The Award

A usual evening it was, on the 3rd of May. I was attending to the needful of my little hero; an evening bath.

“Chayku, you have a call,” shouted my wife from outside. I ignored it and just carried on having some fun with my son in the bathtub.

Just as I finished with my boy, I checked my phone and there it was.  A surprise indeed.

“Congratulations. You won an award!” the message read. It was from a colleague who went to attend the Fourth Annual Journalism Award at Namgay Heritage Conference Hall.

I was speechless and said nothing. Just smiled at my boy.

‘EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM’ for the ‘TALK SHOW of the YEAR.’ 

Such an honour! 

For a person like me who isn’t so familiar with awards and trophies, it was such an overwhelming moment. For every heart and soul I put in my work for the last three years, it really honoured me that somebody out there thought that my work deserves an award like this.

It’s my dream to be a journalist; explore the world telling stories and letting people know, it was something I thought was so brave to do. Ever since I joined BBS in 2015, all my dreams appeared infront of me, just like that. But the world I was going to work for was completely a bizarre one. New people, new technologies, different platform and the most competitive environment, I felt too small. And I let the waves carry me through any course it took.

The journey so far was tough, challenging, enriching and full of memories. Felt the jerks most of the times, encountered disgruntled faces, but those faces I met which kept smiling, encouraging and inspiring were the most wonderful times and it’s those faces that kept me going and working until this respite. And the break is finally a gorgeous one.

People today, especially young into the professions like me encounter so many situations. More than the good world that encourage, most of us are encircled in the vicious self-centered world, but it feels worth it, to cross every odd and achieve the goal, despite disgruntles and bars.

Journalists don’t have weekends, public holidays, special occasions and Losars and we can't make the most out of very little off days we get, but nobody talks about it, nobody complains and nobody cries foul because work is more important than foul cries and complains. Journalists get lots of pressure at home. Having to work during weekends, holidays and Losars is obviously a pain in the ***, but can’t cry either. During Losar celebrations, a family member is missing at the lunch table. That can either be a journalist, police, army, health workers, or few (which I can’t remember exactly). A painful scene indeed. But this is how we work and how we are happy.

The endnote, an award like this just proves that every hard work invested is worth it. Even though my colleagues are equally impressive and more talented, I guess luck favoured me this time and I am all grateful for the honour.

I would like to share this award with my wife Dawa Choden and my little boy Khamsum Padma Dradroel for not complaining while coming to work on during off-days and letting me be ‘Who I am,’ and all my colleagues at the BBS.

I thank everyone who BELIEVED in Me!