5. december

Today was also a cloudy day - the sky is almost covering Thimphu like a roof and it is colder than I have experienced before. People say that it might snow soon in Thimphu - the snow is visible on the mountain tops (whenever we can see them for the clouds). Normally they don't get a lot of snow here - just a little bit, which melts as soon as the sun comes out. I wouldn't mind missing the snow this time around, but as long as my plane can take off on Saturday all is well ;-)

On my way to work this morning I suddenly heard an ambulance - or so I thought. It turned out that it was the garbage truck! Many people were waiting along the road with baskets and plastic buckets and they gave the full ones to the men and got an empty one back. Some came with plastic bags as well. Now that it is autumn many trees are losing their leaves - just like at home, and every morning I see women walking the streets, gathering all the leaves together and putting them in plastic bags. They use some very strange looking brooms - I have seen them used in many places so I assume they are really good ones.

Kinley is back! That is really nice - she is so friendly. And Karma Dorji has left this week to teach somewhere else. We said our goodbyes last week. Kinley told me that she will be going to Sri Lanka later this week to take part in some kind of course (2 weeks). She was really happy about that :-)

When I arrived at my desk this morning I found a book waiting for me - another Ken Follet - and also one I haven't heard as mp3! Fantastic - I can't wait to start reading. Maybe I'll try to save some of it for my journey back. I have 8 hours of waiting in Bangkok so I guess I will really appreciate a book then! We'll see if I can wait that long…… Of course it was Carsten, the sweet soul, who had found it and remembered that I love Ken Follet's books. He is my hero! Later in the morning he came by and gave me a Christmas card! That made me long for Denmark and my family! I am grateful to work with Carsten here - I couldn't hope for anybody kinder and easier to work together with.

Just to try something new for lunch I went to Bhutan Suites (where I am staying on my next mission here) to try their vegetarian restaurant. It was GOOD!

I worked all day on a vision and mission statement for the new Technical Teacher Training Centre in Gelephu, which is to be finished in 2013. One of my tasks here is to come up with a plan and priorities for the centre - to make it operational. Not an easy task in my opinion! I will need all my mental power and creativity to solve this one. But I have started - and will see if there is somebody I can talk to about it tomorrow!

When I came back to my room I had 2 men here - repairing a door that had fallen off ;-) But when I came they took the door and left - good thing it wasn't the front door to the room ;-) I think they will finish it tomorrow - no problem with me - I still enjoy this huge apartment, also with a missing door!