Meeting with great friends in Thimphu

Together two days ago in Thimphu with members of the Hungary-Bhutan Friendship Society and Kezang D. Wangmo, MP, Karma Tshering, filmmaker, Kunzang Wangmo, GM of Terma Linca Hotel, and Thinley Wangchuk, owner of Namdruk Bhutan Travel. Thank you for the great night!

George Clooney in Bhutan

I found this wonderful product on the shelf of a drugstore in Thimphu. Celebrity endorsement is powerful, so I'm kind of tempted to give a try. If it has worked for George... 

Although I'm a bit confused after careful examination of the two products. Was he bald before  or simply grey? Most probably, first he was grey then he lost his hair. In both devastating cases, the product helped. 

He must have a great PR team so that these dirty secrets have remained uncovered until now. 

Yes, it's him. No doubt.

Before and after. In which order?

Good advice for consumers who don't like fake stuff.

So the French not only gave the Statue of Liberty, but they also secretly did other great services to the US. 

Big MERCI.

George is depressed, because his hair is grey again. And he seems to suffer from Extensive Beard Disorder, at least on the right side of his face. Please don't give up. I'm sure there is a great new product in the pipeline to help.

Popular games played at Tsechus

Last year, I visited Paro Tsechu. This year I was in Haa and Thimphu to enjoy the local versions of these religious festivals which tend to be real festivities with people dressed in their best, picnicking, chatting, watching mask dancers, shopping and playing. They play one of the country's traditional games such as khuru (dart), digor (throwing stones), and the most popular archery. 

But they also play other games as you can see in the pictures. And they involve monks, too. 

This is roulette where you can win different things from the shelf. I played with the no13, no surprise I lost my 20 Ngultrum.

It requires full mental concentration to pick up the full beer bottle, so this monk has some advantage. 

This game is universal, also played in Hungary. 

This combines dart with roulette.  You put your money on numbers, throw your dart towards the target, and the referee loudly announces the number you hit. 

This is an advanced version of a game, caramboard, played across the country. You pick a numbered bottle cap  (see DVD box on the right) and try to put as many numbered disks as necessary in the corner holes by hitting them with another disk to reach a total figure of 20 - adding up the numbers you put in the holes + your bottle cap number.  If you pick the bottle cap numbered 20, you immediately win.

No cars, just football, puppies and drugs

In Brussels, there is one Sunday a year when cars are not allowed to circulate within the centre. In Thimphu, every Tuesday is a 'car-free' day. On that day, only taxis can go to the centre and the policemen, who normally control the traffic from their nicely decorated booth at the only major junction of the city, also take a break.

So I walked around and saw again one of my favourite stray dog families with puppies sucking a bit of milk in the middle of the road. Aren't they cute?

At the end of the day, I played outdoor football (5 aside) with enthusiastic local kids and two guys of my age. We stopped when we could no longer see the ball and each other in the dark. I felt much better afterwards than last year when I foolishly agreed to play against the police team on a big pitch.  Then, I was almost dead after ten minutes. Now, I decided to play  once or twice a week.

I forgot to tell that this time I used a bit of drugs. And I have to admit I inhaled it. Although, with no cigarette or any other conduit was involved. It's pure and natural, right from the source. You just stand in and slowly breath in and out, in and out, in and out ...

My shoes get a facelift at Shoe Vival

My pair of shoes got dirty and I decided to take it to Shoe Vival in center Thimphu, opposite the Clock Tower Square. First time when I saw their poster in the street I was a bit skeptical whether they could deliver what they promised. Now, I understand why it is called Bhutan's First Footwear Laundry and Refurbishing Service and not simply a shoe shine service. My shoes look much better than before and I only paid $4 for the service that includes free pick-up and delivery.

Before

After

Shoe Vival is a clean little place where footwear in bad state of repair re­ceives not only stitch and glue but also washing and sterilization.  In that compartment sits a tallish young man and some several pairs of shoes, mostly ragged and worn-out. Mr. Dawa Dakpa, a college dropout, works with his two colleagues at Shoe Vival. On one side of the wall hangs the ornately framed certificate that testifies their professionalism. Last November, Dawa’s innovative shoe laundry service was among 11 other business start ups selected by the Loden Foundation for support. 

Dawa studied India, but did not graduate. "I got into serious drink­ing habit, which is why I could not complete my graduation," he says in a muted tone that suggests regret. However, after re­turning home, he found many jobless youth loiter­ing in the town. It dawned on him then that he should do something on his own.

Sandeep Gajakas of The Shoe Laundry, Mumbai (India), who trained Dawa in the art of shoe-cleaning, believes that this business model works due to its simplicity. "Everybody wears shoes; they get dirty and need re­pairs. Somebody has got to do it nicely." he says.

