This blog is intended to be an international conversation about our neighborhoods. What makes a neighborhood? How are we defined by the places where we once lived, where we live now? What would others see if they had a glimpse of our neighborhoods? At the State University of New York at Fredonia, we started to ask ourselves these questions, and we wanted to post our descriptions and invite others to do the same. We are hoping for an album of neighborhood images and descriptions--and plenty of opportunities for questions, dialogues, and musing.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

I like to sit and watch people at the Clock Tower Square, which is right in the center of Thimphu. I took this photo from a bench. Behind me, there are several shops, a travel agency, a supermarket, not American style but a large by Bhutanese standards shop with lots of goodies such as yogurt, milk, local cheese, cereals, crackers and what not. In front, you see a few OK-quality hotels on the main through-fare of the capital, Norzin Lam. To the left, you can see some of the prayer wheels, which you turn to send messages of peace and joy to the universe, a common practice here. The air is thin, breathing could be difficult, for we are at 7800 ft up. But the air is clean and clear (see the clouds above the hotels) and breathing is fulfilling in a new sort of way -- every breath is not completely satisfying and you long for more air, just a bit.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Anatole,
    Thank you for this post and for your picture. Do you live near this bench? What is the local cheese like?

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  2. This seem like an interesting place to visit! I never heard of prayer wheel but it sounds very interesting

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  3. Hello
    This place seems very cool!! You've mentioned that there are many shops and places to eat, but are there any playgrounds? Are there ever big events in your neighborhood such as block parties?

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