Unlocking Life Under Lockdown

In the beginning, it seemed quite unfair on my part to stay at home and not be part of the team that goes out to do something more significant to help the government in our fight against the pandemic but over the days it is made clear to us that the act of staying home is a big service. It's strange that absolute inaction could be an excellent action, but this is part of the new normal.

When Nationwide lockdown was announced on 11th August, I panicked about the big consignment of SATO toilet pans that were stranded in Phuntsholing due to tax bureaucracy. It could have easily reached Thimphu way before the lockdown if it wasn't for some obvious bottleneck. I panicked about the much delayed Toilet Ambassadors' Conference that was finally scheduled this month. We were one day behind sending out the invitations to our participants. 

The first two days went into assessing everything that's been disrupted by the lockdown. By the third day, I began to read a book and reflect on everything that's been disrupted by the pandemic. I started listening to audiobooks on Audible while jogging in my room, all the while appreciating how the lockdown was decided because of a lady, and that she hasn't spread the virus to anyone. She rather came ahead like a message to save us from a real threat, much like the first case in the country, the American man who brought us the message to close our borders and to make serious preparation. 

I began counting the blessings, mine and my family's, and that of every Bhutanese born in the warmth of His Majesty's compassionate leadership. I set a writing table outside on the veranda to edit short stories manuscript that's been collecting dust since 2003. 

One audible program I listened during an hour-long exercise helped me reorganize my blog and reconstruct my outlook on blogging. Next time I talk to young bloggers, I have more ideas to share. More than that I want to share with them of our luck in having the universe conspire so beautifully in giving us a doctor as the Prime Minister and an epidemiologist as the Health Minister. They fought two battles with mastery; one with the virus on the medical front and the other on the social front in dealing with people, rumours, misinformation, fake news, fear, oh you name it. The world would have been in a much better position had they had leaders like ours. 

I explored places on Google Maps and started adding and editing places, at the same time visiting interesting places like Doklam and checking how far the Chinese roads have come, visiting hundreds of lakes along the northern frontiers and checking which one is the biggest. As level 8 Google Local Guide I have added hundreds of places and reviews and thousands of pictures on the map, at the same time encouraging youth to try Maps rather than PUBG or Mobile Legends. If we have all our places accurately added on maps, then in times like this when we have to do home delivery of essential items, we could do it efficiently using an app. 

I have managed to use the pen tool in Photoshop to draw shapes and paths and explore the iMovie deeper to help edit my daughter's show better. You could see I have made a logo for Ninzi Show on Photoshop and used it in iMovie to add in her shows. We worked on a new episode to share with families likes ours during the lockdown, to help the parents engage their children in meaningful activities just like I have been doing with my daughter. In Ninzi Show, my daughter is not merely acting for the show, she is showing what she had learned. It would be a shame to come out of the lockdown without having learnt a new skill or polished an old one. 

It will be a shame also to keep any canvas from last years still empty, so I am doing a little bit of painting here and there, experimenting concepts and emulating art masters Asha Kama. My daughter likes it when I settle in the painting room because she loves colours and does a lot with them. 

In teaching my daughter the following household chores, my wife and I learned patience and in recording and editing the show I explored the art of videography to a new depth. Like all of you out there, I want the lockdown to end sooner, not based on sentiments but based on science, however, should it go on for a little longer time then I have plans for unlocking more potential within me and my family. 

3. How to Fold Clothes

2. How to Cook Rice in the Cooker

 

1. How to Make Tea

The lockdown may be proving to be difficult for different groups of people for different reasons, therefore it's important for us to reach out and help in every way possible without judgement. It may be a good restful holiday for some while it could be overwhelming isolation and loneliness for others, not everyone is equally strong but we could be there for each other, showing how to see the light. 

The First Blogger Conference

The Blogger Conference finally happened, yes formally on August 30, 2015. It was covered by BBS and Kuensel, you see it had to be formal to be covered. We have had several Bloggers' Meets in the past, once we had 35 people attending but since it was very informal it seemed like it didn't happen. But those were the founding moments, we drafted and polished the ideas. Lucky for us we had designer, artist, event manager, everyone among us who were willing to do everything for the evolving group we called Community of Bhutan Bloggers. 

