Blog Award

Liebster Blog Award from Dumcho Wangdi

Award From Dumcho Wangdi

Thank you to Dumcho Wangdi (http://dumchowangdi.blogspot.com/) and Monu Tamang (http://monutamang.blogspot.in/) for the awards. As an amateur blogger, this means a lot to me.

It took me a long time to reply to Dumcho’s questions because I’ve been really busy—both physically and mentally. First, I was transferred and faced some issues with my relieving order due to a blog post. Second, I had to travel constantly, which left me exhausted. Third, with the new academic year underway, I’ve been busy with my students: preparations, celebrations, and planning. As a result, I couldn’t update my blog. Today is no different, so I’ll answer the questions very briefly.

Here are Dumcho’s three questions from http://dumchowangdi.blogspot.com/:

1) Write three things that you love being a blogger.
a) Writing and publishing
b) Reading and learning
c) Comments and replies

2) Share two reasons why readers should read your posts.
I write mostly about change—personal feelings of inequality and disparity, unheard voices, and critical discussions of what’s happening around us, including freedom that remains unclaimed. I feel readers should read to understand the world around them.
Also, I write to find my voice and affirm my identity. I may be the ugliest, I may be bad, I may do wrong—but I am here. I am here like everyone else, trying to reshape life to become the best I can be.

3) Tell one thing you always want to add to your blog.
I’ve always wanted to add a good design. I feel a bit disheartened when I see other, more beautiful blogs. Mine has an amateur design.

Liebster Blog Award from Monu Tamang

 

Award From Monu Tamang

Now, let me answer Monu Tamang’s questions. I remember asking him many questions in class too, and he answered intelligently—I felt foolish for asking such simple questions. They were far below his level. Thank you, Monu, for nominating me. He asked seven questions.

1) Describe your blog in three words.
A wise voice.

2) Describe yourself in three words.
Observant, conscious, and a dreamer.

3) What is the motive behind your blogging? Or, what do you actually intend to convey to the world through your blog?
A voice for change. A dent in the paint. The thrones of life. Writing for right. Freedom—the sound of silence—and other condiments of thoughts and feelings. Big thoughts in small words. People sometimes misunderstand: the blog contains purely personal expressions and may not always be true. These are my observations and are not intended to hurt anyone, implicitly or explicitly. The content is for general benefit and a voice for change. My post http://saachad9.blogspot.com/2013/12/a-voice-for-change.html caused unintended trouble, and I had to remove some content.

4) What do you aspire to be within the next five years?
A teacher, a teacher, and an experienced teacher.

5) How do you view your life? Jot down a few sentences on your attitude or perception of life.
I’ve written many things about life—almost all my posts touch on it. Let me summarize my latest learning in one sentence: In life, don’t act smart, act intelligently. Sometimes losing is winning.

6) Bhutan is regarded as the Land of Gross National Happiness. How far does this philosophy align with the real lives of Bhutanese people, and what is your perception of this concept?
GNH shouldn’t be indoctrinated. It cannot be injected like medicine, nor taught directly. But it can prevail. It must be lived in society—a compact, connected, helpful society that creates harmony and peace is a GNH society. The foundation of GNH, or any form of happiness, is the basic goodness of each individual. Individual goodness reflects the society we live in. Personal happiness cannot be heightened solely by understanding happiness; it can also be heightened by understanding unhappiness. I wrote more about this here: http://saachad9.blogspot.com/2013/05/happiness-redefined.html

7) Can you offer some inspirational lines to youngsters who will emerge as future bloggers?
Blogging enhances your profession, develops personal abilities, and builds your profile. It keeps you up to date—it’s like a diary. I’ve been encouraging my students and anyone who likes writing, and I will continue to do so.

A Song to be Noted

I like this song ‘Complain’ from the film Bob Roberts lyrics, The Vandals. I am reproducing here in my blog. I have been busy these days and didn’t get time to write.  

