Sarah's Travels and Adventures: "You Are Halfway!"

This was the title of an email my friend Noorin and I received from fellow BCF teacher Andrea at the beginning of this week. And, it shocked me, although it really shouldn’t have. It was strange to see it in writing, but its true. Exams started 2 days ago, and after 2 weeks of them, we are on the much anticipated and awaited summer vacation…with a BCF retreat in Bumthang (a central district of the country, and somewhere I have never been) and whatever else we end up thinking of. If you haven’t noticed from my other blog posts, making detailed plans ahead of time isn’t really the Bhutanese way. It doesn’t really fit the culture- things are well prepared for, but many things happen at the last minute, or are long thought out decisions that lead to spur of the moment action. And not only is it cultural…sometimes its physically hard to plan stuff out beforehand in Bhutan. Roads wash out, an official is out-of-station, “what to do la?” as they say.

Along with setting exams and then the eventual grading that will come, we have to compile all of the continuous assessment (results from the assignments they have done all term) so there is still quite a bit of work in the next two and a half weeks. But, like all of the other BCF teachers I am sure, I am starting to think more and more about summer vacation, and the weird fact that I have been here for almost half my contract.

Its strange to think about…we’ve been here almost 5 months. In some ways, it feels like I have been here forever. I have become skilled at tying my kira, I can make palatable naja, and I eat rice and chilis for every meal. I even nod my head like the Bhutanese do (nodding the head from side to side instead of up and down). The villagers have stopped staring (even covertly) at me as I walk by or do my shopping- I am now part of the regular scenery, as uninteresting to them as the 10,000 foot peaks that surround us. Sometimes, I forget I’m not Bhutanese, and that I haven’t been here forever, nor will I stay forever.

And in other ways, I am shocked it’s been this long. I feel like the time has gone by so quickly, and I am curious if the second half of the year will be as fast. Looking back though, I feel like I have done a lot this term, at least academically. I hope the kids have learned. I can tell they have made progress, their speaking has improved considerably. I just hope it will appear that way on the exams. In a way though I am excited to see their mistakes, their weak points- I am searching for a main point to focus on next term (this term I primarily focused on the elements of a story, having them identify them for everything we read). I am leaning toward the writing process, and delving into how to write different kinds of texts. But, I am open to a new idea if it appears to me through my student’s exams.

Something my class 7 and 8 are looking forward to next term is our American Pen Friends. BCF has connected us with a teacher in Oregon, and we are now pen pals with her high school English classes. I had my kids write to them, and sent the letters at the start of the month, and with any luck they will be received by the time the American students return from the summer vacation in mid-August.

I admit, one of the main reasons my kids are pumped about this is because they will get to use the computer lab to type letters to their pen friends (as with the average of 2 months for snail mail, email is a godsend in this situation). They are understandably computer crazy, as no one has a computer at home (even electricity isn’t a guarantee for most of these kids) and the Internet fascinates them. However, they are genuinely curious about their new American friends and excited to hear from them. I think it will be fun for both sides. Although I think the American students will be a bit shocked by the Bhutanese style of writing. They are naturally very dramatic in their prose, and one boy wrote “Henceforth, my dear pen friend, I will go on trusting you as my friend until my death comes to me in my narrow bed” and many others also talked about their devotion to their new friend until they leave this life.