Medical service to the doorsteps.

 The Bhutanese people are blessed with free medical service. The Government’s pledge to reach vital medical services to the doorsteps mainly focuses on elderly citizens and disadvantaged people who cannot avail the services from the service centers. In line with the nation's vision and mission of free and efficient medical services, medical staff are in full swing to cover the annual health check-up in schools and villages in every nook and corner of the country.

This health check-up campaign is a great opportunity to help the local people and the health staff are keenly taking part to take the service to people and not the other way round. Visiting different places and schools, meeting different people and students, experiencing different journeys, and creating different memories are quite a different and satisfying experience than the normal practice. With the development activities that are taking place across the country, road connectivity and electrification of most of the places and schools are complete. Yet, some places are still to be touched by the forces of modernization. To reach such places and schools are very challenging and at the same time quite adventurous. Climbing hills and crossing valleys through dense woods for hours after hours was a thrilling experience.  

We walked under the scorching sun sweating and dehydrating, which are draining. Female staff complained of leg pain, mentally and physically exhausted, reluctant to take a single stride forward was a bit worrisome to the group but nothing could hold back the dedication for the mission.

Some staff kept bet among themselves to see who could walk the whole journey without complaints. Scared of losing the bet, some did not complain at all despite the hardship they faced along the tiring journey. Walking in heavy rain was another challenge totally. Leeches were eagerly waiting on the way, hanging from the leaves on either side of the path. Some staff were seeing it for the first time in their life and screamed for help. They were very scared of the slippery and sticky leeches, which wouldn’t come off their skin very easily. Others made fun of the friends who were scared of such a soft and little, boneless creature.

Preparing meals by ourselves after tiring journeys and sleepless nights in hot and humid weather, sacrificing our body to many mites and insects was a challenging experience. Nevertheless, besides the challenges, overall journey was wonderful with like-minded and a cooperative group.

Despite all the hardships and challenges, we ended the 2019 health check-up campaign with lots of wonderful memories and great smiles on our faces.

Bhutan's ultimate celebration

Kingdom of happiness has been ruled by successive kings since the establishment of the hereditary monarchy on 17 December 1907. Their holistic, profound compassionate and farsighted leadership has changed our country from a feudal society to modern Bhutan. The Kingdom witnessed unprecedented changes within a short span of time.
The country's sovereignty and identity were upheld, the unique culture and customs are preserved, peace and prosperity ensured. The country enjoys the philosophy of Gross National Happiness, the unique gift that emanated from the great fourth to his countrymen.
Bhutan's ultimate celebration falls on 17th of the last month of every year. The only day where Tsa-Wa-sum (king, country and People) celebrates jointly to commemorate the whole year's collective  hard works. The day citizens pay tribute and homage to past and present kings for their farsighted and profound leaderships. Moreover, it is the day the king recognizes and thanks the proactive civil servants and extra ordinary active citizens whose unique contributions has impacted greatly in socio-economic progress of the country by conferring varieties of medals, kapneys and patangs.

This is the day, where all citizens wait eagerly to celebrate whole heartedly. They prepare the celebration grounds, practice the dances and more importantly eagerly wait to see the medal recipients for the year from the throne.
Every national day celebrations add many  memories in my life. This year’s national day was even more special as I joined the nation in celebrating the 111th National Day by taking part in "wang-zhey" dance to mark the day in my place.

Happy 111th National Day.

In Full Wang Zhey Attire.

The Dried Rose

The morning awfully calm and quiet,

Mind filled with boredom and anxiety-

Sunk in intense worries and tensions,

Drowned my weak memory in depth

I took a solitary walk that morning.

On the way to an idly walk I took,

Encountered a dried rose lying on the ground

To be trodden underfoot, nobody cared of it.

I picked up gently and gazed at it

It was ruled by harmony once in its life,

Admired, cared, and kissed by all-

But now it has lost in time and space.

                                               Nothing would be remained forever

Everything has its own day to be ruined.

The Fair Weather Son

Karma is from a very humble family where he had finished his schooling with great sufferings. His only mother had worked hard to send him to school. Every single coin mother earned had been spent on Karma’s education thinking that she doesn't want her son to suffer like her. As same fate as she suffered.  Mother worked in the field under any sort of weather. She worked in heavy downpours, under scorching sun and she never gave up working in strong wind because she thought she want to suffer for his only son.

Though she wore cloths, she always sent the best cloths for her son. She thought her son’s happiness was more important than her own and she never failed her responsibility to shower happiness on him, too. She loved her son very much. She liked to go and meet her son at the school but she thought that her son’s friends might look down her son as a son of poor widow and never went to meet.

