Travellers and Magicians

Dondup:
I'm going very, very far away. To the land of my dreams. That's where I'm going.

The Monk:
To a dreamland? You should be careful with dreamlands. Because... when you wake up, if may not be very pleasant.

Drunk Man:
So, where are you and your friends going?

The Monk:
[pointing to the appleman] Well, he and I, to Thimphu. [pointing to Dondup] That one, to a dreamland.

Drunk Man:
A dreamland? I want to go too.

The Monk:
Looks like you're already there.

Sonam's Father:
So, is it really true you're not coming back to the village?

Dondup:
I have a great opportunity to go to America. If I'm not in Thimphu tomorrow I may miss it.

Sonam's Father:
Will you go there for good?

Dondup:
I don't know, maybe.

Sonam's Father:
It must be very beautiful there.

Sonam:
I've heard they don't even know where Bhutan is.

Sonam's Father:
What a pity. I hope you'll come back to our village. We need young people like you. Why are you going there?

Dondup:
I can make lots of money.

Sonam's Father:
doing what?

Dondup:
anything. Washing dishes. Picking apples.

Sonam's Father:
Oh, picking apples?

The Monk:
So, you're giving up an officer's job to pick apples?

Dondup:
I can make a lot more money.

Sonam's Father:
Well, I guess you've made your mind up to go.

The Monk:
Just don't get lost there like Tashi.

The Monk:
Come and sit here... There's no point staring at an empty road.

The Monk:
You know... Buddha said hope causes pain.

The Monk:
The minds of human beings are so convoluted. What we hoped for yesterday, we dread today.

Dondup:
Monks and drunks - who can take them seriously?

Tashi:
Know what I heard? That in the next village there are lots of beautiful girls. And they're fair-skinned and sexy. But look at our girls! All burnt by the sun. And skinny, as if they were starving.

Karma:
All you think about is girls.

Tashi:
Of course. That's because I'm a man and you're just a kid.

Agay:
[Talking to Tashi] We men... we may grow old, but our minds don't age. Our jealousy stays young.

Dondup:
How's the rice paper business?

Sonam's Father:
Getting worse every day. These days, people prefer foreign-made paper. It's whiter, smoother, and much cheaper. Making rice paper requires a lot of labor.

Sonam:
[Answering Dondup, who is wondering why she won't pursue higher education when she has the opportunity to do so] I want to help my father. My mother's dead, and he's all alone. Isn't it our duty to look after our parents when they're old?

Dondup:
What's the matter? You look so sad.

Sonam:
Oh, it's nothing.

Dondup:
Come on... tell me.

Sonam:
I was thinking about the apple man.

Dondup:
Why? Do you miss him?

Sonam:
Yes.

Dondup:
Do you always miss people you've just met?

Sonam:
[Giving it some thought] It depends on who they are.

The Monk:
[Talking to Dondup] You know, a peach blossom is beautiful. But you see, a blossom is only beautiful because it is temporary.