The land of stinky tofu vs the land of ema datsi

Hello everyone, and so sorry for not writing for such a LONG, LONG time! But there's a reason why there were no new posts lately - our family has now left Bhutan, and we're now settled in another small country called Taiwan. Taiwan is an island located in East Asia. I think that there are tons of similarities between Bhutan and Taiwan starting with their super-friendly people, their love for music and the size of the country, both of them measuring slightly less than 40,000km².


Of course, there are also lots of differences so this post is all about comparing Bhutan and Taiwan.



First off, the people, as mentioned before. Just like Bhutan, the Taiwanese are willing to help you out in any situation - one of the friendliest places I've been to. This made our first trip to Taiwan so fun and so much easier.


The food, however, is a big difference. With all due respect to the Bhutanese, their food has developed into a rather monastic (and spicy!) diet, that many Westerners don't especially appreciate. Taiwan is the place to go for yummy street food and amazing night markets. It is also the place where bubble tea was invented - tea with little balls of jelly-like tapioca inside, as well as stinky tofu (obvious from its name) that has, er, an acquired taste. Beef noodles are also a speciality, and although I have never tasted them (I'm vegetarian), I'm guessing if people say it's good, it's good.

In both Bhutan and Taiwan, there's a huge love of music and many concerts and shows take place all over the country. The aboriginals in Taiwan have a very special kind of music that reminded me of traditional Bhutanese songs. The likeliest explanation I can come up with is that the instruments used could be very similar. In Taiwan, there is also something called Chinese Opera (it's not what you're expecting, don't get fooled by the name) that also reveals some Chinese traditional music.

And lastly, I think that both Taiwan and Bhutan are very interesting places to travel to and explore - why don't you visit Taiwan on your next holiday?

Bhutan vs. India

For the beginning of 2013, I have a special post - a post differentiating between Bhutan and India, because, I spend our long winter vacation (of three months) in India.*

• Bhutan is tiny, India is huge

That's number one. Bhutan is so small, when you go from one dzongkhag to another, there's a big chance you might meet someone you know. In India, the probability is even higher... but you probably won't see him because of the huge crowds. I'm exaggerating, naturally, but that's the idea.
Look at the map and spot India. Easy, isn't it? Now where's Bhutan? It's so small, that the country's name doesn't fit inside the area, have you noticed?
That proves my point. For facts, India is about 60 times as big as Bhutan.

• Bhutan is quiet, India is noisy

If that isn't a crowd, I don't know what is

A peaceful view of a dzong and nearby lake with mountains looming behind

When you walk in Bhutan, the most common noise is usually dogs barking, birds chirping and so on. (Though I admit, motor is also becoming a noisy nuisance nowadays).
In India, in some places, you have to shout to someone in talking distance - in others, you simply have no chance.

Usually in crowds the noise is unbearable unless there's someone important speaking in front, and even then there'll be some noises.

In Bhutan, if the Prime Minister is talking, you can hear a pin drop (though nobody would want to disturb the silence and drop a pin, would he?)

• Bhutan was never captured by any country, India was captured by the Brits

That's part of the reason why a lot of village people in Bhutan don't speak a word in English and, English isn't a national language (though in towns you can find many English speaking people) while in India Hinglish was already invented, and ads are commonly in English.

In Bhutan English is quickly being promoted, and most private schools treat Dzongkha as a second language, and lessons are given in English, except for the Dzongkha period.

*The long vacation is in winter because the winter is ferociously cold there, and the schools want children, not frozen popsicles. The vacation is as long as the winter, and the winter is usually December, January, February.