Beautiful Bhutan (Part 1)

Sunday, June 15, 2025

After we speak, W brings me to the shuttle and I travel to Jakarta after 11 AM. (He arranges an earlier run so that the driver misses most of the weekend traffic.) I sit around - the lounge food is not appealing and I'm tired! - until the flight leaves at 7 PM. The gate area is pure chaos. The huge video board says, "Goodbye" in 5 languages but gives no information.

Three flights are leaving at the same time, with no clear lines. The flight attendants for the Middle East (Abu Dabi) give 35 minutes of "last call, walking through the crowds. People continue to trickle toward the gate, which make the next flight (Emeretz) 20 minutes late. We board after they do, the patient swarm standing off toward the right before we all surge into the gangway to the plane.

I'm in Bangkok 10:30 - 5 AM. It's mandatory to go through customs and immigration since I'm getting a boarding pass on another airline. The royal family is on display.

I try to sleep on a row of seats, masking and covering myself with a coat worn backwards. Some Malay guys plunk down hard - up and down - and a few have deep colds. They sneeze, clear their noses, and cough right beside me. Their chatter and food keeps me from relaxing so I give up at at 1:30 AM and look for the line to Druckair, the Bhutan airline. 

No luck. Korean Air has all the booths on that row, with no Druckair in sight. When I return 15 minutes later, there's a long lineup of people with lots of luggage. No worries. I'm in no hurry. 

I don't know the lounges and am too tired to check out multiples. I go to the first one I see - it's ok. The food and seating is not great, but it's clean. When it's time to fly out, I'm so tired I can hardly think. One plane over, someone is working on the engine while standing on a car. Eh?!

I snooze on the Druckair 3.5 hour flight. The female attendants wear traditional dress but the men are in suits. It's really nice to see formal dress and gives a glimpse of Bhutan's attention to detail.

But look at the view out the window ... the man on the aisle seat is returning after working in Australia for 5 years. His parents eagerly await him. I ask what gifts he is bringing: perfume, shoes, clothing. He snaps a few pictures for me.

Oh wow - the sun rises on the mountainous terrain.

I'm met by a tour operator, gifted a white shawl (the Hawaiian alternative is a flower lei) and driven to the capital city. There's colorful painting on wood and walls, especially flowers and the eagle and dragon that are the symbol of Bhutan.

Most tourists leave the flight and stop dead to take selfies, even before they walk into the terminal - it's that beautiful. Once inside, the wide reception area gives a glimpse of Bhutan's culture and decor.

Then there's the luggage carousel. Bhutan is small and not wealthy. They are proud of their king and his family. "We are the peaceful kingdom," they say. 

Bhutan's top two revenue-generating industries are hydro-power (sold to India and purchased back during the dry winter season) and tourism, yet its emphasis is relational rather than high-tech or fancy gear. Attention is given to detail - it's clean and maintained to a high standard and the food is wonderful!

Some mountainsides are totally green, while others are bare rock. Deep valleys are grooved out by rivers. More recently, green roofs indicate private homes. Red are businesses or government buildings. Signage is in English, encouraging drivers to be courteous, careful, and protective of the natural environment.

Cattle and horses graze along the switchbacks and occasional straights of the highway.

Bhutan's natural beauty is breathtaking. The tall mountains rise from bases that start at 2,000+ meters (6000') elevation . Fresh air is matched by sunshine and  fluffy clouds. I think my touristy joy here will be to clean out my lungs with that mountain air!

The architecture is square with minimally sloped roofs. It's a semi-tropical country with Himalayas all around. They haven't had snow in the past years, "but I'm told we used to have snowfall every winter 20 years ago," offers the young tour guide.

It will rain by afternoon in this rainy season but I'm refreshed by the sunny drive in.

Across the road from our hotel is the river and a school. What a view! The kids are in the courtyard in uniforms - it's considered polite and required to dress in the national clothing for education and business.

I peek out the window at the apartment next door. Sunning paintwork.

The hotel is simple and hospitable. There's lots of stained wood, a luxurious mattress, and generous space for writing and study. It's clean! which makes me very happy.

The group I'm with are eager learners. We talk about research and writing, what it means to explore the world, and how much fun it can be. They have much to offer the world with their fresh eyes on culture, historic traditions, society, and faith.

