Road trip part 2 - Two chillips and “the traveller”

One of my very first introductions to the kingdom of Bhutan was through the movie Travelers and Magicians. Travelers and Magicians is a Wizard of Oz-like tale where Dorothy’s ruby slippers are replaced with traditional Bhutanese boots and the yellow brick road to the Emerald City is replaced with the road back to Thimphu.

The movie is, by far, the most famous film to come out of Bhutan. It was an official selection at both the Toronto and Venice International Film Festivals and has won several awards at international film festivals.  It follows two intertwining stories. One is the tale of a fatal love affair. The other tells the story of “the traveller”, a young Bhutanese man who has dreams of escaping his life in Bhutan and travelling to America. He sets off on the road towards Bhutan’s capital (Thimphu, aka my hometown) only to discover along the way that “There’s no place like home”.

So, never did I ever imagine that one day I would find myself travelling down that very same road, back to Thimphu with the very “traveller” whose adventures I had followed many months ago! But this is how I spent one very interesting Christmas in Bhutan. 

In front of the Trashigang Dzong

My first stop after the SJI launch in Samdrup Jongkhar (see previous post) was Trashigang . I met with Tempa, one of the Observer’s bureau reporters, who acted as my unofficial guide and took me to the Trashigang dzong, which is known as the ‘Dzong in the Sky’ because of is breathtaking location on a cliffside. 

Young monks

We then drove to the town of Radhi, famous for their weaving, and interviewed farmers for a story on rural-urban migration.

 The town of Radhi

But it was half an hour outside of the main town of Trashigang that I found paradise in the Himalayas . Rangjung is tiny town situated along the Gamri river and at the base of a small mountain. Despite the fact that it was the middle of winter, the hills were covered in lush green vegetation with papaya trees and bright red magnolias blooming. 

Woesel Choeling Monastery in Rangjung

The most spectacular thing to see in Rangjung is the Woesel Choeling monastery, which is perched on the top of a hill overlooking the town. Since coming to Bhutan I’ve seen my fair share of Dzongs and monasteries.  To be honest, despite their magnificence, there comes a point where every big gold, red and white building begins to look the same. But the Woesel Choeling monastery is drastically different to every other monastery or temple that I’ve seen so far. The architectural style can be likened to the monasteries of Tibet, with its square structure and pastel coloured paintings.

 Rangjung town centre

From Trashigang to Bumthang I travelled with Noa and Tshewang (aka “the traveller”) who had both been in Samdrup Jongkhar working at the SJI launch. Although it wasn’t the most comfortable ten hour taxi ride, with no heater and five fully grown adults crammed into the vehicle, the scenery was spectacular. We passed over frost covered peaks and held our breath as the car skidded along icy cliff side roads. We looked out the windows in awe at the tropical greenery and exotic wildlife (monkeys, rainbow pheasants etc.) as we passed through deep valleys.

The three of us realized that we must have looked like a very dysfunctional family on a Christmas vacation (with Noa being American, Tshewang being Asian and me as their biracial daughter) and had fun trying to convince anyone we met that Noa and Tshewang were my parents. Tshewang took advantage of the fact that he was the only one of our trio who could speak Bhutanese and told Noa and I that, while most people could believe she was my mother, they couldn't fathom that he was old enough to be my father!

Noa and I - Christmas Day

We arrived in Bumthang to the Swiss Guest House late that evening. Having been in a devoutly Buddhist kingdom for nearly two months, it was easy to forget that Christmas was approaching. But with the Swiss owner’s half Bhutanese and half Swiss family also staying there for the Christmas holiday, the Christmas tree was out and traditional Christmas decorations covered the rooms. We were the only guests at the resort and the Maurer family were kind enough to let our dysfunctional travelling family intrude on their lavish Christmas dinner. The Dasho is an interesting character and has had a massive impact on the development of agriculture in Bhutan. He was one of two Swiss men to introduce potatoes to Bhutan, which are now a staple in the Bhutanese diet and an important part of the agricultural economy. He also introduced the cheesemaking process to Bumthang, which has resulted in one of Bumthang’s most famous exports – DELICIOUS Bumthang cheese! Another one of his many ventures is Red Panda beer, which we were lucky enough to enjoy fresh from the tap.

