Tshechu

The Tshechu is a sort of festival where many beautiful dances go on and people receive blessings. There are mask dances including world record-jumps and twirls. Usually the last days of the Tshechu are the most popular; the blessings go on during that period.
There are also clowns (also masked). You can see the mask of one in the left picture (the one with the red mask with its face to you).
Occasionally, traditional Bhutanese plays are acted out, though this is uncommon, and the Tshechu consists mostly of dances.
If you plan to go to a Tshechu, wear a good hat, bring water, and be generous with sun-lotion since the Tshechu is usually conducted in the afternoon, in summer, when the sun blazes on your unfortunate shoulders.

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.

Typos in Bhutan

Typos in English are quite common in Bhutan, as in some other countries in Asia.

The Lattest Collection, announces a flashing shop. Menus are also a rich source of amusement; "Fried Rise with veg." as a restaurant's specials, or "Meat ducklings", or, if you're interested in cannibalism, "Fried children". So, if you're on a trip to Bhutan, look out for these funnies to engage you.

Another classic that runs around town is the shop proclaiming Go d and Silver Smith, the 'l' of gold detached. A godsmith, by the way, is a maker of idols. After a few years of people laughing at him, the poor shop owner took away the l from silver and attached it to gold and hopefully you will find the amusing sign: Gold and Si ver Smith.

Trip to Wangditse

One day, on holiday from school (5th King's Coronation Day), my father and I decided to go on a small walk. After some discussion, we decided to go to the Wangditse Lhakang and have a nice old-fashioned picnic there.

We took a cab to the BBS Tower, the starting-point of the trail, then started on our mini trek. It was beautifully natural, how the whole world was supposed to look.

The quiet calm and the green, fresh surroundings made me want to jump for joy (which I, of course, did). We walked on and on, from time to time chatting. Beautiful flowers hesitantly took our attention, buzzing inside with striped bees.

"Kuzuzangpo, la", we would greet others, smiling from ear to ear. The view from the trail was amazing, but the highlight was the enormous Tashichhoe dzong. When we reached the Wangditse lhakang, we were immediately struck by the big monastery. I was especially surprised by the haughty cock making his way through the dense bushes. A small chorten filled with butter lamps stood in the side of the big grassy plain. We went around (clockwise, of course) and tried to find a nice place to sit down. All had marvelous view looking onto the whole town. The only problem was, the whole place was really windy!

Finally, after few rounds (and after I was getting dizzy from walking in the same direction), we found a place, though windy (what to do, la) looking over Thimphu.

After finishing our scrumptious meal, we headed back down . While reaching the road, we passed by a tinkling mule pack (more like they passed by us). We even got a peep at three policemen riding by us.

In other words, it was a wonderful trip.

A top-and-lofty cock strutting around in pride

A wise trash-can

View of the Thimphu town

The Tashichhoe dzong

Policemen on a mission!

Rice

Rice is the most common food in Bhutan. Each meal, either breakfast, dinner, or lunch, is usually served a big heap of rice, which is the main dish. Sometimes the rice is red, white, or even yellow, but it's rice. The children in my class, almost everyday bring ema datsi with rice, or any other datsi dish with rice. I don't bring rice every day, and one day after peeping in my lunch box and seeing no rice, a girl said: "You never bring real food, do you?"
And the cheek of it!

In Dzongkha, rice is mentioned as toh. Toh also means food in Dzongkha, which shows how often rice is eaten.

Local meals tend to consist, especially in monasteries and local houses, of simply rice with a "curry" like ema datsi.

Dream Girl - My Masterpiece Poem

I'd like to share with you a poem which I wrote in the exam room, after continually being bored - I forgot to bring a book and we are not allowed to leave the room before the bell rings.
I worked on it about 1 hour! Hope you enjoy it.

Once there was a girl
who had some girly dreams
Once she found a pearl
but once some smelly beans

She was the greatest hero
in dreams, I only mean
Near her, god was zero
She was so much very keen

Once she went to Transylvania
and met vampires there
She ate with them some goo lasagna
made from blood and pear

Oh, the places Dream Girl went
and all the things she saw
except in school she only bent
upon her little paw

Because my readers smitten
Curiously you stare
Dream Girl was a kitten
and had four paws in mere!

