C-Virus, Holidays and School

Amidst the alarming and heavy doses of news of deadly corona virus, I survived a severe flu just within four days. Perhaps the local virus shied away sooner than usual this time. As I laid on the bed and held similar precautions as needed by the c-virus patient (except I was not completely isolated and did not get the media attention) that were advised by millions of experts through varied news channels and social media, deep inside I was wishing I was not the first Bhutanese victim.

 While there is hardly any space left in the social media for any other news in last couple of days and since I also have no access to any other media like radio, TV or print for the last few weeks, I have a lot of time to look around the vicinity. As always when I am here at this time of the year, Tulasa and I go for some walk especially on the dirt roads (avoid busy and narrow highway), passing through the beetle nut trees and small houses, which are quickly getting replaced by larger mansions. The ground is flatter, the open plain below is scenic and beautiful especially when you see from distance, and the temperature is generally soothing.  However this winter there is complain about the lack of enough sunshine. Local people blame climate change and the trans-boundary pollution for this prolonged gloomy winter. I tend to agree with them on both reckonings. Everyone else also say that this winter had been exceptionally cold. Did I hear this last year and also in the last to last year? Whatever may be the truth, my short escape from the chilly Thimphu to supposedly warmer south has not been as cheering as it could have been.

Of course life is generally quiet here (no stray dogs), people are busy with some agricultural work, though this is somewhat a lean season. Every household also has few cattle, goat, chicken and pigs to rear. Work never gets over in a Bhutanese village and they will never be able to shut the house completely even for more than twelve hours. So the entire family cannot dream to go for holidays or pilgrimage, even if they could afford. Someone has to look after the house all the time. In the last one week or so when I am here, I see parents of school going children are particularly busy as the schools are about to reopen after a long winter recess.  Despite hopes expressed by few stakeholders to delay the reopening owing to Wuhan crisis, silence from Ministry of Education was loud enough and the schools are opening as scheduled. Perhaps those posts were from some teachers who have not finished their winter chores or this aspiration could be from lazy students who wanted to enjoy the ‘freedom’ a bit more. But I am sure the parents, who are tired of managing untamable kids during the last two months, would not like to be a party to this conspiracy.  This reminded me of some hopeful calls that I receive from my staff and students in the early mornings of first snowfall in Thimphu!! Thanks to our culture of declaring first snowfall a holiday.

I hear that quarantine services at the only airport in Paro has intensified, and our Chinese brethren are targeted, not here in Bhutan but throughout the world, as if they themselves are the highly contagious virus. Here down-under we have open border, and thousands go in and out every day. As the schools are about to reopen hundreds, if not thousands, of Bhutanese parents are visiting the towns across the border for last minute shopping. With the new relaxation of five years old getting admissions from this year, the excitement is running high with both parents and kids, while the shopkeepers across the border are having the last laugh of the season! Just in my family here, there are two boys trying to fit into new ghos, and their older siblings helping them put the covers in their tiny notebooks. I think this was much needed change. Unlike in the past, living conditions are better today and there are fewer kids to care of in the families. As a result they are physically healthier and mentally smarter and therefore ready to start learning early. I see both these boys in this village house are comfortable operating smart phones; they download games and engage for hours in all sorts of fun that they find in the virtual world in this small device. Young parents who are mostly school drop outs have no idea as to how this is destroying their kids’ tender brains. So this new decision from the government gives everyone some comfort that at least now in the schools they will use their time in learning and divert their attention to textbooks and reduce the exposure to these dangerous devices that we all have also become victim of.

Until the Sun shines brighter, adieu!!