Lhamo part-2

It was in 2004, when I first met Karma Lhamo as my classmate in Class IX at Drukgyel Higher Secondary School.

When we met for my 26th birthday and she gifted me
 'The Lord of The Rings'. Ever since I talk the Hobbit
language. She to be blamed :P

She and I were in the same morning class-cleaning group. And one morning I was late for the social work; I hurried to my class, fling my backpack to the nearest table and grabbed a broom ready to sweep. Reminiscing that day, it was as if the universe had conspired us to fight so he gave us a silent place, because although we had other classmates in the class-cleaning routine for that morning, only Karma Lhamo was sweeping the empty classroom floor, everyone else was out of sight. I hastily moved to one row and asked her if she had already swept that row (because my intention was to sweep it if she hadn’t already or to move to the other row otherwise). But with some murmur I didn’t hear of, she shot me a squinted eye look (migom), or at least I felt so. And just like that we were foes without even fighting a battle. The academic year had just begun, and thus we stopped talking to each other before we even got any closer.

She now denies about the migom, and maybe she is right, maybe she didn’t, maybe I reacted too quick (for that’s what I do best) because after knowing her for more than a decade now, I bet she wouldn’t just have given me that look for that one question. But that fateful day, O! I saw it! Haha.

Thus, we didn’t talk for that whole year and the next, until it was my birthday and I was giving sweets to everyone and I gave her too. Although the reason for not-talking had been long forgotten and forgiven, we had already crept into the awkward-to-talk-again phase, so after that we just smiled at each other.

I have only faint memories of those two years. It was after the 10^th results, that it all began. There was class division again for Class XI, more new students from more schools had come in for the admission. And fate had it; best friends in class X were separated again. Pema Lhamo and I were separated. Karma Lhamo and Shreejana Pradhan, Karma Lhamo’s then best friend were separated. Karma Lhamo and I were placed in Class XI/A, while Pema Lhamo was taken to XI/B. And although Pema Lhamo and my class were separated just by a wall, we went up to my new class teacher to ask for my transfer to the other class, he denied and so I was stuck in Section A.

Since Karma Lhamo and I were both sort of impaired without our best friends, we fast became the new best friends and soon inseparable. We shared our desks in the front row for the subsequent two years never fighting again. While I worked on Biology projects in the Math classes, she did Math assignments in the Biology classes. Math teacher frowned at me, Biology teacher frowned at her.

Pema Lhamo and we would meet during the intervals and lunch together and so the three of us were best friends now. 

My Lady Love

We had other friends too, those who were the sidekicks like in the movies :P Karma Lhamo’s parents ran a grocery shop, still does, and she would bring us petty gifts from the lucky-tip sachets. She would already show me the wrapped gifts and let me choose the prettiest, and then just so the others won’t feel discriminated, she would flaunt them in front of us all and let us choose. Because I already know, I would pick the prettiest and we would silently chuckle satisfied. ‘I still have the tinniest mug and the joker tray you gave me. They are at display at home.’ Well, that is the thing about me, I don’t forget who gave me what. I’m very careful and particular with my stuff. I don’t lose them until I decide to give them away, and at this I have to stop talking about myself :P

Karma Lhamo cannot still look up to my Acho, when she is at my place and he is there, she looks the other way, up, and down and any way just so to avoid meeting his eyes. I don’t think they ever talked to each other. She narrates her fear of him after he yelled at us. There was this lengo (mental) who walked around Drukgyel with patang tied up his waist. And there were rumors he lifted a girl’s kira when he got his chance. So one evening we were walking home after school and we passed him by, scared, we ran up my home shrieking and shutting the door loud behind. That’s when Acho must have got startled and shouted at us, and shouted loud for she still fears him. Haha. I don’t exactly remember this incident though. This is from what she later told me. As for Pema Lhamo, she makes good friends with him.

Karma Lhamo is the kind of people who says, “Drive safe. Let me know as soon as you get home”, “Text me when you get there”, and when I forget to let her know, she calls :) She is the kind everyone needs at least one in their lives.

