green tea

Blogger Adventures Abroad with Cleo Mag

2012-01-04T23:26:00.003-05:00

A few months ago, I was asked if I would participate in a feature in Cleo Magazine Malaysia about bloggers who travel. I said, sure, sounds fun! I was specifically asked to write 300 words about my first trip to Bhutan and to submit ten photos and a few destination tips. It was a struggle to condense my experience into 300 words and I'm afraid I went into cliche territory with my descriptions. I hope my travel writing course (starting next week) will help me out in that respect.

The published magazine arrived by post last month. As expected, the 300 words I agonized over were edited to about half that length, and only two heavily cropped photos were used. Still, it was fun to be included and I was in good company: Amber went to Paris, Cheesie went to Japan, Benita went to Samoa, Olivia went to Mexico, Young went to Lisbon and Sarah went to Nepal.

Here's my original submission:

I’ve always had a soft spot for obscure places and a curiosity about traditional cultures: I knew I’d love Bhutan even before I got there. Reading 'Tintin in Tibet' as a kid got me interested in the Himalayas. When I heard Bhutan referred to as ‘unspoiled Asia’, I started dreaming of a visit.

First, the basics. Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom located above India, below China, just a step east of Nepal. Tourists come for the mountain trekking and ancient monasteries although Bhutan is one of the most expensive and isolated holiday destinations on earth. There’s no independent touring here: all travellers must be accompanied by a guide and a driver.

When my guide Kado met me at the airport, he introduced Leki, our driver, and declared, “For two weeks, we are a family.” He was not exaggerating. In a small country like Bhutan, everyone is family, and that includes tourists, too. I was dressed up in a woven kira by somebody’s sister, served home-brewed rice wine at a multistory earthen farmhouse and invited out to a karaoke club by new friends. Even as an experienced traveller, I didn't expect to make such connections with local people. I was charmed.

I toured the main cultural circuit via the only highway across Bhutan. The drive sent my stomach lurching and my heart soaring: the misty forest roads twist upwards to astonishing mountain vistas. We explored spectacular fortresses in Punakha and Trongsa. The wide, gentle Bumthang valley is known as ‘the Switzerland of Asia.’ In off-the-grid Phobjikha valley, I gazed up at the most amazing starry night sky I’ve ever seen. The capital city Thimphu is chaotic and entertaining. In Paro, I paid my respects to Bhutan’s Buddhist saint, Guru Rinpoche, at the cliff-hanging Tiger’s Nest monastery.

I like my travels to take me to take me far away from my regular life in Canada: Bhutan was truly like another planet or another age for me. I felt so inspired by my short trip to Bhutan that I soon returned to work as a volunteer for several months. I recommend visiting Bhutan if you crave a holiday that will refresh your perspectives and your spirit.

Best place to go dancing: Space 34 in JoJo’s Mall, Thimphu

Best place for people watching: Attend a festival for a fashion show of traditional style

Best place to admire the view: Dochu La pass, facing an unforgettable Himalayan vista

Best place to relax: Breathe in fresh, clean air on a hike through the Bumthang valley

How to avoid the tourist crowd: Consider visiting during the summer off-season.

Good to know: Druk Air has frequent flights from Bangkok and will offer direct flights from Singapore to Bhutan from March, 2012

List: New Years Eves Past

2011-12-31T00:02:00.001-05:00

An exercise in memory: trying to recall where I spent the last ten or more New Year's Eves.

1999/2000

The so-called "Millennium/Y2K" event! This was when I was in third year university. There was a place on McCaul Street at Baldwin here in Toronto which housed a brigade of proto-hipster from University College, where I was a student. The house hosted many parties: several of the occupants were DJs (he was one of them). This NYE was supposed to be a masquerade party but only my friend Anisa and I showed up in masks. I was also wearing my mother's amazing floor length kilt in the Culloden Ancient tartan. I wish it still fit me. So, because I was in a costume, everyone at the party offered me some of whatever they were drinking, which I accepted. It was a terrible combination. I remember watching the Y2K fireworks from the fire escape with Anisa then several hours later, I woke up on a couch in an empty house. I did not feel well. In fact, it was the worst hangover I'd ever had. I started walking back to my room through the deep snow. A sympathetic taxi driver gave me a free drive, for some reason. Later, riding home from Toronto to Waterloo, my brother had to pull over on Highway 401 so I could puke on the roadside. What a night!

2000/2001

Another party at the McCaul Street house. I suspect this one was more subdued. All I can recall was that I wore my hair up in Bjork buns with a homemade crown of silver foil stars.

2001/2002

This was my new Year's Eve in Osaka. I had spent the day doing errands, zooming around on my much loved 'mama-chari' bike. I remember my mailbox was filled with 'nengajyo' (new year's post cards). That's a tradition I really like and perhaps I should continue it myself? That night, I met a group of expat friends at Bar Isn't It? in Shinsaibashi. Later, we moved on to a club in Nishishinsaibashi for a 'nomihodai' (that means an all-you-can-drink event). This would be illegal in Canada but it's completely normal in Japan. We had just a couple of mugs of beer each, midnight passed, then I suddenly got extremely ill. At this point in my life, I could hold my liquor like never before and never again - my friends suspected that someone had slipped something into my drink. I don't know myself but it was a bit of a surprise to be so unwell after only about three beers. Anyway, the next stop was a back alley ramen counter. I remember sitting in front of the most luscious smelling bowl of ramen ever but being too unwell to eat even one bite. Later, my friends and I took a taxi all the way back to the suburban town where we lived. Despite my condition, I was apparently able to give clear directions to the cabbie in Japanese. January 1st was a lost day. I did not rise from my futon until 7pm when I had to get myself into shape to board an overnight ferry. I was off to spend a week backpacking around Kyushu. I did reach the Kobe ferry port in time. When I stood on the deck, gulping in the sea air as we sailed below the massive Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (the longest span in the world!), I was refreshed and excited for a new adventure.

2002/2003

I was home on a break from studying in England. I don't remember if I did something with friends or family. No idea. I may have stayed home with the dog.

2003/2004

Unemployed in Waterloo: I stayed in. My parents had just returned that day from several months in Australia. I did some kind of New Year's Kendo thing on the 1st.

2004/2005

I spent this night with my buddies Antoaneta and Anisa. Just music, snacks, drinks and no boys.

2005/2006

I helped out at the restaurant run by the father of my then-boyfriend Vince. Then, we went dancing at a club on College Street. Not a bad night, and I got a free mahi-mahi dinner for my trouble.

2006/2007

I was visiting my then-boyfriend Hikaru in San Francisco for a week. We got some Coronas and a pizza from Fat Slice on the Haight and stayed in watching 'Kisarazu Cats Eye'. It was better than it sounds.

2007/2008

I was staying at a cottage in the Kawarthas with my then-boyfriend Thomas. I enjoyed skating on the frozen pond in the moonlight. There was so much snow on New Year's Eve that the cars all got stuck on the unploughed cottage road the next day. I had to be back at work on the 2nd so I ended up hitching a ride as far as Pickering with some strangers who had a truck, then I had to get a late train back from there with all my winter gear. Ugh.

2008/2009

I was in Varadero, Cuba with my then-boyfriend Rich (notice a pattern here?). This remains my best New Year's Eve so far: deserted beach, warm sand, crashing waves, fireworks, distant Cuban live music, a dome of stars above and a genuine pina colada in hand. Perfection. We spent January 1st in Havana on the 50th anniversary of La Revolucion.

2009/2010

Stayed home in Waterloo with my brother. Toasted midnight with Kir Royales. Early to bed.

2010/2011

Stayed home in Waterloo with my parents. Toasted midnight with Kir Royales. Early to bed.

2011/2012

This year, I find my friends aren't in town and my dating status is indeterminate. However, I just got an invitation for dinner and a party with people I'm acquainted with only through social media connections. So, I will be breaking in 2012 with a different crowd. It's good - one of my resolutions is to be more social and meet some new people so I'll be getting a head start on that!

Andrea's Years Out-Of-Date TV Picks!

2011-12-10T23:47:00.000-05:00

At the end of August, Canadian television channels all switched over to digital broadcasting. My hand-me-down analog TV set can't pick up digital signals so I've been without any TV channels whatsoever for over three months. It suits me just fine, to be honest.

Whenever I feel like unwinding and watching something, the Internet supplies me with illegal streaming of every program I've been meaning to see. I started off by catching up on missed seasons of the two American shows I follow. They would be Dexter and House, neither currently as engaging as past seasons in my opinion. Then I moved on to the following three top quality programs which are old news to most dedicated TV watchers, I expect.

Sherlock
BBC, 2010, 3 90 minute episodes here. Start Episode 1 here.
(Some of these host links only allow 74 minutes of play per day)

The casting is absolutely spot-on for this update of the Sherlock Holmes character. I love the 1984 series but I am very much in approval of this Sherlock for the present day. Clever dialogue, excellent soundtrack. There's a very batty Mrs. Hudson in this version too, of course! And Dr. Watson is a blogger! Amazing. One thing I did not like, however, was the overuse of tired Chinese stereotypes in the second episode. There are only three episodes in existence but the program already had a cult following. A second series of three episodes is set to start next month. Exciting!

Wallander
BBC, 2008-2010, 6 90 minute episodes here. Start Episode 1 here.
(Some of these host links only allow 74 minutes of play per day)

My gosh, this series is exceptionally well made. Kenneth Branagh is perfect as police inspector Wallander. Unlike similar characters from other crime shows, he is deeply troubled by every act of violence he investigates. The visual style and, again, soundtrack make the program extremely watchable even with such dark content. 'Wallander' is set in Sweden so there's a sort of simplicity, starkness to it. The city of Ystad, the filming location, has apparently seen a boom in tourists from the U.K. who are 'Wallander' fans. Oh, and three new episodes are set to air next year!

Garrow's Law
BBC, 2009-2011, 12 60 minutes episodes here. Start Episode 1 here.

There are not enough films or programs set in the 18th century. That's why I was so delighted to discover 'Garrow's Law', a series about London's Old Bailey judicial proceedings in the 1780s. Georgian men's fashion was splendid: great coats, breeches, tricorn hats and wigs or clubbed hair. The actors in 'Garrow's Law' carry themselves so naturally even in these complicated costumes that I can really picture how ordinary people in the 18th century would have appeared. What I mean is, the costumes never overwhelm the acting. Once again, the beautiful soundtrack enhances the show a lot but I admit that I already love music from this period. Now, the coolest thing about 'Garrow's Law' is that it is based on a real man and all the cases were actual trials of the era (details here with spoilers). Sometimes, the dialogue is pulled directly from the court archives. I have to say that I didn't really get the appeal of the main character/lead actor after the first episode because the pacing was a little too rapid. It gets much better, though, and I eventually had to restrict myself to watching only one episode per night. At present, there is no news about any future episodes beyond Series 3.

That's what's been on my computer screen of late. Let me know what you think of these shows and please do suggest any other programs for me to check out now that you know my taste!

P.S. I'm saving the second series of 'Downton Abbey' for Christmas break.

One Year Ago Today: HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!?

2011-11-30T23:40:00.000-05:00

November 30th. It's unbelievable that I departed from Bhutan one year ago. I am rattled by this because it feels like only a few months have passed. My memories from that time are still so clear in my mind. Moreover, it is unbelievable that I hadn't posted these photos until now. Despite over three months of unemployment after my return, there are still a large number of topics I've been meaning to write about here and have not.

To mark the anniversary, photos from the scenic departure. When will I get to travel here again? The question makes me anxious as I have no answer.

Drukair's two jets at Paro airport. Note the terrain directly adjacent to the runway.

Last breath.

Taking off over farmhouses. The landscape is quite brown in late fall.

Banking over the downtown of metropolitan Paro.

Over the lhakhang (shrine) and switch-back access road.

Now the runway is visible in the centre of the frame.

Runway now just at the top right margin. The single linear feature looks out of place in a setting where nothing else is quite so rigidly aligned.

Poetic moment. Good bye Druk Yul. Will I ever see you again?

And just for a big finale, a farewell to Kanchenjunga, the world's third highest peak.

November life update

2011-11-27T11:25:00.001-05:00

On October 6th, I wrote:

"1) my job contract got extended by one month
2) last week, I had an interview for an interesting but fairly challenging position
3) the position I have now will be interviewing for a one year contract soon so I applied for that along with around 30 other people
4) even if 2 and 3 don't work out, I am feeling more optimistic for myself."

At this point, late November, #1 has concluded.
#2 did not end in my favour.
#3 also did not end in my favour.
#4 was the right attitude because even though I did not get either of the jobs I interviewed for, my contract was unexpectedly extended for six more months. So, I will continue as a public servant of the province until late May, 2012. It is a good result for me and this time, I will do a better job of planning for my contract's end than last time.

Six months is a nice, neat chunk of time and so I've set out a few goals for myself. Obviously, getting something arranged to do next is the big one. I also aim to improve my knowledge and work style in the context of my current employment. I want to do more with my free time and I've already signed up for this course on travel writing (want to join me?). Finally, I need to return some attention to my health and fitness which has been very much neglected since I started my job last April.

My blogging has also been rather neglected this month. I had written a very lengthy post showing how a certain journalist/blogger has systematically stolen photos and posts from me and passed all of this (plus other stolen content) off as her own. It was shocking to discover, to be honest, and especially upsetting to see this woman accepting lots of praise and compliments on stuff she stole from me. When I named and shamed her, the blogger apologized and removed the stolen photos and words. I thought of somehow removing all the information identifying that blogger from my post, just to keep a record of what happened, but once I removed her name, her links and the screen-grabs of the plagiarized material, there was very little left in my post. Not really worth leaving, I thought.

I have seen over 2,500 unique hits on this post's page but not a single comment, which is amusing. It says a lot about what a low percentage of readers actually leave comments. Many comments did come via Twitter, e-mail and Facebook which don't show up here, of course.

Content Theft: A Fake Travel Blog!

2011-11-09T08:06:00.000-05:00

The content theft issue I had written about here has now been resolved. The posts containing the stolen photos and text have been deleted. Having received an apology from the guilty party, I decided to delete my entire post here rather than to edit it to remove all mention of that person. Thanks for your support.

The King and Queen of Bhutan's Wedding Outfits

2011-10-16T12:02:00.004-04:00

The ceremony was fascinating, the setting spectacular... but what people are really talking about is the wedding clothes! Here is my round up of what His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen of Bhutan wore on their wedding day, October 13th, 2011. They both looked ridiculously beautiful!

Business Bhutan reporter Yiwang Pindarica writes that, "His Majesty looked stunningly handsome in a golden silk brocade gho which belonged to his great grandfather, the second King of Bhutan. The very same silk gho was also worn by the third Druk Gyalpo during his wedding to Her Majesty the Royal Grand Mother."

The 'gho' is the men's bulky robe which is the national costume of Bhutan. Out of curiosity, I started looking for a photo of the third Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) dressed in the gold gho worn by the present Druk Gyalpo at his wedding. Instead, in a book presented to me by Business Bhutan, I found this photo of the second Druk Gyalpo wearing the gho in 1947. Although there has been some debate raging on Twitter and elsewhere as to whether this is in fact the same garment, a close look at the flower and leaf embroidered details on the front piece leaves no doubt. How awesome to be able to incorporate so many family generations into one's wedding attire!

Photo of HM the Second King in 1947 from 'A King of Destiny', Rabsell Media

Photo of HM the Fifth King in 2011 from NDTV

Update! Okay, some people are still unconvinced that these are the same golden ghos. I have done a zoom in as best as I can on the old photo and the new one taken from the same angle. Factoring for the shade difference between the black and white to colour photos (the pink thread disappears in the old photo), I don't really understand why or how anyone can continue to deny the match. Even the side tie is identically located.

As noted by @simplybhutan on Twitter, this photo of His Majesty the Fifth Druk Gyalpo shows some fine, loose threads at the shoulder of the gho, indicating that this is not a newly made item of clothing.

Photo via Hello Magazine

The King was also wearing traditional Bhutanese boots called tsholham/tshoglham which signal the wearer's rank in society. Only the king can have embroidery on the foot, I think. The tsholham workshop near where I stayed in Thimphu was rushed with orders in the months before the wedding. Actually, the boots look especially great with monochromatic red monks' garments.

During the ceremony, it went around on Twitter that His Majesty was wearing his grandfather the Third King's gho. I remembered finding this photo of that King wearing a golden floral gho and I Tweeted it around. Those of us who had very blurry views of the ceremony thought this might be a match, but the people who could actually see what was going on confirmed that this was not the same gho. Similar but not the same.

King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and Queen Ashi Kesang Choedon Wangchuck,
1952 (via) (This Queen is dressed in Tibetan style.)

Update: purely for the sake of completeness, here is the Fourth Druk Gyalpo (father of the current King) on the occasion of his official wedding to the four sister Queens in 1988. He is wearing the same golden floral gho that his father is wearing in the 1952 photo above. Many observers thought that the Fifth Druk Gyalpo was wearing this one on his wedding day last week because this is the more recognizable/known piece of clothing. As mentioned before, the two ghos look very similar but the floral pattern is different.

Source: Bhutan-360.com

Now for Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuk, as she will be known henceforth. Thursday was her wedding day but also her coronation so she was dressed with many elements of national and Buddhist symbolism.

Photo via

Business Bhutan reporter Yiwang Pindarica writes that, "Her Majesty the Queen’s wedding dress was chosen according to her traditional birth element. The queen’s birth element is earth therefore she wore a yellow tego. The tego was embroidered with the auspicious eight lucky signs. The kira Her Majesty wore was a Shinglochem [a type of design] with golden threads which matched perfectly with the golden tego and the red wonju. It was gifted to her by Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck [the King's mother]."

Queen Jetsun Pema wedding outfit details (via)

On the subject of the new Queen's crown, Kuensel reports that the embroidery "depicts two Ja Tsherings (phoenix), the mythical longevity birds. The male and female birds symbolise the blissful relationship between the King and the Queen. It’s also a symbol of inseparability in method and wisdom. The crown also has a khorlo (wheel of dharma) between the male and the female bird. The wheel signifies the power that the King and the Queen is bestowed with to rule in a way that launches the country into a new era of continued peace and prosperity. The lotus beneath the khorlo is for purity of love and devotion for both the King and the Queen."

On the third day of the wedding, Queen Jetsun wore a stunning gold and jade crown which also had images related to Buddhism (photo below).

The Queen's shoes were of a modern stacked heel style but were covered in traditional embroidery. There appears to be a mountain landscape on the heel. She was also wearing red coral and dzi bead necklaces and a double vajra gold brooch which is part of Bhutan's national emblem.

The Queen wears a gold and jade crown on the third day of the wedding (via)

Jetsun Pema arrived at her wedding ceremony wearing a red rachu (long ceremonial scarf) but after her coronation, she emerged wearing a gold one. Business Bhutan reports that "This is the first time a queen has worn a darker shade of yellow racchu." My guess is that this is to partner with the gold kabney (large wrapped garment) that His Majesty wears. Her gold rachu has amazing embroidery of goddesses and flowers. I especially like the bright green accents!

The Queen's red and gold rachus. Both photos from NDTV.

In my culture, the tradition of a bride wearing only white originated with another royal wedding, that of Queen Victoria in 1840. Personally, I prefer colourful traditions to colourless ones.

I am not an expert on Bhutanese fashion or ceremonial clothing. This info is all what I garnered from research. Please correct me where I am mistaken or have overlooked something important. Thanks.

