Nostalgia of the life down memory lane!

The nostalgia of the place which grew me up is so instrumental in making me metamorphose from a timid bud into a confident bloom [1]is the college I attended eight years back. Back then it was nomenclature-d as the National Institute of Education and the villagers called it the TTC.

Whatever it may be, this year I was sent to this place on some official purposes which lasted for three enjoyable days. In some snaps of the time I sneaked my evening time to pay a nostalgic visit to this institute of learning.

Some changes were obvious as I left this place in a cold December evening of 2006. There were some unfinished structural constructions then and now they have come to full bloom. The campus and the structures now look majestic and I am sure people now find this sight nostalgic in all sense of the word.

If you have read my book, I have a mention of this institution as ‘My seat of learning’. I owe my deepest gratitude to this learning institution for what I am today. My formative years in this institution made an imprint which lasts to this day in me. Besides academics, I mostly spent time on reading and trying to make sense of me in the world of journalism. Most of the inspirational ‘Lopens’ that groomed me are now elsewhere and the prominent ones which I still can remember are Mr. Jose KC, Mr. TS Powdyel, Dr. Jagar Dorji, Mr. Dorji Wangchuk, Mr. Kesang Tshering, Mr. Karma Wangchuk, Mrs. Tshering Wangmo, Mrs. Dechen, Mrs. Karma Peday, Mr. Kinley Gyeltshen, Mr. Rinchen Dorji, Mr. Kinley Dorji. ‘Kadrinchey’ to all of you for my thanks would fall short because I am treading a path which you all showed me. Mr. TS Powdyel went on to become the first democratically elected education Minister. Lopen Kinley became a Dzongrab. Dr. Jagar, the NC member from Trongsa. Mr. Kinley now holds a PhD. We keep in touch even now. Kadrinchey still!

Picture courtesy: Google

The Chorten that we help construct is prettified now. If I am not mistaken it was named the Namgyal Chorten (not very sure) and the benches that I sat in the evenings mostly by the river side are still in use. I could see a few benches occupied by trainee couples. Ahh…..I too did this… back then.  I don’t know if water is a problem in the new hostels. Back then during weekends, we wrapped our towels with some laundry and went merrily near the river singing “A-labey”.

I also saw many trainee teachers walking the alleys, cubicles and stairways with pits of smiles and bunch of papers-I know they are assignments. I also met some of my students who were undergoing the training there. We shared some words on the life they are having now. I was told most of the seniors now live on their own outside the campus and freshmen are given the opportunity for hostels. The Gompa right above the cliff from the girl’s hostel still looks majestic. Back then we carried CGI sheets for its renovation. The road leading to the Rinpung School is now black topped. The Library is now the academic block. The CAPSD, now DCRD has been relocated to Shari, I guess! Some of the curriculum officers have become chiefs in other departments, so is the case with some of my lecturers. I didn’t see any of the cooks. The mess operator back then has put up a small shop in Paro town. I met him too.

The pretty girls who were the shop owners where we used to buy our groceries have become family-ed with kids. Just on a funny note I mentioned to one, “Yalama, wai jarim yay yasinu mey” with she replying with a huge laugh.

What a feeling of sadness when you have realized now that I have grown old by the years.  I will use a line from the chapter that I mentioned. My words of thanks would fall short if I were to thank this seat of learning but thank you still. I wish I could go back in time to relive the nostalgia of the life down memory lane.

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[1] Lines from Mr. Jose KC