Marvelous Dunmang Tshachhu!!!

Located at an altitude of 500 meters above the sea level, the sacred Dunmang Tshachhu (hot spring) is sandwiched in between steep gorges, just by the Mangdechhu. After driving for an hour from Tingtingbi towards Gomphu, the Tshachhu is just another hour's walk downhill from the highway. 

It is a sacred Ney of Guru Rinpochey and people say that there are 108 different hot springs in here. It is also revered to be a cure for piles, arthritis and skin diseases, among many others.

It was a pleasant coincidence for me to pay a visit to this area on my birthday (on 13th January). 

As I went for a dip late into the night, as if in trance, I was drawn into a conversation by the meandering Mangdechhu. Of the many lessons it taught me, she cautioned me that I was already into the 25th year since I was born and that I do not have any concrete achievements to my credit. She also told me that my life was fleeting, just as her flow downstream.

Upon asking about how I could overcome this crisis, she just told me very bluntly that I would rust if I chose to rest and thereby, she put an end to our conversation quite abruptly. 

I am assuming, she meant that I need to conquer complacency and work rather very hard!!!

To All the Hardworking Health Workers

Very recently, my spouse had to be admitted to the BHU in Zhemgang. She had to spend a couple of days there. I escorted her. From our few days’ stay in the BHU, I could realize few important points which we otherwise, often overlook.

The health workers in the BHU are sometimes obliged to work during odd hours so as to attend to the ailment of the patients. There is also a worker in the BHU to whom everybody addresses as ‘Ata’. He stays in the BHU premises twenty four seven.

I wonder how they could work so well even if it meant during odd hours or for almost all the time with beautiful smiles on their faces because it was almost impossible for me to stay awake even for few days, that too when my wife was ill!

I know it is not only in Zhemgang, rather health workers everywhere, both within Bhutan and abroad, work very hard. Therefore, I offer my heartfelt appreciation to all the dedicated health workers.

I wonder if the remuneration they get at the end of the month justifies the amount of hard work they put in. But more important than the remuneration, I feel is the kind of intention that you work with. The nature of your job is unquestionably noble. As such, please continue to work selflessly and accumulate merit for your whole lifetime!

Showing Off My Humble Photographic Skills

These are few photos that I snapped during one of my tours to the UK in 2012 on the sidelines of looking for disadvantaged and less privileged people.

Most of the people mistake UK for United Kingdom. While UK stands for United Kingdom, the UK that I mean is Upper Kheng. Upper Kheng comprises of four gewogs, namely Bardo, Nangkor, Shingkhar and Trong in Zhemgang.

So, don't think that the people, places and the flowers in UK looks similar to that of Bhutan. These are snapped at a place in our very own Bhutan- Digala, Bardo, Zhemgang. 

Also, next time, when your friends or acquaintances tell you that they are heading to the UK, confirm whether or not they are going to Upper Kheng and save yourself from getting fooled.

Druk Superstar in Retrospection

Druk Superstar is a reality show founded by Kencho Wangdi, with noble objective of preserving and promoting our rich cultural heritage, the third pillar of our country’s Development Philosophy, Gross National Happiness, among others.

Out of every 5 Ngultrums or out of every vote one casts, 2 Ngultrums goes to the telecom companies (Tashi Cell and Bhutan Telecom) and Kencho Ongdi takes the rest. He also pays a lump sum of Nu. 11,50,000 to the BBS for letting him air his program live every weekends, which in other countries is otherwise.

There are various supporter beguiled by him to sponsor for his show and he shoots advertisements for various agencies, besides the share that he gets from the votes.

It is quite enriching to take part in such reality shows. I believe that I would have missed a lot of experiences had I chosen not to partake.

With his show and the likes, many aspiring Bhutanese singers have started picking interest in the traditional genre also. The show has also instilled love for the Bhutanese songs of all genre and all in all, the Bhutanese culture in many of the Bhutanese as it has incorporated Lozey and other traditional flavors into the Show.

It does not forget to entertain the youth; the show includes dance items and the contemporary Bhutanese songs known as Rigsar. So, in a nutshell, the show is a complete package, for the young and the elderly alike.

People are impatiently yearning for the next season of the show. May his show come up with more variety and amusements, this year too and save the Bhutanese, especially those devoid of recreational activities from boredom.

I am sure, Mr. Kencho Ongdi would also take various initiatives to meet global standards of such reality shows so that we gain audience both within and abroad, from both Bhutanese and others.

