Sunday, July 27, 2014
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Far above the human mind
So as always, I change my
clothes, freshen up and cook tea. This evening too I’ve come outside my house and
sit in my veranda to relax and refresh my tired heart. This is what I do - love
to do - in the evening, in my veranda, when it is just me and my home after a
long and hard slog in the office.
Today’s evening is quiet
and absolutely peaceful. People nearby have already retreated to their rooms;
perhaps it has been raining lightly since this early afternoon. The usual
monsoon rain though.
It’s a real treat to sit
here and sip on my tea and at the same time, listen to the thin and glassy
sound of rain thrumming against the roof and ground. I don’t see the rain but I
can feel the freshly-rain-washed air on my skin. It’s chilling, breezy. To tell
you, it helps me so much to release my stress baggage.
I kept on sipping on my
tea. Meanwhile, I start reading some blogs that I love on my phone – as always,
it’s hugely inspiring. Then my next-door neighbor comes out in her veranda to
hang out her clothes. She is a young woman, extremely gorgeous. When her eyes
meet mine, as usual, she smiles at me with slightest curl of her lip. She goes
back to her room. That’s all; we never talk.
For the next stretch of
evening time, I remain wordlessly looking at the green valley of Thimphu and
then at the cloudy sky which is being slowly engulfed into nightfall. And one
after another, streetlamps come into light illuminating the streets. The rain
stops.
A little while later, the sky
appears brilliant with the full moon. Featherlike clouds slowly float past it;
and it seems to me that it’s the moon that walks so fast. As dark patches of clouds
cover the moon, for a small moment all is dark. It’s magical and a little scary
too.
Suddenly, it reminds me
about the fleeting time. That the time sweeps by like the clouds floating over
the moon, and for those hurried people, it sweeps by even faster. Just hold on;
ah, 2014 is flying by. Can you believe that we are already entering the second
half of this year?
This year’s summer days are
fleeting, and the monsoon rain will stop one day. People come into your life
and leave. However, the moon is still there. Time definitely sweeps by - whether
we want it or not - like the clouds that pass by the moon.
Many years back, when I was
young, I used to ask myself why we can’t stop the hands of time. And many such
questions. When I couldn’t find the answers, I grew helpless and disinterested
in mystical aspects of life.
Even today that question is
humming in my heart. But now I’m learning to put questions down and in return I’m
becoming closer to myself and feeling more love. With time, I understand how time changes
us and how our mind and faith takes on different shapes.
Rest, everything is far
above my mind, the human mind.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Books and summertime
“Come with me,' Mom says.
To the library.
Books and summertime
go together.”
This is what Lisa Schroeder, a
novelist, has to say about the summer. Much loved it, that it resonates my
absolute longing, my heart.
And here, another author Jeannette Walls puts it all straight,
“One benefit of Summer was that
each day we had more light to read by.”
Dear readers, enjoy your summertime!
Your friends and family can really add more meaning to it. However, reading those books you love would do all the more the magic. Happy reading too!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Bloggers Meet
It was in July 2011 when we
held the first Bloggers Meet of Bhutan in Thimphu. As ever, with thanks to Sogyel Tobgyel, the founder of Blogyul-Blogging Bhutan, who initiated the Meet, and Dorji Wangchuk, the then Director of Royal Media Office, who supported it.
More than 16 members were
present in the Meet – mostly well acclaimed writers, filmmakers, journalists
and bloggers. Often I had seen them on TV and read their stories in newspapers.
Some I had followed on social media networking sites and also enjoyed their
blogs. But never did I meet them in person, except few.
I was very new to blogging
then; also I had just started my living in Thimphu. So I felt very awkward to
be in the meet amongst those members, nervous too. To confess here, I hardly
utter any words during the gathering.
However, after attending
the Meet, I realized that blogging is not only limited to activities of digital
buttons and screens - but way beyond that. What a great idea to meet other
people who also maintain social media journals! It is simply wonderful thing to
spend a small time in person chatting with our virtual friends who you have
read and who have read about you for several years.
I have kept friendship with
some of the bloggers there – wonderful souls, with great character – we
otherwise never would have met. Today, at times, we swapped stories and exchanged
advice. And it’s always enriching experience for me to hear different
viewpoints, see and learn things, and experience the world through their eyes.
