New year wish

Take a leap of faith and begin this wondrous new year by believing. Believe in yourself. And believe that there is a loving source - a sower of dreams - just waiting to be asked to help you make your dreams come true.   - Sarah Ban breathnach

11th National School Games

The 11^th national school games which was conducted in Zhemgang higher secondary school concluded successfully on 25^th December 2014. The grand event was spearheaded by department of youth and sports under ministry of education. It was concentrated mainly on the 60^th birth anniversary of our fourth king and youth development through sports and games.

A total of 379 participants from all over Bhutan took part in various disciplines.

Apart from the school co-curricular activities development, the program largely benefitted the business community.

The school would like to extend our gratitude to every individual in contributing to the grand success of the event. We look forward for similar program in the future.

The following are some of the photos

Photos

The Pursuit Of HappYness

“Happiness is something we can only pursue, and maybe actually we can never have it, no matter what” – from the movie ‘The pursuit of HappYness’.

In the movie, Will smith is Chris Gardner and his biological son Jaden Smith is Christopher. Chris is medical device seller with no stable income and runs his family by selling bone density scanner. At least he has to sell two in a month to pay rent and day care fee. But he lands up without even selling one for a while.

His wife is a maid trying equally hard to make the ends meet.

In times of economy depression, the news of budget deficit further augments his disquiet and at the thought of it, almost completes solving a puzzle cube in-front of TV.

On his way to selling bone density scanner, Chris confronts a well-bred man who checks out from a posh car. Unrestrained by the enticing car and princely fineries, he questions the man- “What do you do and how do you do it?”

“I am a stockbroker” comes the reply. Chris interjects “I have to go to college to be a stockbroker” maintaining smile on his face.

“You don’t have to”, cuts short the broker and continues “be good at numbers and at people”. With this remark, Chris sees all people around him damn happy. Shortly, he broods over his own happiness and feels incomplete. 

Later, Chris talks about getting into job to his wife. As he have not even sold one, this evokes a tension in the air. They are two months due of house rents and confusions breaks out between the two. However, Chris remain firm and fixed in his determination to tend his family.

Motivated by the words of stockbroker, Chris would set out to Dean Whitter Reynolds for internship as broker trainee. He is one among many fighting for the one and only place in the program which take 20 people every six month. It is the survival of the fittest.

Back home, Chris is haunted by worries.

Industrious and optimistic as he appear, Chris never fails to wear smiles in front of Christopher.

Chris Gardner has no time. He has device to sell, son to pick up from day care and application to follow up. With tighter schedule each passing day his determination grows ever stronger but the relationship he possess with his wife dwindles.

Once Chris shows up home late after his futile works which turns everything upside down. His wife vexes over his late night turn up and Chris rushes home only to find the empty house. But he still manages to get hold of Christopher.

With father and son together, the problem mounts bigger and bigger. But Chris never let personal problems impede professional life and interns with utmost dedication despite the hoots and toots and domineering bosses.

In the course of time, they loses their house, seizes bank balance and one time even lands in public washroom. Of all, the only priceless value they never lose is the trust and hope between the father and son. Somehow, Chris manages to sell his device and regales Christopher with chocolates. The money he fetched from the bone density scanner sends them from public washroom to decent hotel.

At the last day of his intern, Chris appears before the supervisors with an ironed suit and says “I thought I would wear a new shirt today as it’s my last day here”.

“Wear one tomorrow because tomorrow is going to be your first day if you would like to work here as broker Chris”. Eventually the price is paid and Chris is in.

Tears well up in his eyes and says it was not as easy as he thought to be working as broker before he got into it.

Innovation in lifelong learning: Bridging to the future

Following is the introduction i wrote for Wenhui award.....

Source: Google

Education is indispensable for transforming everything around us. It is not just centered around the four walls of classroom and confined to curriculum knowledge, but a lifelong voyage with larger purpose. How one is educated and nurtured can undoubtedly change the world and lead to human fulfillment, peace, sustainable development, economic growth, gender equality and responsible global citizenship. It imparts people the understanding, skills and lessons to foster harmonious world.

The way education has brought resilience to war prone nations has always intrigued mankind for centuries. It has troubleshot the problems of torn out regions; recuperated many fractured countries, resolved power struggles and eventually brought every citizen together as one people.

One crucial area of interest where education has touched immensely is the human resource. Progress index of any country is measured in terms of how well equipped its citizens are. And it is dream of every nation to stride her citizens with at least the basic education. Predominantly, it has helped poorly evolved nations to stem from poverty, health problems, political upheavals and economic crisis. With the realization of capacity building in pushing development forward, investment in education is being made now.

It was also found necessary that to take part in global economy, education was the prerequisite and that setting precedence over the education has helped overcome many issues.

