Unique Generous Youth Embarking and Nurturing(UGYEN) wisdom

The serene river flows with its purity and liberates its cool breeze. The chirping of the birds enlightens the place and makes it worth living. Sited in the undisturbed location, the hub of academic excellence lays, blessing students with wisdom. The school of will, innovations, leaders and learner stands proudly.

Ugyen academy is one of the renowned schools in the country. Every year, it produces cream and brilliant students. The school has fame not only in academics but also in other activities. It stands as epitome and serves as a home away from home. The school is gifted with all the required facilities. The environment in the school is best suited for learning. Green trees, green grass and green surroundings surviving in perfect harmony, making the school appear like heavenly abode, guided by the philosophy of GNH.

Moreover, the wisdom imparters here are perfectionist. They are all supportive and lend their hands whenever needed. They serve to the need of the students and escort them to become the perfect beings.  Because of the dedicated service of the teachers, students are edified and well versed in everything they do. Teachers here are source of inspiration and imbibe ethics, which is of ultimate importance in life. The dedicated service of the teachers never goes in vain. And In return as homage, students repay by excelling in academic fields earning reputations.

‘A perfect disciple for perfect teacher’ is what I would describe about the students. They are well mannered and worth teaching. They are gentle in behavior and obey what their teacher instructs. Their sincerity and punctuality is something that others can really look into. It seems to me like they have already mastered over mannerism. Talking on their talents, I would just say ‘master piece’. On the field, they have the spirit of true sportsmanship, be it girls or boys. They have indoctrinated the values of time. Every hour is precious for them and they say, ‘the best way to stop the time is by making most out of it’.

I was amazed, particularly by their good manners and I hope someday that they will become the leaders of the country. I take pride in calling them ‘Generation Next Heroes’.

The school believes in the principle of gross national happiness. The motto of the school says ‘be the best’. And they are proving that they are worth it. in fact, they are very practical. Apart from their studies, they have carved in themselves, the attitude of being responsible citizens. The school looks tidy because the students have clean and pure mind.  

The joy of being in this school is immense. It is beyond my thoughts to put it into words. The almighty above may always bless the school in times to come and let it go beyond the demarcation of ‘perfection’. The wisdom be endless like flowing river, and may the sun of glory shine forever in Ugyen rigpey jueng Ney. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone here.

On the rebound

I wrote this piece some months ago and i do not intend to hurt any person.

The last night was bit pacifying as I was tipsy. I went out with my friends for a ride to Buddha point, the place where we are expected to say prayers. Despite the fact, we were found guzzling and we stood there for some times. I did this to ease away my pain but that was just ephemeral. Later, at around 10 pm, I made my way back to home. I thought of jotting down some lines but I couldn’t as I was in woozy mood. I did nothing and I directly went to bed. A morning hour was hectic because the hangover still lingered in me. Inadvertently, I happened to stare at my phone and I saw light flickering on it. Someone had in-boxed me.  It read, ‘GOOD MORNING’. I got up as soon as I saw the text and groomed myself fresh and clean. I responded, ‘can I meet you today’? She said, yes come to my place. I was happy and overwhelmed by joy, because I didn’t see her for one year. She waited for me at the junction. I saw her standing and I too arrived there. At a very first glance, my instinct forced me to greet her with a warm hug but I couldn’t, fearing that I may get rejected. Substituting it with a smile on my face, I asked her, whether she was keeping fine or not. Then, she accompanied me to her home. I was offered with a honeyed tea which made me feel very close to her. We yakked for long time and I was even bestowed with the facility to surf the net. I logged into my Facebook account and checked some messages. I had many untold things to share with her but again the same fear prowled in me. As I continued face booking, she kept staring over my profile (I may not be true). Besides, I also logged in to check out my results. As time kept fleeting, she murmured some words. By then it was already lunch time and she was generous enough to ask me for lunch. I didn’t accept at first. She repeatedly asked me and I ate with ecstasy. The curry was fried tuber and it recapped me of college days. She used to prepare me the same curry. I didn’t thank her in words but I did from inside. Then, I was all set to begin the conversation that was supposed to. I asked her, if we could ever be together again. The response was clear but I wanted to listen from her. All of sudden, she remained soundless and I was lost in her thoughts for a while. No sooner did she retort my questions, than I started feeling the beat of my heart and the words say, ‘I won’t be able to come back at this point of time’. At least, I was happy that she had that guts to voice it out.  I am not down because I had it ample and now, all I got to learn is how to smile, when defied with pain, because I have miles to go ahead. The long anticipated hope was crushed into pieces and I decided to leave. She had some things to purchase from the nearby shop and as I could not found way to leave, I decided that it would be better to go with her. I too found her face glued with frustrations and forced beams of smile. I didn’t do anything wrong to her and I was wondering for what reason, was she getting cooked up. We gradually walked up to the shop and she bought her things. She came out of the shop and asked me, if I wanted to taste an ice cream. Without refusal, I picked up one chocolate flavored ice cream and started licking it. The taste was marvelous. I kept her standing there, till it finished melting in my mouth. I paused for a second and said, thank you for the ice cream and I apologized her for troubling for a minute. She then, turned away on her side and took her way. Infinite thoughts encircled me and I took my way towards the town, just for the sake of forgetting the discomfort. I took time to meet up with my old friends and we loitered around for couple of hours. With heavy heart and broken hope, I came back home safely. I realized, of all the greatest thing, a man can ever do is to forgive what he cannot. And today, I found a new light of hope, and a way of depriving my agony. And that is, by doodling down the expression of true heart. “New rays of hope, unleashed from the shadow of sorrows and finally, my pain has gone’’.