PS: I have improved the K2/K5 gho picture because it has become so popular. Please cite the two source photos as listed and this blog post if you are going to post the image elsewhere. Thank you.

Bhutan Royal Wedding!

2011-10-15T17:25:00.001-04:00

The Bhutanese royal wedding happened on Thursday morning local time. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk married his sweetheart Jetsun Pema and then she was crowned Queen of Bhutan. The outside view of the ceremony, streamed live by the Bhutan Broadcast System, mostly looked like this:

Not really the sharpest image although there was one moment of clarity about every minute. I watched for a couple of hours then went to bed. The next morning, I caught up with what had happened by way of some in depth photo articles and video reports. This one is via MSNBC:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

[Also, the AP version, BBC version and an Indian TV version].

The day after the wedding, the King and Queen walked almost the whole distance from Punakha (the old capital) to Thimphu (the current capital). The roadside was lined with well wishers who were yearning for a glimpse of the bride and groom. It took the royal party 14 hours to travel the 71 km. Apparently, the King did not want to miss anyone. Keep in mind this is a mountain road, not a flat one. Thank goodness they are both sporty! Here's the scene in Thimphu as crowds wait for the couple to arrive on foot.

The celebration continued today with an enormous public event at Changlimithang Stadium [I previously wrote about the stadium here].

Check back later because I'll be posting about the CLOTHES. Love those traditional clothes!

Minutes until the Bhutanese Royal Wedding starts!

2011-10-12T21:34:00.000-04:00

The Bhutanese royal wedding is starting in minutes! That's just enough time to catch up with some photos of the lead-up to the big event.

The three day wedding has already started streaming on BBS TV but it will be a miracle if the bandwidth holds up.

From His Majesty's Facebook page: "10 October, 2011 - His Majesty and the Royal Bride Jetsun Pema attended a gala cultural program at the Indian Embassy, specially organized to congratulate the Royal Couple for the Royal Wedding."

From His Majesty's Facebook page: "12 October, 2011 - Royal Bride Jetsun Pema offered prayers at the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang in Dochula, on her way to Wangduephodrang where she will spend the night on the eve of the Royal Wedding. The Royal Wedding will be held in the 17th century Punaakha Dzong tomorrow."

From His Majesty's Facebook page: "12 October, 2011 - Royal Bride Jetsun Pema being welcomed in traditional Chipdrel in Wangduephodrang where she will spend the night on the eve of the Royal Wedding. The Royal Wedding will be held in the 17th century Punaakha Dzong tomorrow." She'll be crowned queen tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Thimphu has been given a spruce-up and some flashy LED lights. Photos via.

From Reuters, with a guest appearance from the honourable opposition leader.

By the way, Ashi Jetsun Pema has a Twitter account which is protected, so her posts aren't public. I noticed that her avatar is Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" so I'm thinking she may be a romantic.

The Thimphu Map is Published At Last!

2011-10-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

I thought it might never happen. So many months had passed since I’d heard any info that I suspected the whole thing may have been abandoned. But, the good news reached me last week. My Thimphu map has been printed by Business Bhutan and it is now officially for sale!

[Background: I wrote about the inception of my map idea here, and more about the project here and the challenges of getting into Bhutan to work were summed up here.]

The thought of making a tourism map for Thimphu came to me in November 2009 and now, as of October 2011, the map is a reality. So far, the map is available at the stamp shop at the main post office in Thimphu, at the Paro Airport post office and various souvenir and book stores in Thimphu. I'll update when more vendors are confirmed. Visitors to Bhutan, you can navigate the town with the map, use it to understand your destination and find what you need there, take it home as a souvenir, show it to friends, tack it to the wall of your study, refer to it when trying to sort out what you took photos of during your city exploration. Locals, you can also enjoy the map for its artwork, pin it up in your shop or office as decoration, look at the different landmarks with your kids, marvel how many things have changed so quickly in the town.

Because I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to certain things, I couldn’t help but notice what I would have liked to change or improve on the map now that I’ve seen the result. My visa length was insufficient so I had to leave the country long before the final version was sent to print: I was not able to have a last look-over of the image. There are a few small corrections, mostly to do with the positioning of the text and arrows on the maps. The maps had been hand drawn at full size by Pema Tshering. I first saw his skillful and charming work on the banner of the Bhutan Backstage website. I drew detailed draft maps and Pema re-drew them in his style. I intended to scan Pema's original maps and then add my labels and text to the digital file in Adobe Illustrator. I soon discovered that there was no functioning scanner in Thimphu (or possibly Bhutan) larger than A4 (letter-size) paper. I went absolutely everywhere looking for a larger scanner, from the biggest newspaper office to graphics production shops to The Department of Geology and Mines. No luck. I had to scan the maps in eight panels each and then stitch the images together to get the full map. Of course, the eight panels did not match perfectly or at the exact same angles. I did my best considering the resources at hand. I added my text as separate layers of the Illustrator file. After I left, someone eventually took the maps by plane to Bangkok where they were scanned as a single sheet. Then, the graphics staff placed my layers of text over the new high quality scans. The problem is that the hundreds of little pieces of text were aligned to the images on my stitched-together map scans, not the good scan. Everything was shifted over just a little so in some places, the text overlays a street or over a building or it is slightly removed from the thing it is describing. It is just not as clear as it would have been had I been able to spend more time with the digital file.

There is also the problem that there are several businesses in town that have closed, moved or opened since I did my research. Also, I forgot to add elevation points. Oops. These are all things to keep in mind for the next, improved edition of the map! I am going to do an update list on a dedicated page here on my site.

Despite the disappointment of discovering minor errors on the finished product, I am so happy to see the final look of the maps. I have created exactly the kind of information I would have loved to get when I first visited Thimphu as a tourist. The image above is the cover flap of the map and it features the illustration of Semtokha Dzong, the fortress which stands guard at the entrance to Thimphu Valley. The title "Welcome to the World's Happiness Capital" was not my idea but I like the optimistic tone. It refers to Bhutan's now famous 'Gross National Happiness' concept.

Although I have not received an actual printed copy yet, I can tell you the map itself is double-sided, 36" wide and about 20" high, full colour. The front of the map shows Thimphu's city centre, including Norzin Lam (the main street), Changlimithang Stadium, the Wang Chu (river) and the National Memorial Chorten.

The flip side of the map shows the wider valley, starting from Semtokha Dzong in the south and reaching to Tashichhoedzong in the north, with "Buddha Point" and Sangaygang to the west and the east bank hotels, also.

Voila! I am now a published map maker!

update to my last post

2011-10-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

Following up from my last post:
1) my job contract got extended by one month
2) last week, I had an interview for an interesting but fairly challenging position
3) the position I have now will be interviewing for a one year contract soon so I applied for that along with around 30 other people
4) even if 2 and 3 don't work out, I am feeling more optimistic for myself. The fatigue I mentioned earlier seems to be related to an unresolved medical problem I had last year and recovered from which suddenly returned. My doctor has IDed it as an inner ear issue and I hope to be feeling better soon now that I have a diagnosis.

low power

2011-09-20T23:47:00.000-04:00

My contract job is scheduled to be ending next week. There's a chance it might be extended at the last moment but that remains undetermined. I've known since I was hired back in March that September 30th would be the end date. I should have been planning months in advance for the transition but I have done very little to prepare myself.

I owe e-mail replies to about three dozen people. This blog has been sparse on the updates, too. There are definitely topics for me to write about! I even have more things I planned to write about my time in Bhutan but it seems too long ago now. Is it? Similarly, I have several ideas for travel writing submissions along the same vein but I may be too far removed from the subject at this point...

The problem is that when I get home from a day furrowing my brow in front of a computer at the office, I'm spent. I'm doing well to get my occasional freelance editing work done. Anything more than that seems to require too much after-hours focus. I consume media but I don't have the brain energy leftover to create or correspond.

I should have set myself deadlines and priorities for the job search - I get my tasks done on time at work because I plan out my steps like this. As for e-mails, blogs and writing, must I put pressure on myself to finish things in my leisure time, too?

Toronto Plaqueathon

2011-08-31T23:48:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I took part in an informal event intended to get Toronto talking (tweeting) about local heritage. The goal was for people to get all 230 of Heritage Toronto's plaques and panels visited and tweeted. The plaque tweets were all tagged with #TOheritage in order to track the plaqueathon. This Torontoist article provides the full explanation behind the motivation to attempt the plaqueathon (and they just happened to illustrate it with a photo of one of the plaques I drafted a few years ago).

Over two days, I visited around 30 of the plaques, spread from Christie Street to Mount Pleasant, from Dundas to Eglinton (an area of 4 km by 6 km). Some of the plaques marked conspicuous and obvious historical structures, such as Casa Loma, but others are there to commemorate lesser known events or individuals. I learned so much about this city and I find that information about the city's past becomes more meaningful when it is tied to a specific place. Knowledge about my home city's past adds another dimension to the way I think about where I live.

I set out a challenge for you! If you live in Toronto, check out this map of the Heritage Toronto panels. When you're out and about, make an effort to find one of these panels, one that you haven't read before. Those of you who live someplace else, I encourage you to stop, pause and read the next historic plaque you notice! Let me know what you learned about!

Also, and this is very important no matter where you live, if you care about local history and heritage preservation, make sure you let your elected representatives know about it.

BONUS Toronto heritage reading on greentea.tk: the Baldwin Steps and my four part series on a great escape from the Don Jail

U2 in Toronto! (long overdue)

2011-08-12T00:17:00.006-04:00

One month ago at this time, I was enjoying the opening song at the U2 show in Toronto. It had been a heck of a long time coming.

It was way back in October 2009 that I bought my tickets for the show that was supposed to happen in July of 2010. It would be my ninth U2 show, having seen my first one in Melbourne in 1993.

Then the 2010 North American tour was canceled and we added another year to the wait.

But that wasn't all the waiting I did for the show! The day before the concert, I went down to the stadium to get myself a number from the fans who were watching over the line-up. Since I heard about the number scheme kind of late into the process, I ended up at #97. It was higher than I wanted but it is worth remembering that I was #97 in line for a show with 60,000 tickets sold.

Monday the 11th, I had booked off as a vacation day. At 3:30 AM, I took a taxi back to the stadium, loaded down with a lawn chair, newspapers for reading plus food and drinks for the day. I needed to check in by 4 AM to keep my #97 number. Even at this hour, there were over 100 fans settling in for a day on the pavement. I was there on my own because my regular U2 buddies (brother Ewan and friend Anisa) couldn't get the day away from work to spend in a concert line-up. I guess I am making this all sound pretty dire but it was a fun atmosphere, I swear! There were U2 fans from all over the world (every continent except Antarctica!) so lots of people to meet and chat with.

It was a hot day, up to 32ºC plus humidity and the heat radiating from the concrete. I took it easy, read my newspapers in my lawn chair, applied sun screen, chatted with people, zoned out. I was interviewed by CBC TV about why people feel the need to line up for a concert (nobody saw that except Meghan, I hope!). At 1 PM, we got wrist bands from the security team and our line-up numbers were re-assigned due to some people not showing up. I was upgraded to #79! My goal was to get myself to the front rail right up against the stage. I had never been able to get right on the rail although I'd been one or two people back several times before. The fact that I was on my own would make it easier to get there, I reasoned. I thought this may well be the last chance I have to be 'on the rail'. Who knows what the format will be if there is another U2 tour? Maybe I won't have the same freedom to spend a day waiting like I did this time? I figured that this year, I would be all in.

A little after 5 PM, the gates opened at last and we started going into the stadium. I ran down the stairs to the stadium floor as fast as I could given the crowds around me. When I got to the grass of the baseball outfield, I broke into a sprint and I was able to overtake a number of people. These are the critical moments that decide your positioning around the stage. We then had to run around the side of The Claw and under the circular ramp. From that point, I looked for an open spot on the rail. And I found one! It felt amazing to be right at the front for this amazing spectacle!

I happened to end up beside notable Toronto U2 enthusiast U2BROTHR, he of the mirrorball hard hat.

The dome of the stadium had been closed all day because there was the threat of a thunderstorm.

Everyone was hoping the roof would be opened because the sound would be much better and because the lights of the CN Tower would be adding to the show. A little before the opening act started, the roof was opened up and everyone cheered! It was going to be a clear night!

By 9 PM (a good 15 hours since I'd lined up), U2 was on the stage. The first song was 'Even Better Than The Real Thing': the familiar guitar riff had an extra note which gave it a super-charged quality. Standing right up against the bank of speakers as I was, each bass note made my heart bump and my rib cage rattle. You'll experience the music at a deeper level if you're right up front.

The Globe & Mail had good things to say about the night. At dusk, the bright, full moon was set just above the rim of the stadium as Bono sang, "Johnny, take a walk with your sister the moon, let her pale light in to fill up your room". It was kind of perfect.

I won't go into a song-by-song review of the show. I was thrilled, however, to hear a couple of my favourite U2 songs performed for the first time in my experiences. Zooropa was the big delight for me. I had successfully avoided set-list spoilers (yes, even concert tours have spoilers now!) so I was not expecting it. Bono sang this one song quite flatly that night, I thought, without the teasing manner from the recording, but the instrumentals and lights were great.

I was also really excited to hear 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' for the first time. This song had an elaborate staging involving dry ice generators being wielded by two men in gas masks. It must have looked better from a distance because from my position, the effect was lost. Here is how this would have appeared from a normal vantage point.

Although I saw three shows from this same tour in 2009, it was worth seeing the show again in 2011 as there were a number of changes in the program. The set-list was notably different with far fewer of the newer songs being performed. In terms of the special themes touched on during the tour, there was one important development: in 2009, the song 'Walk On' was dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi every night in what was one of the most touching parts of each show. Now, she is a free(r) woman. For 2011, The Lady herself recorded a message to preface 'One'. I thought that was pretty amazing.

I have to say that although the show itself was excellent and I was thrilled to be right at the front, I don't think I'll remember this night as well as some of the other U2 concerts I've been to because I didn't share it with friends or family. Being there with my favourite people makes the biggest difference!

Still Here!

2011-08-01T23:01:00.004-04:00

No posts for a whole month! My goodness! I think the heat evaporated all my blogging ambition over the last few weeks. Here's what's new with me:

The U2 concert in Toronto was three weeks ago! I need to write about that.

My brother Ewan has been selected for Northwind, the Canadian national Aussie Rules Football team. He is headed to the International Cup in Sydney next weekend. Amazing.

Over the past three months or so, I have become very fond of BodyPump barbell work-out classes. I try to go three times a week but sometimes other things interfere with my schedule, which makes me irksome. I have seen no obvious results from these very challenging classes but I enjoy weight training nonetheless.

In even more sporting news, for some inexplicable reason, I decided to go back to Kendo training after a break of about six years. Now I have the skill level of a beginner combined with all the bad habits of an undisciplined, experienced Kendoka. There was a big Kendo event this weekend which I hope to post about soon.

About a month ago, when I was walking to work one Monday morning, I found myself in the middle of a scene of police and ambulance activity. Someone had just died from a fall from a high storey of a hotel. The body was still on the street when I arrived, right on my regular path. There was nothing in any of the papers about an accident or foul play at the hotel so I can only guess this was a suicide. I still wonder why someone would choose to end it all like that.

Strawberry season came and went. The best aspect of summer in my opinion. I don't like summer very much.

Toronto's new mayor has shown himself to be an even bigger jerk than expected. I heard someone refer to him as a barnyard animal but I think that is insulting to barnyard animals.

I got the sad news that my Australian great uncle Bob passed away. Will miss his wit, for sure.

I checked out 3D archaeology movie 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' and it got me thinking about 3D movies as a form of archaeological site management in terms of visitor access. Must ponder more. Upper Paleololithic art is a fascinating topic in general.

Some foreign investors want to build a golf course in a part of this valley in Bhutan. Ugh, I just don't even know anymore. There's a petition against it, at least.

My work contract will end in two months. It's quite unlikely that the position will be continued - I don't know what I'll be doing from October onwards. Hire me? Or... sponsor me as a travel blogger, maybe!

Another week of hot weather is coming up. I don't have air conditioning or anything like that at my apartment, just a small oscillating fan which I leave running, pointed at my bed, all night.

Well, that's pretty much it for now.

Best momos in Thimphu, Bhutan?

2011-06-29T22:37:00.009-04:00

In anticipation of the Bhutan Canada Foundation's momo night on Tuesday, here's a rundown of top momo spots in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Now, of course, it is impossible to say who has the best momos. It's always a case of personal preference. I made an effort to try as many different momos as I could while in Thimphu and these are my top four (two each for cheese momos and beef momos). I would very much like to hear the opinions of Thimphu dwellers about their favourites - please add your picks to the comments! It is also worth mentioning how much of a dork I felt as I was taking these photos of my cheap momo meals - there are no food bloggers in Bhutan yet.

Beef momos from Zombala Restaurant
Zombala is, like, the momo hub of Thimphu. Usually, all the seats are full and there's a line-up for take home orders (i.e. "packed"). They even have their own specially printed take-out boxes (not at all common in Bhutan). The small shop is located in the Hong Kong market. The beef momos are tender, slightly greasy in a good way, with a lively flavour. The eezay (chili dipping sauce) is quite thick and tart which offsets the beef's oiliness. I have noticed that the shops that make great beef momos tend to make rather ordinary cheese ones and vice-versa. Indeed, Zombala's cheese momos are not too special. If you order beef momos for table service, you will also get a bowl of beef broth to savour on the side.

Beef momos from Zhiday Restaurant
Apparently, Zhiday used to be located on the main street and it even got a write-up in the first edition of Lonely Planet Bhutan. However, it is now located away from the centre of town, across from Changangkha Lhakhang on the second floor of a residential building. The beef momos here, served with a spring of cilantro, are definitely more sophisticated than Zombala's. The dough is more delicate and the beef is more finely diced. Sadly, I did not see any other customers at Zhiday the times I went there although Changangkha Lhakhang is an important place of worship for locals and also a popular tourist stop. Send them some business, will you? The beef shabalay are also excellent and not greasy at all.
UPDATE: Bad news! My sources tell me that Zhiday has closed for good! Sad.

Cheese momos from UMS Restaurant & Bar
Okay, I freaking love UMS Cafe. It's in the hard-to-find centre of the Zangto Pelri Complex and it doesn't look too clean but I ate there at least twice a week anyway. I was never in there when there wasn't a table of monks chowing down, too, not that monks are known for being picky about food. One of the first times I went there, I randomly ordered 'vegetable noodles' from the menu and was served a bowl of the most fantastic tomato-based noodle soup. I should have begged the proprietor for the recipe. As for the momos, the cheese ones are served too hot to eat but it's tough to wait to taste them. They are just plain delicious. The cheese momo filling is predominantly finely diced cabbage so it is really moist. For the uninitiated, the cheese is more like paneer than cheddar. Their eezay is mild and creamy, a good match to these lighter flavoured momos. One day when our regular lunch canteen was closed, I dragged a group of co-workers to UMS. None of them had been there before but everyone agreed that the cheese momos were excellent so I felt vindicated about my opinion.

