Thursday, February 14, 2013

This is  double post again.  I think I've finally got the hang of the internet up here

It's my first full day in Gasa! Luckily Heather was here overnight to help set up. If she hadn't been I'd probably have starved to death. I'd definitely have died of thirst. I think keeping a supply of fresh water might just be one of my biggest projects for the year. So I'll just pretend I'm Susan in Peter Duck. I'm also pretending I'm in Winter Holiday because my bukari (wood burning stove) has a few leaks in it so smoke is enjoying escaping into my room and my eyes are smarting but that just makes it more authentic. I was also more like the Ds than the Swallows and Amazons when it came to lighting it.
After seeing Heather off to Punakha I got a few visitors. I heard them moving around outside so I went to see what was up. I was slightly impolite because I didn't invite them in but I wasn't sure that their feet were clean.
I've met the VP and some other staff members who have been so kind and have again made sure that I won't starve. I feel slightly guilty because I'm being slightly anti-social because I'm pretty sure I'm getting a cold so my next entry may be laryngitis-y. I have no idea when this will be posted as I'm having slight internet problems but I was half expecting that and it just means there'll be more xkcds to catch up on.
The most important news of the day I've saved for last. I saw my first Bhutanese reptile! Okay, it was a garden skink just like the ones we get in Australia and not a gharial or anything but it was still the first reptile I've seen since leaving Australia! I miss T'eo. I'm hoping my BCF colleagues will help me out with a pet project of trying to start cataloging the Bhutanese reptiles, amphibians and various cool invertebrates. I'm not sure I've asked them all yet but who wouldn't want to take pictures of adorable geckos and things? And T'eo would like to see pictures of his subjects.
Hugs Hugs 


Second Entry

I'm writing this latest blog entry, still in open office, sitting by my bukari singing various songs loudly knowing that I won't be disturbing anyone as the only other people staying here are on the other side of the campus. I've made my way through bits of The Messiah, Orfeo, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a bunch I learned from Jenny Barnes (singing teacher), various G and S tunes and some S and G tunes as well. Aren't you glad you're not here for once?
Hopefully I should actually be able to post soon as, though the internet is functioning, nobody I've talked to can remember the password. I also can't access the net inside my quarters so I'll just have to blog while sitting on my porch/veranda thing enjoying the view of the Himalayas around me. Sigh.
So my bukari is lit, but not by me. Some Bhutanese Susans (see Winter Holiday. Now) came and helped me. Bhutanese Susans do things differently to English Susans as they use kerosene as an acceptable lighting aid. No, I won't be posting pictures of me with no eyebrows, should that occur, unless you are very nice and promise not to laugh. I'm really not planning on that happening so don't get your hopes up.
I've also found my local store. It doesn't sell cornettos so I'll have to find them elsewhere come the zombie apocalypse, but it is quite small and cute. Emphasis on small. I think it's about the same size as my bedroom in Canberra. I realise that won't mean much to many of you, just like some of the references I keep making, so just imagine the size of a fifteen year old girl's bedroom and then imagine that being turned into a corner store.
Another thing I've been doing that will probably annoy my neighbours when they arrive is practising my ukulele. I've mostly got Yellow Submarine down and I'm even practising Waltzing Matilda as it may be the only Australian Folk song I kind of know. I think the rosebush out the front of my place doesn't appreciate my playing as it unkindly speared me in the finger making it hurt when I play. Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with the Cabra Ukulele Group so I can rejoin when I get back.
Hugs hugs
p.s. Though they will also have an alternative Bhutanese name, the yak is Randall after my 1st and 2nd grade principal, the serpent is Esther, which is my 4th grade teacher's real first name (sorry Jane but I already have a turtle with your preferred name) and the tortoise is named Laura after Laura Ingalls Wilder even though I want to be a teacher and she didn't.


