Sunday, January 29, 2012

"It is not really, enjoy the valley"






The trek up the mountain,
A challenge welcomed
When all can be prayer.

This title is another Bhutanese road sign. I make no promises that it is the last title I will steal from them. In the past two days, I have gotten to hike to Buddha Point, just above Thimphu, and all the way to Taktseng, or Tiger's Nest, monastery outside of Paro. These two pilgrimages capped an incredible week of learning, meeting officials, and shopping for supplies.

In the past week, I have had the great honor of meeting high ranking Bhutanese officials: the Minister of Education and the head of the Royal Civil Service. We have also been briefed by the Education Monitoring Support Service and Department of Curriculum Research and Development. All of our meetings and briefings have demonstrated the strongly held commitment to relevant and quality education. The way people talk about education here is the way I have always wanted to hear it talked about in the U.S. Perhaps it seems like our system is working and that we have good ideas, but I am far more impressed with the values set out by the Bhutanese curriculum (check out Educating for GNH). What floors me the most is that these officials are so grateful to us for coming and helping with education here. For my part, I am filled with gratitude. It is an incredible privilege and honor to be here to serve the students, teachers, and educational system of Bhutan.

In the vein of incredible, the hike to Taktseng monastery was that. Taktseng is where Guru Rimpochey (Padma Sambhava) flew into Bhutan on the back of tiger in 747 AD, establishing Buddhism. It is quite a sight, perched on a sheer cliff, and pretty much a "must see".

On Sunday, Karma arranged a bus to the base so we could visit this revered sight. The hike up was quite steep, and I was impressed by my fellow hikers: children, elderly men and women, people with flip flops. Not quite halfway we came to a large prayer wheel and a commotion of tourists, among them Ms. Universe Hong Kong 2008, who we had just read in the Kuensel (one of the newspapers) was visiting for a few days as the guest of a teacher. The monastery peeked into view numerous times as we climbed, reminding us of our goal. At the monastery, we left our bags and I took my pearl prayer beads and incense inside. There are some rules to visiting monasteries, so the Bhutanese people were all in kira and gho (national dress). Before entering the altar rooms, you remove your shoes. Incense, food, and money are offered, and there is usually a monk who pours holy water in your hand, which you sip, then put on your head. After visiting several of the inner altars and soaking in the blinding bright sunlight on the veranda, I made my way back down. We stopped for tea and biscuits at the cafeteria at the halfway point and then scampered behind Karma as he led the way down even steeper shortcuts. At the base again, we drove to Paro for a glorious lunch with masala chai (the best I've had so far, and I've had a lot).

Reflecting on the week and what's ahead, I feel inspired. There will be challenges, there have been already, but I am ready to trek through them and use them to teach me. Challenge shows us our edges, where we are inclined to take to habit instead of push ourselves and grow. Hiking always offers the body a challenge, but accomplishment and beauty are the gifts received for surrendering to the difficulty. All things pass, including challenges. So I find again the lesson of being present with whatever is in every moment, especially when the moments are full of immense beauty like I experienced today. Again, "it is not really, enjoy the valley".


Tuesday, January 24, 2012

"Inconvenience Regretted"



No longer a dream
These mountains, reality
In them: my future

The journey of getting to Bhutan has ended, and now the journey of living here begins. I keep blinking my eyes, my brain nearly disbelieving that this is my reality. These far rising mountains studded with prayer flags, strange beautiful birds, tall pines. The valley, dotted with adorned traditional houses, fields (many plowed by hand), bridges with prayer flags like kite tails crossing the low rushing river. There are no comparisons I have seen to this place.

I am now in Thimphu, the capital, after staying in Paro (where the airport is) a day and night, waiting for the last of the teachers to arrive. Here's a short recap of how the journey getting here went:

January 21: A suspender and suit clad Joe dropped me off at the chilly MSP airport for a supposed 7:55 am flight to Chicago. At the ticket desk, I was informed that my flight was cancelled and was put on the 10:00 am flight. I was also informed that my one checked bag would make it all the way to Bangkok, where I would pick it up and then check it in again at Druk Air (the Bhutanese airline). After laying teary-eyed on the airport bench for a few hours, I boarded my flight to Chicago. In Chicago, I ran to my Hong Kong gate with very little time to spare. 15 1/2 hours of flying ahead of me, I began to question why I was going to Bhutan in the first place. I looked at my "mission statement" Camille had advised me to write, and I remembered what an opportunity this is, what a complete and immense gift I am being given. I remembered my intentions of serving others, of experiencing a new place and culture deeply, of living in a far simpler way. Instead of sadness, I filled myself with the love of my friends and family that I have the honor of embodying in my journey. I thought of how they would want me to live this new experience: with my heart and eyes open and my face smiling.

