Pictorial Pop Quiz

{ed. note: for those followers that follow along without those silly e-mail links, this post is highly linked to the Day 11 post, since most of the Q's relate to Day 11 activities}

THB wants to see how well his followers can do with the most basic of questions, using pictures. 

As always, you are self-scoring. Top scorer wins a beautiful welcome shawl (unless you have been found to have colluded with Russians, Spaniards, Australians, Ukranians, Zambians, or anyone who speaks Bhutanese)

Ready, set, go!!

Okay, not yet: THB is making it very easy on you, the answers will follow the questions in this same post.  Remember, no colluding. 

Colluders will be automatically disqualified and then nominated for high ranking official positions in one or more of the following entities: the former UK (if you apply after March 29, 2031), North Carolina state office (you pick whichever office you want, they are all available...please, no using high school pictures in your bio), any countries not affected by climate change, and the SPLC (please, only if you are able to spend down the endowment while also drastically reducing the marketing budget).

Ready, set, GO now, go now!!!

1. What are THB and DB wearing?

2. Does anyone under the age of 90 recognize what these are?

3. And this odd looking thing on the left, what is it?

4. How many rooms does the GG Lodge have?

5. What kind of bird is this?

6. Que es eso?

7 Name this deity

8: what is this used for?

9. What's going on here?

10. What kind of bird is this?

 Take a 5 minute break. Or 10 minutes. Or just move on to purgatory, stay there as long as you like.

11a. What are these figures?

11b

12 Name one oddity about this picture

13. Who are these people and what is going on?

14: What's going on here?

15. Found on the side of the path...what could it be?

This is exhausting. Take another 5 or 10 minute break. Need a boost? Skip to the answers...NO COLLUDING!!

16. Do the Bhutanese give houses names?

17. THB has been worried about bots shooting up the number of hits on the blog (even though THB has zero sponsors who would pay money based on hits). Stop now and key in the shape of this lichen...

18. What are  this guy and his compatriots doing...next pic is a clue!

Clue to Q18

Clue to Q18

Clue to Q18 (enough clues already)

19. Which direction did THB go?

20. What does this structure remind you of?

You are getting near the end. Take another 5 or 10 minute break. Need a boost? Remember to hand your test to a proctor that will up your score by 200-400 points and you'll be able to get into the college of your parents' choosing. NO COLLUDING of any kind allowed (meaning your parents bought the services of the proctor without your knowledge...wink, wink...if you buy this story you are probably not prepared for college anyway). 

21. Any idea what this is and what it is used for?

22. Would you trust your architect after seeing how the design was playing out on your new home?

23. What is this bird's species and what is this (injured) bird's name?

Hint for Q23

25. Who is this?

THB thought you might like some answers without questions...give yourself another 10 pts for looking at the next three answers. Deduct 5 pts for not looking at the next three answers

Red billed chough...only SP would get this one

True: it is ginger shampoo; only those of you were extra-keen smell organs would've got the answer on this one...or those that hold the screen shots really close to your nose

The "missing" bracelet from the blessing by the monk at Amankora (this particular blessing translates as "thank goodness you are leaving, don't slam the door on your way out")

Okey Dokey!! Feeling pretty good about your answers? Here they are, remember absolutely no colluding, YOU will be punished to the full extent by the Attorney General of the United Travels of THB.

Q1. Duh: THB and DB are wearing jackets and pants, it's cold out. Give yourself 2 pts if you got this right. And add another point if you recognized those ultra-lightweight "Welcome Shawls" made of the cheapest of cheap materials, engraved with Good Luck wishes and also say "Aloha" on them in Bhutanese

Q2 One point for water bottles, three points for something really creative

Q3 Sorry, it is dim in the hallway: it is a do not disturb sign! 5 pts for getting this right, -2 pts for a creative answer that wasn't near as good as the real answer

Q4 THB thinks 12 because that's our room and THB can't find any room keys with a larger number. 2 pts if you got it right 

Q5 We'll have to wait for SP to id this puppy. Give yourself some pts if you gave it a shot...

