haircuts

Apologies for the long delay in posting, the internet here is now quite spotty, mostly because of the fact that the entire campus is rigged up to one wireless connection, so the best time of the day to go online is early morning, and those of you who know me, know that I am not a morning person… So, for a while at least, blog entries are likely to be scarce.

One thing that I’ve been meaning to write about, though, is haircuts. I love getting haircuts in foreign countries, because they are so cultural, and it is the type of thing that is so commonplace that most folks don’t think of it that way. Perhaps my most favorite was one that I got in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, the barber maybe said three words to me in total, did not seem to care about my interest in style, and gave me an awesome haircut that matched my equally ridiculous moustache. It was a good day.

In South Asia, haircuts are fairly cheap, in Nepal I was able to get them for about .25c, and here in Bhutan they usually around .75c. Which is good, because I hate spending money (side note, I rarely pay to get a haircut in the US, since its stupidly expensive for someone who just gets a buzz cut, many thanks goes to my Mom who has cut my hair since I was a little kid).

I used to get shaves in Nepal, which were done with a straightedge and were a very nice luxury, but the combination of a lot of beard hair and sensitive skin made me bleed quite a bit, so I haven’t gotten that done out in Bhutan yet. But they do shave the line of your hair with a straightedge, which produces a sensation not unlike a catscratch and which I oddly like.

But my favorite thing is the end, barbers out here always give you at least a short head massage. It’s a bit tricky because if they go too long, some will claim it as an extra service and try to charge extra for it, but you usually get the first minute or so free. The massage, by the way, doesn’t really feel “good” the barber basically gives your head a rub-down, which feels nice on muscles, but there aren’t many muscles on your scalp. They also basically form fists and hit you softly with the bottom of their fist. Why or how this tradition spread is of great interest to me.

Of course, it’s a rare time when a chilip gets a haircut out here, so often I get an audience, which is always mildly embarrassing and kind of funny. These pics are ones Rachel took on our trips when I got haircuts. The second shot was of when the crowd got so big she couldn't even take a photo of me anymore!

Wall art (Parental Guidance is suggested)

One of the cool things about Bhutan is the architecture. The government has made it a rule that all buildings must follow traditional architectural styles, in an attempt to avoid the cement-box style of buildings that plague the rest of South Asia. The result is that all buildings have at least some flair, and most have quite a bit of art worked into them.

Bhutan also has a unique style of wall art that I immediately shared a sense of camaraderie with. Namely, it’s penis art. Yes, penis art. Bhutanese people draw these on the outside of their homes for a number of reasons, some say it’s a sign of fertility (duh!) and others say it harkens to a somewhat crazy monk whose main lesson was for people not to take life too seriously (one of his more famous methods was to go around hitting people on the head with a wooden phallus, another tradition that continues at some festivals to this day).

This one is from Phobjika valley, and was on a hotel. Still not sure why it is on a cup.

This second one was from Trongsa, and features some truly fuzzy balls.

Something tells me this bar might not be the safest place to go by oneself...

This last one is my favorite, its here in Thimphu, and is probably the most commonly photographed wall art in the country. I mean, who doesn't want a penis fighting a dragon on the side of their house.

I’m sure I’ll be posting more of these as I travel (there aren’t too many in Thimphu, which is too modern, but you see more when you’re in rural Bhutan) so stay tuned!

King's Birthday roadtrip

Last Monday was the King's 31st birthday (yes he is younger than me, which makes me feel like I could have accomplished more with my life thus far, like become king of a small country...). Thankfully, it takes a full three days to celebrate a monarch's birthday, making it a five day weekend! And, since school is about to start on tuesday, Rachel and I decided to do a bit of exploring.

Saturday: Drove out to Phobjika, a beautiful high-altitude valley where the majority of the world's remaining Black-necked cranes come to over-winter. There is a wetlands in the valley floor, and the cranes spend much of their time there during the day, eating dirt or whatever it is that cranes eat. They're huge, beautiful birds (standing over 4' 6") and about 250 of them overwinter in this tiny village. We also got to see yaks in the valley, which was a first for Rachel. Luckily they didn't charge the car. Unfortunately there was no electricity and so it was a pretty cold night, especially since I was a gentleman and gave my sleeping bag to Rachel and somehow lost my top blanket in the middle of the night. I had no idea until the morning.