Now that we have taken the first unsure step and enjoyed it, we are looking forward to many events. My friend Nawang Phuntsho gave the opening remark and managed the conference. First, we launched the mobile app we promised, in very casual way as I liked it to be. Not many realised we actually launched it. Thanks to my friend and friend to Bhutan, Boaz for delivering it, just like that. Anyone else would have taken fortunes out of this penniless community. 

We had four speakers who were given to speak for half an hour each, but they all overshot their time. But because of the variety in the topics we enjoyed each minute of their talks. Opening speaker Riku Dhan Subba took us on a journey back to his rural roots. His father owned the first radio in the village  and soon the radio brought his parents together and he was born under a tree... it was inspiring to listen to a young man who would visit his village in Chuzaygang five times a year, walking the talk.

Riku

Second speaker, Member of Parliament in the National Council from Gasa Dzongkhag, Dasho Sangay Khandu educated the bloggers on the functions of the parliament, unique powers of the two houses, laws and bylaws of the parliament, roles of MPs, parliamentary committees, decision-making in the parliament, quorum of decision, voting, bills, legislative cycle, etc that each blogger must be informed.

MP, Dasho Sangay Khandu

Third Speaker, Ugyen Lhendup amazed us with his research findings on Poverty and Inequality in Bhutan. Besides igniting lots of discussion on the subject he also made us rethink on a very important historical date, i.e. The First Five Year Plan, which we all know, was initiated in 1961 but Ugyen had found documents to prove that it actually began in 1953.

Ugyen Lhendup

The fourth speaker, Tshering Dolkar led us through her humble writing journey which began with scribbling in random papers to publishing in Kuensel's literary corner. Hers was a pure joy of writing without any desire to publish. He blog soon gave her a newer platform to nurture her passion for writing. She was almost flying when she read her smooth poems, written in formats that are Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

Tshering Dolkar 

The conference was planned to last till 1pm in the afternoon so I had requested for only one round of refreshment from our host Namseling Boutique Hotel but soon we realised our blunder and shamelessly asked requested for another round of refreshment. It was 3pm when we finally forced ourselves to end the conference and go looking for lunch. Our host hotel was ready to sponsor us lunch had we informed them earlier but it was our first time and we made a big miscalculation. 30 people attended the conference but eight of them had disappeared by the time we lined up for the photo session.

The organising team Nawang Phuntsho, Tharchen, Rekha Monger, Nima Dorji, Che Dorji and I would like to thank iBest Institution and Namseling Boutique Hotel for the unconditional support provided to the underdog community. We were overwhelmed by the turnout and the energy they brought along. We are encouraged to go bigger with he next conference... 

Photo Courtesy: Nima Dorji (All four speakers) and Ugyen Lhendup (Group Picture)

Finding the Lost Bhutanese Bloggers- Inspiring Blogger Award

I am happy to see the recent activity among the Bhutanese bloggers, nominating each other for 'Very Inspiring Blogger Award' and forming a warm network. It's an interesting exercise to do from time to time to get ourselves connected with each other and with our writing. I discovered more young and passionate bloggers in the last few weeks than the entire year because of this chain awarding blogposts. I would like to thank whoever has started this.

Thank you Rima Reyka, the Singaporean blogger who is so deeply connected to so many of us here in Bhutan, for nominating me and getting me in this wonderful loop. The same gratitude also goes out to my fellow Bhutanese blogger Amrith Subba, Langa Tenzin, Lekey Choden Dorji and Sonam Tenzin for considering me worthy of his regards. (Let me know if anyone else has nominated me)

Coming down to real deal, I find it unusually hard to sieve just 15 bloggers from among hundreds I know and read. I have a different liking for different blogs, each has different style and theme and at the end their impact is unique, therefore pointing out 15 very inspiring blogs is very disheartening. I have been trying to do it for days.

Then I have decided that I will nominate senior bloggers to narrow down my choices. I have deliberately chosen some bloggers who have left their blog barren for a long time, and some who have left blogging altogether. I am strongly hoping that those who have left blogging will return, and pick up from where they left. Because they were the ones to lead, and they have shown us how to make differences.

