What did we Lack to Protect this Treasure?

The Fire That Burned Bhutan's Heart

Wangdiphodrang Dzong in its Glory

Fire that not only burned the Dzong
 but also the hearts of Bhutanese along

It was deafening to hear about the tragedy in Wangdue. The raging flames destroyed our defenseless Dzong and like any other comrades of mine, I stood helpless witnessing a terrible history unfold before our eyes. I felt my broken heart go numb and freeze. I also felt my eyes go blurred and swollen with tears. Irrespective of what has caused the tragedy, the loss is immense. In less then four hours we lost our  invaluable treasure to the wrathful nature.

Wangdue Dzong has served us for many centuries, but not being able to save it when needed the most was by far the most heart breakingthing. As the fire in full fury consumed our history, block by block and stone by stone, even the gods or so called the divine intervention proved too weak. Mother nature reigned supreme.

This loss of ours is irreplaceable and I am sure that no amount of consolation would sooth us soon. It would surely take ages for any Bhutanese to forget about this tragedy.

For now I am wordless. :(  :(  :(

Remembering Chicken Curry in Gujarat

In the wake of financial crises back home, there were certain positive steps; -my own personal steps, that  I took in Gujarat to ease the crises. It may sound small and insignificant but I have stopped buying Amol cheese which invariably consumed lions share of my weekly budget for grocery shopping. Not only that, I chose to walk to my college and walk back again to my room. I reduced my milk and ice cream consumption by more than 80% and rode on auto only when urgently required. 

But there is one thing which I couldn't give up to ease my personal financial pressure. I don't know how right me and my friends were, but in the name of balance diet, we relished ourselves with chicken curry every week.

To be continued............................

Peach In Paro

I don't know whether it is due to restriction imposed on import of vegetables from India or bumper harvest this year, but as it stands, peach business in Paro seem to be doing well despite scanty rain and rupee in our economy. I think farmers in Paro are selling more peach than vegetables! Three peaches for Nu 5/- by any standard is a good return. This has tempted farmers to even harvest those unripe ones.

No Rain and No Rupee, A Recipe for Woe?

After a bearing a torturous and dramatic train journey for more than 48 hours, I reached Bhutan in best of my health. In Phuntsholing, I first saw and felt the impact of ongoing rupee crises and inflation. An Indian taxi driver refused my fare in Nu and a Bhutanese taxi driver couldn't agree on  my bargain. 

As I travelled further up, I also came to know that there was another thing which has threateningly  became scarce in most part of Bhutan. -The rain-. To me, the scarcity of rain by far appears more threatening than the scarcity of rupee. 

Few days ago, farmers in Punakha, Paro, Wangdi and Tashigang were genuinely crying for rain. Because chilli plants are wilting young and paddy plantation getting delayed. People are predicting famine with inflation! Butter lamps in Lhakhangs have already consumed tonnes of dalda and gallons of oil. Loud and clear, prayers and mantras have been chanted. But the answer of rain looks grim and bleak with each passing day.

Local Healers or Local Cheats? Part Three

Continued......................

image courtesy: Google Images

On 11th June 2012, I was watching TV  and suddenly there was this news about the local healer. Like me, the news from Bhutan Broadcasting Service(BBS) must have surprised many people. 

The culprit involved was a Lama; -a highly revered Buddhist monk, who was well known for his skills in treating people with Zerkham. I don't know whether Zerkham can be equated to stroke or not, but when my dad suffered from a mild stroke due to high blood pressure in Bumthang, I travelled all the way from Paro to Bumthang and got him to Thimphu. I wanted my dad to be blessed by a compassionate buddhist healer and I was hopeful that Lama could bring swift and lightening recovery to my dad's health. 

Appointment was duly made and lama consented to treat my dad. Therefore I took my dad to his place every morning for about a month.  But my dad was not alone, there were over hundred other patients, some as young as 3 year old kid to some as old as 90 years old grand parents.

