My Sweet Little Girl

YESHA THE BOSS!

You wake up in a dancing mood. Then you run and dance with all your energy. There wasn't a single day you got silence. Though you are merrily funny and nagging but always worth being by your side. I am growing older by your side and everyday is a new beginning. You make me wiser and cool. 

We fight over breakfast –You always have a wrong demand. The food item that wasn't in the store becomes your menu. Banana when we forget to buy, broccoli when it wasn't the season, burger when lettuce was lost to frost, brown marry biscuits when it was hidden by the rat, milk when the cow wasn't on the mood, munch when you lost all your teeth, and watermelon when your aunt was running behind the cart. 

We fight over the dress –I choose white shirt and black pants. You go for the pink and purple dresses. I choose purple and pink; you go for brown and white. I choose brown and white; you go for mixed with green. I choose green and white; you turn back to frocks and heels. On average it takes some time just to decide what to wear. Luckily we don’t have to board the plane and cross the heavy traffic; otherwise I would have been rusticated long before you found me. And the battle was for so long now. I just wish you turned big soon.

We fight over the dinner –Pasta on the table, you drop down and demand spicy curry and rice. After a rush of preparation, you turn down rice and egg. Again after a quick jump over your demand, you loop out for noodles… our story never ends in harmony. 

When I cannot fulfill your unending demand, you lashes me with all your anger, the heavy punches and screams. Thank God our neighbors were all dumb and asleep. Thank God I am iron made to receive your Sholay punch. Sometime I doubt you may be the reincarnation of a great Muhammad Ali, or the Bruce Lee. 

Because I'm afraid of your flying kick and sharp claw flapping over my barren head! 

Your afraid 

Dad

Our Food Story -The Idea of Cross-Pollination

As part of The Royal Academy (TRA), I took charge of presenting Cross-Pollinated Learning Experiences through one activity on behalf of Damphu Central School. I took it because I was willing to give the beauty of teaching and in between I was interested in exploring the ideas of Cross Pollination, the future of education. 

 

I have chosen "Food Guide Pyramid'' to scaffold our understanding on cross pollination concept. The activity was beautifully assigned to all of us to ponder on the day's learning, smart and middle path journey by TRA faculty. The presentation topic was chosen with keeping many things in mind. As easy as it sounds, it is related to everyone despite differences in age, subject of specialization and background. The topic was fair to be on the screen for presentation, discussion and to wave the ideas on Cross Pollination. On the other hand, the main idea was to propose how to teach rather than what to teach beyond syllabi.

 

"Apple" Zhey La was the formal opening to my presentation. Not quite sure how many got the message across, but it was intended for the topic I chose to talk about for the half-hour mark followed by 10 minutes of lively Q-&-A session.

Three more slides down were all about school going children's choice of food. The photographs were taken a few weeks ago on my way home. The students featured were from the nearby school. I often stop and talk to small kids about their favorite food –fruits, vegetables and snacks. The picture was basically chosen to send the message across the audience and trainers to show the Bhutanese Food. It wasn't far from the truth –we are the Cheese Lovers! 

 

The second slide showed that we are overly exposed to junk food items from an early age and subsequently develop unhealthy food habits.  

As I went on to present the topic "Food Guide Pyramid", I told the audience, I just took the empty chart paper. Since students were already briefed on the lesson, all the students came with one food item. Class monitor made sure that no food items were repeated. I was happy that at least everyone was with one food item. I reminded them that education doesn't happen in isolation. I took five different items. It was basically sharing food knowledge and becoming part of a learning community. 

 

When everyone was settled on the open ground, I displayed the empty chart. Within a few minutes we made a beautiful Food Guide Pyramid, more beautiful and real than what was in the book. The whole idea was to make the learning more realistic and interesting. We didn't agree more than what was made together as a team. It involved a lot of collaboration, patience and effort. 

Once everything was on the chart, I took charge to explain the whole concepts of the Food Pyramid. It was fun sharing such a beautiful story with little innocent kids. 

 

To continue with the activity, I have arranged three notebooks near the Food Guide indicating three meal plates. After that interested students were called to prepare their food menu from the items displayed with each nutritional value. Some had impressive items for the menu. We questioned a few friends –why they chose to go for such lavish items and many more. However, before we closed our lesson a few students were curious to know about my menu. I roughly prepared my menu in front of them; many were utterly surprised. Since I chose to go for more fruits, vegetables and soup meals. The unbelievable fun was that my food menu was unique from the rest of them. I prefer to eat very little rice, or no rice is fine. 