Therefore I nominate the following bloggers that have shaped my blogging profession in more than one way:

1. Tshering Tobgay's Blog (Your excellency, I know you are busy but in Blogosphere too you are the Prime Minister)
2. IamDrukpa (You are crazy- while you posted and while you left)
3. Penstar (You posted one in the longest while, come one!)
4. loteY's : straight from the heart (Yes, straight from the heart, still)
5. Bhutan Literature (After FCB you seemed to have forgotten Bhutan Literature)
6. Luzee (You are becoming lazy!)
7. Feelings and Emotions (Is motherhood so bad? Why did you delete your blog?)
8. Kuenza's Diary (I know you posted recently but I expect more)
9. Qinza's Stories (What happen now?)
10. Writing My Own Unwritten Lines (You still have Unwritten Lines, don't you?)
11. Sonam's SillyWit (Missed your wit for so long, where are you?)
12. Dorji Penjor (Seen you active on Facebook, let do it on your blog too)
13. Dorji Wangchuk (Those amazing stories on your Facebook Walls can be here)
14. Hear My Voice (We will, you come back, Yeesi)
15. And There is More to Life (Ya, there is more to life, come back)

While my hands itch to type Wangcha Sangey, Riku Dhan Subba's Blog, Through the Eye of a Bhutanese Youth, Thoughts & Works, Porky Pie, I Relate to That, Leythro- the Continuity of Fate, Lekey Wangdi - From Tiny Himalayan Nation of Bhutan, and Bhutan Land Of The Thunder Dragon but I have seen that they are active and inspiring people every day. And I know I have missed on so many other bloggers who have made differences... and that's why I don't like this awarding system... ) 

(The two blogs I still remember years, after they are removed, are A Blog By Tongyal and Lobxang. I wish they would come back)

7 Things About Me, which are narrowly about my online activities and other relative details:

1. I am a Computer Applications Teacher
2. I am the co-founder of WAB (Writers Association of Bhutan)
3. I am the founder of B-Bay- Buying and Selling Second Hand Stuffs in Bhutan (Now Beebay Market)
4. I am Founder of Bhutantoilet.Org
5. I run the Page 'Thank You Dr Lotay'
6. I also Run the Group "Breaking the News"
7. I am nocturnal, trying to compensate waking hours from my sleeping hours

Now if you wish to join this nomination chain, the following are the rules:

1. Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you
2. List the rules and display the award on your blog
3. Say 7 facts about yourself
4. Nominate other 15 amazing bloggers for the award, link them and inform them about the nominations

The Youngest Bhutanese Blogger

How young do you think will be the age of the youngest Bhutanese Blogger?
Would you believe if I told you he is a 10 year old boy in Thimphu? Well you have to.
Singye Namgay is the youngest blogger I know in Bhutan and perhaps the most unbelievable. At his age I couldn't write a sentence in English correctly and this boy is reviewing books, movies, TV series ... with utmost spontaneity and brutal innocence.
Reading his article is like listening to an adult native English speaker, with soothing transacting from sentence to another and not to mention his great vocabularies, some of which aren't yet in my dictionary. Everytime I open his blog (www.singye.bt) I get goosebumps and I can't help wonder what substance this little soul is made of.
Let me not reduce his worth with my words, his own words will show you his true worth. Visit his blog by following the link above or by clicking on the picture below, and remember I am not responsible for what happens to you on his blog ;)

Singye's Blog 

The Day I Met the Prime Minister

It's exactly ten days since I met the Prime Minister of Bhutan in his office. In these ten days I have tried structuring the story in hundred different ways just to make to as humble as possible but I couldn't beat the humility with which his excellency invited me to meet him in his office. I at one point didn't want to write about it at all but I don't want to deprive my daughter from reading about how lucky her father got one day in 2013. Therefore the following story is written just for the record.

The Leader who walks among us 

I had received tweets from the then Opposition Leader and I would reply with ease and also would post comments on his blog like we were friends but after he became the Prime Minister I suddenly became hesitant about being at ease. I didn't have the opportunity to meet any of the former Prime Ministers, not even in the public gatherings, and therefore the idea of facing one or even communicating with them is relatively new to me. Besides I am just an ordinary teacher who is not used to much privileges.