Outwardly, his treatment looked very simple. On our first morning, he blessed my dad with a sanctified water that came pouring from copper vase. He chanted some mantra till his very lips turned to blueish colour. He never spoke anything until the very last person in the row was  attended to. That was one part of his treatment.

The other part involved lama prescribing and selling certain pills  which were mostly home made. But besides those home made ones, lama also sold mineral water and lotion creams. Which local people called as Nga Chuu (holy water purifies with Sutra?) and Nga mar (holy lotion purified with sutra?). A bottle of mineral water was sold at a price as high as Nu. 100/-. 50 gram vaseline were slod at an exorbitant price of Nu 50 each. I was little astonished but I was even willing to pay more if it meant healing my dad's sickness.

Now that his home made pills were found toxic, I am seriously more concerned about my dad's health, because my dad was on those same pills for about a month last year. I am also worried because some of our buddhist monks are now willing to compromise human health for money! 

Lastly, be careful everyone, because there are many such local healers who are treating sick people with concentrated antibiotics solution.

Local Healers or Local Cheats? Part Two

Continued....

Image Courtesy: Google Images

I was helplessly sick. With traditional and western medicines both yielding no result, I took things in my own hand. I stopped taking any medicines altogether!

However, I still continued heeding to Buddhist soothsayers and astrologers! Some of the eminent soothsayers included His eminence Late Thuksey Rimpoche of Bumthang, and Tse Lopen of Zhung Dratsang. I even went to see Tibetan Dungtso who was teaching Tibetan medicine to His Holiness the Dilgo Rimpoche at Satsam in Paro. They all told me not to panic. But it was difficult for me to even believe in their words  because I was sick for  so long and I sensed something was really not right with my health.

But before them, one of my elder sisters have arranged a Hindu healing ritual in Jaigon. So me and my wife travelled all the way to Phuntsholing. The ritual was to take place in the evening by a Nepali speaking drunk  Sadhu.

The arrangement for ritual were duly being made. Few candles were lit and dry beetle nut  burnt to produce a smoke that smelled like Indian agarbathi. With the ritual in full swing, the sadhu in orange saffron frequently sprinkled water mixed with milk over my head. He also rolled an egg over my body.

Sadhu asked me whether I understand Nepali or not. In response I  shook my head to say 'No' because I was in no mood to talk to a drunk stranger.

In the middle of a ritual one man walked in. I saw them discussing something but I cared little about their discussion. However, I vividly  overheard their conversation. The sadhu was coaxing that man to convince my sister about  his apparent healing skills and about the money he wants in return. I became curious but I let the ritual continue unhindered.

When the ritual ended,  Sadhu was even more drunk. We are all asked to come in the alter room to witness the egg breaking ceremony. We were suppose to spot a red dot on the yolk. But except rounded unperturbed yellow yolk, I failed to find any red spot!

A live rooster was to be either slaughtered or freed in the Jungle. I choose the latter but  have no idea what ultimately happened to the rooster. I also did't know how much money my sister paid to the drunken Sadhu, but I came back home feeling more sick and more desperate.

Finally towards the end of 2006 and for the second time, we decided to consult a local healer. We decided to consult another Terdha from Shaba. And interestingly, that Terdha in his trance said that I am being miser!. Shocked and surprised, I became deaf and could not hear his other predictions.

I thought I have spent my fortune already in all those rituals and check ups but still those people in trance state thought I was nothing but a miser! Honestly, I had nothing be miser of!

Few months later, when the same Terdha lady reiterated the same words, I went wordless! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I felt more sorry, when I heard about the Khenpo, (who accompanied the Terdha Lady during the rituals) being not happy with the the Geepcha me and my family offered during our last ritual.

But as for me, I always thought I did my best. I offered Khenpo a sum of Nu. 1800/- and for Terdha Lady a sum of Nu. 2400/- for a Three hour ritual. And yea, I also offered them the best possible food I had in my store!

to be continued............................................

