It’s autumn in the steamy Bhutanese border town of Phuentsholing. The monsoon rains have passed and dappled sunlight filters through trees along the Torsa River, which tumbles down from the snowy peaks of Tibet and flows through Bhutan and on to India.
The sound of giggling fills the air, and into the park run the twins – wide smiles, sparkling eyes, holding hands and laughing with the unbridled joy of three-year-olds let loose after long weeks in COVID lockdown.
Nima and Dawa, whose names mean ‘Sun’ and ‘Moon’ in Dzongkha, the language of Bhutan, are dressed in matching yellow sundresses. Their mother, Bhumchu Zhangmo, explains the colour choice: as with all girls, she says, Nima and Dawa “like to choose the clothes they want to wear”. She did think of suggesting they each wear a different outfit to have their photos taken for The Weekly, but she knew that would get her nowhere. “When we dress them up with different kinds of clothes, they get furious. They always want to wear the same dress.”
So now Bhumchu buys two of everything – or at least two similar dresses in the same colour. For their third birthday, on July 14, they received identical pink dresses with My Little Pony designs, and they were delighted! There was also birthday cake and their favourite foods: “They love eating joktang [potatoes] and drinking fresh, local milk.
“We celebrated their birthday in our traditional way as well,” Bhumchu adds. “We lit butter lamps for them and wished them a long, healthy life” – something Nima and Dawa now seem very likely to enjoy.
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.
Coming up roses
Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.
Time to celebrate our mothers
Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.
From one mum to another
Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.
Amother's GIFT
In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.
