Writing - a can't be profession in Bhutan.

     At this time around, writers in Bhutan are thriving. All thanks to the role model , the one and only respected and inspiational Her Majesty Azhi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck and Kunzang Choden. If you have gone through the writings, you can really see how words are crafted to fit along each other.              They are like jigsaw slices. And omission of a word will destroy all. Such is the significant of each word in their writings. 

     Our profound Respect and salute!!!

    Over the years, their trails have been followed so well and very wisely, by thriving writers of our times. Lots of people have adopted blogging. We have very famous bloggers. And poets, they are plenty in here. Perhaps, the serenity of our place and the uniqueness we are savouring are inspiring them into becoming one. 

     All in all, Bhutan is enjoying a completely changed period with so many young bloods venturing into writing. But, we are at the same time living on the very sad face of our society - the poor readership. 

     It might be very early for me to comment this that no writer in Bhutan can make this a profession, but this very short period of my writing adventure (not as profession) through writing hasn't been very welcoming and inspiring. And I believe many are facing this same issue.

     'My poems are left stacked in the folder of my computer.' I still remember my friend say this. A very well versed writer whose passion runs through the streams of his blood vessels. he doesn't need anything special for an inspiration. Even the sun setting to the west will make him sit at the corner of some bush and write about it. Such is the passion in him, yet his write ups are left out, just like that. And nothing special. 

     Writing is my breath. It truely is. Piles of poems are left stacked in the files. I don't know where they are now. Perhaps, the mice and the rats would have had a good companion. 

     Nobody is interested to read poems. 

     If any attempt, to make writing a profession in here can be a big disaster. doesn't matter how good the book or any write ups are, you don't have keen readers.  Well, they are all into the latest gadgets and technologies. It is very sad to see that a four year old child can operate any complicated android phone and can't read a word (even if taught). They simply refuse to do anything that affiliates with paper and pen. 

     This is the society we are living in - and infact a very naked truth. 

    "People write because it is their passion, but nobody cares what you write."

Do we have Work Manner?

     As far as I am concerned, civil servants, before they join the office take oath to serve people. Irrespective of the nature of services and the status of those who need the service, the first priority is service to people. 

     And the moment we sit on our chair, it's time we think if we are really doing justice to ourselves. Because, we might at times misunderstand our RESPONSIBILITIES as otherwise. I put RESPONSIBILITIES in BOLD because it looks like lot of people don't take it very seriously. 

     I write this because the incident that confronted me the day I went to DID for a work (of my friend) really disheartened me. And I believe many are facing the similar problem with the people who are responsible to serve others in need. 

      It was my second time in the office because I didn't have all the documents required for the work the first time I went. It wasn't much of a work though. I just had to get the mother's detail of my friend updated. 

     I needed to get the documents verified by the Gup saying that my friend is an illegitimate son of the mother whose detail I had to get updated. That's atleast what the chief of the department instructed me the first day. Well, I had to get it done, because no one would be willing enough to work on something that doesn't have any evidence. Or at least that doesn't have all the documents necessary. 

     Took me a couple of days. You know how things work!!!

     So, with all the documents verified by the Mangmi and the Tshogpa  of the geog, I went to the office for my friend needed to get the work done sooner enough. To my utter dismay, the chief wasn't in the office, so I consulted the ICT officer. She was kind enough to go through the documents. She left everything aside and did my work. THUMPS UP!! I liked the way she responded to my need. Not just me, everyone would have. So, she went through all the documents and did whatever was possible and forwarded the documents to another officer inside. 

     With due respect, I approached her and explained everything. She went through the forward note by the ICT officer and gave back all the papers except the one written and signed by the Mangmi and Tsogpa. 

     "What is your name?" She asked me, with her face to the computer. I promptly responded her. She didn't say a word, and read the concern letter from the geog again. 

     " I don't see your name here" she said with a bit of negligence in her tone. I was surprised. Totally taken aback, I showed the CID copy of my friend and made myself clear that I was just working for my friend. She wasn't convinced. I gave the authorization letter which had my CID number against my name. She preferred to remain silent for quite sometime, then typed the CID number.

     "I don't get this" she said again. 