Noa and Tshewang at one of the filming sites for Travellers and Magicians 

After a day spent wandering through the temples of Bumthang, some of the oldest and most significant in Bhutan, we headed on the road back towards Thimphu. Along the way, we stopped at the sites where Travellers and Magicians had been filmed.  It was the first time that Noa and Tshewang had been back to the sites since filming wrapped and I felt really lucky to be able to share the experience with them. One of the murals painted on a rockface for the film has become a site of spiritual significance and hundreds of tsa-tsas* have been placed there by locals.

It was a very special Christmas with my crazy and wonderful pseudo family!  

* Tsa tsas are small Buddha and stupas made out of clay. In some Buddhist cultures it is believed that the process of making tsa tsas accumulates merits and virtues. When placed at spiritually significant sites, Tsa-tsas are believed to have the power to prevent disasters, cure illness and provide atonement. 

BO FOCUS - Food and Nutrition Security.

 Published by Bhutan Observer. Sponsored by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture...... This is the publication I worked on with Noa Jones, Sushil Mishra and  Deeptika Chettri!!
BO FOCUS_FNS (FINAL)

History and vision of Bhutan Observer

Roadtrip around Bhutan (part 1) - Stumbling across a Tsechu in Samdrup Jongkhar!

At 7:30am I was woken up by a lieutenant from the Royal Bhutan Army banging on my door and yelling for me to get moving. 

“Natasha! You’d better not still be asleep! Wake up! We have to leave right now!” 

Sonam had kindly offered to give me a lift down from Dewathang (where the SJI launch had been held) to the main town of Samdrup Jongkhar. Unfortunately, I'd slept through my alarm. I looked at my unpacked luggage sprawled across the room. My head was throbbing . My throat was parched. The night before we'd celebrated the end of the SJI launch by dancing around a campfire and drinking multiple glasses of ara (Bhutanese rice wine aged in a monastery for 3 years, 3 months and 3 weeks). . It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. In hindsight…. Not so much. 

I pulled together my belongings, threw my stuff in my bag and dragged myself to the car. The hour long trip back down to Samdrup Jongkhar over unpaved roads, while Sonam blasted earsplitting Hindi pop music, did nothing to ease my throbbing headache. 

I checked into a hotel in the main town of Samdrup Jongkhar which cost a whopping $3 a night. I was so excited to have a mattress (after 5 days of sleeping on A cold floor) that I threw my bags down on the CONCRETE floor and jumped on the hard mouldy mattress in excitement. I later opened up my brand new Macbook to find a handsome crack staring back at me. Throwing my bag on the floor had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Again  in hindsight… not so much. 

Water. I needed water. I wandered outside of my hotel to find all the stores  closed. Then, hungover and severely sleep deprived, I literally stumbled into the Samdrup Jongkhar Tsechu. Tsechus are an annual religious festival held over 3 days in each dzongkhag (district) and involve elaborate costumes and thrilling performances. They are attended by practically every member of the community and everyone dresses in their brightest and most elegant kira or gho. 

I think it’s amazing that, apart from small donations made to the monks,  Tsechu’s are not a  commercial venture. The performances are for community bonding and religious celebration purposes .  This is particularly true in isolated areas such as Samdrup Jongkhar where camera wielding tourists are nowhere to be found. They are performed by locals for locals. Apart from myself, there were no other foreigners in sight. 


The second surprise of the day happened as I was walking home from the Tsechu.  During the SJI launch, a young girl, named Ngawang (or “Tiny” as she called herself) had given me a scarf as a gift and asked for my address in Sydney so that she could write to me. The scarf was beautifully woven with blue, orange, purple and green threats.  That day, as I had walked home from the Tsechu I had been thinking how incredibly nice it had been for her to give me the scarf, how I felt like I hadn’t shown enough gratitude and how I desperately wished I could thank her one more time. Low and behold, thirty seconds later I saw Tiny on her way to the Tsechu! She was ecstatic to see that I was wearing the scarf and I thanked her repeatedly.
 Definitely one of those 'Bhutan moments'  that make me think there is definitely something special going on in the land of the thunder dragon!

The Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative - just a dream or GNH in action?

A perfect society…… self sufficient, zero waste, holistic education and 100% organic.


 An impossible dream? Not according to the organizers of the Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative (SJI). The SJI is a pilot project organised by the Kyhentse Foundation, which aims at transforming Samdrup Jongkhar into a sustainable society based on the principles of gross national happiness. SJI focuses on implementing effective waste management systems, pesticide-free farming, food self sufficiency and effective education programs. The project is the vision of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche who believes that the people of Bhutan must be proactive in this new era of democracy rather than relying on the government to bring about social change.


