Waking, dreaming, Punakha, Bhutan - Part 2.

Not nearly as royal as the purple Jacarandas in full bloom and on guard around the majestic Punakha Dzong, the tree outside my window has its own grace and job to do. Swaying in the gentle wind, this cross between a weeping willow, a tree fern, and bamboo provides shade for the hundred or so vendors beneath her branches. Everything and every action seems purposeful in a place where wealthy countries consider poor. The 4^th King of Bhutan H.M. Jigme Singye Wangchuck promotes a concept of �Gross National Happiness�, working to put cultural pride and satisfaction above financially-oriented gross national product � the barometer for most countries to judge their �success.� For a country that is supposed to be so impoverished, Bhutan appears to me to be one of the wealthiest countries on earth. Every meal I have is a feast (especially if you like chili peppers), water flows abundantly in every corner, people smile wherever I go and I�ve never seen anyone begging on the streets. The Dzongs � 17^th Century fortress-monasteries � are as magnificent and well preserved as any structure I�ve encountered anywhere in the world� and they are all in full use, bee hives of activity. The villagers who live in proximity of any Dzong mirror their vibrancy and glow with a sense of place.

So what is �wealth� anyway? Being here really brings that question home and makes me reevaluate how I judge my life�

Television was introduced here about 6 or 7 years ago� and has taken its time to get into homes that wish it. Many people like it and have it on a lot. The programming is a curious blend between several commercial channels from India � replete with Bollywood epic dance/dramas, the National Geographic Society nature/science channel, HBO, and a couple of Bhutan channels including BBS � Bhutan Broadcasting Service and a very culturally-oriented movie channel. All in all the selection seems innocuous enough, and when you watch adults, they seem to be transfixed for a few minutes after a TV is turned on and then lose their attention to things more interesting like talking and eating. Children on the other hand stay focused on the screen, hungry for something � the stimulation? Information? We�ll have to see how it affects the flow of this culture into the 21^st Century.

My faith was restored after hanging out with a bunch of middle school kids as they waited to be part of the festivities at the Dzong. Preparing for what was to be an amazing array of cultural performances, they were dressed in their traditional clothes � �gho� for the boys and �kira� for the girls � they one by one moved in closer and closer to me until we were in a joyful huddle, asking each other questions in English. Being a critical part of their school curriculum thanks to the King�s mandate, these teens spoke English with natural command, and were clearly trained in their native Dzonka language as well. Their bright eyes reflected their curious minds, as they asked me where I was from and if I liked Bhutan. It is obvious that they love their country with a natural pride and at the same time were very well educated about the rest of the world. When I told them I was a teacher in the health field, they asked me to question them on the subject. I was impressed with their knowledge of anatomy, which they cleverly segued into asking me about my tattoos � a looming question that they were too polite to ask without cause. Quickly a few mobile phones appeared from the natural pocket formed from they way a gho is worn and they asked if they could take my picture, convinced I was a movie star. They were a little bemused that my own Blackberry cell phone didn�t have a camera, even through the array of still and video technology hanging around my neck was worth more than most of their families make in a year.. I was in Bhutan as a diplomatic guest shooting a television documentary to help support the 25 year-old Truelku Jamgoen Rinpoche find funding to maintain his Sewala Monastery and the 85 young monks living and praying there. Part of the documentary also includes the Youth Development Fund who I�ve donated my custom-designed Mentor Ohana software to help support their exciting teen programs.

Hundreds of youth joined these middle school students to perform cultural dances for hundreds of adults in celebration of the grand opening of the new cantilevered bridge that links the river-island based Punakha Dzong with the village. Washed out by a massive flood, the 400 year old original bridge has now been replaced with a wonderful new one. It took a long time for this bridge to come into being, and not for any lack of willingness on the government�s part. It was the King who put the project on hold. He takes his role seriously and as the one who upholds conserving the culture for his kingdom, he would not approve any design that did not honor traditional design. The challenge was that the ancient design could not accommodate the new, wider river that was gouged out from the flood. In such a Bhutan-like move, a high-tech solution was merged with the original, cantilevered architecture and the new Punakha Dzong Bridge stands as a monument to the meeting of old and new. In his speech to the gathering, the new Prime Minister � the �first� PM of the new democratic government � so eloquently reminded the audience of the importance of this merging of cultural preservation with moving into modern times. This bridge is really symbolic of the new Bhutan. To me, Bhutan is taking a leadership role in the world in its own gentle way. By maintaining her cultural roots, by keeping her spiritual foundation strong by empowering the Buddhist Monastic Body, by putting self worth and self reliance high in the priority list, and by engaging judiciously with other countries to bring in technology for carefully planned growth, Bhutan is sending a message to the world to do some deep introspection on their own policies and visions for the future.