And how would she get? She was searching the data with my CID number. That was something to be laughed at. Seriously!!!

     The authorization letter clearly states that I was just an authorized person to do his work, and she said I am not ********* (name of my friend).
     Holy crap!!! Can anybody be this ignorant? I am not questioning her ability. Never I would do anything of this kind. The fact that she works in a big office itself is an evidence enough for any doubt on her ability to execute any work, but how can one be so careless on the desk we are paid to work?
     "Ma'am, would you mind going through the authorization letter first?  Looks like ma'am didn't read all of it." I said, and everybody around could feel my voice tremble.
       She didn't say a word and went through the letter. As expected, she came up with another excuse.
     "No, you don't have all the documents necessary for the updation of the mother's detail of your friend. I can't help. I didn't say a word. "The concern letter from the Mangmi and Tshogpa needs to be verified by the Dzongkhag authorities." She said in such a plain words. She was too bossy over me.
     "Silly bureaucrat!" I thought because she wasn't at all interested in doing the work. Why occupy the space if she wasn't interested in the first place.
     "Ma'am, if you could excuse me, the letter and the documents are already verified by the concerned. I got this concern letter as per the instruction given by your chief. He didn't mention about any verification from the Dzongkhag. He just mentioned the letter from the geog, that's all." I said and literally shouted back. "And moreover, the letter is verified by the concerned officer before you, so it should be easy for you to just enter the details of his mother."
      What right did she have over her chief? Seriously, where's the justice?
      Meanwhile, the ICT officer overheard our conversation and came over. Atleast she was the one lady in the office whom I found sincere with her work.
     "I verified the documents and also it is his second time coming here, and he has brought the documents as per the chief's instruction. You just need to update the mother's detail. That's it." The ICT officer intervened.
     "I don't understand!" She grumbled. Well, that didn't bother me. That was the treatment she deserved.
      After much deliberation on the computer, she finally looked like an honest officer.
    "I think I am done with the work. Tell your friend that it is done" she said with a tone of politeness.
      "So, that's it then, ma'am? I made myself sure that the work was done.
      "Yes, yes. You may leave now."

     I thanked her and left the office with my face still blushing. And atleast I did something she didn't deserve. She did't deserve to be thanked.


     If this is something everybody is being confronted with, in any office, we just have to do one thing. Make them do the work, infront of you. And I believe that many are facing this same problems everywhere. The confrontation from the bureaucrats is such a mess in a small community like ours that the services are mistaken for a big personal favour. Believe me, nobody is doing any favour. Everyone in the office work for public in which they are PAID in return. Nobody works for free!!! So, it is time we think and ruminate, 'ARE WE REALLY SERVING OUR PUBLIC?'

Chasing Dreams

I still remember those days when I used to get a lot of beatings in the class. English lessons used to be MONSTER, for all I cared. And you know what? Grammar is another headache. At the end of the year, you don't know what you have learnt. So, that was the impression English gives us, I mean most of us.

But I had less thought that this very thing I hated the most would become the source of my bread. 

I don't read much books but the ones I read were really my source of inspiration. Because I say literature is something that no one can deny. 

I don't use to write before until the first day of my college. I had a crush with a girl in my class. I waited for the perfect day to say 'I LOVE YOU' because I was quite timid and I don't get admired very easily. That's why!

But by the time I was ready, she was already owned - by one of the senior guys. That was enough blow on my timidness. SHAME on ME! 

So, that was a Looser me! I didn't have enough reasons to blame anyone, so I had to stay strong. Nevertheless, I found a way to calm myself down - Poem. I wrote my first poem since the day I lose her. 

Since then, writing became my passion and I had a dream that one day I would write a book. 

But, unless you are a professional writer, writing isn't a cup of tea. That's why, it took me long time to think about the subject. 

I researched on internet on tips of writing, asked friends, consulted my lecturers and professors. It took me a long time already, but I saw myself working on a Drama.

Romance was the most prominent subjects during those days, and I was deep into it already. I thought writing something on Romance would be good. I started working on the Drama ' Tsedung.' I believed it was a good start, but didn't end well. My first project didn't get much support from the peers. They were less interested. I was discouraged and I gave up. Very simply!

But that was not the end. 

