Good God, What's Happening!

Long time! A very long time indeed! I am writing this update because I needed to let myself breathe some relief sigh as it pained me now for the last three days. Guys, you may not get the idea underpinning this update but ask any teacher, about transfer and opportunities.

I am getting transferred and I also happen to be one HRD member here in my office. I have given and performed in Khenrig Namsum [1]for the last seven years. It was high time for me to switch to some other places due to some personal reasons, not that I am switching profession. Our system of works make us travel less and if we ever get one, one has to perfectly qualify for the opportunities, to the criteria laid by firstly your own boss and several other bosses above him.

I didn’t qualify for any of the opportunities-professionally of course, due to the fact that you are getting transferred. The supposed ‘on transfer’ guy. Fine, it works in other places and offices too. The opportunities are simply shut due to the reason ‘on transfer’. All right, all said and done!

What I am trying to say is, opportunities are not given to the people on transfer and I have a lot of friends who share the same views. My mentor told this to me, “it’s to the ones that remain we reserve such ‘supposed’ opportunities. And I also do have a friend who like me is on transfer and was given the opportunity. I enquired about it and the reply I got was, “the person cancelled the transfer”. Fine too. Now I enquired this very friend’s friends-close friends of course. I was told, the transfer is not cancelled. I could not call the very friend on moral reasons. Why jeopardize someone’s already ‘got’ opportunity?

Now, at this point, I am left in a dilemma who to believe. This left me lost and I suppose there is a justification to this. And I also do presume, this justification, if ever it comes to me, then, I will lose a friend or I will get black listed in the diary of my superiors. This is my humble presumption.

This is what happened recently. Well I now simply wait for my order to come and rejoice in the thought that I will now finally be with my dear wife.

Good god! What’s happening!

Good day folks!

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[1] The erstwhile Zhemgang

Our Cultural Ambassador

Last night, I was You-tubing and I came across our very own Sonam Dorji, popularly Kheng Sonam Dorji. I was browsing for the videos on Mountain Echoes and I came across the videos from TED x Thimphu. I could see Sok Sian Pek Dorji’s talk on the role of media in a GNH driven society and followed by the video of Kheng Sonam. I am sorry this TED Ex program took place in Thimphu but I could only find it out last night.

I watched this video and I got moved by his presentation. The fact that music and dance has on our culture is quite amazing, as preservation and promotion of culture is one of the pillars of GNH. I have been working for the last six years in Kheng and I have heard about the popular folk song, “Bumoi Karma Wangzom”. It was after I watched this video that this popular song which is sung throughout the Lower Kheng, was composed by Kheng Sonam Dorji at the age of 15.

He embodies the real Bhutanese art and he is doing a great job documenting the folk culture of Bhutan before Globalization sweeps it from the face of the earth. Please do watch the video and I am sure you will not be disappointed. Therefore it is needless to say that Kheng Sonam can be our cultural ambassador to the world. We want more of such people in Bhutan to show that our cultural vitality is our pride. This is who we are and it should remain that way for eternity. 

I ain’t Sorry

“Don't waste your time with explanations: people only hear what they want to hear.”
― Paulo Coelho

And this is why I have decided to explain it to my fellow bloggers. A common maxim reads, “Between the devil and the deep blue sea”! This is a narrative that talks about our common experiences and yet we hesitate to speak about it because of the fear of demeaning and defaming oneself. Perhaps this has long been there since we are still at infancy in our thoughts and consideration for others. I am talking about the word “Nepo-corrupt”, part nepotism and part corruption. 

That’s right; I work in an atmosphere where Nepo-currupts are at its peak. Some like to let people adjust to themselves never reconsidering of adjusting themselves. Some defend until death that my stand is the rightful one and no one else’s is. People were united in groups even before I joined because of their likes in attitudes and there are some who think that they are superior and above all others. One stands out and this individual doesn’t know what a ‘Hypocrite’ is. Perhaps this individual will never listen to suggestions and opinions because of the pride associated with being one of the ‘supposed’ seniors. 

