Lovely Easter

On a brilliant blue and sunny Easter Sunday, my friend and I went to church, which is at/in the Koolau Golf Club half an hour from here. We took the luxurious shuttle bus, and the large and beautiful former golf club house half bought by the church was stunning. Coffee and breakfast breads after in the waterfall atrium.

For dinner, we went to Olive Tree, the Greek cafe. Souvlaki lamb was my main, with Greek yoghurt/mint sauce, and yummy Greek caviar was the starter, with pita. Despite the disparaging remarks in the Ono Kine Grindz blog, this restaurant has long lines nightly, and has for at least the 17 years my friend has lived here.


Masterpiece Theater presents Jane Austen's Emma tonight, so a great ending to a lovely day.

Bhutan update: today's paper has an article on the new parliamentary elections in Bhutan! This from last year gives more. Very meaningful after the film experience. Who knew there was an ideal country somewhere in the world, free and happy (GNH: Gross National Happiness index!), but still limiting tourists. What will democracy to/for them? Stay tuned!

Film from Bhutan

My friend and I went to the Friends of Film Friday at the Doris Duke theater tonight to see the first in a Bhutan film festival, DRUK GE GOEM (THE GUEST), Director: Kinley Dorji. Bhutan, 2006, 103 mins. The director's wife wrote the screenplay and starred, and other relatives took parts--saves on costs!

"While on a trekking tour in Bhutan, Michael, a New Yorker, is separated from his group and injured in a [foggy!] forest. While the tour company, the army, and locals search for him, a yak herder girl named Tshomo—who has never met a foreigner before—comes to the rescue. Their attempt to communicate with each other is amusing yet poignant. The two fall in love, but when the authorities and Tshomo's angry uncle discover Michael, he must return to New York. Months later, Tshomo's uncle wants her to marry a young man from their village and the auspicious date is fixed—but will Michael return?"

There was a speaker, Tsewang Nidup, who is giving guided tours of "the Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Art of Bhutan" exhibition at the museum, who told us so mnay fascinating things about the development of film (since 2000) in Bhutan.

It was very good--the foreign actor being the worst among them, the Bhutanese were naturals! A wonderful experience!