"Bhutan is a democracy now. So far things have gone well. But we citizens now have to shoulder responsibility without someone else having to tell us. It is a matter of fulfilling our responsibilities without the prodding of a cowherd”

The launch
On the 18th of December local farmers, business owners and students of Samdrup Jongkhar converged at the Chyoki Gyatsho Institute in Dewathang for the launch of SJI. The launch was held over five days and aimed at introducing these ideas to the locals of Samdrup Jongkhar through  discussion groups, presentations and practical trainings. Presenters at the conference included Dr. Vandana Shiva (ecofeminist, environmental activist and all round powerhouse )  and Bunker Roy (founder of Barefoot College). Even Bhutan’s Prime Minister showed his support by attending the second day of the launch. The organizers lived and breathed GNH. Meals were all prepared using local ingredients and served using zero waste utensils. What the organisers hope is that after seeing the best practices from around the world, the locals of SJ will take up the challenge of implementing them in Samdrup Jongkhar and preven

The skeptics
With such ambitious goals,  SJI has inevitably garnered its fair share of skeptics. Doubts arise over how a community can possibly coordinate a society that is 100% organic and self-sufficient. And then there are issues of individual choice. Will minimising imports and promoting local products affect what is available for consumers? Should farmers have the right to choose between chemical and organic farming?


The initiative is an audacious move and I think there will be people willing to label it as a failure regardless of what happens in Samdrup Jongkhar over the next five to ten years. But even if the initiative achieves a quarter of the ambitious vision of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, I think the skepticism is unfounded because only positive results can come from the attempt.If GNH is about promoting an equitable and more sustainable society then the SJI takes Bhutan a step beyond all the talks and conferences about GNH by transforming the ideas of GNH into practical action.


And fears that no practical results would come from SJI were quickly dispelled during the launch.


Bunker Roy committed to:
- Installing a water harvesting tank at Choki Gyatsho Institute and helping to install one in local schools who are interested
- Bringing 6 women from Samdrup Jongkhar to his Barefoot College in India to train them in installing and running solar panels.

Vandana Shiva has promised
- that her organization will oversea the transition to organic farming in Samdrup Jongkhar
- A group of farmers from Samdrup Jongkhar will be trained in organic farming methods at Dr. Shiva’s Navdanya Biodiversity Conservtion farm in March 2011.

But by far the most promising indication of the future success of the launch was the response of the locals whose immediate commitments included:


- supporting local dairy farmers and minimizing waste by completely abandoning the use of packaged milk powder and replacing it with fresh local milk.
- Segregating waste and disposing of it safely
- Increasing self-reliance and minimizing imports through food production.


SJI is one of the first big steps towards fostering a culture of democratic involvement in Bhutan. It will be fascinating to see how SJI plays out over the next five to ten years and I will be keeping a very keen eye on Samdrup Jongkhar!

Here is a blog post on some random/cool things I haven’t mentioned in other posts.

The publication of BO Focus

The reason I chose to study media was the opportunity to communicate with the public and create positive social change.  So the response to the publication of our BO Focus affirmed my reasons for choosing this career! I had unexpectedly become a part of the team working on the ‘Food security’ issue after the original writer mysteriously disappeared mid-project. We had been given instructions by Madame Phuntsho to make the Focus more reader friendly. With these instructions we set about revamping the publication from a text-heavy report style publication to something that was eye catching and would actually interest people.

As you can imagine, we were pretty nervous when publication date came around but we needn’t be worried as feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Madame Phuntsho received a call from a member of National Council who was extremely impressed with the content and layout. He promised to raise some of the issues covered at the next sitting of National Council. As a writer, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing something you’ve written have an impact with its audience. Furthermore, seeing the media being taken seriously by members of the government is a reassuring step forward in the development of Bhutanese democracy.

The working group for the Focus included Deeptika (business manager), Sushil (designer), myself and Noa Jones. Noa is a writer from the US who has had a long history in the media and worked at plenty of publications. I learnt so much from her about the process of putting together a publication - from drafting the initial outline to the final layout.  The biggest lesson I learnt is that it’s not just about what you write, but how you present it. Food security isn’t exactly the most riveting topic but by being creative with the presentation of the publication I think we managed to make it a little bit more exciting!

Working on the Focus reignited my passion for print media and I’m thinking about starting up a “Focus style” publication at the university next year!