And when friendship is forged, there are always eyes that look with suspicion and the ill intended gossip ensues. When goodness is showered graciously over people unintentionally, no matter how evil and sinister one may be inside, one’s reputation is intact and safe, outside. Then, good gossip ensues. And yet there are those that forge friendship for being the ‘supposed’ rich and wealthy. It’s not human values that make sense but superficial glamour. There are those who glorify time and punctuality yet be always late. 

We make professional gatherings to nominate someone worthy of the office and we conclude having agreed to the nomination made by the presiding person. (Person already made a pick). We are governed by a multitude of individuals.  If I have to answer to someone, that someone has to answer to some other. That’s why one good afternoon, just recently, that some other paid us a visit where the supposed someone got thrashed in front of us by the some other. I reside in the heart of town and gossips have reached people beyond the realm of office. At least not about me and I wonder if they talk bad of me equally to others. 

Gossips, I feel is not something about goodness but gossips of people whom you don’t know always means something terribly bad or wrong. I may or may not fall into what I described and it’s for them to describe me. I know I stand out as the only writer in the realm of our office. Again the gossip ensues. Once a mate was told by the supposed ‘someone’, “if you scratch my back, I will scratch your back”. Just imagine the modicum this inspiring someone has over his subjects. Such individual holds the office. I know there are plenty of such some ones. 

Wait a minute; you might want to scratch your grey matter and ask, who gives this man a right to comment on others? To this obvious question, let me question back, who gives people the right to gossip about others? This is perhaps scratching each other’s back. I aspire to function and deliver under a dynamic someone who truly inspires and for the numerous that I mentioned here, I ain’t Sorry!

“Gossip is just a tool to distract people who have nothing better to do from feeling jealous of those few of us still remaining with noble hearts.” -Anna Godbersen

Wangpem or Pem of Wang!

The unusual Wangpem

This time around, the local vegetables are in short supply and Zhemgang is a place where veggies are scarce unless one maintains a kitchen garden. Amidst the scarcity, I have come to enjoy all that we get locally even the wild ones. On a usual weekday, I was hunting for veggies around shops and then I met Uncle Bajay. I could only find some pepper and tomatoes. He introduced me to what people locally call it “Wangpem” as if Pem from Wang. I have tasted this before once with Lopen Kinzang at school but never been curious then. He tells me this particular plant belongs to the family of orchids. It can be eaten as a vegetable. I wanted him to make Wangpem as our weekend delicacy, to which he agreed. 

Wangpem in the wild

Wangpem is found in Zhemgang in the wild and the edible part of the plant shoots out from its roots. Pretty scary! And this strange looking part must be plucked and cooked. Then, some days later he told me to take pictures of the Plants which he has abundantly put around his house, supposedly for knowing that I do write about usual and unusual things and happenings. 

I took some pictures and agreed to pluck some for dinner. He assured me that he will cook along with some porcupine meat. This could be my second instance where I may get to eat porcupine meat. I thought it’s better to eat the meat thinking of people eating all sorts of bugs and tarantulas in National Geographic programs. 

Wangpem with Porcupine meat

But before we made it into a meal, we did some scientific research. Mr.DB Gurungs book on the Orchids mentions of no such orchid and together we sought refuge in the internet. It too turned out fruitless. If you readers have any idea, then do let me know and accordingly I will inform my friend. We made a contact to the Department of forestry in College of Natural Resources and we weren’t responded either. So this is unusual and may be this particular plant is waiting to be discovered. 

Whether I call this ‘Wangpem’ or ‘Pem of Wang’, it certainly was an experience tasting this unusual fruit of the plant. However, when tasted, it’s somewhat bitter! So, next time you see this unusual plant in Sunday market, just say, “Tshonpoen! Ani dhi Wangpem ina?” And be assured that it’s perfectly edible, if not I wouldn’t be alive to write this update in my blog…LOL!

