got together a good amount with fellow BCF teachers over the holiday. One friend, Dylan, was in town to photograph a marathon and he took me on his borrowed motorbike to Sebastian’s place on the other side of the valley. The biggest morale booster that I've experienced sine being here is getting together with friends who are going through the same thing and with whom there is no language barrier. Sebastian and I also took a trip up to Gasa to visit the hot springs and the Gasa Dzong. Gasa is north of Punakha, and significantly colder. The hot springs were lovely, and the view of the surrounding mountains even better.</div>
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I have never been so ill prepared for a trip as I was when we left for Gasa. I naïvely assumed that the Gasa hot springs were probably a tourist destination and being such, would have accommodations that tourists would be used to. Luckily, while trying to catch a ride to meet Sebastian and leave in our arranged taxi, my principal picked me up and discovered that we had not brought bedding, food, or anything to cook our nonexistent food on. He made a couple quick calls and we found ourselves stopping on the way to pick up a rug and sleeping bags from my principal’s brother who teaches at a school that’s on the road to Gasa. Then, once there, he hooked us up with his wife and children who also happen to be vacationing in Gasa so that they could cook for us. The guest houses where vacationers stay were booked up, but by a stroke of luck, the manger had some cancellations, or a miscalculation, or maybe it was the deities of Bhutan looking out for us, but he found an empty room for us to stay in. We made friends who drove us in the back of their pickup truck to the Dzong and who cooked us lunch and dinner the second day. If it hadn’t been for the incredible hospitality of the Bhutanese, we probably would have ended up sleeping under the stars in our clothes and surviving off of crackers and oranges.</div>
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That being said, I never felt stressed during the trip. Although I’ve experienced a rollercoaster of emotions since being here, stress is not one of them. The couple of times that I have started to feel stressed or frustrated with situations, I realize that I feel even more out of place because no one around me is stressed.</div>
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For now I’m off to PunakhaTshechu and will probably have pictures from it next time I blog <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Gasa guest houses where we stayed. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room inside the guest house. Thank goodness for the borrowed run and sleeping bags! </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The man who gave us a ride back to Punakha from Gasa, me, and Sebastian in front of Gasa Dzong. Although now used for administration offices and monasteries, Dzongs were originally built as fortresses. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkVTRuVb7yIkSUad8UVyJ4HKPrgdiCMoSEJzqzecAGRkIfTwryu-ODshWhKS_nrwu48Pi8oOIMP97tSWrpUfQbAi0qPMB1mw14rw84iTKWsEIqJL6H7gIkq5QkgYRHJIlk0XpP0t-wns/s1600/IMG_7423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdkVTRuVb7yIkSUad8UVyJ4HKPrgdiCMoSEJzqzecAGRkIfTwryu-ODshWhKS_nrwu48Pi8oOIMP97tSWrpUfQbAi0qPMB1mw14rw84iTKWsEIqJL6H7gIkq5QkgYRHJIlk0XpP0t-wns/s1600/IMG_7423.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My village of Thinleygang! Taken on one of my hikes. I live in the big pink building on the left. </td></tr>
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<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-28827083411798895062015-02-15T00:57:00.000-08:002015-02-15T00:57:07.076-08:00Kuzuzanpo! Kuzuzanpo! Hello!<br />
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Turns out that it’s not easy to find internet in this country. I have a data stick that is supposed to connect my computer to the limited 3G network, but so far no luck with that. I’m writing this from a nearby town, Bajo, which has an internet café where I am able to connect. It's funny, when I came to Bhutan I was looking to get away from the internet, but I didn't realize at the time that it would be my only practical form of communication with anyone back home.<br />