National Assembly and High Tea with the Royals
I was lucky enough to attend the opening session of the 6th session of National Parliament on November 19th. Although all the speeches were spoken in Dzongkha, the ceremonial aspect was fascinating. It began with the procession of the MPs into the hall led by His Majesty the 5th king (or K5 as the locals call him). The MPs were presented with a series of 20 gifts representing each of the dzongkhags (districts). These included doma (of course), tea, cheese, apples and oranges.  After the ceremony the royal family, VIPS, MPs and the media (that’s me :) ) were invited to High Tea in the courtyard. It was quite a surreal feeling being surrounded by such important people and of course the man whose face is plastered all over Bhutan (K5)! I spoke with the opposition leader, Tshering Tobgay, about his recent win against the government in the country’s first constitutional court case. He keeps a blog about politics in Bhutan and it is a VERY interesting read. http://www.tsheringtobgay.com

At BBS Headquarters in Thimphu

BBS Public Service Broadcasting Conference – laying the foundations for Public Service Broadcaster in Bhutan
The great thing about working in Bhutanese media at this time is that I am able to witness  all the foundations being laid for the future of the industry. This is something I missed out on in Australia by about 100 years.

I recently represented the Observer at a conference on public broadcasting in Bhutan.  At the moment BBS is the only television broadcaster in Bhutan and it’s state funded.

The focus of the conference was:
-       Whether there was the need for a Public Service Broadcaster in Bhutan?
-       The structure that a PSB in Bhutan would take on?
-       Is BBS already functioning as a public service broadcaster?

On the second day of the workshop we worked in small groups to develop a model for public broadcasting in Bhutan. I was in the group that discussed issues of independence and sustainability. We were facilitated by Ms. Gerda Meuer, Managing Director of the Deutsche Welle Academy in Germany. It was pretty cool to be able to work so closely with someone who has such an impressive history in the media and who is the head of such a huge organization. On top of this, she was the only female presenter at the conference.

With the heads of Deutsche Welle

Dr Tepchai Yong, of Thai Public Broadcasting, was by far the most interesting and inspirational speaker at the conference. Like Madame Phuntsho, he is committed to  a completely independent media that is free of state control. In Thailand this is no easy feat. During Thailand’s recent political crisis TPB was the sole broadcaster that refused to give into the government’s demands to cease programming in spite of threats of violence. As part of their commitment to serving all sections of society, TPB runs citizen journalism workshops that they take out to rural areas and encourage impoverished and rural Thai people to suggest and develop content.

Another interesting fact we learnt from Tepchai is that Public Broadcasting in Thailand is funded by tax from alcohol and cigarettes! They call this “sin tax”. I will certainly feel better about sipping Pina Coladas on the beaches of Koh Samui!

The whole conference gave me a better appreciation of the idea of PSB and the responsibilities that this entails. Throughout the discussions I kept thinking about how the ABC measures up. There was a strong perception amongst the Bhutanese that it is impossible to have an editorially independent PSB that’s funded by the state. However, based on my perceptions of the ABC, in comparison to other news outlets in Australia, I’d have to disagree. I find that the ABC is one of the few television stations that offers any level of critical analysis of government policy. And we only have to look to programs such as The Chaser’s War on Everything to see that the ABC is definitely not a mouthpiece of the state.

Because of the social responsibility of social broadcasting, it’s definitely a part of the media that I’m passionate about and could see myself working in. I’d love to be involved with either developing content or the editorial team in this industry.


Trip to Taktsang Monastery/ Tiger’s Nest

Tiger's Nest!

Taktsang Dzong is undoubtedly the most recognized landmark in Bhutan. Google anything to do with Bhutan and it will inevitably be accompanied by a photo of a stunning monastery perched on top of a cliff. Legend has it that Guru Rinpoche flew to Taktsang ona flying tiger. Unfortunately, flying tigers weren’t available on the day we visited so our only option was to take the 1.5 hr walk up to Taktsang.  The walk up to Taktsang was relatively easy apart from some dauntingly steep stairs. However the trip down was another story!

My friend Kezang and I had stopped at a “hole in the wall” type restaurant and eaten momos for breakfast. We were there pretty early (especially by Bhutanese standards) and after tasting the first momo I suspected that they had reheated them from the night before (or perhaps even earlier). My suspicions were confirmed as we began the descent from Taktsang and I felt an acute pain in my stomach as if someone had thrust a knife in there and was twisting it. The pain became so bad that I couldn’t walk. Unfortunately the only way to get help was to make the 1hr walk back down.

