Category: Countries

Today was perhaps my last day with the RIM students. They leave on the 18th of June and my family will be around until then. I’ve been asked to judge the student’s final projects which is a great honour and will probably be fun. Then again, it could be tough to have to give honest… Continue reading Student Attitudes Explained

Bureaucracy strikes again. I asked my favourite travel agency to fax the visas for my family to the Drukair station managers at the respective airports, but they refused to send the one for my brother on the grounds that it said he was coming by land. I pointed out that it had the correct name,… Continue reading Visa Troubles

There have been gurgling and clunking sounds above our flat almost since we arrived. A few weeks ago, Marie met a girl in the stairwell who was on her way to work at a printers in the flat above ours. The noises suddenly became clear, but how could the landlord let his residential flats be… Continue reading Bumps in the Night

There’s little doubt that the rainy season has come early this year. Most of today was warm and dry, but the rain that hit at 5pm this evening has flooded Thimphu. As we were driving into town, we saw a block of concrete about 2 feet on all sides sitting on the road a metre… Continue reading Monsoon

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