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Today, we began the training (because of the time difference, we were actually going head to head with the Oscars). We were overwhelmed by the response — twenty journalists were supposed to show up, forty three came. One drove “two-days journey” — she actually did in 15 hours by driving through until 3 am over the national highway, the road that hairpins through the Himalayas. Some of the journalists were brand new, but all took their craft amazingly seriously. We were a bit worried that we’d have to draw them out, needlessly so, it turned out. This was a group keenly aware of the history that is taking place in Bhutan, and in the important role they’ll have in shaping it. The sessions were long, but their attention hardly flagged.

We were questioned about everything from maintaining objectivity to how to handle accusations that black magic would be used in a campaign. But mostly, the input and the analysis was consistently thoughtful. In a discussion of ethics, we talked about the ABC reporters who won a Polk award for a series they did by posing as tourists in Myanmar. Was it ethical? Yes, they said, because the people of Myanmar wanted the story out — only the junta did not.

Not much time for tourism today, though we were able to walk through the town of Thimpu, which was bustling at 5 pm with children and workers on their way home. Even as a construction zone (the town is preparing for the coronation of the 28-year old fifth King of Bhutan, an event that will be roughly simultaneous with the seating of the country’s parliament in April) the town was beautiful. And unusal for a Southeast Asian or South Asian city, beggar and tourist free.