Update: Day 6

My hosts planned for a hike in the late morning around Weston. We got ourselves dressed warm and went for the hike. It was an hour and half hike through the woods of Weston. It was a rather different experience to sweat in the snowy cold atmosphere. It was refreshing all throughout as we scaled the lands plotted by serpentine and hazy ancient walls...I would love to go again...

Update: Day 5

It was a great privilege to go to what is popularly known as "The Worlds Most Famous Arena"- MADison Square Garden. And it made us all MAD. we cheered the New York Knicks and they won. I cant word the difference between watching NBA Basketball on TV and Watching it right in front of your eyes.

Photos: Knicks Game

At Madison Square Garden

Outside Grand Central 

The train to NYC

                                                               Our Group in Grand Central

Update: Day 3 - 4

Its completely a different experience to observe and be a part of any Weston Classroom in the  Process. I saw miracles happening  in the Weston Classrooms and the teachers or any instructors are the miracle workers. This assertion should not sound like an exaggeration or a hype of any type. I have seen it happening at Weston, the most remarkable of things that I have only studied as a part of some highly acclaimed educational theories and ideas. I have seen all those great philosophies of teaching and learning in the most tangible form in the classrooms, corridors and auditoriums of Weston. These statements are however relatively made with most of the educational institutions that I have been a part of or seen in my part of the world.

 The classrooms here are equipped with the most latest technology and a variety of teaching aids. The lessons here are delivered in more the one medium.The class size  and the teacher - student ratios are so favorable for a high quality teaching and learning to happen. I have always associated school with Chalk and teachers life for "chalk and talk" but this was the first school in my life where I have not seen even a piece of chalk. They have instead something known as Smart Board and that really qualifies its name. It just kept me absolutely amazed. You can do absolutely anything on it. Its fun to be both teaching as well as learning here at Weston.

to be continued...

Photo: Sonam Wangchen in the Library

Update: Day 2

First Day At Weston High School

It was the first day at school on 27^th Jan. My host drove me to the school. We were bit late for our welcome and introduction session scheduled twenty minutes before the school. I was anxious on my way to school. Unexpectedly the principal of the school was there at the entrance outside of the school holding, I suppose a cup of coffee and wearing her most cheerful smile. She greeted us and we got introduced. She was such a charming lady that she made us feel welcome and very warm in the chilly cold morning.

They kindly assigned my students with classes according to their areas of interest. Likewise I was also given classes to go to and observe. The school offers a much diversified curriculum. We were given a spectrum of courses and curricula to select from. The Weston curriculum caters to the holistic development of the head, heart and hand of a child. All educational institutions strive to achieve this, but I have seen this happening in the most real sense at Weston.

I went around to about three classes on different courses. I was surprised by its striking ambiance for learning. They are the classrooms of the 21^st century. The whole modus operandi of teaching and learning is exemplary as far as my knowledge of education is concerned. At Weston it happens.

At the end of the day I felt like I was put into some kind of a time machine and launched hundred years ahead into time.

Photos: First Day Of School

Weston High School banner made by the Bhutan Club to greet the Bhutanese 

In art class

At Five Guys for their first American dinner. 

Update: Day 1

My first day at Weston

“The WOW thing...it's just wonderful...the white snow everywhere, the lofty naked trees, the timid sunshine peeping through the woods, the white smoke swelling up from the rooftop chimneys and blending with the white around, the squirrels looking for their squirreled nuts...and all of these greets me GOOD MORNING...it’s AWESOME...all of these were stuffs of my dreams... Thank you BHUTAN CLUB and this time I am not dreaming...”

The three host families namely (the Jacobs', the Pritskers', and the Babinski's) already had a plan through which to introduce us to their beautiful town of Weston. It was Sunday, 26^th Jan, an outing was charted to visit remarkably beautiful places around in Weston. We were taken first to a reservoir- a natural lake totally frozen on the surface, which spreads over a vast area. It looked like a vast ice desert. It was piercing cold outside that without gloves and hats one will not feel the existence of fingers and ears.

The next place of our visit was a restaurant with a slogan, “America Runs on Dunkin.” It is a very popular restaurant. There we had hot chocolates and donuts of our pick.

We also visited a beach on the south. It was too windy and very cold. There was very few people and dogs playing on the beach. We tried to collect the sea shells and chase the sea gulls. We saw light houses at a distance. All of these were things we saw before only in pictures and movies.

Next we visited Westport public library. It was a huge building with a spacious hall with books I suppose on every spheres of knowledge. This was the biggest library I have ever been to. The most fascinating thing happening there was Three-D printing. I or neither of my students have ever heard anything about it, forget about seeing it happen. We took photos and made videos to take the concept to Bhutan.

In the evening we were taken to a restaurant named “The Five Guys”. We were accompanied by seven other American friends from Weston High School. So it was the evening the ten guys went to the Five Guys. There we had the most American dinner. It was the first Hamburger experience at the place of its invention (Connecticut).

This is how our First American Day ended. It wouldn’t have been more wonderful than this. Thank you everyone who made this possible for us.

Photo: At The Airport

                         
                                 

Photos: At the Beach

Update: The Prelude

The Prelude

I was in Eastern Part of Bhutan for a very important personal work when I received a call from Mr. Namgay, from the REC saying that I was nominated for GNH Exchange Program to US. I just couldn’t believe it. Going to US would just mean so big a thing for any Bhutanese. And For a teacher like me such a grand opportunity would if at all, scarce come our way. I was just very much happy. But it was a troubled happiness because I was just nominated and there was also another teacher nominated from another school. I was called by REC office to immediately come to the capital to process my necessary documents at the same time to submit my Curriculum Vitae with supporting documents for the selection. I was there at a far corner of my country for a very important though personal work. I was in a quandary not being able to decide what I should do. But going to US is ‘once in a blue moon opportunity’ so how could I let it go. I quickly posted my CV and relevant documents through email.

After anxiously waiting two or three days, finally I got a confirmation of my selection. Then I rushed to the capital to prepare for the odyssey that I was to take as a chaperone.

At the capital the students were also selected based on their academic performance and the interview they sat with the Program Director, Mr. Namgay. A draft of our itinerary was also sent from the US. We were to travel from Bhutan to New, Delhi – India and Process our US Visas and if it’s confirmed then proceed to US via Amsterdam. The program though was purely official; we decided to travel on ordinary passports, so were required to sit for visa interview. The whole idea of applying and sitting an interview for US visa was fascinating as well as completely a new experience for all of us. We suffered from anxiety neurosis till we gave our interview. It was a wonderful opportunity and a new degree of exposure for us and more so for my young students.

We had a lot of valid supporting documents for our program so our Visas were approved. On 24^th Jan. we flew to US via Amsterdam. Yet my students were asking me, “Sir! Am I dreaming or am I awake? Are we really going to US?” It has been really hard to believe we were going to US. We landed at JFK, New York at about 4:00 PM in the evening of 25^th Jan. We were received very warmly by our host families and the organizing team.

Update: Bhutanese Students Arriving In The U.S!

We are very excited to announce that two Bhutanese students and one teachers will be arriving in the U.S. on January 25th. After numerous fundraising efforts, we have finally secured the financial support to fulfill our goal of creating the first exchange program between the U.S. and Bhutan. This coming group will spend approximately one month in Weston, CT, taking classes, traveling to New York City, giving presentations on their Bhutanese culture, and interacting with the Weston High School community. Once these students have arrived (and in the days prior) this blog will be very active with daily updates and pictures.