Somebody's sorrow is making me weep!

If you remember the notice last night on BBS news, the boy who went missing was fished out today from the Wangchu and I can only imagine the plight of the parents and what must be going on as of now. RIP the four year old and my deep condolences to the boy’s parents. Look at his picture below. The poem below by E.L. Wilcox now makes sense in its entirety. After some years of a happy life EL Wilcox too suffered the same fate. Pardon me I can remember only a few verses from her poem.

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       Somebody’s baby was buried to-day— 

      The empty white hearse from the grave rumbled back, 

      And the morning somehow seemed less smiling and gay 

      As I paused on the walk while it crossed on its way, 

      And a shadow seemed drawn o’er the sun’s golden track. 

                Somebody’s baby was laid out to rest, 

               White as a snowdrop, and fair to behold, 

               And the soft little hands were crossed over the breast, 

               And those hands and the lips and the eyelids were pressed 

               With kisses as hot as the eyelids were cold. 

       I know not her name, but her sorrow I know; 

       While I paused on the crossing I lived it once more, 

       And back to my heart surged that river of woe 

      That but in the breast of a mother can flow; 

      For the little white hearse has been, too, at my door.

This is a partial excerpt from the Poem, "The Little White Hearse" by E L Wilcox

Making a negligible excuse!

The recent outcry on Facebook about teachers leaving the profession didn’t come as a surprise but as a nuisance. I know there are hordes of teachers willing to join the cadre if one decides to come out of teaching. This happens every year and it didn’t make much hue and cry in the recent past. The question is why now.

Opinions can be viewed from all possible angles and directions. Most resign due to the system which only burdens the teachers besides one’s actual responsibility. To put into simple words, it’s just teachers being ‘overworked and underappreciated’. It is only obvious that wherever there are some civil services issues, teaching come to the limelight. And civil servants outside teaching say, “Gatey Jho ru, teachers ra imbay”, “Ya metubay, maa metubay” (Wherever you go, it’s always the teachers complaining of issues)

It’s not a worry for the government because 200 or so is a number very negligible compared to almost 9000 existing teachers.  Everyone is worried about the numbers, pay grade, perks associated and opportunities available. No one talks about how and what are some of the ways and means to retain teachers so that children become responsible, efficient and productive citizens in the near future. Everyone takes a back seat when mentioning of curriculum delivery. Smacking children and using punishment for learning like you and I underwent is a thing of the past now.

Let me make this very clear that year after year there are new things coming into teaching and it’s professionally demanding. Just because some lot of teachers make noise and voices out their inconveniences and grievances doesn’t mean the service workers outside teaching are doing their part. Get out of the comfort of your chairs and try and look into the life of a teacher. You will be horrified to become a teacher in the first place. If you are what you are now, remember there was someone behind you. If you perceive things that you find it right, it’s your personal view and your teacher didn’t teach you (I am sure) to look at things negatively.

‘Be a realist rather than trying to act perfect’ should be the outlook before making judgments of any sort, be it at a personal or governmental level. I am thinking of Ronald Reagan when he mentioned, “I ‘m from the government and I ‘m here to help.” After all who is the government, imagining a shadowy figure now, we are the government. Let us not criticize each other. And still, if you think this update too is also of a teacher, and if you think I am making a negligible excuse then think of the person teaching your kids at school. 

To those of you who still think this is a noise, to you I say...We are not just teachers, we are the managers of the world's greatest resource: Children. -Robert J. Meehan

Protecting Bhutan’s Backdrop…

Yesterday I paid a chance visit to the famous Druk Wangyel Chortens at Dochula on a mundane weekend drive. With nothing to do at home my wife agreed to the idea of going there. The site was filled with Indians. Some were of Asian origin listening attentively to their guides. The sun was stunningly bright and the view was just breadth-taking. I took some pictures of the scenery there and while returning, the waste hidden beside the roads made me update this here on my blog.

Being proud of the flora and fauna here is a liability if waste is not managed, especially plastics from fast foods. I felt a need to volunteer for a cleaning campaign there if Dochula’s serenity is to be maintained. Looking closely at the trash littered beside the roads made me think of the BBC news some years ago, which highlighted of Nepal’s mountains and sites full of trash contributed by the tourists and locals alike. I fear this will definitely not be the case with our country.

April 16, 2017 2:20 PM

Just see for yourself the view that mesmerized me. Isn’t this beauty worth protecting? Although driving posh cars there are people who throw away their trash while driving. Please don’t do this my fellow readers and I know you don’t. This is just a case with Dochula. How many such Las’s is Bhutan dotted with?

People around the world pay heavy sums just to watch scenes like this and I thought about this for a while. Such scenes constitute Bhutan’s back drop and let us protect it.

Good day ahead!

I couldn’t come up with a suitable title to fit my update this time…

Scrolling Facebook, doing nothing in the hot afternoon yesterday, I came across this picture which was posted by XYZ, a Facebook friend of mine. The picture was titled, “If the nation calls, our monks are also ready to serve the nation”. My immediate thoughts after seeing this was like, ‘What the heck?”. I am not against what was written or why this had to be a Facebook update. This is just my personal reality check on what many might think.

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Well, coming back to the picture, I felt and still feel pity on the young monk who posed with a toy-gun. There is a metaphorical reality between the path that he chose and the one that he is holding. Compassion vs. Violence! Well by looking at the picture you can draw your own conclusions. For me as an individual, he should be holding books instead of toy gun. It is up to the adults to choose what things we give to our innocent kids. What would have ‘Chillips’ thought about it if they came across this scene not forgetting this was during the much revered and celebrated Paro Tshechu.

There can be interpretations in millions if I ask you to comment on the picture but following some wise advice, there are always three sides to an argument; the right side, the wrong side and my side. I can only claim to be on my side. Look at his face, the robe he is wearing and the toy he posed with!

Good day folks!

News on women…

“What has been reported is a very negligible percentage and many are unreported” The anchor proudly closes the subject and moves onto other news. The women speakers in the news proudly speak of the incidences and expert claim of men stereotyping women.

I am baffled these days at the news on gender issues, women not being treated well enough and all sorts of issues related to women treatment and not forgetting domestic violence on women in particular. I do agree there are some who abuse their women at home and treat them badly. A few organizations are also making headlines helping the victims, women in particular. This is such a sad thing to know when Bhutan is dancing with modernity every moment of our lives. It is such a shame to know when educated people abuse their spouses in all forms. I too consider this to be very serious and shameful in nature considering the biological differences between a man and a woman.  I am also happy that people now know more about domestic violence than a couple of years ago. Thanks to the ever growing media in all forms.

Women these days however small in physique and however paid in their profession seem to take an upper hand in a typical family set up. You see, most men submit to women when it’s family. For wealthy overpowering wives, you can only imagine the plight of the husbands. And for some women, they are more than men. Just see for yourself if there’s any speck of truth in my statement. This is the general scene in almost all homes in Bhutan. Back in the old past women held all decision making power including landholdings and house ownership. It was men who moved into being husbands in the homes of women. Isn’t this also true? This practice is very much alive even today in our villages. Just ask your fellow people nearby!

On the other hand, the news is correct. Men do exist who ill-treat women, men who belong to the old school of thought. Such men should be guillotined.

Our society places women in high regard and is giving opportunities equal to men and women in general enjoy no discrimination at least in our country. I see it this way. And of course there will always be some drunken psychopaths in every society who beat up their wives. Let the law take care of them. Imagine the plight of women in the developing world and especially women of some Islamic nations.

I hope the next news I hear would not be, “Some men were beaten-up in the street by a group of women”