Earthquake last night

It’s quite unbelievable to think about last night’s incidence. Though it was a feeble shake, it suddenly recapped me of previous year’s lethal incident. 

It occurred at 12:04 am sharp. I was up due to some work. As soon as I stood up, the walls enclosing me trembled. I was helpless and couldn’t do anything. I was abruptly reminded of the mock drill demonstrated by one of our friends in the school. Fortunately, the shake subsided after a minute. Had it been for some more shake, I would have gotten under the table. 

It dreaded me. I could not sleep no more. The thought of aftershock haunted me. 

What panicked me more was the condition of house. It was attached as an extra room to the existing house. One could see lots of crack developed over the walls. The roofing’s and windows are also not so strong. And in such frail house was me wide awake in the dead of the night deprived of sleep.

Outside, the dogs were hollering wildly. Inside, I was totally wrapped up in fear. I was oscillating in between “to go or not to go out”.

Two hours of unrelieved thoughts over a minutes’ shake eventually brought me an intermittent sleep. But the fear still lingered.

With myriad of prayers said, I went back to sleeping. 

In the morning I woke up to find if it was the real shake or the shake left by my neighbor because it has been pretty long time since his girl friend last visited him. No doubt, it was real quake.

My maiden ascension

While many were intriguingly waiting before start line for the resuscitation of health walk, I was readying my undone bag pack. I felt rivulets of sadness oozing out of me for not being the part of nations occasion. To compensate the loss, I just contributed some cash in jubilation for the revival of long slumbered “move for health walk” program.

I have long before thought of scaling the mountain which stood before me enticingly. Ever since it caught my eyes, I have always wanted to mount and ride it.  But as I was not exposed to the place, my plan of conquering the miniature mountain failed many times. Sometimes it was the unexpected rain and other times it was the unavailability of friends that impeded me from the climbing. Had it been not for the above stated reason, I would have mounted it before. 

Finally on 19^th October, my much awaited hope was turned into reality. 

The expedition began with loads of excitement, fueled up by enthusiasm and boosted by gentle rays of the sun. As we steadily descended the slope, a sense of impatience overwhelmed me to desperately ascend over the top but not until I have walked miles distance. On reaching the road point, we were fortunate enough to be picked up by a generous trucker. Within half an hour, we made it to the entry point of our maiden journey to which we plunged wildly, following the remnant of faint tread left by early mountaineers.

The night scene of Zhemgang

We soon departed from the comfort and embarked on our laborious climb. The snaking trail was loose and sticky, flanked from both the sides by lurking vegetation. It was unwelcoming initially. Often the paths need to be cleared and crawled on all fours. Slips, falls and clambering were risky but unavoidable.  All of us were determined to reach the destination regardless of numerous problems.

The incessant uphill hike was tougher with scorching sun oblique over us. It was bathing us in sweat, excavating the available energy out of us and even the weight of the cell phone was felt. Having arduously combated the difficulty, we were soaked fully in exhaustion. Until we were stronger enough to begin the next episode, we heaved the limpid air of relaxation brought about by the uninterrupted nature. 

An avalanche of cloud engulfing Zhemgang

The blazing sun stroke directly overhead, demanding more of fluids to be replenished but hardly anyone of us ceased to care. With strong stamina generated within us, it was yet another “move for health walk” in the middle of thickest forest cheered up by finely tuned cacophony of animals and insects. 

It was the race against the sun. By the time it was lunch, some of us were already feeble that we no longer could stride on further.

 Once again the priceless voyage began after the refueling. Soaring through the hills and combing through the valleys, the nature’s composition pleasingly left me awestruck. While silently enjoying its unwavering beauty of ridges and grooves, it also left some of us frustrated over the endless path. 

Far across the horizon the sun was ebbing away when we were ascending over the last hill. We failed to keep our words. Nevertheless, as we elevated higher and higher, the mountain which once allured me stood nervously before me like a timid girl. Plagued by its ingenious exquisiteness I almost forgot the pain of hard toil over the treacherous hill.

As I started to perch on the top, my muscles were almost stiffed and taut which barely left me fixed when it was just a step away from me. On reaching the top, the view overlooking the whole Zhemgang was majestic. It was beyond my wildest imagination. Hallucinated by the exotic beauty and tranquility of the view, I stood with every ounce of energy only to be barricaded by the twilight of the evening.

But sadly, I could not snap the shots like what my real eyes have viewed due to lack of appropriate camera. However, as a testimony of my love for photography, I have few shots framed in the post with my simple point and shoot camera. 

The hungry cloud frees after it has slaked off its thirst

I returned back with a promise to surmount it next year and capture it with my dream SLR camera, just like my eyes has been witness to it.

Why some students quit schooling?

A first ever kind of post I am writing as a concerned teacher and moreover, as a loyal citizen. I may sound naïve but with utmost feeling, I pour out this sentiment left by some of our parents on their children.

Not all students hail from a sound background. Some are rich, some middle class and some very poor. So poor that they even can’t meet their own necessities. However, whether rich or poor, parenting plays a vital role in grooming up the children in school.

Students who are parented well at home are most likely to succeed in school than others. No wonder. They conduct themselves well. Their whereabouts are watched every day, be it in school or away from school by their parents. If they show up late to home, they are scrutinized strictly. Their homework’s are frequently monitored upon and ensure that the child is free from the substance abuse.

More importantly, they spare most of their time with the children.

A child upped in this conducive environment is definite to perform well in life, not only in school.

However, some students are just the opposite. They are so disruptive that they even go to the extent of vandalizing principal’s office. No matter how often they are consoled, berated or even caned they hardly show slim improvements.

Despite the perennial efforts, the progress of such students regresses blatantly. He or she begins to portray no interest on books, disturbs the next students and many a times, avoid attending classes. Furthermore, their conduct remains too adamant to be changed.