Momo (steam dumplings) Competition

Yesterday, my house had turned to a bee colony. Everybody was assigned certain work and were diligently carrying out their own tasks. Some were sieving flour and making dough while few others were chopping cabbage, beef and onion; some were doing the dishes and some were designing different shapes, both beautiful as well as awful...yes, we were preparing steam dumplings! 

My family was joined by my uncle's family. It started at around 4 in the evening and went up to 10 into the night. It was a very long, arduous and strenuous voyage of transforming the flour and vegetables/meat into steam dumplings for around 10 heads; it surely was a very time consuming job, which many would not even dare to prepare.

But what was happening on the sidelines of the work is worth sharing. We were asking so many riddles to which some gave very silly answers and we were switching from serious talks to funny anecdotes. We laughed our lungs out and also wrecked our brains out. 

After we were done with the preparation, we assembled to the most awaited menu. Everyone was served coffee, soup and steam dumplings. We had a competition among ourselves and there was a prize earmarked.  In the quest of making it to the top, everybody tried their utmost. Some rested for some time and ate again while some didn't pause even for a while. Later, few had to puke. A true sense of competition existed. The number of steam dumplings eaten by my cousin reached the peak of 26 and he bagged the prize! 

What happened at home last night was an event that did not occur for quite a time. Above everything else, we were exhibiting the existence of a vibrant sense of community vitality which is one of the 9 domains of our country's development paradigm, Gross National Happiness. Moreover, I was into my work for so long and did not get time to spend quality time with my family. It was an opportunity to fill that gap too.

Water Shortage in Zhemgang City!

The house that I am living in has five taps. But, I see no water flowing from even one for days on stretch. Often, either of the meals (mostly breakfast) has to be forgone unless there is leftover food that I can scavenge on.

Quite often, I need to drive towards RDTC, around little more than a kilometer uphill to fetch few jerry cans of water which would not even suffice half a day!

To pay Nu. 5,500 as house rent in a place like Zhemgang and not have enough water at home is more frustrating than a sad tale to tell. The extra fuel that is consumed while fetching water from RDTC and elsewhere is but only escalating the day-to-day expenditure.

When there is an acute shortage of water in a very small settlement like Zhemgang, I regret for blaming Thimphu City Corporation for not delivering enough water while I was in Thimphu a couple of months ago. TCC has to look after more than one lakh people living in the city and I doubt if there is a populace of even 10,000 people in Zhemgang; the ratio is 1:10, even if Zhemgang has 10,000.

Zhemgang has a very abundant forest cover and logically, a problem like water shortage is the least expected. What I cannot comprehend is whether Zhemgang does not really have enough water resources or whether it is the inefficiency on the part of the people involved in delivering water services. The technical problems in the building that I live in may be culpable, perhaps. 

This problem has been persisting for quite a time. The Prime Minister commanded to solve it during his visit, last year. I feel it is recklessly daring on the part of the authorities concerned to leave the problem still unresolved. 

Listen if You May, I am Blowing My Own Trumpet

Ask any student in any part of Bhutan about what they desire to do after graduation and the answer, without any doubt, will be to serve the tsa-wa-sum. During my school days, I would also pronounce the same answer.

Today, I have graduated (even post-graduated) and I work as a Dzongkhag Kidu Officer. I get to work closely with the people, people who are in dire need of help. 

In just seven month’s time, I could meet hundreds of people, young and old alike and could listen to their pleas. After trekking for days on stretch, I could identify around 50 vulnerable individuals in Zhemgang and propose for Kidu to His Majesty the King. Hopefully, the proposals will be approved which translates to changing the lives of 50 individuals and their family!

If this is the pace in less than 7 months I can do a lot more in the next one and half years.

I may not get foreign travels (even the ones that I win as prize), I may not get frequent training and I may not have the comfort of living in the capital. But I definitely am  serving the tsa-wa-sum by working as a bridge between His Majesty and the People.

Furthermore, the enriching joy of having been able to add value to the lives of numerous marginalized lot of people is bound to remain as a perennial source of inspiration and self-esteem for ages!

Thinking of Rendering a Helping Hand to My Parents, but...

We think of helping our parents after we land a job and hence take it as a license to solely depend on them during our schooling years. When they don’t give us enough money while resuming school after a vacation, we feel very low and think that they can't even spare a little more for us.

But now that I have landed a job and that I have to take care of my own expenditures, I realize the extent of the trouble that I and my four other siblings did impose onto the sole bread-earner of the family, my beloved dad.

Keep some amount in your wallet and don't be surprised if you don't find a penny left after a few days. Because, that’s the value of few thousands and we never know when it would leave us!

