Lomba - A story from my Grandmother's diary

On the dusk of colorful Lomba,two of my friends decided to have Lomba dinner together. They loaded buckwheat dumplings to the brim of their stomach. Riding on a Chetak Bajaj scooter, upon reaching babesa expressway, much to the joy driven by festive mood, they fail to recall the presence of bump.The one sitting at back threw the inside dumpling out, like cricket ball off the pitch.

Jokes apart,there is always this curiosity in being a child raised in Haap and Parop’s family. Just like what my Angay did when she was young and agile; we use to put together all requisite bits and pieces ranging from plant species to finest costumes before the twilight sets in.The Lue torma (human figure made from flour cake representing our good being) clothed in its luxury outfit is surrounded by nine important grains. With handpicked attire such as brocade and silk etc,the lighted butter lamp and chibchey(ritual cake prayer) signifies a humble gesture of all our goodwill wishes for the fruitful new coming year.

When the night crawls in, it is time for Lue's departure.Lues from every household are believed to be setting their expedition together.We reach Lue to a certain space so they can catch up their voyage with other Lues. The tayoeee ahug hu sound flag off Lue’s long travel followed by lighting of firecrackers into the virgin sky.

While Haaps are known for making artistic Hoentoes,Parops do make mengey, also known as bjomja (Rice pizza). People in my village normally use dried leaves of turnip,yak butter, fresh cheese, steamed cabbage ,walnut and many more. My grandmother and other elderly people say that we must eat to our best. Our weights would be assessed on this eve by spirits.

The first eve day is usually set off by many. Often people initiate their day by washing clothes while others take pleasure in river rock stone bath that provides exotic therapy and soak away stresses of life. The following days would begin by archery tournaments, celebrations and a family get together with large celebration feasts .And truly, 29th day of the 10th Bhutanese month is a new year for all Parops and Haaps.

May this Lomba brings Seasons greetings, peace,prosperity and long lasting Happiness.

Happy Lomba Greetings!

Photo Courtesy:Ben Henritig,The Happiest Place

With Layaps in My Village

Image source:aworldawaytravels.com

Tshering is in his mid 30s.This is perhaps his first visit to my village.His Apa use to do often barter system and known for his trade smartness and polite greetings to his owners(often termed jindas for sheltering 2-3 days)during his business.
Along with him a boy called Phuntsho,age-15,with cute fair complexion,eyes swollen and greyish hair, wearing little north-face jacket,he studies in 5th Standard.Phuntsho young by age,shoulders a bigger family responsibility like a bold businessman.His Apa couldnot make this time, due to some tight schedule at home.While Tshering had a wife and two children back in Laya,he supports a family of four including himself.Phuntsho has been Tshering's neighbour and they had come to my village in Paro located on the banks of river Pachu,a distance of 3-4 kilometres from the main town through a farm road or by crossing a temporary winter wooden log bridge from a black topped road.They had started the journey all the way from Laya.
Tshering had 6 sacks of sangzey(a herbal dried incense combining balu-sulu leaves and other essential ingredients from high mountains,on burning that gives mind calming perfume and for liberation of sentient beings that are within its reach ).While Phuntsho Carries 4-Sacks on his strong back.They are here in Paro,to do a barter else called exchange with parop's reknowned red dried Chillies.
My Apa filled their cups with creamy butter tea followed by red rice and a dish of dry red chillies ,a raddish steamed with local lean porks.Tshering and Phuntsho had a good smile and optimistic enough to sure get another serve of tea as they walk to another house.My mother took two sack of Sangzey, one each from Tshering and one from Phuntsho.
Tshering says,business is good here.In Thimphu they are many competitors.And moreover Dried Chillies seemed to be often expensive from Nu.300-400 a kilo.Its much better in the village and ," I won't mind walking from house to house".His friends narrated him once, while on business in Thimphu tells stories of losing money and sleeping stuffs.Crime is more in the town.Its more important to be careful.Thats why we are here from generations.Back in Laya,Tshering says Chilli is one of the most important ingredient in the mountains.Once they also tried with dried chillies that comes from south,but he says it gets rote soon with fungus and unwanted greeny stufss that finally spoils the taste and color.Thats the reason they are here in the village.Phuntsho is sound in academic although he finds difficulty with English.He is much better and brighter in science and maths perhaps.But he realized the worth of education and promises to be a tougher guy and never drop the school."Often Our elderly Layap boys drop the school from certain grade,stating,with the license from the government ,they find a net profit in picking up cordyceps on the mountains.Its infact a kidu from our Majesty for the Layaps,since its difficult to grow most of the crops and sustain family income upthere owing to harsh weather and climatic conditions".Phuntsho had indeed old head on a young shoulder.
Phuntsho doesnt state, of becoming a doctor or engineer like ordinary kids.What he will do is to score a good grade and obtain handsome marks in his annaully academic record."This would be my answer for now".
With a smile and much contentment,these two strong boys now walk to another household being optimistic enough for a good response and a delicious meal from another house owner. Once they finish the sacks,they would go back to Punakha and collect all the rations and needs for their next summer,while staying for 2-3 winter months spending days in making income from thier horses while carrying and trasnporting goods and also loads for tsachu-goers(hot spring goers) along the chhubu and gasa in the past.
Its indeed inhaling the happiness,making it simple and practical.The Layaps like Tshering and Phuntsho had made it like others.Through interactions,politeness and courtesy,dedications and sweat of hardwork,they had impressed most of the people in the locality while keeping good name of their presence.Its a recollection of past through present,a small existence of past Barter System in this fast modern trade.
Its 3:30 pm,Sunday.I m now travelling back to Thimphu.I told you earlier,i feel much better as i once returned back from my village.Its my Village that taught me many simple yet remarkable values and lessons of happiness.I wish to go back often to work,to help my parents and to watch the season change,the fields,the trees,the river.I m refreshed and with new ideas ready to work again.

