Directed Research Is On!
Final exams are over but research has just begun. Today was the first day of data collection for our Directed Research class and I thoroughly enjoy it. Class this morning consisted of photographing every dog I came across in town, so I’d say things are going pretty well. I am studying the demographics of the stray dog population in the urban center of Paro as well as the more rural Drugyel Dzong. We have the freedom to make our own schedules and I was done with all of my work by mid-afternoon, leaving the rest of the day open. The local people of Paro have been happy to see SFS students out and about and are excited to ask us about our research.
Last night we went to Thimphu to see Bhutan’s national soccer team face off against Oman. It was the first national sporting event for many of us and it was incredible! We cheered with people from all across Bhutan (the monks were the loudest) and despite Bhutan losing 2-4 the crowd was happy for the entirety of the game, even when Oman scored.
We only have 3 weeks left here and while I’m excited to go home, I’m going to miss everyone here: the staff, members of the community, and especially the students. We have all been together all day every day for nearly 3 months now and the quality of relationships that we’ve formed is unforgettable. I look forward to these last few weeks we have with each other and have already started planning trips to visit these truly amazing people in the near future.
Photo courtesy of Riamsara Knapp
Photo courtesy of Greg Francois
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