HE HAS A HOPE...

Life is about an easily influential age that can lead young youths off beam. They can march on to wrong lanes and indulge themselves in uninvited actions. Guidance and counseling can reconcile their wounds.

It happened not so long ago. I recall the day evidently, when the deadly earth quake nearly took out our breath away. Though, I didn’t feel the tremble as I was in Calcutta the other day, I heard that it was very ferocious. The next day, I arrived in phuentsholing safely. Things were unusual and I could see cracks almost on every buildings. Everywhere people were talking about their near death experiences. Many narrated funny instances, like hiding under tables and closets. There wasn’t any vehicle movement and I could not travel on that very day. I made up my mind to travel next day and went to the bus booking for reservation of the ticket. I got the confirmed seat and went back to the inn. Next day, I woke up at 8 am and groomed myself. The bus was programmed to depart at 9:30. I was ready by 9 and then headed towards bus station. Everyone loaded their luggage and the journey was yet to begin. I took my seat at number 17. The co-passenger behind me was a young boy of 16 or 17. He was fat but cute and gentle in his behavior. His hands were tattooed and he had one small bag to carry with him. As the bus started boarding, unwillingly, he started the conversation with me. ‘Acho where are you going’? He said politely. I responded, Thimphu without much smile on my face. He then, stared at my hand carefully and said, ‘your tattoo is awesome’. In the meantime, I snoozed off for a short while. I found the little boy gazing outside, through the bus window and getting lost in thoughts. I wondered what he was dreaming off. We started becoming acquainted with each other, as we moved on with the conversation.

 I asked him, ‘are you a student’? He paused for a moment and then replied, ‘I studied till class six and then dropped out’. By then, I was very curious to know the next fact. I questioned him, ‘why did you discontinue your studies?’ with heavy heart and reluctance, he responded me,’ I got into drug, that’s why’. It touched me hugely and I asked him, ‘how did you get into such misconducts?’ He told me, when he was in school, he was terrorized by one of his elders and compellingly, he made him to sniff hallucinates. As time passed, he found himself dependent on it and gradually he also tried out smoking hash. Day by day, he lost interest in studies and for most of the time; he crept around in the dark fantasy world of marijuana. As a consequence, he was chucked out from school. He was even sent to REHAB, in light of hope to recover from the sickness of addiction. He told me, ‘now I repent for all my misdeeds and I hope to continue my studies but I lack support from my parents’. I insisted him to continue with his studies as he was very young to remain idle. The next heart aching part was that, even his parents abandoned him for his manners. I was astonished and asked him, where did you hold your last night? He said, in the hotel, Acho. I have my parents in phuentsholing but they never allow me in their house and they regret calling me as their son sometimes. He said, he only has one person who looks after him and that’s his brother, who always sweats in peace, working for others to make a living. I was quiet for a couple of minutes. I was deeply moved by his sad tales, but there was nothing that I could do to help him out.