Of Steaming Bathu and Wintry Nights...

While most of our bhutanese dishes and cuisines are reknowned among ourselves for their extreme heat,spicy,thick,aromatic and mouth watering substance,still i feel its the rice and curry that dominates every meal schedule.
some people have changes such as snacks for light breakfast,rice for lunch and parata or sukha roti for dinner,its not surprising to see most of our bhutanese prefer rice for all the 3 meals.

In a Himalayan country like ours,winter is cold.A hot steaming aromatic vapour of dried pieces of yak bones containing crispy well scorched meat well cooked in a pressure cooker ,after all in another pot of boiling water mixed with corriander leaves,a chopped scraps of garlic,slices of raddish in combination with green leaves of either spinach or local sag added finally. ,Its a soup that is first being prepared before flour being pounded and made into fine pebble balls of well pounded maida and luke water.I often add 3-4 eggs so that the balls of pounded maida that is made into a fine furnished balls.It depends ,the way of cooking bathu on individuals.
Just like noodles,puta,bathu although hasn't been orginated from our country,most of us are known to this unique food item in order to beat the harsh cold winter.Its a perfect match especially during the snowfall or either as winter night meal.In Thimphu,you will get in most of the restaurants at cost ranging from 35-45.A popular meet place is Zangtopelri complex where you will get in a bowl.Flavour Variety ranges from veg,mixed vagetables,chicken,beef,pork.i dont go often,but when i visit i prefer mixed all the time.

Now let me continue with my home preparation where i left,because one good thing whenever i prepare my bathu,i make sure its organic..ie i dont like adding artificial flavours like taste maker.The turnip or raddish slices are normally added after the balls of pounded maida being cooked well for 20-25 minutes.Sag/spinach is added at last,s o that the green leaves would add good color combination to the overall mixture.
Finally add salt pepper and of course local red chilli powder
Your home made bathu is now complete,its time for family to bring bowls and spoons.Its now about a wintry battle.Some people often dont go for maida items for a reason of gastritis or stomach ache,but m sure its how well you cook meals after all.