I'm almost sleep when the hotel kitchen calls: they have supper ready. I'm hardly hungry. They deliver a spicy soup, fresh-water fish and chips, and even desert: 2 dough balls in syrup. The sun set at 7 pM, but the street dogs start to bark at 8:30. Packs of dogs roam the streets, snoozing during the day and fighting for turf at night. They talk to each other off and on all night.

Tuesday

I wake early enough to grade the comments that have come in overnight. In the meeting room, there is no ledge outside the large window. It opens to fresh air and a parking lot below.

There are plenty of vehicles but they don't seem to have major traffic jams.

Timphu reminds me of Switzerland.

School kids hop on public transit or get to school on school busses if they're too far away to walk.

The view from the dining room shows a city preparing for the day.

I eat a hearty breakfast, including 2 over-easy eggs sent to the table without ordering them. I ask someone to help me eat it all.

This is the mid-morning snack! Chicken wings and potato wedges. 

We have a good group. Two of them are sneezing and wheezing. Oh oh! (Yup - I catch it. My resistance to respiratory stuff is nil since my third bout of COVID.)

Read more:

*Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. Jeremiah 15:16

*Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more and went on his way rejoicing. Acts 8:38-39

Moravian Prayer: Name above all names, may your words bring joy and delight to all who hear and follow them. We pray that we also may be baptized in your name and receive the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey of faith. Amen.

Ticks, fleas, and Arabic food (but not at the same time)

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

I wrap up academic work before 6 PM. The dogs are ready for sleep, as am I. Maybe a pack of ramen first? Ramen comes in many flavors, many kinds, and from countries across the Asian Pacific. Tonight, I choose "Korean" with half a spice packet and sesame oil instead of the hot oil provided. Good but salty.

Look at all the avocados from our garden! We start giving them away - we trade kinds with our friends who want them. (They may have a different variety.) Our huge tree has grown from a spindly plant on the Porch for years after I planted a pit from an avocado I particularly liked. As soon as we shoved the plant into the garden, it took off. It's been hard-trimmed many times.

The dogs patiently wait for treats and attention. It's always a race to see who can sit by my seat as I work. If a dog gets up, another quickly lays itself down beside me.

Thursday - Happy Birthday, Waldemar!

For Waldemar, it's not a party but a long trip home from a conference in the US. We call a few times before he boards his first of two flights. The sun is shining on the bromeliads, waiting for him.

The morning light glows through an all-red alium.

The houseplants we used to pamper? They get cut back off the guava tree, with leaves ranging from 4"-12" (10-25 cm). The grey-pink leaves on the right are crushed, soaked, and packed into the mouth to soothe toothaches. People here have all kinds of medicinal uses for our former "houseplants."

The pond pot gets yet another coat of concrete before it is covered against the rain. Hopefully this layer will seal its perpetual leaks.

Whenever I'm feeling homesick for Seattle, I look at this pitiful ivy. Our Seattle garden walls are covered in it. Here the plant limps along in its little pot.

I finish my classwork this morning, thank God. But instead of resting, Anton and I spend 3 hours at the vet. After lunch, we hop in the car - poor dog jumps in the back, thinking we're going for the hike that we skipped this morning. Nope.

Side note: did you know that a restroom (called a "toilet" here) can be squeezed into 3'X3' (1 square meter)? I'm as surprised as you when I push open the door at the doc's. Pull up your knees! and don't touch the wall 3" (7cm) away, if possible. There's no sink for hand-washing, but see the tap above the water bucket? A long-handled scoop full of water is normally used as an alternative to toilet paper.

We wait a half hour for the tick-test to be delivered to the little clinic. A motorcycle courier can deliver almost anything - food, clothes, packages, you name it - across the city for 50c-$2. The city is abuzz with GoJek, GoFood, GoSend, and other motorbikes.

The results are processed on the spot. Anton has been bitten by a tick. PakG finds the bite on his head.

That's why Anton is lethargic, and perhaps why we had a "good walk!" He left the cats alone, too. He has small skin hemorrhages and black poop. He starts a 2-week regimen of meds - which he happily ingests, buried in papaya cubes.

All the dogs get anti-tick liquid soaked into their upper backs.

Back home, the women have baked 3 kinds of cookies. It's enough to refill what has been eaten in the last month.

Sooner than it seems possible, the Porch lights come on and night falls. How can it be 6 PM again? The dogs happily go into their crates to sleep.

Friday

We don't walk though the sun is out. The repair of the pot-pond continues. Another coat of cement, which is dry in early morning.