Several Meets were
conducted in Thimphu since then, and I’m amongst the two who has attended all. Other
one is Sogyel. We have our second Meet at Chew Restaurant in August 2013, third Meet in my office’s cafeteria in September 2013.
In each Meet, we always
came across new bloggers. Always, it’s such a great treat to meet them and
discover their blogs and follow instantaneously. And then, we chat as if we’ve
been friends forever. Quite wondrously, today, my blog friends are among my
closest friends.
On July 2, once again we
met at Sinchula Cuisine in Thimphu. In this Bloggers Meet, we were just six,
all male bloggers. It’s pretty sad. We can blame it on the meet’s short notice.
But I was so glad and as always took part in it. Because there are, at least,
few who could initiate and organize bloggers meet for us when we remained busy.
This Meet seemed like
catching up with old friends. And you know what? Like minds make for a great conversation.
We spent hours gabbing about our writing, blog, family, career, love and
aspiration. So much change happened in all of us, and it is wonderful thing to discover,
together.
Most importantly, this meet
brought forth a concern related to those bloggers, mostly fresh and young, who hesitate
to join us. For the good, all of us have agreed to work on towards involving them
in the activities related to blogging in the future.
Hopefully, our paths cross
soon!!!
Photos: 1st and 2nd by Blogyul-Blogging Bhutan; 3rd by Nawang P; 4th by Kuenzang Thinley; 5th by Passang Tshering
Photos: 1st and 2nd by Blogyul-Blogging Bhutan; 3rd by Nawang P; 4th by Kuenzang Thinley; 5th by Passang Tshering
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Letter from Dordenma Buddha
Dear Thimphu people,
I’ve thought long on where
to begin this chit. For this is the first time I’m ever doing so, that too for
a painful reason. By the way, I’m pretty sure that you all know about me. I’m
Buddha Dordenma of Kuensel Phodrang.
You know it better - very
well - I was birthed here to commemorate the centennial of the Bhutanese
monarchy and to bestow blessings, peace and happiness in the world. However, I
daresay, you people have regrettably malformed Kuensel Phodrang or in your own
term “Buddha Point” into a sinful place.
So to begin, after the dusk
enfolds Thimphu valley, the road below Buddha Point rises up eerily. Every
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night, I see about 20 stalls emerging at roadside.
These stalls, sparely lit, sell a lot of stuff - wine, whisky, beer, cigarette,
tobacco, doma. Also, momo, thukpa and puri.
Surprisingly, the stall
owners are very enterprising. Because the stalls have so many facilities like
bonfire, chairs, disco lights and music blaring from car’s stereo. Moreover, it
has got enough rituals to keep you up from midnight to early morning.
As I stand 169 feet tall,
high up here, I’ve a clear view of all the activities down there. One after
another, cars, both big and small, jerk to abrupt stop at this illegal market
of Buddha Point. Almost instantly, hundreds of drunken post-party hoppers flock
here. Indeed, I am quite surprised as I had expected the Buddhist devotees to
come and pray here, not drunkards at odd hours. I meant no disrespect here.
Most visitors are
dispirited youth, aimless and adrift. Adorned with give-no-damn receive-no-damn
attitude, you have no faith in me, even in yourself too. Your prayer beads
are those cigarette tucked in your fingers and your mantras those
wine-instigated non-veg words. This
makes me feel like crying for humanity.
Amidst the crowd, every
time, I see a handful of old men, seemingly rich, fondling around with a dozen
of strikingly attractive young girls, as young as 15, in sleazy dresses. As
usual, you start flinging from one embrace to another, and brush your cheeks
one another’s. It’s in English that everything happens here.
But for me, to tell you
rather honestly and frustratingly, you are a bunch of pathetic people, pseudo
modern Bhutanese who are lost in transition. Sorry though for I used crude
terms.
It shocked me when I find
there isn’t a single security personnel. This market is of its own, on its own
– no laws, no authority, and no regulations. You do anything here. You talk
dirty, foul, and fart loud shamelessly. You trade tobacco and drugs. At the same time, you have to smoke
grass, inhale liquids and fill your tummy with countless bottles of alcohol.
You are so much cruel to
me. Because of you, my mind doesn’t quiet, but grow restless. That’s why I
don’t get enough time for meditation to pray for all the sentient beings and
bestow peace and happiness around the world.
