My Mother is Back in Village

I was very happy when my mother went to Thimphu to live with my sister. I always wanted her to lead easy life once we grew up, because she had suffered enough of rural hardship in brining me and my four siblings up. The time had come for her to hang her spades. She could live with me but she chose to live with my sister because she found herself more useful there because my office going sister needed a helping hand in babysitting her two children.

My mother, proud as she should be, gave away our cows and hens, left the fields fellow, locked our home and came to Thimphu to live with her daughter, along with our baby sister. In Thimphu, the sunburn on her face soon faded, her rough fingers softened and she gained weight. It was the beginning of a happy chapter in her life. She was the queen of the family with a loving brother inlaw.

She would visit me briefly from time to time, and we would talk of our village and people there. Soon we had very less subjects to talk about, because she didn't have anything more to talk about our village. I could sense a subtle longing in her during the long hours we spent near the TV in silence. She would sleep in the afternoon like a baby and mostly grumble about petty thing. My once confident mother who was a leader of kind in our village sounded so subdued over time.

How can her life be so wonderful in Thimphu when she personally had nothing significant to aspire to in life, given the kind of person she has always been. She would wake up in the morning and help prepare my little sister and niece for school, then after my brother inlaw and sister left she would take my nephew out to play. When the little boy would get tired of play she would put him to sleep and fall asleep alongside. She had managed a few friends in the neighbourhood with whom she would spend her long lonely afternoons.

In the evening when everybody returned home she would make them tea and spend the next hours running after the kids. Over dinner they would watch TV and there she would have no common topic with school going and office going people. If some guest showed up she would help with tea and snacks but if the guest was not a family member she knew, then she would take the kids into another room and wait till they left. This was her daily routine. It could have been so beautiful if it was just for a week or month but it went on for years. It was like she was waiting for the end purposelessly.

With My Ashim and our children on the way home

My mother had put on a visible amount of weight, lost her frontal teeth, complained about illnesses and had become so emotional. Every time I met her I felt little more guilty and when she nagged about petty thing I would even give her advices but deep inside I asked myself -what have we done? We were loving her in a wrong way. We took her away from home, leave her in urban isolation, make her so vulnerable to lifestyle diseases and proudly thought we were giving her our best.

Even when I thought of my village, I would first see the lock on our door, then I would see the faces of all the people who dies in last few years and even in my dreams I see my villages in gloomy weather. My villages without my mother wasn't quite the place I would want to think of. All the beautiful memories of village seemed somehow dimmed.

Toward the end of last year my mother expressed he wishes to return home because my little nephew has come of age to go to nursery school. Along with her our little sister would return too because the two of them were inseparable. Though we were worried about our little sister's education for long time we respected her decision this time.

My little Sister and Mother in the Village

Now my mother is back to the village and my sister goes to Chundu Middle Secondary School, which is just over ten minutes walk from our village. Our fields are green again, house is dusted and our chimney is smoking again. Sunburn has darkened my mother's face again but I can see a broad smile on her dark face. There are endless things in village that keeps her busy and during auspicious days she goes to village temple where elders would gather to sing Mani and chat about life.

My Happy mother with her children and Grandchildren

When I visited home last month she looked very happy and busy. I don't have to worry about lifestyle diseases anymore because she is physically engaged in some many village activities. And during the lazy afternoons she spends time with neighbours and chat endlessly over tea. She has gotten rid of her nap habits too. Her confidence is back and she is everybody's Aum Gaki in the village. I hope she will soon get back her posts as Village Health Worker, Manager of Milk Booth, Member of Women Association of Haa...

And Remember, last time during the Royal Visit she was chosen to offer Tshogchhang and that's when she was blessed with the photograph of her life with His Majesty, Her Majesty and the prime minister.

The Photograph of Her life, and ours!

Now when I think of my village I first see my happy mother's face and then our green fields. I have good dreams of my village and I once again feel like a hostel student longing to go home. Home is where mother is happy. 

Disclaimer: My village has road, electricity, etc. and is only 4 km from the town. It has three high school high schools and a junior school within five km radius. Therefore the village I am talking about cannot be related to many difficult ones across the country. I am only talking about life in my village. There are many other villages in which I won't imagine people leaving their parents for whatever reasons. 

Gift for Reading Year in Yangthang

"You must read about everything around you- not just subjects that interest you. You must learn about current events, history, science, culture and people around the world- the pursuit of knowledge must be lifelong,"- His Majesty on the launch of National Reading Year 2015

World would envy the nation that commits to observe a whole year as National Reading Year, and for it to be graced by his majesty himself is truly something. About ten thousand students and teachers who gathered at the grand opening received book gifts from his majesty and not to mention the book was about life of Buddha. This gives us all the inspiration and reason to read.

