"You came back!"
Thimphu is such a small town that I've already run into - and astounded - a number of people I knew when I was here in the winter. Since tourists and expats consultants come and go with great frequency, no one really expects to see a repeat visitor. Bhutanese usually expect that foreigners have not been in Bhutan before, and when I explain that it is now my sixth visit, they are quite shocked. Even my friends and colleagues, who knew I had a habit of returning to Bhutan have been shocked to see me here.
On the other hand, all of my expat friends from the winter are gone. Contracts and projects typically end in late spring - April or May - so everyone who was here over the winter has gone home.
My Business Class seat on the plane paid off in that I met two sisters from the States who are visiting Bhutanese friends they met on the internet. Actually, it was Carol's husband who made friends with some Bhutanese teenagers through a chatroom. Carol and her husband subsequently "adopted" the girls, sending various forms of material aid. The families of the girls were placed highly enough to be able to extend a personal invitation for Carol to visit. Since her husband was unable to come (in part because he's Iranian, and travel out of the US is difficult), Carol brought her younger sister, a 30-something who's currently completing her BA, with an interest in the Himalayan region. Suzy and I hit it off immediately, dropping names of places we'd visited in the Everest region, and comparing our sociological analyses of Tibetan Buddhist culture.
The two of them had invited me to join in a picnic with their Bhutanese host families since yesterday was one of the numerous holidays. By the time I phoned their hotel, they had already left, but while out walking, I fortuitously ran into them. Dorji, one of their hosts, said he had chosen to take a circuitous route in the car, as he had a feeling "someone was waiting" for them. I squeezed into the car, and we headed back to their hotel, for an indoor monsoon picnic.
Dorji and I had met briefly last winter, when I was staying in a hotel near his office. And Amrita, another of their hosts, works in the same Ministry as I do, and had assisted me with my interviews last winter. I'd even been to Amrita's house for lunch. It all seemed so coincidental, but that's the way things tend to work in Bhutan.
On the other hand, all of my expat friends from the winter are gone. Contracts and projects typically end in late spring - April or May - so everyone who was here over the winter has gone home.
My Business Class seat on the plane paid off in that I met two sisters from the States who are visiting Bhutanese friends they met on the internet. Actually, it was Carol's husband who made friends with some Bhutanese teenagers through a chatroom. Carol and her husband subsequently "adopted" the girls, sending various forms of material aid. The families of the girls were placed highly enough to be able to extend a personal invitation for Carol to visit. Since her husband was unable to come (in part because he's Iranian, and travel out of the US is difficult), Carol brought her younger sister, a 30-something who's currently completing her BA, with an interest in the Himalayan region. Suzy and I hit it off immediately, dropping names of places we'd visited in the Everest region, and comparing our sociological analyses of Tibetan Buddhist culture.
The two of them had invited me to join in a picnic with their Bhutanese host families since yesterday was one of the numerous holidays. By the time I phoned their hotel, they had already left, but while out walking, I fortuitously ran into them. Dorji, one of their hosts, said he had chosen to take a circuitous route in the car, as he had a feeling "someone was waiting" for them. I squeezed into the car, and we headed back to their hotel, for an indoor monsoon picnic.
Dorji and I had met briefly last winter, when I was staying in a hotel near his office. And Amrita, another of their hosts, works in the same Ministry as I do, and had assisted me with my interviews last winter. I'd even been to Amrita's house for lunch. It all seemed so coincidental, but that's the way things tend to work in Bhutan.
Comments
As happened the previous day, I opened my wallet to pay for something, and there was much less there than I expected! Thinking back, I can remember the exact moment when one of the kids seemed way too interested in my bag, which was across the room. But I didn't give that much thought at the time... Then, I find that my bag is rs. 2000 ($50) lighter! Damn. This is adding up to real money! And, as a guest here, I don't think I can cast aspersions on the family/ kid whom I think is responsible. That would create all sorts of negative feelings, and certainly not facilitate my stay here. I do get so tired of being thought of as a walking ATM.
Are you SeRiOuS?!?!? This is just crazy. Had I known you were NOT a struggling doctorate candidate, I'd help myself with some of your cash when we visited you.
Hurry home already. At least here you KNOW you're getting jacked instead of possessions mysteriously disappearing.
been meaning to blog this...