On the ethnicity front, it has taught mankind to appreciate and respect the richness of diverse cultures.

Gender disparity is one of the globally debated concern existing in every niches of the world. Many are of myth that women are inferior and their life is confined to culinary delights and household chores. The advent of education has paved a road of equal opportunity for everyone irrespective of their gender, caste and social backgrounds. The augmentation of women’s participation is a testimony of how education has played a greater role in moulding women’s life.

Holistically, education is not just read, write and retrieve knowledge from text book. The answer for the challenges of 21^st century, peace and harmonious world is what defines the education. 

Nicotine free love

It took me long time to come out.

What? “A long time to come out”, continued his friend full of bantering tone in the voice. Are u talking about the other day’s orgasm?

“I wish you grow wise, I don’t have the carnal appetite no more”, said captain with stern expression.

After what seems to be serious, ST stops joking. Captain had never been serious to ST before. Poor St was baffled but never dug further. The air became swollen with silence.

To the west, sun was hanging low. Its rays were fading away from the strings of mountains. Cool breeze fine-tuned the setting of the evening. The mood was perfect for date but either had none.

The silence is interrupted shortly. ST insist to go home and get ready for the party tonight. Unheard, his voice disappears into the evening air.

“It took four years to open up for her”, cried captain. Something was blunt in his tone. ST didn’t take it light. He sensed something. This time ST gathered guts and enquired the entire story.

Yongba and yongmin, they named each other when they first fell in love.

In school, yongba and yongmin continued the legacy of Romeo and Juliet. Dating whenever chance favored them. Even their relationship was consented by parents. They talked of their future and of having beautiful children. It was future wife and husband in the making.

The day she accepted his proposal, yongba stopped smoking and occasional drinking and promised sobriety for eternity.

Image download: google

“Addiction to love can let go nicotine addiction”, jokingly whispered captain taking a break from his narration. ST responds not bad, “nicotine free love?”

Long before he knew how to wipe out his own ass, he fell for her. In one of his card, captain recalls how he wrote “I lof u” instead of “I love u”.

Many parts of his high school love story was a triumph and their relationship stood the force of time but not the man force condom.

In the college, who knew what would happen? Should it be that same high school yongba and yongmin? Or god has one standby yongba to substitute original yongba?

"Faith" will test me”. Settled captain.

They rented a house and shared the expenses. But the special space they had for each other in heart didn’t require any expense. It was free and always hoped it to be. Flawless, their love perpetuated even in foreign soil. We became immediate neighbors then.

“Give me a fag, give a fag”, a familiar voice rung in my deep sleep one early morning. However, I would not be impulsive to the gentle pat as it had been only a short length of time since I last fell asleep.

“Bro, bro give me a cigarette” was the same voice which irritates me next. Not caring who it was, I handed some with a warning to not annoy me any further and resumed the sleep.

Morning had never been the same after that, not for me but for whom I knew as yongba since his pair up with yongmin. I could not believe five years of well nurtured relationship splitting in tragic ends. But I believed through his eyes that it made every strong men on earth to at least gulp a bottle of whisky after the disastrous end and put world’s expert psychiatrist to confusion.

Insane yongba gradually became sane and suffered the destruction to the extent of returning home without a degree.

“ST you know what”, said captain smilingly, “anything happens in romance that’s why love is blind”, leaving all his nightmares behind.

“Lof”, teased back ST.

Over confidence kills

As a 7^th grader, playing carom was addictive of all the games. With the meeting of my boyhood mate, it became more addictive than nicotine. As soon as we hear the last toll of the bell, we would excitedly rush towards the market side.

Frequenting town became our pass time after we came to know that carom was our common interest. The chemistry of our friendship grew ever stronger thereafter.

Quite astonishingly, when I was just picking up the fundamentals of the game he was already the kid of the town. With him, i honed my skill and soon my name was on the list of becoming new kid in the town. Unfortunately it did not happen. He coached me and two of us formed a good team. From kid of the town, soon we became talk of the town.

source: google

Every one, grown-ups or elders, hesitated to challenge us. Many times we won the match in just three rounds of play. Sometimes the game would get over with one of the opponent not even touching the striker. Such was our level.

Empty pocket we would play. Pocket full we went home after the match. There was no doubt that if two of us team together, many turned up reluctant to play. On most of the occasions we were only permitted to coach and not compete.

Can’t resisting the itch to push the striker, we would play by offering points not more than twenty. The game being over at thirty. Still it was herculean task to overthrow us.

Even in interclass competitions, we emerged as winners. Some envied our partnership and tried several lucks only to get thrashed and thicken our pocket.

But there was one thing many friends wanted to witness. It was the match between the two carom giants.

We played and the match tied several times but he earned the maximum admiration from rest of our friends.

One time our over confidence mortified us before the mass.

