Author: Random Wandering Thoughts

Respected your Majesties,

Congratulations and Tashi Delek on your 7th Anniversay! Today marks your seven years of togetherness. Personally for me 13th October in every calendar is a Valentine Day! Recollecting 2011 when His Majesty announced about the royal wedding to the parliament we were overwhelmed while few woman were disappointed (smiles…) because our young handsome king will be no more bachelor. The smile on your Majesty’s face on the utterance of name “Jetsun Pema” left us questioning how great a being she is. But as I look back today I realize that she is a goddess in a human form. A match made in Heaven. If today I believe a little more in love it is because of your exemplary love shown to the nation.

We look upon you your Majesties. All these years after tightening the knot of Royal Wedding on 13th October, 2011 all we have witnessed is tremendous love and affection to one another. Gyalsay Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck the gift to the nation is the result of epitome love and affection. On this “Bhutanese Valentine Day” I wish your Majesties all the best wishes and prayers of the whole universe. May Bhutan flourish under your reign! May the silken knot of love and affection tighten further with every passing moment. “HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OUR MAJESTIES!”

I think it is true that when emotions are plenty you can’t possibly find words to describe them. But if I do not pen it down today I may never do it again. I am afraid I may forget them. I am afraid the emotions may not be as vivid as today and as meaningful as right now.

I was waiting for a car to come by to move towards Tashigang. Then there was another guy who was waiting for the same. It was at a checkpoint. Finally! A taxi came to our rescue. He had a company too. The taxi exactly had 3 empty seats. We were fit in. The easeness of getting a car got crumpled when a man whose reason was genuine like ours had to go as well.

The police guard at the point pointed to me and he offered to stop a car for me but later. Hesitantly and sadly I got out of the car. I had to reach there soon as well. I was biting my lips and literally crying from within.

Miracle! Selflessness! Kindness and empathy came to my rescue. The other guy who had a company and was waiting like me offered to give his seat to me. I was utterly shocked while glad as well. They gave up their seat to me. Two seats for a single person.

I did not even wave “hi” to them before. How do I describe this? I am just so glad to that stranger. I can’t possibly find words to describe them.

Rather than describing I will exit with a prayer and wishes to the random stranger. Just know that you completely made my day. That somewhere someone just like you makes your everyday. That wherever you go may kind souls embrace you. May the paths you take be free of obstacles. May the seed of kindness be grown where ever you go. Thank you to the random kind stranger. I am sleeping with gladness in my heart. You will be in my prayers. I will be that kind random stranger to some stranger.

These days have been a privilege, honor and a pride for me! I say you this again; it is a privilege, honor and pride! I work in an office where the number of staff is less. Days back our office caretaker took leave to attend to her mother who is sick and is on medication at Thimphu. The grasses grew taller, office became dusty and the weeds started growing as tall as the flowers. Though few in number we have done the grass cutting, cleaned the office and even did weeding in the flower garden just in front of the office building. The above activities do not require our effort every day. Then there is one action which needs to be carried out every day in our office hour. Guess what? I think you guessed it right or you did not even give a thought? It is hoisting of our National Flag! From 9:00AM to 5:00PM every working day. Whenever I am at station I always took the opportunity in hoisting the flag in her absence. Today is just another day as every day. I am hoisting the national flag. As I hoist and raise the flag of Bhutan I always smile. Smile and joy fills my heart every morning. The hoisting of this flag is a good enough start for my day.

Hoisting of the national flag every day is a good reminder enough that Bhutan is a Sovereign Kingdom under the leadership of His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo. It reminds me the great words of our great leader His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Bhutanese being the custodian of our national Sovereignty, Peace and Security. It gives me an identity of being Bhutanese under a great leadership. I feel gratitude to our leaders and parents for handing the country in its best possible state. It stems me hope for future that we stand as Bhutanese under the great leadership of our kings and we are able to hand it to our younger ones. These are my every day early thoughts as I hoist and raise the flag of Bhutan.

As election is around the corner I wish all Bhutanese remember that just as any election year of the country 2018 is yet another milestone in the history of Bhutan’s Democratic Constitutional Monarchy. As a Bhutanese and as a citizen of this country I hope that we never forget our duty of participating in our Nation’s event without forgetting that we are Bhutanese under the great leadership of our Kings! I want you to remember that the national flag of Bhutan must keep fluttering higher and higher under the great leadership of our Kings. Bhutan and its flag is where it is just because of our leaders!