Cheese momos from Ugyen Hotel
Lastly, I must mention Ugyen Hotel which is a hotel/bar/restaurant/drayang (cabaret). I only went to Ugyen Hotel once, on my last night in Thimphu while in search of beer and Dzongkha tunes to soothe the heartache of departure. We ordered beers and a plate of momos, then more beer and another plate of momos. All the while, the ladies swayed and sang on the stage. These cheese momos looked cold and rubbery on the plate but they were actually really tasty. The eezay was almost like a salsa, with the fresh ingredients diced and tossed together instead of blended. It just goes to show how many variations there can be on chili dipping sauce. In summary, these are very good momos which also come with a stage show. Two thumbs up!

Side notes: there is at least one wandering momo selling man in town, and probably many more. He hauls around a large tub of momos, a stack of paper plates and a jug of eezay. The momos from the bottom of the tub tend to be lukewarm and mashed together but hey, you can buy them without even leaving the office building so that makes up for a lot.

Also, the small kitchen at VAST Bhutan at the Clock Tower Square sometimes serves ema datse-stuffed momos, which is a very peculiar invention of extreme Bhutanese-ness.

PS: I stuck these four restaurants on a Google map, here.

Weekend in Montreal

2011-06-16T22:38:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I took the train from Toronto to Montreal. I hadn't been there for four years although it's only a five hour trip. The two cities are so different from each other - the short stay seemed like a real holiday. I was able to stay with my old friend Nicole who gave up her weekend to show me around. Thanks for everything, Nic!

That's me, before the rain set in.

The main motivator behind visiting now was the Qin emperor and terracotta army exhibit on currently at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. Although I was very interested in seeing it, I missed out when the exhibition was here in Toronto at the ROM.

It was amazing to see a few of the real Qin dynasty terracotta warriors. It's going to be a while before I can get myself to Xi'an to see the rest of them in situ.

These are coins from Zhao and Wei states (Warring States period).

The later Han dynasty burials also had terracotta armies but they were not life-sized. I really liked the exhibition because it clearly explained the origin of the Qin dynasty and because daily use items were included in the display along with the funerary sculptures. The life-sized terracotta men were the main attraction, of course. Their clothing, equipment and hairstyles are extremely detailed - fascinating!

The rest of the weekend was mostly about eating and walking then eating again. Nicole's favourite haunt is Fous Desserts (Dessert Fool). Check out her matcha and yuzu macaron cake there!

The afternoon turned rainy and so we went back to Nicole's place to rest and watch that most stunning film 'Hero'. It's one of my favourite movies. It was also incorporated into the exhibition because it is about the founding of the Qin dynasty. We were able to spot many of the elements of material culture copied from the archaeological finds (the costumes, weapons, chariots, hair styles, coins and so on).

Later, we checked out an Aussie-style pie shop called "Tourtiere Australienne" or TA for short. I could not believe all the Australian treats they had there, from yoyos and lamingtons to jars of Vegemite. The pies were extremely authentic, too. Why is there not one of these shops in Toronto?

Much later in the night, we took a walk in the rain around Outremont as all the Hasidic men in fur hats were walking home.

Sunday? OMG, more eating! We met up with Raymond who is a friend of mine from U of T Kendo, way back in the day. He taught me how to fight scrappy and I never quite cleaned up my style after that. We went to Le Chien Fumant and dined on cheddar waffles with pulled pork. Ooof.

The small apartment buildings in Montreal are so much more attractive than the ones here. I don't know about the exposed staircases in winter, though...

It rained most of the day on Sunday. The Formula 1 race was the same day, also in Montreal, and there was a two hour rain delay.

Later, we had a green tea tasting with Nicole's friend Hiroko who is a tea importer.

At 5:00, I was back on the train, headed west. With a good book in my lap (Colin Thubron's 'Shadow of the Silk Road'), the hours passed quickly.

my apartment - living room

2011-06-05T22:40:00.001-04:00

I've been here at my new address for two months now so I am settled in. Not counting my spacious and temporary suite at Rabten Apartments, this is my first one bedroom apartment. So, this is my first real living room to be separated from the bed area.

My two main purchases for the apartment were the couch and the rug. The couch is from Structube and it flattens out into a twin-sized bed. If you come to visit, you can have the bedroom and I'll take the couch! It's a firm, low couch and I like the black and white hatched pattern. Most importantly, it was within my budget.

The rug came from Homesense which is one of those stores where there may be only one of a certain item. I saw this gray starburst rug and loved it but it was too expensive for an impulse buy. I thought about it for a week before returning to the store. Not only was the rug still there but the price was reduced by 25%! So, I love it even more. The rug is wool, made in India and the starburst centres are mottled green.

The framed tree print was purchased in London in 1969 by my dad and discovered in the family basement by me in 2011.

The green and black length of silk is from Kashaya Silk in Phnom Pehn. I love green!

The window looks out to the narrow space between the houses. Nothing scenic. That's my recently revived jade tree on the small table to the far left. Next to it is an old school desk covered with a purple silk scarf. The small white TV is a cast-off from my parents although I added the antenna. I pretty much only watch an episode or two of The Simpsons when I get home from work, plus House on Mondays, so no need for cable. This summer, the analog TV signal will be replaced with digital so I guess this simple set-up will cease to function.

Basic desk, basic chair. iMac which is getting long in the tooth. My important documents are stored in that William Morris file folder. It used to be overflowing until I did a huge sort-and-shred session. Banks send too many documents, you know? Do I need a letter to be told that I earned $0.36 in interest? The carpet bulletin board is a standard thing for me. This version isn't really finished, though.

The big turquoise vase came from a garden shop below Hampstead Heath in London - my mum carried it back as hand luggage when she visited me there. Thanks! The purple tray is from Ikea and has been endlessly handy in all my different apartments. It has converted a radiator into a bedside shelf, for example. The framed Japanese blotting papers have been around for a while.

Beside the desk is my good old Ikea Poang chair with a cushion from Bookhou given by Meghan and a snuggly, purple yak blanket from Chhumey, Bhutan. On the green table are two pieces of Japanese calligraphy which were given by former students of mine.

Opposite the desk is my bookshelf and chest of drawers which I no longer need to hold clothing since I have so much more storage these days. It is half empty, the other half is craft supplies. I know you are thinking, "She doesn't have many books. I have lost respect for her." You are right, I don't own many books. But I read! I am a library user more than a book buyer! Plus, quite a lot of my books are still at the family house.

Readers of Vietnamese extraction, please don't be offended by the Vietnam war propaganda poster I have displayed here. It is a souvenir from Ho Chi Minh City. On the dresser is a shadow box of items from Kyoto plus a small bunny dressed in samurai armor (a gift from Nicole). Also, there's my archaeology trowel.

The two blue vinyl chairs were left in the apartment by the previous tenant. I tried to give them away, then I was planning to sell them on CraigsList but eventually, I got used to leaving my coat and purse on them. So, they are staying.

Welcome to my place! It contains memories from quite a lot of other places.

Commuting

2011-05-31T22:53:00.004-04:00

Today marked two full months that I've been a commuter in Toronto. Every morning at around 8:00, I walk from my apartment to Dupont Station, which takes about ten minutes. I then travel south six stops to Osgoode Station, walk for another five minutes and arrive at my desk at approximately 8:30.

Dupont Station is located near a college so I'm always one of only few people going into the station as students spill out of it. From the southbound platform, I see this large floral mosaic. Dupont Station opened the year I was born (1978) and there's no doubt to be had about the decade of construction when you see that the orange tile. Still, this is one of the most cavernous of the Toronto stations, so not a bad place to wait for the subway.

I am able to get a seat almost everyday. I don't think the same could be said if I was boarding on the opposite side of the U-shaped subway line. My brother boards at Eglinton and tells me he has never gotten a seat in years of commuting (even when he had his leg in a cast). My side of the subway line seems to reach fewer riders from the suburbs. At St. George station, the train always fills up with commuters changing from the east-west line.

There is a certain bending of time that happens when traveling by TTC. If I leave my apartment at 7:55am, I will arrive at the office only five minutes earlier than if I had left at 8:10. When the trains are more frequent, each train moves very slowly through the tunnels, as slow as walking pace and often stopping completely. The later I board the train, the quicker the trip.

Today was the first time in two months that I experienced a major delay. We sat in darkened trains for 10 to 15 minutes at Spadina Station. No big deal - I just arrived at 'normal' working time instead of the earlier start time I aim for.

After I finish up at work or at the gym across from work, I walk back to Osgoode and return northwards to Dupont. I'm more likely to have to stand for the journey since there are so many of us leaving the central business district at once. When I reach Dupont, I see the floral mural facing the northbound platform.

The monthly transit pass costs $121. It's only barely worth buying since individual rides are now $3 each. I make an effort to use my pass as much as possible outside of traveling to work. I could save money by walking or riding a bike the 5km to the office instead but given the smog and my asthma, I wonder what state I'd be in when I arrived...

Although I've lived in Toronto for 10 years or so, I always had my accommodations within walking distance of where I needed to go, be it class or work. I do prefer it that way, to be honest.

Lately, I often think of my first experience as a commuter, in Japan. I used to ride the Hankyu Imazu line (阪急今津線) to and from my job in Takarazuka. The transit pass, paid for by my employer, was valid only for the route between my home and work stations. The departures were so precise, I knew what moment to leave my apartment in order to reach the platform on time. My journey was on two train lines: the three minute trip from Imazu to Nishinomia-kitaguchi, then a seven minute transfer (enough time to grab snacks for the day at the 7-11 or at the Beard Papa stall inside Nishi-kita), then another 30 minutes onward to Takarazuka Station. As I was traveling at off-peak hours, I'd always get a seat on a spotless green velvet banquette. The entire route was overland so the dissonance of level crossing signals are preserved in my mind forever. Really, is it possible not to get nostalgic about train travel?

So, I wrecked my MacBook.

2011-05-26T17:53:00.001-04:00

Two weeks ago, I had a clumsy moment which is going to cost me quite a lot of money. It has already caused me plenty of inconvenience.

I was working with my MacBook on my lap with an almost empty mug of tea on the bed beside me. I moved to reach something, closing the laptop and placing it on the bed surface. My leg bumped the hitherto untippable mug which caused about 1/2 a cup of water to spill and some leaked in the back vents of the laptop. There was a crackling sound and the laptop immediately switched itself off.

I wasn't panicked by this, I thought that the immediate switch-off would prevent any shocks from causing harm to the machine. Besides, there was very little water spilled. I wiped down the laptop and left it to dry. The next day, I went to the Apple Store 'Genius Bar' to check on how to proceed to avoid damaging my MacBook. I was advised to leave it to dry for four to five days and then to bring it back to the store to check for moisture inside. So, I left the Macbook untouched for five more days. Back at the Apple Store, a different 'Genius' removed the back of the laptop and we could clearly see green corrosion on the logic board. This wasn't good.

We tried to boot the laptop. The fan and the power light switched on but the screen did not react. We plugged in an external monitor and there was still no image visible. So, for sure the logic board is damaged to some extent and maybe the screen and some of the connectors. The question is, how much damage can a trickle of cold tea do to a closed but running MacBook Pro?

Best Case Scenario: No immediate damage, machine boots up although eventual corrosion may be a problem. (I am already past this stage.)

Bad Case Scenario: $500 to replace the corroded logic board but screen and connectors and hard drive are all fine. Data is safe.

Worse Case Scenario: logic board and screen both need replacing, the expense of which will cost more than a refurbished, newer MacBook Pro. Hard drive can be salvaged and used as an external drive, data is safe.

Worst Case Scenario: logic board and screen both need replacing, the expense of which will cost more than a refurbished, newer MacBook Pro. Hard drive wrecked and all data lost.

Now, luckily, my better photos from the past year are already on Flickr and many others are still on a memory card. Also, my Thimphu map files are backed up. I don't have any super-important word files on the go. My iPod Nano still holds all my music but this would have to be extracted somehow to load onto a new laptop. It's the casual photos I took walking around or with friends that I may have lost, as well as several videos I never got around to uploading or which were just for my own viewing. I still don't know what state my data is in at the moment.

Over the past two weeks, I have confirmed that I can't get by for long without a good computer. I have been doing my freelance technical editing work on my early 2006 iMac and it's been rough (losing my 'saved' work, lots of freezing). Over the past year, my iMac has been solely a DVD viewing apparatus. My last two blog posts were about the most complex task that machine can handle. I can't even run Skype.

I can't stop beating myself up for causing such an expense and possible loss of files due to my own clumsiness and overly casual consumption of tea. It's a waste of time to dwell on it, but I can't help it. I had been intending to get smarter about saving money but now I'm facing a large expense.

I am, however, grateful that I didn't cause this kind of damage when I was really depending on the MacBook for my work in Thimphu. It would have been a true disaster for my project had I lost the use of my laptop then. At that time, the closest Apple Store would have been in Delhi, 1200 km away. There are more white yaks than MacBook Pros in Bhutan. I could have been in serious trouble.

Royal Wedding 2011 - Himalayas Edition

2011-05-20T09:26:00.008-04:00

His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck has announced he will marry this October! The King of Bhutan, who is 31, plans to marry Miss Jetsun Pema: she will become Queen of Bhutan.

(Photo from His Majesty's Facebook page)

The whole nation is overjoyed, with the exception of several thousand young ladies who heave heavy sighs of disappointment.

The King made the announcement today, May 20th, during his address to the 7th Session of Parliament (text of speech via Facebook).

"Today, at this auspicious gathering, I would like to make a short announcement to all the people of the 20 Dzongkhags.

As King, it is now time for me to marry. After much thought I have decided that the wedding shall be later this year.

Now, many will have their own idea of what a Queen should be like – that she should be uniquely beautiful, intelligent and graceful. I think with experience and time, one can grow into a dynamic person in any walk of life with the right effort. For the Queen, what is most important is that at all times, as an individual she must be a good human being, and as Queen, she must be unwavering in her commitment to serve the People and Country.

As my queen, I have found such a person and her name is Jetsun Pema. While she is young, she is warm and kind in heart and character. These qualities together with the wisdom that will come with age and experience will make her a great servant to the nation.

This union does not mean that I am starting my own family. From the very day I received the Dhar Ngay-Nga from the sacred Machhen, the people of the 20 Dzongkhags became my family. Such is the duty and privilege of all Kings of Bhutan. It is through this union, that I shall have a Queen who will support, and work with me, as I serve the People and Country.

The wedding will be in accordance with age-old tradition, to seek the blessings of our Guardian Deities. I ask the government not to make any plans for a grand celebration. The happiness of my beloved father and the blessings of our People will give me the greatest joy and happiness."

So, Royal Wedding watchers, do not despair that Wills and Kate's event is over. Turn your eyes towards the Himalayas! Besides, King Khesar (aka K5) is infinitely more crush-worthy than Prince William. There's the Royal pompadour, for starters. Also, he's an Oxford grad who's into photography. And there's just something awesome about a monarch with dimples. I could go on.

I haven't read any biographical info about the Queen-to-be yet. I don't know if she is one and the same person as the King's girlfriend who I had heard some details about (you know how it is). Update: Bhutan Observer reports that future queen is a 20 year old international relations student and is from Thimphu. 2nd Update: Business Bhutan has a more thorough biography of Jetsun Pema which confirms that she is indeed the girlfriend of the King who I'd heard about quite some time ago.

On the day William and Kate's wedding was announced last fall, I was having lunch at The Zone Cafe in Thimphu. I overheard two very posh Bhutanese ladies discussing the British royal engagement, saying, "I wonder if this will give Someone any big ideas." Wise women!

Photos from His Majesty's Facebook page

Further update since my Google results are blowing up with searches for pictures of Jetsun Pema: Riding the Elephant blog has posted this more casual photo of His Majesty the King of Bhutan and his fiancee/future queen Jetsun Pema, taken on the day the engagement was announced. She looks very queenly, wouldn't you say? And he looks very happy!

For later photos of the couple, see HERE!
For a description of what the King and Queen wore to be married, see HERE!

Toronto Marathon Pics

2011-05-15T10:25:00.011-04:00

This is a little more of-the-moment than my usual posts. I timed my grocery trip perfectly this morning to watch the Toronto Marathon pack leaders round past Casa Loma. These photos were taken between 9:30 and 10 am today at 12.5 km out of 42 km. The run is cold, slippery and downhill.

Here's the first runner. He had bib #1 so I was able to find out that his name is Josephat Ongeri.

Then some time later, the second. Bib #4, he is Brendan Kenny.

Update: Brendan has won the marathon (time 2:27:20) with Josephat coming in second (time 2:29:19)!

Then the third, #596, Terry Gehl.

Update: Terry finished third (2:30:29)!

And fourth, #184, Warren Ringler.

Update: Warren finished fourth in 2:47:47. I am surprised how little change there was in the order of the leader group over the next 30 km but maybe that's standard for marathons?

Then the was a small cluster of runners (#1001, #895 [fifth place], #1542, #1571 and more).

Update: Bib #1571 here, Mark McCasham, finished seventh overall and was the fastest runner over age 45.

Then a decent grouping all together (#1142, #990, #1529...).

Good luck to all! Here's hoping for no slipping!

money chat

2011-05-03T00:07:00.000-04:00

It's federal election night in Canada and there are 28 minutes to go until the results start coming in. Time enough for a quick post?

This is the ELLE Canada Horoscope for Pisces, April 2011:

Money, money, money. Your confidence is growing (surely you've noticed) and your inner poise shows. In part, this is why you're getting a better job, earning a raise or thinking up ways to make money on the side. Whatever the cause, you're certainly focused on earnings, cash flow and major expenditures this month. (Ka-ching!)

Possibly the most accurate horoscope I've ever had. April did see a boost in my confidence that came from being hired for a really good job, even if only on contract. I'm not too sure about the inner poise although I'm working on my outer poise (posture). More than anything, April was all about cash flow and expenditure for me. I hadn't had a pay cheque since leaving my last job in August. My savings were withered up and then, all at once, I had to pay out for first and last rental deposits, moving company fees, a transit pass, a couple of new furniture items, a pair of sensible office shoes plus all the minor things one needs to get set up in a new apartment. I was also driving a borrowed car home to Waterloo on the weekends to house-sit, when petrol costs happened to be at their all-time highest.

My savings account was down to $5 (lowest since high school!) so a fair chunk of that spending went on my credit card. For the first time ever, I did not pay off my full balance at the end of the month. I have long prided myself on having $0.00 in debt, even if I didn't have much at all in savings, so it feels not so great to have a significant balance owing someplace. Like, it's always at the back of my mind. How do people with serious debt cope with it?

I have never tracked my expenses or stuck to a real budget. I've always just tried to be reasonably sensible with my spending. But now that I'm on a contract and I may well be jobless again by October with Toronto rent to pay, I feel like I should start saving more carefully. I need some advice, though. Do you use any money managing programs, online or perhaps even in app form? (I am considering an iPhone although that obviously goes against what I just said about saving, but at least my new union has a good monthly plan.) Money in general is a mystery to me. Have you any suggestions for how I can be smarter with my earnings?

mini-update

2011-04-23T14:07:00.001-04:00

Woah! A busy few weeks for me! I'm adjusting to my new lifestyle: public servant, commuter, financial district dweller, renter of a place larger than a bachelor apartment, long-distance house-sitter.

I'm working to set-up my new apartment. I like the place even if the address isn't ideal. Here's the vintage fireplace in my bedroom, accented with a new mirror and Australian native flowers.

Tax return, please be processed soon! I haven't earned a wage since August!

It's my first time to have either of these things: a TTC Metropass and an office key card.

View from my new work space. If I look to the east, I can see the lake just a little bit.