The Other Side of Glamour

If Happiness is water,i wish i could get a soak of it.But it isn't.Long ago,when i was a little kid in school days,I use to be infact the first culprit to object people saying,"Money is the root cause of all the evils".No I cried,its a disgusting starkly annoying phrase.Tell me how many people can survive without money.If you don't have it,you even have not enough confidence to face a crowd.I use to say Tagore's famous prose,"where the mind is without fear,head is held high"and where the world is without money,head is always towards earth.I grew up,always looking to be someone surrounded by island of wealth.Money to me can be everything,it talks,it makes you bold,it gives you power,fame ,name ,popularity,relationship,what else nameless things.
But today,my perspective towards wealth has totally changed.Even if the world becomes a little place and a competitive one,I would be brave enough to not crave or go after wealth.Just a place to walk and little money to survive would be my contented assets.But let me justify so that you would not mistaken me and say,"then please deposit all your money into my account"or would be saying,you must be Janchubsempa.I m not.
In a crowded city like Thimphu,dominated by lust and desire for wealth,inner Happiness is just a sack of air.People have all the sorts of facilities,infrastructure and modern architectures.Its in early morning in a small,yet reknowned temple like changangkha,located amidst a hill,which i call a little mountain,you wake up and a glimpse of scented pine in the early dawn,along with people of much contented minds and of older age,you feel life is much peaceful up there.Its a rare occassion.Health has become one of the serious issue in our populated city.Its atleast good that when you come for a physical exercise,you automatically gets connected with mother nature,and then you realize how beautiful and peaceful when our travelling mind gets controlled by a little spiritual and breath taking sceneries.Its otherwise call a happines,though for a short term.
What i have observed through hearings and of my own study is that,when you have enough wealth,sometimes its natural that we forget one of the most important priority of life,our inner happiness.I firmly believe,of course people need certain percentage of money to survive.Especially with friend,relatives,life in Thimphu is bit challenging for individuals who live independently.Today you visit friend's new born baby,tomorrow its someone's relative cremation rites,day after tomorrow,somewhere someone gets promoted to higher post.Then comes your electric power consumption,water charges,telephone bills,Tv rent,house owner running after you,your relatives need some amount from you to purchase a land somewhere in babesa.
On the other side,when you have handsome possession,you feel like having more.Its not a criticism but a concern that I have observed very few wealthy people tend to spend life in a very peaceful manner.Sharing is loving,when they tend to gain more they also become conscious that they have to surrender everything once the icy hands of death holds and grab them,they must leave behind everything ,including people to whom they are so attached.Most of us tend to lose the true sense of happiness.We always want to make our sons and daughter face up the world with much wealth,thereby we lose health to gain more and more.I m sure,if an individual karma or what sometimes called 'Lungten hasn't been inscribed on one's forehead',the possessions gathered by parents on uncle or aunts will not lead us to successful trail.Even in business,some people flourish like anything,while some even though clever and knowledgeable fail at the most.I m sure its always a matter of past's path that lead us to our destined dreams.Some successful in businness making,some in politics,some in relation making,some in problem solvings,negotiation,its after all individual's uniqueness and karmic actions that define us in distint ways.
In this fast moving world,a balance between materialism and spiritual connection is utmost an important philosophy inorder to channel a happiness in one's mind.An excessive wealth possession creates chaos and family troubles,even at worst leading to court cases and enemity even among the family members from great grand parents to their future generations.An individual is born with thier own kind of spoon written according to karmic justice and good deeds of the past.Our sons and daughters fate cant be predicted with our own belongings.Someone can be rich overnight,but he cant stand there longer if he isn't destined to become.Happiness is just a simple concept,when you feel within that you are satisfied with the world,and you know that you are very fortunate of existence,when you cant stop making someone's day,a good turn,inspite of your whatever conditions you are in and a smile on someone's face,you will earn the credit,thats the contentment not even medicine can give you for long term.
An educated higly learned husband,sends his wife for a degree course in abroad at his own expense.She comes up with good knowledge ,a degree and work experience,earns much better than her husband.Now she pays the credit by putting a divorce case.What happened to her,she meets someone much wealthier than her ex husband.Modern society had changed a lot.You can even desigh your own life's lab.But how long it would take a seed of happiness
to germinate and fully grow into long branches.
Some are forced by circumstances,some by intense desires,while most of us fail to architect happiness for our own good.In Thimphu,we build strong and good walls for our own security from neighbour.We don't want to interact with people nearby.We travel in luxurious cars.We dont want to walk.We pollute air,the environment with our junk deposits.We get introduced to different varieties of modern diseases such as cancer,gastritis,mental stresses,ulcers,piles,asthmas,tb,obesity,HIV aids.We want to have more late night partys,where we can breath fresh carbondioxide and carbonmonoxide.We dont want to unnecessarily spent time on true love,we lust for sex.We want to have more gamblings,dont want to spend time with our own children.We marry one wife,and finds a mistress somewhere.We become corrupt and dont mind for sending to jail.We return to our cold graves with dissatisfaction and regrets that would even haunt our spirits.
Even rural places have been affected with air of glamour.Most of agricultural land are now being sold like hot cakes,for exchange with Santafes,Prados,or Tucson,for the sake of construction of resorts,5stars,and private buildings.What will we eat if all our food sources are being cut from India one day.The root of happiness dies owing to lack of extreme side effects. I wish i had a son who can become a good monk,meditating and practising the dharma,while helping his old parents enlighting the light of happiness through mind controlling.But thats just a dream,i wont cry for it,because it would also be destined to deserving only.
In the end life is beautiful and i m satisfied,what i had felt i could atleast express in my little way.May your life be showered with happiness through your own reflections and shadows.If there isnt a shadow then i guess its high time to research the path we travel by.