After many years of suffering, Karma got a decent job. It was a great relief for mother. She dreamed of a comfortable life, she imagined a life away from her field to devote herself to the god because she had committed lots of sin for the well-fare of them.

However, the dream never went as far the dreamed. Karma was completely changed physically and mentally after getting a job. He even got married and he hardly sent money to his mother. He never went village to meet his mother and he didn't bother his mother who had suffered for his education. One day mother called him,

“Karma, I am your mother.”

“Yes, what made you call me?”

“I just wanted to ask……” she hesitated to complete the sentence. After sometime she got strength and resumed.

“I wanted to ask….if you could come to village to meet me and if you don’t mind please…… send me some amount.”

“Why I have to come to meet you? Don’t you know that I am working here? Who will give money if I come to meet you? I've sent the money last time and again you want?”

“I know you work there but I want to meet you since it has been few years we haven’t met. The money you have sent was two years ago and it’s almost finished. Now I cannot work in the field like before, I have to buy everything from shops to feed me.”Mother told him with her shivering soft voice.

“I’m sorry mother, you don’t know how hard the life in Thimphu. I have to buy fancy car like my friends and I have to look after my family. You old granny will never understand.” He barked back to his mother.

The words hit her heart like a razor sharp. She hung up the phone and sobbed like a child out of despair.

One day Karma sat on a couch and was reading a news paper, his phone rang and he got the news of his mother’s demise.

A Valuable Lesson

Unconditional love of  a mother

My journey to Phuntsholing by bus was worthwhile. 

When I just crossed Gedu, there were few monkeys on roadside. Amongst them, I saw two little baby monkeys crawling just behind their mothers. Bus driver halted for a while. Many fellow passengers were giving some fruits and sweets to those monkeys.

I too hastily got off from the bus and tried to take pictures of those two small monkeys, but their mothers were so protective of them didn't allow those baby monkeys to stay away from them. They felt insecure for their babies. I landed up taking the pictures of four of them finally.

I learnt many lessons after witnessing their love and affection towards their babies. As a mother, she has unconditional love who can sacrifice everything for their offspring. No mother would like to keep one’s offspring away from them. She would always want to assure safety and comfort of her baby.

If animals can be of affectionate and compassionate to one’s offspring, we are better than them in many aspects. Therefore, I request all parents to assure love, guidance and support to one’s own children. If they get needed attention and love of their parents, no kids would opt for unproductive activities. As a result, all would enjoy peace and happiness.

A Humble Prayer for our Dharma Kings

We all should be proud and grateful for being a Bhutanese under the glorious reign of the Wangchuck Dynasty with continued peace and happiness. While year 2015 ended with grand celebration and longevity prayers on 60^th Birth Anniversary of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, 2016 had a grand beginning.

With the Royal Birth of His Royal Highness the Gyalsey, 2016 began with such an auspiciousness which only few are fortunate to witness. Happiness knew no bound for all citizens of Bhutan when they heard news of the Royal Birth on 5 February 2016, a historic day which will be remembered throughout by all. We all had the rare opportunity to share our prayer for the good health and longevity of His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen and His Royal Highness the Gyalsey.

We are so fortunate to have Bodhisattva and Dharma Kings of the past, present and the future amongst us. We are so lucky to be living among glorious lineages of Wangchuck dynasty in the form of Lord Buddha, Guru Padmasambhava and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. I am sure that no other nations will be lucky enough to witness the three generations of Dharma Kings with unwavering love and compassion for the people of Bhutan.

We are ever grateful to our farsightedness of our Kings who led Bhutan to 21 century without compromising our unique culture, traditions and social values. We gained affections from all corners of globe for our unique development philosophy Gross National Happiness and efficient management and conservation of our rich natural heritage. We pray and wish for continuous peace, prosperity and happiness under leadership of Dharma Kings for all times to come.

Bhutanese Song-This heart of flesh and blood

Female:

This heart of flesh and blood,

Though resides inside me;

Its beats are just for you

This foolish heart's gonna break for you!

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Male:

I am becoming totally restless,

When you aren't around

Please don’t go out of my sight

Please don’t go out of my sight.

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Female:

In the peaceful altar of my heart-

A faithful heart of yours

Can now offer a golden cup,

I will keep filled with love-scented water

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Male:

This highly skilled-in-seeing eyes;

Though live just on my face

Whatever they see is just you,

Your image flickers even when closed

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Female:

Don't tell this to me darling,

You are very lovely girl,

Please let me lean on your lap

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Male:

My mind truly loves you- Karsang

A faithful heart of yours,

Can now draw a circle of dragon,

So that milk of our love can be kept in it.

****

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Dzongkha Version. Click on the photo to make it more legible