Tuesday, 22 January 2013

How Dirty the Politics Can Be?


With all the liberty and Pride
As if the earth and sky are under his hand
As if the surroundings are all by his side
As if he has all the rights under him
He walks the streets with head held high
Alleviates the pain and heals the wounded
With Reverberating voice and  little sigh
A roaring rains of rekindled hopes instills the crowd


The hero comes with such wit and wag
Everyone around is thrilled and awed
By his charisma and the efficacious promise tag
A second thought is far from their cerebrum

Successful now; a chair he get of his own
He forgets the smiles and the hope he imparted
As some people change with chair, so is he
He becomes greedy and self-centered instead

As the hand of clock clicks near
He suddenly wakes from his slumber
Get into the playing filed of blame game
And into the jungles of lame excuses
He is hardly wrong or ashamed

Like the oxen that looks back to how much is plowed
He rewinds every bit of change to his credit
For another term, he demands or even beg
And now power, perks and purse is the sole weapon
In luring to his another sophisticated chair
A chair, that will comfort only him self
And rot the floor that supports and suffer.

Sunday, 20 January 2013

A Food for Thought

Everything is fine, yes for now. Of course Sometimes in the midst of all these, we do encounter a time when we are forced to look back, wait for a moment and think if we are stranded instead and that the road we walked was really meant for us or if we made mistake? We doubt our own guts then and lose the very confidence and credibility of our own self. I don't know if it is of the same case with others as well. So many questions arise along the way and we are just left in the midst of all these, puzzled, trying to find the answers or even doubting the answers we have.

Sometimes I feel crazy my self and like to do crazy things. I like to laugh and cry. I am frustrated  and I feel defeated. I am deeply saddened and at times find difficult to control the emotions, and that's when I think if humans are but a bunch of mere emotions and nothing else. And the simple answer to is: it seems right though.

Why is it so difficult for the Lips just to say what is intended without fear or predicament? Why the smallest things are but the hardest thing to let it go off the lips? Why is it most difficult for the limbs to walk the shortest distance at most critical times? Why does the brain functions just the opposite and lead us to the wrong direction, when it requires the best of its credibility? Why all these at the very same time?

 I feel our goals are just like an elusive balloon, floating in the midst of cloud and wind, wanting and waiting for us to grab it, but playing with us all the time. Every time we think it is near, it is blown away by the strong currents of playful wind or is clouded letting us down. And if all the terms and conditions aren't considered well, it rather goes high, becomes invisible and impossible to catch it. It is absurd, right?

I inquired a friend of mine if he has some thing to take away all those unwanted and unhealthy sickness and leisure time this weekend. He handed me a book of Sidney Sheldon, indeed an Autobiography of himself titled "The other side of me" I am almost to end now and in fact it is very inspiring and encouraging. The book reveals the struggles and the success of his life to get by when the country (USA) was experiencing the greatest depression (1930s) and how he rose against all odds (working as bus-boy, a clerk, and so many others) to become one of the most successful writer and the master of his game.

And interestingly the book has cleared some of the clouds and kept away, in a way the waves of the wind that has been disturbing and for now it seems my instinct is pretty clear about where I am standing, where I am going and ultimately where I need to go.

A food for the troubled thought in fact!..

Saturday, 19 January 2013

Homeland

Homeland is a psychological thriller, an American Television series which is aired in showtime Channel, premiered on October 2 2011. It is developed and created based on the original Israeli series the Prisoners of the wars.
From Google
Two seasons are finished as of now and a third season is also renewed which will be aired on September 20 2013.(source: Wikipedia) . Each season is of twelve episode of duration ranging from 45 to 60 minutes.

Last Thursday I was watching the 70th Golden globe Awards (2013) and the winners of most of the categories for the television series were from this political drama, and that was when I decided to watch and yeah as a matter of fact, I even bunked some of my classes and sacrificed even my sleeps to watch. It is so entertaining.


It is a series that makes you more intrigued and glued with lot of suspense,once you start. I particularly enjoyed (and even cried once...:P) watching it and I can't wait to watch the third season.

I particularly liked the character of Saul Berenson who is the CIA's (Central Intelligence Agency) Middle-East division chief and of course the protagonist, Carrie Mathison played by Clair Danes an Intelligence Officer, who after conducting the unauthorized operation in Iraq against al-Qaeda, is put on probation and reassigned to a a counter-terrorism center at Langley, Virginia.

The Internet says that this series the Homeland is also the favorite of USA's president Barack Obama and former president Bill Clinton.

Monday, 14 January 2013

ThE ChUnYi Pa LoSaR

Frankly, I never knew until this year that the first day of the 12th month of Bhutanese calender (the chunyi pa losar)is also The traditional Day of offering. From what I read in papers and blogs, it is also a day when the representatives from all over Bhutan offered buelwa (offerings) to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel in the Punakha Dzong, and hence also the Traditional day of offering.