She is the kind who cannot give "no" for an answer. She puts anything and anyone but herself before herself. ‘So the next time you sit for any interview and you are asked of your weaknesses, you should say, “saying no is”. Because it really is, unlike other people who use it to hide their other weaknesses, or just use it because it is common?’ But darling, you cannot make everyone happy; it’s not your job in the first place. Being so kind is truly a blessing and a curse. I just pray people appreciate this beautiful persona of yours and not take advantage of it and do anything that hurt you.

Frodo, Sam and Pippin, 
I would like to refer ourseleves as :P

Abridge, I have known Pema Lhamo for 16 years, been best friends for 13. I have known Karma Lhamo for 13 years, been best friends for 11. Doesn’t it feel fantastic to have your childhood best friends as your teen-age best friends and then the same best friends as your adulthood best friends? And if we live long to see, I promise we will be awesome grannies. Best friends till the end. Always and forever.

What I mean is, if I were Frodo and I were to choose Sam and Pippin to accompany me for my perilous task. I would choose the two of you. 

I love you guys to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and back. 

Lhamo part-1

My childhood friendship circle has pretty much revolved around Lhamos, Pema Lhamo, Karma Lhamo, Tashi Lhamo, Yangchen Lhamo, Karma Pema Lhamo … Some would tease, why don’t you change to Wangmo Lhamo too and you guys could make the Lhamo team? Moreover, I have this tendency of calling people out with their full names mostly when the syllable is less than 3 (although people claim it makes the relation sound distant, and I personally feel people are mad at me when they use my full name, because I use full names to address them when I’m mad?; albeit only implicit to those whom I refer using their first names only otherwise). Amid others, Pema Lhamo, Karma Lhamo and I have stuck around amidst time, place, college, work, new friends, or life so to say. And today, these Lhamos are the ones I can call my own. First, Pema Lhamo.

First, Pema Lhamo, the ultimate Weirdo! 

It was in 2000 when mom and dad got transferred to Drukgyel Lower Secondary School from Dotey (Now Doteng) Primary School, both in Paro. So, Drukgyel is in Jitsephu, and long before, there were rumors of Tsentops (people hailing from areas near Drukgyel dzong) being outrageous and perilous. My parents had instilled fear into me with stories of how the Drukgyel students during examination would pull out a dragger, thrust it on their table before the invigilators and write/copy their answers. So, I was a timid new school girl when I met Pema Lhamo in Class V/A. And one day, I don’t exactly remember what I had actually done, but in one of the classes, Pema Lhamo’s then best friend Chimi Om slipped a note on to me. The two of them had asked to meet them after school to resolve on that something. Oh boy! I believe that was ragging at junior school level. And although, my parents were both teachers of that very school, I couldn’t ask for help. We have never involved parents in our kid-matters anyway. So I wrote back a note most probably apologizing and the matter was settled. That day after school while I was walking home swiftly, scared they would follow; I noticed Pema Lhamo was just another timid little girl following her friend’s directives.

So, Pema Lhamo had her own best friend then, I had my own, but after a few months, we hung around together playing “fridge-fridge”. We would bring from home ingredients to make ezay (chillies, onions, tomatoes and cottage cheese) and hid them under dry bushes (during winters) and among the “I Love You” flowers (during its season). We called our hide-outs “our fridge”, and ran there during intervals. Also when we fought and were enemies (that’s how we used to refer each other as when we were not talking ) we would go to that spot, and the talking-two would make the not-talking-two say out each other’s name at the count of 3, and we would be friends again. But Pema Lhamo and I weren’t best friends yet. 

It was after Junior High, we were promoted to Class IX and to the High School across the fence. While Pema Lhamo and I had opted for Computer Science, Pema Lhamo’s then best friend, Chimi Om and my then best friend, Sonam Dema were placed in the Commerce Stream. Thus, Pema Lhamo and I were classmates, table mates and later best mates. Class IX, was when we had new students coming from other junior schools. That’s when Karma Lhamo made her entry. She came from Lango Lower Secondary School and she had her own best friend from her last school. Let me talk about her in “Lhamo part-2”. 

