Quality Education in the Benedictine Tradition.

search

Bearcats on the Road

People of Bhutan

Posted by Samuel Geer on Fri, Jul 08, 2016 @ 12:00 PM

The past several days have been filled with a plethora of cultural experiences with locals in and around campus. While simply walking down the street can tell you a lot about the Bhutanese people, it is something else completely to spend significant amounts of time talking with a Buddhist monk or staying with a family. Luckily, I’ve been able to do both of those things in the span of a few days.

Kekela_Prayer_Flags.jpg

As part of a field exercise, we traveled to a nearby monastery where a major Bhutanese religious figure was believed to have visited 1,300 years ago. This monastic community was in many ways like the one I’m used to at Saint Vincent, and in other ways, so very different.  None of the monks spoke English, so we had to communicate through translators who helped us pose our questions. We were welcomed with hospitality by the monks who dressed in dark red and orange robes with sashes across their chests that ranged in color from yellow to purple. For my time with the monk, I asked him two questions: what did he find most rewarding about his monastic lifestyle and what advice he had for a young American man? First, he told me that in his prayers and spiritual aid of others, he was able to help a lot of people he’d otherwise never be able to help. As for the life advice, he spoke for about three straight minutes. How much of the final product I got in translation, I can’t be sure, but here is the short version of what he told me: 

“Be mindful of your actions and try to do the greatest good you can. Be careful of unmindful action and how it can hurt others. Give willingly. Don’t assume that others are always trying to take advantage of you, and instead, give with a loving heart. And be happy.”

The next day after my visit to the monastery, I had the rare opportunity to visit the home of a local family with another student. We were paired with a local Bhutanese student who attends the local high school in Jakar. Our student, Tsherink, is in 11th grade at the high school and she hopes to one day be an accountant. She showed us around her home and around the town below. I got to hear what she had heard about the United States (she said she’d heard it was lots of big cities and people that had a lot of money), and I got to tell her a little bit about an American’s take on Bhutan. She was in awe when my fellow student and I showed her pictures of where we’re from. She was especially impressed when I showed her a picture of where I go to school (“it’s so beautiful” came up a few times). We finished the day with a dinner of rice, potatoes, assorted vegetables and chilies before heading back to campus. 

Neither experience was exactly in my comfort zone. It’s pretty hard to communicate when both parties have a limited understanding of what one another is saying, but they were experiences I’m extremely glad I had. Getting to interact with the locals up close has only reaffirmed my belief that they are some of the warmest and kindest people I've ever met. 

Oh, today I started my directed research surrounding the effects of forest management on several environmental factors on the top of a mountain pass, but I’ll save that for my next post.

Topics: study abroad, Samuel Geer, Bhutan, advice, monastery, monks

About this Blog

In Bearcats on the Road, students chronicle their lives while studying abroad or completing internships away from campus.

Michael Orange

 

How can you study abroad?

Study abroad learn how

 


Join the Community

Subscribe to this Blog

Schedule a Visit

Request Information

Apply Now to become a bearcat


Latest Posts

Bloggers 

Paige Casario

Paige Casario is a junior International Business major with minors in Spanish and Operational Excellence. She is studying Business and Spanish and living with a host family in Sevilla, Spain, for the spring semester. She is very excited for this opportunity and experience and can't wait to venture all over Spain and Europe.

Nicole Reitz

Hi! My name is Nicole Reitz and I’m a junior psychology major at SVC. This spring, I’m studying at Edge Hill University in England.

Gianna Boburka

Hi! My name is Gianna Boburka. I am an international business major with minors in operational excellence and entrepreneurship. I will be studying abroad in Thessaloniki, Greece, this summer for five weeks. In addition to taking two classes abroad, I will be exploring many different sites around Greece.

Theresa Thimons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theresa Thimons is a sophomore majoring in mathematics. She is the proud little sister to nine siblings and aunt to seventeen nieces and nephews. Theresa believes that each encounter she has with another human is an opportunity to better understand the heart of Jesus, as every person is the result of God’s love. In whatever career path she ends up taking, she looks forward to solving problems and hopefully inspiring more people to explore the world of fun that is found in math.

Sam Geer

 

 

 

 

 

 

My name is Sam Geer. I’m from Murrysville, Pennsylvania, and I’m a junior at Saint Vincent. I’m getting my major in Environmental Science and minoring in Public Administration. I’m a work study at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve and am a member of the Benedictine Leadership Studies Program. This summer, I'll be traveling to Bhutan in the Himalayas of Central Asia, home of the bearcat, where I’ll be studying environmental sustainability and Bhutanese culture. 

Gabrielle Kohl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi! Im Gabrielle Kohl, an avid reader who loves to travel around the world! I love to experience new culture, literature, people and food. I aim to make a positive impact in the lives of people with whom I interact in order to make the world a happier place.

Nicole Berry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi! My name is Nicole Berry and I am currently a junior studying communication and psychology. I also am minoring in children studies. I am a commuter and currently live in Delmont, PA. I am hoping to graduate in May 2017 and go on to graduate school for my Masters in Social Work and Juris Doctorate.

Anastasia Jaeger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anastasia Jaeger is a junior English education major with a minor in German and a minor in peace and justice. She has always dreamed of being able to travel around the world and is thankful that Saint Vincent College has these opportunities available to students. When she is not at college, she is likely working her part-time job at a local bakery. In the future, she hopes to travel more and do humanitarian work or teach high school students English.