Hoisting and rising of our Bhutan’s National flag should continue forever and ever. May every Bhutanese feel the joy and smile of this flag every day! For this I say again, it is a privilege, honor and a pride to be hoisting and see rising our BHUTANESE NATIONAL FLAG!

The flowers that we love

Colors that we admire

People that we love

Things that we admire

We have to own it

If you don’t own it

It is not yours

Tight and tighter you hold

Forgetting it is vulnerable

It breaks and you get the cut

The flowers, colors, people and the things

Don’t own them

Shower them with love

Don’t hold them

Release them

Safe, secure and sound

We love and admire them

The flowers, colors, people and the things.

I am apprehensive writing on this topic but i couldn’t look away. I think I am the right person to talk about this topic. Or I may be the wrong person too. I visited a site yesterday! There stood a stupa (Chorten as we term in our language). The clear sky above, the river rushing just below the standing stupa dragged me to capture the beauty of that scene. I did capture a beautiful scene from a single angle. Then I visited another angle only to sway away my captured scene. I think you get what I will be talking about. Yes I am talking about exactly what you were thinking: Chorten Vandalism.

This word “VANDALISM” didn’t have effect on me until few years back. I was casual when people discussed on such issues. Four years back and whenever someone started talking about it my inner voice started crying and pleading “please please… let this topic end soon. Let this topic not mention my father’s name. At least not in front of me and my siblings”. A lump would form in my heart and my body would start getting Goosebumps. There were times when people unaware of the family that I came from would talk so harsh about my family. Just as anyone has family they were my family too though they convicted a crime. Words did sometime cut me so deep and maybe same was the case with my siblings. Every time I pass by a chorten I pray for my father to be forgiven for whatever sins he accrued. I believe that god answers to sincere prayers. Yes, my father is imprisoned to 13 years for buying and selling of “zee: cats eye” of a vandalized chorten knowingly. The family background I am associated with either makes me the right person to talk about or the wrong one too. For now I am taking the earlier one: that I am one of the right people who can talk about this.

The case of chorten vandalism remains a prominent issue despite many after-measures taken by concerned agencies. Imprisoning the convicted are few of the after measures taken for this issue. What are the prevention measures? There are care takers recruited to take care of important lhakhangs and few chortens. But what is done to our chortens that lie in nook and corner of the country? Do we make our public aware of the importance and significance of chortens? Do we educate our youths, parents and the public enough? Or are our measures not centered to after-effects? What are the prevention measures taken for this VANDALISM issue?

Can we not make our “people aiming to vandalize” educate on the after-effects of vandalism as a prevention measure? Can we not tell them that a family member of theirs suffers depression, shame, and isolation in the community? Can we not tell them that a child pleads, begs and bleed mentally? Can we not tell them that a child seeks forgiveness for their parents’ deeds? Can we not educate our public which consist of old, young, parents, children and those willing to be criminals? This is a humble submission from a woman of background of criminal family. But I pledge to pray and continue seeking forgiveness for my father. Because he is my FATHER. Because we are FAMILY! Because I wasn’t there to educate him.

P.S: I hope that anyone reading this post will educate your family on this issue too. Because you are a FAMILY!

Under the starry starry night

While the moon was hidingly watching us over

We sat under the hiding moon and bright stars

I told you we could be best friends

While you told me we can be more than friends

I told you friendship last

You told me relationship withstand

I told you we were best here

While you told me we will be best there

I told you we will try

While you told me we will do

I told you I may lose you

While you said to hold on

I told you tears are bitter

While you told me laughters are cheerful

I told you trials leave footprints

While you said moments leave memories

Now here I am

Neither here nor there

I wasn’t right nor were you not wrong

The starry starry night visits

The moon still watches hidingly

But we do not sit under the starry starry night

Not anymore together

It did leave me with memories

Just me watching up to the starry starry sky

Random thoughts in this rainy night

The rainy night is taking me to starry starry night.

