A Picnic Fit For a King
Now that it’s officially November and cold in Kanglung (and back to being cloudy; it’s like the monsoon season again but a COLD monsoon season), I thought it’d be nice to revisit a much warmer and sunnier time that happened back in late September.
After the somewhat botched King’s visit – botched in the sense that the eager students didn’t get to perform their much-practiced dances and songs – the King bestowed upon our school a lump of money. To be exact, His Magesty gave the school Nu. 45,000, which roughly equals US$1,000. That’s a lot of money here. The gift of money, called a solrey, was solely meant for one thing. You might be guessing the money was for the school library or for repairing the broken windows in the classrooms or for getting every classroom a decent blackboard. No. The money was to be spent on an all-day school-wide picnic. When the principal made this announcement during morning speech, the students went wild. There is nothing that excites students as much as the thought of a picnic, during a school day no less.
In preparation for the big day, the staff had a meeting to assign jobs – shopping, storekeeper, vegetable cutting, cooking, entertainment. I was put on double duty as a vegetable cutter and photographer (by the sheer fact that I have a camera and take pictures). The older students were also given jobs and responsibilities, which they absolutely love. The way these events work is that the teachers are given tasks and they are meant to do them somewhat, but it’s the students who really get the job done.
The kicker was this – the students and teachers could come to school that day in pants and shirts, not in their typical National Dress. Most students embraced this and arrived in jeans and shorts, but some students still came in ghos and kiras. When I asked them why, some answered, “It’s a rule to come to school in National Dress. It doesn’t feel right to wear pants and shirt.” A few other girls admitted that they felt embarrassed to let the boys see them in pants and shirts.
On the morning of the picnic, music could be heard all over upper market. The principal had borrowed a real speaker for the event. Also borrowed was a big tent, under which an alter was set up. When I arrived, things were already in full swing. Giant pots were already being stirred, vegetables were being peeled and cut. Kids were running around everywhere as happy as could be.
The day was a huge success. With much encouragement from the principal and the vice principal, I took over 500 photos that day. Every moment had to be captured after all since a letter would have to be sent to the King with photo evidence of the day. The students were all given tea and biscuits at the right time, juice and maggi an hour or so later, and then a huge lunch with options such as beef, pork, chicken, and egg, as well as the usual offerings. Below are some images of what goes into feeding over 450 people.
Those are all chilies.
Maggi (ramen, which the students eat without cooking. Before they open the bag, they crunch the noodles into small pieces. Then they open the bag, find the small seasoning packet, sprinkle it on, and - yummy - a savory snack) and juice are staples at most picnics.
No Bhutanese meal is complete without potatoes.
The giant cucumbers.
Scott going through the lunch line first because he had to run to teach class.
The students bring their own plates and mugs and bowls.
Look at the trough of rice. Only half of that was consumed by the over 450 eaters. Bhutanese do love to eat rice, but not that much.
After the somewhat botched King’s visit – botched in the sense that the eager students didn’t get to perform their much-practiced dances and songs – the King bestowed upon our school a lump of money. To be exact, His Magesty gave the school Nu. 45,000, which roughly equals US$1,000. That’s a lot of money here. The gift of money, called a solrey, was solely meant for one thing. You might be guessing the money was for the school library or for repairing the broken windows in the classrooms or for getting every classroom a decent blackboard. No. The money was to be spent on an all-day school-wide picnic. When the principal made this announcement during morning speech, the students went wild. There is nothing that excites students as much as the thought of a picnic, during a school day no less.
In preparation for the big day, the staff had a meeting to assign jobs – shopping, storekeeper, vegetable cutting, cooking, entertainment. I was put on double duty as a vegetable cutter and photographer (by the sheer fact that I have a camera and take pictures). The older students were also given jobs and responsibilities, which they absolutely love. The way these events work is that the teachers are given tasks and they are meant to do them somewhat, but it’s the students who really get the job done.
The kicker was this – the students and teachers could come to school that day in pants and shirts, not in their typical National Dress. Most students embraced this and arrived in jeans and shorts, but some students still came in ghos and kiras. When I asked them why, some answered, “It’s a rule to come to school in National Dress. It doesn’t feel right to wear pants and shirt.” A few other girls admitted that they felt embarrassed to let the boys see them in pants and shirts.
On the morning of the picnic, music could be heard all over upper market. The principal had borrowed a real speaker for the event. Also borrowed was a big tent, under which an alter was set up. When I arrived, things were already in full swing. Giant pots were already being stirred, vegetables were being peeled and cut. Kids were running around everywhere as happy as could be.
The day was a huge success. With much encouragement from the principal and the vice principal, I took over 500 photos that day. Every moment had to be captured after all since a letter would have to be sent to the King with photo evidence of the day. The students were all given tea and biscuits at the right time, juice and maggi an hour or so later, and then a huge lunch with options such as beef, pork, chicken, and egg, as well as the usual offerings. Below are some images of what goes into feeding over 450 people.
Those are all chilies.
Maggi (ramen, which the students eat without cooking. Before they open the bag, they crunch the noodles into small pieces. Then they open the bag, find the small seasoning packet, sprinkle it on, and - yummy - a savory snack) and juice are staples at most picnics. 
No Bhutanese meal is complete without potatoes.
The giant cucumbers. 
Scott going through the lunch line first because he had to run to teach class. 
The students bring their own plates and mugs and bowls. 
Look at the trough of rice. Only half of that was consumed by the over 450 eaters. Bhutanese do love to eat rice, but not that much.
posted by Siapiau | 4:48 PM
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