from plucking stars to shedding tears...love's misery is yet life's valuable poetry

"If the only place where i could see you is in my dream,then i would sleep forever,"well more than that,what else, i would pluck a star for you,and plant a beautiful rose in sahara,script your name on the colors of rainbow....
hehe love has gone so much advanced for now.Just like our small country getting rapid urbanisation,from oral proposals to blue ink and white paper touching love letters,from electronic mail to sms,love cards,valentine greetings,cute gifts,roses,dinners,breath taking songs,partying,taking ride along sangaygang and lover's point,late long hour night calls,a chat on person.com and match meetings,what more all our films now are depicting the definition of love.
love is in the air everywhere.Heart is one of the magical organ,beautifully embedded inside the body.If handled with care just like money,it would be worth while,but on contrary,if mishandled,it would create a disaster.There are unique individuals who beautifully potrays all those happenings of love,the betrayals,trust,in a much spicy and thought provoking tales.
Yet Someone searches in bhutan times,"deki where are you,m sorry for my mistake",please call back to me and pick up the phone.Lonely hearts,"beautiful girl wants to date a tall handsome guy",please contact this number.I don't know,but its always true,love can happen anywhere.But i wonder how many people really value true love.
Now i must be true also there are also lots of impacts,when right meets a wrong.I see people not being true to words.Fake promises,thats why,modern love is bitterly sweet,much faster than bullet trains.I wonder how many people really keep true promises.for me,"i miss you sounds much better than,"i love you".i don't know how far you believe.But its however an individual's perspective.
Now lets come to concrete idea.From plucking stars to shedding tears,unheard cries,yet within someone's thought,its a valuable poetry.Life isn't perfect is old acronym,but it also makes a part of life's history unerased in individual's mind. Life goes on with much lessons and bold personality.From fragile mind and heart to experienced professional" betrayed one",yet you never lose who you are,and you would never fall down without your own consentment.From sugar heart to spicy individuals,you have learnt greater chapter of love and now inside your mind you have enough default vision of detecting a decent and defined love bird.That's you,The power of one.This will be another chapter and topic that every one carries ahead.
love is a beautiful art,and it always needs a right artist.Every artist has their own way of expressing their art.love is kid's fun game for children,an accompany and a refuge shelter,Love is a burden and hurdle to school going students,distraction to an academic performance,a matter of chance in finding freedom from studies for college mates,a second chance test for bachelor's personality before marriage,if a married couple seeks another Mr or mistress,its another story infact part II of life,Its about complicated heart.Its an indication of your heart controlling your mind.So better be watchful,ofcourse its also applicable but its more disheartening.
Animals in the nature too have a strong sense of love relationship.At the end what i have found is ,"its not by falling in love with someone,that ruins your life,but when you keep going with things in right track,its a balanced life,that one need not turn back to life with regrets,but with sense of contentment that you have made someone's day with good smiles on their face.So my moral is love the people who treat you right,forget the ones who do not.
Have a dedicated love,truth and trust.Thats it..cheer up!!