The need to spend for my own family only soars with time- there is no end to it.

What should I do then? Shall I save some part of my salary and give it to my parents after few months? Or shall I avail a loan and send it to my parents? But, will I be able to survive with the outstanding amount?

Perhaps, I might become financially stable and help my parents (both mine and my spouse's) with whatever little means I can afford.

A New Year Note

Thank you 2012 for all that you unveiled for me- it was a mixture of, surprises-both pleasant and awful, excitements, merriment, love, care, support, acquaintances and a lot more. 

All of us have a common goal. We are all looking for happiness, consciously or not. No one would like to be unhappy, even for the shortest moment. But unfortunately, we are often immersed into suffering.

Therefore, in the quest of happiness, may we not grow only older but wiser also; may we not merely become wealthy, but contented as well; and may we not just become more attractive, rather may we remind ourselves to remain healthy.

May 2013 be a year filled with Happiness, Prosperity, Opportunities and Marvelous Outcomes.  

Who are the Real Dashos?

While we may have a lot of nice bosses, I am sure that there are equally good or even more number of bosses who are inflated by the ego of the so called title of Dasho, which is used to actually butter up those who just have Patangs and colored Kabneys but are not actually Dashos.

Dasho is in fact a prestigious title that only His Majesty does confer (with a red scarf and a sword) to outstanding leaders and is similar to the knighthood conferred by the Queen of England. 

Few of our bosses are so used to it that they demand themselves to be called Dashos and the subordinates on the other hand also do not bother to give it a second thought despite heated debates on the issue broadcast at times on the national television. 

A lieutenant is called Dasho, an MP is called Dasho, a Rabjam is called Dasho, a Dzongda is called Dasho and while travelling to the remote pockets of the nation, even civil servants are also addressed as Dashos.

It is because, we are obsessed by the 'top-down' kind of bureaucracy that exists in Bhutan. If we do not address them as Dashos, we will hurt their sentiments and therefore, not get our work done or, will be blacklisted.

So, what do we do? Address everyone as Dashos in order to shield ourselves from the consequence that would result from not addressing them as Dashos? Or, value the honor that His Majesty confers? 

A letter to my Beloved Sister (Class XII)

Changzamtog,

24^th May, 2012

Dear Cheychey,

May this letter find you in sound health! I am pleased to inform you that I am doing very well. I know you will be taken aback because this is the first letter that I am writing to you. Yet, this is the best opportunity to do so, I suppose.

This is just to remind you that you have reached a point where success will follow you like your shadow should you invest your hard work now and also, where failure will engulf you if you look for merriment at this instant. In other words, this year will somehow decide your future. 

I know your potential and our parents are expecting lots from you; I am also anticipating no lesser. I hope you won't let our hopes go down the drain. 

As you know, I suffered a lot in 2006 after graduating from Baylling HSS as the marks that I scored (in BHSEC) were way below the criteria set by the RUB for different training and study programmes both abroad and within Bhutan. As a result, I had to endure various nightmares. Why did that happen? The answer is simple; it is because I chose merrymaking over study!

So, the message is clear- it’s in your hands to choose either of the two. But please think whether you would like to enjoy for less than a year and suffer later or to make some small trivial sacrifices now and then reap its sweet yields for the whole lifetime!!!

Love You

        Sd/-

(Ata Jamtsho)

The Intent of My Partaking

Kencho Ongdi is well known for entertaining the people with his reality shows. With two of its kind already successfully completed, he is coming up with yet another show, a promising one, with dance and lozey competition besides singing.

With already few songs in various movies and musical albums, I am still an aspiring singer. So, I decided to try and become one of the contestants of the much loved reality show- Druk Superstar.  I have made it to the third round of the Druk Superstar audition as of now and I am very confident that I will be able to make it to the top 16. After that I will let the mighty reaping hook decide.

From the very beginning, I would like my well-wishers, friends, family and fans- if there are any to be clear of my intent for taking part in the show. I know winning is important and I would be more than happy to drive home the prize car should I win the contest. But what is more important is that once I perform in Druk Superstar, people would begin to know me- I would call it FAME!

While we can buy many of the prizes that are awarded by various philanthropists to the contestants of the reality shows, it would be difficult to buy fame. Moreover, going by the experience that i gained while going as a guest to the little stars on the 1st of March, 2012, I am poised to learn and experience a lot by participating in the show- which can't also be bought besides learning a great deal of Boedra and Zhungdra songs.

Ergo, I would like to clarify that I am participating to let more people know me and learn more, not for the sheer desire for the Prize Car!

