When I first arrived in Bhutan, I was invited to help the government’s Department of Information demonstrate the power of technology in an effort to get more government funding. Today, I see that Ericsson have begun work with Bhutan’s education department to install videoconferencing into five remote schools so their students can take lessons from a central group of specialists.
Tag: bhutan
Zinacantan Weaving Workshop
Zinacantan men specialise in growing flowers and the women specialise in weaving. We visited a weaving workshop with a number of rooms covered wall-to-wall in bright coloured shawls and table runners and the women delighted in dressing us up in their traditional garments. Fiona wore a skirt, belt and a vibrant blouse that was soon… Continue reading Zinacantan Weaving Workshop
Dragon Bones Supports Education of Bhutanese Girls
The first royalty cheque for Dragon Bones was for 502 copies sold over 6 months. That’s about 10% of my big goal of 5000 sales. My main driver for selling so many copies (it is a lot for an unknown writer) was to ensure substantial support for Bhutanese organisations. To put this in perspective, my… Continue reading Dragon Bones Supports Education of Bhutanese Girls
The Good Samaritans
I didn’t see what befell the old man, but he’s being helped off the highway crossing by two others as I walk around the corner. He doesn’t appear to know his helpers and doesn’t acknowledge either. As soon as he reaches the curb, he grabs hold of a railing and tries to support himself. I… Continue reading The Good Samaritans
A Day At The Airport
One person’s belief is another person’s superstition. This became clear during one of my classes for my anthropology degree. I’ve never been one to avoid black cats or walking under ladders. I do have a tendency to avoid cracks in the pavement, but that’s more a mild OCD than superstition. It’s been very difficult to… Continue reading A Day At The Airport
Bhutanese Repatriated
Recently, I’ve been reading a lot about Bhutanese/Nepali refugees settling into new homes. It’s news I’ve waited years to hear, but that’s short compared to the time these people have waited to feel welcome somewhere. While I’m always sympathetic to the plight of refugees, I generally don’t think that them fleeing, or repatriating them, is… Continue reading Bhutanese Repatriated
Science of Happiness
Only months before I moved to Bhutan I was introduced to the country by an article that gushed about Gross National Happiness, a concept created by the Bhutanese king in 1972 to guide development. Rather than measuring economic growth, Bhutan aimed for happiness through the four pillars — natural environment, good governance, cultural values and… Continue reading Science of Happiness
Bhutanese Belief in Shangri-La Naive
Could the Bhutanese belief in their Shangri-La status be naive? Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche asked this question in the Bhutan Observer on Friday. It’s very similar to one of the central themes of Dragon Bones and he raises many of the points that I describe anecdotally. There’s a snake in this garden of… Continue reading Bhutanese Belief in Shangri-La Naive
Dragon Bones For Charity
I’m very excited to say that the first copies of Dragon Bones have been shipped. This is a good time to announce that 50% of the royalties for all editions of Dragon Bones will go to Bhutanese organisations. Two years living in Bhutan convinced me that local people are best placed to identify and address… Continue reading Dragon Bones For Charity
ANZAC Day – A New Perspective
A small ceremony in Armidale gave me new perspective on ANZAC Day. I’ve always understood it as a day to remember the fallen soldiers and the sacrifice they made for our countries. When in Bhutan, I began to see it as a day to look towards a peaceful future. The service began at 9am, well… Continue reading ANZAC Day – A New Perspective