Another Day-The Wrong Downpour

Perhaps there might be some holes in the corner of sky.The stitches need to be carried out.Its been heavy down pour in bhutan.The rain started from last night and now it would continue till tomorrow midday according to Norwegian Meterological site.Its much foggy along the way especially when you get into a car and take a drive.I m sure the river might have changed its color somehow.School students along the way soaked with cold bath.While most people carry umbrella,its been muddy along the paths.Its 3:48pm and still looks like the sun gone beyond the horizon and night spreading her black garment.I was thinking that the blessed rainy day would be the last rain but it turn out to be the different one.I m sure this wrong time rain has not much significance to do with our farmers,except for Hydropower generation,the country's revenue .
In Paro,along the vales,most of the farmers have initially started the harvesting work.Fortunately,it was just beginning and carried out in smaller portion.Last time it was the H1N1,then the Earth Quake,then stormy winds followed by downpour.But lets hope we prepare for everything.Lets be aware all the time.Lets not lose faith in our beliefs.our forefathers have been brought up through harsh and turbulent atmosphere battling every hardships despite of having no modern technologies.Its now upto us whether our set of beliefs are slowly getting extinct as we step into another era of less of beliefs and more of scientific practicals.


Weather forecast for Thimphu (Bhutan), 2737 m.

Updated at 13:12. Next update is expected at 2:00.
source:Norway meterological
Institute.--->>www.yr.no

Thimphu: capital in Thimphu (Bhutan). Located at 27°28′59″N 89°35′59″E. The forecast shows local time for Thimphu.




Forecast for Thimphu Wednesday 07/10/2009

Midday 15:00 – 18:00
Heavy rain 10° Light breeze, 2 m/s from north-northwest
Heavy rain. Light breeze, 2 m/s from north-northwest. 0 mm precipitation.



Night 18:00 – 00:00
Heavy rain 11° Light air, 1 m/s from northwest
Heavy rain. Light air, 1 m/s from northwest. 44 mm precipitation.



Forecast for Thimphu Thursday 08/10/2009
Morning 06:00 – 12:00
Heavy rain 9° Light air, 1 m/s from north-northwest
Heavy rain. Light air, 1 m/s from north-northwest. 8 mm precipitation.

Midday 12:00 – 18:00
Heavy rain 11° Light air, 1 m/s from northwest
Heavy rain. Light air, 1 m/s from northwest. 22 mm precipitation.


Night 18:00 – 00:00
Partly cloudy 11° Light air, 1 m/s from west
Partly cloudy. Light air, 1 m/s from west. 0 mm precipitation.



Forecast for Thimphu Friday 09/10/2009
Morning 06:00 – 12:00
Partly cloudy 9° Light air, 1 m/s from west-northwest
Partly cloudy. Light air, 1 m/s from west-northwest. 0 mm precipitation.


Midday 12:00 – 18:00
Fair 15° Light breeze, 2 m/s from south
Fair. Light breeze, 2 m/s from south. 0 mm precipitation.

Night 18:00 – 00:00
Partly cloudy 13° Light breeze, 2 m/s from south-southeast
Partly cloudy. Light breeze, 2 m/s from south-southeast. 0 mm precipitation.




source:
Norway meterologicalInstitute
weblink:www.yr.no

Autumn Kiss on my Cheek

One thing,God's beautiful art,a paranomic creation is a change in seasons.Its a time that heals everything after all,good or bad.With rising and setting sun,every moment,i feel Autumn and winter are nearing.No matter,this winter atleast let it be a humble wish, a snowfall to wipe away all the misforutnes of next fiscal year.I wish to see our snow capped mountains kissed by glossy lips of golden sun rays.
Guess m not going so fast into future.Its Autumn now,getting colder day by day.Atleast no heavy rain.No more landslides along Phuntsholing-Thimphu High way.Much Better,we hear no H1N1 or otherwise swine flu.In Paro,apple buds stormed by hailstones last spring,but atleast it turned out to be good harvest at the end.We wish democracy gets in smooth ride.Though villages in far east torn from disasters and still our mates in haunted dreams,i know time after all would heal slowly.

Life is quite unpredictable at times,but all we got to do is prepare for everything in hand.Life can be sometimes miserable anywhere at anytime.Its a time,that one cannot put an astrologer behind.Its also a time that itself heals gently atlast.
With onset of autumn,paddy harvest is almost knocking the door.Lets wish there be a peaceful and succesful harvest for all our hardworking farmers around the country.Its a nation's background and pride and a dream of food self sufficiency that must prevail througout while eradicating poverty.
A beautiful season of fall,you would see all the earth carpeted with golden floor.On the evening twilight,watch the sunset below the horizon.As you walk take a deep gentle breath,a cool air would blow through our troubled face.Its an indication of princess autumn healing all your tiring journey's wound.I call it a KISS on my cheek.