Is it the intentional decadence of the student? Or is it the negation of the teachers? 

The question, long time back rested on teachers alone can be answered if only there is equal willingness from the parents.

Together, the collective effort can help resolve the problem.

Of late, one of my students suddenly went missing from the school. Since then I have always wondered with much perplexities. Did I fail to do my part?

Later I enquired and found from his friends that he left the school. Nobody actually knew the root cause. Not to worsen the matter further, I broached the concern to school management. The school called up for necessary intervention but failed from other side.

One day along with the excursion made by my agriculture students to a nearby village, I was also accompanied. My mission was to personally meet his parents and sort out the mess. In spite of confessing the problems, the mother never did once come into my sight. I just wanted to convey her that the school is permanently striking off his name and handing over the student to them. All my trials went unnoticed.

Days later, a close neighbor of him shared me everything. He didn’t want to drop school by choice. Circumstances compelled.

He was the eldest of the three. Sometimes, he returned to school after lunch without food. He tended his little brother and sister which barred him from coming to school. Besides, his parents were also split up.

The shocking part was quite often, it was the 16 year old boy who headed the house, when he himself was incompetent of heading. What is more shocking was the mothers’ ignorance on her child’s whereabouts.

If parents work collaboratively with teachers, I am certain that every child will be special.

Digital detox

We live in a world where we are completely engulfed in the pleasures of electronic paraphernalia. Further, the growth of various tempting gadgets and gears has blended in much more comfort to human life, so often resulting in cataclysm.

It has created disparity; status ailment and a whole lot have become thralldom out of it. Our cognizance has been excessively obsessed that we don’t want to desist it even for a short while. With so much of dependency, the human mind is drenching out of propensity and liveliness which was once mother of all creation. 

Moreover, with mammoth penchant for the technologies, chances are there that the endangered customs and traditions of one’s independent life may extinct.

Nonetheless, the cosmos have witnessed unprecedented joy with the birth of bizarre electronics. More than anything, it has prioritized our comfort and time. Since its advent, we have been able to carry the world on our palm, plunge into the deepest of the ocean and rummage through the wildest of nature. Sometimes, even revive the lost life. Such is the affinity we have for electronic gears.

More likely, it has become a sort of supplementary organ without which we feel vestigial and desolated.

I have never been disconnected from cell phones at least for the last seven years. Independently, I started owning one right after the completion of my high schools. Since then, I have grown too accustomed to it that wherever it was, I always carried and kept it connected. If it was not for the call, than it would be for music or do some gaming over the phone.

However, I suffered painlessly before two days when I forgot to carry the phone with me. I was rushing against the limited time, fretting that I might drop by late. On nearing the gate, I effortlessly fumbled my hand into the pocket to check the time but I fished nothing inside. Alas! The phone was left home. And to turn back was just a squander of energy.

I clambered hard over the desultory thoughts and truncated the unease reproachfully. I mulled over and made a silent resolution to abnegate it at least for a day. Then I strolled past the door as if somnambulating in dream. Panting a heavy sigh, I perched on the maroon chair with runnel of thoughts which I never frequently ponder upon.

“How would it be in sheer absence of technologies”? And I exited the room.

Contemplating the serene air, I stood on the lawn only to be interrupted by the sonorous sound of the bell. One of the phones buzzed, crossing my mind to unconsciously fumble my hand back again into the pouch but only to fish the void inside. Every time others phone rang, I was the one checking it for my reflex has been conditioned.

A day off from simple gadget has armed me with true essence of pencils and papers. Besides, while making romance with my own penmanship, I learnt not to rely so much on lifeless object.

How often do you part from electronic aids? Please share your insightful stories with us.

Grievances over water shortage

Here I am up with another post, one of its kinds written somewhere in mid last year. 

Needless to say, water is life. If deprived, it is a menace.

Water scarcity is not a solo problem but a nationwide concern. The scant water supply here is really worrying. The fact is, neither do I see skyscraper crowding nor do I see sharp modernization overtaking. Yet, the problem erects before us like the giant unconquerable mountains.

Besides, it has become a frequent feast for media from here. Despite the voices aired up on media, the implementation accelerates at tortoise speed. Hence, the stake remains persistent throughout.

In a sprouting place where population is modest and where there is not much of housing congestions, I find it too untimely to have faced with such problem. Or is it the total negligence of people on management of water?

It has been almost a year since I last housed here. Still I have not been a witness to a single day with rich water supply. Every time it is disgruntled face expressing their grievances over the same age old problem. Only few wise think on tackling the issue, but until a handsome willing hands shoot up along with some aid from the concerned agency, the problem would always remain as a problem.

I am a daily victim of this problem. I fail to be morning lark. And by the time I am up, my reservoir is empty, hungrily guzzled upon by the neighbor next door. At times, it is maddening but someone, whose voice is unheard and not heeded on, always remains suppressed and inhibited. 

A friend of mine who is a native denizen of the place has been moaning over the problem for last few years. Still the progress seems sluggish, he claims. However, with a cloud of hope in eyes, he waits for the good day to unfurl. Of the many, hoteliers are severely inflicted with trouble because with the insufficient water supply, the income they generate is a shoestring budget. Often the hotels remain shut down.

Given the timely downpour and favorable weather to rely on, what is it that still leaves us short of water? Is it that the source is getting dehydrated or never been scrutinized since its inception? I am bewildered. 

Seriously, it is never too late to pluck the loophole before the problem becomes a grave consequence.

While we have reaped plurality of pleasures from what our forefathers have inherited for us, let’s also not forget to invest wisely for our budding generations. 

But like in olden days, people often have to disappear among the bushes.