I felt SO sorry for my Bhutanese friend Kezang, who had taken me to Taktsang. The poor guy was helpless to do anything as this foreign girl curled up on the forest floor and howled in pain. I couldn’t take it anymore and forced myself to throw up. The pain didn’t go away but it did subside enough to get myself back down to the base of the walk.

I’ve decided that if childbirth is more painful than what I experienced I might reconsider becoming a mother!

My big project
 I’ve also been working on the promotional project for the Observer. I can’t say too much about it because we want to keep it under wraps until it’s completely finished, but I’m really happy with what we’ve come up with! I’m working with an insanely talented person and I’m very excited about the final product!

Living on the edge: My trip through the border towns

Written on 16th December 


After twenty hours of sweaty, crowded and bumpy bus rides I have finally arrived in Samdrup Jongkhar for the launch of the Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative. Rather than taking the conventional route through Eastern Bhutan, I travelled through India so that I could attend a wedding  in the border town of Phuentsholing. As the wedding of the only daughter in the family I knew it would be a spectacular event and no expenses would be spared

The house in Jaigon 

A beautiful property had been rented out for the occasion and the balmy Indian breeze was a welcome change from the bitter chill of Thimphu’s frosty mornings. The traditional Nepali rituals were mesmerizing – the tika, washing of the feet, staining of the bride’s forehead and the readings. After the wedding I spent the evening relaxing with Sushil’s family.

The bride and groom

Time flew by as we decorated each other with henna ink. I panicked when I realized that I still needed to get my Indian visa stamped before heading over the Indian border at 5am the following morning on the bus to Samdrup Jongkhar. If I failed to get the stamp I wouldn’t be able to enter India! I grabbed Sushil and we raced to the immigration office.

No lights. No people. It was closed. I couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry. Visions of attending the launch in SJ and my tour through Bhutan started to fade. Sushil attempted to negotiate with the armed guards at the gate. Although he didn’t show it at the time, Sushil later told me that he had desperately begged the guards to call someone from immigration to stamp my passport.


Eventually a disgruntled civil servant came down to meet us. The story we had formulated to explain my after hours visit was that I’d just arrived from Thimphu and needed the stamp for the following morning when the office would be closed. I didn’t blame the official for being particularly suspicious of a disheveled looking girl with tika on her forehead and freshly inked henna covered hands, who claimed to be Australian yet appeared to look Nepali. To my relief he agreed to stamp my passport and I set off to Samdrup Jongkhar very early the next day!

I had been warned that the 12-hour trip from Phuentsholing to Samdrup Jongkhar was risky and not for the faint hearted. To begin with, the bus is always filled beyond capacity and the seats are barely big enough to fit two small children, let alone two fully-grown adults. Luckily, I was seated next to a tiny seventeen-year old girl, yet even we struggled to comfortably fit side by side. As we got further into the trip, the seats seemed to only get smaller and smaller. By the time we reached our first rest stop half of my body was off the seat and my legs were sticking out into the aisle of the bus.

I felt like a ragdoll being flung around the bus and then violently slammed back down on the hard plastic seats as the bus moved over every bump and dip of the unpaved roads. Needless to say, sleeping was impossible. Some sections of road were so poor that the bus had to travel at less than 20 km/hr. Any speed beyond this would have damaged the wheels and suspension beyond repair. Breathing, talking and seeing became increasingly difficult as my eyes, throat and lungs became coated with dust from the road.

It's snowing! Wait nooo that's just dust 

Travelling through the Indian state of Assam was a confronting experience. Assam is a conflict ridden area and was previously a hotbed for militant training grounds. In 2001 a bus passing through the area was attacked by militants, resulting in the death of 20 Bhutanese people. Consequently, all Bhutanese buses passing through the area are required to travel in a military escorted convoy and gun wielding guards line the road. Despite all of this there were some sections of the ride that I really appreciated.  As you would expect after a tortuous 12 hour bus ride, I had a great chat with the girl I was next to and the beauty of the Indian sun setting over the tea plantations in Assam was not completely overshadowed by the discomfort of the trip . But my enjoyment was short lived when another passenger informed me that the owner of the tea plantation I was admiring had been kidnapped just days earlier!  It was definitely an adventure but not something I’d be volunteering to do again anytime in the near future!


Anyhow at the moment I've safely arrived in the border town of Samdrup Jongkar and VERY excited about the launch of the Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative! (www.sji.bt)