 

To make things real and short, I told them how Gautama Buddha got enlightenment with a single grain and a drop of water a day. So it's not always necessary to eat rice for all three meals. I don't know how funny I sounded, but I did my part with honesty.

To make the idea more lively and exciting, I shared the screen with Labay Sangay Dorji from the Dzongkha Department to briefly highlight food values through a holy view. In just two slides, he added a completely new element of food significance –food has to be consumed like a medicine, neither with hatred nor with attachment and eating food with the right hand and drinking liquid with the left hand was never far from the truth.  Altogether, listening to him was so enriching. 

I explained how the Food Guide Pyramid was related to The Five Areas of Development. I touched upon how each area of development was interconnected with brief ideas and perspectives as reflected on the above slide. I have also shared how it was related to Cross-Pollination concepts with proper reasons. 

 

In the above two slides, I have mentioned that the idea of the Food Guide Pyramid doesn't end with the end of classroom lessons. It goes beyond the four corners of the room and into daily life. Much of the agriculture work at school happens with bigger intention. The billboard on the Food Pyramid to nutritional value and timing are all part of wholesome learning. I briefly highlighted on WFP (World Food Programme). On a daily basis, the organization feeds millions of people across the world and since long Bhutan has been part of it and we have benefited so much from this programme. I shared many concerns on the importance of the food that comes on our plate. Therefore, teaching food values and its wastage at school mess and at home are perhaps very crucial. Since, millions of people on the other side of the world are going hungry everyday. 

As expected I couldn't furnish my ideas well. Since I had some discomfort talking, or being in front of the camera. I wasn't born to be a public speaker although I have a strong desire to be on the big stage. Definitely someday I will overcome this fear of the camera and be myself. 

 

I was happy that I could at least present on Cross-Pollinated ideas and didn't embarrass team Damphu for not having anything to present. 

 

The whole idea was thickly surrounded by reasonable answers. If there is one thing to barter, it is my fear of the camera.

Punatsangchhu Happiness

I grew up watching the groundwork of one of the biggest Hydropower Projects in the country a decade ago. Back then as a little schoolboy, traveling between Tsirang and Thimphu used to be entertaining stretch between Wangdue and Tsirang. Not sure about the other passengers, but I have a deep inclination towards this project and seamlessly made memories to last eternity. It was around this place I saw heavy and complicated machines operating on the walls and deep valleys like in dreams. 

Like any other traveler, every time I take a journey, I purposefully take a chance to keep myself awake throughout the area so that I can silently enjoy the unearthing and tunneling work. On several occasions, I counted the number of long and big lorry ferrying with project materials only to find the numbers were puzzling. However, what amazed me most was the tunneling works and still today I find it to be an amazing art of human work. The tunnel always kept me wondering about the depth and its ending points. I never felt my bus journey was boring and long. I too never felt the roads were bumpy, risky and slippery unless I started to drive myself a decade later. 

On one occasion, while traveling with my mom, I put my own interpretation and explained many things to her and much later, I realized some discussion was quite funny and useless. I'm so sure, she won't remember beyond a few tunnels and machines. 

The area for most passersby used to be the exhibition piece –especially tunneling and display of machinery. I never thought such Rocky Mountains could be dug like easy Rat Hole and change the course of the powerful Punatsangchhu, since we are incapable of building a suspension bridge over it.  

***

Despite many odds, one thing that never failed to impress me was the Highway Tunnel at Rurichhu. Ever since I saw this breathtaking tunnel, I have desired for many more to come on our roads, since I found this could be a game changer for our country.

Highway Tunnel –DUNGKARBJA, is the Landmark Civil Engineering Piece Born out of PHPA and it should serve as the sample for us to drive deeper into our development paradigm. I hope many more of such pieces will get through the table of our bureaucrats as we become mature and strong in our economic status. Such development will not only reflect on our strength of underground space engineering but also greater human experts and resources. I always wish our civil engineering sector take this matter seriously in hand as we face the razor of the changing times.  

Entry From Tsirang Side

Mid-way Tunnel

Exit Toward Wangdue

Since the never ending roadblocks, falling boulders, sinking areas, potholes, etc, have raised a huge national concern and eaten up a huge government fund every year. We must plan more reliable and safer road networks with tunneling at necessary points. It is high time for us to realize and plan on our past development errors. So far, we have lost invaluable land and other resources into broad valleys of India, we can't afford to lose more of our prestige and scarce land piece anymore. As we progress in a new era, full of technology and experts, one thing I always hope can solve our road issue is underground tunneling technology, it will not only save our land resources, but also rich biodiversity of the plant and animal kingdom. 