A group of angry and
grudge-filled young men picks up fights and starts exchanging punches and then
breaking one another’s cars. And there, those victims heave with sobs and howl
and scream seeking justice from me. Actually I have given you everything needed
to build a beautiful life, if you choose wisely. Remember, dear sentient
beings, you have got only one life, you ought to do what’s right.
Then, up and down the road,
couples make desperate love - your bodies mud-stained, bushes crushed, and
condoms litter everywhere. Oh, I have to stay here blushing. Sometimes, it is
too much that I’ve to bring down the lightning and rain rumbling low to chase
you away.
I prophecy so much grave
incidents are going to happen at this place sooner. However, these misfortunes
can be prevented if all the relevant agencies of Thimphu take up immediate
measures. Thus, I decree all the concerned agencies (BAFRA, MoEA, RBP, and MoHCA)
to react to this issue immediately.
There is still more to say,
but so little time. For I need to take a month-long meditation and to look
after the welfare other sentient beings around the world.
(Dordenma Buddha)
Kuensel Phodrang, Thimphu
Some pictures of the stalls at Buddha Point below:
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Have a wonderful day!
Thimphu
has just opened for clear sky after a rainy week. It’s a beautiful day here! I
hope you all are enjoying the bright monsoon day as much as I am here. So, to
treat you, I bring to you, once again, pictures of a handful of flowers that I took
recently from my office garden. Have a wonderful day!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
The photography lesson
I don’t know exactly since
when I’ve nurtured this passion. Photography. To tell you, I just love taking
pictures of almost everything. One clarification here though; I’m not a certified
photographer. But hey, should one be certified to take pictures?
I don’t know.
Initially, I began taking
pictures of nature. Snow-capped mountain, cerulean skies, the sunset, rain,
prayer flags, leaves, trees, and flowers - so much more. Perhaps all the beginners
do start shooting nature. It could be, at least in my case.
I found divinity and beauty
in nature, and felt feelings, warmth and hope. So I intended to capture and relive
these things on my lens as briefly as possible.
Sometimes I would look at
my own pictures and like anyone of you, I marvel at it. And to my own
amazement, I stand in disbelief. Because some of my pictures seem unreal to me;
it’s as though I had made it up.
However, photography and
writing really complement each other. The digital lens does write stories,
photographs do tell stories – sometimes better than my handful of words. So incapable
of writing forward, for my blog, I look at my pictures and do I derive
inspiration, get stories.
Quite wondrously, it is through
my digital lens that I started to see the world around me differently. And
ultimately I became a nature lover. Most importantly, it helped me to learn to
find beauty and pleasure in the simple things. It changed my life’s outlook,
for better.
Someone rightly stated
about the photography and our life,
The greatest of
inspiration, isn’t it?
I can add here a few lines,
but my own lines. You can, in life, fork out your problems like the way you
crop out the unwanted parts of images. And if you want to make your life more
attractive, learn to apply effects to images of your life. Whew, it’s that simple!
As I’m still learning to
take good pictures, so do I still learning to understand the life’s essence.
Note: Second picture downloaded from google
Note: Second picture downloaded from google
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Thimphu all set for Modi’s visit
I
went around Thimphu City this evening for a casual walk. And wow, I am hugely impressed
with the new looks of the City. The Street and Town look strikingly beautiful
and dazzling.
Thimphu
sets all ready welcoming Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister, who will be
arriving in Bhutan tomorrow. The highway and the Street all dressed in the
flags and posters of both the prime ministers flaring on the poles and
buildings.
Everything
- in and around the City - looks perfectly organized and clean. Flowers well
watered, and all blooming. All waste and trash disappeared. One feels as if you
were in the City of Tokyo and Singapore.
The
security personnel are everywhere. I hope the Indian PM’s visit would be a successful
one and the Indo-Bhutan would last forever, ever stronger.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
The shopping mecca
Whenever I travel here in
Bangkok, I do this again and again. Shopping. Quite a lot. Actually, I’m not a shopaholic,
maniac. But once I’m here, in the shopping malls of Bangkok, I become a different
person. As I shop like crazy.
Quite surprisingly, this capital
city has quite a huge number of popular shopping malls, centres and complexes
with over thousands stores. Very convenient and attractive, they provide all
kinds of shopping opportunities, plenty of entertainments and artwork.
The amazing thing about the
malls here is that they have almost everything you could possibly want. From fashionable
garments to footwear, home decorations to foods, jewelries to electronics,
craft items to entertainment (cinemas, karaoke, 4D, games, bowling alley).
