At moments
it seems I have been here a lifetime. In manmade time it has been ten months
since I stepped off the plane in Paro. Phew, it has been a wild ride. A
terrifying rollercoaster that has made me sick but I rush through the turnstile
to jump in the coaster again! The task at hand is correcting exams and filling
out paperwork and computer spreadsheets. Brief encounters with students are a
delight. I see the girls on the way back from the woods and the boys around the
hut. One of my class seven girls was chewing dolma in the village her pursed
lips stained red like a pro. I wonder how the mild stimulant was affecting her
hyperactive and jovial personality. But the year grinds on towards completion
in a most uninspiring way. I shouldn’t complain too much since teaching is easy
here. Not that it isn’t hard work but the perks are plenty and the students a
delight. Plus you are not dealing with North American hypocrisy rather
Bhutanese hypocrisy.
The journey
began at disorientation in Thimphu where I was fortunate to make connections
with 14 other interesting folks. It was a mixed bag of cordial meetings, tea,
and more meetings. I won’t miss the interior of the Dragon Roots conference
Room. But get used to it, formalities are part of the charm of this unique culture.
But on one hand the first two weeks in the capital were some of the best in
Bhutan. Those fortunate enough to be heading east enjoyed a long sightseeing
sojourn across the lateral road AKA The National Highway. I was mighty sick
pretty much upon arrival, in fact I spent the first night in the bathroom
doubled over. Of course the real fun begins when you reach your destination,
most likely a backwoods village up a dusty road or in Becky’s case across two
rivers.
After
indoctrination the author doesn’t remember much but the reader can comb the
blog for some of the details. I recall my first glimpse of Sakteng like a baby’s
first breath, driving the eastern roads with Becky and Dorji, and one hellish
excursion to the plains and back. At the end I feel a bit crispy like a deep fried
insect from a Bangkok street stall, or a frickle (fried pickle) FYI, if you’re looking
for this missing person, don’t bother, Bhutan has him now…
On my last
trip to T-Gang I had dinner with Becky, Ian and Vicky at the bakery. After
supper we ambled out to the lookout where the Dzong glowed like Guru Rinpoche’s
golden crown. We stood as “The four friends” in the heart of East Bhutan. It
was sad to say goodbye to Ian and Vicky, the Aussie couple who were so gracious
in arranging the Sakteng Trek and opening their riverside home on numerous occasions.
These two intrepid teachers and travelers will remain a source of inspiration
for years to come and I wish them Tashi Delek in Tanzania.
This has
been the most challenging and rewarding year of my life but my journey off the
trail and on the path has only begun. Thank you for taking the time to track
the tiger in a trance. I hope you are enjoying your own grand adventures around
the world. Happy Holidays from Shangri La…
God Bless
You or whatever you believe in.
Tawny Moon
The four
winds blow
on an erect
white flag
carrying a
scrap of Sanskrit
through
tawny oak
over harvested
terraces
to the
Kulongchu,
where the
Guru’s hinterland
reveals a
velvet lotus
with
sensuous folds
pulling on
the surface
of the moon
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