Sunday & Monday: The next day we drove from Phobjika to Trongsa, which is in the middle of the country. We found a fantastic resort just outside of town that had super comfortable beds, a bathtub (YES!!!), a couple ponds, and was just generally comfortable. AND we got a good rate, so we decided to stay for two nights. Trongsa was super relaxed, got to see the school children putting on a big performance for the king's birthday which mostly consisted of coordinated dances in a big soccer field. Unfortunately the new museum there was closed for the holidays, but I did manage to talk our way into the Dzong w/o a permit (mostly because of my nepali language skills) which was really beautiful and is where the first two Kings of Bhutan ruled from. This photo is of a massive cedar tree in front of the Dzong.


Tuesday: We got up a bit late b/c the electricity had gone out all night, and began the journey back to Thimphu. We drove to Punaka, which is only a couple of hours from Thimphu (note, while the whole journey was only like 100 miles of driving, the roads are all mountain roads, and maximum speed is around 25mph and usually closer to 15). We again stayed at a fairly nice resort, only to discover that our bed there was merely a box springs (I'm sure the delux rooms got the mattress), so it was a bit of a rough night. We got to see the Punaka Dzong as well, which featured an incredible prayer room with huge golden Buddha statues. Can't take photos inside the Dzong's but here is one of the outside of it:



Wednesday: Got up early, and headed back to Thimphu. I've got a couple more stories from the trip, including a more detailed explanation of Dzongs, and Bhutanese phallic wall art, but I don't want to overwhelm the reader. So, more to follow!

Health

Now, for those readers who were with me back when I was in Nepal, you likely remember that much of the year was spent with some sort of stomach issue. I had dysentery (both amoebic and bacterial), giardia, worms, typhoid fever, you name it, I had it at one point or another. It sort of became just a fact of life out there, and I was prepared to go through another year of that, if need be. (Of course, I didn't really dwell on that when explaining life out here to Rachel)

Thankfully, we thus far have been quite healthy, the occasional loose stool, but that's nothing big. But last Friday, I got my first Bhutanese illness, a cold. Actually I'm happy to have it just be a cold, it wasn't terrible, mostly coughing and headachy for a couple of days, and it was a nice excuse to relax for a bit, but it reminded me how our lives here have been much healthier compared to time spent in India and Nepal. Its really been quite nice actually. And to be honest, Rachel has just started a course of antibiotics for stomach issues, but it wasn't nearly so bad as what both she and I have had in the past, so I don't mean to scare anyone off.

Yeah, its really nice to be healthy, something to definitely be grateful for.

Happy New Year!

Thursday was Losar, the New Year celebration for China, Tibet, Bhutan and other parts of Asia. Actually, Bhutan has at least five New Years (that's a lot of partying!) depending on who and where you are in the country. Losar is the official one, and the one largely celebrated in Thimphu. Most folks got thursday and friday off for the holiday, and headed to the hills for picnics and kuru (dart) throwing competitions.

I went on a really nice hike with a couple of bhutanese friends, a nice flat one, which is rare in this part of the world. Its on a hillside overseeing Thimphu, right by the Bhutan Broadcasting Service tower, and for some reason, the place is literally littered with prayer flags. There's a whole lot of auspiciousness going on over there.

something different

I had pig's head for lunch today.

The Prime Minister on Educating for GNH

I stumbled upon this video today. I'm thinking I'll show it to my students on the first day of class. There are some really enlightened people out here

Our New Ride

Things are pretty quiet up at the college, we're in the midst of a 2 month break, and so all of the students and most of the faculty have gone to warmer regions. Since much of my research will be in different parts of the country, we decided to buy a car. We we're really in much of a rush, and mentioned it in passing to the administrative manager Tshering (who is quickly becoming our "fixer"), and a couple of hours later she called to let us know that she had found the car, talked down the price, and that they would arrive on Monday so we could check it out. Here it is!



Please note the awesome decals. This is a major selling point.