Q6: a soap dish that doesn't quite fit for the odd shaped soap here. 3 pts for the right answer

Q7 THB is going to have go back to school...this deity is one of thousands, there's no way he knows the answer to this one. 2 pts if you made any sort of silly guess

Q8: Burning incense. Since THB had already pub'd this, give yourself 108 pts for having paid attention while looking at the blog posts

Q9. Monks' quarters are being replaced at this monastery, this is a pic of the quarters soon to be torn down

Q10: Some of you went obvious, it's a crow, 1/2 pt; if you answered the National Bird of Bhutan, give yourself 23.7 pts (even if this is the wrong answer); those that identified as a Temple Crow, 55 pts

11a and 11b are portraits mocking French revolutionists of 1848 that someone snuck in behind the prayer wheels in the monastery THB visited on the auspicious date of March 25, 2019. Nirvana forever and 500 pts if you got this one right (and THB also awards you a third eye) 

11b: good work!! Same answer, no points

Q12 What else could it be: this deity has playwood for a torso, 3 pts

Q13: THB will give you 5 pts if you came up with the hottest Bhutanese girls B-Pop group's name; they are tryiing out their latest songs, dancing in rhythm, lead singer second from left

Q13 cont'd: these are wooden pounding devices, the female neighbors get paid for helping to build an old-fashioned set of dirt-and-rock based walls for a new house. 10 pts 

Q13 cont'd: The women do sing current Bollywood numbers as they coordinate their efforts. Tashi gave them betel leaves and nuts as an offering for letting us take their pics; they started doing their numbers in double time

Q14:  It's good luck to plant a tree on top of the front door; 5 pts for correct or nearly correct answer

Q15 Someone tossed a dart game target off to the side of the path; 10 pts if you mentioned darts and 5 pts if you mentioned archery

Q16. THB has no clue other than there are no Bhutanese signs anywhere for anything, including hotels, restaurants, towns etc. 5 pts for just thinking about this for more than 3 seconds

Q17. Metaphysically, give yourself 1,000 white marbles (merit badges) if you thought of something remotely Buddhist, otherwise take one black marble away from THB's large stack

Q 18, A crew has set up a mobile sawmill in the middle of the forest and go from cutting a tree down to making great looking planks en situ. 52 pts if you figured it out

The crew's tools, though THB thinks it is now unrelated and this is a clue to another Q

Q19. As always, THB is turning to the left..it's getting mighty lonely out here. 18.5 pts if you want to keep THB company

Q20. If you know in your heart of hearts that you have a clean thoughts, zero points. If you know in heart of hearts you are thinking right (or left) along with THB, minus 50 pts. If you know in your heart of hearts that you want to win this contest and make your parents proud, give yourself as many points as it takes

Q21: These are pine needles (take 2 pts). Locals go foraging and collect them up in big quantities, spread them under the cows in the cow sheds and then when ripe with cowenploppen it is, voila, great fertilizer to use in the fields. 15 pts if you gave a complete answer

Tashi explained later, when we saw a different group resting on the side of the path, about collecting pine needles and that group had paraphernalia like this 

Q22. You can't fire the architect since it is most likely designed by the person who is building this oddity to live in. Of course, it may not be a house! 35 pts for any creative answer

Q23. This injured black-necked crane's name is Karma....460.32 pts if you intuited the answer, double pts (920.64 pts for those of you that don't know how to use the calculator app on your phone or pc) if you cheated. The conservation center is feeling the Bhutan building boom (just like everywhere we've visited) and is constructing a brand new house for Karma right next door to his curreent abode. Even a crane is upgrading!

A still taken of the video in the center that glorifies the conservation efforts

THB is willing to recognize any test taker that noticed there was no Question 24. Your application to Nirvana will be fast-tracked. 

Sooooo cute! Or as one of their many outfits said: Buy 1, Get 1 Free

Q25: #6 in waiting...soooooo cute! 862 pts if you got this one right