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I am finally at my school and moved into my apartment! And even better, the students come tomorrow!! I live above a general store and a restaurant. I have one room, a bathroom and a balcony. It is the perfect amount of space for me to live alone in. Since my last blog, I have spent about ten days in Thimphu and four days traveling halfway across the country.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOffLRlvqSw1Sbv2kzwAwcfc3ILmx3nQ4m5LDMcvo11MHqMdsEMxGAzysuMNTV2U-yieGKseXJOQ-ctBYscXjlF-6dr0OdMNe8uJJDDlwQXLcOwDn7kq89ykCA_O2yxi2n5VzXfEdF_KE/s1600/IMG_7409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOffLRlvqSw1Sbv2kzwAwcfc3ILmx3nQ4m5LDMcvo11MHqMdsEMxGAzysuMNTV2U-yieGKseXJOQ-ctBYscXjlF-6dr0OdMNe8uJJDDlwQXLcOwDn7kq89ykCA_O2yxi2n5VzXfEdF_KE/s1600/IMG_7409.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Does the mess surprise you? I plan to buy baskets to put some of my clothes in because right now I’m still living out of my suitcase. The bathroom is a tease in the sense that it has a showerhead and a sink but neither work. There is a spicket (just above the wet spot on the ground) that I use to fill up buckets to do all my dishes, laundry, showers, etc.</div>
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Thimphu was a fun, yet teasing way to start my time in Bhutan. The sixteen other teachers and I all bonded very quickly. Two weeks in a foreign country can be a long time – long enough for things to start to feel familiar and somewhat normal. This Bhutan that had started to feel normal was Bhutan with my 16 foreign friends. Reality came hard and fast now that I’m settled in Thinleygang and not going to see most of the teachers until July at the earliest. However, there are two teachers within 2-3 hours from me that I plan to see before then. I realize that soon enough life in Thinleygang will normalize; I’ll make friends, and I’ll find a routine. But right now everything is new and life here is somewhat intimidating.<br />
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Highlights from my time in Thimphu include playing soccer with some local Bhutanese friends, hiking up to Buddha Dordenma, taking a hike up to a monastery through a crazy awesome alpine forest, visiting the Takin reserve, and nightly discussing with the other teachers if we should go out for Indian food, Bhutanese, or pizza for dinner. Most of what I’m eating consists of rice, veggies, ema datse (the national dish made of chilies and cheese) and lots and lots of tea.<br />
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The Thimphu valley, detail of one of the buildings in Thimphu (with an adorable kid yelling out the window, “Chilip hiiiiii chilip” – chilip is the Dzongkha word for foreigner) And our three buses packed to the brim with gas cylinders, stoves, mini fridges, and more buckets than you could ever imagine.</div>
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We left Thimphu early on Thursday morning and drove to Punakha. My school was first on the way, but after dropping my stuff off, I continued on with the group to Bumthang. The roads in Bhutan are incredible. I have had my breath taken away – both from fright of falling off the road as well as from the beauty of the views and mountain passes. Within a matter of hours we travel from tropical climates with monkeys to the top of mountain passes with snow and frozen prayer flags. My village is somewhere in between these two extremes. No snow, but cold enough to need a good jacket and warm clothes in the winter. I traveled as far as Bumthang, which is in the middle of the country before turning around with two fellow teachers also heading back west.<br />
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Some views from the drive East. The Dochu La pass (both mountains and clouds are visible), the Pele La pass with icy trees and frozen prayer flags, and a shot out the window of the bus as we drove down the road.</div>
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I have completed one week of being a civil servant for the Bhutanese government, and I’m not sure that I have completed very much. This is largely due to the language barrier. The first week was filled with meetings for the teachers only. Things like who is teaching which classes, school rules and policy, figuring out roles such as matron, club leaders, staff secretary, and more were figured out during these meetings. 90% of the meetings were in Dzongkha, which meant that I sat and looked alert and interested despite the fact that I only had a vague idea of what was being talked about. The process to figure out who is teaching which class involved teachers arguing all morning and finally coming to a solution in which most of the teachers compromised and were not entirely thrilled about their assignments. This is partly due to the fact that my school has become a central school this year. This means that the primary school and secondary schools are combined under one principal. It also means that suddenly there are 45 teachers in the school (a massive number) and each teacher could potentially teach any grade pre-primary to grade 10. I believe one teacher even has one section grade 10, one section grade 3, and one section grade 1. What a handful! Anyway, throughout the process my class assignment changed many times, starting with grade 9 English and ending up with grade 4 English. I raised my concerns about the fact that I am not necessarily trained to teach grade 4 and that I have no experience there, but this did not deter the principal and other teachers from thinking it was a fine idea.<br />