By day's end, it's painted. Oh no! they've painted part of the clay plant stand inside the pot - we've sometimes used it to elevate a bouquet. (I guess that's over!) The paint dries overnight. Over the past weeks, the dozens of fish from the pot swim in 2 old bathtubs at the far end of the yard. I hope they survive the moves. Some are at least 4 years old.

The dogs are supposed to rest and I don't mind a day off from walking 10,000 steps. We stop by the grocer before Anton's 11 AM appointment at the vet for an injection. The meds were not on hand yesterday. He's calm and cooperates.

Avocados get shared by the neighbors. We'll have more in a few weeks but who can eat 50 or 60?! at a time. They're picked green to ripen in a paper bag or on the kitchen counter. If we're lucky, that ripeness gets spread over a few days. When we refrigerate them, the process stops.

Lunch with Dina is good, her introduction to Middle Eastern flavors. We get back after 2 PM to unpack groceries. I'm packing a suitcase as well - what will I need next week?

W's due home in the afternoon. Traffic is typically "Friday afternoon" so his ETA gets later and later - PakG picks him up from the shuttle stop. It's been +26 hours since he left LAX.

Meanwhile Melvi finds fleas on Bailey. So all the crates need washing with bleach and soap. (On and on it goes. Still more reliable than security guards ... ) We haven't had sick dogs before so this is a new thing. It's dogs or guards here ...

We take a short walk before it's time for W to crash into sleep!

Saturday

W and I work through tomorrow's talk first thing, sitting on the Porch in the sunshine. The chore of the day is to finish packing. Travel is more complicated than it used to be. Air tags. Liquid limits. Extra visa requirements. And every country may have different plugs so we need the right adapters for charging our gear.

We try a very short (2 block walk) but Anton starts to huff and his nose bleeds = he has low platelets, which means another trip to the vet. The breeder, on WhatsApp, is a wealth of knowledge. She tells me by the time he has nosebleeds, it may be fatal. She lost a dog that way long ago. The other big dogs go along to give blood for a transfusion. He's at the clinic overnight for observation. Prayers appreciated.

I find a bite on my ankle similar to the spots on Anton's stomach. I'll keep an eye on it, especially since I fly out tomorrow. Meanwhile I print notes, syllabus, and PPT outlines just in case I have a computer meltdown without my tech "expert" along.

Sunday

Church. Shuttle. Airport. That's the plan. Prayers appreciated.

Read more:

*The Lord your God you shall follow, him alone you shall fear, his commandments you shall keep, his voice you shall obey, him you shall serve, and to him you shall hold fast. Deuteronomy 13:4

*You shine like stars in the world, holding forth the word of life. Philippians 2:15-16

Moravian Prayer: Holy Illuminator, we pray that we may reflect your truth and hope, mirroring your grace to guide and stay bright in darkness. Grant us courage to illuminate the path towards your eternal promise. Amen.

A new season

Sunday, June 8, 2025 Pentecost Sunday

Anton and Juno walk 2 loops on one leash. I pray that there are no cats for Anton to lunge at - and God's "small mercy" is that we see not a single one! We have a peaceful 2 mile stroll, with sturdy Juno as the anchor. She trots along happily, no matter what.

In the front planter, the two-toned leaves pop.

Cika helps out with the worship team. Pentecost is the fresh wind of a new season.

Tota leads and W's on his way to a scholar's conference so I speak alone. We expect the Spirit of God to be at work among us on this day when we celebrate Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. (Read the story by clicking the link.)

The lilies are blooming at Green Gate.

We turned last week's silk&fresh arrangement from front to back this week; there was no time to make a new bouquet.

When I cook for myself, meals are sporadic - made when I'm hungry. They usually include lots of vegetables and noodles, too. Same today.

Monday

W often walks the dogs but Anton behaves for me without pulling at the leash. No cats, once again - or at least he doesn't see the three that we pass. After a walk, I have a few meetings, and then it's down to work.

The huge leaking "pond" pot was drained, repaired and painted last week. Today it is being refilled. The plan is to put the plants back later today and return the first in a few days after the water quality stabilizes. 

It's almost full when I notice that it's still leaking a bit. PakG drains it partway and repairs the cracks with aquarium glue. The pot is ancient. The ugly red color will fade to terra-cotta in the sunshine.

I have stamina for academic work until noon, between international calls back and forth. Then I take a break by playing fetch with the dog and checking social media.