Sarang ha yo chinguya ❤

Ever since, Pema Lhamo and I have been best buddies. During school we would exchange gifts, eat our lunches together, stare at our then crushes together :P, and have sleepovers at my place. She had long black hair then, she was girly and shy. I had short hair (mostly boy-cut and mushroom-cut), baggy clothes, almost Tom. These characters we have now swapped it seems

I won’t say she is necessarily a geek, but she does sniff books and likes it too. I don’t think I would be too wrong if I say she finished reading the entire Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys sequel. When I read Enid Blyton, she read Sidney Sheldon and Danielle Steel. When I completed one book, it won’t be an exaggeration to say she would complete five. When the school librarian won’t allow her to take more than two books at a go, she would make almost the entire class to get books issued in our names for her.

But we were both Harry Potter hard cores. Oh how we would draw the bolt as Harry Potter’s on each other’s foreheads every day at school. And wear his badges, oh so religiously. I think we had more stickers of the Harry Potter series than all other stickers combined. Slam books, scrap books, song books, note books, text books, everything had Harry Potter stickers. We were so much into Harry Potter; we were freaks talking gibberish wizard languages, memorizing spells and using them on each other. Our entire high schooling days began and ended with him. But once college happened, her loyalty shook and now she is an EXO freak. ‘I should have known you were a traitor when you started liking that Malfoy boy over Harry. Traitor!’

The many dishes she would prepare for me 

After High School, we went to different colleges, we didn’t meet as often as before but we never stopped being best friends. I believe we got even closer after graduation and as we started staying over at each other’s place. ‘I feel like I have never known you better before. Were you always this weird? Because until you came up to live with me, you looked pretty normal to me :P’. So last year, when she took the 3 month Japanese Language classes, we lived together and I believe learned about each other like never before. Every day she would cook varieties of dishes for me, saying she is experimenting on me. More than the dishes, it was the sweet notes she packed with my lunch Tiffin that moved me. And when I got home from office, she would rattle on about Exo and K-pop and Super Junior and the list goes on. Every day she would force me to watch the Korean music videos and reality shows aspiring to make me one of her Exo-L fans, and every day she would miserably fail. But there is no giving up with this woman! I did learn a lot of their names and songs for her sake.

 After Karma Lhamo got back from Korea
and we decided to have a wine party.
Pema Lhamo can't handle drinks though 

One time when I had enough of Exo and Big Bang and GG and many many others, I was just throwing her a stale joke saying she must have dropped one of her brain’s screws. Later, she said she unconsciously began looking for it on the carpet. She admits she lives life upside down.  Talks in languages no one would get. ‘A freelancer of life’, she calls herself. But again, there is the charm, isn’t it? Living so carefree and innocently like a baby.

In between we frequently travelled in and out of Paro and Thimphu. One time when we were at her place, we decided for the hot stone bath. We were taking turns. And since the night hadn’t fallen yet, we let Amo and Jumo (granny in Parob kha) take the dip first. When it was our turn, I was walking up to the place with my changes, and Pema Lhamo was driving back Jumo home. The feeder road was a little uphill, and I don’t know how she did that (it needs more than mere talent), the next moment she had her apa’s car literally across the width of the road (like you see in some “How did the car get there?” facebook pictures). Literally! There was a panicking granny inside. And panicking amo and I outside. And Amo was half-naked, right out of the Waa (wooden tub). Haha. When uncle came for the rescue, he first shooed away Amo to get some clothes on. And gave Pema Lhamo the scolding she deserved. And so the kid won’t even talk to her dad for days.

And then we got totally wasted!

My Pema Lhamo is also an extremist. For many years, it was her passion to dye her hair literally every now and then. Until a few months ago when Amo dyed it black once and for all. Bravo Amo! Haha 

♩ ♪ My forever singing partners ♫ ♬
Behold! Im planning to get a Karaoke set this August,
if my budget permits.

While she left for Paro after those 3 months, she left me some 12 paged letter hidden below the pillow. I got that letter hours after she left, and when I did, my psychopath drama queen had me crying. In the letter, she had conveyed her gratefulness for coping up with her and confessions of how she loves me more than any Xiumin or Chanyoel or Suho (Exo guys). ‘Let me tell you, how much ever weird you are, I love every bit of you. There is no other like you. You are my “precious”, just as the Elven ring is to Gollum.’ 

