I've Been Adopted

My personal definition of a family is a group of people who care for the well being of each other.  Thus, I have somehow made my very own Bhutanese family!

Norbu The Monk

I love my new Bhutanese family, which so far consists of my principal (dad), principal’s wife/vice principal (mom), their daughter (little sister), their newphew (brother), my three younger neighbors (sorority sisters) and of course, Madam Sonam Choden (best-friend) and little Jimmy (nephew).  Ohhhh, I just love them all so much!  It’s only been a few weeks and everyday it seems like I add on new people to the crew like my new monk friend who teaches me meditation.  It’s weird how you can recognize one of your “kind.”  I start talking to someone and instantly know that this person is going to be my side for the rest of the year.  I’m constantly in a state of gratitude for these amazing people.  As a result, I believe that the universe keeps sending me more people to be grateful for.  This is fun!

My Adopted Bhutanese Parent's

When I first arrived to Bumthang, my “new father and mother” took me under their wing and into their nest where I was to be incubated.  They are extremely thoughtful and generous.  They come over frequently to check up on me and help me out with things I don’t even know that I need help with.  For instance, they showed me how to use my bhukari and hung my curtains with bamboo sticks.  I feel like I’m their child who has moved out for college and they are worried about how I will make it on my own.  I like this feeling because they remind me of my own family in America and that is exactly what my real parents did when I went away for college.  I feel safe knowing that they are just across the river and I have support.  Their daughter is very mature and we like the same music.  Their nephew is like a brother and he escorts me home from their house if it’s dark.  I also love when my VP “mothers me” by gently placing my hair behind my ear or picking some lint off my shirt.  It always makes me miss snuggling on the couch with my mom in California.  Overall, I have a lot of respect for their family and I always enjoy being in their home.

My Neighbor

The three teachers that live next door to me are all female Bhutanese teachers at my school.  My upstairs neighbor is like an assigned angel to me.  She was the first one to return from vacation and took the initiative to keep me company as well as making sure I didn’t go hungry.  The other girls are equally nice and are always inviting me over for tea or dinner.

Sonam

Next, Madam Sonam Choden is a teacher at my school who is my age and has become my new best friend.  Jimmy is her seven-year-old nephew who lives with her and he might be the cutest boy in Bhutan.  I love teaching him English and fussing over him like an aunty.  I think that Madam Sonam took one look at me and knew that she was going to make me into an American-Bhutanese, if there’s such a thing.  I’m not quite sure what I would be doing if I hadn’t met her because she spoils me.  She has me over for dinner, gave me my first cooking lesson, lets me use her internet, invites me to spend the night, insists that I can use her washer machine to do laundry, offers to share her closet full of kiras with me, and has even made me a chocolate cake for breakfast.  How lucky can a girl get?  I don’t even know how to return these generous offers yet and all I can do for now is just thank her over and over again.  The best part about her is that we have the same humor and we get each other’s jokes.  Therefore, we spend most of our conversations laughing until tears run down are face and we laugh at the most simplest things, which means the laughter never ends.  I love to laugh as well as make others laugh, so this has been a special treat to meet her.  I can always recognize who are going to be my best friends by how much we can laugh together.  So far I can tell that we are going to be BFF.  Awe… I love my new Bhutanese family…

Jimmy is so funny

Road Trip

Matching

Jimmy giving himself horns