Local Healers or Local Cheats? Part One

Image courtesy: www.bbs.bt/news

Back in 2006, I was diagnosed with acute pharyngitis. I was so sick and it prolonged for many months. In my tenth month, I even predicted my own death.

But before I made that drastic prediction, I have left no stones of medication unturned. I have been to all the health care centers in Bhutan. Starting from Paro Hospital to Thimphu Referral hospital, from Khangku Dantak hospital to Haa Military hospital. I have even travelled to India to meet different doctors! Starting from paracetmol and pain killers, followed by amoxycillin and amphocillin, I must have possibly consumed  a mountain of tablets. Few of the physician I met even recommended me not to eat fruits and and some of the  vegetables! 

But sadly when those western medicines failed to heal my ailment, I took solace in our traditional medicines. I consumed traditional medicines like a horse. In few months time even my urine also started smelling like one. Day and night, I chanted mantra of medicine buddha with utmost devotion. But the out come was same. My health deteriorated further and I lost tremendous amount of weight.  

By then I sensed desperation in face of all my loved ones. My wife was restless and my mom and dad, inconsolable. All my siblings, both near and afar called me and cried in the phone. I cried with them too. All of them feared my untimely demise! I had no words and no hope either! 

But suddenly, there came a silver lining in my darkest hour! My wife and mother-in-law came across a local healer. In our locality, she was referred to as Terdha. -A semi blind lady and a women in her late fourties, she was fat and sluggish. She was mild and soft spoken person. Seeing me bedridden, she also conveyed her regret. She consented to perform a ritual that would ward off evils and devils who were causing sickness to me.

Not realizing the expensiveness of the affair, we finally decided to conduct the ritual. I took my months salary in advance and performed the ritual. The Terdha lady in her trance, sensed some poison in my body. She sucked and sucked and left few marks on my neck that later looked like a love bite!. She danced with her long sword and made many other predictions. To the relief of me and everyone present, she predicted my recovery in few months time, provided I do some other rituals! 

I was few months old in my service and hence I  had very limited means at my disposal to perform all those rituals! But with the support from all my loved ones, especially from my mom and dad, who sent loads of butter and cheese, I was able to fulfil the wishes of Terdha lady

But I was still as sick as ever.

to be continued..........................

My Maiden Train Journey

TR No. 15634: Ahmedabad-Gohati Express

Kalapur is a local train station in Ahmedabad. Crowded, littered,  hot, dusty and noisy, the station looked cent percent Indian from top to toe. It was from there, I embarked my maiden train journey. From Ahmedabad to New Jalpai Guri (NJP), covering a distance of over two thousand kilometers, it was't the kind of journey I fancied. Not having a confirmed seat even worried me more.  

At the station, I took help form coolies to lift my heavy bags. Those coolies in maroon shirt came in handy. They looked weak and fragile but I was honestly surprised with the kind of strength they had in their bony arms and bald head! Lifting 4 bags loaded with books was not big ask for them. 

When the train arrived, I rushed through the crowd to find my seat and compartment. In my frenzied attempt, I even forgot about helping our lady colleagues. I had enough to carry myself and  I felt sorry for not being gentleman! 

When I finally found my seat and and compartment, I was totally soaked in my sweat. Exhausted and drenched, I told the people around that "this is my maiden train journey". But sadly there was no sign of sympathy. All the people in the compartment gave me and my friend a blank look.  

Once inside, I soon realized my worst dreaded fear. We were three friends who paid and booked train tickets 4 months ago but still failed to get a confirmed seat. Literally, We paid for 3 seats but were only given  2 and half seats!

We some how managed to get through in our first night. But on our second night, I started to to feel the real taste of train journey. One of my friend, who proclaimed to be the most experienced  train traveller  even had lot to complain about the journey. 

To sum up my maiden train journey, it was hellishly adventurous. It was an experience I would never want to recall. The compartment was cramped, the seat was miniature, toilet was stinking, people  were noisy, tea was too less and food served by adamant waiters. I slept and ate like an inmate all through my journey. To worsen the situation, I had bad mouth ulcer!