FB tells me that 16 years ago, I was writing Alumni News for NU alumni around the world. Seems like a lifetime ago. I loved connecting to alumni, sharing their stories, university events, and projects in what one coworker called the university's "gossip rag."

At least a year before that (+17 years ago), W heard about something called Facebook and told me to get NU as an institution and NU alumni on it. I opened an account in my name over office protests of, "What's Facebook?" and "It will never work; no one wants that."

W was right. Shortly, I had almost 1000 "followers" and 5000 "friends" between real friends, alumni, and students. That was the permitted limit for a personal account. After a while, I was permitted to set up NU pages, including alumni decades and parent groups. If you're connected to NU, look 'em up. There's always something happening there and on IG.

By 2:00 PM I'm almost hungry enough for lunch. And I think I'll pack it in. I have almost 50 PPT slides and notes organized - with at least that many to go, tomorrow. After that, I'll have to check every reference in the updated editions of the textbooks and make sure the links are correct.

I walk out for a 5:00 dinner with a friend who is asking about God-with-us. 

What a treasure it is to be invited into God's presence with those we care about.

When I get home, Melvi warns me that a bench leg has given way. We usually sit on that bench to pull our shoes on and off. In the dark, I might have slid right off the leaning side. Termites must be in the bench wood. That will have to be replaced.

When we tip the bench on its side, we see the extent of the damage. The top of the leg is eaten away and the leg itself has been hollowed out. Frass pours out of every gap in the upholstery, like dust pellets.

Tuesday

Dawn is breaking as we head out the gate. Oh oh. Someone has left flip-flops on the Porch. Anton like to chew those! I put them away.

We pass 3 cats without incident. Waaaha! Helps when Anton wears a prong collar that puts pressure on him if he pulls hard. The past mornings, he walked nicely on a shared leash with Juno, our solid brick of a Labradoodle. Juno trots steadily and doesn't look one way or another = straight ahead, ignoring cats, chickens, and other dogs. Good girl.

I talk to Mom and Keelee before 8 AM and then it's time to work some more on next week's class. I listen to Blinkest books as I coordinate PPT slides with teaching notes.

I get the seasonal itch to redecorate. I'm inspired by the spring and early summer photos of friends up North.

The room gets updated from black and green to creams and blues. The rug needs swapping before we land in a new season.

Melvi and I walk Anton and Bailey to the corner, talk to PakIyan, and walk back. Someone asks if we want a fire pit. They have cut wood from a tree they chopped down. What do you think? (It's a lot of wood.)

Some guys have unearthed a half-gone giraffe statue under a tangle of vines. I remember seeing it years ago when we visited, but never could find it again. I assumed someone had stolen it, along with the doors, plumbing, and electrical wiring on that property.

It's a baking day to replenish what was eaten last weekend: oatmeal cookies with Kopiko coffee candy and smashed chocolate from a Trader Joe Dark Chocolate Almond bar. Thanks, IbuA and IbuS! And thanks, Adam and Jenn, who delivered the chocolate on their visit a few weeks ago.

Breakfast is half of the leftover noodles and chicken. I chop the other half into little pieces and covered it with water. The dogs happily gobble it down atop their kibble.

IbuS bakes bread so I make an egg salad sandwich for a late lunch. Supper-ish is tea, a piece of IbuA's pumpkin pie, and an apple. On my own, I'm rarely hungry at mealtimes. I don't feel obligated to eat until I feel peckish.

It thunders a bit and the sky is dark. Gypsy cowers in his doghouse but the other dogs ignore the weather and relax in the yard until bedtime.

Wednesday 

The pot-pond is still leaking when PakG fills it up. He goes back to the hardware store for cement and another can of paint. After our walk, the dogs relax and I spend the entire morning on my class notes. The leaves we picked up a few days ago are almost dry.

We change the dining room from green and pink 

to blue as well.

The rain starts at lunch and the fresh smell of gardens and green leaves wafts into the house.

Read more:

*O Lord, in your hand are power and might, so that no one is able to withstand you. 2 Chronicles 20:6

*You are my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation! Psalm 89:26

*Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11

*They drove Jesus out of the town and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. Luke 4:29-30

Moravian Prayer: Holy God of our salvation, we praise your holy name. Provide us with our daily bread, as we trust in your provision. We give thanks for your steadfast love and faithfulness.

Gentle Shepherd, your power and might are always on display. Help us to remember that this power is funneled through your great love for us, and that you love us fiercely and powerfully as your chosen children. Amen.