Tunneling Lamperi to Hongtsho not only save travel time, but also serve a great deal of snow drive and thick foggy areas and save rich biodiversity. However, this human art takes careful planning and dedication. 

Above all, such development shift would become a country's wealth and strength...

***

Tsirang, Got a Swimming Pool

Tsirang, popularly known for the "vegetable bowl of Bhutan" is now open to the swimming pool.

 

If not for all, the new pool at Damphu Town has brought a lot of local attention. It's good news especially for the water lover and parents. Hearing news of people drowning in water. Swimming has always been a pressing concern for me. In the developed countries swimming comes as a part of a school curriculum and that is how at a very young age every pupil learns to float on the water and later some become elite and pursue a career in swimming.  

 

It was during the 2016 Rio Olympics, I saw an American guy named Michael Phelps winning a gold medal for swimming. Back then I thought, do such sports exist for competition and is there place for us in this field of sport. It kept me wondering and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics had opened a door for us but when are we planning for an Olympics size pool for the country.

 

Although my village is located a few miles above the confluence of two small rivers, I never had the chance to have fun in water due to many odd reasons and myths. It would have been worth it if I had learnt to swim at my tender age when I had the zeal. However, I can relate today that it may be due to fewer people or elders who knew how to swim from my village. I saw very few people opt for river fun –swimming, other than occasional fishing. Once in a while, I saw my father taking a day off for fishing. 

  

We never realize swimming to be part of an education and more importantly a survival skill. It would have been unpleasant, if I ever told my parents that I want to become a swimming instructor, or coaching myself in swimming. It would be utterly harsh if I ever told them that I am becoming a professional swimmer, or taking part in swimming competition. 

 

Now the swimming pool is nearby, I want my kids to learn swimming as part of the survival skill, as an education, as a sport and exercise. If there is a swimming academy, I am ready to enroll them for a swimming class. I believe skills like this can remain forever. 

 

 

Charges:

 

There are two segments in the pool –one for the kids, and another for an adult. As of now the charges per kid is Nu. 200 and Nu. 250 for an adult. With this charge, one can even stay whole day. There is also an attached eatery. I wish it would turn into a place for a family outing!

Swimming pool view from Children Park, Tsirang

Location:

 

The pool is located in-between football ground (Artificial Turf) and a municipal office. Just next to the children's park. If you're new and taking a drive, you can take a right turn from the hospital junction (not towards Gelephu highway), the road leading to BOB office and the Dzong. Once you enter this road, a few meters away, take a right turn again before reaching the municipal office or Dzong parking. 

 

Parking space:

 

There is not much concern about the car parking as the area is spacious. There is enough space for fun zones for kids, malls and other hangout places for the future planning.

 

Way Forward

So next time you plan a trip to Tsirang, don't forget to pack your swimsuit and swim tube for your kids. You will have great fun on the street of Damphu Town.

 

I can't wait to introduce myself in the pool some fine day. However, given the space and time, the size of the pool is quite small, for the future is not far from being truth. 

Kid Side, swimming Pool

Adult side, swimming pool

The Becoming Of The Royal Academy At Damphu CS -VII

 7th Day: Way Forward for School (Roadmaps)

 

The final day was full of sharing and discussion on the way forward in the Five Areas of Development. I came to understand and revisit many things that I have missed in the previous sessions. Indeed, it was a great relearning. The roadmaps shared by different participating schools was interesting. However, throwing some light feedback and suggestions by participants and facilitators has made the roadmaps more SMART. 

 

I have learnt so much on interconnectedness of different areas of development through roadmaps shared by other schools. It was fun getting so many insightful comments and suggestions from colleagues. We were informed about The Royal Academy (TRA) approach of examination and implementation of 5 areas of development in the curriculum context. The whole idea of these practices at TRA is to refine, model and transfer each child into their real life situation, making them a mindful citizen, more –zhabthogtog and deeply rooted individual. 

 

The last day of 7-day training was basically sharing of ideas on roadmaps for school and individual. I felt extremely happy to listen to TRA facilitator Mrs. Pema Chhomo who was very clear and straight on clearing the doubts with all the possible examples or relations. She was confident on the Royal Vision of His Majesty The King, TRA and The Transitioning Bhutan Baccalaureate, our homemade Oxford version of schools in next few years.

 

I would like to learn more on my roadmaps and its interconnectedness once it is implemented. I'm also ready for any small changes that may occur in between. I promised to make my roadmap dream a true success and memorable one.  