I am talking about our Children. Yes the Children of this Nation: Bhutan. You start writing and you start observing. This article in no way is intended to hurt the sentiments of any reader. I was travelling and I guess travelers are actually the observers and writers. Our kids have already started complaining that Dzongkha is too hard to learn and Dzongkha cannot be their favorite/best subject. Some parents in the fear of failing in the subject have started taking Dzongkha self tutor for their children. Self tutor is only possible for our high income parents, not for commoners!
Being born and brought up in a remote village I used to envy our cousins and relatives who used to speak English so perfectly while me on the other hand had tough time blurting a single line. I am not claiming that I speak and write perfect Dzongkha. I am no good either but I think we will be failing as citizen if I do not write it here. I am writing my observation.
“Aie, afi gachi mo (ཨའི་ཨ་ཕི་ག་ཅིག་མོ?)” meaning “Mom, What is that?” To that question the mother replied “horse and cow” I think the child that was questioning was no older than two years. Yes! To the other side of the road there were horses and cows. Then there is another incident that took place in book store at Thimphu. The child was no older than three years and doing some mischief when the mother came out of corner shouting “Baby, don’t do that. Go outside”. I was merely an observer but I was like since when did Thimphus’ language change. Then later I was cursing the unknown mom to my friend that she should have at least acted like she was in Bhutan. Good thing, we discussed that we will teach our children our language.

I know these incidents are minor and have no logic for me to be complaining but I believe that our future citizens and leaders are going to be the children who are two and three right now. What if they grow up not knowing “Ba” as cow and “Ta” as horse? What if they continue teaching another generation the same as we did to our two and three year old? The language, culture and traditions that bind us as Bhutanese would be lost forever. A nation without identity is no nation. For Bhutanese Language “DZONGKHA” is one of our unique identities. What are we teaching our children? Where are we taking our nation as a citizen? What are we doing as a parent?

I am not one of the travelers in this journey but I am an observer in this particular journey. It was announced that the 1st leg refresher course for the Eastern Desuup will start from 4th of July to 7th of July, 2018 at Deothang, Samdrup Jongkhar. I was eager and I did register to attend the course. The number of Desuups who registered for this event was few and I did not give a second thought. Volunteerism, selfless service and sense of desuup duty have almost become passion for the DEESUPS! Especially for those desuups who did the registration for this event. At the last moment I decided not to attend the first leg but I made sure that I will attend the 2nd leg which happens in the month of December every year.
As I did the registration the only concern I had was the heat of Deothang! I could already imagine myself turning reddish with apple like face. I think the same was the case for those desuups who did the registration that day. Often times we fail to imagine the journey while only focusing on the end. My end was the four days refreshing refresher course and so were the end of my nyamros who did the registration. Who actually took a little time to think that the one day journey was going to determine all the four days? Ahh… I think it was our other nyamros who did not register for this event. Did they study the situation? Or was it a coincidence?
I asked my nyamro Sonam Tshering on when was he and the mates starting their journey. He said as early as six in the morning. The next day started, it is 3rd July 2018! I get a message that they have started their journey and they crossed Rolong (junction from where you can start to Narang). Few hours later I get a message that they are stuck in the block. Ahh… I forgot to mention you the rain! It was raining since yesterday evening and it hasn’t stopped yet.
I get another call and there I see my phone beeping with the contact name “Desuup Shacha Tenzin”. The first thing I get to hear from him is “Come to Rolong with packed lunch”. And as I listen to him they (he and the three other mates) started their journey early taking the Gyelposhing-Nanglam Highway route. Thirty one kilometers into driving and they find that the way is completely blocked. Blocked beyond human clearance! If it was in their reach they would have cleared it. Cleared it for them and for all because they are the desuups. For the service of the desuups comes from the heart!
They had to turn to take the Mongar-Tashigang highway. Sadly I could not go to reach them packed lunch but was later glad to find out that they had their lunch from Desuup Tenzin Tshomo at Yadhi. Then the evening came and I get a message from Desuup Sonam Tshering that he and his mates have reached the destination safely. I was sure Shacha and his mates made to the destination that evening.
It was seven in the morning as I woke up and I get a message from Shacha “Good morning, Stuck here at Wamrong”. Do you know when do fat (sorry nyamros… indeed you are all strong and bold) people participate in 100 meter dash running competition? It is when they are involved in clearing the block and you look up to see another mountain like obstacles fall. They were literally running as fast as they could. Luckily they escaped from the falling boulders. This is the story I hear from him. With another news that few desuups from Lhuntse lead by Dasho Dzongdag of Lhuntse is stuck in between Kurigongri (highest waterfall of Gyelposhing-Nanglam Highway) neither able to move forward nor able to turn backward.
The first day of the refresher course is almost coming to the end and I see my enthusiastic nyamros ready in the uniform to join the other nyamros at whatever time they may reach Deothang. Here I am but I wish that the weather gets clearer, the blocks unblocked and may my Nyamros reach safe and sound to the destination.
I hope that their journey of earned leave and whole heartedness reach them to destination one and back to destination two (home). Summer surely is not a travel time for travelers but Desuups have no travel time. They just own a whole hearted heart and through sun and rain they travel for a greater cause.

