A Chorus Member in Love
By Joshua Lintz, guest blogger and UTEP commercial music major
Today was one of the hardest days of this entire trip for me, which is saying a lot considering all through the first 72 hours I felt like I was going to explode from a sinus infection I had from my terrible allergies.
Today was hard for several reasons. The first was the weather. In the morning the sky was clear and the sun bore down on us for three hours, subsequently burning all of my exposed flesh to a crispy red, and quickly sapping any energy or patience I had. The heat also threw our instrumentalists for a loop as it actively unturned and scorched both people and instruments.
However, by the end of our lunchtime, the clouds, rain and wind came in and brought a chill with them. This ground rehearsal to a halt for all too long, and again, the instruments were under attack as the oboe and bassoon players struggled to keep their instruments warm.
When we signed up for this project we all knew there would be plenty of struggle and strife, but I don’t think any one could have told us how hard we would fall in love with Bhutan. Today was one of the hardest days of this trip for me because Catie McCorry-Andalis, dean of students, reminded us this morning that we are officially in the second half of our trip. Sure, I knew it was coming, but so soon? I have absolutely fallen in love with Bhutan: it’s scenery, culture, people and food.
In fact, the second you touch down in Paro the scenery steals your heart, especially after 24 hours on a plane and the gritty nature of Bangkok. The fresh mountain air invades your lungs and fills you with an unreal tranquility I could never hope to fully convey to anyone. Just standing on the airstrip nearly brought me to tears, and I had to fight the urge to ball all through customs.
Then you take a 90-minute bus trip through some seemingly untamed mountains speckled with centuries-old architecture, wooden stands selling chilies and apples, and wildlife that seems to not have a care in the world. The locals have a similar attitude.
The pace of life here feels so right. When I’m not rushing from rehearsal to lunch and back (a process that takes every minute of the two-hour time slot given to us), I could just sit back and chew the fat with anyone who’s willing to sit in the vicinity. Here you don’t need a reason to be friendly; no ulterior motive to ask someone how they are or why they are in town. Their way of life is infectious, and I have met more incredible people than the days I’ve been here, some Bhutanese, some from Canada, Italy, Germany and other parts of the United States, and even some people who are students I’ve been going to school with for the last year-and-a-half to whom I’ve never spoken.
Bhutan takes whoever is in its borders and treats them to a taste of how life was years and years ago, where if you want to speak with someone, the best way to do it is to go and find that person and speak face to face. It’s through this close, intimate communication that I have gotten to know everyone on this trip a thousand times better. This doesn’t pertain to just people from UTEP either. I’ve met doctors, therapists, geologists and artists from all over the world here, usually over lunch, a time when chance meetings are commonplace. These people have inspired and moved me. Each had their own story and were willing to share it in full detail. Their lives and reasons for being in Bhutan were all so different, but they all had the commonality of love for other people. I assume it’s the food, or something in the food.
That’s something else I’m going to miss terribly. I proposed an argument to a friend who was struggling with the fact that he felt like a bad person because he was constantly frustrated with the long waiting times even though he was always happy with the people who served him. I reminded him that all the food is organic and freshly prepared, which cost a fortune in the United States. Here it is dirt cheap. I must say even I have to remind myself of this from time to time while waiting for the bill. If all the beauty and culture are not enough to make you add Bhutan to your bucket list, the food should be enough to get you over the hump.
Today was a hard day, but the hardest part is coming to the realization that I will have to leave here soon. Leaving Bhutan will be like losing your first love. Even if you never see her again, you know that she will forever be part of you; a piece of your heart that will never again be filled without her.
I can’t thank the people who made this possible for me enough. This is truly a life changing experience.