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Quick post

Yesterday we left Thimphu and headed off into the wild, green yonder.  I was one of the few, actually one of the two, I think, who actually got to see their placements/accommodation.  Most people had a civilised 3 hour journey to Punakha.  Andrea, Senge and I with the greatest driver in Bhutan, set off for Kabesa and then to my Bjishong school.  Senge and I were very kind and did not sing all the way.  I was very kind and made sure I took my travacalm at least an hour before leaving.  The Kabesa school is beautiful and shiny and new.  Senge was told by the principal that his house (which isn't quite finished yet) is 1.8 metres from the school.  Not quite right.  There should be a 'ki' and a 'lo' added somewhere in that statement. 
After a long, windy, unsealed and absolutely stunning drive we reached the Gasa and the Bjishong school.  It is so amazingly gorgeous up there!!!!  And my quarters are much bigger and more luxurious than I was expecting.  I even get a bed!  I thought I was just going to put my mattress on the floor.  The only minor, tiny problem is, speaking of mattresses, I don't know where mine is.  Or my stove.  Apparently they were hidden for safety in a very sensible and secure place.  I just have no idea where that is.  I couldn't stay in Gasa last night as I couldn't cook, didn't have a mattress and mu wood stove's chimney wasn't attached so I would have starved, froze and got a bad back if I had stayed but neither Senge or I were planning on staying at our homes as we don't need to be there for a little while and nobody would really be at our schools.  Hopefully I'll return tomorrow though, as some BCF teachers want to see Gasa before first semester starts and since there are no hotels in Gasa at the moment, my quarters will act as one for now.
If we do go up tomorrow it will mean that I probably won't have internet for about a week so many hugs to all, fair winds to the sailors and I miss T'eo.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

How not to die, kiras and Alfred

Yesterday we got treated to a 'What to do if you get bitten by a dog while falling down a drain during a bout of typhoid.' Many of us went into hypochondria ranging from mild to 'Oh god my appendix is bursting right now!' I know many of you won't believe this, but Arwen will not be making friends with any dogs. No matter how sweet the tail-wags or how puppy dog the eyes, I shall not be petting, scritching or even just telling them how adorable the are. I will also be boiling, filtering and saying prayers to the FSM over all water before drinking it and my head-torch will be with me wherever I go. That should keep me vaguely safe, shouldn't it? Mom should also be quite impressed with all the cleaning products I bought today, including an enormous bottle of dettol. I'm sure my dad will now be making mean (but pretty deserved) comments about my house-keeping abilities.

Yesterday also marked the first time I wore a kira out in public. I don't know how many of you know what a kira is or how interesting it can be to put on but it's basically a large rectangle of cloth which you wrap around yourself in a slightly complicated way and then tie tighter than an 18th century corset, or at least that;s what it feels like. You can get them with velcro and hooks and eyes but in my infinite wisdom I decided both of mine would be traditional. I should have gone down and asked one of the hotel staff to help me but I wanted to do it myself! 
I think the beret really finishes it off

 I know many of you are waiting/hoping to read that the whole thing came undone halfway to the restaurant but, sorry to disappoint, it didn't. And I was wearing thermal leggings under it so it wouldn't have really mattered too much though there would have been tons of pictures on other BCF teachers' facebook accounts. It stayed up perfectly well but I wasn't walking with my usual confident stride. Plus the kira was just long enough and heavy enough that just rubbing against my shoelaces was enough to undo them. So I walked the majority of the way to the restaurant with untied shoelaces (and odd socks) because bending down to tie them up just didn't seem like the best idea. Again the potential for hilarious photos appearing on my colleagues' facebook accounts was there. The rest of the evening passes kira-stress free and at least I could show off that I put it on all by myself! Huzzah!

This has nothing to do with kiras, I just liked the demon deer who watched us eat.


Now some of my colleagues decided that a night at a local pub would be the best way to pass the time after dinner but I was afraid, as were others, that kiras and pubs didn't mix. At least not until we'd learned how to wash them. So three of us decided that a pyjama party was the thing to do. I must apologise to the BCFers who would have liked to join but it was a spur of the moment thing. We should have braided each other's hair and eaten cookie dough but we weren't that organised so we settled for telling date disaster stories and no, I won't be blogging about those.

Finally, I'd like to introduce you to my travelling companions. Firstly, this is Alfred.
The adorable pillow, not the bed. (n.b. this was in Paro - the first place we stayed in!)
We found him in Sydney airport but there was instant controversy on what type of creature he is. Mom initially thought he was a snake but he clearly has legs. 
Four of them!

We then wondered if he might be a lizard but his eyes and tooth just didn't look right. I think someone suggested 'dinosaur' next but that wasn't a good fit either so we finally decided that he is a slightly odd crocodile with a very odd tooth. He has since been mistaken for a frog on a few occasions but that could be because since I have a Kermit beanie, people assume I have a thing for frogs. His name is Alfred because creatures called Alfred just seem to get used as pillows in my family. He did seem lonely though, so I found two little friends in a tourist shop. They don't have names yet so suggestions would be appreciated. 
Here we actually have two creatures - a tortoise with a serpent on its back.  Two reptiles for the price of one!



You can't quite tell from this angle, but this is obviously a male yak.



 Hugs to all!  And I still miss T'eo