Gedu HSS staff never cook lunch during their school festival and any other school events. About 69 school staff bring their own packed lunches (rice, curries and edzey) from their homes. The picture below shows about 69 different varieties of foods displayed during the School Sports Day 2011 lunchtime. It's very interesting to say that you cannot even reach half way this lunch table. Your plate is full after the fifth hot-case. And if the school continues this unique trend, one day they will surely win the Guinness Wold Record.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
You all are my Heroes!
Dear Sheetal, Tandin, Tshering, Pema and Wangda,
Last evening at 6:30 when Dawa came live on BBS TV, I shivered uncontrollably. I was nervous and horrified. After a few minutes I even started sweating. I felt as if I was experiencing a horrifying massacre. I don’t know why. Perhaps, I’ve never met people living with HIV/AIDS in the past or I was having the phobia of the disease.
But as Dawa went on introducing each one of you who have braved and took all the risks to declare your status, I started feeling pleasant and normal. I was seeing any other five normal people on the BBS studio. You are no different from us. You are good looking, strong, happy and self-reliant. Unlike what myths or misconceptions had, some of you are even more successful, ambitious and enterprising than those without HIV/AIDS.
You know what? After watching the first two segments, this heavy phobia in me (certainly due to lack of information) has been swept away. I felt instant relief and was ecstatic as if I had suddenly recovered from high fever. I came to know certain things from you all: HIV/AIDS is also like any other diseases (TB, hypertension, blood pressure, diabetes); an AIDS patient can live a healthy life with better medical treatments; HIV cannot spread through handshakes and hugs; a baby can born uninfected from a HIV positive mother.
More importantly, your mere presence on the national TV and sharing of your experiences has immensely benefited all the people living with HIV/AIDS and other fellow citizens like me. It has demystified the hoodoo spell (that has placed on us ever since the first detected case of HIV in Bhutan) that HIV/AIDS patients bring misfortunes to his/her family, society and office.
Our government along with the donor agencies worked extensively to stop HIV/AIDS. Awareness programmes through media, leaflets, magazines and textbooks have been in place. But your glorious presence on the TV did more than what our government could do in the last decade with millions of dollars.
As a proud Bhutanese citizen, I applaud for your audacity and noble job you have done yesterday. You took all the risks to come out in the open public from your hiding place to educate us and to fight against the stigma and social discrimination. You did all this not only for yourselves but also for other friends living with HIV/AIDS, their families, co-workers and friends.
I know, for sure, from now onwards you will never be stigmatized and discriminated. You have genuine supports from the highest of religious body, royal family, government, NGOs and our society.
I salute you. You all are my heroes!
Yours well wisher,
Photo: BBSRiku Dhan Subba
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
On my signature
My signature is crap and sloppy
as hell. It’s very tiny and looks like scribble on the wall by kid. Its shape is
even more terrible and it, surely, will disgust you. Nor, it really
represents my full name.
If the signature was a snapshot
of our personality, then I am the man with stinking attitude and demented character.
Look at my signature below, feel disgusted and call me, careless, moron or asshole or
kutta, anything you like. I will tolerate this time, at least for my crap signature.
Pic: Not only terrible, inconsistent too
The funny thing is that I’ve neat handwriting-perhaps-the best handwriting you would ever see. My school or college mates used to call it ‘computer handwriting’ and ‘calligraphy in the old manuscripts’.
But here is what weird you would see. After I took civil service job, I’ve been signing lots of stuff for work. My signature has significantly evolved over time. Sad, it has further deteriorated and become even more inconsistent. I loathe it so much as I do to those bogus politicians.
I never got the impression my signature was a big deal until last month. You’d be surprised to hear this. The teller of Bank of Bhutan stopped the transaction and looked at me suspiciously. She compared the signature I signed on the withdrawal form to the original signature card of my account. My signature didn’t match. I had to produce my ID.
Many times I attempted to redevelop my signature. But I admit that a person like me can never write a good signature. I lack vision and creativity in developing a good signature.
The funny thing is that I’ve neat handwriting-perhaps-the best handwriting you would ever see. My school or college mates used to call it ‘computer handwriting’ and ‘calligraphy in the old manuscripts’.
But here is what weird you would see. After I took civil service job, I’ve been signing lots of stuff for work. My signature has significantly evolved over time. Sad, it has further deteriorated and become even more inconsistent. I loathe it so much as I do to those bogus politicians.