Almost 17 years after I got my driver's license, I have had my first damage incident. The parking space behind the new apartment is a little too narrow for dad's Jeep. The side panels got pushed forward by the friction with a wooden fence that I got caught on. Until a professional gets at this with a mallet, the front passenger door won't be opening. Good thing it's a '97 model vehicle with plenty of other dents and scratches.

How to Create Your Own Voluntourism Placement: My Experience

2011-03-30T23:46:00.013-04:00

'Voluntourism' is a big buzzword for travellers these days. By definition, volunteer tourism is international travel which involves volunteer work. The idea is driven by travellers who wish to 'give something back' to the places they visit. Usually, the volunteer work is facilitated by a charitable organization and can range from a few hours of general labour to months of specialized, professional work. Sound like your kind of thing? Volunteer Programs International, Voluntourism.Org and Go Overseas are good places to start a search for a program that's a fit for you, depending on where you want to go, how long you can stay and what type of work you want to do. There are established agencies offering programs all around the world. Some agencies require placement fees on top of your own travel and living costs, while others don't. Do your research and be choosy to find a legitimate, community-based program.

photo by Lhendup/Business Bhutan

When I was visiting Bhutan as a tourist in 2009, I was simultaneously thinking, "I really want to come back to spend some time here" and "someone needs to make a quality cultural map for Thimphu City". It wasn't until I was in my seat flying back to Bangkok, my mind still wandering along those misty Bhutanese mountain roads, that these two thoughts melded into one idea. I realized I could use my own heritage interpretation know-how to get a map made for Thimphu.

I arrived home and started researching voluntourism and work for foreigners in Bhutan. I discovered the Bhutan Canada Foundation's Teach In Bhutan program, the NGOs supported by Japan, Switzerland and a few other countries, plus various medical campaigns for bringing doctors in on treatment tours. None of these programs were involved in my area of expertise, heritage management. Also, none of the existing voluntourism agencies operate in Bhutan, which is not surprising given that it is one of the strictest countries for entry as a foreign non-tourist. So, it was clear that I was going to have to figure out my own way to make this happen.

These are the steps I followed to create my own voluntourism placement where there was no existing program in place. This is my experience only but I believe the story may be relevant to others who are dedicated to creating their own volunteering opportunity abroad. This process is about undertaking a significant planned project, a big investment of your time and your specialized abilities to accomplish a goal.

How I made my own way when there was no existing voluntourism opportunity:

• Get an idea.

Analyze what you have to offer. What are your assets, your skills, what can you do that can make a difference? Is there one specific thing that you can contribute to a particular community?

It was easy in my case: I identified a gap. A detailed map for Thimphu would not only really add to tourists' experiences by helping them to navigate and understand the city better, but a greater awareness about the businesses and services available would mean that more merchants would benefit from the presence of tourists in the city. I had worked on such map projects before and had done lots of research into urban interpretation and city maps, so I had a rather specialized skill set to offer.

• Consider your motives.

What do you hope to get out of your volunteer work? Do you have something real to contribute? Or do you mostly want an extended vacation? I think it's totally acceptable if you want to spend time in a different culture, meet new people and have some special experiences as long as you've got a lot to offer in return. Your enjoyment should not be the top priority here!

I admit that one of my motives was to actually get the chance to use my knowledge of and passion for urban interpretation for a real project. I have found that in Canada, even if you are highly skilled, you often aren't permitted to contribute to established volunteer projects if you don't have the right social connections or if you haven't been a board member for 15 years or whatever. It is frustrating. In Bhutan, the whole country feels like a heritage site, but heritage site interpretative projects are not common for various reasons. There are very few people there with experience in this somewhat obscure field of study. I felt that my knowledge of interpretive maps would go a lot further in Bhutan. In addition, I wanted the chance to spend an extended period of time there.

• Research and develop your idea. Network, ask people in the know for advice. Adjust your idea if necessary.

Is your skill of use or in demand where you want to go? Is your work needed at all? Are you going to be a valuable resource for an organization, or are you going to take up valuable resources? Would your contribution as a volunteer deprive a local person of a paying job? This a particular concern for non-skilled volunteer work.

During my research, I discovered that there actually was an earlier Thimphu tourist map that had been published, but it was no longer available. Also, that map's concept was totally different from my map concept. I knew I would not be taking anyone's job for the reasons mentioned above but I made sure local talent would be hired for the help I would need to finish the project.

Talk to some real people about your idea. Maybe you already have a direct connection with a community overseas through your friends or family or a professional affiliation. If not, via social networking, you should be able to get in touch with people in the place or the field you're interested in. You'll want to get opinions about how you would be able to contribute as a volunteer and who might be able to use you.

In my case, it was a comment I left on the blog of a Thimphu resident that set everything into motion. (Hi, Aby!) I also bounced ideas off other in-the-know people I connected with via Twitter, Facebook and blogs. My connections gave me feedback about the appropriateness and feasibility of my map concept. Their advice was encouraging.

• Think about potential partners for your project.

Unless you have the funds, know-how and time to establish your very own NGO, you're going to need to partner up with an organization. Someone will have to sponsor your visa, help you get established and arrange what you need to do your work. It's research time again! Put together a list of possible partners such as local charities, non-profits/NGOs, educational institutions, community groups, foundations, local enterprises, town council departments and so on. Thinking 'outside the box' is recommended!

I had a list of organizations in Bhutan to approach with my offer to work but in the end, I connected with a group that wasn't even on my radar. I ended up working for a local company, not a charity or an NGO. So, I suppose, technically I wasn't volunteering but working pro bono. Either way, my project found support.

• Put together a detailed proposal.

Put together your CV, a thorough explanation of your volunteering idea, examples of similar projects elsewhere if they exist and a full list of all the resources you will need to make the work happen.

My proposal included a lengthy write-up on my Thimphu map project objective, a time-line for my work to be completed, examples of other similar map projects and my resume. I listed that I would require support from the organization in the form of a work visa, work space with Internet access, help making connections with local experts plus assistance with accommodation in Thimphu. This was also where I specified that a Bhutanese artist would need to be hired to illustrate the map.

• Approach potential partners. Try and try again. Keep in touch, negotiate, wait...

Now, use your connections and potential partner list to make the offer of your talent and ideas. The group(s) you approach will probably need some time to consider your proposal. You may need to negotiate or consider adjustments to your project. Got a 'no'? Try another organization, continue to refine your idea.

I was extremely fortunate in that I was taken on by the first organization to hear about my map idea and no changes to my proposal were required. Turns out, this was the easiest part of the process for me, although I'd expected it to be the hardest!

• Get the rest of your life organized (or a reasonable facsimile)

Is your project going ahead? Congratulations! Most likely, you'll now need to make arrangements to leave the country. Deal with your job/family/house/pets/finances/health/etc.

I quit my job, moved out of my apartment, bought plane tickets and apologized for missing a wedding.

• Do the paperwork correctly, double-check everything.

Find out if volunteers need a work visa to go wherever it is you're going. Don't be sneaky by entering the country on a tourist visa if you're primarily there to work. You can get yourself into hot water if you're caught, but even more worrying is that you risk causing a lot of trouble for your sponsoring organization. Be legal about volunteering. Also, double-check all your visa paperwork, especially if you're partnered with an organization that doesn't have experience bringing in foreign talent.

As I mentioned, Bhutan is a tough place to get into. I was waiting for a work visa before I went ahead with the life organizing steps mentioned above. My visa paperwork went through four government departments and it took almost six months to be approved, having been rejected once before being accepted upon the second reapplication. By establishing what I wanted to do and putting my energy into making my dream a reality, I was in danger of a big disappointment. Seriously, the long uncertainly ate away at my very soul.

And here's what happened to me when I failed to do the double-checking step.

• Arrive. Do the work!

It might take a little time to get your bearings once you arrive but you've got to settle down and do the work you promised to do!

• This isn't simply a vacation! Okay, some tourism time is fine, though.

Fact: I saw more parts of Bhutan during my initial 11 day tour than I did during my four months there. I spent many long days working but I found time for some exploration, too.

• Leave with the work as well wrapped-up as possible.

Actually finishing the project is ideal but you may run out your work visa before you do. If a visa extension isn't an option, tie up as many of the loose ends as possible so someone else can carry on your work. Depending on the nature of your project, perhaps you'll return to continue another time?

• Come 'home' and get on with life, or go in a new direction?

I'm 'home' now, and after a few months of unemployment, I'm about to start a new job. But... I would definitely love to take off and make more cultural tourism maps elsewhere, or to do more heritage management work in Bhutan in the future.

• Keep in touch, do follow-up work from home.

You're engaged with the organization now, take responsibility for what you started! Maybe that will be a written summary of the work so far to assist a future volunteer. Perhaps you'll help out back home with promotion or fundraising for your agency (if it's a non-profit). Can you work on a proposal for the next phase of a larger project? Maybe your idea was just the beginning of something BIG!

So, that's how it happened for me. Or, rather, that's how I made my voluntourism dream into reality with a lot of thought, painful waiting, plenty of effort and a huge amount of help.

Author Lisa Napoli wrote a short summary of my Bhutan map project, describing me in rather more flattering terms than I would use for myself. (Note: it's not that I "didn't take no for an answer": the first organization I approached about the project was keen. It was the work permit from the government that held things up.) I don't wish to sound self-congratulatory about all this. The result of my project map is not in anyone's hands yet so I don't have feedback from any users or from local stakeholders. Right now, it's too early to call the Thimphu map a success or a failure. I will update as soon as I get a look at the actual printed map. So exciting!

Joe Fresh Stripes!

2011-03-29T23:01:00.001-04:00

Despite all my earnest posts here about travels in Asia and life in Bhutan, my current top search engine keyword is "Joe Fresh", followed closely by "Carey Mulligan pixie cut". People just want to know about clothes and hair cuts, apparently.

To that end, although I don't believe for a second that anyone cares what I wear, here is last weekend's supermarket spree from Joe Fresh Style, Spring 2011. Left: Joe Fresh black and white chevron striped skirt. I found it to be Gwen Stefani-esque and therefore requiring pairing with the bright red tights. Any coloured tights would suit, really. The skirt will look better with something other than a bulky winter sweater, for sure. Right: Joe Fresh blue and black sequined striped t-shirt and Joe Fresh roll-down black skirt. Not going to lie: the t-shirt itches a little thanks to the strands of sequins. The effect is worth the itch, though. I don't know when I will wear this top out but I certainly look forward to that event.

news

2011-03-28T08:48:00.003-04:00

#1 I have a new job, starting on Friday! It's a six month contract in government work which I won't go into detail about. But, it is the flip-side of the work I did for six years at my previous position. I interviewed over a month ago and didn't express myself very well in the session so I didn't expect to be hired, but somehow, I was. I am quite surprised it only took three months to find a job in my field. Last time I was unemployed, pre-recession, it took nine months.

#2 Because I have a new job, I also have a new apartment, also starting on Friday. I have yet to figure out how I am going to move my furniture from here to my new place in Toronto with only moral support from friends and family. It just happened to work out that I am on my own (assistance-wise) for this move. I may hire professionals just to get it done. I could rent a truck myself again, but I don't have anybody in this town who can help me load the heavy furnishings. As independent as I am, I cannot carry a double box spring up a flight of stairs alone.

#3 In preparation for my new job, I had my eyes checked and found out that the new yellow-ish bump on my eyeball actually is something more than my imagination. I have a "pinguecula", or a callous on the eye itself which is caused by excessive exposure to UV and/or wind. It isn't dangerous or treatable, but it does make part of my eye really red sometimes. The optometrist told me it is quite common in farmers or people who live around the Equator or in the Andes who don't wear sunglasses. Then I mentioned I had recently spent several months in the Himalayas and she said, 'that explains it'. Also, as I have wide, pale eyes, she said I'd be more vulnerable in those conditions. So, I should have worn my sunglasses more. Thus, my punishment for finding sunglasses annoying is a blotchy eye for the rest of my life. Wear shades, people!

In the Mood for Hong Kong

2011-03-16T10:02:00.003-04:00

Before I got to Hong Kong, I jokingly said that the city had better be just like a Wong Kar-wai film or I'd be very disappointed.

I'm not much of a cinema fan, but Wong Kar-wai's '2046' is my favourite movie and 'In The Mood For Love' is another big fave. There's not a lot of plot in either movie and the focus is always on the deeper meaning behind the ordinary interactions of daily life. It's the high style, the steeped colours, the soundtracks and the subtlety of the actors that make these two films so unforgettable.

'In The Mood For Love' features two pivotal scenes at a restaurant. The first of the scenes (here, without subtitles, sorry) is the moment when two neighbours realize their respective spouses are having an affair. The second restaurant scene is their exploration into how this affair might be playing out. I grabbed these screen captures:

In '2046', the protagonist returns to the cafe for just a few frames during montage sequences. With that distinctive lamp design, there's no question about the setting: we remember it from the earlier film.

Imagine how excited I was to discover that these restaurant scenes weren't filmed on a set but rather, at a real cafe which is still open for business!

Cafe de Goldfinch (Goldfinch Restaurant Ltd.) is at 13-15 Lan Fong Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Check out that beautiful multicolour neon sign. The arched door/faux roof tile of the exterior is fitting of the early 1960s when the restaurant opened.

My friend Kiran and I had already eaten dinner, so I was reluctant to go inside the Goldfinch when I had no intention of ordering anything. I posed for a photo on the front steps and then peered in through the window.

Inside, the cafe looked just like it did in the films with the narrow booths, the textured wallpaper and the mood lighting. So cool.

Kiran talked me into going inside. I really didn't want to be a touristy nuisance to the staff. But, from the outside, the cafe looked so authentic. I couldn't walk away without a proper look. I opened the door and quietly stepped in: the staff greeted me with warm smiles and asked if I would like a photo taken in the booth which was specially decorated with a big 'In The Mood For Love' poster. The cafe staff are so used to curious Wong Kar-wai creepers that they didn't even ask if I wanted a table! And yet, the staff was not at all annoyed about taking a photo for yet another a non-customer. They must be really proud of the cafe's place in Hong Kong cinema legend. I had my own wide smile when I slid into the booth for my photo: it was another fantastic moment during a really great day. I could not get over the cafe's beautifully preserved interior or the staff's friendliness.

I didn't really expect to experience anything tangible from 'In The Mood For Love' while in Hong Kong, so this was a real treat for me. Apparently, the Goldfinch offers 'In The Mood for Love' and '2046' set menus for two. Next time, next time...

♥日本♥

2011-03-11T22:57:00.000-05:00

Poster via Signalnoise.com

Like many of you, I spent today following the news from Tohoku. Totally mind-numbing stuff. Japan's strongest quake in 1200 years? Did you hear that four passenger trains are still missing? Just swept away, I suppose. How else do you lose a train?

There are lots of organizations in various countries accepting donations specifically to provide relief in Tohoku. Some will argue that Japan is a wealthy nation which can support itself but as is the case with all natural disasters, the agencies who can get aid and supplies in there ASAP would make really good use of our contributions. Unfortunately, from this distance, sending donations is all I can do.

Joe Fresh Pink Dress

2011-03-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

My brand new Spring 2011 Joe Fresh Style dress, procured during a trip to the supermarket this morning. Joe Fresh is dangerous like that. Go in for spinach and bread, leave with a new outfit.

And this particular outfit makes the statement that I am ready to re-join the ranks of the employed and also that I'm pretty much over spending my days dressing in track pants or gym gear.

The pattern on this dress makes me think of 1960s upholstery but in a good way, if that is possible... The skirt flares out rather like a lampshade. It's a spring/summer dress but I like it better with black tights and heels.

Joe Fresh has a cute thing going on Tumblr: it's a fan-made lookbook. Normal women send in photos of themselves styled in Joe. No models here: very egalitarian, very Canadian.

Money in Bhutan

2011-03-01T12:03:00.010-05:00

The currency used in Bhutan is the Ngultrum. Right now, $1 US is worth about 45 Ngultrum. Only paper money is in circulation with note denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. These notes depict iconic structures in Bhutan (all but one is a dzong). I went round and took photos of these buildings and their money portraits. Sadly, the set is not complete...

1 Ngultrum note and Semtokha Dzong, south end of Thimphu City

5 Ngultrum note at Taktsang Goemba (Tiger's Nest monastary) in Paro

10 Ngultrum note and Paro (Rinpung) Dzong, in Paro Town

Missing: 50 Ngultrum note and fabulous Trongsa Dzong

100 Ngultrum note and Tashichhoe Dzong, at the north end of Thimphu City

Missing: 500 Ngultrum note and Punakha Dzong
Update: THANK YOU Korice Moir for taking and sending this pic of Punakha Dzong and the 500 bill!

1000 Ngultrum note and a different angle of Tashichhoe Dzong. The 1000 is a somewhat rarer bill and I could only get a hold of this crumpled one!

Incomplete sets are so very unsatisfying. I didn't get back to Trongsa or Punakha after I had the idea to do this photo series so I'm left with only 5 out of 7. But, perhaps you can help? If you are in Bhutan and you can take the 50 or 500 Ngultrum photos in this style, send them along so we can finish the set!

Bonus pics!

Here's the older 5 Ngultrum note and Paro Dzong. I think is the best of the photos.

Coins are now out of circulation in Bhutan but here are two that a friend collected.

Bonus advice! Money tips for travelers to Bhutan:

- For bringing money in, cash is the way to go. You can change your cash into Ngultrum at the airport exchange counter in the same room where you'll pick up your luggage. Do it then to save a trip to a bank later. Bills in the major currencies will be accepted (US, Euros, Pounds Sterling, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, Hong Kong dollars, Singapore dollars, Rupees and such). You will get a better rate for larger bills (i.e. $50 and $100 notes). Ask to get some smaller bills in your bundle from the exchange counter.
- Despite contradictory information being given out by the banks themselves, only American dollar travelers' cheques can be cashed at major bank branches without a huge amount of commotion and trouble. Take it from someone who knows. Even Lonely Planet got this wrong.
- As of late 2010, there is an ATM in Thimphu which takes MasterCard. There have been some technical problems, though, so if the machine is out of order on the one day you're in Thimphu, you're out of luck. Don't rely on using your MasterCard.
- Some of the bigger souvenir stores take Visa cards. Again, don't assume that you'll be able to make all purchases with credit cards. Also, you'll probably get a better price if you pay with Ngultrum.
- Regular escorted tourists will only need enough cash for extras like souvenirs, booze and tips. However, if disaster strikes, or if you see a work of art you cannot live without, you could make use of the Western Union money transfer service through Bhutan Post.
- If you've arrived via India, you'll be fine using Rupee notes for everything. The Rupee and Ngultrum are at par.
- Nobody actually says 'Ngultrum' or writes it on a price tag or a menu. People say 'Nu' instead. In fact, when you ask the price of things, you will most often be told the value in Rupees even though you pay in Ngultrum.
- Try to keep a few lower denomination notes aside (10s, 50s, 100s) to leave as offerings at the altar or in a donation box whenever you visit a shrine or a temple. They can really use your contributions.

33 things I love

2011-02-24T22:06:00.000-05:00

Indulgent, yes: on the occasion of my 33rd birthday, here are 33 things I love. Places, food, songs, shows and such are not included.

whiskey sours
historical biographies
the scent of jasmine
gray, misty mornings
Roman and Medieval art with odd perspective
cardigans
chocolate shops
omamori (embroidered luck charms, see photo above)
train trips
exact change
lunch out with a friend
hot, black tea brewed for just a few seconds
rugged landscape
neatly written lists
a place for everything and everything in its place
maps, maps, all kinds of maps
waking up one minute before my alarm rings
books about historical journeys
rooms with views
short, gamine haircuts
tall leather boots
contrast
sleeping with the window open
Japanese department stores
symbols of Buddhism (lotus, dorji, endless knot)
walking on a beach in winter
unexpected connections
colourful tights
visiting someplace new
rainy nights in spring
the colours green and black together
creating order from chaos
You! For humoring me by reading my words!