Salute to all the Desuup comrades and especially to nyamros who registered and actually made for the event.

P.S I requested my nyamros (strong and bold) to send me a picture for this post. Thank you so much.

Bhu khay ru pha mai lab bja go: How intelligent a children may be he/she still needs the advice/guidance from his/her parents. It is not just the holding hands you require while you start to take your first walk but it is the encouragement you require when you take your first step to education, it is the scolding you require for being the bad boy/girl, it is the pampers you require for being their children, it is the discipline you require for the chaos you create, it is the strength you require when you fail, it is the guidance you require for the paths you want to venture into. Because they are our parents and they want the best for us.

Often times all the children are not as lucky as most of the children. Few get away from their children by fate and in few cases parents choose to be away from the children. Only one among thousand a child succeeds without a parent for child. The school character certificate may reflect “good” but how good is good? There are children who hold highest education certificates but is literacy enough to be a good human being?

We are a child who needs to be natured with love and care. We are the children who need to be taught the value of love, friendships, relationships, forgiveness, acceptance, truthfulness, memories, and we are the children who require a parent.

Dear parents be there for your child but dear children let us be THE CHILD that requires a parent. Let us be the children that succeed one among thousand if our parents are taken away or if they chose to stay away from us. Let us be the CHILD of HUMANITY. Anyone can be human but not all are HUMANE!

I am not going to review this book but I want to share the journeys I took along with this book. I completed this book in two days. I was travelling while I was reading. This journey has been readling (read+travel). The curiosity and pleasantness of every turning page did not let me stop. As I neared the last page of the book it almost left me with sadness. I wished it did not end, I expected the pages to extend with my every flipping!

I never imagined that the author and other ashis would have experienced ordinary life. Forget about living an ordinary life. I always believed that they were born with the wish fulfilling golden spoon for the merit accumulated in many past lives. My beliefs took a turn as I started reading the first chapter of this book! Now I can imagine a little beautiful girl of Nobgang helping her mom with everyday household chores like washing, cleaning, cooking etc… I can imagine the little girl all excited wearing the best attire to attend the festivals. I am getting back to those old days when she rode horses to attend her education. I am getting back to those old days and my imagination can’t stop but imagine a pretty beautiful lady in her twenties. I am getting back to the old days of the author.

As I flipped through the second chapter I realize there are thousand and one places to go for Nye-Khor (pilgrimages) in Bhutan at cheaper cost while receiving towering blessings. Bhod-Gaya and Nepal are popular pilgrimage spots for Bhutanese while many sacred places are left unexplored and unnoticed in Bhutan. The belief system of reincarnation and rebirth and the story of author left me with Goosebumps in my whole body. I was not shocked but I was overwhelmed to be hearing the story. It left me with awe, reverence and a lasting impression. The best part of this chapter is this statement “We saw water trickling down the rock as we circumambulated it saying our prayers. We could scarcely believe our good fortune, when we spotted a man hiding inside the crack in the rock with a bucket of water- Our King…..” this left me with smiles and I continue to smile on remembering this part of the chapter.

Then as I reached the end of the third chapter it leaves me with Goosebumps all over my body, tears in my eyes, pain in my heart and gratefulness in my soul. I can see the Great fourth and Dasho Jigyel marching for the war to protect the subjects of this country.  I see the warrior, I see the leader, I see the server and I see the King! I can feel the gratefulness of every Bhutanese for our leader. I can feel the lump in my heart and tears start streaming down my cheeks.  The weight of this leadership is too heavy for a weak heart. I am learning to grow a stronger heart. As i pass through Dochula Pass i see its beauty and meaning.

P.S I recommend all our Bhutanese friends, young and old to read this book.