Mika Pace - A Ski Instructor in a Buddhist Monastery
Summers in Bhutan
I'm Australian-Swiss and usually spend my winter seasons with Ski Cool in St. Moritz as both a ski and snowboard instructor!
My summers take me all over the place, but the place I have come back to for two summers now is Bhutan, where I am volunteering as an English teacher.
It's an absolutely amazing experience! Each year I have taught in a different monastery, teaching Buddhist monks, and this year my students are between the ages of 7 and 22.
Free Time With the Monks
To keep fit over the summer, I join in with the monks when they play volleyball and football and also love going hiking with them.
What makes my time in Bhutan so special is the time I spend with my students. When in the classroom I am a strict teacher - my favourite rule is that they have to do the same number of pushups as the number of minutes they are late - however outside of the classroom I am more like their sister. We eat together, go on field trips together, make fun of each other and help each other during the daily tasks that need to be done around the monastery. I have showed them many movies like “The Hobbit” and “Home alone” and in return they have taught me how to play “Mobile Legend” and football. Opposite to what you may guess, monastery life never gets boring - for example, during the World Cup, the whole monastery - 40 students, 4 teachers and the principal all stayed up together from 1-3am to watch the game!
What Bhutan Has Taught Me
One of the largest changes that I have noticed in myself when I leave Bhutan is the fact that many things that would have annoyed me before are no longer even an afterthought. In the monastery there is often not enough running water and we have had to go on some pretty epic “off the path” hiking just to fix the water system in the forest above the monastery. When I get back to the ski-cool apartment in St Moritz, sometimes there is no hot water after 8 instructors use it - but man - just having a running shower rather than showering from buckets is such a treat that I really don’t care. Also another great thing is washing machines - I can use one when I go into Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, but normally at the monastery my washing machine is 2 buckets and my stomping feet - plus some Hi Ibiza dance music to get me going!
Every day in Bhutan brings a new memory, a new friend or a new epic view of nature. The wildlife in Bhutan is really beautiful - there are birds with long blue feathers, dogs that look like dingos and mountains that really need ski lifts. Whether the day is rainy or sunny, busy or a holiday - each day gives me something new to call home and tell my parents about.
Between Two Worlds
Of course, I miss the winter too, and on days where I have to test all 40 students or mark their work, it doesn’t feel easy - but most of the time I don’t want to leave Bhutan. I live between 2 different worlds. Having grown up Buddhist myself, Bhutan fits my values, and is now also my second home. I have even been given the opportunity to teach my students a subject called “Buddhism in English” - and that is super cool because we get to have debates that are really complex and gripping - what is consciousness, why is attachment bad and what is death… I love watching them grow, learn new things and teach me more and more about my own perspective on life.
Throughout the 10 months I have spent in Bhutan in total, I have learned the language partially, learned to love the culture and also gotten accustomed to the INSANELY spicy food - which I now rarely find spicy - thankfully. I think the experience I am having now has become a part of me forever, as have the people I have come to know along the way. I am so excited for the next season at Ski-cool to start but I will also miss my students and friends in Bhutan every day.
In the Winters - St Moritz
I teach both Ski and Snowboard. I tailor my lessons just the way you like them – whether that be fast paced and technical or more leisurely, taking in the beautiful mountains as you learn. As a native Swiss - Australian I can give you a taste of Swiss culture with the added benefit of speaking fluent Australian English and Swiss German. I teach all ages and have also done specialised training in children's instruction, so feel free to bring your whole family! I aim to make my lessons fun and safe while also boosting your technique and making you feel confident on the slopes. So come along with me and I'll show you what makes the Engadine the top of the world!
Planning your winter in the Alps? Get in touch with our team to find the right instructor and make the most of your time on the mountain:
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