Singing and letter writing

We sang Row row row your boat and had so much fun.  I also did 5 green and speckled frogs with one group.  You have to remember how well I sing . . . tune is not in my vocal vocabulary. 

Today I had them writing letters to unnamed Canadian students.  Patti Humphries' students wrote to mine last April, but I have had no way for the students to look at the letters.  The computer lab has been closed for months because the lab assistant worked as an Elections Officer.  The printers have not been accessible, and we can only print or photocopy 5 or 10 copies anyways.  So I bought a printer, printed out the 30 letters or so . . . and the students went wild!  They are so keen to write letters to Canadian students.  Even my lazy, not interested, do not work and sit at the back of the class types have thrown themselves into this assignment with fervour. 

If anyone wants a pen pal, I have lots!!  Although they are in grade 9, their ages range from 14 to 20.  Some started late or missed years due to family situations or illness. Drop me a line and I will send letters to you or your students! 

Basketball Photos

Add caption

Not all photos come up when I look at this blog post - click on Read More.


THANKS TO VAL GIBSON.  The MVP of the tournament received an LV Rogers jersey, which is miles too big but the kids say when he gets married, his wife can wear it when she is pregnant. 

CHSS MARATHON

On Saturday morning we had to report at 6:15 am.  The school marathon takes precedence over Saturday classes.  Girls are to run 8km and the boys 16km.

I woke up at 5:30 and  looked out the window to see a boy up a tree hanging a large START / FINISH banner.  About 3 to 4 hundred of the 750 students ran. They get points for their house if they finish the race.  Teachers spread out over the race course with "school seals" or what I would call stamps.  As the students run past we stamp their body to prove they have not taken a short cut.  We also had buckets of water and scoops to dump on the hot kids as they ran by and glucose powder for the students to eat. 

Akari ran the 8K 

Class 9 girls at the ready 

THE SEAL 

All this with one week's practising!!  The students run hard and most of them finish the race.  The last two kilometres are uphill.  Do not forget that the school is at 2400 metres elevation.  It was a beautiful morning and perhaps too hot for the runners.  I was in the shade and enjoyed it all.  Refreshments afterward for one and all, and a fun social event. 

Colurful shoes and laces - girls 

A woman doing her morning dishes 

Teachers Sangay Palden and RN Batterchargee at the ready

In the afternoon Class 11 Arts had organized a basketball tournament.  Each grade or class could field a team.  The teachers (male staff) and Training Practice teachers each had a team.  I sat in the sun watching until the clouds rolled in and it poured rain.  The teachers are good basketball players and one is almost like a Harlem Globetrotter;  funny moves and very entertaining. 

This morning it was sunny again so Palden and I waked for over 2 hours to the old Dzong and back.  A spot that is  along the road, that I wanted to get to.  I would have gone down the mountain to the river and the dam, but that would have been another few hours.   We got back to cloudy weather so I marked student writing.

My next door neighbours were having a puja, five monks drumming and chanting all day beside me.  Horns too.  Lots of incense and juniper gets burnt to cleanse for the coming year. 

The power went out in the night and has not come back on all day.  The children have been in the streets playing all day, due to two factors:  power out means no television, and it was a beautiful summer morning.  It is unusual for the power to fail for this long here.  It usually comes back on within 20 minutes after a lightening strike and sometimes goes out for a scheduled 2 hours of maintenance.  Today they do not know why it went out so there is no telling how long it will take to repair.  I know that my colleagues in the east can be without power for days and weeks on end.  I have very little charge left on both my phone and computer. Of course no contact with Canada and I think both Jon and Andrea are at home in Nelson this weekend :- ( 

PS.  Power back after a day and a half.  Jon did not arrive in Nelson so I did not miss any great connections : - )

The (not so) famous spelling quiz

 As part of the literary committee's schedule for the year there is a spelling quiz.  Each class sends one representative resulting in 18 participants.  The Multipurpose Hall is full.  All of the teachers and students are sitting excitedly in the stands.  Boys on one side, girls on the other side of the hall. 

Round one - spell 2 of 3 words correctly to move to the second round.  My class 9B student was brilliant had had a huge round of applause.  

Round two- one word knock out.  He made a mistake and was eliminated.  

Round three- unscramble a word on the screen. 
Round four- make as many words from one word as possible- like Boggle, a game we play furiously at home. 

All this to much cheering, spelling aloud in the audience, clapping and a general fervour that I cannot imagine at home. 