One thing to note about cars in S. Asia, they are generally smaller, the big cars are mid sized suvs, and only super-important people drive those. As you can see, we have a pretty small car, more like a go-cart than a than anything. If you think I'm joking, then check out this photo of me driving:


Actually, maybe its more like bumpercars. Since you don't really go faster than 25mph here (the roads aren't exactly straight) and every time I've hit someone they just think it's hilarious.

Driving

Rachel and I are likely going to get a car sometime soon. Actually, we mentioned it in passing to the college's administrative manager and a couple hours later she called and said that she had found us a car. Apparently the seller is going to bring it to the campus on monday, so we'll see.

The other day the dean was kind enough to loan us his car to get into town. Let me start by saying that Indian cars are not made for tall men. We are convinced these are the cars that clowns use. Anyways, I only messed up three times driving on the wrong side of the road. Or should I say messed up with three cars. Luckily you can't drive very fast here (the roads are way to twisty), and people are used to unexpected obstacles, so it wasn't a major problem. We got lost, of course, but eventually managed to find downtown Thimphu and got to see more of Bhutan in the process.

Good times. Oh, and some of you already know this, but Bhutan has no traffic lights. They once installed one, but it confused drivers, so they removed it and major intersections are staffed by traffic policemen. If you look closely you can see that he is chatting on his cell phone as he directs traffic (it's illegal to talk on cell phones and drive here).

Arrival

Well, after numerous bureaucratic delays, and occasional academic ninja-ing, Rachel and I finally landed in Bhutan. After getting a ride from Paro, home to Bhutan's only international airport, we arrived at Royal Thimphu College, just outside of the capital. Rachel and I had often wondered what our living arrangements would be like here, and having seen the living quarters at other colleges, had not expected much. However, RTC is brand new, and we could not be happier with the living arrangements. Little things like a hot water heater, multiple rooms, cookware, a western toilet, wood floors, a bed with a mattress, TWO porches, are all more than we were expecting. We actually have a bona fide guest bedroom (visitors welcome!).

Perhaps the biggest change thus far is the temperature. While we're pretty far south, we are also up around 9,000 feet, so the temperature varies significantly. During the daytime the temperature peaks around 60 which is quite nice, but at night it gets down to around 30, which doesn't sound that cold, but houses here don't have central heat, or any heat for the most part. Luckily we have a space heater, so our bedroom stays warm to about 55 or so. I'm huddled under the blankets wearing a winter cap as I write this.

Campus is on winter break, which is actually about two months long, and the majority of the faculty have left, so campus is really quiet. However, we have pulled together the first of my teaching exercises with some of the 2nd year students, which starts on Monday, I'm quite excited to see where we can go with that. And we already have a potential line on borrowing a car for a couple of months until we might purchase our own.

I'll take a couple of photos of the view from our place, it is truly beautiful. But I don't want to stretch this post too long. There is lots of time for more entries.

Bhutan part II

What a week! It seems like there is too much to write about regarding Bhutan, I don't quite know where to begin. Perhaps I will give just a couple of quick glimpses into my time there.

My guide, Goenpo, and I got along quite well. He was a monk for seven years before having to leave the monastery to support his mother, and because of this he knew quite a bit about Bhutan and Buddhism. I was quite lucky to have him, as I saw several other guides learning from him during the trip. If anyone is thinking about going, I highly recommend traveling with him and Bhutan Heritage Tours. One of the reasons why we had such a good time was because he loved to tell jokes, so we spent hours each day going back and forth. Lots of laughs.

I went on four hikes while we were there. Bhutan has lots of beautiful forest, and hiking is really great because most hikes consist of going up to a monastery and then coming back down. The last one was to the famous Taktshang Goemba which translates to Tiger's Nest. It is perhaps the best known monastery in Bhutan, as Guru Rimpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan spent three months there in a cave meditating. His consort transformed herself into a tiger to protect him during this period, which is how the place got its name. The monastery was built in the 17^th century and has experienced several fires, the most recent was in 1998. But it has since been rebuilt and has some fantastic alters to both Buddha and Guru Rimpoche. While there Goenpo and I were invited for tea with the head monk's brother, a rare honor. Also on our way back down a troop of Gray Languor monkeys passed directly overhead in the trees and I got to catch a glimpse of some Dholes, a species of wild dogs. Here are a couple of photos from the hike:

Also while in Bhutan I actually got to meet with the Prime Minister! I'm not entirely sure why he deigned to meet with me (I think it might have something to do with the fact that he is a PSU alumna), but it was definitely a life long memory. His office is, naturally, HUGE, and there were was one guy who wrote notes furiously while he and I chatted. Two or three others hung by the door to run for stuff like tea. We mostly chatted about Penn State, which he has fond memories of. I also told him about the purpose of my trip and what I was hoping to do, and he offered to write a letter of support for me, which I think will help greatly in my efforts to obtain an invitation to study there next year.

Speaking of which, it is looking like I will be able to live in Bhutan for a while to conduct research. Nothing is definite, of course, but I will (hopefully) be collaborating with the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature, a conservation-oriented NGO. It is the ideal group for the type of research that I'm hoping to do. Oh, at the end of the meeting with the Prime Minister, he gave me a couple of gifts, including a book, a baseball cap, and a coin commemorating the coronation of the fifth king which happened last fall. It will definitely become a family heirloom.

The last thing to note was the solar eclipse (of my heart). I think some of you heard about it in the US, it was the longest solar eclipse for the next 100+ years. Before I came out I actually shifted around my travel dates so that I would be in Bhutan for it. The eclipse started at 6:58am, so Goenpo and I drove up to Chelela pass where about 20 other folks (half tourists, half Bhutanese people) had also gathered to watch. Unfortunately it's the monsoon season and while we were above one layer of clouds, another was still higher up. It seemed like we wouldn't see anything. The eclipse reached its peak at 7:58, and quite suddenly everything got really dark, not completely, but moreso than I would have thought. Some of the local folks shouted at the Sun to come back, and luckily, the clouds started to break up, so we could see the eclipse! After about 2 minutes, the light came back again quite quickly and for the next hour we were able to watch the sun creep out from behind the moon's shadow with these special glasses that some guy from NASA brought. Yet another life-long memory.

There are numerous other small stories to tell, but they're best told over a cold beer or hot tea.

Bhutan trip

I don't think I mentioned in my last post, but I'm now in Bhutan, which should partially explain the delay in posting. Bhutan is the keystone of my trip, as it marks both the halfway point and has the highest significance on my future. I'm hoping to conduct research here as part of my PhD studies, and Bhutan is well-known in academia for being difficult to obtain permission to conduct research.

So I have spent much of my time in meetings and trying to contact people in the government, NGOs and the university system to try to figure out a way to collaborate on a project. Things are generally look pretty positive, although nothing is certain, even after I leave I think nothing will be certain, so please don't forget to cross your fingers for me when you go to sleep at night.

But my time here has been really great. Bhutan is a world apart from India and Nepal. I feel odd saying that, but in the past 50 years, Bhutan has developed by leaps and bounds, somehow preserving their natural environment in the process. This is what I'm hoping to study, the reasons why Bhutan has faired so well, and hopefully will continue to do so.

As some of you know, Tantric Buddhism is the dominant religion here, and the division between the sexes is far lower than nearby areas. In fact, I was taught the first day I got here about the “kurta namaste.” Some of you know what Namaste is, it is a greeting made by pressing the hands together in front of your face like you're praying. Kurta means feet or legs, so you can imagine what a kurta namaste is (and if you can't, drop me an e-mail. I'd be happy to go into further detail.

Bhutan has a fascinating approach to tourism, which they term “low quantity, high quality” it means that I have to pay wicked high prices and in exchange my meals and lodging are taken care of, as well as transportation and a guide. Since I'm traveling alone that means that I not only have my own driver, but my own guide as well. My driver doesn't speak English, so our interactions are limited to Nepali. The guide speaks English quite well and is really knowledgeable about his country (or he is a great bullshitter). He loves jokes, so he and I have been trading them in between our other tasks. The driver also likes to share jokes, and they are all quite lewd.

But this has really been a work trip, so no really good stories yet. Sunday we're going on a hike, which I'm really excited about. And on Wednesday morning there is supposed to be a total solar eclipse, the longest one for the next 150 years. Cross the rest of your fingers that it won't be cloudy that morning!