Questioning Our Patriotism

Every time I go to the theaters, I see a large portion of the viewers displaying very barbaric behavior. Howling and jeering no sooner than the lights are turned off, one can only imagine the height of our fellow Bhutanese’ conduct!

Prior to screening the actual movie, a minute-long video clip of our National Anthem is played. If you are a regular viewer of the Bhutanese movies, you are safe. But if you are planning to visit the movie theaters for the first time, here is a cautionary note- please do not be taken aback to see people disdainfully making mockery of our own National Anthem, while many would not even rise!

On one hand, while playing the National Anthem in the theaters would be very essential for quite a few of us to reiterate our gratitude towards our tsa-wa-sum, I seriously feel that it should be forgone because its very intention is defeated on the other hand.

Several times on the idiot box, I have seen people abroad rising and even breaking down upon hearing their National Anthem. But to our sheer disappointment, just the opposite is happening in the theaters. If we question every Bhutanese whether they were patriotic, there would not be even a single citizen who would say that he/she isn’t. But let us all be reminded that we should be patriotic, if at all we are, not only when there is someone eyeing us, but also when it is dark and no one can see us!

Why Should You Compare???

“Don’t compare with others, it will bring sorrows into your life” was what my teachers always said while I was in the school. But I am of the view that comparison has to be perceived from different angles of the prism.

If you compare yourself with the elites and the best, your comparison would breed sorrow. On the other hand, if you compare yourself to the people who stand lower than you, you can derive comfort and let you get rid of the humiliation that you have to face. This shouldn’t be viewed as complacency, though.

When my friends humiliate me saying that I am a dark guy, I always think of the blacks dwelling in Africa other parts of the world and heave a sigh of relief. I tend to compare my skin tone to that of the blacks and feel that if there are billions of people fairer than me, there are equally billions who are darker as well.

Sometimes, when I can’t afford the latest gadgets and other stuffs that my friends buy, I feel very low and I grumble a lot about my economic deficiency. I mourn for not being bestowed upon the same amount of wealth as others. But when I browse the net and come across infinite destitute, homeless, and when I see topless beggars begging along the Jaigaon Street, I realize that I have got a lot indeed. I also tend to become conscious that the wealthiest people are not the ones who have the most; rather, they are the ones who need the least.

At times, I feel that nobody in this world know me and that; I am just an extra being in this world without any mandate as such. But when I think of my own small circle of friends and fans, I feel that I have a purpose for coming into this world. There are Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities with millions and billions of fans, but I am a star in my own way. I have few people who know that I am Sonam, which is more than enough for me. I also console myself by contemplating on billions of socially low standing people who do not have as much friends as I do.

In a nutshell, if you want to get rid of the woeful experiences that you are enduring, I am of the view that it is wise to compare and get yourselves relieved, rather than nagging about your shortcomings; if u compare judiciously, you can derive optimum merriment.

Hard work begets Success

_{Most of the stereotypical people believe that success is the outcome of the luck alone. A bit more rationale group says that it is the combination of both hard work and luck. Conversely, I am of the view that success is directly proportionate to the amount of hard work invested in any endeavor that one ventures into and there is nothing to do with the so-called luck.}

_{There is no luck in absence of hard work; it’s only the diligence that fosters good fortune. If one tends to rely exclusively on luck and do not prepare for the endeavors that we venture into, then, it’s no better than fighting a losing battle. If one works for around fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, there’s no doubt that he would be lucky. But on the other hand if a businessman locks up his shop for months and hopes his luck to bestow him with a lot of profits in his business, his wish cannot materialize no matter how long he waits.}

_{Be it in terms of academic or co-curricular activities luck doesn’t have any hand in one’s success. Had it been otherwise, the trend would have been such that the brightest and hardworking people fail and the dullest yet the luckiest excel. Even in co-curricular activities if one solely provokes and venerates the local deities without having a rigorous practice, there is no way that one can excel in the activities that he partakes.}

_{Moreover, even if we succeed because of our luck, it’s not a genuine success because that particular success is not the fruition of one’s own potential. It’s like a boy flinging stone up into the sky and coincidentally hitting a bird. We can’t just say that the boy has succeeded in killing the bird; it’s rather a coincidence.}

_{If one puts cent percent in the work that he ventures into, he is bound to succeed. When preparation meets a due opportunity that’s where luck prevails. Therefore, I firmly reiterate that success is the dividend that we acquire as a result of the sweat that we shed during the times of our endeavor because more one sweat, the luckier he seems to become.}

This was written as an assignment while at RIM and this is not my real view