Bir May 9D

The following three photos are the class representatives from my three grade 9 classes.   The selection represents the wide age range in my classrooms:  from 14 to at least 20.  Students who are older either started school late in the villages, missed school because of illness (very common) or repeated more than once. 

Ganga Ram 9B

Tshering Jorden  9C

Life as we know it

I remember this time last year, although it is a lifetime away, reading the blog posts of Bhutanese teachers like myself.  I was annoyed because they slowed down their blogging half way through the year and I did not really know what the second half of their year was like.

I completely understand now of course - actually after about 2 months it became clear.  Everything that seemed new, exciting, different, shocking or difficult becomes . . . daily life. 

So it becomes harder to tell the story.  

I did say I would talk a bit about the rafting weekend.  Rafting is a tourist activity, not something Bhutanese folk would do on their weekend. 

Akari (Japanese room mate) and I left Chukkha after the famous spelling quiz.  There was a road block for construction, so cars were parked right through town.  We wandered the rows of cars and there were 2 teachers heading to Thimphu who offered us a lift, but quickly realized their car was filling up at Chapcha. They wandered the line, looking for potential rides.  We found a fancy SUV with a very nice man who spoke perfect English and agreed to take us to Thimphu. 

He lives close to Dave in Pakshika, was probably about my age or a bit younger and his wife was with him.  I learned  so much as he is a forester with Bhutan Particle Board, who supply materials to their counterpart, a furniture building company in Phuntsholing.  The furniture is exported to India. He travelled to West Germany, Switzerland and Austria for training in mechanized logging as the equipemnt they use is German.  His brother is married to a Japanese woman so he played Japanese music in the car for Akari.  

The roadblock was slow to open and the south bound cars went first.  We were further delayed when our hosts stopped at Chuzom to wait for their 2 year old grand daughter who had vomited on the way from Haa delaying her arrival. 

When we arrived in Punakha the party for Andrea, a Canadian who is leaving Bhutan after 4 years, had just begun.  Food was yummy and 12 BCF teachers together made for animated conversation.  There was another Japanese volunteer, and our famous Senge, the british monk teaching in Kabesa,  also speaks Japanese. 

The next morning we were en route by 7 am in order to walk to the village where rafting started.  Beautiful hike. The photos can only give you a hint of the vast valley with the mountains in the back ground.  It is much warmer in Punakha than the Thimphu/ Paro valleys. 

The rafting guides were professional, and great hosts.  The river was big but not wild and it was a great day.  Surprisingly uneventful.  

Akari and I had good rides home, but had to walk up the hill in the pouring rain and dark. 

The Weather is Changing

I hope. 

Yesterday it was sunny all day and did not rain until after 9 pm.  The road dried out and  MY LAUNDRY DRIED IN ONE DAY.   I know that is not such a big deal, but it usually takes 4 days and a heater to get stuff dry. 

Today it was cloudy but warmish and dryish. It rained and the Chukha fog enveloped the house, BUT it went away.  

It is absolutely amazing how the weather changes everyone's mood when it starts to clear up.  

Rafting on the Po Chu River

For tonight I will only post photos, as I need some time to compose my thoughts. 

 Great weekend.

Overlooking Po Chu on the hike to the raft starting point

Dave needs a mother to dress him 

My new room mate, Akari from Japan 

Rafting Helpers

Arwen, (centre) sang an aria. 

Senge the flying monk on the bridge

Punakha Dzong 

On the beach as we landed.  Tiny footprints:)

Cat Stevens

I know this will date me as to my musical tastes: 
              I used Cat Stevens "Father and Son" song today for my listening and speaking lesson.  However, the Bhutanese students are dated too, they are asking for Michael Jackson.

Many students feel that the son should never go against his father's wishes.  How things will change here.   I told the students that I chose the song because  the feelings of not necessarily wanting to follow the parent's traditional lifestyle in the 60's and 70's are similar to what I see in Bhutan today.  Young people are educated, and using music and fashion to express their new ideas of the life they hope to lead.  

I have tried a couple of times to explain dancing at home - a high school dance- with little success.  I tried to explain today that the slow songs are where you hope the boy you like asks you to dance.  Not sure what they think of that one! 

I also devoted a part of the class to forming questions - they each had to form sentences with "toilet"  "notebook" and "doubt"   because I am tired of hearing "Ma'am, toilet"  "Ma'am doubt"  "Ma'am notebook"  and having NO IDEA what they want.  Their other teachers must be able to read their minds!!!!!!  Well ok, "toilet" is easy to figure out, but so is a sentence. 