On August 1st, when His Excellency sent me a tweet asking me to meet him before I leave Thimphu, I panicked and I didn't know how to reasonably make a reply. I had always wanted to meet him because he was the inspiring force behind my blogging passion. He introduced my blog to the larger Bhutanese readership on his blog in 2009, after then I took blogging seriously. But the excitement of meeting the great blogger is heavily outweighed by the fear of having to face the prime minister of the country.

Everything seemed like a dream and only sound that I heard was that of my heart beating fast as I drove to the office of the Prime Minister. I only realized I was carrying a funnily small khadar when I was readying it before I entered the office. A guard at the door offered a bigger one but I declined because I wanted to offer what I came with.

I was soon seated next to the Prime minister, the place I wouldn't brave to be in even in my wildest dream. But life had this huge surprise blessed on me. I had the honour of talking about about my workshop in Thimphu, my school, my blog, various other ordinary things. His excellency surprised me by asking about bBay on Facebook and other little things I did in school. I was deeply humbled that he noticed and cared about little things we ordinary people do in our lives. The initial fear has completely melted away, it was the same old Tshering Tobgay I have known on Blog, Twitter and Facebook. The prime ministership has made him more charming than powerful. I could feel strong energy in his office but the moment I saw him my muscles relaxed.

My workshop team was gathered at a small restaurant in the town and among them were two Singaporean consultants who had expressed deep wishes to meet our prime minister. I conveyed that to his excellency and I was completely taken aback when I was asked to call them and see where they were. I was then asked to wait with them at the restaurant and expect his excellency. My team couldn't believe it actually happened that evening. We got the opportunity to sit and talk with the prime minister for over two hours in a very ordinary restaurant without any bodyguard or protocol.

Singaporean Friends

My blogger friends who were scheduled to meet me the same evening were upset when I couldn't join them for the football match but I surprised them by calling them to the same place. The prime minister recognized most of our blogs and left with an unforgettable advice:

"You are thought leaders, Whatever you write, our youth will believe. For that reason, think and reflect and go slow."

Bloggers: Some of us from that Night, some already left

Afternoon with Farmer Sangay

Another big thing this weekend is finally meeting Farmer Sangay in person. We have been friends on social media for a long time. The man and his initiatives need no introduction and I am among the many people who couldn't dare to be different like him but I have all the respect and appreciation for the difference he is making. He calls himself a Farmer, but I see him as a social scientist. For the record, he is the founder of Happy Green Cooperative- "the cooperative model of green ideas and solutions to pursue social innovations."

Showing off our daughters!!

Sangay brought along another amazing young man to make my Sunday more meaningful- the founder of Bhutan Kidney Foundation, Tashi Namgay. Sharing table with two of them and measuring their achievements against their age I saw a beautiful preview of future Bhutan. I on my part hoped and prayed that some day some of my students will turnout to be different like them.

Between the Founders

Among the many innovative plans Sangay has, one of my favorites is his Cafe, which is also going to be the Innovation Lab for his Cooperative, where you and I can walk in with our ideas and give them shape and color over coffee. And you know him- He will make it happen!

Our Families 

We both brought along our families but it was a mistake, we should have left our wives alone with their Sunday because two of us had thousand things to talk about, much of which weren't of interest to our ladies. But it was additional pleasure to meet his actor wife, who stands strong behind him in his passion.

To interact with the two guys, Like their pages on Facebook:

• Happy Green Cooperative
• Bhutan Kidney Foundation 

YouTube to Blogger in One Click - The video

This video is directly shared from YouTube like we share to Facebook and Twitter. Perhaps you already knew about this option, but just in case you didn't know, the following picture will explain how I got this video posted here in one click.

Just a click on the Blogger icon does everything!

In this video we see the people behind the latest hit Tharringsa.

Photo Gallery for Blog

Did you wish you could have a photo gallery for your blog? I mean the dynamic type? I spent good amount of time figuring out how to create one for my blog like the ones good websites have. It's not hard after all. It doesn't take an expert to work on it.
I experimented the discovery in the following two:

1. PaSsu Diary Photo Gallery
2. Bhutan Crown Adventure Blog

I love to share how I did it, in case you loved it and wish to have one for your blog; Go to QuickGallery. If you are good with internet you can already follow the 3 steps given on the website and carry on.