Finally When I reached NJP, I pulled my self out from the train and wowed never to travel in train. 

Slight Change in Thongdrel

As Desired by Meme Lama (also referred to as Dasho Shingkhar Lam) Slight changes have been made in the Thongdrel. There is an inclusion of first Shingkhar Lam, Tsezang Thaye Drakpa and exclusion of Shingkhar Lam Kunzang Wangchuk. Besides those changes, the other visible and notable changes are inclusion of some trees which are suppose to  symbolize prosperity and harmony.

The most sublime changes included are inclusion of Yak on the one side and a cow and a calf on the other. For me this is one of the most thoughtful idea. Shingkhar has long been a home for those animals. In fact they were once the back bone of Shingkhar's survival. Yak rearing has gone with the winds of time, but how happy that generation to come in Shingkhar will be reminded about those animals in a most pious way.

With this I would like to pray to Longchenpa himself that this Thongdrel Projest see its success. May the sun of happiness shine forever and may the lineage of Shingkhar Lama prevail till eternity. 

Lineage of Shingkhar Lama

1-Longchen Rabjam

2-Jamyang Dragpa Oedzer

3-Kuenkhen Dawa

4-Tsezang Thaye Drakpa (1st Shingkhar Lama)

5-Lama Jabodma

6-Kunga Wangpo alias Pema Kuendrak

7-Phuntso Jungney

8-Namgyal Dorji

9-Yeshi Wangpo

10-Tenzin Namgyal alias Dechen

11-Jigme Lhamo

12-Kencho Wangdue

13- Jangchub Dorji

14-Konchog Gyaltsen

15-Choney Jamtso

16-Kunzang Wangchuk 

17-Ngodup Dorji

Up Coming Thongdrel of Longchenpa in Shingkhar

༈ གངས་རི་ཐོད་དཀར་རིན་ཆེན་སྙིང་པོའི་མགོན། །

ཡོན་ཏན་ཀུན་བྱུང་དགའ་བའི་སྐྱེད་ཚལ་དུ། །

སྙིགས་མའི་དོན་གཟིགས་སྦས་པའི་རྣལ་འབྱོར་པ། །

ཀློང་ཆེན་རབ་འབྱམས་ཞབས་ལ་གསོལ་བ་འདེབས།།

I have picked up this picture from the facebook page of Shingkharpas. I am deeply moved by the initiatives taken by my brother who is a Bhutanese astrologer in Pangrizampa. I hope to see him succeed in his endeavor. I hope the blessings of Longchenpa will continue to bring the peace and wellbeing in Shingkhar (in particular) and Bhutan and  the World (in general)

My brother, Soman Rinchen, Bhutnese Astrologer

I would like to convey my sincerest and deepest Tashi Delek to Sonam. I would also like my readers everywhere in the world to join me in wishing him a  great success. 

Vote for Conservation

Please Vote For "Access to Habitat could Threaten Ludlow's  Swallowtail"

Samten Yeshi hails from Somrang Village. So to say, he is a pure Bumthap breed. He was a monk  before he took up career in journalism. He works for Kuensel corporation which is the leading news paper in Bhutan. 

I am pleased to know that he is competing with other journalists from around the world for "Environmental Media Award, 2012" on conservation reporting.  

I would like to request all my readers to visit the link his  and vote for his article titled "Access to habitat could threaten Ludlow’s swallowtail".  Please Vote for the article and help me encourage this young man into more conservation reporting. 

Here is what he has written and reported:

Protecting and conserving Ludlow’s Bhutan swallowtail (Bhutanitis ludlowi) butterfly is not a challenge as of now but it could be in future Bumdeling wildlife sanctuary officials say.

“If the roads come closer to the habitats then illegal entry into the habitat area and illegal trade might happen if proper strategies are not taken,” park manager Pangkey Drukpa in Bumdeling wildlife sanctuary said.

