Nimalung Tsechu

In the past week I have been feeling so blessed and grateful for our posting in Bumthang, Bhutan's spiritual heart. At the start of the year life seemed a bit bleak here - the ground was dry and brown, without signs of any life. The weather was bitterly cold day after day and we weren't able to buy any fruit or vegetables in the local shops.

But here we are at the start of summer and the contrast is so wonderful - with gorgeous hot days, an abundance of fruit and vegetables available and to add to that, a weekend off to enjoy not one, but two local Tsechus (festivals). What made these festivals so special is that since they are in our local area where we have lived for nearly six months, we know so many people and felt part of the local crowd. We had friends to explain the dances to us, children to have a little chat with and who were happy to pose for photos, and friends to enjoy a beer with at the end of the day. This experience is priceless and we'll treasure it in our memory of our time in Bhutan when we look back in years to come.

Sunday morning one of our friends from school picked us up and drove us to Nimalung Lhakang, about 7 kms away for the first of three days of the festival. We arrived nice and early and started the day with choosing the obligatory icecream for the boys to sweeten them up for a day at the temple.

 

Some young monks check out what's on offer at one of the stalls that sells cheap toys.

 

Only a small crowd was gathered to see the first dances of the day, and we had plenty of choice where to sit to watch. A casual, fun and festive atmosphere makes tsechus a real pleasure - although the dances depict deep and meaningful spiritual and cultural traditions, children still run around freely, the crowd chat with each other and the atsaras (clown-like monks) add some belly laughs as they roam around to tease the crowd with large wooden phalluses!

Aside from photos of the dances, I enjoyed taking photos of people and other interesting things around the temple. Participating in photo-a-day has really sparked an interest in photography that I'm getting quite addicted to. Here are the highlights of our days at Nimalung Tsechu...

Family pic - I'm all glammed up in my special handwoven kira that is reserved for special occasions like this.

Young monks watch the dances.

 

Here is Choney, one of my gorgeous Class 2 students in her beautiful kira.

And her friend Tshomo, also from Class 2 looking just as lovely in aqua.

 

 

 

Sonam Choki from Class 2 with her aunty looking so glamorous.

 

 

 

 

Mask dancers.

 

The atsara comes around to tease Bob with his you-know-what!

Armed and dangerous!

 

 

 

The boys had fun playing with a young boy from the USA who is on holiday with his parents here.

 

Loud music from horns, drums and cymbals accompanies the dances.

The elaborate costume of the black-hat dancer as he emerges from the temple.

This young monk was happy to have his photo taken, but his friend swiftly hid behind the door.

 

Remy with his new bling - Xavier won an 'R' pendant in the lucky dip!

Two students from Chumey MSS looking very handsome in their ghos.

Women dressed in their finest kiras come on and do folk dances in between the masked monk dances.

Dancers are barefoot on the weathered stones of the courtyard.

 

Mr Galey and his little son who looked so cute in his gho.

Mr Chimmi and Mr Tandin with Bob and Xavier.

If you look closely you'll see the inscription in the concrete - I love you Sonam Zangmo - which amused me as we are in a monastery.

Remy and Xavier both loved playing with and teasing the atsaras.



 

The ladies arrived with their baskets full of crispy rice cakes as offerings, but left with them empty.

 

 

 

At the end of day one we weren't the only ones heading to the Amrita Bakery shop to have a sweet treat before we went home!

As we were leaving, two of my students Tshomo and Phuntsho came and gave me a beautiful bunch of roses they'd picked!

 

By the end of day two we were ready for a beer!
 

Piled in the back of the ute ready to go home!

 

Summer Days

It's funny for me to think of summer in June, but all of a sudden it is hot and gorgeously sunny - my favourite time of year. Summer holidays begin today for the lower primary classes- one month of freedom and hopefully sunshine stretches ahead of them.

Early morning view out our kitchen window.

A beautiful rose growing at school.

The potato field over the road from our house - when we arrived was just dry brown dirt, now is lush and nearly ready for harvest.

Walking home for lunch in the hot sunshine.