My tag came penniless. I was penniless either and joined the league. The thought of winning overwhelmed us as usual. We played casual, conceitedly offering points. Not until our counterparts took away two consecutive boards, did we realise that the game wasnt ours. I fumbled my jean pocket only to find emptiness inside and facing from the other end was my friend standing motionless. Nervous we both stood.

Having nothing to give and knowing not what to do out of embarrassment, we planned on escape when they were busy celebrating the victory.

Hardly had we finished crossing the rusted barb wire than the voice clamored from behind. “Charo charo....bet kalay” (friends, where is our bet)

I stared at his face and he stared mine, froze and blushed, in between the age old cold wires and uttered stammered speech………….we will give….give…you. Later, he managed to manipulate and promised to pay afterwards.

That day, the two kids of the town to whom all extolled champion of carom, learnt a lesson that too much of confidence is good for nothing.

The same incident took place last autumn.

Our school dispatcher compelled me to challenge him carom. Upon my several supplication, he would not listen. We fixed the date and bet.

He was taken to surprise when I outdid him for two continuous rounds and like me, discovered a lesson to not underestimate the power of common man.

Scenes from club exhibition

ZHSS annual club exhibition 2014

October 2^nd 2014 would go down in the history of Zhemgang Higher Secondary School as yet another fresh chapter.

Coinciding with the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, popularly known as father of India, the school is conducting its annual club exhibition themed “sweetness in diversity”. The program is first of its kind to be ever held since the inception of the institution way back in late 1950s.

The very idea of club exhibition seems new at least to me, for I have never witnessed it in my entire school life.

The foremost motive behind the conduct is to display the intriguing activities, discover the secret working of each club and share insights which otherwise could go unnoticed.

Cultural items and mask dances would also be staged to entertain everyone.

The overall planning was spearheaded by vice principal, Mr. Phurpa Tashi.

As for my photographic club, preparations has been all done and we are fully geared up for the event.

Photos shall be uploaded after the completion of event.

The story of blessed rainy day

That night heaven kept pouring. The sky turned gloomy more the usual. There was no sign of light although it was full moon night. Clouds scurried past each other but failed to make way for the moon. The sporadic flash from the heaven was the only light to illuminate the earth below. Night was soaked in complete silence and even the stray dogs, as though purposefully, were nowhere to be heard. Whole of the medieval village was deep in slumber.

Midway to the village was a boy of 19 named Kota, full of energy to explore the night. All alone, he kept thrusting forward with hope of fulfilling the nights promise and scarcely cared about getting drenched. But the paradise above showed him no mercy and kept falling on him copiously. When the rain level almost crossed the ankle high length did Kota begin to worry?

Cursing himself, he didn’t stop to give up rather ceaselessly murmured prayers for safe arrival. Except for prayers on lips, he had nothing to defend. If anything ferocious pounce on him he could make an easy supper. Kota regretted for not taking his faithful apprentice Balu- the dog to whom even the wild beasts dreaded. With harsh downpour, the journey seemed further and further away. The pain of venturing out into the night was doubtful of the price it would pay.

After two hours of toilsome journey Kota came across a cave. There, he took a shelter and prayed for the rain to dwindle. Kota’s prayer came true but soon when the rain started again, he knew that the monsoon was erratic.

Kota was determined to make it one way or other. Face taut by cold and clothes soiled, Kota trudged further into the wild. Hours later, the downpour subsided as Kota neared his destination but it didn’t do any good as he was fully soaked in the rain. He didn’t care anymore. By then, he was in the close vicinity of the village. The next formidable task of trespassing into the house worried him. Every clandestine move he made brought the fear of being cut into slices.

With all his guts gathered Kota slipped through the window in one of the house, never sure of coming back. The clock showed 2 in the morning. Like divine revelation, Kota landed into a house whose family had moved out on an invitation except for the lone daughter who was still up. She appeared to be in early-twenties. Exactly what Kota was looking for all his night.

At the sight of him, the lady screamed but he was too quick to cover her mouth and the silence was resumed. Kota persuaded her methodically and she agreed not to aggravate the situation. ‘What’s next’ reflected Kota. The answer seemed nearer.

It took him a good number of endeavors to win her. Shortly, Convinced by the alluring gesture from the other end, he glided his right hand to maneuver in between her bosom which was at its peak of enlargement. She timidly threw his hand. As she wore no bra, it became easier to fumble gracefully. He kissed best with what little he heard from his urban friends to arouse her. Both of them could not resist the rush of adrenaline and soon she fell prey to his amateur foreplay.

Source: Google

The only part undone was love making. Kota, driven by profuse excitation, finally mounted on her to gently dip his long erected dick when suddenly he was troubled by a piercing noise of his mom. Damn! The show was over.

