Tonight happens to be my last night at Thimpu and the end of a wonderful stay with the lovely sisters. Theres a lot I will take back from bhutan not only in terms of gifts and pickle jars so lovingly prepared by aunty! but certain unforgettable experiences of a lifetime.
I learnt that life goes on just fine without high speed internet on your phone. You know! We all should keep down that device for a while, keep away the remote and smell the roses, literally! Talk eat and laugh together with your family, they may not be the people on your wats app group..but hey! They are the only ones who matter! It is ok to sit back and enjoy on a holiday and be unreachable to most of your countrymen..no office is going up in flames if you are not around and the truth is you are probably not missed as much as you would like to believe. Work can wait life will probably not!
So coming back to the day!
I have taken hold of the kitchen like a mother in law here! Improvised the poha for breakfast. We get flattened red rice in bhutan which is high in fiber content and equally delicious. Isaac the jeejaji was determined to instill healthy eating habits in all the younger sisters so he force fed them with honey milk n muesli.
Then Remith helped me quickly donn the kira which I wonder if I can ever manage on my own. Will have to google that next time I plan to! Kaku n Remith had both worn kiras so we could take pictures together. Kaku's tegu and kira were very similar to mine! If I had her honey milk complexion and cute tiny eyes I could have even passed for a bhutanese.
I learnt that life goes on just fine without high speed internet on your phone. You know! We all should keep down that device for a while, keep away the remote and smell the roses, literally! Talk eat and laugh together with your family, they may not be the people on your wats app group..but hey! They are the only ones who matter! It is ok to sit back and enjoy on a holiday and be unreachable to most of your countrymen..no office is going up in flames if you are not around and the truth is you are probably not missed as much as you would like to believe. Work can wait life will probably not!
So coming back to the day!
I have taken hold of the kitchen like a mother in law here! Improvised the poha for breakfast. We get flattened red rice in bhutan which is high in fiber content and equally delicious. Isaac the jeejaji was determined to instill healthy eating habits in all the younger sisters so he force fed them with honey milk n muesli.
Then Remith helped me quickly donn the kira which I wonder if I can ever manage on my own. Will have to google that next time I plan to! Kaku n Remith had both worn kiras so we could take pictures together. Kaku's tegu and kira were very similar to mine! If I had her honey milk complexion and cute tiny eyes I could have even passed for a bhutanese.
We then were driven to Buddha point by Isaac - the jeejaji who did not rest till he had appointed kaku my escort for paro sight seeing as he was very concerned if I could make it alone.
It was warm sunshine all the way up to the winding road to buddha point. Buddha point has a majesric 169 ft tall statute of Buddha which overlooks the city of thimpu. Its still under construction and will soon become a magnificient piece of architecture and buddhist faith.
It was really windy and cold at the top. We quickly took pictures and came to the town.
Today we went to a restaurent called 'the chillies' . I ordered a guntroo egg dish, which was mildly sour and amazing to taste. Its a regional speciality of southern bhutan. Saag leaves are dried then buried underground in anaerobic environment to lend a unique sour taste to the leaves. They are then used liberally in dishes or soups for favouring.
Another dish I enjoyed is called bathup, its a soupy dish made of boiled flour strips, vegetables, chicken and seasonings.
Remith had ordered some amazing pork ribs which were heavenly to taste!
I regaled everyone with bharatnatyam asamyukta mudras over lunch. Cultural exchange on full throttle!
Sleepy as we were after having eaten so much, I still dragged everyone around. This time we went to city square, shopping complex and mall on the outskirts of the town. I had my heart set on the cute tiffin carriers which bhutanese kids take to school and only rested after the generous jeejaji purchased it for me.
The family was finally successful in getting me back home after I made them buy buns for the pao bhaji I had decided to make in the evening and oh yes! Fire crackers how can I forget them.
40% of bhutan's population is hindu. There were small shops selling decorations and fire crackers everywhere..didnt let me miss home!
I rested for a good two hours in the evening and then put everyone to work on the paobhaji.
We cut potatoes and pumpkin and put them to boil. Then we cut the rest of the veggies. I used the vegetable stock to make a vegetable soup of broccoli, green vegetables and chillies. I called it the hot an sour soup although it was far from the title! While it the soup cooked I did a bit of cultural exchange by teaching everyone pranayam.
Kaku went in splits at the kapalbhati..an aasan where one swiftly exhales short breaths.
Remith Charmith n Lenmith have exalted me to the status of some ayurved and yoga doctor. Once or twice a day they would ask me the cure of pimples dry skin cough n cold...I should tell them of the famous proverb we have..'Neem hakim khatre jaan!'
Dinner came out well and I was relieved that my experiments in kitchen were well received! After all I am representing my sister before her in laws...I bet Rach you are smiling at this!
To keep the festivities going on I made a small flower arrangement with the floating candles I had bought from India. We all clicked pictures and called it night.
Gnnite Thimpu! May we meet again
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