1. Create an account on Quick Gallery
2. Select your pictures (an album on Facebook,Google Picasa, Instagram or Flicker)
3. Choose the Gallery Design 
4. Copy the code generated and paste it as a post on your blog (in the HTML tab)

If you have further question, leave it in my comment box. I will answer it as quickly as possible!

Miza Tales- Children's Book Publisher

When seven bloggers met last week we didn't need to introduce ourselves much because we always read about each other, we just went on talking about this and that through out the evening. But there was one thing that stood out and also gave birth to new dreams- it's was Chador Wangmo's children books, illustrated by Kinzang Tshering, about which I wrote in "Do You Remember Those Stories?" 
The writer, the illustrator, and the editor were all there among the group and it was pleasure letting them sign on our copies but something about the publisher bothered us all. The books carried the 'DSB Publication' logo while everybody there knows that the books were self published, and this happened because any publication needs a licensed publisher's name. DSB was kind enough to borrow their name.

This issue ignited the idea of creating our own licensed publishing brand, and we called it "Miza Tales". Miza means the bonfire made in tins, and Chador tells us how she used to listen to folk tales sitting around the miza. Every Bhutanese born and brought up in country side could connect to similar memories from their childhood but we all know how the culture has disappeared after TV came about. With Miza Tales we dream to record all those Bhutanese folk tales we heard or read and present to our children with beautiful illustrations. 

Once we register Miza Tales, Chador Wangmo can write her fifth book under Miza Brand, and like her any Bhutanese writer and illustrator wishing to write books for children with illustration can publish under Miza Tales. We dream to create an ocean of illustrated Bhutanese Children's Books like the Lady Bird Books. Remember reading Lady Bird Book in Primary School? Lets create fond memories for our children too with our own folk tales.

Lady Bird Books

We Met for the First Time, Yes First time

It was all together a different feeling meeting people with whom I had bonded so well online over the years. It was on 3rd Jan we decided to meet at Karma's Coffee and there we were meeting for the first time in person- at least I was seeing five out of the six of them for the first time.

1. Kinzang Tshering of QINZA's STORIES, blogger and illustrator. He did the illustration on all four books Chador Wangmo wrote.
2. Ugyen Gyeltshen of Porky Pie, Blogger, Author of Dear Sadey, and of course a.k.a Tukuli on WAB and Nopkin (There is more than one of him on our writing sites) 
3. Chador Wangmo of feelings n emotions, blogger, Author of four Children Books I wrote about last time, and a.k.a Pandora on WAB and Nopkin
4. Nawang Phuntsho of Penstar, blogger, columnist, author of Then I Saw Her Face. He is Penstar on Nopkin and also Founder of WAB
5. Sangay Dema of MY PAGE, blogger and a.k.a Bella on WAB and Nopkin
6. Riku Dhan Subba of Riku Dhan Subba's Blog, blogger, Photographer and the most eligible bachelor on the Bhutanese blogoshpere. 
7. And I of this blog you are reading!

Riku, Tukuli, Bella, Pandora, PaSsu, Qinza and Penstar behind the camera!

But it felt like we knew each other for years, like we have played together as children and went to same school. When Riku and Qinza said they may not come I was upset and ready to strangle them -like a dear friend would feel.
It felt so good when all seven of us could finally sit on the same table. Of course there are many bloggers we loved to have that evening but we could only reach to so many over the phone. I think we should meet again and broaden our reach, because we sync so well, we are on the same boat. That was my happiest night in Thimphu. I would love to meet more bloggers in coming days.
Though Karma's Coffee suggests us to "Talk Life over Coffee" we talked literature. And I will post about what we discussed, yes very soon. After coffee I discovered Tukuli need a drink, so did I but rest were good guys, you know, so Riku left because he was alone at home, Penstar had to drop Pandora, who wasn't in good shape!! Qinza and Sangay Dee didn't have any excuse so they joined the two of us to The Banana and watched us drink like fish. Oh, it felt so good, I even forgot to have my dinner.

Do You Remember Those Stories?