Some people must have.
Some people have not.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

Some people will work.
Some simply will not.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

Like this: It’s society’s fault I don’t have a job.
It’s society’s fault I am a slob.
I have potential no one can see.
Give me welfare. Let me be me!

Hey, Bud, you’re livin’ in the Land of the Free.
No one’s gonna hand you opportunity!

Some people must have.
Some never will.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

I don’t have a house. I don’t have a car.
I spend all my money getting’ drunk in a bar.
I wanna be rich. I don’t have a brain.
Just give me a handout while I complain.

Or this: I wanna stay in bed and watch TV.
Go out weekends in a limousine
And dance all night takin’ lots of drugs
And wake up when I wanna.

Hey, Bud, you’re livin’ in the Land of the Free.
No one’s gonna hand you opportunity!

Some people will learn.
Some never do.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.
Yeah, they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

Phuntsholing in Winter

Winter is not really winter in a place called Phuntsholing. I mean, you won’t be freezing or frolicking in snow. Instead, you’ll be sweating in traffic. It remains one of the busiest places, and commerce thrives during this time of the year. People from the highlands move down to the lowland south in winter—like birds, but with more luggage and fewer wings.

Southern towns like Phuntsholing, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar, and Samtse see their populations multiply overnight. During summer, the opposite happens—the damp heat of the southern belt pushes most people back upward, as if the towns themselves are exhaling.

Phuntsholing receives the highest number of people during winter. People come from all over Bhutan for numerous reasons. Some come to bask in the warm winter sun. Most come for trade—to sell oranges, potatoes, and other goods. Others come to shop for school children, to visit, or to attend a religious ceremony. Consequently, Phuntsholing becomes crowded, dusty, and at times dangerous. A man was badly beaten up last night for no apparent reason. The reason? Probably someone took the last parking spot.

The religious ceremony conducted by His Holiness Namkhai Nyingpo Rinpoche draws a huge number of people from all over the world, including India (Sikkim), Nepal, and elsewhere. It’s a spiritual gathering with earthly crowds.

Everything is good in Phuntsholing except for money and places to stay. Every household receives numerous guests: children, parents, relatives, friends, and friends of friends—and friends of friends of friends who somehow know your aunt. The house where I am staying currently has ten guests, and at times the number rises to twenty. Twenty! That’s not a house. That’s a hotel without a reception desk.

What a crowd to attend to! It looks like a Lochey (a religious ceremony held at home)—except nobody invited half these people. The most challenging times in such a house are sleeping and eating. Meals are not prepared by a single cook but by several. Kilograms and kilograms of rice are boiled in three large rice cookers. You haven’t known fear until you’ve seen three rice cookers hissing at you simultaneously.

At bedtime, bodies lie scattered on the floor like corpses—some even without mattresses or blankets. You step over legs, arms, and the occasional snoring uncle. It is such an uncomfortable home to be in. Everyone behaves their best to impress the host. Smiles are frozen. Burps are suppressed. My cousin, our host, is good. He doesn't change. He remains the same throughout: simple and straightforward. While the rest of us are performing, he’s just being himself. Annoying, isn’t it?

Now, when I talk about change, I always think of it in a slightly strange way. People change. A few people change a great deal. There was once a loudmouthed non-performer who impressed higher bosses with his lip service. A real talker. A doer of nothing. He was a good friend—same grade, same kind of standard. But when he became the boss, the world turned upside down. Besides becoming a boss and changing his attitude, he changed his attitude toward others. He forgot his friend. He never talked. He never helped. He was useless to his friend. What kind of change is that? That’s not promotion. That’s personality deletion.

I tell people—especially my students, and whenever I have the chance to speak on occasions—that they must not change in certain ways. You can change. Your ideas must change. Your living standard must change. Your attitude will change. But you must never change your heart. I tell them to be good. Goodness is the basis of everything. Do good, be good, and good things will come back to you.

And also, if you have a mattress and a blanket, please share. Because in Phuntsholing in winter, the only thing colder than the weather is the floor at 2 AM.