According to him there is a plan to build a road from Bumdeling to Tobrang where the butterflies are found to be living.

This would provide access to the habitat and travelers could hop into the habitat area for any purpose at anytime. “The road alignment is yet to be done so we can also get involved to protect the habitat from being disturbed,” the park manager said.

He said that there are some pockets in the habitat areas where the butterflies are more concentrated so new roads should be aligned away from those pockets.

“Road construction might not effect the Bhutanitis ludlowi’s habitat unless their host trees are disturbed,” Sonam Wangdi from wildlife conservation division said.

Tobrang and areas north of Tobrang to the international boundary, Tarphel, Pangkhar, Longkhar, Dramar and Barigang under the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary have been identified as prime habitat for the rare and endemic butterfly, a species which is restricted to this part of the region.

According to Sonam Wangdi the areas are given ‘increased protection’ status and entry is restricted from any route for foreigners including Bhutanese researchers except with prior permission and in accordance with the provisions of the Forest and Nature Conservation Act 1995.

“We are also lucky that the immigration act also prohibits route permits in these areas already,” Sonam Wangdi said.

Meanwhile, the study on the life cycle of this insect which is yet to be out for the first time in the world is carried out by the forest officials of WCD, Ugyen Wangchuk Institute for conservation and environment and Bumdeling wildlife sanctuary.

Since August last year the research team were able to document from its adult stage and is currently at the larva stage. “The larva is currently at its sixth stage and we hope this is the last stage of larva to enter the pupa stage,” Sonam Wangdi said.

According to Sonam Wangdi, who is one of the team members who first recorded the evidence of a mating pair of Ludlow’s Bhutan Swallowtail, the butterflies mate in around second week of August and lays the eggs towards the end of August.

The first stage of larva was recorded by mid September, which is currently at its sixth stage.

Larva grows bigger at every stage into a big caterpillar before entering the stage of pupa which would than turn into an adult.

The period of these stages are being observed so that the full life cycle can be documented and revealed.

Please Vote For "Access to Habitat could Threaten Ludlow's  Swallowtail"

By Samten Yeshi

Dasho Tshering Dorji Clarifies

Dasho Tshering Dorji was my teacher in Sherubtse College. I have had the privilege of knowing him since his first days in Kanglung. He joined the college as new teacher in 2003. Since then I have known him more as a friend and neighbor than as a teacher. He is more of a person who speaks more through silence. He contested for the seat of National Council from Haa and went on to become the National Council member representing Haa in 2008 election. 

Coming back to the main point, It took me aback when a very popular blogger Passang PaSsu Tshering brought out this article on his blog. It has a reference to what has transpired between a person named Haap wangchuk and Dasho on a facebook page called Haap Dhoros. 

Here is Dasho Tshering Dorji's version of the story. I think he has now spoken with his words too.

"Thank You Passang PaSsu Tshering! for trying to (un)popularize my response on your blog, although I still do not know with what intention you have chosen to post this particular post in your blog. As you mentioned I have been commenting and sharing my views on many other issues beyond such petty non-issue on our social group sites such as Haaps and Haap Dhoros but it baffles me to find that you found this issue to be worthy of posting in your blog. Anyway, I pray that you may fulfill whatever you intent to achieve by doing so.

Nevertheless, I also wish to make few corrections to your carefully edited version, which has taken the point out of context and blown it out of proportion to mislead readers for reason beyond my understanding. But readers must not be deprived from seeing the whole point.

First, Haap Wangchuk posted his comment on 7th May 2012 and there were couple of likes and a comment by a member of Haap Dhoros (which has been mysteriously withdrawn). My response was posted only on 16th May. This means that my comment was not posted immediately before anyone could reply as you have stated in your blog.

