My Own Thoughts

Kushuthara - Every woman's  prized  possession Most of the people in Lhuentse Dzongkhag are predominantly of agriculturalist by nature. The Dzongkhag has the suitable climatic condition for practicing the farming of of all “Dru-na-gu”. However, encouraged by the fertile land with good irrigation facilities, most of the people are into wetland cultivations which make Lhuentse an envied Dzongkhag for producing rice. Lhuentse as one of the rice producing district in the Country contributes unprecedentedly towards realizing the food self-sufficiency of the Country. However, these agriculture farming  keeps them bogged down only in summer during the time when water for that matters rains are aplenty. Come winter, there is not much works around. Contrarily when farmers in other parts of the Country are relaxing, farmers in Lhuentse have always kept themselves productively engaged. They busy themselves in winter involving themselves full heartedly in off-farm activities whi...

Thimphu- carpeted in white sheet Contradictorily, I had a cold welcome to my new place of work. Everyone on a change of their workplace would expect a warm welcome where your new boss and colleagues receives you with a broad smile. This is important when you are introduced to the world you’ve not experienced before, where your new boss and the colleagues are all strangers for atleast now. With excitement brimming in my heart, I ventured to the capital city – Thimphu from my remote place in Lhuentse – my previous station. This is supposed to be a major change in my career since it is a complete change from running after trees to running after people. Journey itself was full of challenges when I had to cross many passes – the highest mountain point. Youngkola, Thrumshingla, Kikila, Yotongla, Pelela, Dochula and after sometime I even lost the count of these so-called “la” crossings. But I am glad I could make in one big piece. February the 17 th of 2011, I was all prepared to joi...

Ever tried looking a single grain inside that giant heap of hay? I personally cannot imagine even thinking of the job. I would rather opt to dig a whole field than doing that. Finding rental apartments in Thimphu is no better. Climb to the strategic point of the capital city and scan the horizon, you’ll see that the city is the concrete jungle. The buildings of different makes and models remain crammed within the permitted space of the area. Going by such deceptive look of the town, any first timers would think there are enough space for people of whole Bhutan. Bhutan has a mere population of the little less than 700,000. But the reality in Thimphu is much harsher than it looks. A decent roof over head to shield from sun and rain is every human’s necessity. I would choose pitching a tent or putting up in a temporary makeshift if permitted by the nature’s law. But there is not much of choice offered around. Thimphu is gateway to bliss. Is it? With my coming to Thimphu on transfer...

“Every Meeting must end in Departure” there is no denying of the statement. Just when I’m getting to know the people around and put myself in their shoes, here is another call from the destiny – that I must again venture into the destiny yet unknown. Perhaps this time around, it is in my favour. I won’t say I am after the greener pasture but it is too good an opportunity to deny for me. Moreover, the mandate is more into tune of my interest and potential. Nonetheless, bidding adieu is one tough job for everyone when the moment is flooded with emotions. But ‘I am turning my heels to the place’ is the truth an undeniable one. The first time I was transferred to Lhuentse, I was trounced by the strange feeling of being banished to exile. This is because the place to me merely denoted of remoteness, some odd five hundred kilometers east of the Capital city – Thimphu. It proved right when I confronted 2 days strenuous drive to reach the place. The road got narrower, the mountain higher an...

One spring month, just before the leeches came alive, I responded to the call of my duty to tune my direction to Metakha, one remote geog under Chukha Dzongkhag. I have had the enough strength to travel to the destination conquering mountains and vales, negotiating the burgeoning rivers and following the trails passing by the mountain waist, some just bare enough to adjust your feet on ground. All these didn’t allow any room for mistakes in your steps. Yet, the inner adamancy and determination that I must faithfully heed the obligations of my job took me safely to that virgin geog, away from all those urban nuisances. Virgin, unexplored and raw geog it was, that development has hardly found its way into the Geog. Located on the lap of mountain, fenced by the thick broadleaved forest, 4 days strenuous foot-walk from the nearest motorable road, everything refused to go there, needless to mention the road. The then, people I met looked most barbaric and orthodox. The village wore the lo...

I am sure everyone has heard of the legend of Meyme Helehele, about whom your grandfather would have told and retold sitting by the fire with embers just glowing. If it is Hum Jaiga in India, it is Meyme Helehele in Bhutan in the past, reputed for his foolishness and stupidity. The story goes, …..Meyme Helehele is out in the mountain strolling. By mere chance and luck, he stumbles with the diamond ball, he swaps it for the cattle with the man (much worthless comparatively)……….this goes and goes, I mean the change for cheaper things than what he actually had. It goes till he meets a man singing melodious “chumo Aley”. He finally changed it with the cock finally to slip by the wet rock and forget the verse…… Here is man who did no better job than this legendary foolish man. Only that this time it involves the change in cars he thought it better changing everytime. It started with the foreign corona car, splendid and showy. This is the car he was proud himself to drive. But sadly enough,...

