Buttertea at Sunrise: A Year in the Bhutan Himalaya by Britta Das  (4)  £5.99

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Synopsis
Jamie Zeppa made a life-altering decision at the age of 24 when she left an academic career to join a two-year teaching programme for young Canadians in Bhutan. Bhutan is a notoriously difficult country to visit as a tourist, and the opportunity to live there was one Jamie could not ignore - despite apprehension about leaving her boyfriend and family behind. The first months were nightmarish and Jamie existed on a meagre diet of crackers and boiled water for fear of catching tape worm or worse. The unpronouncable language, bizarre local customs and basic living conditions all conspired to make her miserably home-sick but the young chidren she was supposedly teaching eventually took her in hand and taught her to cook on an antiquated gas stove: their grateful families gave her fresh fruit and vegetables and Jamie finally discovered that she was surrounded by friends in a beautiful location. Jamie Zeppa has written a book about the difficulties of living within an alien culture, far away from the security of "home". She tells, with humour, of the everyday prejudices she was forced to overcome as a white woman abroad and writes with genuine awe about the beauty of Bhutan.Her assessme

4 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (4 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: A beautiful book. Highly recommended, 1 April 2002 By  tess@soulsong.org.uk (Reading, UK) - See all my reviews I was looking for a book that really expressed what it was like to live as a westerner in Bhutan, rather than just visit there. I didn't want to read about mere places and locations, so much as listen at the feet of a storyteller who could tell me about a very special people, and their way of life. This book achieves that goal beyond my hopes. Jamie herself is very likeable, and I felt so honoured to be sharing her experience of teaching, and more often being taught by, the Bhutanese.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   5 of 5 people found the following review helpful: If you're going to Bhutan, read this book - great insight, 14 Dec 2000 By A Customer For anyone going to Bhutan, this book provides a fantastic insight into the culture, geography, religion and people of one of the most fabulous places in the world (I know, I've been there !). The story that unfolds is honestly told and doesn't pull any punches with it's ending. If you're not going to Bhutan it's still a good read.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   1 of 5 people found the following review helpful: a wasted oppurtunity..., 7 May 2003 By  dan williams (Kagoshima, Japan) - See all my reviews The subject matter of this book is indeed interesting, the culture beautiful and the story that unfolds compelling, but I feel that this book wastes the oppurtunites that the story held. Within the opening sentences I could see that this was going to be a difficult read with each revelation and "struggle" grating at me more. This book is written in the style of every English graduate I have ever met...which is no good thing. I think that as a gateway book to Bhutan it is useful, but for any international veterans out there, this book will disapoint and indeed frustrate.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 4 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews Far more than just a book about Bhutan Jamie writes wonderfully well, and her honest account of her life and love in Bhutan deserves to be read by many. Read more Published 4 months ago by A Hughes Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 4 customer reviews...