At the recommendation of Rinpoche, I had a wonderful meeting with a high ranking official with many years experience in the education system here. He is working on some very interesting education reform projects himself and I found the conversation both stimulating and challenging. Reform is never easy. It's like mounting a revolution, any educationist will tell you. He gave me some sage advice and loaned me two interesting books: Leading Out: The True Purpose of Education (Ritinjali, 2010) by Arun Kapur of the Vasant Valley School and Dominique Side's textbook on Buddhism for classrooms (Philip Allan Updates, 2005). I hope our lively discussion will continue. He also told me that his aunt is here in Bhutan from Berlin. She is a dear friend who was my tent mate during the filming of Travellers and Magicians back in 2002. He said she's on a trek right now and I just love the idea of her far out in the mountains but on her way back so that I can see her. Last time I saw her we rode our bikes to a river in Berlin and released little paper boats in which we had written down our wishes. Now I need another little paper boat (biodegradable of course) for my current most fervent wish: new education alternatives for the youth of Bhutan.
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