Ek Dupa

A simple game, which originally consisted of five stones, and now one small ball and four stones, is one of the most beloved games in schools.
In other countries, the original name is Five Stones, with the ball namely Jacks.
This season is it. The game's hot and everyone is buying the famous ball. The commonest conversation in order to join or play an Ek Dupa* game is usually: "Wai, can I play?" If approved, will continue, "Everything is there, okay? But no touch and shift. And no zig-zag."  (By the way, if not approved, the meanie will say after some persuasion with a tone of determination and irritation: "Please, wai!!"
If there is an even number of players, somebody usually suggests partners, followed by an: "Okay, partner first!"

The game starts out with Major; each player takes the four stones into their palm and throws them in the air, trying to catch the most stones on the back of his hand. After some fall on the back of the hand, the player throws them once again to catch them in the palm. The final number of stones in the palm counts. If there is a team of players, they all follow the process and the number is summed up. The player or team with the highest number start the game.
Next, the player throws all the stones on the surface and throws the ball up, letting it bounce once while taking one stone from the floor. He repeats until all the stones are in his hand. He throws all of them a second time, this time taking two every time. The process is repeated for a third time, taking three in the first round and one in the other. This is the basic starting of Ek Dupa. Sometimes rules are made that when you are taking a certain number of stones you are not allowed to touch the other stones.

The player crowds all the stones in one hand and with the thumb and pointer finger holds the ball. This stage is locally called Dapi. He throws the ball up and lays the stones on the floor, catching the ball after a bounce. Then, like the basic starting, he takes all four stones with his hand while throwing up the ball and catching the ball again.
Next comes the repeated process, the only difference: after laying the stones on the floor, then instead of catching the ball in your palm you have to catch it on the back of your hand. The name is Zillicutor (pronounced Zil-li-cau-ter)

Next comes Cobra - in this stage you don't need a ball. You throw all the stones in the air and catch some on the back of your hand. You throw them from the back again, and while suspended in mid-air, catch them from up with a jerky movement (with an upward movement). Like a cobra charging.

Next come the am or ams. The player throws all the stones on the surface again. The fingers are bent in a particular shape. The player throws the ball up, and passes one of the stones through the fingers. He repeats that until all the stones are through, then picks them up with another throw of the ball. Once again, the player does this, though this time the fingers in a different shape. The shape of the fingers is hard to explain - there are so many possibilities. One of them is to bend your thumb and pointer finger into a semi-circle and then set that on the table, passing the stones through the circular "gate". Another is to use your pointer finger and the middle finger and stretch them, until they become a triangular roof. Then you pass the stones through.

The next step is calendar. Your opponent holds an open hand up, the little finger touching the surface. You take the stones into your hand and drop them over the opponent's hand. Your opponent has to choose two stones and take them away, so that only two stones are left on the surface. Then you have to flick your hand at one of the left-over stones and try to hit the other stone. If you don't hit it, you're out. So, a tip to your opponent: try to take away two that leave really far away stones, so that you have more chance that your opponent will be out.

If you are out (if the ball does a double bounce, or if you don't take enough stones e.g. you have to take two but by mistake you take one, if you don't catch all the stones which have fallen on the back of your hand in the Cobra stage) the turn will pass to your opponent.
After you finish the ams, there will be a stage called Game; a number of stones is decided (it can't be above four). You can also choose more than one number, for example 3 and 4. The player has to get an equal or higher number, and then can pass on to the next "level", called Game x (1,2,3,4,5,6 etc.). All the games are the same; including the same stages and same rules, though someone can call out a change (e.g. from Game 5 there is no touch). You can decide on a final Game like when someone reaches Game 10 he wins and the game is over.
Though I've never finished a game... Can you??
Good Luck... Tashi Delek!

*Ek means one in Nepali and Hindi, and the stage in which you take one at a time (the first step after major) is usually called ek dupa. You'll take four rounds to take all the four stones one by one, right? After taking each stone, pronounce each vowel: Ek-Du-Pa-Ek/Panch
Later exchange the first Ek for Dui and Teen.