Bhutan embraces jeans, TV, cellphones, dance bars - 0 views

• 
  #1 tonercartridge on 19 Jan 18

   

  THIMPHU, Bhutan - For decades Bhutan had no television, no traffic lights and a culture that had barely changed in centuries.
  
  But bars now dot the capital, Thimphu, set in mist-covered mountains, while teenagers crowd internet cafes to play violent video games, and men smoke and gamble in snooker halls.
  
  There are still no traffic lights after residents protested against the installation of one, but otherwise the once-isolated Buddhist country tucked between India and China is changing, and bringing the modern world's problems in its wake.
  
  Inside a gaudily lit dance club, guests watch a 38-year-old woman swaying to the songs they choose, usually traditional folk music but sometimes a Bollywood number or two.
  Lhaden, a divorced mother-of-two, dances until midnight, and like thousands of her compatriots, is struggling to make ends meet.
  
  "I'm not happy or sad about things, I have no other choice," said Lhaden, who only has one name.
  
  Bhutan measures its national wealth by a Gross National Happiness index aiming to build a contented, fulfilled society. But Lhaden, who earns $125 a month, is counting the pennies.
  Kyocera FS 6525 Drum
  http://wxq-5.com/a/qi_qushi/20180118/321.html
  
  "I live in such a small apartment so I can afford food and clothes."
  
  Signs of change are everywhere, pulling the country of snow-capped, jagged mountains, forests, rivers and clean air into the modern world.
  
  Smoke billows from construction sites across the country and a giant bronze-and-gold Buddha statue that commands the entry to the Thimphu valley now shares space with modern telecom towers.

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">THIMPHU, Bhutan - For decades Bhutan had no television, no traffic lights and a culture that had barely changed in centuries. <br /> <br /> But bars now dot the capital, Thimphu, set in mist-covered mountains, while teenagers crowd internet cafes to play violent video games, and men smoke and gamble in snooker halls. <br /> <br /> There are still no traffic lights after residents protested against the installation of one, but otherwise the once-isolated Buddhist country tucked between India and China is changing, and bringing the modern world's problems in its wake. <br /> <br /> Inside a gaudily lit dance club, guests watch a 38-year-old woman swaying to the songs they choose, usually traditional folk music but sometimes a Bollywood number or two. <br /> Lhaden, a divorced mother-of-two, dances until midnight, and like thousands of her compatriots, is struggling to make ends meet. <br /> <br /> "I'm not happy or sad about things, I have no other choice," said Lhaden, who only has one name. <br /> <br /> Bhutan measures its national wealth by a Gross National Happiness index aiming to build a contented, fulfilled society. But Lhaden, who earns $125 a month, is counting the pennies. <br /> Kyocera FS 6525 Drum <br /> <a href="http://wxq-5.com/a/qi_qushi/20180118/321.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://wxq-5.com/a/qi_qushi/20180118/321.html</a> <br /> <br /> "I live in such a small apartment so I can afford food and clothes." <br /> <br /> Signs of change are everywhere, pulling the country of snow-capped, jagged mountains, forests, rivers and clean air into the modern world. <br /> <br /> Smoke billows from construction sites across the country and a giant bronze-and-gold Buddha statue that commands the entry to the Thimphu valley now shares space with modern telecom towers.</div>

  ...

  Cancel

To Top