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On top of grade 4 English, I am leading the literary club for the secondary students, and helping to plan and implement the school-wide and yearlong reading program for our school. This last project I am especially excited about. Two other teachers and I are working on implementing 15 min of school wide reading every Wednesday morning, competitions between classes to read and review the most books, guest readers, literary festivals, etc.<br />
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School officially starts tomorrow. I have never seen the class 4 curriculum, and I have absolutely no idea which building my rooms are in. I am not worried though; I have heard that there is a very slow start to the school year. This year will be especially slow due to the New Year holiday and the king’s birthday celebration.<br />
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I feel so privileged to be in this country. Everyday I am more amazed by the landscape, the people, and the animals. I am also learning more and more each day. Among many other things I am learning how to put my Kira on properly, how to cook using a pressure cooker, how to hitchhike, and how to speak a little bit of Dzongkha. I’m also learning about the power of my space heater and how to avoid leaving my wool leggings to close.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAl7VhxeAbYixISZiigdIUiwDPCft_2IeCQPhVpSrl1dX-Sa4o_zIWfMk3lZnSz9xP6fTqUxV8IdQL1evt0iZ6155Ud8VW0zuexHEnhnHC8JcQIWUdnkKB4i_sliWtmYu6fO64ZFpzBkc/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAl7VhxeAbYixISZiigdIUiwDPCft_2IeCQPhVpSrl1dX-Sa4o_zIWfMk3lZnSz9xP6fTqUxV8IdQL1evt0iZ6155Ud8VW0zuexHEnhnHC8JcQIWUdnkKB4i_sliWtmYu6fO64ZFpzBkc/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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The patch that I had to sew after burning a hole right on the butt cheek of my wool leggings – such an essential piece of clothing too! Actually somewhat of an ironic picture because they are right next to the space heater that is the hole-burning culprit. Although this time it was turned off! And, for your viewing pleasure, a picture of how I felt after spending 25 minuets trying to pin my Tago and Wanju (the pieces that make up the jacket) although I did get it eventually and I’m getting better every day …living alone makes you do weird things like taking selfies at 8am.</div>
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Until next time readers –<br />
<br /><br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-82018249594518729232015-01-30T13:18:00.000-08:002015-01-30T13:18:41.752-08:00Dylan's VideoDylan, husband to BCF teacher Megan, is a professional photographer and made a video of our arrival in Bhutan. My hand makes a cameo at the end with the puppy :) This should give a better idea of who I'm with and what I'm experiencing.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmWJKgxnZ8s&feature=youtu.be">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmWJKgxnZ8s&feature=youtu.be</a><br />
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<br />Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-78127086894871410472015-01-29T17:11:00.004-08:002015-01-29T17:11:56.218-08:00I'm Alive And In Bhutan! <br />
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I haven’t written much here, but I want to get my first post
published in the hopes that I’ll be able to begin to make a habit of blogging. Everything
is different, and there is so much I could say, I’m not sure exactly what to
blog about or even how to describe it. Today is my <strike>fourth fifth</strike> sixth day in Bhutan and
everything still feels surreal (I wrote this a few days ago but haven't had internet to post it). Of course I must start somewhere so I’ll begin
at the beginning with my flight into Bhutan. On the flight we had the most
stunning view of the Himalayas, specifically Mt. Everest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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At the time, I expected that to be somewhat of a general
highlight of coming to Bhutan. I never thought I would see Mt. Everest in my
life and it was a wonderful surprise. I realized pretty quickly once we landed,
however, that beautiful mountains and hills would not just be a
scenic view from the plane but that they would be my view for the next year. It's not often that places end up being exactly the way you imagine them to be from pictures and internet hype, but so far Bhutan has done exactly that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We (the 16 fellow BCF teachers and I) are now in the capital
city of Thimphu for the next 7 days while we attend an orientation with the
Bhutan Canada Foundation and representatives from the Ministry of Education.