 

 

Although I don't have classes to teach, I'm not quite free yet: I am required to invigilate the upper grades' exams and also help mark highschool English tests every afternoon for the next two weeks!

At assembly this morning it was announced that school would be cancelled  for the day and all students sent home so the teachers could have a meeting. Strange but not so uncommon here! My class twos had their final Mid-Term test scheduled so we went ahead with that, and as it was my last day with the kids I had planned to do some fun art with them afterwards to celebrate. Just as my last student was finishing his test I was called to hurry up and get to the meeting, so unfortunately I said a hasty goodbye to my students and raced to the meeting, missing out on the art we'd looked forward to.

I had the afternoon free, and with Bob off for his first bike ride up and over the Kiki-la pass, I had time to spend with the boys. I packed a bag with snacks and we crossed the road and walked for two minutes through the forest to the river. On the way a group of my primary students from class 1 - 4 greeted us. The class 4s were dangling text books from their hands in an attempt to look like they are studying for tomorrow's Dzongkha test.

Apparently it was 30 degrees this afternoon, and if I'd been better prepared with some type of swimwear I would have jumped in the river with the kids. With little concern for modesty the boys and girls all stripped to their underwear and had a wonderful time in the waist deep water. Not a parent was in sight - the kids here lead an existence which must be somewhat like it was two or three generations ago in Australia - the freedom to come and go as they please - no parents with sunscreen and hats and bottles of water or snacks - just the safety in numbers of a mixed age group - and fun and freedom.

A perfect natural swimming pool between the rocky 'white water' stretches of the river.

Nature's paradise!

 

I tried to stay on the sidelines so as not to spoil their fun, although I think they were happy for my presence. Xavier and Remy stripped to their undies and went into the water up to their waists, the older children holding their hands and taking great care of them.

Remy spent most of the afternoon sitting on the sandy river bank covering himself with sand and building himself a 'car' out of pinecones and sticks. Xavier enjoyed wading in the water, and talking with his friends - this group of kids is very familiar to us now.

After lots of fun in the water, the kids were covered in goosebumps and shivering despite the hot sun. None had a towel, so they surprised me by producing a box of matches, collecting sticks and lighting a fire in a matter of minutes - such resourceful and mature children. They stood by the fire and warmed up and then washed their sandy clothes in the water and dried them by the fire. I was waiting for one to dive in and catch a fish with their bare hands to cook on the fire!

 

 

I loved watching them from a distance enjoying each other's company, building things with sticks and skimming rocks across the water.

I noticed one of the little girls from my class 2 was looking very sad, hunched over and crying. It turned out that one of her plastic sandals had probably washed away down the river and couldn't be found. She knew she was in for a 'beating' from mum when she got home and it must be something to be feared as her usual carefree demeanor was replaced with worry and sadness.

It broke my heart to see her so sad, and I told her to come home with us later and I'd give her the money to buy some more.

Meanwhile after a few hours in the sun, we packed up to go home. As we were leaving the kids collected some wild strawberries near the path and one of the girls noticed some growing between some large rocks. I was walking ahead and didn't hear a scream or any sound, but the girl fell and gashed her leg terribly on the rocks somehow. She had a deep cut to her shin and lots of blood - and although it must have been terribly painful she was making only the quietest of whimpers. I offered to carry her but she bravely walked home, no crying, just a toughness that I imagine comes from a childhood spent fending for yourself.

The little one who had lost her sandal reluctantly came to our house and accepted the money to buy new shoes. I didn't know what they'd cost so I gave her 200nu ($4) and she seemed much happier and relieved.


Not long later she came back to return 100nu - they'd only cost 100nu and she was very honestly returning what she didn't need. This impressed me so much as I have had a constant stream of things stolen by students here - so much so that I had long given up hope trusting any of them. But here was an example of a little girl who knew to be honest and grateful. A very heartwarming way to end the afternoon. Bob just saw the girl who hurt herself and she was all bandaged up and doing fine. The kids here are certainly self-sufficient and resilient. And Bob will feel sore tomorrow from his 40+ km ride up and over Kiki-La pass (2980m) and back - laden down with a bag of fruit and veg from the market - but for now he feels energised and happy to know he made it.