Chiphen Rigphel Training

Pic courtesy :http://chiphenrigpel.blogspot.com/view/snapshot

T

he Nu 2.5B ‘Chiphen Rigpel - Enabling a Society, Empowering a Nation’ project, with its aims to make Bhutan a knowledge economy within the next five years was termed highly ambitious when it was launched at the inaugural ceremony at Jakar HSS by the agriculture minister and education secretary on 18 February, 2011. It aims at making at least 100,000 Bhutanese students completing higher secondary school in the next five years to be computer literate and equipped with the necessary skills to participate in a knowledge based society.

Time to pack...

After sitting in the monotonous IT class for the whole day, I return home expecting for a relaxing evening with my parents, sisters, brother and kids. I drop my colleague at her place and get home only to be greeted by a gloomy face of my husband whom I didn’t expect to be home until very late in the evening since he got some VIPs to attend to. I raise my eyes in gesture and he simply breaks the news. “I am transferred”. I thought he was kidding and said so since we didn’t expect his transfer as we have been here for only two years. He told me to look into the Home Ministry website. I did so and Yes…his name was clearly listed in the transfer list. 

The difference

I stand on the lump of the hill

Overlooking the stream

That divides the valley

On my side is a small hamlet

the home of a few inhabitants

on the other side is haven.

The hamlet looks bright at night

Like the twinkling of the stars.

cars zoom along the newly paved road.

Yuden… Yuden…

Away in the midst of crowed street, I take a ride to my university on a bus. I ride the bus every afternoon to my university where I spend six hours listening to monotonous lecture on theories and the science of applying those theories in practice when I return home after another two years. Yes! I have been away from home for a year now and I still have two more years before I bid farewell to the fast changing urban life that is chewing away my soul.

It’s finally over

The daunting task of three years has finally ended. When I first got enrolled in a distance education program three years ago, it felt like a never ending task. The first day of the winter residential class in 2009 almost made me regret my decision. The day ended in daze and I among forty five others were given an outline of the first semester programme. Loaded with loads of assignments to carry home and list of presentation to be made during the residential class I had  very hard time coping up with the long sitting hours in the classroom from 8.30 in the morning till 4.30 in the evening with one hour lunch break.

Impermanence

Happy are we when we gather;

But when the things change,

And the time passes,

We witness our world shatter.

We will miss you

The trees are just as green as before, the birds sings and the autumn sun shines as clearly as it was yesterday. Yet the familiar surrounding seems suddenly dull and lifeless at the moment and the sunshine seems to have gone out at a stroke and the birds seem to have muffled their songs.

My nonsense

Three years ago, when I started scribbling, I never thought I would have a blog of my own where I would fill the page with my never ending nonsense which didn’t make sense to me (forget about making sense to the others).
Initially I just wrote some craps for http://www.nopkin.com/ to amuse myself but later  when I started receiving comments for my craps; I started writing on some prevailing social issues like violence against women and some fictions which some of the member of Nopkin thought to be my very own story depicted as fiction. Most of my readers were quite disappointed to learn that those stories were fictitious rather than my real story.

Bazu Guru Dung drup…

Lama Dondup and Chung Rinpoche

A week long Baza Guru dungdrup recitation is underway here at Zangtopelri in Samdrup Jongkhar. Presided over by the renowned Trulku Chung Rinpoche from Tharpaling in Bumthang, the baza guru dungdrup is organized by the ATI foundation – a non-profit Buddhist foundation for the wellbeing of the kingdom and the world. It began on 29^th October.

Festival of lights

http://rosemariejohn.com/tag/diwali/

Diwali- also known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated by the Hindus. It is one of the most important festivals of the year for them and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Having lived most of my growing years in the Southern Bhutan among the Lhotsampas, I had been a keen observer of the transformation of the celebration.

The drive to the countryside

Having shifted to the urban center some years ago, I had forgotten the sight of the greenery that filled our countryside. A few weeks ago, when my husband suggested that we visit a neighboring village, I was very much against the idea because I had some assignments due and I needed to concentrate on it. Coincidentally, my daughter also had her History project due the following week and she needed time to work on it but then we all thought we needed a break from the mundane routine and the drive away from the town that sunday would do us good and went along with the idea.

The blessing

Some  pictures from my trip to receive the blessing of the relics of Lord Buddha, Sangay Shacha Thupa, and his two chief disciples, Sharibu and Mougelgibu on 22^nd October 2011.

Waiting for the blessing

Source: www.bbs.com.bt

The relics of Lord Buddha, Sangay Shacha Thupa, and his two chief disciples, Sharibu and Mougelgibu arrives today at Dewathang. It will be displayed for three days (from 22nd to 24th October). The people from the neighbouring places have flocked here to receive its blessing since yesterday and the small town is flooding with people of all walks of life. The town had never seen such crowd till now. There is hardly any space to walk on the pavement and the roads are filled with vehicles of all models. I even saw a tata nano this evening. the rooms in the hotels are full and the private residents are also packed with visiting devotees.

The festivity

The much awaited Royal wedding was a festive occasion for every Bhutanese. We also took part in the celebration in our own small ways. Here are some glimpses of the celebration.

teachers at work in the morning

The fairy tale wedding

In the mystical kingdom in the Himalayas

The whole nation celebrated

The union of the destined couple

At the Puna Dewa Chhen-Poi Phodrang,

The seat of the founder of Bhutan.

To the new beginning

source: http://www.facebook.com/jetsunpem

As the countdown began for the historic event in the history of Bhutan, I sat glued to the TV to get the news updates of the event whenever I had some free time at hand (especially in the evenings). It fills me with immense pride to see the King and queen to-be walk hand in hand in public. It is rightly said that “words are few when the heart is full”- the feeling that I am experiencing is beyond words. I rejoice with the whole country and celebrate the royal wedding with pure joy and sincere prayers for the Royal couple for the new beginning. Wish you a very Happy Wedded life!

Action Poem

Pictures from class II poem recitation competition 2011

the stage is set

The Annual concert 2011

Some of the pictures from the concert- a tribute to the Royal Wedding that was held earlier this month but I couldn’t upload the pictures due to some reasons.

Class PP A dancers all set to rock the stage :)

The rude awakening

 “The 6.8 tremour on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2011 is a reminder that this precious life is unpredictable. For those who have not invested in the next life, it's a warning that the time to prepare for the next life is NOW! There's no opportune time for being a good human being. When one breathes his last, let there be no regret for having squandered thi...” writes one of my teachers on his notes on facebook.

The earthquake again

Just about two years ago, Bhutan suffered a major disaster due to earthquake. The date 21^st September 2009 hasn’t been faded from our memory and now the nightmare seems to be repeating. The only thing different this time is that the epicenter has shifted to Sikkim.