33 today

2011-02-23T23:10:00.000-05:00

As is my custom, here's a recent photo of myself posted to mark my birthday. I'm with my brother Ewan here. On the holiday Monday, we had a family lunch at Spencer's in Burlington. Great venue!

My birthday wish this year: to find meaningful employment!

Also: skating in a dress in -17˚C? I AM (half) Canadian!

Dragons on my Sleeves: Wearing Bhutan's Dress Code

2011-02-11T14:31:00.008-05:00

This is me and my Bhutanese crush Tashi. We are in Bhutanese national dress. Tashi is wearing a gho (robe) which was hand-woven by his mum, crisp white laygay (cuffs) and the requisite kneesocks. I'm wearing a purple toego (jacket) embroidered with golden dragons, a black wonju (blouse) and a machine-woven kira (long skirt) in green and gold. How do we look?

Bhutan is a quirky nation. There are a great many rules, regulations and bans which control everything from building styles to the availability of meat. One of the most obvious rules impacting daily life is Bhutan's dress code: all citizens are required to wear the national costume in public during business hours. Bhutan is the only country to enforce a dress code for both men and women.

Three gents in ghos. I don't know them.

Before we start talking about patterns and colours and the fun of fashion, it is worth mentioning the political aspects of getting dressed to go to work or school in Bhutan. The dress code requirement, part of the Driglam Namzha, became law in 1989 at a time when there was rising tension between different the ethnic groups within the country. The law was ostensibly created to promote 'one nation, one people', to protect an ideal of Bhutan's traditional culture, however, the dress code was met with strong resistance from southern Bhutanese people who objected to being forced to dress in the style of the northern Bhutanese. Certainly, not everybody is happy to wear the gho or kira, for some this is because it is not the clothing of their own culture and for others, it is because the garments themselves (especially the gho) can be really uncomfortable. The situation is extremely complicated and I don't fully understand everything at play but I want you to get that dressing in gho and kira is not just about personal preference or style. It is a political imposition.

As a foreign worker in the private sector, I was not technically required to wear Bhutan's national dress. However, I decided that I would anyway. Here's why:

• I wanted to show respect for local customs. The other women at the office dressed this way, so I followed suit.

• The way I dress at home doesn't pack up well and it also doesn't work in a conservative place like Bhutan. I'm into low-cut, knee-length dresses and tall boots. Better to play it safe and wear something I know is appropriate for all situations. Plus, packing enough for four months and three seasons is hard.

• National dress is required to enter government offices and I had many meetings at various ministries, usually scheduled without enough lead time to let me rush home to change.

• When dressed in a kira, I was better able to convey myself as a professional working on a legitimate project and not as a tourist wandering lost around the town.

• I was in Bhutan, getting an amazing opportunity to live in a very different culture! What the heck, why not go all out and immerse myself? Besides, I like the look of the traditional style!

The first time I shopped for traditional wear, I was accompanied by Ms. Tshering Pem whose congeniality I tested after she randomly added me as a friend on Facebook. We started by picking out fabric for a kira (long skirt) at Sangay Bida Tshongkhang in Thimphu. Good thing Tshering Pem was there to save me from embarrassment: the first pattern I chose turned out to be the uniform fabric of the Taj Tashi Hotel!

A length of machine-woven fabric for a kira costs 250 Ngultrum on average (about $5) but a complex hand-woven one could be over 100 times that price. I stuck with the affordable option. As you can see from the selection here, subtle colour and patterns aren't de rigeur in Bhutan.

The kiras are traditionally meant to be held up around the waist with a wrapped belt, but I took the modern approach. I got my kiras tailored with hooks and Velcro for ease of dressing. The tailoring cost 50 to 100 Ngultrum ($1 to $2) each.

Here are my six kiras. The green and blue ones have more ornate weaving at the hems, a detail which I really enjoy. The red and black striped kira is the only hand-woven one, a gift from a friend. I gave away the top left peachy kira because it was ill-fitting.

The next shopping stop would be a store that specializes in fabric for the toego (jacket) and wonju (blouse) or pre-sewn wonjus. Tshering Pem took me to a place in the Karma Khangzang Building that first day but there are lots of these stores around Thimphu, usually with all four walls lined with bolts of material in endless combinations of colours and patterns. I spent many hours browsing the brocade. It always felt like such an indulgent purchase, 2.5 metres of gorgeous embroidered fabric, but the price was usually around 250 Ngultrum ($5). I presume this material is manufactured in China.

The fabric would have to be taken to a tailor have a jacket sewn up. There are dozens of small tailoring shops operating in Thimphu. To stitch a toego, the cost would be between 50 Ngultrum and 300 Ngultrum ($1 to $6) depending on the customization of the fit.

All the tailors work on foot pedal sewing machines. That's my red-lined blue toego being stitched up there.

And here are all seven of my brocade toegos. I loved picking out these different patterns: cherry blossom branches, dragons, vines, good luck symbols, chrysanthemums, sacred vessels and Greek keys.

Here are my eight wonju (blouses). These were bought off the shelf for 150 to 300 Ngultrum ($3 to $6). It's the wonju that creates the distinctive pop of contrasting colour at the cuffs in Bhutanese women's fashion. The interest is heightened by the different textures and patterns of these light satin blouses. Mine have motifs of dragons and phoenixes, bamboo leaves, Chinese symbols and so on. There are quite a few ways to fold the collar down over the toego. This is tricky to master because the toego (jackets) are usually stiff and boxy in fit while the wonju (blouses) are of very fine material. Brooches and safety pins are essential accessories for creating structure and hold.

With so many interchangeable items in my wardrobe, getting dressed every morning became a big game of mix and match. Here are just a few of the outfits I put together:

Some observations and thoughts about dressing in Bhutan's traditional clothing:

• Initially, I intended to buy a capsule wardrobe for my months in Bhutan. Maybe three skirts, three jackets and three blouses in complimentary, interchangeable colours. Greens, purples, blacks, perhaps? But when I got into the shops, I started buying whatever I found appealing. I found the fabric and tailoring to be cheap - I could get an entire tailored outfit for the cost of a weekday lunch in Toronto - so it was tough to resist buying more. I did end up paying for it via excess baggage fees, eventually.

• As a fuller figured girl, I'm used to dressing in a particular way to flaunt my better features and conceal others. I wear low cut necks and cinch my waist to draw attention upward. The boxy jackets and straight-cut skirts I was wearing in Bhutan did not allow me to dress for my shape. I ended up looking like a solid column of woman! The ubiquity of horizontal stripes for kiras was also troubling - I wouldn't dream of wrapping my backside in eye-catching stripes like this by choice. It was a bit of a strain on my vanity to put up with wearing unflattering fashion everyday. The lively colours helped to make up for this.

• I noticed that Bhutanese women didn't have the same concern about matching colours that I do, or perhaps that they have a different idea of what colours look good together. Also, I don't usually wear more than one pattern at a time but with the kira, toego and wonju, I got used to wearing three different patterns together. I wish I had taken more photos because many of my friends turned themselves out beautifully every day, dressed in combinations I never would have thought of.

• I found that by exchanging heels for boots and adding tights, scarves and gloves, the same three-piece wardrobe carried me through the seasons from August to the end of November. (Okay, I was mildly sweaty in August.)

• As anyone who has ever worn a school uniform can tell you, there are ways to express individual style even if everyone is dressed similarly. Uniqueness comes out despite the restrictions of the Bhutanese dress code: preferences for colours and patterns, brooches or pins, funky kneesocks for the guys, the fit of the jacket and the fold of the collar and so on. It is rather fascinating to observe.

• Dressing in such a different style from my norm back in Canada, the clothing always affirmed that in Bhutan, I was not living my same-old regular life. I really had fun with Bhutanese fashion and it was an enjoyable aspect of my extended stay there. However, there were days when I was feeling frustrated, misunderstood or overwhelmed by my work and I'd glance down to see those ferocious dragons swirling across my sleeves. Somehow, the dragons always brightened my mood.

Further reading on Bhutanese fashion:
my post on dressing formally for festivals in Bhutan
Yeewong Magazine, Bhutan's first and only women's magazine

World Nutella Day

2011-02-05T23:59:00.000-05:00

January 5th is World Nutella Day.

Okay, so this is not an officially recognized commemoration. In fact, World Nutella Day appears to have been created by a couple of sweet-toothed bloggers in 2007. I can get behind any event, no matter how casual, if it is in appreciation of what must be one of the world's most widely adored products. Nutella is the only food that, to me, seems to be the same all around the globe: I have appreciated it as a familiar comfort in numerous countries.

I made these zero-effort mini Nutella brownies, a simple treat that can be whipped up in no time with just four ingredients.

Later in the evening, the snow began to come down heavily and I was craving something more wintery. I concocted a hot chocolate with Nutella melted into milk, plus fair trade cocoa and Godiva liquer mixed in for good measure.

There are so many Nutella recipes to pick from but for me, the best possible way to enjoy Nutella is simply spoonful by spoonful.

Are you a Nutella fan?

Angkor Wat in black and white

2011-02-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

There's a new negative and slide scanner in the house, purchased with the intent of sharing part of the treasury of Kodachrome slides taken by my grandfather. I may end up sharing select images from 1950s and 1960s rural Australia but first, I tried scanning some of my own photos.

When I went to Southeast Asia in 2007, I brought three cameras. I shot one roll of expired black and white film at Angkor Wat. Since my other two cameras were basic point-and-shoots, the film photos captured the texture of the ancient structures best. The negative scans I posted here are not as sharp as the large prints I had made, so I may need to make a second attempt at scanning at an even higher resolution.

How often do you look over your photos from your travels? I look over mine all the time, to be honest.

Ta Prohm central sanctuary (more photos here)

Carved pillars and false doorway at Banteay Srei

Carved relief, probably from the Angkor Wat complex itself.

Beautifying and de-cluttering

2011-01-31T16:17:00.001-05:00

I've taken some time to fix up the appearance and function of greentea.tk. It took me over five years to find exact instructions on how to map my Blogspot web address to my .tk domain but now it's been done. From here on, all the andreakw.blogspot.com URLs should convert to www.greentea.tk, which is so much neater.

I also added a little teapot favicon which will jazz up a bookmark of this site, but at the moment, it only seems to be working in Firefox. Are you seeing a teapot icon instead of the orange Blogger logo? Please let me know. My goal, via the domain mapping and the favicon, is to make it not immediately obvious that this is a Blogger site.

I also realized that my page was cluttered with way too many lists of links, archive pages and tags so I've neatened that up, too. Now the page takes less time to load, and the sidebar junk doesn't extend much beyond what would be displayed in a single entry. I changed the background, too, because the previous dark image was quite heavy. I might also remove that Flickr photo widget on the right if it slows down page loading.

Blogger still frustrates me in that the options for placing images in a post are extremely limited, but things are becoming much better. The templates and page elements are getting easier and easier to customize. There were a lot of improvements to the platform during 2010.

Monks at Semtokha

2011-01-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

Working together to replace a rotted prayer flag pole.

Big smiles for the foreigner brandishing a camera, better seen in a larger image .

Also, an answer to the question of what monks wear under their robes: basketball shorts, apparently.

modern/traditional: Asian iCandy

2011-01-21T14:29:00.003-05:00

Let us enjoy looking at some lovely clothing, shall we?

I am a very big fan of modern cut fashions featuring traditional motifs. The Asian iCandy shop has some of the best that I've ever seen of this genre, including lots of Yunan embroidery. All photos are via Asian iCandy.

First is this dress embroidered with lotus flowers. I adore lotuses and would already have ordered the dress if it came in a size larger than 'medium'.

I'd have rocked the heck out of these embroidered boots under my kiras in Bhutan.

This painted skirt would be perfect with a simple black top and filigree silver jewelry. Sold in one size only, I'm unsure how that would work out for me.

Yunan Valley maxi wool coat - so much more interesting than the puffer coats common around here.

The mix-and-match coat comes in three bold colour combos.

Tibetan festival scarf: would thoughts of the snowy Himalayas keep you warm this winter?

OH YEAH.

2011-01-21T12:11:00.001-05:00

Coming up, I'll have one more post each about Hong Kong and Bangkok, plus lots more photos and writing about Bhutan but I have to remind myself that, OH YEAH, I'm in Ontario now. And it's cold.

On that note, recently my parents and I took a winter drive to the north of Waterloo. This is Mennonite country, my friends. At West Montrose, we've got the last remaining covered bridge in Ontario, built in 1881. It's called the 'kissing bridge' because it affords passengers traveling in horse and buggy a brief moment of privacy. All international guests who visit my family are brought on a country ramble up here to take pictures. I don't know if I've ever seen it in the snow before, though.

Ooops. Accidental photo shows my un-winter-like bright spotted dress and green tights.

Hong Kong Half-Day 5

2011-01-18T23:30:00.001-05:00

Hotel check-out by noon, flight at 4:30, Cathay Pacific in-town baggage check-in up to 24 hours before flight, half hour train ride from city to airport.

First things first: deal with packing. Ugh.

With everything zipped up, there was time for an hour of walking around so I returned to Soho and Lan Kwai Fong. I found a shop called Hulu on awkward Glenealy Street selling modern fashions made from traditional print fabrics. I bought an unusual scarf which I will show off later.

Also in the neighbourhood, and worth a peek I was told, is the Duddell Street Starbucks. Starbuckses the world over are more or less the same (there are a few regional menu variations, granted) but this particular one is the "bing sutt Starbucks". In cooperation with the G.O.D. design brand, this branch of SB is done in 1950s Hong Kong coffee shop style ("bing sutt"). Laminate tables with paper menus beneath the glass, bird cages dangling from the ceiling, vintage light switches and fans, rows of tin toys on shelves, egg tarts and pineapple buns for sale... It was a fun concept, I suppose, but the atmosphere was was still just standard Starbucks. I had a green tea frapp.

Next on the agenda: relieve myself of my luggage! The in-town baggage check at Hong Kong Station was so simple to use. I also ditched my carry-on case and jacket at left luggage so that I was completely unencumbered for my last few hours. You can see that I was feeling totally free and happy, posing in front of a candy display at ifc Mall. This was an unusual mood for me because getting myself to airports on time always stresses me out very much. Again, things are just easier in Hong Kong!

It was back to Causeway Bay. I really like the big calligraphic representations of all the MTR station names.

Perhaps inspired by the faux bing sutt that morning, I chose Red Pepper on Lan Fong Road for my last Hong Kong meal. The feel of the place matches my concept of vintage HK with its decor of dragons and lanterns and the sizzling Sichuan dishes served by bow-tie wearing waiters. I ordered the garlic chili scallops. Alas, the dish was far too much for one person - it was such a sad thing to see scallops go to waste.

Also in Causeway Bay, I grabbed some snacks from Kee Wah Bakery for the 15 hour flight to come: black sesame mochi, black sesame and bamboo charcoal (!) rolled cake plus a pretty little tin of jasmine tea for when I reached home. Actually, all these snacks made it back to Canada in the end thanks to that filling scallop lunch.

Now, it was time to retrieve my carry-on and catch the Airport Express train. I felt like I had done so much in my 96 hours in Hong Kong but in reality, I had only seen a few select areas of the city. I had really wanted to see the teaware museum while in HK, to have a dim sum feast and to see several more places of note, but it didn't happen. The good thing is, I have no doubt I'll get to Hong Kong another time. Unlike some other places, I don't see the city as a once-in-a-lifetime destination but as a place I can easily return to as long as I'm travelling.

Thanks for sticking it out for these HK posts. They certainly don't represent my best writing - a simple, chronological account was the best way for me to describe several very busy days of pure sight-seeing.

Hong Kong Day 4

2011-01-12T13:23:00.120-05:00

Another morning of aimless strolling around Sheung Wan.

I had realized that there was no way I could do all the big Hong Kong (and Macao) attractions in just four days so I took the pressure right off myself and didn't feel guilty for spending such a high proportion of my time in one neighbourhood.

I already had several failed attempts at riding the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator. It was always running in the opposite direction from where I wanted to go. On Sunday morning, I noted that it was running downhill, so I walked uphill much of the way as far as Mosque Street intending to ride down. When I reached the escalators, they had changed direction and were now going up. It was infuriating: the direction changes are not posted anywhere. So I rode up to the very top at Conduit Road although I knew it was all residential apartment towers up there.

From the Conduit Road pinnacle, I thought I might walk back down a different way, but then I spotted that the sidewalk seemed to vanish into a whirl of overpasses. I elected to hail a cab.

Now, more shopping!

Flagship store of the only luxury goods brand that really appeals to me, Shanghai Tang. I didn't buy anything (I already own a Shanghai Tang umbrella).

Bunny mannequins!

Kaiten-zushi and a pineapple ginger martini at Dozo Sushi on Lyndhurst Terrace.

New boots! I also bought a new carry-on case because my cabin baggage between Paro and Hong Kong consisted of an over-stuffed backpack and a burlap sack. Doesn't everyone buy new luggage in Hong Kong?

Now, for one sight-seeing expedition that was necessary: Victoria Peak. There was a significant line-up for the tram at the lower terminus but the wait was made interesting by a well curated collection of artifacts and old photos relating to the history of the Peak Tram.

At the peak, I discovered the true meaning of the term 'tourist trap'. The tram's upper terminus is inside this shopping complex. The developers must have intentionally made the layout so confusing that passengers struggle to find the exit and then end up going into a restaurant or the pricey viewing platform to admire the view. It honestly took me at least ten minutes to find a way out of the Peak Tower and into the outdoors.

A few photos from the nature trail:

As dusk approached, I set up my tripod. Here are two simple animations of the city lights:

I had bought a one-way ticket for the tram as I intended to get a different perspective by returning to Central by bus. Again, I nabbed a second floor window seat. The long trip gave me a very interesting view of mountaintop mansions and upper parts of the city I didn't get to explore otherwise.

I met Kiran again for dinner. We stayed around Central and rode the escalator up to Elgin Street which was a string of appealing little restaurants.

Kiran suggested Bistro Manchu, the only Manchurian restaurant in town. The Northern Chinese crafts and furnishings put me in the mood for a hearty meal. We tried a mushroom salad, lamb dumplings and a trio of veggies. Great stuff.

But the indulgence wasn't over yet! There were champagne cocktails to be had at Soho Junction then chocolate lava dessert at Chocoholic on Peel Street. Packing up my suitcases would have to be done early on Monday morning.

Hong Kong Day 3

2011-01-05T20:24:00.001-05:00

This was the day I fell in love with Hong Kong.

Starting off, a breakfast of noodles in broth with roasted duck. Then, I lost track of time finding my way around Sheung Wan, the old style neighbourhood with a vintage Chinese feel. It was a Saturday morning so the people who live in the multi-story apartments in the area were out and about. Everything is very compact here but all the buildings and streets seem to be tidy and well maintained. There is a sense of history and character here and I do confess that I drifted into daydreams of living in the neighbourhood myself someday...