Second, with due respect to you and the question that you have posed as to what is “publicly criticizing and ill-information" about the comment made by Haap Wangchuk. I have posted to you as follows:

Passang Passu Tshering, with due respect first of all may i ask you to always make a comment based on fully understanding the context properly. This is something you may not understand since Wangchuk has made similar comment earlier in different post, which he has mysteriously removed but still I have tried to give my response as dutifully as possible.

This is how I have responded to his comment that has been removed mysteriously.

(Hi Wangchuk, the decision to not involve elected leaders in the assessment of the earthquake damage has emerged from the lessons learnt in the past experience of similar incident in the east….Learning from such unfortunate incidences, the Dzongda has been entrusted with the assessment of the damage on commonly understood parameters. However, in the process of carrying out the assessment, it is possible to have human error crept in resulting in huge disappointment among the people… But we tried to intervene wherever possible and bring it to the notice of dzongda and some genuine cases had been considered as well…Having said this, it does not mean that work done by assessment team is 100% perfect but there is only so much that one can do to improve it.)

Not willing to accept my explanation, he made another comment, which has been removed again. To which my dutiful response was as follows.

(Well, it does not mean that Human error are excusable. If you have solid evidence to prove your words, the door of ACC is open to all. That is why we have enacted law and created institutions so that poor and innocent people's genuine case...s are not ignored in the name of old saying as you have mentioned. However, it is left to the wisdom of the people themselves to pursue the matter further if they are not satisfied. As a representative, I have tried whatever means within my limited power bearing in mind the general picture of the whole issue. But please be assured that unfair and corrupt means can not be excused as human error. there are means and ways to address it. If you have a case to prove it with solid evidence then please go ahead rather than lament over it. If you need my help in this regard, I will do whatever I can).

Deliberately leaving out the details, you have wasted no time in posting only selected comments in your blog to try and make me look scary and threatening. If you are genuinely concerned about Wangchuk, you could have convinced him to take the help that i was offering to solve his grievances. Instead you also further provoked him to make further comment on me.

( ….As a leader you can correct me but you cant charge or warn me. We are not qualified like you but we are not child so we too know what to write n what not)

Even to that I wrote,

(Wangchuk, I think there is a lot of mis-communication and misunderstanding in whatever it is that we are trying to convey. Then there is other who is trying to fuel it further for reason beyond my comprehension. I am sure all of these will go away if we talk in person whenever we cross our path in near future. I hope you will continue to send your comments but more responsibly.

By now embolden by your comment, he does not emit a word even now.

Third, when you barged in the conversation out of blue, I have taken time to explain to you that this is also related to earthquake events at Haa on which you and I very well had protracted exchanges. Making you recall the similar exchanges we have had on another social site (Haaps). During which, I tried to update you with the reality on what the authorities were trying to do after the event contrary to what you think was happening. After that you even stopped commenting further so I was bit taken aback to find a comment from you from nowhere so suddenly after a long time in our social site. But making a headline out of this issue on your blog, which you do not even know well on what could be happening between Wangchuk and me, appears very spiteful and suspicious of your intent.

Anyway, I said that I was happy to listen to your views and comments as long as it is based on fact and reality so that we do no discredit the good things and practices but at the same time leave no room for complacency. I urged you to read the comments that he posted once more carefully in the light of what transpired between Wangchuk and I.

Despite my effort to explain the situation, you went ahead and sensationalize the whole issue by conveniently leaving out the details but copy and pasting only the comments you found suitable to convey what a scary and threatening person I am to the rest of the world. I am not worried so much about how I might appear to them since I know best who I am. But I am more worried about the way in which you have tried to assemble the information to deceive your readers. Don’t you have a responsibility to your readers?

Last but not the least, it is very intriguing to know that you found my response to Wangchuk scary but you did not find merit in me trying to educate him on the responsibility to make responsible comment even when he called me gutless and accused me publicly of not doing anything on complaints of victims of earthquake and pressuring me to intervene in the local government affairs.

He could not have created that page for anybody else, since the creation of the page in the social site (Haap Dhoros) was immediately followed after my exchanges with him in other posting and I don’t know if the other two elected member are even member of this social site.