Chiphen Rigphel Project Training

The Chiphen Rigphel Project workshop commenced on December 23, 2013, and will conclude on January 1, 2014. The ten-day workshop is currently being held at Gelephu Higher Secondary School. There are 22 participants from two dzongkhags—Zhemgang and Sarpang. According to the name list from the Ministry of Education, more than 28 participants were expected. However, many enlisted teachers did not turn up for the training. An apparent reason, supported by hearsay, is related to the benefits they are entitled to receive. "Teachers coming from faraway places like Bjokha are not provided with mileage, porter, pony, or other allowances. They ended up spending more here than what they earned," said a teacher who requested anonymity.

The participants are being taught basic computer skills, including how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and basic internet applications. The training aims to equip them for the ICT world.

One of the resource persons, Mr. Dawa Tshering, said that the project aims to teach everyday computing knowledge. "We have many senior participants who have never worked on computers before, but it is satisfying to see that they show interest and learn considerably," he said.

"Format Painter, Excel filtering, Google Drive, Wizards, and some other features are new to me. It's worth attending," said Mr. Ugyen Dorji, one of the participants. "We still have more days to go," he added with a smile.

Here are some photos:

A Group Pic

Dawa doing presentation

Another one

So Engrossed

And Engrossed

Movies Move Mind

A few weeks ago, I watched a Bhutanese movie called Acho Kelden in Darla Hall. The film deals with general family issues. A couple gets divorced and leaves their children behind in a village. One of the underlying reasons appears to be the lust for money—something Bhutanese people are often accused of. The story narrates how an infant survives with the help of animals. Overall, the plot is quite unique compared to most other Bhutanese movies. However, the sad thing about Acho Kelden was the number of audience members who turned up. I looked around and counted only sixteen people sitting on the ramshackle benches. The hall resembled a ruined house—a ghastly one. There were a few broken benches, dusty and grimy; everything was in horrible condition. Some viewers sat on the cement floor in the chilling cold weather.

After watching Acho Kelden and witnessing the condition of the hall, scores of questions came to my mind. Why do most Bhutanese movies run at a loss? Why has Bhutan not succeeded with our films? Why are Bhutanese people not skilled at producing better movies? What is lacking in our entertainment industry?

Bhutan has a rich, diverse, and varied history. We have so many untold stories. Our people are rich in experience; each one of us has many things to share. Every stone, every tree, every valley, every hill, every mountain, and every village has a story to tell. There is a Galem and Singye in every hamlet. There is an Amrish Puri or a Phurba Thinley in every hamlet. There are unsung heroes everywhere. We are not short of stories. But we are short of an audience.

I believe we are not devoid of a market or an audience—people do want to watch—but we lack good places for screening. Back in my village in Pemagatshel, the villagers are hungry for Bhutanese movies. I am confident that Acho Kelden, even at the same price of Nu. 50, would draw more than a hundred viewers there.

It is often said that our culture and traditions are slowly weakened by media—entertainment mediums like television, live shows, films, and talk programs. These media have a great impact on our society, not only changing the way people think but also altering lifestyles. Therefore, we must be careful about which movies are allowed to be watched. For that reason, BIMCA censors movies. On the other hand, entertainment mediums can also be preservers and custodians of a nation's culture, traditions, and customs. Movies and documentaries are great sources of knowledge. Not only do some of us imitate the best performers, but we also sometimes come to believe what we see. Therefore, in order to bring Bhutanese movies to our hungry audience, we need good distribution systems and good entertainment venues—especially halls or theaters. We need good buildings with proper stages, quality sound systems, and other facilities. Such halls would also serve as meeting places for local communities. Ideally, good halls should be built in every gewog, or if possible, in every chiwog.

In this way, we could promote our own films and Drukpawood, and promote our own shows, thereby educating people through our own traditions. Not only that, we would create many job opportunities in this industry and generate significant revenue. We would likely see fewer drug users and less crime overall, because such venues engage people and give them a second thought.

Our neighbor India has a very strong and prosperous film industry because almost every small town has very good cinema halls.