‘Thrue Thrue Kota, the shower is believed to purge the defilements’ said his mom as if she knew of his erotic dream. 

Kota got up, sighed deeply and felt incomplete for the climax of the dream.

Ugyen rangdol: kPhone. Steve jobs: iPhone

Imagine for just a moment that you could meet a young man- a man whom you have shared the same table and bench in your high school days and after years of lost contact, you hear him become a successful entrepreneur that it feels like he is the next Steve jobs.

Until my high school, I had a scant knowledge on computers. I have always thought it belonged to smart people. And, of course, everybody had the same view that it was the toy of big brains. Accordingly, average performers were put together in economics class and iconic performers in IT class.

One such brat was a technophobic friend of mine who didn’t conceive the idea of succeeding in computer even in his wildest dream.

He had his first email id created sometime in summer of 2007 when the technology around him was already going viral piercing every parts of world. That was, in retrospect, his maiden step in coming out from the cocoon and discovering the digital world.

                The founder             

Although the man had unremitting affinity for science, faith perhaps had hand in it and compelled him to pursue history which was a nightmare. However in class, his infectious jokes never failed to conquer friends’ heart and soon became a celebrated figure among friends. In recess period he would not fail to delight his fans with lucullan feast of jokes and mockups. Seldom did he keep away friends from belly full of laughter.

More than the lessons in reproductive system could interest us, his witticisms gained our attention.

To many of us in the class, he ranked with Phurpa Thinlay.

Since then, we would lightly banter him as the future PM as his ingenuity of gathering crowds would often go beyond his regular friends. He would talk for any length of time on subjects ranging from vagina and phallus to a new acrobat move in Kama sutra. And keep everyone awake when Einstein’s E=mc2 failed to do so.

In any of my musing and a yearlong stay with him, I hardly heard him making mentions of future business ventures in information technology. Unbelievingly, the boy who stood alien in front of computer emerged as triumphant in field that was once considered “toy for smart people”.

His toy kuzu phone

Today, he is the founder of Kuzu gadgets which is on the gain of immense popularity. Believe it or not, the young man has made his name on one of the national media print as successful youth entrepreneur

What is more amazing is that the man has collaborated with ministry of labor to help job seekers. When he texted the news, the lines of JF Kennedy ‘ask not what country can do for you, ask what you can do for country’ rang inside me.

While many were looking for jobs in government service, he ventured into unknown, let loose his passion and toiled tenaciously at the test of time to win eventually. And the only thing I can make sense of this is that a friend to whom I have ranked with Phurpa Thinlay way back, is now at par with Steve jobs.

Balay Balay: eligible candidate for Ghajini II

Every time the golden hour of day fail to inspire me, Balay Balay shows up to my rescue. He talks on courting tips to issues like recent kidnap in the southern front, and keeps me occupied with mixed thoughts. For quite some time now, he has been my writing inspiration.

What I know of the man is that he is tenacious and full of fun guy. His happiness came from serving cows dutifully, from the flowers in the garden, working zealously in the field and reclining with bottles at the end of the day.

But as much as he is fun, so is he oblivious.  

Since my moving into the house, he has the record of roasting four curry cookers. One being recent, he shares amusingly that he would make an eligible candidate for Ghajini part II.

Gazing in wonder at his state of oblivion, it takes great deal of thought to believe that hard working people are as absent minded as they are busy. I have often heard of the stories of busy man being oblivious but the gentleman here has proved me that busy people are real forgetful.

One time he was cooking. The curry was almost on verge of completion. He lowered the stove and slipped into TV room for 8’o clock news reminding that he should be back within minutes. No sooner did I come back from the shop down floor than the shop aunty knocked my door. She appear worried.

“Something is burning in here” said she with a pant. I scanned to see if everything was safe. Seeing no sign of burn, off she went to find him in the room. Before he could ask her the purpose of visit, a burning odor reminded him of the curry that he just set on the stove. His would be delicious curry turned into black tar and shortly broke out the laughter from the duo. It was one more to his list and suffered the fool easily for the short term memory. Luckily, it was our neighbor residing down floor who knew of the burning up floor. 

Were it not been for her, anything serious could have happened from the kitchen.

Thereafter, whenever it is news hour and curry is put on stove, I keep a check lest all of us be struck by careless bloopers.

Source:Google

Since he is strenuously consumed in day work, he usually don’t make night owl. The last time for the bed would be 10 pm. Quite shockingly, one night I found him up till 1 am with high volume made on the television. Not believing he would make long into the night, I tiptoed till the door to check out. There he was deeply snoring on the sofas with mouth wide open. He didn’t even properly bolt the door. I woke him up and let his device into sleep.

But that night no casualties of burning curry cooker was reported from his kitchen. It was the TV that he forgot to put off that night.