‘And today I read your letter again and without knowing I was crying. I miss you.’

Having said that, she is real stern too. She scolds me. (I think we take turns in scolding each other :P) About wearing contact lens, and not eating well. She be like my granny, no matter how much I eat and how fat I get, she would always say I have become skinny and I need to eat well. She would dislike a person I dislike, with me, even when she has nothing to do with him/her. How she would curse all those douche bags that ever hurt me. ‘I feel blessed to be loved so much. But I am also really scared of you. Almost as sacred as I am of Ashim. But maybe that’s the respect I have for you (feel honored please!). So if I date, you will be the second last person to know about it. The last person being Ashim ’

When Dubsmash was a thing and Karma Lhamo was in Korea. We chose to wish her a happy birthday like this. We made a lot of other videos, only this one is okay to be publicized. LOL 

We don’t talk to each other every other day but when we do, we do for hours straight, until our jaws hurt of talking, hand hurt of holding the phone, and the line cuts off because our balance is over. And then she would call from her Amo’s phone. Time and again you have proved true to how we don’t need many friends, all we need is a few but true ones. 

Sarang hae yo, aeshitayru chinguya

P.S: The rumors about Tsentops or Parobs in general being perilous are so untrue. I have lived in Paro for the last two decades, and I have never been treated so well. They are rather the most friendly, reliable and supportive people I have ever come across. Paro is my second home, third home now since I live at Thimphu mostly. 

Do you think of me?

Do you think of me? 
Because I think of you. 
Every night till I fall asleep and see you in my dreams. 

Do you think of me? 
Because I think of you. 
Every morning till I push myself out of the bed still half in sleep. 

Do you think of me? 
Because I think of you. 
Every time I drink coffee and I want to drink it with you.

Do you think of me? 
Because I think of you. 
Every time I listen to a good song and I want to reach out those lyrics to you.

Do you think of me? 
Because I think of you. 
Every time I write something hoping you will read and know it's for you.

Do you think of me? 
Because I think of you. 
And build dreams that will never come true for it's chaos in my head. 

Do you think of me? 
The way I think of you. And us?

Ps: No, I'm not in love, only my adrenaline rush for it's 3:51 AM and I haven't slept a blink? And too much of caffeine in my system, I'm becoming a poet that I'm not :P

Dear Apa

Dear Apa

I know I’m your favorite and will always be. Thank you for always favoritize-ing me over my older siblings :P You did a good job there! See today I write this piece on you, for you, with love.

When I was little, I think more than my older siblings you teased me with how I was picked from the trash and raised as your daughter. (My Apa would openly challenge me as to how he can make me cry in a minute without touching. I would act bold only to find myself wailing the next minute. Those were mean Apa!).

But after that phase, you and I have always been partners. We always will be. You have always had my back and I had yours. (Before college when we lived together at Paro, Apa and I would always do things together, we would go on walks together (My Apa has such a smart personality, the Armies at Drukgyel would take him for an Army Officer and would salute him and Apa won't be surprised). We would play badminton on the road at dusk, bask in the sun and eat walnuts during winters. He build me a snowman that winter I was upset about my Class XII result.

Oh! How I miss those good old days.

When Mommy would watch her Hindi soaps, Apa would makes faces at me (he still does). And we would laugh. Mom would suspect foul play and get mad at us). When mommy won’t talk to me after I spoiled my papers, you did :) Thank you. 

Thank you Apa for being my biggest support. (My apa has always been supportive in what I did, what I wore or with any decision I made. When I was in College, I had once dyed my hair yellow and gone home during the vacation. Next few days my sister persuaded me into dying my hair red instead since I wasn’t taking black for an option. While she did that, she was seeking Apa’s support, “Apa, Tell Chunku, yellow hair gives a cheesy look”. Apa was like, “Yellow looks fine on her. Maybe that’s the trend these days”. I winked, “It is!” And we hi-5ed with our gesture in mid-air. 
Apa and I would always wish each other a good night's sleep before going to bed. He would announce loudly, "Now this old man will..." And i would complete the idiom for him shouting equally loud , "...kick the hay". That’s how partners work. Apa for I and I for Apa).