After school I held a remedial class - I want to help my 9 B students who are failing other subjects.  It was a trying exercise to get them to stay.  Of 40 students about 16 are failing one or more of Maths, Chemistry, Physics and Biology.  The same with Geography, History and Economics.   I have requested these students stay on Thursdays for homework checks and explanations.  Chaos in my room.  Those who did not leave settled down and I asked them to choose a subject, and ask me to help them with something they do not understand.   It finished with:  "Ma'am,  we like how you explain.  You know everything, Maths, Biology, Physics."  Nope I just know English and that is how I can explain it in language that I know they understand.  With examples they can relate to.  I have some students who have asked me to continue tomorrow at lunch.    

Later this evening I heard that the Academic head noticed that the 9 B. C and D classes I teach have good marks in English . . . perhaps they are learning something even though I am not so sure most days. 

Off to bed early tonight.  I keep saying that and 10 o'clock rolls around.  Tonight it is . . . raining . . . and thundering.  There is not a lot of thunder during the rainy season as it just pukes water instead.  This morning iit was clear and sunny and it has cleared in the night for the past 3 nights.  So the sun and heat have created a great thunderstorm for tonight.  

Chukha weather report

I have spent the last 20 years married to Rob who often talks about the weather.  Our computer home pages have always been Environment Canada's weather page.  Canadians predict, talk about and discuss the weather.  For many it is small talk, for us it has not been. 

Since I have been in Bhutan I have noticed that the weather is not a huge focus.  It just is what it is.  No asking "what do you think the weather will do?" as it is just not part of the small talk.  

Until the past 2 weeks in Chukha. 

What do you think of this weather?  Isn't this the worst place to live?  Do you like Bhutan?  But not Chukha weather.  What is the weather like in Canada?  You should go to Paro or Pemagatshel where the sun shines. 

My earlier questions of how long rainy season would be or what it would be like, really had no definitive answers.  Now the weather is the talk of the town. 

Part of the talk is centred around the fact that many students are sick, many teachers are sick.  The viral fever and the local weather are apparently related.  So they tell me, the teachers, the kids and the doctors. 

However I would not get sick if I wrapped my neck, closed my curtains and windows, did not go outside for a walk, stopped chewing gum, burned incence in my house every morning to chase the spirits away and made offerings to the right Gods . . .  and Ma'am drink hot water. 

It has nothing to do with the fact that I am squished into a classroom the size of my living room with 40 students who are fevered, hacking and spitting . . . does it?   

Actually I was sick earlier and the students are dropping like flies now.  Time to escape for a weekend.  :) 

More Culinary Delights and changing tastebuds

I wonder if your tastes change when you eat different foods.  They must. 

When I arrived in Tshimilakha, the VP was my neighbour and he invited me for dinner.  I brought a "vegetable curry" and he made the rice and a meat curry. He asked me if I had put sugar in my curry.  I had not, however I had not put the required amount of chiles and salt.  So the natural sweetness of the carrots was evident. 

Tonight I cooked fresh wild mushrooms.  I have no idea what they are called but I tried pan frying them with garlic and fresh local butter.  They were not really cooking so I turned the dish into "shamu datsi" - mushrooms, chile and cheese. Boiled up a bit to cook the shrooms. I had also made eggplant parmesan.  Real imported hard parmesan cheese, the eggplant is unique but tastes the same as what I eat at home.  A splash of red wine, lots of black pepper and tomatoes.  

Well the eggplant dish tasted . . . too sweet.  Actually it was delicious, but the chile, cheese mushroom combination definitely won in the tastebud arena.  

A small confession :  I cannot call my cooking Bhutanese.  So the "shamu datsi"  is not really shamu datsi as I put in part of a chile pepper instead of 6 chiles. It does have a hint of the chile flavour - almost enough to make my eyes water.  Actually there are some chiles that do make your eyes water if you sniff them. 

Believe it or not :)  

Sunday trip August 11

In ten days I will have been here seven months.  Hard to believe.   I feel as though I am still adjusting. Although the scenes in the photos below seem so . . . . . Normal. 

This morning Akari  (my new Japanese roomate) and I got on our school bus that was headed to Phutsholing.  The bus stopped along the way at a Dantak (Indian road company) canteen where we had dosa for breakfast. Yum. We got off at Gedu and took a taxi to Pakshika where Dave lives.  He fed us coffee and tea.  

Temple - very simple. 

The three of us walked down to a village called Meritshimo where there is an old temple with baby monks.  Well very small, very young kids running around in monk's robes.  They showed us the temple. I have never seen such a display of masks.  