By then, it was already afternoon and we arrived to the hotel, where we were supposed to have lunch. The bus stopped and I got out but he didn’t even dare to move from his seat. I asked him for a lunch. At first, he seemed uneager and said, ‘he had bought packed lunch’. I was stunned, where did he get the lunch from? But I didn’t say in words. He said, ‘he bought some samosa’ as a lunch. How sadly he expressed in his humble way. Despite my repeated pleas, he accepted to take chance of my offer. He took noodles and I had food. After that, I went for smoke. As I was pulling the cigi, he came out and started smoking one. He was loaded with cigi but broke with cash. We sucked the butt together for some minutes and he even gave me some pieces. Then we boarded into the bus and started with the next episode of the journey. He shared me his hobbies and his passion for music, as he touched my guitar. He wanted to become doctor. We exchanged many conversations. I asked him, whether he has girlfriend or not? He flummoxed me and laughed out wildly. I thought he had one but I never forced him to sneak out his secret. I repeatedly suggested him to continue with his academic career. In the course of conversation, both of us dozed off for almost an hour. I was disturbed from my sleep by the jerk and uneven speed of the bus. He was snoring and I didn’t disturb him. After some time he got up and freshened up himself with the zephyr that came through the window of the bus. We were about to arrive check post. All of sudden, the bus stopped for interim. He got out and said me good-bye, waving his hands. What puzzled me was his departure in the middle of forest. Neither, I could find house nor people around that area. He disappeared among the bushes. I was filled up with tons of question and I kept wondering about it, till I reached my destination.

Until today, I was longing to see that “broken piece of star” and conversed with him, like we did in the bus but unfortunately I couldn’t. I pray his life to be filled with boundless joy and happiness. I wish, he be liberated from suffering addiction and lead sober life, contributing to the development in his own little ways. Like anybody, he has a dream and wants to shine as other children do. We must take time to understand those unfortunate ones, because they have so much to give to this world. Let them realize the purpose of being on this beautiful earth and they will surely recognize their own potential someday, if not one day. But the weird thing was that, two of us ended our journey, without even knowing each other’s good name.

Beside pen and paper

‘I felt my strength when I experienced the pain’. I was on my summer break and had to be in my village for a week or two. Usually, I used to free at other times. However, this time it was different. Mom and dad had decided to go for religious ceremony and they were out for two weeks. My sister, my granny, and I were left home. My granny has already knocked octogenarian stage and she is helpless to stand on her own. As a helper, two of us stayed behind her. Her personality is peculiar and she is very choosy kind of person, despite her age. She gets cooked up without proper reasons. If meals were not served on time, she would refuse to take it. Television has to be put on accurately on time. If not, she starts to feel bore, as if she had spent her young days in city. Two of us are prohibited to go out and even if we do so, the need to seek permission is necessary. It has become compulsory for two of us, to be with her from dawn until dusk.

Frequently, there arises water problem and it needs constant maintenance for continuous flow. At least, one member from each household has to go for woola (labor tax). As there was nobody to represent from our side, I volunteered to go. The woola was scheduled next day. I got up late, the next morning and I even could not carry packed lunch. There were 12 of us and we walked nearly for 11 km to reach to the work point. At around 11am, we were there. The tshogpa measured the distance to be dug and allocated the respective areas. The work was to pave the drain for the pipe. Others were given 200ft to pave the drain and for me, it was comparatively less. I started working, initially with zest but as I continued working, I was very exhausted. I then, went to one of my friend and had his packed lunch satisfactorily. Then, I came back to my working place and started digging again. The area was filled with stones and I had tough time segregating them. Blisters started forming on my palm and it was hard for me to continue the remaining parts.

I did not even complete half of the task. I made up my mind to leave but with the notice from concerned people. Others were struggling and they were able to do it successfully. I made my way to friends place and dozed there for an hour. When I woke up, it was dark and I was not brave enough to make it towards home. Therefore, I sorted refuge at his place. Still, my share is left undone and I hope to complete it at the earliest possible.

What awakened my mind was the hardship faced by those people, residing in the countryside. For fortunate like you and I, every moment in life is comfortable and everything is within our reach. But, what about those innocents leading austere lives, sweating in sun and getting drenched in the rain. They do not have time like us to text on the phone, watch television, and play video games and so on. All they have is drudgery and hard-earned lives. When time permits, wake up to life’s calling and go beyond the horizon and think wisely. So that, we do not remain ousted from the fundamentals of what is called life.