The rains have begun

The monsoon season seems to have arrived, and none too soon.  Many areas of Thimphu, including the hospital, were without water for almost two weeks, having only the water that was stored in cisterns or (if they were lucky) came in for about an hour a day.  Fortunately, my apartment has had plenty of water, but at the psychiatric ward where I’m working, we've had to "flush" by dumping pitchers of water from a bucket into the toilet – a squat toilet!  So glad to have water flowing again, but I'll never grow to love the squatter. 

Main road through town quickly turned into a river

The rains have begun with a vengeance: the first real rain lasted for over three days and nights, often accompanied by loud thunder. After enjoying the past two days of sunshine, the heavens opened up again this evening, flooding the main road through town within minutes.  The road water will recede quickly as the rain stops, but the children’s soccer field will remain a muddy mess for quite some time.

This week I visited a local drug and alcohol rehab center in Serbethang, an area high above Thimphu.  It is a stark contrast to the shelter and administrative facilities for domestic violence.  Abused women engender much sympathy (and therefore abundant operating funds), while drug addicts do not.  The living conditions at the rehab center are rather poor, and the diet is basically rice and vegetables – not exactly adequate for promoting healing and recovery.  Despite the environment, the staff works hard to offer quality treatment and the patients there seemed appreciative.  I will be spending a day there soon doing groups for both their men’s and women’s

That's Thimphu city down below

programs. And while the accommodations may be a bit rough, they've got a million dollar view!