So between the following scenarios:

A) An elected member explicitly stating the existing provision of penal code of Bhutan pertaining to defamation and Libel without actually distorting it or blowing it out of proportion

B) A voter trying to personally accusing me of doing nothing and coercing me to go beyond the rule of law and not accepting my offering of help to personally look into his grievances.

C) And then Passang PaSsu Tshering, who is also from Haa jumping in between to dramatize and fuel the whole issue by making it a headline on his blog. Imagine if all the reporting both formal and informal operate with such malicious intent, then it is a greatest abuse of the trust of the viewers who has been following you and will greatly corrupt the freedom of expression.

So, Passang PaSsu Tshering, as an apparently sensible and concerned citizen that you seem to be- You tell me who is scarier and more threatening? An MP who is trying to do his job in a politically correct manner, a frustrated voter who has made up his mind not to listen and a presumptuous blogger who shoots his thoughts from his imagination just by sitting in front of the computer and feeding partial information to his viewer to mislead them in certain way.

I hope you will dare not pick and choose comments even from this posting and sensationalize the issue. But again this is not a threat or to make me sound scary. As great blogger as you are, it is a responsibility that you owe and must uphold to your readers."

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Be my follower and be the 100th wonderful person on my blog. 

I have a award for this! Hurry up ! 

Of Late.

I have heard about a turmoil among Haap Dhoros on Facebook. I guess it was about someone 'shooting mouth'  and other one not being able to accommodate with it. I don't know who is right and who is more right, but I think both are  equally right in their own terms. All I wish is that Haap settle their own storm in the cup before it slips above the brim. I think there is no need for middle man here!  

And yesterday, on Facebook again, I had to stop my discussion on becoming a vegetarian, when a guy named Donkey started making fun about the discussion. I wanted to discuss more about veg and he wanted to divert my attention by discussing about sex and pork. So before any middle man could come between us, I quietly removed him from my list and we were done. 

My dad wanted me to become teacher in my life. Fortunately or unfortunately, I couldn't become one. In fact I ended up becoming someone I was not made for; a Customs Officer!. Not being able to see his son live his dream must have pained his heart. But of late, I have got this strange feeling. 'I wanted to become a teacher in my life'. -As if to say that I want to live my father's dream.

It sounds strange because there are many people who are dying not to become one. My wife, who is a teacher, says that, people regard teacher no less than a donkey. Therefore, she doesn't fancy me becoming one. But I feel my urge to become one so intense. 

I have nearly put up a decade in Customs already. Now I wish I could become teacher someday and spend my another decade there. If possible, I also wish to become.....uummmm.....aheeemmmmm.. dasho after that! wait, Did I say Dasho? If not I would want to retire peacefully to become a monk. I wish to work for the benefit of innocent sentient beings who, according to Buddhist philosophy, say, they were once my parents, my siblings, my kids and my friends

Hey folks, I have exam tomorrow. So I better stop day dreaming and get going with my studies. Wish me lots of luck.

Have a nice day!

Strange Feelings

Of late, I have been busy both with my books and Facebook. Books, because I have exams to write starting 19th May and Facebook, because I am a very social person. I know many will join me when I say that 'exam days are never a pleasing moments.' I dislike the very idea from the core. Therefore, I often ask myself as to whether these things called 'exams' are really that necessary in ones life?

But the reality is real! Exams are like salt that adds taste to our life. Without exams, today it wouldn't have been possible for me to say that I have B.Com honors degree from Kanglung. I am not blowing my own triumphant but it was through exams that I could proclaim as an RCSC select graduate.

It is indeed through exams that I got my job. I am already making a humble living!  But the exam thing is yet to stop in my life. Like a greedy person in pursuit of knowledge, I am still drenching and slogging with books!. Some say, Economics is not a subject for average Tom and Dick, but here I am, trying to bite more than what I can actually chew.