A Garden within my Mind

Early in the morning cool hush,At around 5:00am ,its been my regular routine for around months now,i rush up from the warmth of my blanket,taking a quick glimpse through window panes,my first sight is towards skipping clouds through the heavenly abode of Phajoding,its been my healer,i feel relieved of day's hard work,the busy traffic,noisy tooting of increasing vehicle population,before i face off dirts and haunting dreams from my innocent face,i peep up once,then take a deep sigh and a fresly filled oxygen into my lungs.Its my perfect moments and best part of my day.
I see no fields,only incresing number of construction building colonies along the roads,cross roads every where creating human path confusion.I get every kind of fast and junk foods,i get access to 24 hours internet,i get avail to all modern facilities, a good caring girl friend.I still find one thing missing,my sweet home.Its saturday,then i woke up,took breakfast,rushed to my village back in Paro.Yes Thats my medicine,my healer and the only cure to my troubled mind.
Along the waves of golden autumn paddy,i m lost never to be found.Its my fragile mind travelling through all the greenery and golden scenes.I feel the smell of my home.i m brought up here,I want to die here.
I searched through all the mountains,looking for birds to sing with,sparkling brooks feeling lost and shy with my girlish smile.Turquiose pachu river dancing amidst the green vales.Willows slowly turning to yellow.When you feel the hush air and smell rosy scented breathe,a sound of cicada,its my favourite moments and i get drunk in extreme happiness.It has reason of perfect mixture and blend of history eversince my childhood.
I cry late at night ,in the middle of dreams longing for my beloved home.it has been my perfect companion,and you may not not the reason,its complicated at times to explain things that create impact and maggical ripple inside your travelling mind.only you feel it,and let it be a secret.i get hold of this beautiful landscapes,Its a garden within my mind.i ll take a snap of it and show to you all.
still today on weekends,i go and search for homely air,at the end i wish my home to be forever a heavenly abode like today,untouched by human,no cars,no junk deposits,no interferences,perfect solitude and ideal place for dreamers of meditation.Its what i call my soul healer,a secret within myself and you.Its a small wooden comfy home locked inside woods.