Back to the hotel to change into sporty gear: at 12:30, I'd be meeting long-time blog and Twitter friend Kiran at Shau Kei Wan station. Kiran had invited me to join his friends' BBQ beach party, then we would walk the Dragon's Back hike. I met Kiran, he was very much as I had perceived him from our connections online except that I didn't expect the American accent!

We took a bus from the station to Shek-O beach. Of course, I insisted we grab the top floor front row seat so I could get a good look around as we rode. The bus trip was extremely interesting for me, as I could see the shoreline, the southern neighbourhoods, the rocks, the fancy houses and so on as Kiran narrated. Hong Kong was reminding me more and more of Sydney every day.

Shek-O was much more quaint and low-key than I'd expected for a beach so close to the mega-city. Kiran's friends, an international and dynamic bunch, had hired a party spot on the sand, under a canopy of vines.

What happened to the planned Dragon's Back hike? Well, the day was quite overcast and hazy, Kiran had a cold, I had sore legs from walking all over BKK and HKG, plus the picnic food and beach games were entertaining enough. So the hike has been left for my next visit, which is okay with me.

As dusk set in, we hopped into a mini-bus to return to the MTR. In the time before I was to meet Kiran for dinner, I managed a shopping spree at Marks & Spencer. I had totally forgotten how great this store is and how much I shopped at M&S when I lived in London until I saw the huge branch of it near my hotel when I first arrived. At Marks & Sparks, I bought Christmas gifts for each member of my family, a new dress, several pairs of fantastic tights and some chocolate treats. I had even more fun than at Muji and UNIQLO - one of the many great things about Hong Kong is that all the famous retailers from across the world have branches there.

On with my new M&S dress and back on the subway to Causeway Bay. At the picnic, I'd asked around about the best place to dine on crab in Hong Kong. I don't get much fresh crab in Ontario (or in Bhutan, obviously). The recommendation was Under Bridge Spicy Crab. Seafood-phobic Kiran agreed to take me there but I would have to eat any seafood dishes on my own. Fair enough, I say.

The restaurant's specialty and namesake is typhoon shelter crab fried up in copious minced garlic, chilies and scallions. The flavour is incredible and the crab meat is easy to pick out, too. Yes, I did get fried garlic stains on my new dress but it was worth it. Lucky for Kiran, the sauteed beans and fried tofu are also excellent.

After dinner, I checked out a nearby place of interest, but that little jaunt will get its own post.

The final stop of the day was Mingle Bar in Central, Kiran's favourite hang-out. He is good friends with the bartender there (do you know when your bartender's birthday is?). Many shots and fiery cocktails were mixed and toasted in honour of the beautiful birthday girl Christine.

I was fortunate in that Mingle was only a few numbers down Wellington Street from my hotel. Good thing because I was exhausted from all that food, drink and exploration. A wonderful day in a city that has it all!

Hong Kong Day 2

2011-01-03T17:45:00.173-05:00

(continuing the recap of my Hong Kong stopover in early December)

There's a fruit smoothie bar located directly across the street from my hotel, so that took care of breakfast. I took some time to orient myself in Central before returning to Causeway Bay for two necessary retail stops. On the way, I stopped to ponder this weird and colourful seasonal display at Times Square.

Can you guess the shops I was rushing to visit on my first morning in Hong Kong?

Muji and UNIQLO, home of cheap Japanese household and fashion basics - I really love these two stores! Unfortunately, none of UNIQLO's line this season appealed to me (I find I either want everything or nothing). At Muji, I picked up a number of gifts and replenished my pen supply. I almost, almost bought a cute yule log baking kit, one of Muji's range of seasonal baking kits. Eventually, I admitted to myself that it would be a needless and bulky addition to my luggage and I had to return it to the shelf.

After my foray into Japanese shopping culture, I returned to Central in time to have lunch with a connection, my father's friend's friend's daughter who is my age and working in HK. Tell me, when you travel, do people you know try to set you up to meet their distant acquaintances in far flung places? In this case, I was really happy to meet Veronica because I felt we had a very similar perspective about living and travelling in Asia, among other things. Veronica took me to Mak's Noodles for quick and flavourful noodle soup, then she walked me around Central, pointing out shops, cafes and other features of interest. Here's a small neighbourhood temple beside a steep staircase, hung with coils of incense.

In the afternoon, I decided that it might be interesting to ride the tram line for its entire length along Hong Kong Island. I grabbed a big bottle of Ribena and boarded the tram at its western Kennedy Town terminus, securing a seat at the front window of the second floor. I rode and observed for about an hour...

...but when I reached Quarry Bay, three quarters of the way along the route, I'd had enough.

The next item to check off my must-see list was Victoria Peak, so I hustled over to the Peak Tram Terminus on Cotton Tree Road but when I arrived, there was a line-up of about 300 people, twilight had already fallen, plus I was tired and cranky. I walked back to Wellington Street through an area of massive masonry walls and vines which seemed remarkably like Sydney.

Determined to see something of the skyline that night, I went out later to ride the Star Ferry across to Kowloon. The ferry terminal was a much farther walk from my hotel than I'd gauged from my map - a taxi would have made the expedition more enjoyable. At the terminal, I noted that a favourite hobby of Hong Kong residents seems to be pushing and shoving ahead of politely lined-up foreign tourists to get the best seats on the ferry!

From the Kowloon side, I looked across to the skyscrapers which are always decorated with lights but the Christmas displays added even more to the spectacle.

As you can see, I was feeling blurry and worn out by this time. I wanted to take the subway back to Central - early to bed - but I'd misunderstood where I'd disembarked from the ferry so I was confused about where in Kowloon I was. I ended up walking for most of an hour along an avenue of luxury goods stores until I found Kowloon Park and then Austin MTR Station. A cheap and forgettable dish of dumplings quietened the grumble in my belly, then it was back to that big, comfy bed on the 21st floor.

Welcome, Year of the Bunny!

2010-12-31T22:44:00.000-05:00

New Year hagaki from loftworld

Miffy 2011 Calendar!

These Canada Post 2011 stamps are spectacular! The rabbits seem to hop from frame to frame. I'll be stocking up on these ones.

Styling an overlong pixie cut

2010-12-27T00:21:00.002-05:00

After years of sporting variations of the pixie cut, I'm suffering through the heartbreaking process of growing my hair out. It looks quite awful, I know. I have had so few styles available to me these past months. I can let everything hang straight down, obscuring my vision, like so. I can scrape the back into a ragged little tuft, with the fringe still tumbling over my eyes, like so. Or, I can wear a headband which won't keep the shorter bits off my face for more than three minutes.

It seems that British actress Carey Mulligan is enduring the awkward short-to-long hair phase right now, too. Miss Mulligan has access to hair professionals who have better styling ideas than I do: recently, she wore her overgrown pixie cut pinned up to attend an awards event. Flare Magazine declared the look to be "an elegant textured alternative to an updo".

For the fancy family Christmas lunch at Langdon Hall, I tried to recreate Carey's quasi-updo. I will need some practice to get those ends neatly tucked under like the photos above, but I'm just so happy to have a different hairstyle to wear occasionally. Oh, I like options.

Merry, merry!

2010-12-25T00:07:00.001-05:00

Hong Kong Day 1

2010-12-24T15:38:00.001-05:00

Getting from the airport to the city could not have simpler. After customs and baggage collection, I picked up the tourist transit pass I'd pre-ordered online. The Airport Express train leaves every 12 minutes and the luggage trolleys can be wheeled right up to the train doors. Inside the cabin, there's a calming, futuristic hum as the train speeds into central Hong Kong, just a 24 minute trip. At the station, more luggage carts are waiting by the train doors and streams of taxis drive right into the station, metres from the train. All this is a great relief for someone like me who does not travel light. Yes, Bangkok has a new airport train service but you have to change lines and then carry your luggage down stairs to street level to hail a taxi. Hong Kong made it all so easy!

I was arriving downtown at around 4pm, so there was a huge snarl of traffic through Central. I wasn't stressed because taxi fares are relatively low compared to other large cities. Slouching back in the vinyl seat, I listened to the Cantonese chatter on the taxi radio and stared out at the buses and boutiques. One panicky moment occurred when we arrived at my hotel on Wellington, a very busy single lane street. A big back-up of cars started honking at me as I scrambled to retrieve my many pieces of luggage from the trunk and to pay the driver. I despise being honked at!

A web search for "Hong Kong boutique hotel" had resulted in me booking a room at Butterfly on Wellington. This hotel only opened in October so they were offering reduced rates, plus I was upgraded to an executive suite when I checked in. The suite was comfortable but not at all spacious: I wonder what the standard rooms are like? I would recommend Butterfly as a great base for a few days in Hong Kong, anyway. The location is ideal, right in Central amongst the shops and restaurants, just steps from the Midlevels Escalator and next to the Graham Street Market. I was on the 21st floor so no noise or odor from the street market below bothered me in my room.

(half a block over from Butterfly on Wellington)

My schedule for the first evening: relax for an hour or so, then travel a few stations east on the subway to meet Mardelaina for dinner. Mardelaina is a friend-of-a-friend who I had met when she visited Bhutan in the fall. I didn't take any photos together in Hong Kong but for good measure, here's a pic of us at Tashi Tagay Drayang in Thimphu.

We met at Tin Hau station then went for noodles and fried fish skin at what Mardelaina assured me is Chow Yun Fat's fave noodle bar. Next was Hong Kong style desserts: black sesame porridge with black sesame mochi and also mango/starfruit tapioca. You may recall that I am very into black sesame.

Mardelaina had to get to a meeting about her upcoming photo exhibition so we parted and I took my first ride on a double-decker tram! So awesome. I went down to Causeway Bay and joined the shopping crowds, looking around the Sogo department store and just a few of the thousands of other shops in the area. It was just too much commercial stimulation for a girl emerging from months in the Himalayas. I happily called it a day and retired to the Butterfly.

Digging Out

2010-12-19T11:19:00.001-05:00

...from under heavy snow, jet-lag, heaps of blankets, my luggage... you understand, right?

I landed in Toronto on the night of December 6th, maximum allowable baggage weight in tow. It was not a good feeling to find winter settled early in Ontario with its snow, ice and harsh cold winds. I had been very much enjoying Hong Kong's sunshine and comfortable warmth but that was now 15 hours behind me.

Since returning to my parents' home in Waterloo, I have been recovering from the haze of jet-lag, suffering from and then recovering from the flu and then gradually rejoining society (i.e. Christmas shopping, knitting and going to the gym). That's it, really. When I was sick, I didn't leave the house for three days which is really something if you consider that the week before, I'd been through three countries in three days.

I have a mental list of a couple dozen posts for greentea.tk about the last few months but I'll start off with a photographic account of my four days in Hong Kong.

Greetings from the Fragrant Harbour

2010-12-05T19:36:00.004-05:00

Hello! I have been in Hong Kong for four nights and am flying back to Toronto this afternoon. Although I was very sad to leave Bhutan, I must tell you that I absolutely love Hong Kong! What a fantastic city. I have only seen a few parts of HK but I have really enjoyed all of what I've visited. I look forward to many more stays here during my lifetime.

Big thanks are due to Kiran, a longtime follower of greentea.tk, for taking me all around Hong Kong Island and introducing his best friends, restaurants and bars.

I'll be staying at my parents' home without a job for the foreseeable future so I expect to have the time to update lots of posts going back over my months in Bhutan and also my stop-overs in Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Days counting down...

2010-11-24T00:57:00.000-05:00

Perhaps you will be amused by an assortment of random photos? I have no time left for composing a post!

Bhutanese Hummer spotted all around town

Nice view of the dzong and the river at dusk

Front desk at Hotel Migmar - I get a burst of joy when I see a international clock wall and I've been to every place!

Special admission to the top storey of Zangto Pelri Lhakhang in Thimphu

I'm still knitting over here!

Monks at work/smiling at the camera, Semtokha Dzong

I never get tired of these big friezes

The city and the dzong, surrounded by rice paddies

A mani wall

Bhutan Blog and Twitter Meet-Up

2010-11-19T06:45:00.004-05:00

Next Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4, Business Bhutan and myself will be hosting Bhutan's very first social media meet-up! The location is Cafe Pelri on the ground floor of Phuntsho Pelri Hotel in Thimphu. The cafe has free, reliable Wifi, ample seating plus coffee, tea and snacks.

The point of the event is to meet and get to know all those people we follow on Twitter and via their blogs. It should be a fun event and the first of its kind in Bhutan. Don't be shy and spread the word!

Himalaya Mini-Break

2010-11-10T04:53:00.000-05:00

Another of my to-do items was to see the sunrise from Dochu La, a 3100 metre pass located 23 km up from Thimphu. The view of the Himalayan ranges is supposed to be excellent on a clear day and the best time for a cloudless sky is early morning between November and March. There is a hotel at Dochu La which is a popular spot for tourists to stay in order to wake up at the viewpoint. I decided to treat myself to a mini-break and stay over one night at this hotel. Yesterday at 3pm, I headed over to the regional taxi stand where I loaded myself into a Mahindra 4x4 taxi with eight other passengers. A fun ride!

The hotel was fully booked but I was the first to check in at 4pm. I walked back up the road, dodging trucks and buses, to the place where there are 108 chortens. The sky was quite clear and the mountains had a faint dusky pinkness on their western edges. That's Masang Gang there with the zig-zag summit, 7165 m high. I was looking forward to the sunrise view.

In the evening, I found the rest of the hotel was booked by a huge group from Gap Adventures. I met a number of new people and learned a little more about what it's like to travel Bhutan in a big tour like that. I had brought my laptop and notebooks along with the expectation of getting some work done: who was I kidding? I went to bed early.

At 5:30, I woke up and pulled back the curtains. Cloud. Heavy cloud. No Himalayan visa to behold. Disappointing!

By 8:30, some of the cloud was drifting enough to reveal one peak at a time. It's hard to be let down by any sighting of these mountains but Dochu La was certainly not at its best this morning.

Cultural note: in North America, we all pronounce it 'Hi-ma-LAY-as' but Bhutanese and Indians say 'Hi-MA-lay-as'.

"How's the map going?"

2010-11-04T05:09:00.002-04:00

Everyone from co-workers to local acquaintances to family and friends at home all want to know how the map of Thimphu is coming along. I'd say, on one hand, it's going well as I have passed my draft sketch of the main town on to a talented artist here who is going to draw the final version. I can't wait to see how it looks! On the other hand, I am leaving in 3.5 weeks and there's still so much to do including finishing the research and drawing for the map of the larger city, following up on more leads for info, doing the text on the artist's map when it is done, adding special focus for sponsoring businesses, making directories of businesses and government offices... I have to stop listing tasks now because I'm stressing out.

Yesterday was a typical day of work on the map for me. In the morning, I went to the office to send e-mails and check up on some facts online. In the afternoon, I walked south through a residential neighborhood to take photos and notes and also to check on a couple of shrines that I know are in the area. One of them turned out to be within the police compound so I couldn't get inside to take a look. The second was one I had seen from across the river on another walking trip because it is bright orange. I think this was the so-called 'Tibetan lhakhang' although I can't find its proper name anywhere. There were a few people at the shrine when I went there but due to the language barrier, I couldn't ask the name of the shrine. There's a bright mandala on the awning above the door.

As I was leaving the lhakhang, I was hailed by some young boys with "waaai, chillip!" ("heeey, foreigner!"). They wanted to have their photo taken and to try out my camera. I supervised closely. One of the boys is wearing his slingshot as a head ornament (yes, kids really play with slingshots here).

I walked another 20 minutes south to the area called Changzamtog to check out a giant cypress tree and ruined buildings I had spotted from across the river. Again, nobody around here seems to know anything about this tree which has a special sacred base and people were walking around it clicking through their prayer beads. The cypress is the national tree but I wonder if this particular tree has a story behind it.

Beside the tree are some ruins of houses which are quite picturesque given their urban setting.

From here, I walked about 45 minutes to home and worked some more on the map.

Questions or suggestions?

2010-10-30T01:39:00.000-04:00

I'm in Bhutan for one more month - my visa ends on November 30th. I'm wondering if anybody had any curiosities about this quirky country that I haven't covered yet but which I might be able to satisfy. What with 'Gross National Happiness', high-altitude tigers and hot travel destination status, Bhutan is quite trendy-trendy right now. Ask away and I will do my best to answer. Note: it may take me until I'm home and jobless to get time to reply!

Bhutan to-do list: hike to the Tiger's Nest!

2010-10-29T00:44:00.001-04:00

Okay. I am very, very sleepy at the moment but I haven't yet told you about something I accomplished on Sunday so...

Another of my must-do-in-Bhutan items was to climb to the Tiger's Nest monastary, locally known as Taktsang Goemba. The cliff-hanging temple is undeniably Bhutan's most famous image. The hike is one of the most popular tourist activities and it is also a meaningful pilgrimage for Bhutanese people. The Lonely Planet Bhutan book states that the hike takes 1¾ hours with a change in elevation of 900 m.

Last fall, I only reached the tea house which is about halfway up the trail. This was largely because I have rather serious asthma. Physically, I'm strong and I have decent cardio endurance but my lungs are always my weak point. Any uphill motion is very difficult for me. If I was going to reach the Tiger's Nest this time, I would need to keep my heart rate low and steady. If it were to speed up, I'd start to gasp and my breathing would become constricted and it would then take a few hours to go back to normal - no way to hike in that condition. So, my strategy was that right from the parking lot at the base of the trail, I would keep a very slow and stable pace. Steps at one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand. For the entire way, the steep bits and the flat segments alike. Never mind how fast anyone else was climbing, my only concern would be my own speed.

I confess that this technique required a lot of focus so I wasn't paying as much attention to the scenery as I might have. But, that's okay because more importantly, I made it! I kept that same pace, without breaks, from the start of the trail to the point where the the hill climb section turns into steps hacked into the cliff face. Then there are over 1000 stone steps down the chasm to a waterfall followed by about 500 more up to reach the monastery. I got there in 2:15 hours, so only 30 minutes longer than what the Lonely Planet folks needed.

I was feeling so happy and proud of myself to have made it to the Tiger's Nest (no photos allowed inside the very interesting and holy structure) that I was still smiling after the stair climb back up.

I'm too sleepy to remember what other thoughts I had on the experience. But here's the monastery with its depiction on the 5 Ngultrum note.

Thanks are due to the JICA volunteer group who allowed me to tag along (sorry my Nihon-go is so rusty) and also to the Royal Institute of Management for the transport and the splendid post-hike picnic!

Canada in Bhutan

2010-10-22T07:44:00.000-04:00

Not shown: Canada t-shirts and hats, Justin Beiber posters and ringtones.

Bhutan to-do list: learn to make momos!

2010-10-18T00:44:00.000-04:00

One of the items on my 'Bhutan to-do list' was to learn to make momos. I mentioned this ambition to Kuenga and she invited me to her family's home when they next made them. The special occasion was that the family had bought a leg of beef - momos are too labour-intensive to make at home regularly.

The first step was converting the chunks of beef into mince. This was done with a big chopping knife and a wooden chopping block.

While the beef was being minced, I peeled and diced the red onions.

The beef needs to be browned on the stovetop. Oil, salt and chili powder are added. Add onion and, if available, chopped coriander and/or spring onion. The momos will be more tender if the meat is only just browned through.

The dough is made from one kilo of locally available flour - all purpose flour works, too. Water is added a little at a time until the correct texture of dough is obtained (soft but not overly sticky). The dough is then rolled into little walnut-sized balls.