Thank you Apa for beating up just acho when we had a fight, unlike mommy (she would say if we were to weigh it on a scale, I would weigh the same naughtiness as acho). Apa, you hit me once remember? With that leather belt of yours when I won't get up to study during my exams. I climbed on the sofa and a friend who lived in the next apartment saw me through the window. She would tell that in school. That was embarrassing, Apa -_-

Thank you Apa for doing so much for our education. (Apa would always prioritize studies, he would always say anything for education, anything for books. So at times I would make him buy me Archie Comics and Tinkles in the name of books :P)   

(Apa always wanted a home-posting for he wanted to build his own house (mom made it home:)) and had old parents to look after, but he pushed it further just so that I could complete my studies in a good school while living as a day-scholar). You have always put your children before your dreams. Thank you.

It feels like yesterday when I used to sit down on the floor with my pencil and my book and you would lie on the bed and narrate me answers for my assignment questions. Thank you for helping me out with my assignments and Morning speeches. You know some people recognize me for the speeches I used to give at school. You have always prepared great speeches for me. You trained me to be confident and taught me where and how to use appropriate intonations. How i used to enjoy watching you read. (I was in Class III, when I first volunteered to give the morning assembly speech. Apa would train me. We would both read out loud together everywhere and anywhere. Even in the kitchen when Apa cooked while sneezing (because of the amount of masalas he burns when he cooks), I would read out loud and he would listen, oh! so enthusiastically. I would read more). And you are a great cook, Apa. Your fish cuisine is the very reason I could never fully turn vegetarian.

Thank you Apa for never drinking at the bar. (My Apa buys bottled whiskey and drinks at home. When those drinks run short, he would (or make us) run down the bar with a tea mug and a lid, buy a few pegs, bring home, transfer it to a whiskey glass and drink at home). Looking back I cannot just help admiring you for all those thoughtful deeds, it is in fact so much of an honor to have a father like you.

Thank you Apa for complimenting and appreciating me. Your compliments have encouraged me to strive harder for I knew they were genuine when it came from you. (Apa used to compliment how my eyes were big and beautiful and that I resembled the Bollywood Kajol :P) There was a time when maybe I was in my puberty so I had grown a little stylish, I wanted to use make up and make myself appear whiter (You are to be blamed for my dark skin though). You noticed it first. I still remember how you told Mommy I was now growing up, I can still blush to this.

Thank you Apa for being so cool. Thank you for being the dignified man who doesn’t bargain with the Jaigoan vendors. Thank you for not being the stereotype you were raised in. That gives me a perfect living example so to why you cannot and should not generalize people with their religion, region, caste, family background, appearance and the many adjectives people use to label other people.

Thank you Apa for being the joy and laughter of our family, for being so cooperative with my ideas and for always wearing what I choose for you. Remember Apa? You dressing me ulta kira when I was in class I? I vividly remember how I realized after reaching school, the opening of my pocket was on the left side. But i forgive you for that, at least you tried. 

The times I had nightmares and I would run to your room in the middle of the night, you won't scold, you would just let me sleep with you and mom. Sorry for not leaving even a tiny bit of privacy for you and mom.

In school, when we were to write essays on “my Idol person” I would always choose to write on you because didi already had articles on you being her idol. But now I don’t need to see those articles to write why you are such an inspiration and how much I idolized you dear Apa. Didi once wrote in one of her articles, how you would make up excuses saying the shop was closed when you forgot to bring us sweets, but I don’t remember them, I only remember the part where I would get you vegetable baskets and in turn make you get me my favorite packet of chips. But I usually did accompany you to town, didn’t I? When Mommy was busy and Didi lazy and Acho just won’t go, I would go with you.

