First come the high, clear notes of a ceremonial trumpet, then the Buddhist pilgrims move toward the sound. The sun has set behind the mountains over Thimphu, and the day’s final ritual is set to begin. Along the edges of the crowd stand peasants, some of whom have taken three day to get here from their remote villages. For many, this is their first visit to the big city, likely the only capital in the world without a single traffic light.
As the rhythm accelerates, the boy-- seven-year-old Kinzang Norbu--throws rapidly on himself to the ground. The music from the speakers is not Buddhist chants but rather pop star Shakira’s song “Hips Don’t Lie” playing from a white Macintosh laptop computer. And when Norbu spins to a stop in a no-hands headstand, his bright orange, knee-length shirt rides up to reveal a temporary tattoo that spells out. In one spectacular performance, Norbu has displayed the essence of a country that is attempting the impossible : to jump from the Middle Ages to the 21st century without losing its balance.