(He’s a big boy now)
Legend has it that I was named after the
children’s book Busy Timmy, which was my big brother Tyler’s favorite book. The
little protagonist, Timmy was a toddler who was becoming adept at doing tasks
“All by himself” Today I went roaming on the west side of Tsenkharla Mountain
along a drainage canal. This is a relatively flat walk that winds around the
hillside for miles. I remember talking this stroll in winter and how spooky the
setting was. Now the oak groves have come alive with lush ferns growing from
mossy twisted trunks. The canal is lined with fluffy dandelion blooms waiting
to be wished upon and the canopy is alive with birds, while the understory
shelters crickets. I always go too far and have to walk back in the dark. The
sun broke out before sliding behind a ridge, briefly illuminating farmhouses.
The Kulong Chu whooshed in the canyon of god’s furry pocket. This is my Bhutan
walking in solitude.
Life in the classroom is better, and I try to pat
myself on the back once in awhile and also realize where I need improvement. I
am seeing progress in certain students where others are content to just coast.
This is the reality of a teacher. Today I read aloud the Dauntless Girl to the
class and enjoyed a synergy as I tried to bring the characters to life in this
ghost story. During social service club only ten of my fifty students appeared
but we had a blast picking up trash. They complain a lot but some are sincere
in their efforts. If I had to do it again I would only allow fifteen go getters
in the club. Students from all my classes are going to Yangtse for a culture,
quiz, and sports competition. This will disrupt my classes leaving me with only
half my students but I am happy for the ones going. As for me I hope to take a
casual day and go hunt for my last two months pay in Yangtse town. The
schoolboy life remains busy for Timmy as I push on towards covering the
material and preparing my students for the next grade. As for tasks I have
plenty to do, “all by myself”
It’s been an interesting year in Bhutan and as we
come into the homestretch I am learning valuable lessons in and out of the
classroom. There are challenges teaching here along with rewards. Overall the students
have great personalities where some are better learners than others. Some
students put in tremendous effort while others are prone to doze in class. My
reaction to the ladder has softened as I realize the strains they are under. I
have an easier time laughing at my students instead of reacting in frustration.
Next mission is learning to laugh at myself. My friends continue to inspire me
around the kingdom, Sabrina for opening her home to a Bhutanese teenager and
Rebecca for being content in Phongmay. I can only hope that I am inspiring a
few of my students. Being a teacher is a learning process and I am still
adapting to the role. It takes many hours in the classroom to find ones voice.
At least this is true for me. So much is learnt by trial and error and making
mistakes. Oh and I have made my share of them. Facilitating the actions of 120
students each day is draining and at times exhilarating. The moments where
their curiosity shines through or you can see the learning happen is the best.
As a teacher it is possible to plant a seed in a student’s brain that does not
blossom for years to come. A teacher must have patience and faith. I need to
work on patience and I am still unsure what faith is all about except to say I
need it. Having faith in myself has always been a challenge for me and I hope
to learn how to enhance my belief in my abilities. Confidence and flexibility
are both important and one good quality I possess is to recognize I am not an
authority on knowledge rather a facilitator of the learning process for my
students. Practice patience and perseverance is my mantra for my fledgling
profession. My sage Aunt Mare always suggests adjusting ones perspective in
difficult moments. Or put another way, stepping out of one’s self and shifting
five degrees. This often makes things seem hilarious if you’re looking at the
specter of yourself from an altered vantage point. For instance watching Tim
lose control of a lesson is comedic as he manages to redeem himself more often
than not. We all are trapped in our thought bubbles, most of the time wearing
personal blinders that interfere with clarity and compassion. I am about as
self absorbed as they come (another challenge) but life in Bhutan will flip up
the shades for even the most egocentric. I realize that my students are all
individuals with fears and dreams and it is my charge to help them towards
their goals. I try to live in the grace of my benefactors who reached me here
and my students who will hopefully reap their merit.
(ELECTRIC WILDLIFE INTERLUDE)
Tyler and Marty I learned from Becky that there is a purple
hippopotamus atop a car wash in Munsee Indiana. She discovered this beast under
circumstances similar to us. How can a car wash with a pink elephant in Seattle
and a purple hippo in Munsee coexist in the same universe? Is it a random occurrence?
And how many other multicolored animals atop carwashes prowl in the night? If
you really want to bake your noodle, consider if I hadn’t met Becky in Bhutan I
would have never known about the Hippo in Munsee to begin with. It’s all
inexplicably interconnected pink elephants purple Hippos, me and you. It was
great to talk to my skuzzy cuzzy and bra on the phone. I was happy to hear that
you spent some quality time together on Mount Tamalpais and at Terrapin. Life is a trade off as I give up seeing my
niece and nephew, burritos, Bobby, and running water. But I gain a commanding
view and 120 students. I love you guys and miss you both. Both of you sounded
well and happy which is all we can hope for.
“The wind and the willow play tea for two,
the sky was yellow and the sun was blue” Scarlet Begonias
One thing Bobby has taught me through his music is
that the universe is a quirky psychedelic place that must be venerated and
enjoyed. Grateful Dead songs are often dark but also adorned with encrusted
gleaming jewels that make it all worthwhile. A common theme threaded through
the music is the mutable nature of existence therefore I think Guru Rinpoche
would make a fine Deadhead. I ran into the drunken monk from Gom Kora festival
who said he was on tour which was appropriate since he looked like a tour slob.
I have to admit talking to my bra and cuz have made me homesick and hearing
them talk about eating cheeseburgers makes my tummy homesick. At least they paused
to think of me before devouring the sumptuous cow flesh, preferably with a nice
dill pickle. My brain sends phantom signals to my taste buds that tease my
stomach, which grumbles woe is me. All
I can offer up is a colortini and some verbal pictures as they fly through the
air!
 |
| Bee and Flower |
No comments:
Post a Comment