I personally believe that at the end there are only two types of people; the ones who read and others who don't- all the other differences are therefore connected to this division. You can spot the difference in first few minutes of meeting, not just in the beauty of their language but also in the greatness of their soul. I realised it late in life because of where I came from and where I grew up. I wished I had so much inspiration and opportunity when I was in primary school. Today when I feel something missing in my being I know it's a certain book I missed in life.

However, this need not happen to the children who are growing up in my village, and therefore I approached READ Bhutan for the  construction of a library for children in my village, which is what READ Bhutan does across the country, especially in the rural parts. The amazing Nonprofit Organization made a few visits to my village and upon understanding the gravity of my request they instantly accepted to help. They have so far build 6 centres across Bhutan.

Village Committee 

They needed the assurance from the people of the village, and they also must find the way to bring people together in building the structure, and also in running it sustainably after the completion, which they call Sustaining enterprise. The agreement was signed and construction committee was formed. In April 2015 the library will be ready and over 60 children in the village will be using the facility. The library will have a computer lab, Play Room with audio visual devices, Woman Section with training equipments, and Conference Room on top of thousands of books.

READ Bhutan Team inspecting the work progress with he new Country Director

As the nation prepares for the National Reading Year I am smiling at the perfect coincidence- launching of village library in the same year by the organisation that advocates reading in Bhutan. It was never planned this way but the fact that it has turned out this way makes it the best gift for the children of my village from READ Bhutan.

It gives me so much satisfaction and pride in being the bridge between READ Bhutan and my village, and the village elders blessed me with their kindest words when I went home with READ Bhutan team to inspect on the work progress. If you feel like doing the same in your village, you know how to go about!

Yangthang Seen through the Library Window

To Rinchengang, Without Me

Last Weekend my club planned to tour Rinchengang to collect artifacts for our school museum. Our success and adventure in Matalungchu inspired us. But I had to fail them because our teachers were set to go on a gaming tour to Phobjikha. That was another big thing happening for the first time and I didn't want to be a disappointment. Teachers from four high schools in Wandgue were coming there for sports and this is going to happen four times in a year, each time in different school. This was big teachers' time.

However, for the sake of this teachers' time I wasn't going to put a halt to my bigger dream and not at all try to hold back the overflowing energy of my students for whom Saturday was all packed and ready. They came with lunchboxes and extra bottles of water, with umbrella in case it rained or shined too much.

The school bus was ready with the team on it and I was the missing piece. Surprise! I had brought in two ex students to replace me and take care of the team on the tour. Madav was our ex-school captain and has all the leadership quality it takes. He is around waiting for college reporting day. Yeshey Jimba is another very exemplary student who is waiting to resit for XII examination. He has his little sister in my club and her stories got him interested in our project, so that makes one solid team.

Before I reached Phobjikha I got a call from Madav about the success of the tour. Though half the village was out in the fields they managed to collect 32 amazing artifacts along with many offers of tea. And last Wednesday during the club hour they proudly presented their collection to me and I saluted them! And Special thank you to Madav and Yeshi Jimba. Come to visit the 'finished' museum during your college vacations.

The team with their 32 treasures

Talking about ex students, today fourteen of our class XII graduates visited us and gave us 'thank you' tea party. In few weeks all of them will be joining colleges and making us proud. I took them aside, click this picture and told them how impressed I was with what they did. The sweetness of the tea didn't matter, we felt so good that they came to visit us before they venture onto life's bigger journey. God is with you. All the best.

The 14 who came to say thank you

Matalungchu Beyond My Expectation

Matalungchu is a village above my school, hidden behind the ridge on which Bajo Lhakhang stands. All I have seen in the last many years was that Lhakhang and beyond that is just an imaginary village I have never been to. This weekend School Museum Club members persuaded me to take them on the long promised village tour and we took the journey into the imaginary village.

The Team Musuem

I packed two bananas and a bottle of water for the journey which I assumed to be just as far as behind the Lhakhang but when we reached the top of the ridge I couldn't believe that a whole world lies beyond that tiny hill. My imagination had been betraying me for many years, there is no village behind the lhakhang. The village is across the endless paddies. The village is not small.

Waiting under the only tree in sight!