Like you or any visitors, I
also spend most of my free time running from one shopping centre to another, exploring
new items, trying on different schemes and of course buying. Only once you are
in here, ah, how you wish that you were a rich man.
Interestingly, here, you
can bargain like hell on almost everything and you would be just shell-shocked
at the rock bottom prices they offer you.
Moreover, the city provides
very convenient transportation services and delicious street foods. I just love
travelling by the skytrain and tok tok, always new experience for me.
First picture courtesy: googlesearch
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Meet up with a fellow-blogger in Thailand
Yesterday evening, I met up
with blogger Dumcho Dorji here in Salaya, Thailand. As you all know, he currently studies
at Mohidol University and blogs about his life’s experience in Thailand and Bhutan. We knew
each other through our blogs; in fact, very well. But we never met before in person.
However despite his busy
schedule, Dumcho found a time for me. He took me around his beautiful college
campus for a walk. And he did treat me with dinner - some juice and foods - on the street.
It's quite surprising and nice to have met a Bhutanese blogger in a foreign soil. More so happy that one could get to sit together over the dinner and talk about our life, love and aspirations, as bloggers and writers.
I am ever so thankful to Dumcho; it is one moment that I can always cherish in my life.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Thai situation is improving
When I landed here in
Thailand last Saturday, the authority of the capital was cleaning and clearing
the litters of the protests at the downtown Bangkok. I was quite nervous of the
political unrest in the country. I was even afraid to wear my red shirt. Moreover,
the Thailand Stock Exchange has been falling everyday. The whole situation of
the country was worrying.
However, as I stay here
longer, I slowly understand the situation, more clearly. And I am happy, enjoying
my stay here, trust me. Though the curfew begins from 10 pm to 5 am, everything
runs as normal - businesses, public services, transportation and airlines. The movement
in the country is not restricted as portrayed in the media.
The situation has become
alright now. The locals and foreign travelers enjoy all freedom to walk around,
do shopping and sightseeing. I observed that protests were well organized; it
engaged only the protest groups and their members in the designated places.
As the Thai military junta
Chief received royal endorsement as Chief of the National Council for Peace and
Order, most Thai people are hopeful that the unrest could be solved. Moreover, they
are showing support to military deployed to enforce martial law and maintain
peace.
All the community leaders
agreed to comply with order of the Chief to remove all signs of red shirts from
public places. The leaders and members of different protest groups have been
summoned and put under trials.
The people of Thailand are
wishing sincerely that the political unrest be settled soon. If so happened
then the national election is going to happen very soon, possibly within next
four months.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Mystery of my favourite poem
When I was in my high school, I came across this famous and magical poem for the first time. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shallot”. And ever since, it had become my favourite poem, indefinitely. Ever so gracefully, it remained on my mind, too gracefully though.
Still I do remember those
days, of my classroom where I used to sit on my desk, so attentive, in excited
and radiant smile, reciting the poem. If I’m not wrong, this is the first time
I fell in love with English literature and of course started liking my English
teacher.
This is one poem that I
held dear, and its lines, I knew by heart. Again and again I would read the
poem. To put it precisely, it’s crafted in perfect words and emulates
overpoweringly breathtaking images that one would never forget in life.
And the way Tennyson starts
out the poem is simply splendid. I can’t help myself from pulling out those starting
lines and putting down here,
On either side the river
lie
Long fields of barley and
of rye,
That clothe the wold and
meet the sky;
And thro' the field the
road runs by
To many-tower'd Camelot;
The poet portrays the
scenes so magically. And it made my heart lurch, all the more. This is the only
poem that I read not for the exams, but out of the pleasure of words. In fact,
that’s the time I realized the power of words, what the black and white letters
can be.
Above all, it’s the
protagonist of the poem that had absolutely hypnotized me. The Lady of Shalott.
She is described as an absolute angel, “lovely face”, “fairy”, pure, and beauty
who “weaves by night and day/A
magic web with colours gay” in a four-towered castle. She is
like…ah as if I had met the love of my life, my soul mate. The more I read it,
the deeper I fell in love.
Moreover, I felt hugely
heartened when I had the opportunity to learn the poem once more when I joined
Sherubtse College in 2005. We read the nineteen century literature and we analyzed
this poem too. However, the analysis shocked me; left me shaken.