Good day ahead!

Just a Dream!

Wikipedia defines dreams as “Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep”. For me dreams are associated with the events that are yet to unfold or something that has unfolded before. This is what I think is my opinion on dreams and dreaming. I am mentioning of the dreams that we dream while asleep probably at night, although some may dream during the day. It’s been pretty long since I last had a dream and dreams never come to me. This is a fact that makes me feel incomplete. When my friends and colleagues talk about dreams, I listen very carefully to their description and wish I was the person dreaming. 

But just last night, I saw and unusual dream. I was walking home although in real… I drive. I was walking with a group of students who were pointing at my calf saying that my stocking was torn. When I looked at it, it was indeed torn and an itchy sensation made me scratch my calf. Later, at home I found that there was a few inches deep cut made on my calf as if made by a sharp object. 

Picture Courtesy: Google Images

I went to the toilet (in my dreams of course) and flushed some water on the cut. There was an opening on the wound and some green fluid oozed out of the wound. I went to the room sat on a chair and started wiping it with some tissue papers. To my astonishment I found maggots…oops in my wound underneath the skin. I took out one by one with tweezers and felt…disgusting! This thought makes me puke now, in real. After removing all maggots from my wound, I was attending a doctor. I had to stand in a line to see the doctor and every second that I spend standing makes me scratch my wound. In the midst of scratching the wound and after a sweet-satisfactory sensation, I heard the bell of the doctor calling on his attendant and it was quite loud. Later, this sound woke me up only to find my cell phone alarm in its full volume. I immediately looked at my calf to find out, it was just a dream, still in bed. 

We have connotations on dreams we see and it also carries some derogatory meanings on the omen in one’s life, whether be good or bad. I don’t know what omen my weird dream carries but the thought if it makes me anxious and nauseated. 

Please do share about your dreams too; I know some of it may be as weird as I dream-t it.

Happy Dreaming!

Right to information bill

There has been a growing concern among the public and social networkers alike on the ongoing Right to Information bill debate in the parliament. There is much hue and cry over the said bill. 

When people benefit from this bill and when everything becomes transparent, right to information will make Bhutan happier not forgetting our pursuit of Happiness. People will avail swift public service delivery and works will be done faster and people can now question the ones not doing their delegated works. 

People reserve the right to access information held by the government and why shouldn’t the people? A government secret needs to be kept a secret unless it requires some mandatory disclosure for some legal proceedings. Otherwise it is the right of the people to access information held by any governments.

If the hue and cry over the right to information bill means the government will be exposed, so be it, now it’s the people’s government. My opinion on this debate is simple… if this bill is passed and implemented, some of the elite government officials will have to definitely face legal proceedings and that’s what the government is trying to put a cloud on. The government must function in the interest of its citizens and not in the interest of a select few. 

In the west, there are massive online revolutions, hackers attacking government websites and data, social services groups and individuals protesting against government held information and secrets. A typical example of a government deceit on its citizens would be; when USA withdrew its troops from Vietnam, they conducted a massive operation called the “Operation Baby lift” and their stand was to protect the innocent children from the North Vietnamese communist. 

But in the post war reality-era, it was just a propaganda move to cover up the lost war. America pumped hundreds of thousands of troops in Vietnam and lost the war. An Aljazeera correspondent based in New York now, was one such baby lifted to America during the operation. She too did a story on this fact. Where is the right to information? If we do not learn from other countries how shall we learn? From a group of select few who claims to have the all knowledge on right to information, give me a break! Wake up Bhutan, if not now! When?

I foresee a time when there will be another Julian Assange and Edward Snowden from Bhutan in the making if the government reserves the right to information bill.

 

Food for thought: It is error alone which needs the support of the government. Truth can stand by itself. –Thomas Jefferson