I’m home relatively late (late for me, early for others in my life) from the pub on a Friday evening. The expats generally congragate at Benez on a Friday evening to drink the week’s frustrations away. Ironically, it was on my return from this outing that I found reason to be happy. And it’s not just that I wasn’t attacked by dogs.
I never noticed, until I moved into town, that Thimphu has street lights. It’s not many streets, but it’s enough to remind me that despite water and electricity problems, we’re actually living in a well-off country.
Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, given the recent census results. The previous estimates had put Bhutan at just over 1 million, but the census of last year shows that there are just 550,000 Nationals living in Bhutan and just over 100,000 foreigners like me – mostly Indian. If the GDP is the same, that means the per capita income is double the estimate!
But back to street lights. There are even lampposts in our street. They’re never turned on, but they provide a feeling of modern security.
I’m declaring tomorrow international Hug a Lamp post day.