The day is celebrated with all the vigor and interest, especially in the Eastern part of the country.I still remember when I used to wear the best clothes, taste delicious food starting with the morning Thukpa ( porridge) and the hard brewed Araa with family and friends.

The day is special as it signifies the end of a year of their work and hardship, yet the start of another. It is a day when the family ties are further strengthened and sense of belong further developed. The young boys joins the elders to play various Bhutanese traditional games like Archery, Khuru or Doegor, while young girls cheers and entertains those game with their vocal chords on the verge of damaging with all kind of songs and the elder brings their best brewed Arra and Bangchang.

For me, even though far from family and relatives, for last three years, any days that we consider special, be it losars or thrue or other celebrations, it was all the more same as at home. We Bhutanese MNNITIANS  have came together no matter what and it is one thing I am proud of for being one.. Time is passing swiftly and I don't really know where I will be the same time next year, my days at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) will be always remembered.There is strong cooperation and we have created memories that will be cherished in the days to come.

Like the past three years we tried our best to keep everything Bhutanese, starting from the morning Thukpa. Varieties of Bhutanese dishes were also prepared for the lunch and dinner.If there is one thing I have learnt from such important days, Boys never are bad at cooking, if not best!...:P

Eventually to me, more than the delicious and number of varieties of food items that we prepare, Losars are but the best time for re-union and further strengthen the existing bond of friendship and cooperation.

Thanks Bhutanese MNNITIANS for the wonderful time together! and happy days ahead.

Tuesday, 8 January 2013

Short but memorable

As I peep through the small window of my hostel room outside from the coiled cozy blankets, I am taken back to the days I spent at Gedu. it is exactly the same foggy and cold, except one thing which is missing for sure- the laughter and the noisy and jolly conversations. Although the outside temperature was freaking cold, the small packed room was so warm and lively. I was just introduced to the bunch of friends for the first time by karma (her best friends of school days) and it just took a couple of minutes to get familiar with.  And before I could realize, I was, with them having fun. I am not that easy to befriend with anyone I meet for the first time, but that day was different and that left me thinking that first impression really is the last impression!.

We hardly realize that life is a blessing, while we easily catch the phrase:"life is a curse" so often like when we we fail to succeed or even when a little thing is not well. Most of the time we fail to appreciate and acknowledge the goodness and blessings of this life. However this break has taken me to a new dimension! The moment with beloved parents and a bunch of new friends instilled in me a kind of new hope and encouragement and that everyday is a blessing in disguise.

This winter's break, although was too short (just twenty days) , it was but a productive and most memorable vacation. It was the time when I cherished the most exciting moments of happiness with the people I have always wanted to share time with. It was a time when I had to rewind back to the previous years and look forward into the coming years as to how I am going to present and prepare my self. It was also a time when I realized the very value of thickness of wallet. Yes the thickness of wallet does define who we are in today's world.

Most of my days were finished travelling. I spent just three days with brother at paro,two days with friends at Gedu and just five days with my beloved parents and relatives at home. Rest of the vacation were either on vehicle or hotels.

After almost three long years, I met my parents and relatives back at home. A lot has changed within  three years and it has only made me happy and hopeful. The DPT government is busy trying to meet their promise of connecting all the 205 geog with farm road. I doubt if they will be able to meet before they dissolve. Electric poles are erected at some point of the roads and villages and I was just wondering when will the darkness of Shingkhar Lauri be lighted with modern stars? My geog as a matter of fact  is still cut off from rest of the world. But things are slowly changing, people are realizing their roles and responsibilities and are taking seriously.  It was a good feeling with excited people to travel on the back of  Bolero Mahindra vehicle commonly called as eastern taxi in Bhutan on the newly constructed road. Of course a lot is needed to be done both by the government and the people themselves.

There was annual Drubchen being conducted in my village  which was preponed because of the notice by the Election Commission of Bhutan some time ago about not allowing any Goendays to conduct rituals during election. I was fortunate enough to attend a day of my break at the Drubchen.

As I look back to last twenty days, I forget all the external cold of Allahabad and for the rest of colds it will be my solace and salvation!!..:)..:)

Sunday, 6 January 2013

what is the sole purpose of Marriage?

