First days at work

My first order of business was to get my visa extended from the 30-day max done at the airport to the full time I will be here and apply for my official work permit. This was all done with the help of a woman at the hospital where I will be working.  The hospital

Main building of National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH)

itself is large, consisting of a number of buildings. My eyes were probably popping as I made my way around the hospital that first day trying to find her office.  Throngs of people everywhere, lined up, sitting down, walking about. Unable to find her office on my own, I began asking directions. First I was sent upstairs, then downstairs, then back up again, finally to find it and learn been delayed and would be back soon.  

Bhutanese time runs on a very different clock. After that phase of the paperwork was accomplished, I met with the hospital psychiatrist. We were repeatedly interrupted by patients who'd come in to his office, talk with him for a few minutes, perhaps receive a prescription, and move on. Next, I walked a short ways to a few smaller buildings where the psychiatric unit is located. It is two stories -- drug and alcohol detox upstairs and general psych downstairs -- and is staffed by several nurses, a detox counselor, and a young counselor who is apprenticing there after completing his bachelors program.  Let's just say it doesn't look or operate anything like a similar place in the U.S.  It was late and work here ends at 3pm so I headed home where I was met by a driver and two women from Renew who took me into the main town to get some fresh produce and buy my first kira, the traditional outfit worn by Bhutanese women. The bottom half of the outfit is comprised of an intricately wrapped skirt made from a variety of woven fabrics, and held tight with a woven belt.  On top is a jacket with a blouse, both having very deep cuffs of contrasting patterns, held closed with a decorative brooch.  The fabrics, patterns, and colors are exquisite, with prices ranging from about $15 to hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. 

I was met at home by a woman who runs a travel agency.  I’d brought her some things she needed from the states, and she came to pick them up with some homemade egg-filled pastries. We made a plan to go out the next day for her to show me some of the best places to shop. I bought another kira with her at a much better price. The traditional wrapping is quite tricky and so I will bring both kiras to a tailor tomorrow to be fitted with a “hook system” and will post photos of them when they’re done.

Today I saw my first two patients.  There are no appointments. Patients are most often referred by the psychiatrist, and just come over to the clinic when they choose. There is no clock, no 50-minute hour; we just talk until it feels complete. And blessedly little paperwork. Counseling is a new concept in Bhutan, and I get the impression that some people come for help expecting some sort of magic instant fix from the exotic foreign “doctor.”  I only wish I had one.  Anxiety is surprisingly prevalent here, and tomorrow morning I will attend the Anxiety Clinic, a group entirely devoted to treating this problem.