Dear Parents,
Do you remember those stories your parents told you about talking animals and trees? Those good verse evil stories? Those happily ever after stories, before you sleep? Do you in any way believe that those nights of story telling had influence your relationship with your parents and also had shaped your outlook on life?
Do you want your relationship with your children to be like your relationship with your parents? Well, things have become complicated now but there is always a turning point for everything, and I believe if we can win over our children before the world of digital entertainment invade them, perhaps we can establish that same loving relationship.
Tell them those fairy tales before they sleep and let them live their innocent years innocently. Let them love their parents more than Cartoon Network, let them count on you for stories. But if you don't remember those stories your parents told you, let me introduce you to a loving daughter who grew up listening to her mother's stories and now telling those stories to her children every night- Chador Wangmo. She is a teacher and she strongly believes in telling stories and therefore written four Books for children.
The books are on sale in stores in Thimphu and you can also order by leaving a comment on this blog. If these four books run well she will be inspired to write many more such books for our children.
This new year I recommend you to buy these four little books and tell stories to your children. The illustrations are done by a fellow blogger and loving father Kinzang Tshering (Qinza).

Chador's Series

Note: Chador Wangmo is one of our favorites on Nopkin and also WAB. If you are on those two Bhutanese Writing sites you will be curious to know who she was, and I bet you will blindly buy those book if I disclose her pen name. Perhaps next time!

The Freedom Writers Diaries- A Movie for Teachers

A blogger friend and fellow teacher, Ugyen Dechen sent me two movies. One was The Lady, biography of Aung San Suu Kyi, which Dechen reviewed in her blog last October and the other one was surprisingly The Freedom Writers. I was craving for this movie ever since some friends talked about it, and there it was in the pen drive Dechen sent me.

This is yet another movie that touched my soul. Just last month I watched The Ron Clark Story which Monu sent me, and here is another one shaping the teacher in me. The Free Writers is a 2007 American Drama adapted from the best selling book The Freedom Writers Diaries (1999) by the teacher in the story herself, Erin Gruwell.

The Real Ms Erin Gruwell- The Teacher, The Writer

She takes up the job of teaching English on Long Island at 23. She is put into a class, which is almost a war zone where children nearly of her age and a lot bigger than her size are divided by racial hatred. These children walk with guns in the pockets and bitterness in their hearts, looking for any chance to start a fight. They come from a community that is divided into gangs and has a bloody history.

The Freedom Writers Diary (The Book) How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them is a non-fiction 1999 book written by The Freedom Writers, a group of students from ...Wikipedia Published: 1999 Author: Erin Gruwell Original language: English Genre: Non-fiction Adaptations: Freedom Writers Freedom Writers (The Movie) Freedom Writers is a 2007 American drama film starring Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton and Patrick Dempsey. Wikipedia Release date: January 5, 2007 (initial release) Director: Richard LaGravenese Screenplay: Richard LaGravenese Story by: Erin Gruwell, Freedom Writers Producers: Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Danny DeVito

Our problems are nothing compared to what Ms Gruwell faces, she teaches in a classroom filled with resentments, where every careless word every minute starts up a fight. Her initial efforts to unite the divided class ends up making herself another enemy for them. The turning point in the story is a cartoon of a thick-lipped black boy passed around in the classroom that catches the attention of Ms Gruwell. Deeply saddened by the racism in the classroom she relates that cartoon with the cartoons of big-nosed Jews drawn by the biggest gang ever. She tells them about how that gang hated other races and divided countries and how that ended up in holocaust, taking away the lives of 6 million Jews.

Surprisingly, except for one, none in the huge class ever heard of the Holocaust. Ms Gruwell then goes looking for reading materials but the school denies her any book. She takes up two other part-time jobs to afford Diary of Ann Frank for her students, but in her personal life, her extra involvement with her class costs her own marriage.

The book does magic to her children, each could relate their lives to that of Anne Frank and the story made them realize how much hatred could destroy. Ms Gruwell takes her kids to the Holocaust Museum to see what Nazi and their hatred for Jews has done. She further invites Miep Gies, the lady who hid Ann Frank in her attic, to talk to her students. Lady Miep Gies shares about how she did what was right and she tells the kids that anybody can do what she has done, therefore everybody is a hero.