The first two days have been filled with contract signing, informational
sessions about school, life, and culture here in Bhutan, and shopping. I bought
the material for my first kira today (the national dress that I will wear to
school everyday), but I’ll have to wait for the tailor to finish with it before
I can post a picture. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There are many other things that I should talk about, but at
the moment, I can’t find the words. There are also still many unknowns for me.
We will hope that by the end of next week I might have more of the answers. I’ll
post some pictures with descriptions and hope that they will suffice for now. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui2IIeTKKmz8UYi4WKFD7Ybz-QK-6xlZBs8bGtO_40IfoLlPbPMegnp7uZ6H52t1xJGLAlx4cEbLKqdOJLyCIoyVD369xRrEHqBqhiGJ7DLByIqNXRqXQxX7Qvwt93kbMceCFL5dLO4I/s1600/IMG_6954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhui2IIeTKKmz8UYi4WKFD7Ybz-QK-6xlZBs8bGtO_40IfoLlPbPMegnp7uZ6H52t1xJGLAlx4cEbLKqdOJLyCIoyVD369xRrEHqBqhiGJ7DLByIqNXRqXQxX7Qvwt93kbMceCFL5dLO4I/s1600/IMG_6954.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our hotel building in Paro. All of the architecture in Bhutan mirrors this. The incredible details on the buildings are all painted by hand. There are two vocational schools in Bhutan for students to learn to paint buildings like this one. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hills in the Paro valley, where we spend our first two days.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rice fields in the Paro valley. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the piles of chilies in the market. Chilies are served in one form or another with almost every meal. I avoid them :) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNU5fdGe3CXTQfxG3A91v3LFDmeQBjSUQQ8Lb3aKyNQcTEgml8z_Uhuy4gjcCp__aL24bVOOhpd_Dr944EvyfaUXgUaL2RdGjdg5Hyl0Dx3UwSt-GJop8qjWspvQjFFmUBT1AabHCtC2s/s1600/IMG_6971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNU5fdGe3CXTQfxG3A91v3LFDmeQBjSUQQ8Lb3aKyNQcTEgml8z_Uhuy4gjcCp__aL24bVOOhpd_Dr944EvyfaUXgUaL2RdGjdg5Hyl0Dx3UwSt-GJop8qjWspvQjFFmUBT1AabHCtC2s/s1600/IMG_6971.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping dogs - they're everywhere! And so cute, not how you would imagine wild dogs. For the most part they look healthy and happy and are nice to people. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihamByQ6N8IoEGhrySYctUozvPlv2XW0-s0k94nmzyoMK5LfTWL8Qei9Omk0TSaZIwp4v6TW4HJ2T6XqRDUzm7p115byiYm9tc-ddjl36c4q0MkB84nEgeqDo_Vcxzgi5P7AG3JNsJXz0/s1600/IMG_7006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihamByQ6N8IoEGhrySYctUozvPlv2XW0-s0k94nmzyoMK5LfTWL8Qei9Omk0TSaZIwp4v6TW4HJ2T6XqRDUzm7p115byiYm9tc-ddjl36c4q0MkB84nEgeqDo_Vcxzgi5P7AG3JNsJXz0/s1600/IMG_7006.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puppies!!<br />
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Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14275601942168063.post-30424768976121509442014-12-14T18:03:00.002-08:002014-12-14T18:03:48.362-08:00Test PostTesting Testing. This is a test post to see what posts will look like on my blog.<br />
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yadda yadda yadda.<br />
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<a href="http://www.google.com/">www.google.com</a><br />
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:)Cat OBrienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01302234354652323395noreply@blogger.com1