Monday, January 24, 2011

Thimphu

We travelled to Thimphu for a two-week orientation session that covered everything from cooking with gas to Dzongka, the national language of Bhutan. Thimphu is, by my definition, the perfect sized city with just the right amount of bustle. It holds my heart.






I became fond of the clocktower park beside our hotel. Note the intricate details in the woodwork. Every surface in Bhutan is that beautiful.


There are an enormous number of buildings under construction in Thimphu all with the help of traditional bamboo scaffolding.


The greatest honour of our orientation period was our meetings with thinkers and officials with an interest in education. We met the Director of the Royal University of Bhutan's Institute of Language and Culture Studies, the Minister of Home and Cultural Affairs, as well as Thimpu's representative in the federal upper house. Here is the group with one of the most eloquent and insightful people I have ever met, the Minister of Education:


Toward the end of our time in Thimphu, we went to see the huge statue of the Buddha currently being constructed on the mountaintop:

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the update, I hope all goes well with the training in Thimphu. Dad M

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  2. Bamboo scaffolding- doesn't sound so reassuring.

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  3. ..I left my heart...in San Fransisco (4 syllables)

    seems Trashiyangtse would fit better than Thimpu

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  4. Looks like someone was out-oranged...barely.

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