HR in Prince Edward Island

Ok.  so it is not as exotic as Bhutan perhaps, but it is Canadian.  I flew to Halifax with Mom, stayed at her sister, Linda's for a few nights, then flew here. So I have some photos of eating lobster at Linda's - the first is a napkin ring and that is what Mom is holding in the second photo too.  Mom and I visited Peggys'Cove and Margaret's Bay and put our feet in the freezing cold water.  We had a yummy seafood chowder and salad, before going to see Linda's choir sing.  With a choir from.... Salt Spring Island BC.  Small world?  Not so - the country is huge and it took forever to fly here.  I cannot imagine driving or riding a bike across the whole country!

The Lobster Trap 

The Lobster

Now I am in Charlottetown.  I have had a meeting with the department, set up my classroom for Monday morning and think I am ready to teach.

I have been riding on the Confederation trail, oh right .... I brought my bike in bike luggage and actually managed to put it together.  For one reason or another I could not get the brakes properly set up so wandered down the road pushing my bike and found a bike shop.  They fixed her up very quickly and now I am pedalling everywhere.  

Yesterday I was out and about and kept riding across a bridge to Stratford, then along the shore to a wee beach.  Red sand.  Very red sand.  I know it looks a bit brown in the photo, but really it is red. 

Today I rode to a yoga class, then along the Confederation trail.  

I am living in a university residence- with a full kitchen and 2 bedrooms.  Kitchen supplies are limited, so I bought a bowl at Value Village.  Luckily we do not have that store in Nelson as I would be there all of the time.  

PEI.... my impressions.  Well when I got off the plane it felt awfully flat.  It is still very flat.  Which is great for zooming around on the bike.  I cannot believe how much of a small town person I am.  The Bulk Barn and the Superstore and Sobey's just about did me in.  So big, overwhelming and so much stuff.  And more stuff next door to each of the stores.  Luckily for me there is a Farmers Market across the road from my residence on Saturday and Wednesday.  Yummy yummy food and loads of greens.  Strawberries are just starting here so I can barely wait for Wednesday. 

The bowl: 

   

Flying into the smoke

The smoke was denting as we flew closer to home from Vancouver.  Here are some photos. It was even denser in Castlegar, but the (female) pilots did a great job of the scariest landing I have had. 

The Takin Reserve

There is a reserve in Thimphu for rescued animals. The first photo is of a takin, the national animal. Everyone says they are lazy looking. They do seem to move slowly. The young ones were running and jumping and chasing and wrestling. They remind me of the Bhutanese people, slow, steady, strong, fierce looking and resilient. Although the people are not as unfortunate looking as the takin. The second picture is of a barking deer and 2 goats. 

Paper factory

Traditionally paper is made from the daphne plant. Here from white daphne, in the past from black daphne. 

Leaving Bhutan . . . Again

I am actually in the air nearing Taipai.  I left Bhutan on the 22nd of August and spent a night in Bangkok.

After Chukha we had a day in Thimphu. The Mountain Echoes Literary Festival is a big event for writers, both Bhutanese and other.  Actually I get the feeling that it is a lot of work for the Bhutanese.  There are speakers, book launches, films, performances and art.  On Saturday morning we went to a book launch. A very interesting book by Serena Chopra. She began photographing Bhutanese in 2003 in remote areas of the country. She spent  about 6 years travelling and taking black and white film photos with her Hassleblad camera. It sounds as though she made a personal spiritual journey through that time also.  She met the Queen Mother unknowingly at first as Serena was a business woman and was shutting her company and donating goods. She came across the Tarayana Foundation which was created by Her Majesty and donated a lot of household goods.  A book of her photos was published, but another publisher asked her to create a bigger book with text from her journals.  The three women were on stage, talking about the book, the process and the Bhutanese. The first edition was presented to the Prime Minister. Those of you who have been in Bhutan will be able to imagine and picture the ceremony and simplicity combined of such an event. Lots of standing and sitting and standing again as officials and royalty enter, stand and sit. 

Foggy Chukha

Visit to Chukha

On Wednesday night 4 of the 5 volunteer teachers travelled to Paro. We stayed at the Gamgtey palace. I had the room where Andrea and I first stayed in 2013 and the couple that was with us had the beautiful corner room that Rob and I were lucky to have before he flew out. 

The other teachers were headed up Tak Sang on Thursday morning. 

At 6:45 am Palden and I got on a bus that was headed to Samtse, and rolled down the foggy road to Tshimilakha. Luckily the fog lifted enough to be able to have a good view. We got off at the zero point and did the walk up to town that we did together so many times in 2013. We were both nervous and excited as we were surprising our old Chukha high school friends. Well the effect was overwhelming. My face is still sore from the enormous grin I had all day. First in the village, then I went alone to the staff room while Palden waited for Chimi Pem to get her a Kira. The look on teacher's faces when they saw me was heartwarming. We had tea, then my class 9 students gathered around. I also visited them in their classes and chatted. 

Anju planned to have Palden and I for lunch, but the women all wanted to hang out so we went to a new hotel in the bazaar for fried rice. Then to homes to visit the babies. I did not have time to return to the school for more visits and photos of the students, which I regret. The fog closed in and we took a bus to Thimphu. Passang, the BCF driver, called and the gang met me at Chuzom, which was awesome because Palden and I had time to say good bye. I have so many rich memories of my year at CHSS - it was a wonderful day.