Each ball of dough has to be rolled out in a circle. In this case, the flat dough circles were placed on the rim of an oiled steamer tray.

Now, time to try stuffing the momos.

Initially, we tried various dumpling styles: round, crescent, braided top...

But in the end, we focused on the crescent shape with varying results. We made around 100.

The momos are then steamed until the dough is just about transparent.

The hot momos are served with fresh homemade eezay (chili paste) and soup made from bones from the same leg of beef.

Thanks Kuenga and family for inviting me and teaching me this new skill!

Photo Post: the road from Bumthang to Thimphu

2010-10-16T02:43:00.000-04:00

A few pics from the drive back from the monastery visit two weekends ago. Although I travelled the same route twice last fall, it's good to view the landscape in a different season, plus there were scenes I didn't remember seeing last time.

I got up at 6am so I could walk around the valley for an hour before we had to hit the road. This is Jakar Dzong in the mist.

Around here, a distance of 267 km takes nine to ten hours to travel.

Here's Trongsa Dzong which I wrote about before. Looks different with green landscape around it!

Lunch picnic with two kinds of ema datse.

Lots of beautiful ruggedness...

yaks 'n' monkeys at Pele La...

... and the green rice terraces in Wangdue Phodrang before the land becomes more densely settled. A wonderful drive and best of all, I didn't get car sick!

Est-ce que tu as peur? C'est l'Halloween!

2010-10-13T00:43:00.002-04:00

It happens every October: my visitor stats soar as Canadians search for music and lyrics to the classic primary school French immersion tune C'est l'Halloween by Matt Maxwell. I have posted this in the past but that embedded file no longer works. Facebook and RSS readers, you'll need to visit the actual page to play the music file. If you enjoyed this song, please leave me a comment and if you really love Matt Maxwell, you can buy his greatest hits here.

Les sorcières sortent le soir.
Les fantômes aussi.
Le ciel est tout noir.
Les nuages sont gris.
Est-ce que tu as peur
des méchants esprits?
O Monsieur,
Oui, oui, oui, oui, oui.

C'est l'Halloween! C'est l'Halloween, HEY!
C'est l'Halloween! C'est l'Halloween.

Pendant l'Halloween,
tu peux être ce que tu veux.
Un tigre féroce
Ou un serpent bleu.
Il se fait tard,
Tu rentres à la maison.
O Madame,
Non, non, non, non, non.

C'est l'Halloween! C'est l'Halloween, HEY!
C'est l'Halloween! C'est l'Halloween.

La lune, elle est pleine.
Le hibou, il crie.
De toutes les branches,
Pendent les chauve-souris.
Est-ce que tu as peur
de cette nuit?
O Madame,
Oui, oui, oui, oui, oui.

C'est l'Halloween! C'est l'Halloween, HEY!
C'est l'Halloween! C'est l'Halloween.

Thanksgiving at the Taj Tashi

2010-10-12T05:15:00.001-04:00

I'm a big fan of (Canadian) Thanksgiving - it's the best meal of the year. Whenever I find myself living overseas when the holiday arrives, I make an effort to have a really good dinner. I confess to a slight weariness with the homogeneous flavours of canteen-style Bhutanese food at this point so I decided to treat myself to fine dining at the Taj Tashi, the biggest hotel in Bhutan and the fanciest cuisine in town. The over-sized Taj looms over Thimphu city - it's totally ostentatious and yet... I was drawn in.

My parents are believers in the practice of treating yourself to a very special meal now and again without feeling guilty about it and I follow this philosophy, too. However, after I made my reservation at the Taj, I started to feel ashamed for wanting to spend so much money on one meal in a developing country. Shouldn't I just donate the equivalent and be satisfied with another 50¢ momo platter for my Thanksgiving dinner? I expressed these sentiments to a friend here and he told me I needed to get over my "white woman's burden" and enjoy myself. So I did.

Here I am on the Taj's dragon carpet in my new green brocade jacket. Hungry!

A musical troupe which outnumbered the diners arrived and performed a little longer than necessary. I felt awkward drinking my Druk 1100 beer while the masked dancers spun through a religious rite.

The starters arrived: spinach carbonara gnocchi which made me extremely happy and spring rolls which were soggy.

The closest thing to turkey on the menu was roasted duck breast. I was looking forward to this dish but the duck was too tough. Usually, I like the texture of duck very much but this wasn't what I was hoping for. Nice flavour but the meat needed to be more tender or sliced more carefully. My anonymous date overcame his sticker-shock to try the Thai fish entree which was a winner.

The meal was saved by the fantastic warm chocolate cake. If I go to the Taj again for a meal, I'll just have the gnocchi and cake.

Happy belated Canadian Thanksgiving!

Also, congratulations to Galipette who was commenter #14 on my giveaway post! Watch your mail box for a package, but not too soon because mail is slow to reach the outside world from here.

a day at Padtselling Gonpa

2010-10-05T05:37:00.001-04:00

I was specially invited by the fifth incrarnate lama (i.e. Rinpoche) of Padtselling Gonpa monastery in Bumthang to attend their annual ritual. If the fifth reincarnation of a great lama invited you to an event, wouldn't you accept even if it's a ten hour drive each way?

Not only is the Bumthang valley located ten hours drive from Thimphu but the monastery itself is an additional one hour drive (14 km) up a very steep unsealed switchback trail. Even in a 4x4, there were many stalls that required the men to get out and push. It was during one of these pushing pauses halfway up that I saw these horses.

Here's how Jakar Town looks from the final destination.

I spent the day wandering around the monastery grounds, popping into the ritual itself at times and being served meals and tea at frequent intervals.

Although the Rinpoche encouraged me to take as many pictures as I liked, even inside the main hall, I tried taking a few photos in a casual way without looking at the viewfinder as not to attract attention to myself. I like how these two turned out.

I had never before spent a full 12 hours at a religious institution of any kind, so it was interesting to see the daily routine there and also to photograph the change in the light from hazy morning sky to strong afternoon sunlight to soft, yellow butterlamp glow.

seven cups of green tea - giveaway!

2010-09-28T02:48:00.002-04:00

September 28th marks seven years since I started this blog. There's no great literature to be found here and low-key posts about my travels or crafts make up the bulk of the content. I have never tried to 'monetize' and my follower number is modest. But, I'm okay with that. In fact, I think my simple but long-lived blog is a testament to my stick-to-itiveness and my dedication to seeing through the projects I begin.

I've written before that expat blogs are my favourite category of blog. To celebrate the fact that greentea.tk has become an expat blog for a few months, I'm having a little giveaway. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post by October 8th with a link to your own site or profile so I can contact you (unless I know you in real life, that is). If you are reading this via Facebook, please go to the actual page to leave your comment. I don't mind if you're a friend who checks my site daily, someone who found me only today or a regular reader who has never commented before - you are welcome to try for the prize!

The winner of the giveaway will be chosen via a random number generator - if you're picked, I'll be sending you a specially-chosen gift all the way from Bhutan! If the winner is residing in Bhutan already, I will treat him or her to dinner instead!

Thanks for reading and good luck/tashi delek!

Miss Bhutan grand finale

2010-09-27T04:04:00.001-04:00

Already this morning, I've had numerous people land here searching for the results of the Miss Bhutan competition. Surely one of the newspapers or the official website would be a better source for this info, but since I was indeed at the grand finale...

... 2nd runner up was Tenzin Nordin, #15 (a co-worker's sister)

...1st runner up was Kinley Yangden Dorji, #8

...and the winner was Sonam Choden Retty, #13, who was very friendly to me at the taebo session.

My photos are pretty bad since I inadvertently sat behind the judges' table.

Bhutan: dressing up for the festival

2010-09-22T04:38:00.004-04:00

One of the most enjoyable activities at a tsechu (Bhutanese festival) is checking out what everyone's wearing. Women wear a layered silk blouse and jacket combo with an intricate, hand-woven kira worn pinafore-style or as a long skirt. Coral necklaces are piled on top. There are no limits or standards for matching colours or patterns so the effect of the dressed-up crowd can be quite remarkable.

The men can turn up in ornate brocade or brightly woven ghos although the colour scheme does tend towards rusty reds and oranges.

Some festival-goers really step up the style quotient.

A hand-woven kira can cost hundreds of dollars, which would have cut deeply into my volunteer's budget so I bought a length of machine-woven fabric instead. Pink, blue and yellow are all colours I rarely wear but I picked these shades for this occasion. I was also lent a somewhat ill-fitting peach and yellow hand-woven kira. Since I attended four days of festivals, I wanted a little variety.

Here's my $15 full-length kira, a purple toego (silk jacket) and a pink wonju (silk blouse) which I wore to the Thimphu Dromchhe last Monday.

To wrap the full kira, the top left corner is held at the back of the left shoulder then pulled around under the right arm to the front of the left shoulder. Next, the remaining fabric is folded to meet the front right shoulder, then the rest of the length is brought under the left arm to reach the right shoulder back. A full-length kira needs to be held up at the shoulders by way of koma, a pair of hooked brooches. The hooks are pulled through the upper edges of the fabric and they sit across each shoulder. Sometimes, the hooks work their way though the clothing and give shoulders a nasty jab. The silver koma here are mine while the gold plated pair is borrowed.

The kira is cinched at the waist with a woven belt called a kera. I bought this cheap and simple blue, white and pink one last year as a souvenir. The fancy one with the woven motif was lent to me. Men also wear a kera to fit their ghos, although men's ones are narrower and simpler in design.

Finally there's the rachu, a sort of sash or scarf which women are required to wear in formal settings. Rachu, worn over the left shoulder, are most often red or burgundy in colour although pink, purple or even green ones are available. I bought the cheapest possible rachu, the machine-woven one to the left, but I was spared having to wear it when I was lent the embroidered one on the right as well as a purple floral one. I saw a few women wearing a purple rachu with an endless knot motif which I am totally coveting. The male equivalent is the kabney, a long, fringed scarf worn over one shoulder which can be seen in the second photo.

So here's what I wore for four festival days:

Monday: blue/pink/yellow kira, purple toego (not shown), pink wonju, silver koma, blue kera, red rachu
Friday: peach/yellow kira, black toego (not shown), sea green wonju, gold koma, violet kera, red rachu
Saturday: blue/pink/yellow kira, purple toego, yellow wonju, gold koma, blue kera, purple rachu
Sunday: peach/yellow kira, turquoise toego, white wonju, silver koma, violet kera, purple rachu

I think Saturday's outfit was the best although I usually avoid yellow. Also, weirdly, I had no trouble wrapping the kira myself on the first three days but Sunday's attempt was a big failure!

As a fan of traditional clothing (eg. and eg.), I've had a lot of fun playing with colours and patterns and also learning about Bhutanese fashion.

Thimphu Tsechu: I'm in love!

2010-09-20T05:22:00.001-04:00

Atsaras (jesters) at the Thimphu Tsechu (festival):

(Yes, my outfit got twisted and crumpled while sitting in the heat.)

Thimphu Domchoe

2010-09-15T01:38:00.002-04:00

As reported by BBS,

Government offices, schools and institutions of Thimphu remained closed [on Monday] to observe the annual Thimphu Lhamoi Domchoe. The Domchoe is considered to be uniquely special and one of the most sacred religious ceremonies in the country. This year marks the 300th uninterrupted performance of the sacred ceremony.

The courtyard of the Tashichhodzong was packed with thousands of devotees to witness the annual Thimphu Lhamoi Domchoe.

Some came as early as five in the morning. They all came dressed in their best attires. Many elderly people who came to witness Domchoe say that it is believed that one who attend the Domchoe will be bestowed with luck, gain merits and their wishes fulfilled.

Back when I was in grad school, we had a lot of discussions about the meaning of 'authenticity' in a cultural/heritage tourism context. Many tourist destinations have been altered for the sake of providing a commodity: staged 'authentic' experiences for visitors. One of the best things about Bhutan as a tourist destination is that even the biggest tourist attraction, the festivals, are 100% genuine and significant for the people who live here. These are not concocted 'cultural shows' performed daily for bus-loads of tourists. These are real, meaningful events that foreign visitors are permitted to observe.

Taebo with Miss Bhutan and The Camera Incident

2010-09-13T23:36:00.023-04:00

On Sunday afternoon, I rocked up to Changlimithang Stadium to do a Taebo workout with 18 pageant queens. The Miss Bhutan 2010 competition is underway and the contestants are involved in many public events during the ‘grooming’ phase of the contest. When I was invited to this Miss Bhutan cardio-kickboxing session, I decided to go because 1) it was the very first Facebook event request I received in Bhutan, 2) it was an opportunity to meet new people, 3) I like Taebo and 4) because exercising on the field at the national stadium sounded like a fun chance.

The Miss Bhutan competition will be partly decided via text message votes so the contestants campaign for support during the pageant’s weekly TV time. Bhutan is such a small country that almost everyone I have spoken to here has a sister, a cousin or a niece in the pageant. I am not exaggerating. I showed up at the stadium alone, not expecting to know anyone except the Facebook-only acquaintance who had invited me. I soon bumped into Gyambo who I had met while I was researching at the National Library last week – he has two nieces in the pageant.

After a short delay caused by late afternoon rain and a lack of electricity at the stadium to power the speakers, we got moving. I carried a small towel and my Platypus water bottle down to the field, which I bundled up with the cardigan I took off after the warm-up. I also took my point-and-shoot camera, which I tucked into the bundle – I wanted to take a couple of photos from the field.

The trainer led the 18 Miss Bhutan hopefuls and about 30 more of us in what was pretty much the standard Billy Blanks Taebo DVD workout. This was good news for me because I could power though despite not having adjusted to the altitude here yet. I had been worried that the rugged-soled hiking shoes I was wearing would be too clunky for cardio moves (I didn’t bring gym shoes to Bhutan) but since the grass surface of the stadium is muddy and uneven, hiking shoes were ideal! Once we got into the marching forwards-backwards section of the workout, I grabbed my towel-cardigan-water bottle-camera bundle of stuff and placed it to the side of the group so it wouldn’t get stepped on. It was, at most, five metres to my right. I didn’t even think about its security because there were TV camera people, photographers and pageant officials standing all along the edges.

At the end of the workout (which was filmed for TV, by the way. Eeek!), I was tired but feeling good. I immediately went to get my water bottle for a drink. My bottle was gone from my little bundle of items. My first thought was that some other thirsty person had grabbed it. As I picked up my towel and cardigan, I realized that my camera was gone, too. Firstly, I scanned the grass in case the two items had just been kicked aside by accident. Then I wondered if someone assumed the items were lost and had helpfully taken them back to the stands. Pretty soon, everyone was looking for my camera and bottle. My next guess was that one of the many stray dogs had picked something up. The camera was in a small blue case with a pattern of squirrels which I had bought in Japan.

Since there had been three or four TV cameras recording the entire workout, plus several others taking photos, these people started to scan to see if there was anything on record to show what had happened to my stuff. I walked up and down the field: about 75 m away from where I had left it, I found my water bottle in a tuft of grass. I wondered how much further my camera had been carried. Just then, I was called back. There was something to see on the other cameras. The TV camera which had been left to record the entire field view showed a couple of small kids playing around near where I left my things. Gyambo’s camera had an even more amazing image – he’d captured a photo of a tiny, shoeless, ragamuffin girl holding up my camera case and running away. We all had to laugh at the picture – she was 100% caught in the act! The problem was that this small girl was no longer at the stadium. Having seen my water bottle left in the field, I suspected that this three or four year old girl had probably just dropped the camera in its case somewhere.

One teenaged guy who had come to join the workout said he recognized the girl in the photo and he knew where she lived. Gyambo drove the teen and me to the house. In reality, it was not so much a house as a tarp-covered shack located on public land, one street up from the vegetable market, where the butcher shops have their back entrances. Gyambo and the teen went to the part of the house where the girl lives but nobody was home yet although it was now dark out. This means that this four-year-old girl wanders around the town alone into the evening. I was feeling like I didn’t want to cause any upset for this family. Who cares about a pocket-sized camera – this family lives in a shack! But the other two weren’t thinking that way and they decided to go check the children’s park down by the river since the girl is often seen there. On the way there, we crossed paths with my friend KD.

KD is someone I met here last November and who I’d been in touch with often. In fact, he picked me up at the airport when I arrived and helped me get settled here. KD took up the case and so the teen and I went with him to the children’s park. The girl wasn’t there. The next idea was to return to the house to wait for her to come back. We found the girl’s grandma at home and so KD explained the situation. I couldn’t understand the conversation but there were no harsh words between them. Not long after, a man arrived at the home carrying the sleeping girl over his shoulder. The street and houses were unlit but from the slants of light escaping from the butcher shops, I could see clearly that she wasn’t carrying anything. The girl was woken up and KD knelt down and asked her very gently if she’d taken something at the stadium that day. Apparently she was quite sleepy but answered that she’d found a camera and had given it to her older brother.

The grandma advised that the brother could be found hanging around a drayang in Hong Kong Market where the children’s mother works as a dancer. KD and the teen took off to find him. I sat in the car on the market back street, wondering if perhaps this older brother had sold my camera to someone by now. I watched stray dogs collect butcher shop scraps for quite some time until KD and the teen returned. Apparently the brother didn’t know about the camera. Again, KD asked the little girl, very calmly, about what happened to the thing she had found. A small crowd of kids had now gathered around to hear what was happening. Honestly, by this time, I wanted to drop the matter. It was my own fault for bringing a camera to the field – I didn’t want to get this little poppet in trouble for picking up a case decorated with cute squirrels.

I don’t know if the little girl gave a different answer this time or if another kid had the scoop, but suddenly, three small boys from the market street piled into the back seat of the car with me, and KD and the teen got in, too. Everyone was very excited. Nobody thought to tell me what was happening but we drove back to the children’s park. The four kids and KD climbed a chain-link fence and went into a small hut. Inside, I could see figures walking back and forth. After ten minutes had passed, the five of them hopped the fence again. KD, very proud, was holding my camera. Amazing! There was no case, but I didn’t care. The camera was found!

Apparently, the girl who had pulled my camera out of my bundle of things had showed it to two older girls, each about eight years old. They had decided to hide the camera under a mat inside this hut by the park. I’m not sure how KD got this info but he spoke to the girls and had told them that they should return it or he would have to make a report to the police. After conferring with each other, the girls retrieved the camera from where they had stashed it and handed it over. So, about two hours after it had been taken, I had my camera back. I think it’s safe to say that in most other places in the world, I would never have seen it again.

I was very grateful to the four kids for all the help they had given. I passed all the cash I had on hand to KD and had him hand out rewards to them - a couple of them were reluctant to accept anything. Here are those four kids who assisted in the camera hunt. Thanks, boys!

I was impressed at how kind KD had been when speaking to the various kids and family members and how certain he was that he would get the camera back for me. KD was quite exhilarated at the end of the ‘investigation’ and said he had really enjoyed doing this “CID-type work”, as he called it. I did pout a little when he scolded me for being careless. I honestly didn’t think what I did with the camera was wildly risky. I’d probably do the same thing in Canada. I still insist that Bhutan is a safe country in terms of theft – tiny children, regardless of nationality, can get up to mischief.

