19 May - 4 Jun

As I wrapped up the things I was supposed to complete, my heart was filled with joy and thanksgiving for the people and things here. There was not a single day I did not feel blessed.

I started my travelling on the first week of May. After the Taktsang adventure, I went to Pha Jo Ding with my usual group of friends. The journey up Pha Jo Ding was pleasant. Along the journey, we met 1 little Rinpoche and a young Dharma. This little Rinpoche was only about 6 years old and he was identified  to be the reincarnate of a late renounced Dharma. Though young, he demonstrated  profound intelligence and maturity. According to Ugyen and Tandin, any boy identified to be a reincarnate will be able to identify the belongings of late Dharma at very young age and could even understand the sutra faster than any ordinary monks.

As we journeyed together, Ugyen shared a lot of the Bhutanese beliefs that stayed till today. He told me to visit the “burning lake”, a “must go” destination when I go to Bumthang in June. According to the legend, it was believed that Guru Rinpoche went into the lake with a butter lamp and emerged from the lake with the butter lamp remained lit. The lake instantly became a famous site and many tourist visited the place after that.

Along the way, we also visited a 400 years old house. Pasang was so delighted to see the house that she told me it was a dream came true for her. Under the guidance of the young Dharma, we trekked to 3 different sites to see 3 Buddha paintings which appeared naturally on the rocks. It was known to be the past, present and future Buddha. A rare sight indeed!!

During the journey, i discovered that Duptho was a great cook. From the way she prepared her food and making sure that the food was warm in her nice little container, I knew that she was a meticulous person. Both Pasang and Duptho are very hardworking people. Duptho repeated her class XII 4^th times because of her poor English standard. She is very determined to clear her class XII this year. Many a times, I will see her in the staff room, consulting teachers regarding her work.

The scouts have 2 cluster activities in May- June as well. The commitment ceremony on 28 May and the Fund Raising event on 7 June. I start to scale down my involvement in Scouts as I conclude my stay in Bhutan.

I attended a 6 hours cluster meeting at Druk School on 24 May.  The cluster chairman was the assistant principal of Druk School. She was very different from typical Bhutanese. A very driven and task-oriented person. Having said that, I am still very puzzled why they chose the fund raising event to be scheduled 1 week before the June exam. And amazingly, no schools objected to the proposal. If it is in Singapore, most school activities will have toned down their activities during the examination period.

I weighed my options and decided that I will not be too involved in the scout fund raising event (FETE), much as I wanted to. I will go ahead with the Bumthang trip on 5 June.

The week continued with my involvement in the 5 days Career Guidance talk for girls and my shifting to Dr Wang’s place. I initiated the thought of vacating my apartment because I could not convince myself of spending 17 000 Nu monthly rent for only an 8-days stay in the month of June. I want to vacate the place by the end of the month so that I can save the 17 000 Nu for the school. I am grateful that Dr Wang invited me to his house to stay for the 8 days.  It was a pleasant change for me : A shift from an “apartment” to a “hotel suite”. His place is huge and comfortable!!

The Career Guidance sessions were good and it surfaced a lot of problems faced by  Bhutanese youths. The session created a safe environment for the girls to share their thoughts. I felt that similar sessions should be conducted for the boys because boys have similar needs too.

As I delved deep into the English department work, I realized that many things can done to help boost up the English standards in RHSS. There should be a better streamlining of work because some teachers are overworked, while some teachers are “underworked”.

I felt so refreshed after reading the book on Steven Covey, 7 habits of effective people.  The book reminded me of practising these 7 habits to make myself more effective in whatever things that I do. Be proactive in spreading our circle of influence instead of focusing on our circle of concerns.

Aum Sangay and Dr Wang attended my last PD session on 31 May. I was greatly encouraged by their presence.  Dr Wang spread his time so thinly that I can see he is visibly tired. He makes every effort to support every school event. Despite of his tiredness, he made a point to come back to school to attend the PD session after the Marathon event. I could see that he "couldn’t wait" for Mr Tshering to come back so that he could relinquish his job as official principal and stay as an advisor instead.

He is an inspiration to many, and I drew a lot of learning from him.  He gave me invaluable feedback on how to improve on my session, which I was deeply grateful.

We also worked together to help the canteen owner, Mr Tshering, to draw back the crowd, both the teachers and the students. At the end of the day, it is up to Mr Tshering to make changes on his part to attract the people. He is at the losing edge in terms of competing with the restaurant owner at the “bottom” of the school. He is not willing to give more so that he can gain more.

We thought of coupon system to help draw the crowd, “treating the teachers to a set lunch” so that the teachers can enjoy some of the good food prepared by the canteen, but in the end, the food was not palatable and expensive. It was a real put off for the teachers.

I personally felt indebted to Dr Wang and Lori. They had taught me many things, especially in the area of giving. They hope to be the light of the world, and this is also what I see in them. Their words and action are aligned with their belief and  I am sure I am not the only one who benefited from their goodness.

Another person whom I am very grateful towards is Namgay. Namgay is a lively girl at all times. She is always so carefree, very willing to go the extra miles for her friends. She is in good terms with everybody. She seems to have so many connections that she helps me to “save” a lot of money. We spent one weekend at her Punakha farm house and I got to enjoy a hot-stone bath, in an open area. It was an exhilarating experience that no amount of money can buy!! And it was because of her, I got to see the Queen Mother’s place and the monastery too. My experience at the farm house was truly authentic and not for many foreigners like me.

Pasang is another great help to me. We travelled on the bus to Bumthang together. The 11 hours journey was torturous, with a lot of ups and downs and little leg space for us to stretch our legs. But we survived and were rewarded with the scenic view of “Bhutan Switzerland”. By a twist of fate, we have free accommodation at Lop Tashi’s brother’s place in Bumthang. Our stay coincided with an international conference and most of the hotels were fully booked. And we have the house all by ourselves because Lop Tashi Chewang will be going to Thimphu for a week.

As I reflect upon my numerous experiences. I could not help but thank God for the  many blessings I received and I wouldn’t even think of.  The love and the warmth I received in Bhutan is going to make me reminisce on my wonderful experience long time after I go back to Singapore. Thank you, Land of the Thunder Dragon!!