For the Visual Learners

It isn't fair. For the five years that I thought about coming to Bhutan, what kept me salivating were the pictures that I'd scroll through religiously on the Bhutan Canada Foundation teachers' blogs. Now that I am here and I am one of the BCF teachers, I've gone and described most of my journey through prose. 

It must be my penchant for making students read that makes me defer to storytelling. Or it's because I want to doggedly practice writing in order to improve. Either way, I'm sure there are now prospective teachers who couldn't care less about if I'm sick or not, what a trip to the Bhutanese bakery is like (boooring), or whether Mendigo survives or gets kicked to the curb. So for those who just want to see damn some pictures, here you go. My 21 favorite pics from Bhutan so far.

(But, because I can't help myself, I have added little descriptions to accompany each one.) 

Kids at the Mani

I remember worrying about getting good pictures when I first arrived in Thimphu. Fresh off a three week journey around Japan and Thailand, where I broke in my new camera and took what I think were some really cool photos, I wandered Thimphu hoping for a nice shot. I got this one, one that I looked at a lot that night and thought, "Bhutan. I'm in Bhutan."

Punakha Dzong

For two years I had a picture of this iconic dzong as the background on my phone. It reminded me daily to try and pursue my dream of living in Bhutan. When we crossed the country to drop off the other teachers at their placements, we passed right by it. Karma, our guide for the cross-country trip, let us get out and walk around the dzong before heading farther east.

His Majesty's Birthday

When school started, rather than jumping right in to classes, we prepared for His Majesty's birthday for nearly a week. When the day came, there were songs, dances, and speeches to honor his reign. Here, the students are singing while wearing buttons with images of the 4th and 5th kings together.

Village Life

Bhutan is developing. Many of my students prefer wearing western dress when they have a choice, Hindi and American music is very popular, and students relish their access to TV and internet. But, in the villages there are still vestiges of an older way of life. I took this photo on the way to Trashiyangtse, the district next to Trashigang, where I live.

Principal Sir's Home

One of my first trips outside of the area where I live was to go to the village where our principal grew up. Sadly, we went to pay our respects for the passing of his brother. Here, his sister comes out of the separate kitchen area where they still cook on a wood fire. 

Painting an Image

This is still one of my favorite pictures so far. Because of the light, it seems like it could have been a painting. This is another one from the time in the principal's village. Though the father and son are the focal point of the shot, if you look down and right, you can just make out the principal's mother, an aged woman still working hard on the daily rigors of village life.

Indian & Nepali Road Workers

There are vast stories to be told here. Every time that we take a ride to Trashigang town, or even as I walk through Kanglung, there are many Indian and Nepali road workers, men and women, young and old, working tirelessly to expand and pave the roads. It's a brutal job, one that no one would choose if they had a better option. 

Students

Ultimately, this is why I am here. When I set out teaching abroad in 2008, I was just as interested in developing my pedagogy as I was in traveling. Every year teaching, getting better at it and learning about it, becomes more and more my priority. And the best teachers for teachers are students. I've already learned more than I can process from these students and I am grateful to be able to work with them.

Neighbors

Here, Yoezer is reluctantly getting a bath from his dad Gyeltshen. Gyeltshen and his family live right next door to me. He has been endlessly hospitable and patient as I fumble through this culture. He invites me over, teaches me how to wear the gho, patiently explains to me cultural customs, school bureaucracy, and a plethora of other facts needed to live here comfortably. His son, Yoezer, is always popping in and out of my Boy's Sick Room, eager to help me cook, jump over me as I do sit-ups, or, at times, challenge me to a superhero battle. 

Assembly

We have school for half a day on Saturdays. It's a thorn in many teachers' and students' sides. But, one benefit is that students don't have to wear their uniform national dress and instead are allowed to don their own ghos and kiras. It's a colorful spectacle when they are all together for assembly, one that I always want to take pictures of.

Girls Hiding From the Sun

There are two kinds of students: those who constantly bother me and ask, "Sir, can you take a picture of us?" And the others who run away even if I'm just holding a camera near them. These two girls obliged a shot during a sports tournament. I like this picture partly for the clarity of the girl's eyes in the foreground, but mostly for the enigmatic expression of the girl in the background, obscured by the blur. 

Monks

Monks are ubiquitous in Bhutan. The Himalayan, Mahayana Buddhism here is thriving. There are monks walking the streets, in the shops, chatting with college girls. They come to religious events and secular events. They're on cellphones (see below) and at the ATM. Here, an aged, weathered monk asks me to take his picture at the Trashigang rimdro. I had clandestinely been stealing shots of him, which I think he noticed despite having only one good eye. 

Stay Connected (to all sentient beings?)

Part of my "Monks on Phones" series. Of course they need to be connected to the world just like anyone, but it often ruins my idyllic expectation that monks would completely abandon materialism and live an austere existence. Turns out that they play soccer, make lewd comments, are occasionally truculent, and enjoy chillin' with friends, just like the rest of us. 

Boarding School

Here the kitchen staff is preparing food for nearly 500 people. That's a lot of rice. These guys are amiable characters. They smile and greet me often and I try to convey what messages I can despite my weak language skills in Sharchop and Dzongkha. 

JD

JD's a cool dude. We are always elected to be the school photographers because he has a good camera and actual photography skills, and I have a point-and-shoot (albeit, a good one) and like to dabble. This is my "Portrait of a Photographer." He's also rockin' the casual gho look, where you slip out of the top part and tie it around your waist. Good for doing manual labor and for cooling off in the 28 degree (Celsius) heat. 

Sherubtse College Idol

Some of my friends were asked to be judges at a traditional singing competition at the local college. We went backstage to meet the competitors. The guy on the left is blind and was escorted out onto the stage. His singing was the best of the night, the only competitor, I thought, who bled emotion into his hauntingly beautiful songs. 

Daily Life

Though it's cool to get pictures of my Bhutanese friends in their ghos and kiras, and to capture monks praying, really, daily life here is similar to that of other countries. The preferred dress is western and much time is spent at home, chatting and caring for kids. This photo is one of my favorites because it captures an honest moment, where the two women are lost in thought as time pushes forward. 

The National Sport

Archery is big here. Really big. Everywhere you go there are archery ranges and competitions. A few of the students at the school are going to a competition in Russia and they are training hard. I wouldn't recommend practicing archery indoors, but it makes for a nice picture. 

Prostrations
 

Religion is in schools here. In the morning the students meditate (arguably not religious) and pray. In the evening they also pray. We celebrate Buddhist holy days, such as the Buddha's Parnirvana, and Guru Rinpoche's birth. There are also religious ceremonies called rimdros--also known as pujas-- which serve many purposes, some of which are to cleanse an area of evil spirits, or to bestow blessings on people and the places they occupy (homes, schools, workplaces.) Here, a student makes prostrations to a holy lama who is leading the school rimdro. 

Blessings

Part of the school rimdro involved the lama and monks going through the audience of students and bestowing blessings. Here a monk goes through the rows, playing quintessential Himalayan sounds from a horn. You can get a good sense of the sounds of a rimdro on YouTube. 

Gift from a Lama

My friend's son puts his hands out to receive a small gobstopper-like food from the lama. You learn these rituals from a young age, along with how to be respectful, how to wear national dress properly, and and overall sense of comity.