Category: Asia

You know those dreams we all have of turning up to school or office naked? Well, I’ve started having a Bhutanese version. In this dream, I get to the top floor of Chang Lam Plaza where we have our office and realise that I’ve forgotten to put on the belt to my gho. The hem… Continue reading Gho Dreams

A family friend is visiting Bhutan at the moment and invited us to dinner at the most expensive hotel chain in the country. At $1200 per night, this is where Steven Seagal and Richard Gere stay. Mike, the friend, is having his way paid by the hotel on the premise that he’ll write a review… Continue reading Performance Based Promotions

I was crossing the main street on my way home this afternoon and saw two policemen converging on a stationary scooter, blowing whistles. I don’t know what he’d done, but from the angle it was facing, I’d presume negligent driving at the least. The rider managed to get the scooter sorted out and took off… Continue reading Car Chase

My office mate’s van was stolen on Saturday evening. He was working in Chang Lam Plaza, the up market shopping centre where we have our office, until about 9pm. When he went out, he found a bunch of teenagers sticking something into the lock of the building manager’s car and told them off. They stood… Continue reading Stolen Van

Little to report today – it’s been a cold, wet and gloomy weekend – but yesterday I went to VAST for the first time in a while. I’ve been looking for another way to get involved in society and recently decided that I might be able to help at the Voluntary Arts Studio Thimphu. They’re… Continue reading VAST

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… Continue reading Hug a Lamp Post

I’m back in gho today after a few days. My stomach kept getting worse until I had what seems like an attack of giardia on Monday night. I was a set of biological bellows for about 7 hours that night, expelling my own volcanic gases. I’m normally one to trust in my body to resolve… Continue reading Giardia

I wore a suit in public today. It’s the first time in well over a year. I’ve been sick all weekend, but thought I was recovered this morning, so I put on my gho as usual and went to work. After an hour of the thick belt pushing against my stomach, I had to rush… Continue reading Suited Up

One week ago today, Gasa town was electrified. Gasa is the most remote dzongkag in Bhutan, and even now the town is most of a day’s walk from the nearest road. Until last week, they had lights and a community phone powered by solar panels – if the weather was good enough. In the last… Continue reading Gasa Electrified

Today I got to see my Bhutanese office mate submit a tender for a government project. I’ve never seen this done outside of Bhutan, so perhaps this process is similar in other countries, but it was new to me. The documentation was standard enough, but he had to pay about $50 (a lot of money… Continue reading Government Tender