When Dawa contacted Sandeep with the proposal, he wasn't sure if there was going to be a market at all. If he had any doubts earlier, all of them van­ished after he came to Bhu­tan and saw the lifestyle of the youth here.

"I honestly did not ex­pect the kind of night life that I saw there. The youth are fashion conscious and willing to spend on prod­ucts and services," he says. 

Last time when I met with Dawa he was proud to tell me about a sports event where he had the opportunity to promote his new business through large banners and about his first commercial he just finished shooting with one of the most popular local comedians. Listening to him, I secretly looked at his shoes which looked shiny, happy and tip-top and I wondered what sort of marketing advice I could give to this young businessman at our next coaching session which he didn't know yet?

This post is based on personal experience and an article in the Bhutan Observer.

Snapshots with people I met in Thimphu and Paro

 

Two Bhutans meet: monks and Coca-Cola consumers.

Thimphu's main road, sunshine

Going to the weekend market

Going to the market, slowly

Traditional and modern clothes, Thimphu

Men near the weekend market.

They wanted me to take a picture

He may have played football against me.

I bought vegetables here.

Buyers at the weekend market.

Chili vendor.

Balancing.

Woman with Mani Lhakhor, hand held prayer wheel, in Paro.

Man with a prayer wheel in  Paro.

On the way from Drukgyel Dzong to Paro. They said this horse kicks.

Three little happy monks with two legs. Magic !

Everyone has a mobile phone.

Leaving the Dzong in Paro.

Losar Tashi Delek ! Happy New Bhutanese Year !

 

The Female Iron Rabbit Year has just begun here ! Bhutanese call the new year celebration Losar and say 'Losar Tashi Delek' which more or less means Happy New Year. It is celebrated at home with the family rather than publicly like in other countries - at least in Thimphu. The only thing I could notice in the streets, apart from the closed shops, were men (why not women ?!) playing traditional archery and local game of dart (khuru).

I also had the honor to visit my local colleague's home in the morning of 3rd February. I joined them and their friends in eating and drinking simple traditional food and drinks. They also invited me to stay for lunch, but an unfortunate shortage of water in the building spoiled our plan. Never mind, the Iron Rabbit shall bring luck, peace and happiness to your home, too.

On the same day I went to the impressive National Memorial Chorten (stupa) in the city where people traditionally circumambulate the building in clockwise direction. I joined the very diverse group of people with great interest and what seemed to be a strange thing to do at the first place just turned out to be a great mind-freeing exercise during my one hour walking around and around and around and around and around ... 

Deserted Thimphu in the morning of 3rd Feb

Losar breakfast at my colleague's home

Women praying at the National Memorial Chorten built in 1974

Urban pigeons get multiplied as the city grows

The target is 150 metres away !!! Watch your step. You can also become target if you get too close.

Cleaning up, football game and prayer flags

Last weekend was about physical exercise. Saturday morning, I joined around 100 volunteers from the Royal Society for Protection of Nature, the Bhutan Olympic Committee, and one local recycling business, Greener Way. With the support of  the City, we cleaned up parts of the town alongside main roads for an upcoming international SAARC meeting. People agreed that it is not good practice to clean up the town for important meetings only and Thimphu urgently needs a waste management strategy to efficiently deal with its increasing solid waste that is becoming quite visible all over the place.

Passionate young entrepreneur, Karma Yonten, who started Greener Way together with his wife using a start up loan from the Loden Foundation is well aware of this emerging issue. He has not only started his unique and innovative business collecting and recycling solid waste, but his mission also includes advocating for change at all levels of society and the government. It seems to be timely for Bhutan to implement a waste management program with no delay before the garbage in the streets becomes a major concern for citizens and tourists alike. Community-based organizations like Greener Way are great partners for this endeavor.

Saturday afternoon, I joined a team of friends to play football against a team of policemen at the Police Camp. It was a serious game on a very rough, rocky pitch with referee and two assistants. I really enjoyed playing, although it was tough for me ! 90 minutes played in  midfield at this altitude with strong sun first and then with sudden cold was a challenge. I survived, but our team lost. Actually, they have never won against the police yet. Next time !

Sunday I walked up to a nearby peak from 2400m to 3000m altitude. The view was great, I could see the whole valley. Along the road, playful blue, red, green, yellow and white prayer flags in the wind cheered me up whenever I got tired.



Thimphu center from the Telecom Tower hill



Prayer flags blessing Thimphu and hopefully the hikers

There are two basic types of flags: horizontal ones on ropes and vertical ones on poles

Prayer flags are also blessing street dogs who wanted my food