Things taken for granted

I had an interesting revelation today, about the adjustment back to my American life, and thought I should write and share it.

I have recently taken a new job (now I am up to two part-time jobs woohoo!!) where I will be working with young children. For this, I have to get finger printed, and receive a TB test. So, to start off the week productively, I went about doing both of those things today.

First was the finger printing. I had a small "what a strange place this is" moment when all of the stuff was electronic. This is the Bhutan left in me, I know, but I was half-expecting to use real ink. Then I went to receive the TB test, and was told there was a national shortage of the drug used in the test and to come back later. This is the first time since I have come home that I have come across a "national shortage" of something. A real shortage anyway...I have heard things here and there about different shortages affecting the price of different goods (like pine nuts) but this was the first time that I was unable to get something I needed, and that was just the way it was. 

Of course this happened all the time in Bhutan. There were rupee shortages, lpg cylinder shortages, and in my village there were shortages of basic goods due to the road being washed away for 4 months. The most concerning of all of these was the occasional candle shortage, because that would mean potentially no way to light your home. But we always got by. After all, we never had a potato or chili powder shortage :). And, after a few weeks of it, the constant rumors of running out of goods stopped really worrying me. After a few months, they were of no concern at all. It's just the way it was. What to do.

So, this is the attitude I took at the testing site, much to the shock of the staff, who apparently are used to people getting very upset at this knowledge. I was given a certified letter from the county, and a form was signed, verifying all the information about the shortage, which is supposed to be cleared up in less then a month's time anyway. And so, after my quickest trip to any doctors office ever, I left with my forms and was on my way. Completely unconcerned with this so-called problem. And with a new found appreciation for the laid-back, calm attitude toward the things life throws at you that I learned in Bhutan.

I have been home for 6 months, and I still am only scratching the surface of the things I learned in that incredible place. 

To my Bhutanese friends, my students, and Bhutan as a whole, name same kadinchey la.