The mock Drill

The school announced that we would be having a mock drill on disaster management today in the morning assembly. We eagerly listened as the coordinator  outlined procedures for the drill. We went back to the class and instructed the students on the same so that things would go smoothly during the drill which was scheduled after lunch.

Multitasking

Every day I try to battle my day with a smile on my face. Multitasking is something that needs thorough planning but I never learned to plan things in my life. I took the things as it came- one at a time, I am still doing that and I think I am good at what I do. I am a mother, wife, a teacher and a driver and I assume many role as and when needed :P

The camp experience

My principal handed me an office order stating that I was to attend a scout camp for four days away in the wilderness… I say wilderness because the camp was away from town where I had never been before though it was just about 20 kms from my place. Reading the order I realized that I had just about a few days to mentally prepare myself for the camp. I called the other colleagues mentioned in the letter and found out that we had to report to the Dzongkhag office in about three days time ( two days prior to the camp for planning). What the heck! My first reaction was to shout “to the hell with the camp in the middle of the academic session” and cancel my name from the list with a few calls but my friends suggested against it and I found myself sitting in the Dzongkhag office on the set date with the other participants cracking my brains out with the planning given the short period of time. Two days into the planning and preparation and on the third day I was driving through the dusty bumpy road into the wilderness. 

Frustrations!

Frustrations! Frustrations! You cannot help it when you are sand-witched between two bosses.

After rushing through the busy morning hours, I finally drop my children at school and proceed to my work place. I take a look on my watch as I park my car. Yes! I was on time, just as always. The very important value that my parents taught. My father used to say “time is like a river, ever flowing. One need to keep a pace with it in order to make things happen”.

The mail

On the evening of 11^th March 2011, I sat stunned as I watched the news on TV about the earthquake of 9.0 RC hitting the eastern shores of Japan. The news showed the horrifying footage of the things happening at the other end of the world - the world that held my other family; the family I had known for a brief period while I was visiting the place.

My guests

Two ladies came to occupy my cottage for more than two months. I say my cottage because, the cottage came with the bungalow allotted to my husband and we had been occupant of the same for some time now. The guest came to live at our place because they happen to be relative of my husband’s friend. Initially they said that they would be staying for a month and we agreed.

Sad movies …

I first saw the book “P.S. I love you by Cecelia Ahern” when I was visiting Thimphu a few weeks ago. The friend to whom the book belonged asked me whether I wanted to read to which I declined the offer because I hadn’t planned to stay for long in Thimphu and I was worried about not completing the book. Thus I declined. My stay in Thimphu extended beyond what I had planned and I almost called my friend to ask for the book but then I had other errand and got busy and completely forgot about the book until last week.

The New Look

The road I had driven for the past one year looked suddenly different when I drove to work this morning. At first I thought I was seeing things as I was preoccupied with some things related to work because tomorrow my students will be back to school and I had so many things to do to make everything ready when they arrived. But No! I was not dreaming. Something really was different. The road which usually gave me jerk as I drove was very smooth this morning. I slowed my car and drove slowly taking in everything. Over the weekend, I could see that the road had been repaired and the huge boulders which usually hindered while driving had been displaced at the side of the road. Wow! The visit of the VIPs definitely had some positive impact.

My observation II

The chill wind hit me as soon as I got off the bus. I tried to pull my scarf closer to avoid the wind and at the same time looking for my niece. She was to pick me up from the bus stand. I scanned the crowd and finally spotted her looking frantically, searching for me. Yes! She was there. I waved and she saw me and came towards me and towed me into a waiting taxi.

My Observation

I hadn’t planned to go to Thimphu initially but since I was standard in Phuntsholing for a countless days due to Assam and Bengal strike, I decided to finally pay visit to the capital city. My friends were worried because they knew that I hadn’t been to Thimphu in winter and they thought I wouldn’t be able to stand the cold weather during the peak winter season. I nearly changed my mind twice but then I thought that if I went back to my words I would not be able to make the visit in the near future. So finally I decided to g ahead with my plan and got a bus ticket to Thimphu. After spending three days in Phuntsholing, I finally boarded my bus to Thimphu. I made sure that I had some warm clothes before I boarded the bus and purchased an extra jacket.