Bhutan does not have many good theaters. We have some in Thimphu, Phuntsholing, Samdrup Jongkhar, and Gelephu. But these are not really theaters—they are simple halls. All of them lack good sound systems and technical quality. The size and cleanliness of these halls could easily put them in Grade G.

I have also been thinking about our live shows and singing contests like Druk Superstar, Bhutan Star, Talent Hunt, and similar programs. These reality shows remain simple, but they lack quality compared to similar shows elsewhere. The low quality of filming, poor sound, weak presentation by participants, and drab backgrounds make these shows not very presentable for national television.

I hope our government will look into this matter and establish good theaters across the country. I am ready to contribute a small amount to help build good theaters in Bhutan.

I also hope that live shows will improve their broadcasting quality. Furthermore, I hope the entertainment industry introduces different types of shows—such as dramas, skits, and comedy programs. Singing contests like Druk Star and Talent Hunt may be good ways of making money, but often the money feels unethically earned when the quality of presentations and participants remains so low.

A Voice For Change

What is freedom of speech? Do we really have the right to freedom of expression? The Bhutanese Civil Service Rules (BCSR) seem to rule out freedom of expression. We are not as free as we think. We are pressed into a silent, dark world of tight rein. Controlled freedom is no freedom at all. A society devoid of freedom of expression is a society of camouflage, confidentiality, corruption, and hatred. If we do not have the freedom to speak rightly against wrongdoers, where is development? Where is the space for growth? What is there to fight for your rights? Why does bigotry persist in our closed society?

We do not have absolute freedom, and it is not necessary for any country to provide it. However, I have some excerpts from the BCSR 2012:

3.2.7 A civil servant shall maintain the confidentiality of official information and decisions.

3.2.7.1 A civil servant SHALL:
i. Uphold the duty of confidentiality at all times.
ii. Be as open as required with immediate official colleagues about decisions and actions.
iii. Restrict certain information to protect wider interests.
iv. Maintain confidentiality of information discovered in the course of duty, both while in service and after separation.

3.2.7.2 A civil servant SHALL NOT:
i. Disclose information to an inappropriate person or system.
ii. Share information with anyone, including family, until it has been made public by the concerned authority or an authorized person.
iii. Use information for personal gain.

3.2.8

3.2.18.2 A civil servant SHALL NOT:
i. Criticize or undermine the policies, programmes, and actions of the Royal Government in public or in the media.

I personally feel that if we maintain confidentiality regarding wrongs committed by some officials or people, we are living in a camouflaged and masked society. What could be the consequence of living in such a disguised society? For example, if a person is bullied in various ways by a head of an office, and if that mistreatment goes unreported, and if the victim is then blamed for doing the right thing, where is the fairness? Criticism and feedback are sources of rectification and development, yet there is no provision for them in these rules. I also believe that to permit the continued building of our politics and culture, and to ensure self-fulfillment for each individual, people must be guaranteed the right to express any thought, free from government censorship. Therefore, I feel there is a need to change and amend certain policies of the BCSR to create a better working environment and to encourage quality input. These policies offer no scope for progress. We are reined in. If something is good for the people, society, and country, we must learn to accept it constructively.

Let me refer to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Freedom of speech has always remained controversial. The freedom of information is also explicitly protected. We know this. There are clauses that allow governments to impose reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions on speech for general protections—such as against child pornography, speech that incites violence, the use of untruths to harm others or slander, religious offence, racial offence, sedition, hatred, and the regulation of commercial speech like advertising. Other limitations, such as rights for authors and inventors over their works and discoveries (copyrights and patents), may also be restricted.

Freedom of information is an extension of freedom of speech, where the medium of expression is the internet. It may also refer to the right to privacy in the context of the internet and information technology. Sites like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs are platforms of expression, and they are accessible without censorship or restriction of web content.

As a human being, as a thinking person, as a lawful and rightful individual, one must understand that freedom of speech does not in any way include the right to incite actions that would harm others, to speak obscene words, or to bring a threat to one's own society. We must be mindful of what we do and say.