I never got the impression my signature was a big deal until last month. You’d be surprised to hear this. The teller of Bank of Bhutan stopped the transaction and looked at me suspiciously. She compared the signature I signed on the withdrawal form to the original signature card of my account. My signature didn’t match. I had to produce my ID.
Many times I attempted to redevelop my signature. But I admit that a person like me can never write a good signature. I lack vision and creativity in developing a good signature.
However, according to the
experts, my signature has all the good traits to reveal. They are below:
1. My smaller size signature
indicates that I’ve less desire.
2. My signature which is
completely different from the usual writing shows that I’m introvert and do not
desire to disclose everything about me.
3. My filthy signature tells that I love to keep
things in private and desire to keep my true identity unknown.
4. A straight line under my
signature reveals that I’m a self-reliant and believe in following rules and
traditions.
5. The three dots at the end of
my signature reveal that I’m very ambitious.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
“I wish I were rich”
Pic: Patients in front of the welfare hostel
They live in a catastrophic condition that they agonizingly spend each day without good foods, good clothes and good medical treatments. Some feed on the forlorn hope, a hope for the miraculous intervention to occur to them that can change their life. Others are giving up their hope of life altogether and waiting miserably for the unquestioned future. Death. Their families, relatives and friends are also equally burdened and depressed. In the past, many Dashos, Lyonpos and MPs promised them hope but forgot them when they went back.
Not quite a handful of days before the Royal Wedding, Lhamo Drukpa, the talented and charismatic national film artist, along with Tashi Namgay (Founder of Bhutan Kidney Association) visited the Patients Guest House. She wanted the patients to feel that they are loved, happy and more importantly to uplift their spirits to make them able to join in the celebration of Royal Wedding.
Pic: Lhamo Drukpa (4th from the left) with the patients
She stayed in very close touch with the patients giving them tender loving care. As an affectionate friend, she consoled them and shared their plights. As a caring sister, she hugged and nursed their wounds. And as a loving mother, she cried with them and fed hopes and aspirations upon them. This went on for a considerable length of time. Meanwhile, she also delighted the patients with her magical voice. She, then, donated groceries (rice, eggs, biscuits, noodles, milk and soaps) and winter blankets to all the patients.
Pic: Lhamo Drukpa (2nd from left) distributing gorceries
Her inspiration, humility and grace remarkably spread all over the house. Surprise and happiness on their faces, all the patients emerged joyfully out of their beds in a worshipful gratitude for her. The otherwise depressed patients remarkably resurrected in confidence, bliss and abundance.
Her inspiration, humility and grace remarkably spread all over the house. Surprise and happiness on their faces, all the patients emerged joyfully out of their beds in a worshipful gratitude for her. The otherwise depressed patients remarkably resurrected in confidence, bliss and abundance.
So, during the Royal
Wedding, all the patients excitedly crammed in front of the TV and watched the
marriage ceremony proceedings. They graciously snacked on the biscuits and
noodles brought to them by Lhamo Drukpa as they glued to the TV. They were as
excited and jubilant as any other Bhutanese citizen and were praying for the
long life of the Royal Couple.
I just imagine how
proud our beloved King and Queen would be to hear about the good work she did to
the 33 patients for the Royal Wedding.
Today, Lhamo Drukpa
visits the Patient Guests House at least once a month with groceries. During
the winter, she donates blankets and garments. Also, she organizes religious
talks for the patients in a regular interval. Very recently, she invited Chung
Rimpoche, the founder of Ati Foundation when the
patients received preaching and blessings.
Pic: Chung Rimpoche at the guests house
She also looks after about 30 monks in a dratshang in Lhuentse. Other time, you would see her with the homeless senior citizens in the Thimphu Street, talking to them and buying meals and clothes for them. “I wish I were rich,” she would smile altruistically each time we meet.
She also looks after about 30 monks in a dratshang in Lhuentse. Other time, you would see her with the homeless senior citizens in the Thimphu Street, talking to them and buying meals and clothes for them. “I wish I were rich,” she would smile altruistically each time we meet.
She often travels to Vellore in India as most Bhutanese patients
referred there for further medical treatments are in pathetic conditions.
Though the RGOB covers the travels, surgery and medication expenses, there are
many hidden costs associated that are not covered by the government. For
example, blood. A unit of blood costs Rs 5,500. There are some patients who
need about 5 units of blood everyday. Also, there are many patients who have to
extend their stay in Vellore due to medical complications and unmatched blood
groups of the donors. This leads to major financial problems and depression to the
patients and to their families.
As a friend, co-worker and fan, I thoroughly appreciate the
sincere, selfless and dedicated works done by Lhamo Drukpa. May she live long!