But mostly, thank you Apa for loving Mommy the way you do. Thank you for being faithful and loyal to her. Thank you for meeting her, marrying her, and finally having us, hybrids! (I would hear from others what my parents were famous for. They were famous for not fighting even once in their entire married life! No, not even a single quarrel I can recall of. Of course there would be little bit of misunderstandings here and there, little bit of getting mad at each other, grumpy faces and murmurs. But I don’t have a single memory of my dad raising his voice to my mom or my mom to my dad. They have always worked things out together mutually. I haven’t seen a more compatible partner than the two of them although they come from varied family backgrounds). I cannot express how much I appreciate the love you guys have for each other. Thank you for a beautiful childhood.

And finally Thank you for raising the standards of a man so high, now I cannot find myself a husband? :P

No matter how many thank you(s) I say, I know I will always run short. I just cannot thank you enough I know. Today I just want you to know how much of a great father you are and have always been. I want you to know how much you mean to me and our family. How much of an inspiration you are to me. How lucky I am to be born as your daughter (I would still consider myself lucky even if I were found in that trash and raised by you and Mommy). I want you to know how much pride I hold in being your daughter. I love you immensely Apa. Happy father’s day!

Please take care of your health, Apa. Easy on your drinks and liver old man. 

PS: Apa also used to be my barber and oh the way he chopped off my bangs, I can only remember how horrible I looked. 
PPS: Apa used to fart and fart loud (intentionally most times) and apologise to me (Mind you! just to me even when there were other family members who had heard the fart and felt equally disgusted). He used to go, "Sorry la Chunku, loud farts don't stink though". I was special you see? :)
PPPS: I can go on and on writing about how much of an amazing father you are. I love you, Apa! 

What is that? Guy hormones?

Declaimer: My respect and apologies to the good men around. Good men who literally warm my heart. And by good men I mean, after this article if you are not a little guilty. Kudos! you can walk with your head up, chest out! (You don’t have to walk like that if you don’t want to though, just know you have my respects :))

And these are my perspectives. I ain’t taking any controversies, so don’t even try?

I may not be completely true in saying this, but it is, at least for me, that a man’s personality is pretty much in how he deals with other women. I’m a naive and a feminist, so as far I have lived, I have only known men to cheat.

So yes? Why do men cheat? Even men who are in stable and comfortable relationships?

It’s because men have that natural instinct to stray. He contemplates cheating because there’s not enough happiness in his life, he contemplates cheating if his ego is bruised, he contemplates cheating if he sees a chance, he contemplates cheating because the earth is round and so is the sun?, he does that because the river flows downstream and so does his dignity? And oh the apple fell down on Newton and so he discovered the laws of gravity, how much they ought to cheat now? And wait, there are 26 alphabets in the English language and x is closely placed before y. Oh boy! Now they have Every. Reason to. Cheat! Don’t they?

Or did they say, they were drunk so they cheated? It is as lame as the 26 English alphabets excuse. Being drunk isn’t an excuse for lying, cheating, or murder. Even though the alcohol affected his brain, he still did what he did, so drinking is no excuse for infidelity. He cheats because he does that. He does that because he just does that.

Men have 10 times more testosterone than women, they say. But what the heck? If you cannot get hold of your own hormones then is there anything you can get hold of? They don’t even need a woman to be attractive or fully-grown so to say, to hit on. It’s just the guy hormone or whatever that is. Cheating isn’t nature’s fault. It’s his.

When a man makes a vow of monogamy to a spouse or significant other, and then breaks that vow, he is in violation of a relationship contract. It’s hard to continue a relationship after someone cheats. We all know that. We all know that it is a dishonest and hurtful thing to do to a person with whom you are in a relationship. I personally have always preached and practiced “If you want to see someone else, you should just break up with the person you are dating”. But I did get it? :)

In their effort of meeting their own less than emphatic sexual agenda, they undermine their personal integrity. A cheater but never gets what he wants—a clean getaway—because infidelity is nearly always discovered eventually, and when that happens it inevitably comes with devastatingly painful consequences. No matter what position you hold in the society or how much you earn, what car you drive or how branded your attires are. No matter how much of a social activist you are, once you cheat. Bam! You are labeled. And that’s the lowest level you can stoop to.  