The poem suddenly turned dark. The Lady
of Shalott is restricted and imprisoned in the tower under a terrible curse. Subjugated and lonely,
she is considered as an invisible object, ghostly. Second half of the poem
becomes bloody and mournful. The Lady is doomed for going against the norm. She
cries. She dies.
I couldn’t believe that the
love of my heart, the Lady’s life is one long unspoken sadness and accursed. It’s
unthinkable; it penetrated me deeply. I couldn’t take it. It aroused such
sorrow and grief of the loss of the Lady that I almost burst into tears in the
classroom. I was angry at the poet, I started hating my lecturer, and I grew
disinterested in learning literature.
After almost a decade, today,
I read the poem once more. To tell you…it was a decade of my life filled with
difficult obstacles and decisions, unthinkable loss and fear, and countless
tears and anxiety. But it was also a decade of humbling realizations and
experiences – of love, of joy, of emotional growth, of mental maturity, of understanding
the true essence of life.
As I am already halfway to
this bumpy ride of life; and today, as I read the poem, I have come to
understand it. Its true essence, its beauty, its purpose and the love and grace
in the poem. This world, this human life is all temporary. Vulnerability figures
large all time, and that falling apart happens continually. Accept it or not, all
is not fair or perfect in this world, similarly this favourite poem of mine.
I am excited here that I
may understand the poem further as I grow older, in my old age. Learning never
ends, and this poem never stops giving me new lessons. “The Lady of Shalott” is
a poem for lifetime.
Photo courtesy: google
Photo courtesy: google
Monday, May 12, 2014
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
The joy of planting a tree
The tree above?
Believe
it or not, this is the tree that I had planted as a student of Norbuling
Primary School in Gelephu. It was June 2 in 1995. I was very happy to see my
plant growing so strong and tall during my visit to the school last February. It
made me dizzy with excessive pride.
You
know what? I felt so excited that I spent my entire afternoon, beneath it,
under its shade. I hugged it, ran around it, climbed on it, held its branches,
and felt and smelt its leaves. More excitingly, I remembered my childhood days,
a part of my life, in this school.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
The Joy that only a teacher knows
I’m not a teacher, by the
way. As a supporting staff, my job responsibilities are to assist my managers in
the office administrative works and projects carried out by my office. However,
I conduct this art class (with support from my office management) to help
children to inculcate in them skills, creativity, confidence and good values
through art lesson.
Besides my daily office
works, I’ve to find out my own time to prepare art lesson. The class starts
from 4 pm to 5 pm. After two weeks of teaching, I felt the actual demands of
work. It was very tiring, stressful for me. Every evening, after the class, my legs
and back ached, and my throat pained. Also, I had to forego all my leisure time
and comfort.
Moreover, most of my
students were slow in learning. A few didn’t understand anything at all. Others
reacted fast, but never hit on the point. So they always put me in a foul mood.
I felt muddled-headed, and gradually I started losing my patient. I scolded them
too.
At one point, I wanted to
stop the class, but something dragged me on. I don’t know what it is. So today,
it has been exactly a month that I’m giving the class. And the class will
continue till this year’s end.
Yesterday afternoon, I
received handmade cards from my students. It shocked me, as it was unusual for
me to receive cards on teacher’s day. Also, they wished me, “Happy Teacher’s
Day!” The way they said it, the way they emphasized it, melted my heart. I
looked at my students; they all stood in beautiful smile, grateful and proud.
I took a moment, and ran my
eyes up and down the cards. And to my own amazement, tears welled up in my
eyes. Maybe that’s the nicest thing ever happened to me in the recent years. It
is, to put it more precisely.
On that day, I asked all my
students to design cards for their favorite teachers in their schools. It is to
honour them on teacher’s day. The cards also contain special messages for their
teachers. It took us more than two hours to complete making the cards.
This is the pride of a man who teaches art lesson one hour a day. So you just can’t imagine the pride and achievements of those teachers who teach their entire life.
Let’s salute all our
teachers!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
New Bhutanese writers
I
came across a handful of books by the Bhutanese at the Book Fair in Bajothang.
I was very much surprised. Because that I’ve not heard of and read before about
these books and authors. But those books are written and published by our
fellow-Bhutanese, and they are there in the market for sale. More surprisingly,
most of the writers are very young teachers. I’m very happy for them and have bought
some of the books as personal copies. The books are:
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
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