Charity Surely Begins at Home!

Thank you, fellow bloggers and readers for taking time to read this. I know there was a pretty long gap on the updates since I now moved to a new place and in this new place, time is not on my side... I am sure I can win back the consideration of my blogger mates with this update. I will be delighted if you leave your comments and opinions on this update.

Yesterday, the sun in its full glory warmed Thimphu up very much and I decided to spend my morning washing my small car. Everyone knows the woes and hassles of cleaning the inside let alone washing outside. After an hour of cleaning, washing and polishing, I locked the doors of the car to take some infamous ‘Doma’ from a shop nearby. Pardon me; ‘Doma’ is equally famous, if you know what I mean!

Well then first things first! Moments later, as I walked back home with some mushy ‘Doma’ juice in my mouth, I saw these young-lings near my car seated in a circle and shouting at each other, “Wai, nga ghi e-ka een si”(Hey, mine is an Ace!). Yes, they were playing cards. Their tiny faces and hands were way too ignorant for the adult game of cards but if this is what children in our neighborhoods do, I am certainly worried and shocked at the bringing up of these kids. And yes, they were playing cards on money.

My presumption on kids doing this is, may be parents model this behavior at home. Of course children do learn beyond the walls of our homes but getting to know one’s child is the primary duty of a parent. The sight of children playing cards amused me and I didn’t feel anything sad on the children’s part but remained rather baffled at the discourse children used at each other-all vulgar!

The kids in action

There can be a million explanations to this and of course, opinions can vary with everyone.

We have our youth mostly going astray after being fairly educated and government is trying to take note of this and making them realign life to normalcy but the little ones (I am very sure, the kids in the picture are attending elementary school)-look at them, can you believe the sight? I cannot justify or rather opine on this habit of the kids but after half an hour of watching them, I shouted at them to stop and go home. And they unwillingly obeyed!

I am told by many that there are professional gamblers here in Thimphu and gambling is their livelihood. We are equally responsible for this sight as parents, neighbors, community members and above all as Vajrayana Buddhists to pay no heed to such menace practiced at home-Charity surely begins at home! It begins Marey.

Good day ahead, folks!