The Train

image source:rightmoney.com
Until my entry to College,i have never travelled by train and also i have never been towards south of India.Often i dream of setting a long journey with a drawing pad and a pencil laying out sketches of places as i go on or reading kind of fiction or just simply flipping through pages of star magazines.I call them time killer stuffs.It then magically came true.like in stories, for me, just heard of Majestic train Journeys but never experienced.You know that was the best and perfect description that any author would include in their masterpiece.Don't always expect southern dishes in southern railways.54 hours journey,from New Jalpaiguri to Salem,a place known for juicy mangoes,almost 2 days,2 nights would be enough to create the earth tilt and move around you after you set off from the train.This is one thing truth that any person who have travelled through Indian Railways would have given you.Don't worry,this time m going to take you through coramondal express,super fast express,sometimes 6-7 hours delay voyage.All you need is patience.
Well its always been beautiful memories of my days travelling South India.
The most difficult part for me is when you carry a huge bulk of luggages,especially at boarding and departure.Rest is ok somehow.It starts with a cup of coffee at railway station followed by mineral water one after one.What else, you easily pay few amount and sumptously enjoy plate of puri,bread omlette,cutlette so on.That would do for starters.A long horn would then signal of arriving queen.
she is dressed in Maroon blue and known for walking majestically.As we get inside within a stipulated time,all has to do so perfectly,arranging your brief cases and carry bags underneath the seats,while chaining them securely,for there might be any uninvited strangers freaking out peeping at late nights.Sleeper is my best choice,much cheaper,you get to encounter different sorts of people in different conditions,so empathetic that would make you drop few coins for their meals.Sometimes you cry for not having luxurious shoes to take you a ride while others cry for not having legs.life is miserable at times ,even positive attitude fails in some practicals.Its about reality,my friend.A matter of today's survival.Any ways there is another interesting thing,chhakas,guys with breast,handbags containing lipsticks,glossy sugarlicious lips finely dressed in sarees,they will call you sharukh and salman.Thats enough to force you take out another handsome amount from your pure leather wallet.You smile as if fallen in drowsy love.A sleeper world is full of entertainment.At times i feel like m in shakespere's world.That could be another reason for my special reservation in sleeper class.Its not always about money.Its a matter of experience,getting adjust and seeking your own comfort in a little shrew atmosphere.Another lemon chai will give you good appetite this time.But its upto you,can have tea too.Youthful guavas and slices of freshly garden cucumber mixed with indian spices would water your mouth.Samosas and chat--pattri are appetizer.Dont expect momos,suja and thukpa on the way,its away from home.You can have little desserts with flavour of vanillas.I always have habit of taking chugoes(dried cheese-my indian friends call it bone) packed in my carry bag.Its a token of handsome greeting for someone on the way.Meeting itself is destiny,but what if i have to give it to everyone in the train.No no,dont mistake me ,Its only to someone known,this is Bhutanese product,you smile with pride.you would wonder the night menu.Well we mostly take egg rice for 60,2 pieces of indian chilliesa pickle,white rice,2 solid eggs dipped and roasted in indian sauce.You can even have test of train chicken sometimes.I might have tested but i never knew.It might or might not be true.Its just a hearing from fellow mates.You take a gaze through rough metal framed window.Outside,its really beautiful,buffaloes taking shower in manual made ponds.A scene of bungalow clustered by coconut and banana trees is the most amazing view.But what a cashnut seller in the train corridor says,cash nut,cashnut.It would be Chettri,my friend,someone good looking,tall guy,who always looks for hairfalling treatment cream.A cashew man says,so you want Kaju(cashnut).Chettri said how much?.he smiles and says,just 120 a packed.Chettri says,strong nope.The cahsewman knew chettri would bargain like jaigaon.He walks few steps and back again.So you really want?,with strong sense of convince.chettri says nope.The cahsewman cant hold his selling temptation,how much would you give,Chettri says 20.Cashewman ran like anthing never returning to us again,with mind blowing statement,"have you taken cashew before?..hahah ha we all laugh enough to split the guts. The rest of our friends have their best moments in train,Some drunk throughout the journey,while others play cards with palm beating bet and sometimes,1-2 rupees as a fee.Sometimes we run out of rations which are brought from home such as Shakam Ezay,dried fish,beef,mula pickle,zaw,koka on the way itself.You walk so light back to college after a nice vacation.Taking bath in the train is another interesting experience,better carry jug next time,a guide line for sleeper class.In the scorching flame of heat,you are naturally steamed bathed,dirt would rollup into balls automatically.So its better you refresh yourself by some light standing up shower in train.You would go via kolkata,Orissa,Andhra and several major stations.In early morning watch the beautiful sunrise,in the eve a sun setting below horizon.If you are poet,m sure you get rich by the end of day itself.Well when it rains you would find droplets on window frame bars.But its the night that makes queen run more in speed,so i often say prayer for all the safety of my travelling companions.However its always been beautiful,because through out i have never got a seat in Ac.But i had wonderful memories of all those days in the majestic southern queen.I wish to travel again.For me even now,Its always been a moment of finding perfect happiness in little thing.I closed my chapter,promised to be back again.It was my perfect travelling happiness

Angay BOU- A Tale of Suja and Wisdom

Dear Bou,
It's been 7 years.How have you been?. I always confide myself that ,by now you must have reborn as a good human being somewhere,someplace.Well except for your baba  (She believes tobacco consumers would be punished in hell) and your little wild anger,I have no doubt your meritorious deeds would out law your little mischief.Your white stars must have given you wings to discover your own good path.It was one dull summer evening. I just got down in Thimphu after the completion of my degree from India.The Mahindra bolero  taxi had left a lasting smell of diesel on my carry bag.So much powerful that I had a complete fuzzy dizzy feeling throughout the journey.

The mid summer rain beat down the tender branches of trees along the road side and my heart ached.The journey had been  a rough ride ,unexpected surprises and I knew something was wrong.

Tears roll down my youthful cheek and I silently cried with a heavy blow.I arrived there just one week after her final rituals.

In this picture,my niece Shelkar spending a quality moment with Bou

Time flew by. We shared,we cherished and lived the moments. Your immortal words remained inscribed in me and I found in myself, a beautiful me.Her goiter is her signature and I lovingly call her angay Bou.