Watching autumn in my heart

I and my friend (roommate) decided to watch the Korean movie (serial) “ Autumn in my heart”. It was not planned initially because both of us had been very busy with the preparation of group presentation. We worked through Saturday and spent almost half of Sunday on it. (Both of us were working separately since we were in different group) My group members (male) didn’t show their face during the entire preparation time because they said they had other errand. After spending about half of Sunday in the room, we decided to go to the market. We strolled the town, buying nothing of importance. After lunching out, we came back and then sat down to watch the movie.

On a forced diet

We come back from our session in the evening and get busy with the preparation of next day's presentation. I rigorously look for some references in the library and browse the net. The time flies by and we don’t even realize that it’s past the dinner time. Damn! We missed the dinner again. This is the 6^th night that we had been here and we never saw the dining hall in the mornings and evenings and the reason we gave was we were too busy.  It’s not that we are so engrossed with the preparation for preparation and other assignments but engaged mostly in the silly tit bits of our life.

Away from home

Being away from home is like a hell but being away during losar is unthinkable. On the eve of losar, my cell rang a numerous times and I got many wishes from family, friends and other well wishers but all those wishes were wasted on me because my only wish was to be with my family on that day which I could not. Sometimes I wish that I had been wise enough not to join this course because though the duration is not very long its seems like ages since I have been here but when I counted the days, I realized that it’s just  three days since I had come here.

Charged Nu.2 extra

I bought ticket for the public transport enroute to samtse. I was travelling with my two friends to attend the course. We paid Nu. 38 each for the tickets and got onto the bus. The bus was not very crowded when we boarded from the bus stand. I was squeezed between my two friends.  As soon as the bus crossed the Indo-Bhutan boarder, there was a crowd of passenger waiting to board the bus. The conductor started shoving in all the extra passengers. The people started pouring in and the bus got more crowded and there was not a single space to place a foot yet the people kept on boarding. After about five minutes the bus started moving. By then the people sitting on their respective seats were also complaining about the comfortableness of the ride.

Glimpses of Samdrup Jongkhar Tshechu 2010

Vacation

The vacation has started. My kids are busy with their plans to visit their grand parents, uncle and aunts and cousins. I too would like to visit my relatives but I cannot do so since I have to be at another place away from my family. This is the sixth year that I hadn’t been able to enjoy a relaxed vacation but this year will be the last year that I will be sacrificing my hard earned vacation in a dull place like Samtse away from my family and hopefully I do not wish to visit this place again in my near future.

Dinner

This happened a few days ago. I was in the market with my son when I got a call from my husband. I thought he might have called to ask for something to be bought from the market so I asked him what he wanted. He asked me to get home because he had invited someone for dinner. I asked who the guest was and when I learned I shouted “Are you crazy?” I could read the time on the wall clock in the shop. I just had 1 hour to get home and make the dinner ready. I asked him to take the guest to the restaurant but he insisted that the dinner be made at home.

My angle

I had been awake for more than two hours and it’s still dark outside. I do not have anything to do since it’s a holiday. I try to open the book that I had brought yesterday but my mind is not on it. My thought keeps wandering to the day I got a call. The call that destroyed everything I had.

If Only….

It was a cold winter evening, everyone wrapped in old blankets sat around the fire, consuming every single heat the wood could produce. It was Zangmo, her ailing mother and her two younger siblings. They were very poor and the harsh winter could not let Zangmo find something to feed her family. Though just 17, she had to shoulder the entire responsibility of her house, for now her mother had been bed ridden for three weeks. Not to mention about the medicines, her mother could not even get good diet and every single day she was failing. Every groan produced by her ailing mother brought tears in her eyes.

Of Exams and Preparation

As my exams approach, I am struggling with the last minute preparation. I curse myself for not preparing beforehand but I also know that it wouldn’t have been possible with so many things happening in my life. At first it was the domestic emergency and then came the busy schedule at work. One thing led to another and before I realized, my exams schedule was out and I hadn’t even finished collecting notes. I frantically start googling and print some pages and flip though them trying to grasp some information. That’s what I had been doing for the past two weeks.