Getting around ThimphuMay 6, 2009
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So I spent some time at the psych unit last night with Dr. Chencho, talking with a group about Buddhism and recovery from alcohol/drugs. That was interesting! Today, spent some time at the hospital with my ENT colleague, Dr. Tenzin Norsang. And if I hadn't some experience working in Nepal and Philippines, it would have been exotic, but in fact, it felt familiar. In fact, compared to working at the County, it seemed familiar there too! Too many patients and not enough resources, so OK then, let's roll up our sleeves and get to it!
Visited the National Handicrafts Emporium (the Bhutanese pretty much regulate/control a lot of things, and one more is to not have religious artifacts or crafts disappearing out of the country like has happened to many others) and selected a beautiful thangka - which is being mounted on brocade now and should be available tomorrow.
Then we went up to a preserve for the Takin -- national animal of Bhutan. It's own category, not closely related to anything, but looks like something between a goat and a buffalo. There watched a woman weaving with a backstrap loom. She showed us some shawls she's selling, but I said I want the one I watched her working on, so going back tomorrow to get that too!
So I guess I did my part today to ensure that the Bhutanese economy is not too hard hit by the current economic disaster. Know what though? They LOVE Obama here! I'll try to post a picture I got of an Obama sticker on a car ....