Thank You Your Majesty For Such a Grand Royal Vision For Our Country And The Future of Bhutan. Thank You Also For Realizing The Importance and The Power of Education!

The Becoming Of The Royal Academy At Damphu CS -VI

 6^th Day: Physical areas of Development

This old saying has so much weight in it –If wealth is lost, nothing is lost, if health is lost, everything is lost. It relates so much in everyone’s life. I was happy to learn that physical health education would be more likely to come as part of a formal curriculum. 

If a small "pimple" on the face is enough to trigger a massive mental health and wellbeing, and impact one's physical health, the area of physical development should be given the top most priority at school. Because there are thousands of young lives undergoing such tight daily situations and more importantly, there are other hundreds who want to pursue professional academics in the fields of games and sports. 

 

Remaining physical fit is one area; I grew up taking it so seriously. To keep myself fit with a sedentary lifestyle, I engage myself playing different games, community service, hiking, birding, simple yoga and more recently cycling. Therefore, engaging actively in these areas not only keeps me physically fit but also mentally sound.

 

I have spent the whole day learning, discussing, sharing and realizing the importance of mental health, wellbeing, fitness, sports, etc. More importantly, the beautiful stories on Sujata Effect, Sowa Rigpa, Modern Science, current mental health issues and assessment of physical areas took the floor gripped until the end of the presentation.

 

Through this training, I am determined to take all areas of development and practice all my personal roadmaps built on trust and see the change in me. If everything works as reflected, I would be happily taking another cycle of learning on it. However, if some roadmaps don't seem to work, I am also ready to relook at other new areas of improvement equally. And I am sure everything will be fine. 

***A Personal Thought***

 

The Becoming of The Royal Academy At Damphu CS –V

 5th Day: Spiritual areas of Development

I am dumb struck. There was so much I didn't know about the spiritual aspect of life, which I came to learn through this particular session by two scholarly figures. There was so much I came to know about spirituality through open sharing, discussion and self-realization. The topics spelled out for the day were all relevant and important. 

 

It was great to learn that, The Royal Academy practice of Ngondro for 30 minutes everyday was one success story that made our way forward more promising and open. With the same hope we want to cultivate many other good practices to happen in our schools is the most expected out of this workshop. I strongly feel practice like this must come as part of the curriculum, rather than making it a co-curricular activity or something else.

To me spiritual development means, by large knowing the root of one's existence, co-existence of all sentient beings, knowing the existence of the God or spirit and beliefs to name a few. 

I was more than happy to learn that spirituality and religion go hand in hand. Spiritual approach is basically an individual practice for self-betterment, whereas religion is specific to family, community or group of people. However, on a lighter note both mean the same, which basically tries to create a just and harmonious society. 

After knowing the root of the spiritual development areas, I was more of a spiritual kind than a religious person. However, through this training, it means to say quite many aspects of one's spiritual development. At the same time I am eagerly waiting for my roadmaps to get into work soon. 

 

 

***A Personal Thought***

Getting deeper into such topics always inspires me and more so it makes me a good human being altogether. There is no doubt that I've learned so much from the session through reflection and self-actualization. Indeed, I was happy to declare that I am getting better. 

Let me put spirituality and religion in my context.

In my observation, our society is more of a religious kind. We tend to manage and put up any highly valuable Choesham (altar) with all colorful embellishment to golden embroidery to nangten (treasure or invaluable items) of any value. Even the working class family makes an effort to display at least a decent altar. Nonetheless, the well-to-do family can afford any luxurious Choesham with all kinds of Nangten (treasure items). I've seen the grandest Choesham in many homes, which I always regard and wish for. The goodness is only getting better. 

What a way to worship God! 

However, learning about spiritual development, I came to realize that we are lacking spirituality, which is an integral part of everything, particularly on the religious aspect. Over the years, selfish and greedy motives are only getting promoted in the name of religion and other festivals and not being spiritual in the core of the heart.

Because it makes sense -I heard people say so many things about other religions, people, race, humanity, community, etc. This happened to me a few years back. An old man with rosary beads in hand and chanting lips, couldn't control his emotion, and landed up instructing an oncoming gentle man to kick that ugly dog which came in search of food. The sole purpose of being too religious is defeated. The other occasion I came across was heart-wrenching to me at least, a lady of middle age, with all her frustration, had abused an elderly lady, who had taken her belongings by mistake, who was on the same pilgrimage trip. The sole purpose of her religious trip is defeated. 

Therefore, I see spirituality is really missing its core place in the heart of humanity, rest is fine!