Breaking the Taboo

Is menstruation unnatural phenomenon? Do you think is it a sin?  

Menstruation is a biological process that occurs in woman's body every month. So, it's not a strange thing nor an unusual topic to discuss about it openly. 

Thus, to mark the end of this taboo in our society and schools across the country, 28^th May of every year is celebrated as a menstrual hygiene day. It is not only to educate and empower our women and girls on importance of menstrual hygiene but also to respect their well-being. The move initiated by schools is a hats up program basically to benefit women and girls, and to extirpate the poor mentality of our men and boys towards woman's monthly period. Its more of an educative program for both men and women. 

Back in my school days and even today, I see headache and side pain to be the most common lie used by schoolgirls to escape the monthly period fear. They even show many nonverbal gesture of pain and despair to express their monthly period. The survey have found out that around 32% of girls miss their classes during their monthly period. The study have found that around 48% of our women and girls hide their menstruating identity because of the bulk of discrimination and challenges they face in a patriarchal society. 

It is also found that any girls who experience their first monthly period feel very embarrass, uncomfortable and uneasy to share outside with anybody, because they fear the discrimination and the unnecessary mockery. I feel the move at this time is appropriate and necessary to overcome all such backward mentality of our society. And even the important message goes out to our men and boys to help, protect and befriend them by just being positive. 

Although it was a bold step taken by ministry of education to educate and empower women and girls on menstruation, but there are many challenges like lack of easy excess to sanitary pad, proper pad disposal pit, washroom facilities, sexual and life skills education to schools and community. 

Growing of the beard alone can't help us (men) make a gentleman but rather understanding the feeling of our woman makes us (men) more gentle and human. So, let us empower our women and girls, mother and sister on their right of menstruation. It is their birth mark and they have every right to undergo this natural phenomenon monthly. Let us collectively break the silence and make a free society to talk about menstruation. There is no reason to be afraid of sharing openly, rather our women and girls should accept it as a pride. 

Menstruation is nothing unusual rather a natural phenomenon. Let's feel free to talk about it openly!

I Hate Tuesdays

Tomorrow is yet again Tuesday. I wish Tuesday to be made in China. I abhor Tuesday for no great reasons though. But I hate it overly since I have to meet nugatory and obnoxious demands.

Tomorrow is yet again Tuesday. My God! I have to set my alarm clock at 5 AM sharp. I have to wake up before anyone. I have my morning study duty. When everyone are still having their morning sleep, I have to leave home to chase some resentful half–awaken boys and girls to their classes. I hate to do this one sided old–fashioned study culture. I feel there shouldn't be any tabled study hours for students in school. They are not a robot nor I am.

School should be free of such hectic and unmerited system. School should be a place where every kids loves to come and enjoy their day with their friends and teachers. School has to be a place more than a home. School should have a stress free learning environment. But do we have all these luxury at our schools? 

Why Hell–Volhard–Zelinsky reaction? What will they going to learn from this? What application will our student derive when they go to their working field? 

They know their shares of works –assignments and exams to behave well. It's okay to leave them to decide how far they want to delve into their life. After all they have their life. So let them freely use their non–academic hours in whichever ways they like. These way, aren't we also making them more responsible and accountable before they head into their own personal life?

Interestingly in Finland, school hours are short and homework is generally less. But how do they still manage to top in education ranking and produce most literate nation? 

"If Finland is our dream, let us learn from them by not copying their system. 

They can be our example but not necessarily everything."

Today what we need is a different kind of education to prepare us for working life –simple but workable?

Today people use very advanced computer system and other forms of technology to do their jobs, many works can be perform without necessarily going to office. In the past these things wasn't possible but now it has totally changed.

We therefore have to make the changes in education that are necessary for fast changing world. What if school lessons over turns from hectic and extraneous to day-to-day applications of different subjects learnt in the school; where and how to use maths, communication skills and writing skills? 

We really need a rethinking of education and a redesigning of our curriculum, so it can prepare our children for the future with the right kinds of skills that are needed everyday. We don't need such bulky and useless voluminous textbook, which merely teaches life for nothing.  

The best I can see about our education system is that prepares us to fight over a pencil dispute, how to stitch buray underpants, how to hide with uncle's daughter, how to steal cucumber from neighbor's garden and how to receive hacking from muscular teachers for not being able to memorize prolix and obsolete text.

This is the kind of education system we have now. I did little older version in 1980s. Do you want your child to learn the same old curriculum which your grandparent's uncle did in 1907? 

Do you still feel the necessary of study hours for boarder students when they are heavily down with class lessons, other co-curricular activities and prayers?

Birds of Zhemgang

Plumbeous Water Redstrart

Blue Rock thrush

Crested Serpent Eagle

His Majesty's Foolish man's Story gift

His Majesty with Prince Jigme Namgyal Wangchuck

His Majesty interacting with old granny. One of my all time favorite picture.

It was mid–year of 2014, I last saw His Majesty in person when he visited Zhemgang. He is known as people's king. He is always kind and generous for elderly people. He is the most handsome and most admired king in the world today. Anywhere he visit, he never misses to meet students and teachers. For which he believes the future of the country lies in their hands. In the school MPH, I along with hundreds of students and staff have listened to a story of a foolish man His Majesty shared from the book –"what I wish I knew when I was 20." 

The story was about a young college student who wishes to win a game of lottery. So, that he can resign early from his job to start up his own business. He can become rich, powerful and a successful person with big house, luxurious car and educate his children well. Therefore, to fulfil all his wishes he started to visit church nearby and submit all his prayers to bless him with his only wish. 