In a years time from now, I would be finally done with my Masters programme. I would be saying good bye to the University that groomed me intellectually and would be rejoining my friends and family once again. These things gives me enough reason to smile and be happy about.

But there are other things that I worry about. I worry about my next transfer! Of late, I came to the knowledge that my Department even conducts exams to decide our next transfer place. I was told that the exams were conducted to ensure that the only brainy and browny gets a chance to serve in head office!. This is surely a work of genius mind and as a loyal service man, I cannot question the credibility of such a creative procedure. So long it is workable, i think its cool idea.

Random Ramblings

Picture courtesy: Facebook

Apparently, I was mad when University declared our initial exam dates. As per the schedule, we are suppose to have exams every day starting from 18th May till 24th May!. This meant, we have less time for our last-minute preparation.  It  enraged 'last minute-freaks'. But that thing was not to last. Students started protesting by visiting Controllers office and without much fuss, the exams dates are being rescheduled. Now we will be having exams every alternative days starting 19th May. 

Thanks to rescheduled exam dates, I am now able to blog about how busy I have been those few days. Obviously I was exceedingly busy with my exam preparation. I slept with my books and got up in mess. I drank coffee like addict and peed like horse. Under stressful hours, I often shouted like lunatic. I watched 'Friends' and laughed like mad.  

Besides, I have also an interesting story about a friend who wouldn't mind putting his pillow under his butt but wouldn't allow others to do the same. As a Bhutanese, I am of the opinion that pillow (or hang) is strictly for head and mattress (dhen) for butt, but he still wants to stay tall with is his unreasonable logic. To get at him I asked him a very logic less question in return; -"Do you use your underwear as cap?"

We are four friends who share a flat. By virtue of living next to the toilet, I often end up being the miserable most of the time. In our recent past, it was about someone peeing from the door. But of late its been about someone not using water while shitting! I have to shut the door because I have Buddha's picture hung in my room. 

I enjoy facebooking and the the reasons are innumerable. Apart from meeting friends and strangers alike, I like the idea of facebooking because it gives me lot of courage and guts. Through facebook, I can chat nonstop with anyone. I can even yell at my MP!, vent out my frustrations and get consoled.....and many more....But mind you I am a very faithful husband and dedicated father. Honestly, I salute the creators of facebook. I wish I could write exam on facebooking as well!

By the way, I have exams starting 19th May. So wish me lots of luck. If I again top my class, then expect a treat from me.

Good night folks.

For My Mother on Mothers' day

My Mother then and now

Hi Mom, 

There are not many words with which I can thank you enough. But on this special occasion of Worlds mother day, I would like to thank you for all the tears you have shed, all the pleasures you have forgone and all the pains you have overcome in bringing me thus far. Mom, you are sincerely and wholeheartedly endeared. You are loved from the core of my heart. 

It is visible that the age has taken away the luminosity off your visage, but you are still my shining star. Your innocent toothless smiles have always done the magic of brightening up my mundane life. Thank you millions  for being my loving mother.

Mom, you are rare. 

Mom, I love you more

and Mom, I can die for you.

Happy Mothers day to all the mothers in the world. 

She Wants to Become Miss Bhutan!

Sonam Dechen Thinley

'I failed to win the fashion contest in my school but I believe I can become Miss Bhutan some day'. -says my second daughter. She wasn't happy for the fact that someone in plain track suit won the contest.

The way she consoled herself made me wordless. I have known her to be only a crying machine and nagging freak. But in three years time, she have changed by many folds. 

Happy Teachers Day!

Picture courtesy: Google

I wish all my Teachers a very very happy Teacher's day.

May god bless you with good health and Happiness.

With this, I would like to remember all my teachers', Both living and dead for all the goodness they have done in transforming me. From a rough village lad, I have truly come a long way in my life. Credit goes to all my teachers. In celebrating my happy life; -everyday, I celebrate the love and kindness of my teachers. You are all remembered from the bottom of my heart! Thank you all millions.

May god bless all Teachers.

Long live Teachers.