After graduation, I had a good chance to work in Thailand as English teacher in a College. It was a good privilege for a very less informed and less seen boy from the village. The two years experience gave a good way into writing. Thus, I began working on my second project, Chasing Dreams; an absurd journey.  

Writing the book was a good experience till the last phase of the making of the book. I wasn't very optimistic about getting it published but it happened. Still feels like a dream. 

And finally, it's here, as I once dreamt to write a book.  It took a lot of hard works of my friends and myself. The making of the book took away lot of their precious times. And my editor Dukpa, he suffered a lot. He would not have slept well. My big gratitude to him. And Yangbum publisher in Thimphu rendered me all the necessary support in making of this book. My immense gratification. 

This book will take the readers through a journey of finding happiness and going after the dreams we dream. The readers will also be able to experience the dramatic conflicts the protagonist encounters on the way to his dreams. Finally, the protagonist will realize that he has left all the dreams in his own place. 

Tears in Man's Eye

Thimphu has become the most busiest place in our country, and nobody can deny this fact. Well, this gives me a chance to claim myself busy too, as I also belong to this city. I am very young to this place. It hasn't been many years since I started working for my living. 

Ok, whatsoever it is, as I was saying, Thimphu has become very busy compared to what I haven been knowing about this place. More so, the increase in the imports of the cars in the recent time has left our roads crammed with vehicles. It has somehow changed everyone's schedules. Mine too. 

The morning rush hours are unimaginable. Sometimes, it become so intolerable to look at the line on the road that keep us waiting all the morning. So, just to avoid this very naughty and hard morning, I have found out a way to ply the road peacefully. No traffic congestion, no more frustration and no irritation.  I get on the road quite late. 

One late morning, as usual I got on the road quite late, just to avoid myself getting irritated by the traffic congestion. I saw an old man walking very carefully, watching his every step. He might have wanted to make sure that he wasn't any victim of the morning rush hour careless driver on-the-hit (which happens everyday). My car roared very carefully through the gentle slope that leads to Memorial Chorten, and it played a soft and gentle song on the tape. As casual as possible, I was singing along with the song, when my eyes caught the attention of that man again. Looked like, he badly wanted a good ride. But sadly, nobody gave any heed. The old man was trying to stop every vehicle that passed by, but in vain. Even the taxis, they seem to ignore the old man. Well, that was quite the scene there. 

Did they think the man would not have money for the fare? Did they have no slots empty? A lot of questions rambled in my mind. But even those without passengers were unwilling to stop. This gave me a clue - that all of them, precisely were thinking that the old man who wasn't even properly dressed wouldn't have money to pay. But, even if they dropped that man for free, that unpaid twenty bucks would not have really mattered anyone. 

Suddenly, I had another thought. Possibly, it was the old habit of the old man to wave to anybody that passed by. I was still in a big doubt, when suddenly I had a closer look at him. He was all different that I thought! He could barely walk, but thanks to the staff that carried him very carefully. His clothes were shabby. He wore an old pair of boot. His eyes were weak. God knows, but I couldn't just leave that man walking all by himself - in that hot weather. 

I stopped the car and watched him take careful steps forwards. He had that warmth on his face already. The cars behind made some noisy honks. They wanted me to move fast. And believe me, it didn't bother me a bit. I was all calm, giving that much needed man a ride. Finally I got him seated in the car. Of course he proffered to take the back seat. I was all okay with that. 

I looked at the man, through the mirror before me. And my heart sank to see him cry. The tears defined something that I didn't know any explanation. He wiped the tears that rested on his wrinkled cheeks. I felt sorry and asked, "Memey, are you okay?" But my Memey didn't answer. May be he didn't want to speak. I didn't push him too.

A moment later I heard a shivering voice, "Chorten ga delay (on my way to Memorial chorten). We rushed through the rough traffic below JDWNRH and I dropped him above the Memorial chorten. I opened the door for him and out went my big friend. The man didn't forget to thank me. He bowed before a little and said, "Namey samey kadrin chewa la". I said it's okay, and I was all smiles. 

I thanked him for being my guest, giving me a big day to serve him in the smallest possible way. I am pretty sure, I will get more like him who will give me a day to SERVE them.