Radio Shangri-La_ What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth - Lisa Napoli [103]
The grand $450-a-night Taj Tashi hotel debuted in the center of town in the spring of 2008, and though it mirrors the Bhutanese-style architecture around it, its stateliness is a bizarre contrast to the rest of the buildings nearby. It caters mostly to visiting dignitaries and, at mealtime, an occasional sampling of the city’s small expat crowd. It features a spa, a pricey bar called Ara where you can order martinis, and a swank Sunday brunch buffet, not unlike any other elegant tourist hotel in the world. Critics have wondered if it is sacrilegious for the hotel to have used common Buddhist religious artifacts as hardware throughout the grounds, such as horns for door handles.
Sometime in 2010, the Bhutan Post intended to begin delivering mail residentially, after assigning the city’s first-ever street addresses. A postal code was also in the works; the absence of one can make sending packages from outside the country a challenge. FedEx now delivers to Bhutan, but posts a long list of restricted items.
There continues to be some confusion over how to refer to the four queens now that their husband is no longer king. Specifically, should the honorific Queen Mother be used for all four wives, or should that be reserved only for Ashi Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck, since she is the one who actually gave birth to the man who now reigns over Bhutan?
Rumors that the new king ordered the removal of painted phalluses from the sides of buildings throughout the country because some tourists found them offensive turned out to be unfounded. The phalluses remain.
And the authentic Bhutanese temple built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2008 for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival was acquired by the University of Texas at El Paso. UTEP’s president has been advised to check with astrologers about the most appropriate location on the grounds, as well as the most prudent date for the work to begin.
As for Bhutan’s new democracy: Their first session saw heated internal debate about sitting fees for members, what they should be paid over and above their salaries for the days they must appear in session. After criticism in the media, the idea of the fees was dropped, but the elected officials awarded themselves a car allowance, as well as a subsidy to pay for a driver.
A year into the first term, the National Assembly banned television cameras from covering their deliberations live. They argued that the complexity of the discussions confused the citizens. One critic said the parliamentary members’ real concern was that they themselves don’t really understand the issues and didn’t want their constituents to see. The National Council immediately reversed course and said they would continue to allow live coverage of their proceedings. Even in its infancy, democratic governance appears to be disappointing, if not polarizing, the people. “I didn’t expect they’d do anything except look out for themselves,” one young man said to me in the winter of 2009. “Only His Majesty has our best interest in mind.”
EPILOGUE: LOOSE MOTION
THE BRIGHT SUN DOESN’T QUITE OFFSET THE CHILL in the air, but the incline of the walk up to the giant Buddha statue makes it feel a bit more temperate. It is a few weeks before Kinga Norbu’s first birthday. He’s home with Ngawang, sick with a ferocious cold; Pema and I decide to take this Saturday jaunt anyway, even though they can’t come along. She’s wearing sweats and carrying a backpack, and we’re both wearing sunglasses and jabbering our way up the hill like the two old friends we are by now. We discuss Pema’s new job at an organic products manufacturer, men, the state of the world, and gossip involving our various mutual friends. Pema’s thrilled with the latest gift I’ve brought, a little Louis Vuitton purse. It’s another hand-me-down from my friend