Can’t you please be faithful and committed to your wife or your lover? Go home, you wife is waiting for you. Go home, your daughter looks up to you. Go home, before you put your precious relationships at stake for nothing really. Go home, before you lose those honors. Go home?

Does a modern technology make life more convenient or was life better when technology was simpler?

N.B.: Another essay (on a given topic) I wrote as a Third Year student for an Intra-college Essay Writing Competition in 2011. This one fetched me the First Prize too :)

Philosophical debates have arisen over the present and future use of technology in society, with disagreements over whether technology improves the human condition or worsens it.

Technology is the discipline dealing with the art or science of applying scientific knowledge to practical problems. Nowadays, when the rapidness of development and research is so impressive, we are close on an era where technology is limited only by our imagination. It is the modern technology that makes life easier and more dignified.

The use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. With the prehistoric discovery of fire came the invention of wheel, creation of boats and vehicles, building homes and so on.

Old technology is constantly being phased out by new inventions. For example: Computer technology provides us with faster news updates than the news papers. Unlike typewriters, computers have a wide rage of options to save, edit, copy, paste, etc… Internet have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact liberally on a global scale.

The technology available today has made the wealth of knowledge available to students, which offers great potential for the speed and style of learning. Information is presented in so many ways that any type of learner, whether gifted or disabled, can find and use the necessary material. Education is no longer the elitist privilege it once was. The information on the Internet is there for all who have access, without discrimination (Hollowell July 28, 2010).

Paper checks have been replaced by ATM cards, check cards and credit cards which are comparatively convenient and quick. Bills can be paid online or over phone.

Cell phones today serve a multiple purpose ousting land lines, radios, cameras and the old letter-writing system. 3G phones can avail internet access and with GPS technology we can know our exact location which can guide us back home incase we are lost.

Though Bhutan doesn’t enjoy all the privileges of a well advanced country right away, with today’s pace of development it won’t be too far. Recently monks across the country attended a training program in dzongkha information skills. They will now be equipped with necessary computer skills that will enable them to participate on many fronts in society (Kuensel, March 9, 2011).

With technology advancement, the level of living standard increases. Robots and machines would take over our daily life chores saving our time and strength. It will just require pressing some buttons rather than doing the hard labor ourselves. A more developed world with greater technologies will definitely be more convenient.

Unemployment in Bhutan

N.B.: This is my first prize winning essay, I wrote in 2008 as a First Year student at CST :)

     The development progress in any country depends on the productive output from its population and its ability to provide gainful employment to a large segment of youth. As stated in unemployment-Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, (2008), “Unemployment is a state in which a person is without work, available to work and is currently seeking for work”. Today, unemployment is seen as a rising concern all over the world especially in the south Asian countries. Like in all other countries, the development progress in Bhutan was followed with the unemployment problems arising among the youths, aged under 20 years. The development in Bhutan ushered the kingdom into an era of one of the biggest economic challenges wherein more than 40% of the population is facing tremendous difficulty in finding their choice of employment. Though, Bhutan has a lower rate of unemployment among these countries, yet the number is very alarming taking into consideration its population size.

     The employment scenario in Bhutan has undergone major changes particularly over the last decade. This is seen as an outcome of considerably faster growth rates in the secondary and tertiary sectors compared to the primary sectors. According to the Bhutan living standard survey Report, (2007), the unemployment rate has increased to 3.7% in 2007 from 2.5% in 2004 and 3.2% in 2006 (p. 40). In Lhuentse, Tashiyangtse and Thimphu, unemployment rates are found to be the highest. The high unemployment rate in Lhuentse and Trashiyangtse is because the job seekers increasingly outnumber the job opportunities available (since these dzongkhags are the rural parts).The population is high but the development rate very low,  the facilities such as industries and co operations, which employ many people are comparatively very few in these regions of the country. Thus the few available co operations remain helplessly short of space to accommodate the needy . (Though the government is now emphasizing on rural development).

Similarly, the unemployment rate in Thimphu is very high. This maybe because, Thimphu being much urbanized as compared to other dzongkhags attracts most of the Bhutanese jobseekers. But here, the people either do not want to do the jobs available or they are not qualified for the same. These mismatches between the jobs and the jobseekers leave the post empty and people idle. Usually the unsuccessful candidates do not return to their villages but remain back in Thimphu thereby increasing the unemployment rate in Thimphu.