Ms Gruwell gives every child a notebook to start their own diary and every child writes about their lives, which is later compiled into a book by Ms Gruwell and calls it The Freedom Writers Diaries. This connected me so much to the movies because besides being a teacher I also love writing my diary. And you are reading my freedom diary.

The Real Freedom Writers

A lesson to teachers in Bhutan: We all begin our teaching lives at about the same age as Ms Erin Gruwell but we are lucky to walk in any classroom and have our students standing up in respect. She faces cynicism for her passion, she is denied of support, her successes are criticized and she is deprived of basic resources like library books, yet nothing stops her, then why should anything stop us?

Anne Frank, The book I am reading next!

Dechen blogs @ Dechen's: The World I Know, My Small World

A Movie for Teachers- From Monu Tamang

I love movies but I really don't believe in investing hours on just any movie. There are perhaps a million movies and half of them can be disappointing, that's why recommendations are very helpful. Thank you Monu GhishYing Tamang for recommending a movie that touched my soul. The last time I felt the same about a movie was in my college days and the movie was Finding Forrester (This is for writers). That was also watched upon recommendation by a good friend.

The Ron Clark Story is based on the true story of a teacher. The movie shows us how far we can go with our passion. Ron Clark takes up the worst class in New York City and walks them to the top. I laughed and cried, and I want every teacher to watch it. I have shared the movie with many of my friends in Bajothang and I will make sure it reaches far and wide. 

Still from the Movie

How did I get the movie is another interesting story. When I read Monu's recommendation on his blog I was dying to watch it and I left a comment in which I also wrote "...If I can't find it you will have to bring your copy along when you come home and pass it to me." In his next blog post, he wrote he was coming home. In the footnote, he has left a message for me,

"PS: I will start my journey on 14 October, if I get the train ticket. PaSsu sir, wait for me at Wangdue Zampa, I will drop my pen-drive (The Ron Clark Story) there from the bus while travelling to Tsirang (my Home) lol."

 

Last week my office assistant hand me a registered letter with something inside. On the back of the envelope, it was written 'From Monu Tamang'. He had reached Thimphu and perhaps thought waiting on Wangude Zampa may not be a good idea. I opened the packet to find a pen drive with the movie inside it. 

Dear Monu, the movie has become double special for me just because you sent it with high regards. I will watch it time to time and every time I do, I will remember you. I will share the movie with as many teachers as possible and all the good changes will be credited to you. Thank you so much.

Comment that Touched my Heart

For a blogger like me happiness is defined by a few simple things like completing a blog post, receiving good numbers of readers, and most of all seeing some sane comments. But the following comment by Mr. KK Giri touched the bottom of my heart, not because I am as good as he thinks I am but because he has a sincere heart to let me know that I am worth talking about for hours;

"...I seldom write any comment on blog, though i follow some. But here would like to share an incident. I was travelling from Gelephu to Thimphu together with a newly acquainted gentleman. While gossiping on various topics both of us happened to be your blog follower. We talked about how interesting your articles are, how talented and gifted writer you are on our judgement if at all we are qualified to judge you, and blah blah..

We even discussed about your comment on Wangdue Dzong mishap when the ruin of the Dzong was on our sight from the highway. We laughed on that famous hand shake at South America shaking the Great wall of Wangdue Dzong. The Tibetans across the globe must have smiled too.

Our discussion on Passu's diary must have started from somewhere Kamichu and continued till we reached opposite to BHSS from where one of us commented "that is where our Passu lives.... But just before that both of us unanimously agreed that something is not right about the way the Bajo town has shaped up. At least looking from the highway on the other side of the river it looks so " i dunno what to say..." Since you were the main topic of our discussion we fantasize a situation that one fine day Passu would pay a beautiful tribute to the architect/planer of Bajo, a modern 21st century township of Bhutan. Both of us laughed on our fantasy."- 9/14/2012 

Thank you Giri, I will try to be even more interesting to talk about. I have written a few pieces on Bajothang town so far but for you will write one more that will tell you how this town was planned for just a few years, because it's already outdated.