Bhutan: three weeks since arrival

2010-09-10T04:10:00.001-04:00

A quick +/- post as inspired by Lara

PLUS:
- I’m enjoying shopping for fabrics for my new Bhutan dress code wardrobe! Blog post to come!
- I love being surrounded by green slopes at all times in the city.
- People see me on the street in local dress and they stare for several moments… then eventually give me a slow, wide smile. Sweet.
- I’m starting to recognize people around town other than my co-workers.
- Have I told you lately how much I love cheese momos with eezay?
- Not only is health care free in Bhutan but the prescriptions are free, too, even for foreign visitors!
- My apartment has cable TV, about 25 channels mostly from India. I watched a lot of TV when I was sick. It’s fascinating to watch shows, movies and especially ads from a country I have never been to. The ads for products I cannot recognize, referring to social customs I’m unaware of and featuring mega-celebs I’ve never seen before – these ones shake me up and remind me of how much I don’t know about the world.
- After living in a basement for 16 months, I am so delighted to have a view!

MINUS:
- My furnished apartment was furnished with bed bugs.
- Related: I am covered with insect bites, either mosquito or bed bug.
- I seem to have popped my jaw in a weird way because my teeth can no longer bite together.
- I often feel my heart racing at times even when I’m at rest. I wonder if this is a normal part of moving from an altitude of 150 m a.s.l. to over 2300 m a.s.l. Will this gradually stop?
- The bureaucratic hurdles are rather exhausting. My banking issues are presently being turned into a newspaper article.
- All the smoking in the office is very unpleasant. I thought cigarettes were banned in Bhutan!
- I miss high quality baked goods. And boneless chicken. And spinach salad. And good chocolate.
- I owe e-mails to, like, everybody especially my best friends and co-workers. Big apologies.

Update! Local experts tell me that I probably don't have bed bugs but that the bites are probably from fleas! I don't know if this is better or worse. Also, although I included several things on the MINUS list, overall I'm definitely enjoying my time here.

hanging flags

2010-09-07T05:25:00.002-04:00

Although I was 12,000 km away on Saturday, I wanted to do something to mark the date of cousin John and Lucy's wedding.

After the necessary consultation with a monk to ask if Saturday was an auspicious day to hang prayer flags (it was!), I went up to one of Thimphu's high points, Sangaygang, to the north of the city, where everyone in town goes to hang prayer flags. On the flags, I wrote "John & Lucy, Toronto, Canada, September 4th 2010, a joyful wedding, a long and happy marriage". I then hoisted the string of flags between two trees. When the wind picks up, my wish will be carried over the mountains and into the sky!

2010-09-04T07:58:00.008-04:00

Today, Saturday, I'll be thinking of Lucy and my cousin John as they tie the knot after 16 years together. I'm very sorry to miss what is sure to be a great party and a rare family reunion. Much love to you both!
xo AKW

ride the rainbow in Thimphu

2010-09-01T03:16:00.001-04:00

The public buses here are painted with a rainbow and swirly cloud motif. I find this to be adorable.

I've got a really bad cough and fever so I haven't been doing anything interesting yet. There are hikes I want to do and places to see but until I'm not gasping for breath just sitting still, they will have to wait.

Auspicious 8

2010-08-30T02:25:00.000-04:00

The rest of the world has its 7-Eleven convenience stores but Vajrayana Buddhist Bhutan has auspicious 8-Eleven!

further reading: the Eightfold Path, the Eight Auspicious Symbols

Here For One Week So Far

2010-08-27T02:05:00.002-04:00

Stuff I Wish I had Brought Although My Luggage Was Too Heavy Already:

my Converse (they were in my bag but I removed them, thinking I had enough shoes but they would have been ideal for walking around town), warm slippers and bathrobe (why did I not bring my cozy comfort items?), more Savlon and digestive remedies, more books, more long sleeved T-shirts, more Moo.com business cards

Notable People I Have Met So Far:
The Crown Prince, the Leader of the Opposition, Padtselking Tulku Rinpoche (a lama), and one Bollywood actor of local origin

Adjustments to Bhutanese Office Life:
Any food or drink items left on a desk overnight will be purloined, smoking in the office is okay after 6pm, nobody is bothered by high volume ringtones and people burst into snippets of song at random intervals, everyone chain-drinks tea, lunch is pot-luck, the washrooms are treacherous territory, people are very busy and work late into the evening

Children’s Outdoor Art Exhibitions Attended:
2 - Changjiji Colony and Clock Tower Square

Meals Out So Far:
Breakfast x 2, lunch x 5, dinner x 4, snack/tea x 5

Reason for The Above:
I don’t really know how to cook much using only gas burners, I’m getting lots of invitations, plus I’m getting my momo fix!

to Punakha on the back of a motorbike

2010-08-25T04:52:00.003-04:00

My 72 km trip to Punakha on the back of a motorcycle offered countless heart-stopping moments, many of which were related to the scenery.

the famous chortens at Dochu La

a little past Lumitsawa

this photo doesn't do it justice but the vista at Thinlegang is spectacular

a small stream below Lobesa

a memorable tree at Mandrelgang

(I recently discovered that my pocket point-and-shoot has a wide angle mode.)

Made it!

2010-08-23T01:56:00.000-04:00

I'm here in Bhutan, safe, sound and settling in. I am too jet-lag sleepy for coherent prose, though, so here are photos from my arrival.

unexpected Bangkok stop-over

2010-08-19T16:09:00.000-04:00

After the surprise change of itinerary on Wednesday morning, I needed to find somewhere to stay that was inexpensive and had wifi so I could get to work on fixing this problem. I have stayed at this lovely guest house three times already, but it is on the complete opposite side of the city from the airport where I was at the time. I ended up choosing a cheap and nasty airport hotel almost at random from the hotel booking desk at the airport. They had a car waiting for guests so I was able to check in by 6:30 AM.

The hotel had wireless internet and air conditioning but I felt badly about disturbing the occupant of the AC so I kept its use to a minimum:

Perhaps I would have been better off staying at my preferred guest house because when I had to go into the city to work on fixing my situation, I had to take a cab almost 25 km to On Nut, the nearest Skytrain station.

After the hour-long long cab ride and then a trip on the Skytrain, I transferred to the Metro where the ticket machine issued me an electronic plastic token. It's a good thing that I am already quite familiar with Bangkok because I wouldn't want to be navigating it for the first time when I had urgent matters to resolve.

This was my destination: the Bangkok city Drukair office. It was tucked into a strange building which was mostly parking garage. The ladies at the office were sympathetic and helpful but the re-booking problem was not solved until the next day when I made a call to a manager.

My business at this office was finished by 2 PM, which was when I realized that the only thing I'd consumed that day was the large block of Cadbury Dairy Milk I stress-ate early in the morning. So, I took the Skytrain from Sala Daeng to National Stadium and went straight to the MBK food court for a som tum salad and fresh juice. It made me feel a little better about unwillingly being in Bangkok.

I wandered around the shopping complexes for a couple of hours, nothing much to do and unable to buy anything due to the already overweight condition of my luggage. I got some bottled juices and sticky rice mango to take back to the hotel.

Here's On Nut station, the end of the line, were I caught a cab back to the dingy hotel and slept all the way until 1 AM. Jet lag!

Yesterday morning, I was awake very early so I walked up the the main road to buy breakfast (a baggie of noodles from a street stall ) and provisions (bottled water and weird TimTams from 7-11).

Later in the morning, once offices were open for business, I was able to resolve the issue of the re-booked ticket so I had a day to waste somehow. I took another slow cab in to On Nut station. My intention was to go see a movie in one of the fancy Thai movie theatres I've heard so much about.

I got off the Skytrain at Chit Lom and I down to the street and was confronted with the sight of Central World, the shopping complex which was burned down in the riots in May. It was/is the third largest shopping centre in the world. It is truly shocking to see such a large building in the condition of being charred and gutted. Banners and facades conceal the enormous burnt-out interior but I got a look in when a gate opened to let construction vehicles out.

I made my way to the IMAX theatre at Siam Paragon because I felt this was my last chance to see Inception on a big screen. But, the movie times I had checked were wrong. Only Toy Story 3 was playing on Thursday in 3D. So, I decided to see Salt because the opulent theatre's AC was so very tempting on this 35 C plus humidex day. Alas, only $45 VIP couples tickets were available for Salt and no other films appealed to me.

A little wander through Siam Center. There's an entire store dedicated to Kimmidolls.

Back to the Skytrain, Siam station, as the jet lag was wearing on me now.

Frangipani in bloom along Sukhumvit. Frangipanis were my mother's wedding flower.

I caught a cab back to my hotel from On Nut. Or rather, I caught a cab and the driver couldn't read a map and refused to use his cell phone to call my hotel for directions so we drove around for so long, we ran out of fuel. Bangkok taxis run in propane which makes a funny whooshing sound as the car is filled up. Back to my hotel eventually after I bailed out on a street I recognized from the morning shopping trip and walked the rest of the way.

Sleep, re-packing luggage, second attempt at departure tomorrow.

in limbo

2010-08-18T22:02:00.002-04:00

Oh, hi there. I bet you thought I'd be in Bhutan by now. Well, so did I.

I'll pick up where my past post ended. I left Hong Kong Tuesday morning, arrived at Bangkok, spent less than two minutes clearing customs, found my luggage and met my ride to my hotel. Smooth, smooth, smooth. Since I ended my job on Friday and flew out on Sunday, and given that I had just 18 hours in Bangkok, I decided to treat myself to a very nice hotel room near the airport for some well deserved relaxation. It was a major indulgence but the plan was not to go into the city at all, skipping that frustration and exhaustion for some down time in luxury.

I swam in the posh swimming pool in the hot afternoon and later in the evening, I napped in the king-sized bed and I enjoyed a Thai dinner. I could see the Drukair jet in its parking spot on the tarmac from the hotel. Everything was simple now. The stress whirl-wind of the past couple of weeks was beginning to ease.

Yesterday at 3:45 AM, I was at the Drukair counter with all my luggage and documentation, ready to board that long awaited flight back to Paro.

When the check-in agent wrinkled his brow at my paperwork and took it to show someone else, I got a little concerned. Nobody likes to see their documents being scrutinized closely. He returned and told me simply that my visa documentation was insufficient and that I was not allowed to board the flight.

What I had in the way of visa documentation was a page signed by the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs showing my full name, passport number, visa number and a statement that I was permitted to enter Bhutan. It was the only document I had been issued and I had been told that it was all I needed. Apparently, what I actually needed was a page with all this same information but which was specifically addressed to the Station Manager of Drukair. Because the visa letter was not directly addressed to the airline, it was meaningless.

So, I was not allowed to fly. And I was very upset and I unintentionally caused a bit of a scene. You must understand, I'd traveled 12,000 km and had very little sleep over the previous 48 hours - I was fragile. Various people tried to console me including kindly Anna from Germany who is also going to Bhutan to work pro bono, and a gentleman named Karma who tried to tease a few smiles out of my tears. But I was at a complete loss. It was 3 AM in Bhutan and no government offices would be open by the time the flight departed. I couldn't do anything. I didn't know if perhaps I was never actually granted a visa and had made the trip so far for nothing. If I was able to get the visa paperwork resolved, how was I going to afford to buy a new Drukair ticket given that I'm now unemployed? Also, how was I going to contact the phone-less friend who would be picking me up to say that I was not on the flight? And there was no flight on Thursday so at minimum, I would be stranded in Bangkok for two days. I could not return to the hotel I had left because I could certainly not afford more than one night there. In summary, I was powerless and overwhelmed with confusion and disappointment.

It's now Thursday morning. I found myself a cheap-o motel with wifi near the airport. As soon as offices opened in Bhutan yesterday, the proper paperwork was obtained for me. The re-booking of the flight is the trouble now. Yesterday, I went on a big expedition into the city to find the airline office and was told everything was fine and that I would get a new e-ticket within an hour. That was almost 18 hours ago and there's no e-ticket yet. I'm waiting for 9 AM to arrive so that I can call the office and find out what the latest problem is. Maybe I'll fly tomorrow but maybe not. That's all I know at the moment. Oh, and also I packed no clothing suitable for Bangkok in August so besides all the other issues, I'm very uncomfortable in the heat.

That's it for now.

Updated an hour later: After some frustrations with outdated or wrong numbers on the airline website, I was able to use a connection for more direct help in the matter and the re-booked e-ticket was sent out within minutes of that call. So things are in better shape now and I will try my luck at the airport again tomorrow morning.

in transit

2010-08-16T19:18:00.001-04:00

Hello! A quick photo post. It is 7:09 AM in Hong Kong. My flight arrived at 4:22 AM. I have walked the entire Y-shaped terminal and sat down to a bowl of Ajisen ramen for breakfast. There is a small branch of Muji in the departures terminal which opens at 8:00 AM. My flight boards at 8:30. The store is on the opposite branch of the Y from my departure gate. If I time it just right, I could look around for five minutes at opening time, then speed walk back to Gate 45 for my flight to Bangkok. I don't even need anything at Muji, but I have so few chances go into one of their stores.

I really like HKG although it isn't wildly different from other large airports. It's the setting in the sea surrounded by mountains which appeals to me.

Updated with three post-boarding photos:

A Condensed To-Do List

2010-08-15T09:43:00.003-04:00

☑ book Cathay Pacific and Druk Air flights
☑ cancel cell service and gym membership
☑ pack up everything from apartment
☑ moving out of apartment (over two week period)
☑ clean apartment
☒ find room in parents' house for all my stuff
☑ get travellers' cheques and large denomination cash
☑ buy World Nomads insurance just in case since I'm clumsy
☑ book hotel for Tuesday night Bangkok stop-over
☑ pick up Hong Kong dollars for transit and the stop-over on return trip
☑ scan grad school notes to PDF
☑ prescription renewals
☑ finish up at work, pass files to replacement, delete all personal files
☒ launch web survey for map project
☑ distribute various surplus possessions such as shoes and booze
☑ pick up a few more gift items
☑ pack suitcase and carry-on
☑ charge Macbook and iPod for flight/transits
☒ jot down notes from 'Mapping Culture' guidebook
☒ final Shoppers Drug Mart run

Twelve hours to go 'til I leave for the airport.

last day at my job

2010-08-13T07:40:00.001-04:00

In the interests of professionalism, I've never discussed my job here on greentea.tk. Since this is my last day of work after six years in the position, I'll talk.

I'm a research archaeologist at a consulting firm, or I am for a few more hours anyway. This means that my main job is to combine info from various sources like field notes, nearby archaeological sites and historical archives, draw maps and bring everything together into a detailed report which fulfills requirements for a government review. My business card says 'research archaeologist' but I spend very little time doing actual field archaeology.

Although the company I have worked for is (I believe) the largest of its type in Canada, it is still a relatively small company. The great thing about working at a small company is that you get to turn your hand to almost everything the organization does. A true description of my duties would fill a whole resume page. The less great thing about working for a small company is that there are virtually no opportunities to climb the career ladder or even for a horizontal move. So, even though it is always a risk to walk away from steady employment, especially in my field, I shall take the leap and move on to try something different.

PS: For the truly curious, I have added my professional bio to this site. To be updated when I get to Bhutan!

Oh, the awful effort.

2010-08-11T20:14:00.001-04:00

It is simply not possible to move residences without seriously considering the adoption of a minimalist lifestyle. Having lifted everything I possess into a vehicle then lifting it out again, the conclusion is unavoidable: I have too much stuff. In my case, it was enough stuff to fill an extended cargo van (rented), three full loads in my dad's Jeep and one full load in my brother's hatchback. I feel badly for my parents because all those car loads of stuff are now taking up space in their basement.

Please note that I have lived in bachelorette apartments for the past six years. I can't even think about how difficult it is to move more than one room's worth of furnishings. My biggest volume of material consists of clothing. This is mostly because my size swings. I have dresses in sizes 4 through 16. I've got five plain knee-length black skirts but only one will fit at any given time. The problem is that I keep everything in the unrealistic hope that I'll be a size 4 again someday. By offloading items that don't fit now, am I accepting my unhealthy state as permanent? Tough call...

Moving is such an exhausting process and so I'm glad in my case it was for dual reasons: landlady selling up and me going to Bhutan. It would have been the worst if I'd had to move out to live elsewhere for a few months before my visa came through.

Back to Bhutan!

2010-08-06T23:17:00.001-04:00

Remember when I asked you to keep your fingers crossed for something to turn out in my favour? Well, it worked!

I can now announce that I'm going to spend the fall in Bhutan!

I liked the place so much as a tourist and I knew I'd get myself back somehow. When I visited last November, I was very inspired by the cultural tourism experience and I got the idea about creating an illustrated cultural map of the capital city, Thimphu, since there is not much currently available in the way of tourist literature. Yes, all international tourists must have guides but for various reasons, I believe a well made, well researched map would enhance the city experience. I envision a hand-sketched map drawn by a local artist for a unique Bhutanese appearance. I have lots of ideas - my concept is especially influenced by Nancy Chandler's famous travelers' maps of Thailand which include way-finding info as well as cultural notes and local tips. The project would combine three of my passions: urban interpretation, maps and Asian tourism.

It was through this blog post that I first connected with Aby, a journalism consultant who lives in Thimphu. It turned out that the company he works for was interesting in publishing a map like the one I described, so, that company sponsored a request for a visa to bring me in as a consultant. It was a very long process and I tried to keep my hopes in check because I knew approval was not definite. I owe him a lot of thanks for taking care of the six months worth of paperwork required to get a visa issued for me. This morning, that visa was granted!

I wrote earlier that I had to move out of my apartment for August 15th. That was simply fortuitous timing. As for resigning from my job, it was a calculated risk. I hope to get myself sorted out and on course to arrive in Bhutan on August 18th or 20th (no DrukAir flights from BKK on Thursdays this month!). I've got multiple pages of to-do lists to get me ready for moving out, leaving my job and setting up for a season in a very different place. The lists keep me from feeling totally overwhelmed!

The one downer to this big adventure is that I'm going to miss my cousin's wedding in September. I wish the timing could have worked out better in that respect but luckily I have very understanding family members.

resigned

2010-07-31T18:57:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I resigned from my job. I've been working there for over six years. My final day will be August 13th.

I do not have definite plans for the next step. There's something in the works but it is not guaranteed.

I never discuss my work here, intentionally, but later I will write a little more about why I've taken the leap.

Sorry I'm not ready to elaborate further yet - I just wanted to update you on this big change in my life. Please keep your fingers crossed for me that the other opportunity works out! It would result in a lot more 'girl abroad' blogging...

Moving! Again!

2010-07-29T10:53:00.002-04:00

My landlady is selling the house where I rent my apartment. It's not a big surprise since she's a professional property flipper. So I'll be moving out by August 15th even though I only moved in on May 15th, 2009.

On one hand, I will be sorry to leave this address because the location is excellent. I'm only a 30 second walk to Trinity-Bellwoods park.

On the other hand, I don't mind going. I thought I would be alright in this basement apartment since it was a very new renovation, but the lack of sunlight, fresh air and windows hasn't been so great. I feel like I have turned into a recluse since I've lived down here. I'm cut off from the world and have become a hermit.

Much more distressing to me than a lack of sunlight is the centipedes. There are centipedes all around down here: on the floor, on the walls, under the bed, in the shower, in my laundry basket, in my cutest stiletto heels and even perched on the doorknob. I have a problem with bugs and a thus I have a very big problem with very big bugs. I see things crawling around out of the corner of my eye and I'm on edge always. I find it hard to relax in my own home.

At this point, I'm in a phase of uncertainty in my life. I haven't started looking for a new place in Toronto because there's a chance I may be going elsewhere. But, nothing is definite yet, not by a long shot. All I can say with certainty is that my next apartment will not be a basement.