Bhutan

2 fast-pased weeks in Bhutan!

Bhutan is good, but because it's in Asia, it's wierd...
It was good to see my friend Cheku from TAMU. He and his well connected friends (one other went to a&m, too) took me to an awesome fortress 2 hours away at the confluence of 2 rivers, and out to an expensive restaurant where we drank several beers and carried on. It was fun. Another friend of his was single and he took me out to dinner on a date (been a while!), which was fun and wierd. Men wear the traditional Gho, so I was in pants, and he was in a kilt/skirt/jeddi robe (women wear a "Kira", kind of like a 2 piece kimmono). Bhutanese men have nervousness. The guy works for an NGO as kind of an urban planner, on water, sanitation and poverty reduction projects. It was nice to click with him, albeit for a short durration. I also think maybe romance and such is largely a Western concept.

I also spent an afternoon with Cheku and his 2 visitors from the World Bank, here on a poverty reduction tour. We picked them up at their hotel, the fanciest in Thimphu, at $300 a night. I had to tape my mouth shut.

Otherwise, for the first week, I spent time at home with my friend's wife, 2 kids and awesome Nanny, Pema. It felt good to sleep in the same house for longer than 2 nights in a row! Pema never goes out, since she started as the Nanny 9 months ago when the baby was born, so I took her and the baby to town. I bought her some things (a watch, tampons, paper, pens, fleece sweatshirt...) And some yarn. I taught her how to crochet and she really ran with it! Now when she's stuck at home, she can make stuff. It's cold here, even in May, and June is monsoon. It's like Oregon, never hot I guess. I feel bad for Pema, they never give her time off, or let her use the computer. I set her up with gmail and facebook, took and uploaded photos for her. She didn't even know how to use the mouse or scroll down on a page. She's 18! Her English is decent, which is remarkable. She's a cousin from a remote village and they send her family money, in lieu of paying her directly. I suggested she ask politely for a small allowance, and for a second set of everyday clothes, ask Cheku to teach her more on the computer, teach her how to drive, etc. She is very shy and lacking in confidence, poor dear.

Town is cool. Clean, polite, awesome buildings. Stray dogs are calmer because they wear themselves out barking all night. Lots of drunk but harmless men (alcohol is a problem, like w/ native americans), but only on Sunday.

I've been to a second house, also belonging to college educated government officials, and both don't have: water all the time, hot water heaters that work, a washing machine (that works), an oven, a working bath/shower, a table and chairs for meals, or heat.
There are lots of buckets, scoops, heating elements that dangle in buckets to make hot water, huge plastic basins full of wet dirty laundry and detergent, wet bathroom floors. When a big blanket gets washed, it is placed in a heap on the toilet so it can drip before hung outside on the line. Kids bathe once a week. Drinking water has to be boiled.
I'm surprised I didn't get sick.
I'm looking forward to comming home, doing laundry in a machine, getting a running water hot shower (not just a washcloth wipe down).

I went all the way to the East side of Bhutan by bus over several days. I saw gorgeous mountain scenery. I visited some of Cheku's friends in Trongsa, a hillside town with a huge Dzhong and middieval type tower museum. I went on a day hike down to the river an up on the other side to the Dzhong viewing area. I visited a town called Bumthang, which reminds me of Alaskan village (tv show Northern Exposure). I got a ride from a Monk all the way to Mongar, a cute remote town with a big soccer festival for children the day I was there.

A common mural near building and home entrances is an ejaculating fallis. I think it represents a hearty welcome and perhaps stamina. Wow.