View of village from school

Dave the pied piper, we call him Jesus.

We then went into the small village to the shop.  There was Druk lager beer so Dave and Akari split a beer.  We had brought samosas.  Inside the shop there was a sort of party going on when we arrived.  A cow had been slaughtered and everyone was hanging out watching the butchering which was happening on the concrete floor.  We ate outside and fed the kids some chocolate, Dave had promised to bring some the last time he visited.  They showed us their school and we walked the 4 or ?? kilometres back up the road. 

TEAM CHOCOLATE

At the school 

Dave phoned a friend to pick us up, as it was getting late.  The friend said he was on his way, but never arrived.  We hitched a ride about a kilometre from Dave's place and kept going to Gedu. 


The Butterflies were amazing.  The waterfalls along the highway were stunning. The photos look a little washed out - it was a foggy, rainy day. 

Language

I have an acquaintance from France who thinks that the language they speak in Quebec is actually not French.  Growing up in Quebec, I always thought he was a language snob. 

In Bhutan the students and teachers have some interesting uses of the English language.  Of course the Canadian teachers find some expressions hilarious and others truly annoying.  I have even begun to say some of the them . . . daily.  Sometimes it is because I want to be understood, other times it it because I hear it so often, I think it is becoming part of my speech.  

Some of the problems stem from translation - Dzongkha does not use articles and has no tense.  'Isn't it?" is a question tag that attaches itself to almost every sentence. Some of the problems are from colonial Indian English that has been brought to the schools over the history of the education system. 

The question I am constantly asking myself is:  "How much do I change what my students are saying when it is the language that is in common use in the country?"  For example, when you finish school here, you do not graduate, you pass out.  Everyone says it.  The situation is similar to  a French Canadian expression that was perhaps in use in France in the 16th century, came over to Canada and has since disappeared from use in France.  The French laugh at it. 

So am I a native English speaking snob?  Or will I reach to Thimphu, only? 

My current strategy is to explain that certain expressions are used only in Bhutan (and perhaps India) and in the North America we say . . . . 

I am thrilled when they say a complete sentence without framing it inside I quote, I unquote :) 

Experience is the best teacher

I was able to light a match and a candle without the use of the gas stove this week.  I actually thought that perhaps the rainy season was letting up and it was becoming less humid. 

There was a sunny day that felt like a summer day on Sunday. 

Then each day this week it became more and more rainy.  Is that possible?  

As much as I have read and been told about rainy season, it does not really sink in until you are living in it.  As my students would say: 

I quote "You have to see it to believe it."  I unquote. 

Adventures in a drawer

Today I opened a drawer in my attempt to clean up my desk . . . actually it is the only drawer in my quarters . . . and pulled out my passport.  Some materials seem to grow mould while others do not.  There was no other evidence of mould in the drawer and I had cleaned it out after summer break.  It all wipes off . . . no big deal.  I just wonder if I am turning old and mouldy too. :)  My VP asked me what I will do when I return to Canada and when I said I will go back to work, he replied that people here my age are considered old and do not work any more. 

The white fuzzy stuff. . . inside there were brown spots

From The Bhutanese Guide to Happiness

If you have not experienced great suffering and great happiness, you will find it hard to tell them apart.

CHSS ANNUAL VARIETY SHOW AND FUNDRAISER

This is an event put on by the Culture Club. Today the show was for staff and students, tomorrow evening there will be a show for the public. 
The dancing is great.  I realy enjoy the traditional dances.  However Micheal Jackson is pretty popular and it brought back my early childhood memories of the Jackson 5 on Ed Sulivan.  That dates me!! 

I should add that the students and teachers are outstanding dancers and singers.  They have difficulty believing that I cannot sing and that there are no traditional Canadian dances.  My students in Canada would have a hard time believing the amount of dancing these students do as performers! 

Masks on either side of the stage - representing the  4 houses. 

My favourite audience "performer" - Kelly- a boy.  The llama has not yet given him his first haircut 

The Michael Jackson look

Kids crowding the stage for treats from the magician

Butterfly walk

On my walk today I saw the most incredible butterfly.  I cannot find a photo online - it was black and/or dark, dark green.  On the back of it's wings there was indigo blue and bright red.  It had a swallowtail shape (I think that is what it is called) and was the size of a large (4X6") postcard- perhaps a bit bigger.  I felt so fortunate to see it. 

This butterfly is called the Purple Sapphire - it could be similar or the same.  I only saw it in flight.