     The incidence of unemployment is highest among the youth aged 15-24, most being early school dropouts. The scenario of the unemployment situation we see is just a tip of the ice berg. And we know that this trend will only mount. The semi literate job seeking population will be far larger. It appears that the training institutes will continue to be a weak link between the swelling student population and a hungry job market.

The Frey the problems of unemployment, a distant and vague concern in the past, suddenly appear to be at our doorstep. At the same time, we suffer an acute shortage of manpower in nearly every sector, both government and private. The irony of unemployed or potentially unemployed youth and a simultaneous manpower shortage spells a serious short coming in planning and coordination. More so because, it hits us at a time when we did not expect unemployment to even be an issue for at least another decade.

        Earlier when people left schools, they went to work on land, but today people seem more eager to find lucrative jobs in urban places. Moreover the lack of understanding on dignity of labor by Bhutanese youth has added up to the increasing number of unemployment. This is a reason as to why the country has employed thousands of Indian workers for blue collar job, building and road construction works because the Bhutanese either cannot-or-won’t do it. According to the former minister, Mr. Yeshey Zimba, “For a small country the question of migrant workers is always a very serious matter”. The cheap labour is fueling Bhutan’s rapid modernization. But the influx of foreign workers, mixed with rising unemployment among Bhutan’s youth is blamed for increasing petty crime and drug and alcohol abuse. The kingdom today finds itself in the position of not having enough laborers on one hand, while having too many over-qualified people on the other. This means that we have on one hand, thousands of students dropping out of school, completing school, and graduating from tertiary institutions every year with more and more of them unable to find jobs; on the other, we have many government and private organizations in urgent need of manpower, especially skilled workers, and not being able to find them. The unemployed youth thus remain confused and confronted by a critical career situation.

      Enormous success of enrolment in schools and increased output of educated youths has resulted in increasing numbers of youths entering the job market. However, the private sector being underdeveloped is unable to absorb the mass. Problem arising out of the mismatch between requirements of the organizations and the skills of the labor force is the reason as to why the scenario in Bhutan is termed as Structural Unemployment.

As the problem comes into focus, what we see is the need for something in between, a range of training programmes to prepare youth for the job market. What we need are training centres and institutions at all levels, offering courses in the most urgently required fields. Skills development has long been recognized in Bhutan as an urgent requirement.

  

     The situation in Bhutan is not that serious as compared to other developing countries. And the truth remains that  However the need to create new employment opportunities in the country has become particularly urgent. As stated by the planning commission of Bhutan, (2006), “unemployment, a phenomenon unknown to the country recently, will soon be a reality that the country will be forced to grapple it” (p.37).

     The government has already started working over the issue. High priority is given to the development of private sector through establishments of handicrafts and other small scale industries. Construction industries and service industries are also being promoted. Further, the government also established the Ministry of Labor and Human Settlement in 2003 to deal with issues related to youth unemployment.  

      In addition to the creation of additional employment through accelerated growth and development of private sector, it is important to create opportunities which will make rural life and employment attractive to youths. The problems of unemployment must be tackled soon in order to increase the productivity of the country and to alleviate poverty.

We live in a changing world full of opportunities.

                                            

Reference Lists

1. National Statistics Bureau. (2007). Employment. Bhutan Living Standard Survey Report. 39-45

2. Department of Aid and Debt Management. (2006). Private sector development and youth employment. Ninth round table meeting Report.   16-21

3. Planning commission. (2006). Employment. Ninth plan main document. 37-39

4. Unemployment-wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2008). Unemployment. Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://en.wikipedid.org/wiki/unemployment

5. Lawson, A. (2002). Bhutan’s deepening unemployment crises, Retrieved March 24, 2008, from http://news bbc.co.uk/l/hi/world/south-Asia/2050395.stm

6. Prakash, D. (2006). Unemployment rising as economy grows, Retrieved March 26, 2008, from http://www.asianews.it/index.php?=l=en&art=5489