Today, Lhamo Drukpa
is a board member to the Motion Pictures Association of Bhutan. She is one of the
most committed members of the Bhutan Kidney Association.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Once upon a time in Japan
Monday, November 21, 2011
In the end
However, we cruised back to recollecting its name
in a crazed hope. We, several times, attempted giving it up. Worse, we could do
it for a few minutes only. Yet again we were fighting hard to recollect it for
we read it in our school textbooks. You know that even when we were school
students we used to do inky mink pong key (check the spellings) while
attempting for the multiple-choice questions and the matter was closed. But
we’ve never thought so hard before like this. And it’s unnecessarily dragging
us into terrible insanity. God help us!
Then, we applied extra efforts. We made countless
phone calls to our friends and relatives. Finally, we got the damn name for
jackfruit in Dzongkha. It’s dramzey. We exchanged loud sighs of
satisfaction, ah!
We resumed snacking on the corn bread and sipping
hot coffee. But this only reminded me to share you a similar incident with you.
My friend, you know, each time I wake up from my bed, I start searching. I
don’t know exactly what I’m searching for. At times I wonder that I’m
stretching out for something that remains tantalizingly out of my reach like
the shaft of light falling into my room that comes from beyond the horizon,
beyond the reach of my logical mind. But I yearn for it, desperately though.
I search for it so uninterruptedly and so
obsessively in my washroom and breakfast. My quest to clinch this missing thing
also goes on in my dresses and car. And later in my office, in colleagues,
lunch, friends, relatives, parents. All to no avail!
Perhaps this is the question any human can ask
themselves most frequently. I go to someone close to me hoping that I may find
what I am searching for. But most grownups really are idiotic. They’re
vaingloriously engrossed in the triviality of everyday existence. They only
talk about unimportant things: money, properties, overseas trainings, kids,
relationships, loan, fame and power. They think that the truth can be found
only in erecting big buildings, beautiful people, power and money. And they
counterattack or always try to give me the ready-made solutions. Some even
throw gibberish giggles at me and make fun of my inquiry mind.
I don’t want to be one of those people who take
the world for granted. I never want to let the corrupt society to corrode my
soul. This is the reason I feel exiled from the real world, rest of the people.
Though I feel fragile and quiet, sensitive and melancholic, I never stop
dwelling in a perpetual sense of expectation, of longing.
Later on, I return home, tuck a heavy quilt and
still hungry for the answer. Bitterness wells up in me and this keeps me up at
night, tossing and turning.
Next day I talk to young people, my niece and
nephews. I share my feelings with them. Their innocence, simplicity and
untainted minds speak that my answer lies in them. I become excitedly curious
and spend more time with them venting out my feelings. Even my presence makes
them happy. Give them a chocolate, they become happy. Buy them a doll, they
become happy. Do them good, they react instantly-they express happiness.
Photo: Gayatri
Oh jeez! I get my answer. Happiness is what I’ve been searching for. Before you leave, oh, let me ask you a few questions. Why do you work everyday to earn money? Why do you settle down with a person you love most and raise children? Why you always want to try for new things, meet new person or accumulate more wealth? Why you twirl the rosary and chant mantra? Aren’t you doing all this for your own happiness?
Oh jeez! I get my answer. Happiness is what I’ve been searching for. Before you leave, oh, let me ask you a few questions. Why do you work everyday to earn money? Why do you settle down with a person you love most and raise children? Why you always want to try for new things, meet new person or accumulate more wealth? Why you twirl the rosary and chant mantra? Aren’t you doing all this for your own happiness?
Friday, November 18, 2011
Last glimpse of Autumn
At once, I picked up my camera. Push aside my quilt. Jump over the stack of novels, note pads, pen and laptop. Out of my room. Out there in the cold, I was capturing the rich and jewels painted nature in my digital lens.
If you've taken trip to countryside you’d see hundreds of acres of golden cornfields and sections of forest turned gold and deep red glowing in the afternoon sunlight. You’d also see the crops are being harvested, cereals gathered and taken to the warehouses.
And here what other fellow bloggers say about autumn. Langa wrote on his blog,
As I squint up
into the sky,
all I can see is
the deep and vast blue sky;
without a trace of
clouds hanging-
a perfect form of
sky we talk about.
Thimphu is getting
colder and colder.
she knew she loved him,
and he loved her as much.
She wanted to be closer-
under his skin-
with no time and space
between them.
She wished
nothing mattered but-
their love.
Photo courtesy: Last two photos by Stephen & Dominique
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