The author dedicates this miniature to those uniformed men of Bhutan, who has served the mother country with so perseverance and strength when in need of our beloved land. The author also wishes to gratify them through this diminutive article for having shown their utmost belonging to the country and bringing peace and serenity once again to our tranquil land of Thunder Dragon. He is left lame and left to hobble around solitary leg for the rest of his life. But he has no regrets. He has proved enough that he is always there when the country needed him most. He is comfortable with ‘lame’ life he leads. The cause of his lameness was the cause of every Bhutanese. He was prepared for the final death since he has done what he is supposed to do as true son of Pelden Drukpa. He survives on what the Royal Government and in particular His Majesty have conferred on him in recognition of his outstanding Tha-Damtse and ley-Judey. Ngultrum three lakhs and his monthly salary is more than sufficient...

Choden is a mother of a one year old daughter. She lost the real life just when she thought it was beginning. She blame herself for the failed marriage because she couldn’t workout the choices she was offered. Now she is worried about the brunt her daughter has to face having to grow up with fatherless child though born to legitimate parents. Her work came between and neither could she refuse. From her high school, Choden wanted to become a journalist. The charm of having to meet different people on her hunt for news coverage, the name which came printed on the paper in every issue gave her the satisfaction of the work done. But listening to the sad stories of those unfortunate in life and being able to bring them in limelight was her utmost fulfillment. The profession fitted the principle in her life, “charity with work”. The sprouting of many private newspapers lately gave an opportune avenue for her insatiable quest for writing. It was during one of these numerous interviews for t...

Life is but navigating on trail purely dictated by the destiny. The destiny frames the journey one must make in whole course of life and no matter how rough this course is, one must stride it. So, she was compelled to make the rutted journey in her life. Every newcomer contemplating to enter the premise of the Gangkha Community in Chukha, must go through a 70 years old lady in her dirtiest rags. Sitting by the Chorten on a hilltop that offers the sweeping view of the last horizon, the same chorten from where she bid her daughter adieu 5 years ago, she tries to drive away every stranger, raining with stones, sticks, mud and whatever she can lay her hands upon. If one is not quick enough to bypass her, one can be the easy victim of these bad welcome to the community. Making my first trip to the village once on an official tour, I had a terrible experience of this disturbed lady. Had it not been my porter who was quick enough to rescue me, I won’t have made the journey back home. Over a...

‘Eat when you are in acute starvation, only then does the food taste very luscious irrespective of quality”. And the holiday brunch serves the right substance for the same. The brunch is the odd mealtime which neither serves as breakfast nor the lunch. It is the meal eaten normally towards later part of early day, when the breakfast time is long gone but the lunch time is yet to come. It is the meal normally consumed at 10 AM to 11 AM in the morning. And this is my favourite mealtime. The other night, when I know the next day is a holiday, I find myself holding myself for long night. No matter how much the wall clock buzz reminding that the time is venturing into deeper darkness, my eyes shows no sign of drowsiness. I find myself reading books, writing fantasies and watching televisions. I am crazy, really crazy. Sometime the crow goes cock-a-doodle-do when I am actually retiring into bed, announcing that the dawn is slowly breaking up. And when my neighbourhood prepares to wake up f...

‘To meet, to know, to love and to depart is the law of life’ someone has said it. We rally with strangers and people we have never known before in homes, schools, institutions and other public gatherings because we are born in different places. When we meet the strangers, we make friends with some of them and sometime we fall in love with few of them especially the young guys and ladies. We remains committed and dedicated to friendship or loveship, whatever the relationship you are sharing. But for how long? You got to ask yourself. One fateful day, you find that you are departing from your friend or lover going away to find your own friend, your own lover and your own foes. Ofcourse, it hurts so much but it is a law the life has framed and you ought to obey it. And if you don’t keep in contact through all possible means, it is much easier to forget. While traveling in the bus, you share the seats with someone especially with spinsters and you introduce, talk and become friend and s...

Dreams and fancies of life that glimmered in his eyes have been washed away by the flood of tears that he has shed for her. The abrupt end of a nurtured relation turned out to be a fake and empty dream, not knowing to keep its words of promises. Those glorious dreams of being together, the maddening urge of holding each other, the divinely trust shared by the two and the humane respect flung to her have now become like a fairy tale told to a sleeping child. A triumphant victory intricately glued to a miserable failure, the moments of joy eclipsed by shadows of sadness, burst of laughter diluted by tears have become the norms of the days. The furious storm that swept through his life extinguished the flames of hopes leaving behind only the radiance, never to rekindle. “By the time you graduate from NRTI, you should be able to name a couple or hundred of plants”, A class on Forest (Field) Botany was on full swing. Ugyen, an undergraduate in NRTI was trying his best to collect his mind ...

Reproduction is imperative for sustenance of the species. Foreseeing this need, god shaped two different sexes in every living creature. All creatures come either in male or female with few exceptions. The architect also summoned each a style of performing this arts. But this art, as I suppose, is purely meant by the creator for assuring the descendant or linage. The copulation is expected to bring together the sperm and egg leading to the fine formation-a baby! But, with forward march of the time, it is put into use the designer might have never thought of. He never expected that people will use his intention for making money. You might wonder what I am talking about. I am referring to nothing other than about the Blue Films. At the first place, I don’t understand why it is called blue, when the hero, heroine and other actors comes in white, brown and black. Shall we not agree that the love making is primarily meant for baby production, which ensures that the species never runs exti...