Pema Tashi Dancing on 21st February HM's Birth Anniversary 2016

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Pema Tashi 11th Birth Day 2015 in Tala

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Modern Bhutanese Dance by Class iv 25 4 2015

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Annual Darla Rimdro

In a thrilling break from regular maths tests, a one-day Darla School Rimdro was conducted at the Darla MPH on 17th March. The ritual, religiously branded as Tshogkhor—which roughly translates to “wish-fulfilling and well-being” was organized by Darla School.

The one-day spiritual extravaganza was presided over by His Lam Naten of Chukha Dzongkhag, who graciously agreed to oversee both the divine proceedings and the occasional wandering student.

During the ceremony, a full menu of rituals was served: butter lamps were lit, Tshogkhor performed, purification ritual conducted, Tormas offered, and various other rites that kept the monks busy and the spectators respectfully devoted.

As every good Buddhist knows, we are nature-worshippers who believe in divinity, the soul, and primordial energy. One highlight was Jingsey, a ritual designed to appease harmful evils, placate death spirits, and strengthen life. This involved offering nine grains—rice, millet, wheat, maize, mustard, and several others that sound like a healthy breakfast bowl—plus flowers, fruits, and holy water.

In a move that would make modern wellness influencers proud, the celebration was simple and nature-friendly. Meat and alcohol were not served. Instead, attendees enjoyed butter tea, sugar tea, biscuits, and a pure vegetarian meal. Students were seen exchanging confused glances about the absence of momos.

Hundreds of devotees from Darla and nearby areas showed up to offer prayers at this annual Rimdro, presumably hoping for good grades, bumper harvests, or at least a day off from household chores.

The Rimdro was performed for the peace and well-being of the Darla family, the community, the King, the country, and the people.  

By all accounts, the Rimdro was a success. This was due to the worthy efforts and cooperation of teachers, principals, students, and the community. Let’s be honest: it wouldn’t have been such a lavish Rimdro without the goodwill—and wallets—of the students’ parents. The school has a charming practice of collecting Nu. 100 from each student to fund the ritual. On top of that, many parents and teachers credibly brought both cash and kind. Contributions included firewood, sacks of rice, oil bottles, vegetables, juices, and dal.

One of the school Lopens, clearly warming to his theme, explained: “Rituals such as this have multiple functions in the family and in the culture. It is an effective agent in promoting family health and well-being. Not only that, rituals facilitate the transmission of values and beliefs. Rituals provide support and containment for strong emotions. Facilitation of coordination between individuals, families and communities.” 

He added that rituals help families deal with transitions and losses, bring about healing, and transmit values from generation to generation. They are one avenue of strengthening families and creating an environment where personal well-being is enhanced. 

Lunch was served to students and the public. No reports of food fights or ritualistic rebellions was reported.

For entertainment, students performed songs and dances—presumably to refresh themselves after all that spiritual heavy lifting.

The ritual is held annually. 

 Some photographs of the Rimdro:

Health in the School-Washing Water Tank by our Students

Let’s face it—no one wants to drink water that comes with free bonus flavors like old dust, mysterious residue, or the dirt of whatever the tank used to hold. That’s why we decided  the tank must be cleaned. Not just “glance at it and hope for the best” cleaned, but properly, aggressively, scrub-until-your-arms-protest cleaned. 

So we rolled up our sleeves, channeled our inner neat-freaks, and scrubbed every single internal surface like our lives depended on it—because, technically, they do. Then, just to be thorough, we washed all internal surfaces again to remove every last trace of detergent, because no one wants bubble bath-flavored drinking water either.

The thrilling results? See the photos below, featuring our students bravely battling grime on 5th March 2016. Hygiene has never looked so heroic—or so sudsy.

Happy birthday, your majesty

On February 21st, Darla MSS celebrated the birth anniversary of the Fifth King with all the enthusiasm of a school that finally got permission to skip afternoon classes. His Majesty, turning 36, was honoured with a variety of activities—including dignified cultural dances, heartfelt singing of Zhabten, and the surprisingly strategic sport of pillow fighting. Yes, pillow fighting. Because nothing says “dedication to the throne” like whacking your classmate with a cushion in the name of patriotism.

The Zhabten was sung with full hearts and the dances were rehearsed to perfection (mostly), and the pillow fights were… vigorous.

In all, we would like to say THANK YOU for everything you did, and continue to do, for us. From ensuring we have schools to giving us someone worth singing—and pillow-fighting—for. Long live the King, and long live the king.

Back to Schoool 2016

 

Extensive Cardamon Plantation at my village

I have been away. Back now—with lots of official and personal work. I didn’t even have time to open my own blog page, and sorry to say about others—I barely remembered my own name, let alone your existence. Before you assume I ran away to a peaceful monastery to find enlightenment and escape marking.

First, I went to my village for nearly two weeks to work on my cardamom plantation. I was genuinely thrilled to see three or more new plants sprouting from a single plant. That’s right—nature is out there showing off, photosynthesizing like a champion, while I can barely keep a single houseplant alive without it giving me a look of disappointment. The cardamom is thriving. Me? I’m surviving. Barely.

Then came the Class Ten evaluations—fourteen days in Phuntsholing. And it was hectic, because every poor soul had to correct almost a thousand papers. A thousand. That really kept me tight and sleepy. Tight in the shoulders from hunching over answer sheets, and sleepy in the soul from reading “the sun rises from the west” for the thousands time. You haven’t known true darkness until you’ve read the same wrong answer fifty times. 

After this, I went to Gelephu to stay a few days with my family. That was nice. No papers. No cardamom. Just relatives asking why I get married, why I’m still not single, and whether I’ve “considered settling down.” Cause I didn’t know how to even cut radish for Losar.  So, you know, a completely different kind of stress—the emotional ambush kind.

Then I had a School Health Coordinators workshop in Phuntsholing. For six glorious days, we were oriented on some basic health services. I am now officially qualified to tell you to wash your hands. You’re welcome. Next year, I might earn a certificate in breathing. Stay tuned.

And then, Losar abruptly emerged near the door like an uninvited but welcome relative, and we had ‘bang’ Losar in Gelephu. The ‘bang’ wasn’t just the celebration—it was the sound of my head hitting the pillow every night after too much whiskey and too many greetings.

Now that February is officially here, we have to face the ugly truth: winter has almost ended and it’s time to be in school! Yes, the holidays are over. The warm blankets must be abandoned. The alarm clock must be befriended again—reluctantly, suspiciously, like a former enemy you now have to share a room with.

By now, I have come up with drunken dreams, terrified hopes, and all that “new year, new me” freshness over the break. Drunken dreams meaning the kind where I genuinely thought I could wake up at 5 AM every day and exercise. But the only thing getting up at 5 AM is the neighbour’s rooster.

Just a few days ago, I have been constructing a website for my school. It’s almost done. Here is the link:

http://darlamssedu.blogspot.com/

Go on, visit it. It has fewer typos than my exam papers. That’s not a high bar, but still.

Wish you all the best and back to school!!!

May your chalk not break. May your ara be strong. And may your first day back be mercifully short—preferably zero minutes long. But we don’t always get what we pray for, do we?