Many years have passed and he became older. But his wish wasn't fulfilled. One day he became so angry and entered the church furiously, he kicked and punched the table and poured out all his frustration in front of the god he used to pray. Oh! God, I have offered my sincere prayers to you for these many years but you did not fulfill my only wish. Hereafter, I give up all my faith in you. The god went silent. After a while god asked the man. "Old man, did you buy a lottery ticket?" The man replied. "No." "How could you win a game of lottery without buying it?" Said the god. 

After hearing the story, I thought how foolish was that man? I felt so pity. But, it was good that at least he knew the rules of winning a game of lottery thereafter. The message is that it is the little things that matter most in life. Everything we dream and aspire may not be always possible and comes that easy.  

Life is all about never getting to the point where you say, I wish I had… Like the man in the story, you can't win the lottery if you have never played the lottery game and you probably will not going to win the lottery if you just played once. I wish I had a Ferrari to drive me safe, take me home a far end dream, if I just wait for my luck to hit my forehead. It is just impossible!

His Majesty also have shared some piece of concern and advice; ample sleep, physical exercise and good diet are some important part of life that can certainly keep us physically and mentally fit for any sorts of works. He also have reminded us about what a good character can do in life, unabaiting stamina is required to go –beyond 90 years and what it takes to be with bad habits. He advises us never to abuse drugs and alcohols at any cost. These two things would certainly torn life apart from loved one, family and relatives.  

His Majesty reading 4–5 books in a months is something incomparable, thus we need to borrow his good reading habits. He humbly told the gathering, he reads books of all kinds; sports magazines, book of economics, autobiographies/biographies of some great personalities, book on politics/countries, history of Thailand etc... To me, His Majesty's reading of Neuroscience book have attracted and fascinated the most. 

No King in the world would share such genuine and valid concern and spent time sharing about his personal life. His Majesty is my all–time hero and a role model. We were privileged in many ways to have a great and a visionary King like him. On His Majesty's 38th birth anniversary, I pledged and commit to read more books. I promise I will be more responsible and keep all His Majesty's words of wisdom to uphold this nation ever high. Thank you, your Majesty for the wonderful story.  

  

A book titled, "What I wish I knew when I was 20," is a highly recommended book by King himself to all of us.  Let us not forget to grab a copy each or else borrowing is another odds. 

Long live Your Majesty! 

Images taken from His Majesty's personal Facebook page. 

The story of Condom Vending Machine of Zhemgang.

Condom is a thin rubber device worn on a man's penis during sexual intercourse as a contraceptive or as a protection wall against infection. With condom vending machine in place around the town –now some naughty friends can have the luxury of condom almost for free. It cost Nu.5 per service and you can have three-piece of strong and fresh plastic boy in less than a minute in your pocket. The service operate for 24/7 and the choices is all yours. 

Unlike other health services and facilities, condom vending machine did not come for free. Which means health is important and precious. But, getting your share isn't very difficult and expensive. The service is extremely affordable. Use of condom not only prevents STIs but also prevent teenage pregnancy. For those naughty friends the service will, therefore be spontaneous at your best. However, I fear how responsibly the service are being used and operating.

Perhaps, going by strict calculation the costs of the condom machine exceeds superlatively higher than the entire life time services. Still the health sector feels that the service is more important. The service is impressive and sure to bring some positive impact on safer sex life. Any village man come and see this machine can return home not only with fantastic story to tell their wife but also can take home some condom gift easily. 

For the semi–modernize people, the machine is totally foreign and first of its kind but extremely precious in many ways. Of late the machine is gaining its popularity differently and increasingly among our youth and it's always wise for a small nation. The news have even reached as far as to Langdorbi.

Nevertheless, one way to impress your lady on the bed is to have a condom in your wallet. So with the machine at your doorsteps you get your share easily. To be on the same boat, I have rushed to get my share. I tried my luck and got my share in less than a minute. I was thoroughly impressed with such a smart machine service. I promised to keep in touch anytime in future to fancy my safe night. 

Like ATM, condom vending machine also malfunction sometime. So, our collective responsibility is required to fix back the service because it will sure to benefit all of us. 

With change in time and mentality, the service hoped to promote healthy use of condom. I hope our people won't feel cheap to avail this service openly. There is no such big deal to have condom in your pocket. Please, do not feel odd if you see anyone availing this service because our need is same in two different bodies.

Although the service is massive but it would have been best with less complicated process in the machine. Thus, it would save time and save your device perfectly. 

Some piece of concerns and interests shared on social media:

Anonymous view#1: "I shall try once when I come to Zhemgang. But I am worried of customers after taking the condoms."

Anonymous view#2: "Good news and good initiative for a small society like Zhemgang."

Anonymous view#3: "Yeah you can use the machine any time. Its 24/7."

Anonymous view#4: "I would rather go to BHU and get condom for free. I think condoms are provided free from the hospital, is it not?"

Anonymous view#5: "Yes of course you can come to BHU to get condom but in emergency you can always use machine to get three piece of condom, these days Nu. 5 is nothing to ever one."

Anonymous view#6: "Wow! Nice to hear a good news about condom machine installed in Zhemgang. So when I come home, it is easier to get condom from Machine.”

Anonymous view#7: "Wow, now easy to access to customers to opt services. In the past they have to travel almost for 2 kilometers away from the Zhemgang town......"

Anonymous view#8: "This is a good initiative. People should not become the victim of HIV/AIDS."

Condom box is no more serving the purpose
 with increasing population.

Image: google

At the inaugural ceremony of first condom vending
machine installed in p/ling late last year.

Image: google.

Global Big Day - 5th May

This is how, I have celebrated one of the most important day 

–Global Bird Day. 

The following are the birds, I have collected over 2 hours from

Trong, Dungbi and Pam, Zhemgang.

I have posted for the bird lover around. 

Oliver-Backed Pipit

Oriental Turtle Dove

Eurasian Cuckoo

Grey Bushchat

Bhutan Laughingthrush