January 22: I arrived in Hong Kong for a short layover and promptly left for Bangkok. In Bangkok, a very kind Thai airport employee met me at my gate and informed me that my bag had not left Chicago. He taxied me to the passport line (with a Bhutanese monk also in tow), after which I went and spoke to more very kind Thai airport employees and filed a baggage report. I rested in the knowledge that though my bag had not arrived, I had, and that everything would be alright no matter what the outcome. I was strangely calm the whole time, keeping my mantra of grace and ease for my travels.

In the airport, I met a few of the other teachers with BCF and we all shared our anxieties and stories. It was good to meet people who were going through the same experience and we got to laugh together. They are all wonderful people and I was so happy to finally meet them.

January 24: After a few hours, we went to check in at Druk Air. I have never seen so many people checking flat-screen TVs onto a flight. When it came to my turn, they didn't even weigh my carry on (which I was told could only be 11 lbs). No ones bags were weighed, in fact. Still, I am grateful for packing light- I am learning that I actually don't need so many things.

We boarded our flight for Bhutan, the airplane smelled sweet like incense (what?!). We stopped in India to let some passengers off, and 35 minutes later we were making a sharp turn into a mountain ringed landing in Paro. Stunning. Walking down the steps into the Bhutanese air, I inhaled the pine scent and bright clear air. I nearly walked backwards into the small airport, taking in the view all around us.

We were greeted by Karma and Meena, the Bhutanese staff of BCF. They are lovely and helpful people. Karma and I talked to baggage about my bag, we exchanged some money at the bank since they would be closed the next day, and then boarded a van with decorative pillows to our hotel in Paro.

After a tight-road drive to the Deschen Resort, we were assigned rooms and I flattened onto my bed, my legs unbending for the first time in nearly two days, my eyes resting. Lunch was served, and I tasted my fist bite of real Ema Datse (chilies and cheese). The food was so welcome after the fake airplane meals of the past days.

After lunch, Karma showed 4 other teachers and I a way to walk into the countryside. We embarked on a lovely walk on a dirt road past houses, fields, flags. We attempted to greet people with our timid Dzongkha, saying "kuzuzengpo la". We received curious looks, smiles, and waves in return.

Back at the hotel, Karma tried to help me to connect to the internet, unsuccessfully, and we called the Thai airport to make sure the bag would make it to Paro before we left the next day. I could feel myself getting anxious about telling my family and Joe I had arrived safely and that everything was amazing- that they shouldn't be the least bit worried. Again, I thought of how they would want me to be in this situation, and I relaxed and continued to take in the people I was with and the scenery we were in.

After dinner in town, amazing food again, I fell into my bed at 8:30 pm and slept as if under a mountain. I woke up at 6:20 for a morning walk into Paro with Karma, Martin, Martha, and Tim. I love learning about the other teachers lives, they are all so interesting! Karma was an amazing guide and told us so much about Paro and the culture. We passed the giant Dzong (center of government/monastery), a 17th century cantilever bridge, and an archery field being set for a match.

After breakfast of masala tea and a masala omelet (?!) we waited for the rest of the teachers to arrive. My bag came with the teachers and we all left for lunch in Paro before continuing on to Thimphu. The road to Thimphu was windy and we passed many incredible sights as we followed the river there. Along the road, a sign was posted "inconvenience regretted". I laughed out loud as I thought how perfect a way to say "sorry". All the waiting, losing my bag, and not being able to communicate to my family as easily as I had foreseen, these were all "inconveniences regretted". They seemed trivial in the midst of what was happening- the immense beauty, the new people, this new experience. I breathed and smiled and continued the never ending practice of being present with what is.



Sunday, January 15, 2012

6 days...



Departure

How to leave a place

before you leave, in limbo,

half packed, still attached?



So here I am on the brink. It is odd that now the real goodbyes have begun. Many people know I am leaving, think I've left, are surprised to see me still here. It is a strange space to live in.

To set the record straight: I depart on January 21st (Saturday) bright and early in the morning. After Joe says "Tuck and roll, Toots!" at the airport, I go to Chicago, then Hong Kong, Bangkok, and finally Paro. From Paro, all the teachers go to Thimphu for a two-week orientation. After that: our school sites. I will be in Rukubji (elevation of 3000 m) which is a 10 min walk from the main road of Bhutan and not far from a larger city, Trongsa. I have my own apartment, which is a 3 minute walk from school. I'll be teaching primary school English to 4,5, & 6 graders. There are only 150 students in my whole school. Quite a dramatic change from Anwatin where I was responsible for that many ESL students, in a school of over 550.

Speaking of school, in the weeks leading up to departing, I have been taking a few substitute teaching jobs for friends. It has been really great to get back in the classroom, even as a sub, and it has made me re-excited for teaching in Bhutan and perhaps when I return.

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me this far. I feel like this has been and will be a collective experience in many ways. If I don't see you before I leave, I'll see you when I see you next (likely in 11 months)!

photo from :www.friendlyplanet.com/beautiful-bhutan.html