Bou is energetic,Bou is a confident woman.Bestowed me with her thoughts of old time stories,struggles of life ,poetry,folk songs and jokes apart.I always see in her,high level of tolerance and acceptance.life has not always been a perfect ride.I am often a keen listener opening my mind's eye to those intuitive wisdom, bountiful insights and life's thrilling challenges and experience.

Bou proudly lived up to 86,devoting herself into evening and morning prayers.She  prostrates in the altar every evening, thanking god for letting her feel the presence and overflowing blessings.The Triple Gem in giving her strength in facing trials .She prays for the welfare of all the sentient beings.Her meal time had prayers with humble bow to the food she eats, as she lifts her daem (wooden bowl/plate) on forehead.I don't really question whether somebody above us do really watch our actions.But ultimately her good thoughts and humble submission derives her positive energy keeping her healthy and happy.Suja had been her favorite tea.As long as hot steaming butter tea fills her cup,she will not let even barley flour spill out of the cup's edge.The genuine smile on her wrinkled face resembles just like the bright glows of the moon at dark.

My journey into life has always been inspired through others' story of courage ,values and daring attitude.On my vacation and back to college ,she has the habit to wrap up a scarf for me. With ngultrum hundred in her hand and tears in her time-faded eyes,

 "Tashi,my only note for you is, avoid riding on bike in India".Be good and do good.Simple ,profound and precise wisdom indeed.The colorless hair and her body ache reminds me of her crippling age and withering strength.

It was until in my final year.That one day I had a phone call from home.It was my mother."Tashi,angay wants to speak to you",she said.

Angay bou's voice was at the brink of her death and she struggled in her last moments.She just uttered ,"My dear,you don't need not worry bout me mey",she said."I am confident that you will walk with good foot steps in life and please don't ride on bakbaa (bike/scooter)".Those were her last words.

There was never a sleep in my eyes and rest to my eyeballs .All the exams were finally done.It was time to go home.The bolero's diesel reminded me of that journey back home.

On auspicious occasions,I recall her smile by lighting butter lamps in the name of all sentient beings.

The living moments are always recaptured and recalled even today after 7 long years.

It is always good to remember:-

“A river never passes the same place twice,” says a philosopher. Our life's beautiful moment are indeed like a river.

Her Fury on Monday's Miss Call...

It was perhaps an unexpected moment.But sometimes its right that what can't be cured must be endured.I studied science,Geography and i also have trust in it.But m serious when coming to beliefs too,perhaps because may be i was brought up in my little mythical world,of gods and goddess,of trust and faith,of truth and karmic justice.At the end i always love my bhutanese perspective of viewing things.I linger in my mind all the time,exploring inside like a NASA space research.At the end its the inner peace ,the discovery i make.
As usual i was working in the office,when suddenly i felt my arm chair trembling.just wondering ,out of shock,"am i suffering some kind of driziness"?.i Just peeped outside through my small glass pane.A driver was wiping off dust from his troika without any feelings.I realized,it was perhaps just my psycho notion that doze me off.It lasted about 2-3 minutes.Then i realized,it was Earth shaking off her hips."Why of sudden she got pissed off?",i asked my self.We Bhutanese are so devoted and we love all the companions around us,we respect care and love her,may be somewhere something might have gone wrong.Is this a kind of mass punishment?,or can i call it perhaps a miss call of pseudo world that we bhutanese are slowly heading towards,the degrading values,moral ethics,an artificial smile on faces without an inner happiness.We might have in a little way wronged her.We dont deserve this,i cried.But gently this time we got to accept,we might have crossed our limits perhaps.This self realization had alarmed me several times and i thought to just put up in some corner to wake my fellow friends from the path of pseudo world that just lie untrodden.In the Evening was the news from different parts,killings,injuries,all of destruction and damages.I just stood silent and my inner mind wondered with many clouded thoughts,only i can do to the victims and injured was to cry within,the hardest thing,no tears but a feeling of sympathy and a shattered dreams of my bhutanese mates who have been this tragic victim.

At the end the best help i could do is to lit a butter lamp and say a humble prayer
for all those who have been affected.

May we show no envy and not fury her again by repeating the same mistake what other humans around the globe had done for the sake of materialism.
we create our own atmosphere and surrounding and lets not blame anyone for it.If anything goes wrong,its the impact of our own creatiion and cause.Lets be aware of this MOnday Miss CALL for it might happen someday again if we dont react .