Dear Sithey, thank you for the great book

It's a pleasant surprise to receive a gift from somebody whom I never met and it's matter of great honor when the gift is a book and the sender is the writer himself. Drukyul Decides- In the minds of Bhutan's first voters is a complete record of what happened in 2008 in Bhutan. Flipping through the pages I can see how we prepared our own government for the first time, how fates of some men were changed forever, and in doing that how we changed our fates.
While the rest of us were busy, anxious, and excited about the whole new process of people making their own government two men took it on to themselves the responsibility of writing the history for the future. Gyambo Sithey, the author who sent me this book and Dr. Tandin Dorji didn't not miss anything from 2008. The book is already becoming interesting, and like wine it will only grow better with age. Years from now this book will be a priceless piece of record and the two men will be thanked more than ever.


Dear Gyambo Sithey, thank you for the priceless gift, and thank you for writing that book- cant imagine how long and how much it took to put this many information and pictures together.


- Posted using BlogPress

iPad Apps for Bloggers

An iPad was all I had in my dream for years and to achieve it I had considered selling one of my kidneys (not to be taken seriously, just a figure of speech). Thank god my sister in-law knew it before I really went crazy over the idea. She asked her brother working at Apple to gift me an iPad 2 during my birthday last year. I was sleepless for nights before I received the package and nights after I got my hand on it. After a week I thanked god I spared my kidney; there was nothing much I could do with it.
With free Apps I was limited to using trial apps, childish games, and frustration was building on. It gave birth to a new dream of owning a credit card so that I could buy Apps from Apps Store. I didn't mind my daughter using it roughly anymore.
It was only after I knew about Cydia, thanks to my friend and Apple Jack Tshering Tenzin, that I fell back in love with my iPad. I suddenly started worshiping my device after it was Jailbroken. Thanks to hackers, we get access to paid apps without paying. It became my teaching tool, Classroom organizer, text book, rough book, my music guru, Karoke, DJ set, my Playstation, and of all the best things it became my blogging tool.
I double rejoiced the discovery of the blogging apps because for months I was looking for them, and on many occasions I wrote to Blogger and Google to come up with Blogger Apps- as if they would listen. They only had Blogger App which was meant for iPhones. Though compatible with iPad the resolution was not welcoming.

Blogger – FREE: The Blogger app helps you publish posts to your Google Blogger blog. You can use the app with more than one Blogger account, and add location information and images to your posts. Pictures can come from the app itself, or straight from your iPad photo gallery, and you can use the post list to view or edit previous posts or drafts.

After the Jailbreak I got the following two apps for free and what more is happiness for a man who loves blogging on the go.

Blogsy – $4.99

Blogsy is designed to make blogging on the iPad easy. It supports multiple blog platforms, including WordPress, Blogger, Posterous, TypePad, Joomla and Drupal, and also supports content from YouTube, Flickr and Picasa. The app enables you to create and edit posts, add media content, publish to your network, and create rich-text emails. It’s drag-and-drop methods make adding images and hyperlinks to posts much simpler than it is even on a desktop. There’s very little you can’t do using this app, the only restriction is that you can only use it with existing blog accounts.

BlogPress – $4.99

Similar to Blogsy, BlogPress supports multiple blogging platforms, and gives you a range of features to use. The app supports text, image, video and audio content from the likes of YouTube, Flickr and Picasa, and you can format posts using the app’s comprehensive layout editor. Integrated with Facebook and Twitter, BlogPress also helps you manage your social sharing, enabling you to tweet or post to followers and fans when you have published new content.

Lucky for WordPress and Tumblr users, they always had the best best apps for free:

Tumblr – FREEThe Tumblr app comes with a range of features. As well as being able to write and publish posts, add images, and other basic functions, you can schedule posts for a certain time, create customized tweets to alert followers to new material, and manage more than one Tumblr blog at a time. The content editor allows you to publish text, audio, video, quotes, images and links, so the content you’re posting doesn’t have to be restricted by the fact you’re using an iPad. You can also view and reply to Tumblr messages, and see which of your iPad contacts also uses the blogging platform.

WordPress – FREEThe WordPress app works with iPhone and iPad and enables you to manage your WordPress blog. As well as create, format and publishing posts and pages, you can also add images and videos to your work, moderate comments and view blog stats. With a content editor that has many of the basic features the desktop version of WordPress carries, you can create professional-looking blog content on the go.

 

Courtesy: Picture along with the whole Apps Information are retrieved from ZeroPaid.com with thanks.