The landscape is the best geographical art I have seen in Bhutan, with occasional and unusual plateaus rising from the plains of paddies. I wished I could own one of them and build a small cottage on it. But I also noticed that there were no trees as far as the eyes could reach, the farmland has driven the treeline away on to the hills, otherwise it was a dreamland.

From one part of the Village to another...

My team was on the mission to collect rural everyday items for our school museum. I have instructed my children to let the villagers understand what we are after and why we are collecting those items, I also told them not to accept any antiques or expensive items (in case some people turned out to be very kind). So we structured our language this way,

"... we are starting a museum in our school which we intend to create like a typical rural home, for that we need everyday items that were used by our ancestors in the villages, if you have any of those old things that are no more used, please donate to our school..."

The first house which stood all by itself was a bit shocked because two boys rushed in and began asking for old items, but when the woman saw the whole team outside she gave away a plough, and two other bamboo items. We refined our approach and our language, I tested the team leaders on their approach and we even made it a team challenge. By the time we reach the cluster of gigantic houses we were joined by folks themselves, they recommended us places to go and some led us to their own places. We were treated with fresh peaches. A woman patiently demonstrated how traditional weighing scale is used.

Aum Chimi Dem showing my children how many Sangs make up a kg

The villagers agreed that much of what we are seeking have disappeared even from the villages and therefore they complimented our effort in trying to preserve it somewhere for the future to witness.

We lunched at newly renovated Matacungchu Lhakhang, where my children offered me lunch by collecting a spoon each from every tiffin- it turned out that the man who didn't bring packed lunch got the most to eat. An ex student who lives there brought me a cup of hot suja and zaw. With the new energy we headed further into the village. The houses were massive three storeyed structures with aristocratic ancient designs surrounded by unbelievably clean campus- it was nothing like the villages I have known so far.

Truly a Bhutanese Village

As I sat in the middle of the village minding the already collected items I couldn't hold my smile at the sight of my children coming with amazing artifacts from all directions. They were even more excited and encouraged that we extended our journey further across to another part of the village. The village seemed endless but my children won't agree to return after having come so far.

Novin and Leki Wishing if they could take one because we couldn't get one of these.

It was 5pm by the time we could convince ourselves to call it a day and then we realized that we have collected more than we could carry. We adjusted small items into biggers ones and made one load for each one of us, they gave a wooden waa for my shoulder. By my calculation we were at least few hours away from the school and if we had to walk all the way with the load we won't be home for dinner. So I started making calls with my almost dying phone, if someone didn't respond within a few minutes my cell battery would be dead and we would be on our own. But my friend Tandin Tshewang responded promptly and rescued us.

Celebration in my heart!

This first successful and enriching excursion gave birth to our plan of visiting Rinchengang, Wanjokha and Ninzigang over the months. And for the record this time we have collected 53 artifacts from 18 households.

And that is me posing with a jasum and jazi

My Mother's Donation to My School Museum

When I was planning my School Museum I called up my mother to help me. She already gave a long list of things she could help me with. But I had to reject some of her offers because I am not after antiques and valuables.

My Mother went home briefly and returned with load of stuffs for my museum. She has asked our village folks to help her son. She was surprised that not much is left in the village now.

If you have rural stuffs Please donate to my school Museum. Even torn and broken stuffs will work, after all it's a museum.

These are from my mother: (Do you want to try the quiz again? Name them)

1

2(a,b,c,d)

3

4(a,b,c)

5

6(a,b)

7

8(a,b)

Diseased Turnip: Call for Help!

Turnip may not be one among the best vegetables- some people in town may not have seen one yet, but people of Haa have woven their lives with it. Infertile soil deprived of favorable weather conditions forced Haaps to make their living by herding yaks and turnip is one among a handful of crops grown in Haa. Turnips goes in making the region's famous recipe- Haapy Hoenty. The leaves of turnip are dried to make Lhoom, which then becomes very good combination with phaksha seekham and shakam.
However, the harvest looks bad this year. During my recent home going, I found all the turnips in our garden yellowed and dying. My mother wasn't surprised, she told me that a disease had been spreading in the region for last two years. Once infected the turnip buds turns into chain of three balls(see the picture), something similar to radish and then dies out gradually. I inquired if they have reported to the agricultural officer of the region, to which they gave a casual no. Perhaps they didn't know that they needed help. How come people don't know that there is an office who could help? How come the three year old disease didn't receive remedy so far?

Boy posing with Healthy turnip bud (right hand) and two diseased turnips (left hand)
(the symbolism of healthy boy and injured boy in the backdrop is accidental)