Sunday, December 23, 2012

Bhutan: The last semester in review

I have returned to the blog (after having electricity be returned to me) and so would like to summarize how the rest of my year in Gasa at Bjishong Middle Secondary School was spent. There will be more detailed posts written later, about different things that occurred, good, bad, constructive, educational, and growing. There will be plenty of time (I will have nothing but time after returning home to the USA in a month) for all of that.
But right now, I am in shock that this is all over...that the year has come to a close, and most of the BCF friends are either home, in India, or Thailand, and that I am on my much anticipated, awaited, vacation with my mother to Phobjika, Trongsa, and Bumthang. Eventually, I will be able to reflect, and write more, but at the moment, I am just trying to deal with the reality of the end.
Much of life in Bhutan is spent, at least for me, "in the moment"...there are so many cultural things to learn, neighbors to befriend and get to know, students to teach, papers to grade, and of course the never-ending chores to do that I spent most of my time focused on the "here and now". However, now the "here and now" has become the "there and then" and I find myself a bit blindsided by the whole thing.
So for now I will give a summary, and let the details follow later...

August: August was perhaps one of the most difficult "learning curve" months for me, as I was adjusting to life with no electricity, and knowing that the lights were not coming back anytime soon. I thought I had adjusted to the rustic Bhutan living in the spring- and I had- but that was the living with lights situation. Now I had to learn everything over again....and get readjusted. For example, as in the beginning when I got adjusted to heating water with an immersion heater for a bucket bath, I got used to heating the water by the sun (filling the bucket the night before, taking it outside once it had become room temperature, leaving it outside all day, hoping one of the kids didn't knock it over as a joke, and showering as soon as I returned from school so it was still warm enough in the day to warm up....yes, it all was as tedious as it sounds) And yet, there were positives. The "peaceful" lifestyle that people tout exists in Bhutan really did come alive. I would teach all day, then go home, send a girl to the kitchen for boiled water, and sit on my porch, drinking hot water or tea, reading books, and writing in my journal. It was truly unique, and in some ways, lovely.
One of the best things about August were the incredible rainbows which would show up just as I walked home from school every day.

September: September was a lot of things for me. I actually filled an entirely of my 5 journals written here in September alone. It was when I really began to pursue the idea of staying here for the next year...as time went on, I was unable to envision myself leaving, which caused me to believe that I was meant to stay. It was when I came to the very hard choice that although I wanted to stay in Bhutan, I did not want to stay at Bjishong. I loved, really still do love, my school very much. But the situation of landslides and not having a safe way out had really impacted me, and having spent a significant amount of time in fear (along with friends and family fearing for me), decided that psychologically, I could not handle another monsoon at that location. Even if the devastation of this year did not repeat itself, I would spend monsoon an absolute nervous wreck, spending the months leading up to it in dread, and that I was unable to do. I also planned to still be in Bhutan, able to visit my friends at Bjishong whenever I pleased. At the end of September, I was able to spend a week at a volunteer workshop at Ability Bhutan Society, a wonderful NGO working with children with special needs in Thimphu. As I saw my educational ambitions begin to turn to special education, I began to envision myself continuing my time in Bhutan with this organization, helping them with the important groundbreaking work they are doing.
During my week there, I was shocked to learn of a tragedy unfolding out east, as one of the BCF teachers in Trashigang, Martha, had fallen suddenly, severely ill, and subsequently died on September 20th. This rocked the BCF community to its very core, and she is often thought of, and will always be remembered by all of us. It is an event that is painful to think of, and one that I do not, nor do I think I will ever, fully understand. One of my few regrets here is that I was unable to attend her cremation in Trashigang. Fortunately, many BCF teachers were able to attend, as well as (and most importantly, in my opinion) her students.
Our batch of BCF teachers at Dochula. This was the last time we were all together, and I am thankful it was such a beautiful, special, unforgettable day. Martha, we will never forget you, and may you rest in peace.


October: October has always been one of my favorite months at home, due to my favorite holiday of halloween. Although here did not have the halloween anticipation fever like the states, I did try to start some in my own ways, by having a trivia contest for all my classes and Literary Club to find out Miss Sarah's favorite holiday in the month of October (prizes awarded, of course). This was no easy feat, as we had no electricity so no one could access the internet during their non-existent IT classes. Within a few weeks, however, students from every class came forward with the correct information- "Halloween madam!! Its a puja in your country, last day of the month la. There is junkfruit! But why is it madam?". I later learned that these intrepid students had pestered other teachers who had internet phones to look up the information, in return for cleaning quarters or doing laundry. Now thats dedication.
And on the actual day, I gave out candy and prizes to all my classes. Along with the halloween, spooky theme, my friend Zam and I spent the month watching "Vampire Diaries" on her laptop, which she would covertly charge whenever they turned on the generator to teach class 10 IT or use the printer. Watching TV, since I hadn't gotten to do anything like that since June, was more fun then it had ever been. We also had our school picnic, which was the first time I really sensed the year might be coming to a close, but I blocked this sensation with all my might, as I wasn't willing to face it yet.
Me and my friends (L to R- Tsethen, Ugyen, Norbu, Zam, Tshering and me) at the school picnic.
LADIES I MISS YOU!!!!! 


November: The start of November came as a shock to me, as it was unbelievable it was finally here. I managed to obtain my own internet phone, and so slowly started to reconnect to the world outside of BMSS and Damji village. It went quickly, as the whole school threw itself into exam mode, prepping and studying, giving tests, and of course, the seemingly never-ending grading. At the end of the month, I went to Thimphu to collect my mother, excited and hardly believing that she was about to arrive in Bhutan.
My mother's arrival at Paro. She's watching me post this, and says she has no recollection of this being taken. It was a long trip, I suppose.


December: My mother arrived, and after a few days in Thimphu I took her up to Damji village where we spent a wonderful two weeks of finishing up the year, and she got to meet and spend time with my friends. I had envisioned and imagined this time all year, and it really did live up to all of my daydreamings. One of the highlights was going to National Day and getting to see the Dzong. On the 19th, I made my tearful goodbyes, and left school. My mother and I spent two days in Phobjika, watching black-necked cranes, 2 days in Trongsa getting to experience the Trongsa tsechu, and are now in Bumthang. We are staying at the River Lodge, and in accordance with my inability to comprehend the end of the year, it feels to me just like its July again, except much colder. Eventually reality will set in, but for the moment I'm letting it take its own time. Why? For the same reason that I wanted to take the rest of the time my visa allotted to stay in the country to travel and show my mom this beautiful country; I am not willing to say goodbye. But unfortunately I will have to. Due to a variety of circumstances, including issues with visas, I will not be able to stay in Bhutan for the beginning of next year. Instead, I will be taking a vacation around SE Asia, and then returning to the USA late January. And after that, I haven't the slightest. Its a foreign concept to me not to have a plan of what to do next, but I have learned a lot about letting things unfold how they may in my year spent here, and so am willing to apply that philosophy to my return home. I am sure I will find something, and will enjoy the rest and relaxation in the meantime.
National Day in Gasa. Note the absolutely gorgeous mountains.