Marriage is one of the most important ingredients of our life. It defines the union of two souls in all  times no matter what. It is very much more than the mere minutes of enjoyments on the bed. It is the joining of two people in a bond that putatively last till death. Of course over the time,  personalities change, bodies age and romantic love waxes and wanes. As a matter of fact no marriage is free of conflict. But at the same time what enables the couples to endure all these hardship is how they handle and mange those problems. Life is so short to brood and play blame game over the spilled milk.
Courtesy: Google

On 19th December 2012 evening, on the day of the Meeting of nine evils (ངན་པ་དགུ་འཛོམས), I was returning from Thimphu to Paro with my cousin brother in white Toyota Hilux. I accompanied my brother who works under the Ministry of Agriculture in paro to Thimphu for some public works. The driver of the Hilux was a comfortable and cordial guy in his late 20s or earlier 30s by his looks. He was from Punakha, but he spoke fluently the Tshangla kha as well.

The time was almost 7:30 PM, when we crossed the Thimphu city gate. The ringtone of driver's mobile rang. It was his wife. All of a sudden I heard the change of his voice in conversation. After a hush of rough and unpleasing conversation he hanged off the call. Again the mobile rang and this time he was explaining in detail. I could hear him say: "I am not hanging out, I came to Thimphu with one sir for some public work, If you aren't believing talk with him....." . He handed over the mobile to my brother  and the moment my brother was trying to explain, she called off the call. The mobile rang once again after about five minutes. This time the driver didn't answer and started narrating the whole stories of his success and failures of his marriage so far.

Before he met his present wife, he was once happily married to another with two children but unfortunately it took a twist and they had to divorce. He says the divorce was because of extra-marital affairs by his wife then. The wife took both kids with her with another man. He was left only with a Maruti car and three bags that contain his basic necessities.

After that fiasco, he hoped against hope and remarried with another woman, the present wife. The interesting side of the story is the present wife is also a divorcee with two children who lives with her and the best friend of his previous wife. She is from Tashi gang Dzongkhag. The driver says she is a good and caring woman. She wakes early, prepares him breakfast and does all the household chores. But there seems to be so many mysteries behind all these goodness, which surprises him too often. What kind of a marriage is it if a bride hides her better half any time her parents inquires of seeing him by stating some silly excuses?

The driver cites one instant where I even felt pity and disgusted at the same time. A brother of his wife is a police constable at one of the police training center. Once the driver was told if he could manage a spare wheel for his vehicle (through phone). He managed to arrange that and told his wife that her brother can take when ever time permits. To his utter surprise, what she told her brother instead was: "keep aside doing your work, he spend all of his leisure time loitering and drinking with friends every day after the office hours." "And now her brother despise me, the spare wheel is still in my house" says the driver. At another time the brother (police constable) came to their house at paro just to meet their son in-law. Guess what? The wife made him to hide immediately from her brother. He had to leave his house to another from meeting his brother in-law. He says he never met her parents and siblings. The ugly part of this is even if her parents and relatives come to meet them, she lies to them saying he is on tour these days.

Once he took his wife to his home at Punakha to familiarize with his parents. They were offered dinner prepared by his own mother. Surprisingly he says his wife didn't eat dinner saying the food isn't tasty. She even refused to take a seat and stay there complaining that the home is so dirty. He had to return with her immediately heavyhearted to paro. Since then he is not in good terms even with his own parents.

The driver has tried several time to convince her that they are not made for each other as a couple, that they needed to sort the  hiccups and differences, but she always denies with silly reasons, which has only made him confused and stressed. As a result, his only resort is now to the near by bars.

By the time we reached paro Bongo he was almost wordless. He seemed helpless. He is now very much convinced that he is never meant to lead a very happy married life. He is mentally prepared for the second time failure of his marriage.

I felt helpless too and there was only one thing in my mind: "What is the sole purpose of so-called marriage?"















Friday, 4 January 2013

My New year Resolution

New Year is all about starting fresh, celebrate the past year, and more importantly continue to celebrate the friends, family and people that have made our life vibrant and colorful. It is also about acknowledging and weighing the good and bad of the past year and do necessary amendments for the better coming year.
But for most of the students and particularly the engineering students studying in India, the new year is always encountered on their way to the college for the start of fresh semester, after a short break of about twenty days.

For me particularly, it has been four years now since the first day of the new year was encountered on the train. This has at times instilled in me some kind of envy, but then it is inevitable and it definitely will be not forever. This has only been consolation. And as a matter of fact,till now I have never kept any new year resolutions and it has been pretty OK. But this year, after series of thinking  I have decided to start at least one resolution for the coming year. My resolution of the year 2013 is 'Not to Drink'.  For now I am neither an addict to alcohol nor am I phobic to it, but I have thought that there is only goodness in refraining before it becomes too late.

The last time I drank heavily was on 31st December in Phuntsholing on my way back to the college, when I met my senior Tashi who works in Punatsangchu Project That will be either the last time I drink for a year or for the rest of my life.





A decade of service

  Time does fly fast. It's already a decade into service. Looking back I don't really know if I have contributed anything solid to d...