Early Deepavali in Christchurch

There was sparkling lights dazzling in huge auditorium here at Christchurch.  Ten's of thousands were gathered to mark the day. The day of lights and the day of dance.  It's Deepavali festivals. Festival of Lord Rama and his wife sita''s return from exile.

I was in India for four years. I have joined the flocks in celebrating every year. Oh yeah those deafening firecrackers, the lamps and candles that decorated all college campus I can still remember vividly.

Offering of fruits and snacks

 Deepavali five years ago

And 2015 some how I have landed here in new Zealand. Thousands of miles away from home and India. the lights and celebration had also travelled this far. Celebration is grandeur than I  expected. I had seen real India with songs from all part of diverse India.  Frankly I haven't seen as much in my four year stay in college.

Horncastle area Christchurch 

Dancing to the beat of hindi songs

Little treat... hmm

The last festival I celebrated was three years ago. And I can't imagine how time flies. This celebration only told me one thing, I am growing older now.

The dreams of seeing the tiger

When I was a little kid back at home, I could hear the distant growling of tigers from other side of river. My dad would be so worried about our cattle.

First thing in evening we would be counting the numbers of cows. If one is missing we would presume that it was under the claws of tigers.

The wild beast did killed beautiful calf of aged Merkey. And all it left behind was pool of blood and huge club shaped foots prints.

I always wanted to see how this breast look like.

Well I had a chance here in New Zealand. It's was not the one that killed my lovely calf but the same kind in park. The giant beast. 

Long journey.. my friends checking pressures of bike

The park was some 18km from where we live at Christchurch. It was called Orana wild life park. It was fun biking with friends. Unlike Bhutan it's spring season here in new Zealand,  hence we were greeted with variety of flowers, the lush green meadows and huge pine tree trees touching the sky along the highway.

Half way through, almost tired.

The high way

Gorrila

The giant wild beast prowling 

Turkey

Flightless bird like an ostrich from africa Emmu.

Little one again

The year my dad was born.

Thank you Ugyen Namgyal sir for your time and and taking us there. Without you we may not have been there. Thank you for every thing sir.

The irony of 1 vehicles for ever 10 person in Bhutan.

More cars hit Bhutan’s road despite measures to curb import vehicles was what BBS had reported two days back. I was just wondering what have government done to curb the imports of vehicles other than imposing sky rocking taxes.

In Bhutan forget about bicycle tracks, we don’t even have proper pedestrian footpaths. We have roads and highways with zebra crossings that are hardly used and least respected.

One way to curb the imports of vehicles is to improve the public transports. That is least bothered. Instead they revise the taxi and bus fares. Revisions are necessary, but I am sure it will just make the fares worst.  In the name of revision people will have to bear the blunt of increasing fares by many folds.

A good example of public transport can be seen through Paro Thimphu bus service. Despite hugh number of people plying between Thimphu and Paro, only two buses operates dialy. In the name of monopoly, half a time the counters are found closed, and when opened all tickets will be exhausted.

I just can’t think of the bus timing. The departure time is set at 9 am. If you have official work in Thimphu the only way to travel is taxi or private vehicles.

Unless the government considers the public transportation system improvement,  imposing taxes will not deter Bhutanese from buying cars.

And in a country where there is one vehicle to every ten person, it’s shame that the only successful company at IT PARK in Thimphu SCANCAFE is planning to stop recruiting Bhutanese because of transportation problem. I am really shocked, that this government is working so hard to bring down the unemployment problems as low as possible but can’t arrange the transportation.

I am hoping that the government of the day is not forgetting the employment opportunities at homes in looking for prospects to send Bhutanese overseas.

Shingkhar lauri connected with electricity!!!!

On 23rd July,  like any other days I was browsing Internet and running through various posts in Facebook. it was different treat that day. There was breaking news from my village. The HA of our village had posted saying that the electricity was released partly in my village. My heart stopped pumping blood for a while and in the state of shock I screamed “YESSS”. The dream of having electricity was longing so long. It was in 2011, by then I was in college, that the government promised and displayed the banner saying “electricity for all by 2013”.
Despite located in difficult terrains, no motorable roads it was indeed a herculean task. Yet you did worked hard, the government, BPC, Contractors and our parents and specifically our elected members. Sincerely Hats off for you all. 

Since as carrying huge poles, backbreaking indeed, without motorable roads 2011. 

Zangthi tshothang.... beautiful..... with poles standing..

When the world is at race in field of technologies, when our sons and daughter cannot live without opening Facebook and watching movies, our brave parents did survive in the world of I call “darkness”. They are brave and I salute you my dear parents back at home. You all made it to the end to see our homes lighted. 

source: google

To my fellow villagemates:

Let’s talk little about other sides of coin. As a little kid, though we haven’t seen and knew what was electricity, when our teacher ask us: which city is the dangerous city in world, we could manage to say electricity. The answer was right. Danger. Our homes back there, are usually made of woods. And there are so many mysterious stories regarding fire and electricity. 
Another thing is the electrical safety. It becomes our responsible to teach them the do’s and don’ts of electricity. It could be as basic as switching on lights with wet hands.  Please do advice regarding this if you think you are responsible. Better safe than sorry. 
I am planning to buy all electrical appliances for my parents to commemorate the first lighting of my home. Are you planning anything of kind.
Thanks for reading, and let’s not forget to thank all who involved in realizing this ‘the once distant dream!’.

Have you ever thought of saving even Nu. 100 a month?

How good are we in saving money. Many don’t know the value of saving money at all. We are Bhutanese. We always like the fancy things. We always wanted the posh  cars and palatial home to live. And on that we lose our inner core values.

Many of us are rich only on pay days and become broke mid way through the month.
We borrow money from good friends many times. You become habit of borrowing. I saw their relationship stained due to this because old habit die hard. Money is a bad ingredients in the  bonds of friendship.

I for one have respect for the money that I posses. I have learned the value of savings right from beginning of my schooling. I was bought up caring that hundred ngultrum note that my dad gave me when school starts in mid February  so that I could spend on bus fare while going back home in winter break in coming December.

Right from beginning of my employment, I saved little. Before my bank account debited with my pay, I would have already calculated my expenses and saving. It’s hard to save on saving account, so I had one recurring account with BOB. I also opened another account with BNB. Truth be told, I never applied for atm cards for BNB account. I just didn’t want to withdraw any time with Atm machines installed every where. It was for my emergency use.

It does miracles in the end. We cannot see the future. We don’t know what’s in store of us in coming days. I always wanted to be prepared. This preparedness I do by little saving no matter even if it’s hundred ngultrum a month.

In 2014 my mom was bed ridden with sickness. She was referred from remote village in east to national referral hospital. As I told you it did miracle. If I haven’t done this in advanced I would been in great financial problem.
I have met many friends who just rush in end. If you are lucky, someone let you borrow, but what if not.
Why to be sorry? Go on, it’s never late to save.