Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan
- It’s a memoir, personal text based on the writer’s recollection of her experiences in an
engaging way which informs the reader
- Seen as one of the first accessible pieces of writing + insights about Bhutan
- Some may argue that Zeppa is naive in taking on this task
- She was a Canadian woman alone in a very unfamiliar country
- Bhutan would have had very few tourists 20 years ago, today Western tourism is
increasing
TITLE: “beyond the sky and the earth”
➔ Term “beyond” touches on the idea of delving into unknown parts of the world and travelling
further than what is familiar and known to both the reader and possibly the author as well
◆ I.e author is sharing their personal experience with the aim of targeting and informing
Western society of parts of the world they would have had very little connection to
“Mountains all around, climbing up to peaks, rolling into valleys”
➔ Opens with striking description of mountains - they’re a defining feature of the country as one
of the first things she notices
◆ Significant impact the landscape has had on her sheds light on the experience of
Bhutan for an outsider (which informs a Western audience who are most likely as
unfamiliar as Zeppa)
➔ Present participles heighten this description
◆ They personify the mountain as a way of vividly portraying the extensive landscape
“It is easier to picture a giant child gathering earth in great armfuls”
➔ what she’s seeing is incomprehensible for her, causing her to turn to and make a comparison
to what is familiar to both her and the reader in order to process these new encounters
◆ A picture which she hopes the audience will be able to envisage in order to obtain a
better understanding of the true depth of beauty Bhutan has to offer
➔ There’s a recurring theme of having to depict Bhutan in relation to other countries (for the
understanding and familiarity of Zeppa + reader)
◆ Almost undermines Bhutan’s individuality as its unique aspects are slightly
overshadowed by the Western perception and descriptions of it
“It took five different flights over four days to get here, from Toronto to Montreal, to Amsterdam to New
Delhi to Calcutta to Paro” “but I cannot sleep”
➔ Listing highlights the extensive length of the journey + therefore the exhaustion she must feel
◆ However, fact that she can’t sleep underlines the overwhelming effect of Bhutan’s
initial impressions
● Portray it as both breathtaking + awe-inspiring but also slightly threatening
and unnerving due to its unfamiliarity and distance it is from home (or
anything known to her)
“I watch mountains rise to meet the moon”
➔ Awe at the large scale of the mountains
◆ Imposing description hints at a fascination with them as well as feeling slightly
intimidated
➔ Notable as coming from Canada, she will have had a lot of experience with mountains before,
however coming to Bhutan even the mountains seem new and disconcerting
◆ The profound impact these ones are having on her hints at their particularly grand
and remarkable size and structure
- It’s a memoir, personal text based on the writer’s recollection of her experiences in an
engaging way which informs the reader
- Seen as one of the first accessible pieces of writing + insights about Bhutan
- Some may argue that Zeppa is naive in taking on this task
- She was a Canadian woman alone in a very unfamiliar country
- Bhutan would have had very few tourists 20 years ago, today Western tourism is
increasing
TITLE: “beyond the sky and the earth”
➔ Term “beyond” touches on the idea of delving into unknown parts of the world and travelling
further than what is familiar and known to both the reader and possibly the author as well
◆ I.e author is sharing their personal experience with the aim of targeting and informing
Western society of parts of the world they would have had very little connection to
“Mountains all around, climbing up to peaks, rolling into valleys”
➔ Opens with striking description of mountains - they’re a defining feature of the country as one
of the first things she notices
◆ Significant impact the landscape has had on her sheds light on the experience of
Bhutan for an outsider (which informs a Western audience who are most likely as
unfamiliar as Zeppa)
➔ Present participles heighten this description
◆ They personify the mountain as a way of vividly portraying the extensive landscape
“It is easier to picture a giant child gathering earth in great armfuls”
➔ what she’s seeing is incomprehensible for her, causing her to turn to and make a comparison
to what is familiar to both her and the reader in order to process these new encounters
◆ A picture which she hopes the audience will be able to envisage in order to obtain a
better understanding of the true depth of beauty Bhutan has to offer
➔ There’s a recurring theme of having to depict Bhutan in relation to other countries (for the
understanding and familiarity of Zeppa + reader)
◆ Almost undermines Bhutan’s individuality as its unique aspects are slightly
overshadowed by the Western perception and descriptions of it
“It took five different flights over four days to get here, from Toronto to Montreal, to Amsterdam to New
Delhi to Calcutta to Paro” “but I cannot sleep”
➔ Listing highlights the extensive length of the journey + therefore the exhaustion she must feel
◆ However, fact that she can’t sleep underlines the overwhelming effect of Bhutan’s
initial impressions
● Portray it as both breathtaking + awe-inspiring but also slightly threatening
and unnerving due to its unfamiliarity and distance it is from home (or
anything known to her)
“I watch mountains rise to meet the moon”
➔ Awe at the large scale of the mountains
◆ Imposing description hints at a fascination with them as well as feeling slightly
intimidated
➔ Notable as coming from Canada, she will have had a lot of experience with mountains before,
however coming to Bhutan even the mountains seem new and disconcerting
◆ The profound impact these ones are having on her hints at their particularly grand
and remarkable size and structure
