Weather dependent

Posted inNature, Villages
Yes! It snowed in Haa. And the land is now moist. So our farmers are working their fields in earnest, preparing them to plant potatoes. Before the recent snow and rain, our farmers could not plough their fields – the earth was too hard, and much of the dry top soil would have been lost in the wind anyway. If the dry weather had continued, our farmers would have virtually lost the potato season.So our farmers are happy. But their concerns are not over. It’s threatening to snow again. And if it does snow, and snows heavily, potato planting…

The real Yangphel archery tournament

Posted inEconomy
Last year, Yangphel organized its biggest national archery tournament ever: 900 archers from all over Bhutan made150 teams and played a total of 180 matches over almost two months. The tournament commemorated a hundred years of monarchy and celebrated the coronation of our fifth Druk Gyalpo.Yesterday, Yangphel organized its annual internal archery tournament: 30 archers, all Yangphel employees, made six teams and played a total of five matches over two days. The final was played today. And, in true Yangphel style, prizes included television sets and cash.But to me, everyone – proprietor, management and employees – was a winner.…

Student on ice

Posted inInternational, Youth
Nishtha Sinha is Bhutan’s first student to visit Antarctica.Nishtha, an Indian, studies in Lungtenzampa MSS. So she represented two countries – Bhutan and India – when she participated in the 15-day Antarctic University Expedition 2009.The expedition, which ended yesterday, was organized by Students on Ice, a unique program that takes students, teachers and scientists to Antarctica and the Arctic to learn about and to develop respect for the world’s ecosystem.Nishtha, along with other student researchers from high schools and universities from a dozen countries, blogged from their “school” onboard the research ship, MV Ushuaia. Her second blog can be…

Zeko’s dream

Posted inGovernment, Nature
Several people have told me that the quality of discussion among you, the readers of this blog, is unusually high. Your comments are educative, insightful and provide food for thought. But I am concerned that most casual readers will not see your comments, especially if they read only the main entries. And I think that some of your views are too significant, and too valuable, to leave simply as one comment.So I’ve decided to periodically post some of your comments as main entries — please let me know if this is okay. Reproducing your comments on the main page…

Happy Losar!

Posted inMiscellaneous
Losar Tashi Delek! I offer prayers that the Year of the Ox will bring even more peace, prosperity and happiness to our beloved monarchs, to our great nation, and to our people.And as we begin a new year, I thank you for reading and contributing your valuable comments to this blog. You have nurtured the fire within me. Thank you very much.Pictured is New York’s famous Charging Bull. This website has the interesting story of the 7000 pound bronze sculpture which was installed illegally in Wall Street.

Free media’s ace

Posted inGovernment, Media
The ministry of information and communications finally has a secretary. Dasho Kinley Dorji, the former Kuensel MD, assumed his new office this morning.Dasho Kinley, popularly called "Ace", has a big responsibility. On the one hand, as the champion of a free media, journalists will expect him to continue leading and defending our still nascent media.But as a government secretary, on the other hand, he will be expected to carry out the directives of the government, his political masters.I wish him Tashi Delek! I also wish him, and the press, good luck.Photo from www.kuenselonline.com

Weathering poverty

Posted inNature, Villages
Well it didn’t snow last night. And it didn’t rain enough. But it’s still overcast. And I’m hopeful.Part of my excitement yesterday was because I was sure it would snow in my village, which, at about 2800 m, is higher than Thimphu. But it didn’t snow there either. The light drizzle was barely enough to “settle the dust” one uncle told me. He and his neighbours can’t begin to prepare their fields till enough water seeps into the parched earth.Throughout our country, most of our farmers are completely dependent on rain water. This makes farming unpredictable and unproductive. And…

Inspiring Bhutan

Posted inEducation
I went on a field trip today. I went to see the Royal Thimphu College in Ngabiphu. The college is spread elegantly over 25 acres of gently sloping blue pine forest about 10 km due south of the capital. (See RTC website)The construction of the college, which began only in October 2007, is already nearing completion. And by July this year, Bhutan’s first private college will have admitted its first students.These students will be fortunate. Dormitories, classrooms, auditorium, sports facilities, gymnasium, dining hall, cafeteria, club house … the facilities they’ll enjoy are equal to those of the best colleges…

Rhythm of the falling rain

Posted inNature, Villages
It’s drizzling outside. I hope it rains. In fact I hope it snows. We need the precipitation.Our rivers have dwindled. And can barely turn the hydropower turbines that generate electricity – and revenue – for our country.But, more importantly, our farmers have not been able to cultivate their land. Without water, their land is parched and cannot be tilled; cannot be prepared to plant potatoes. If potatoes are not planted in time, the potato yield will be bad. And potatoes are the only source of money for many of our farmers.So I’m thoroughly enjoying the soft, percussive sound of…

Party convention

Posted inPolitical parties
Here’s good news for PDP supporters: A high-level party meeting today decided that PDP’s annual convention will be held on 22 March 2009. All registered members are entitled to participate in the convention, details of which will be made public this week.

Happy Birthday

Posted inMonarchy
Earlier today, 14 lucky students got to wish His Majesty the King Happy Birthday! I’m very happy for them.I’m also proud of them. For those 14 children, all toppers in the 2008 national examinations, gave our monarch a valuable gift – the promise “that their young little hands grow to become strong and worthy of carrying our nation to greater heights.”On the happy occasion of His Majesty’s 29th Birth Anniversary, I join those successful students, and the entire nation, in wishing our beloved king Happy Birthday! And in offering prayers for His Majesty’s long life.May peace, prosperity and happiness…

Effectively changed

Posted inGovernment
The BBS reported today that the finance ministry has issued an office order announcing that the pay revision for MPs will be effective from 1st January 2009 and not 1st April 2008 as notified earlier.Good.

Committed vision

Posted inEducation, Monarchy
“My duty is to worry every single day about our people and country. And to voice these worries frankly so that we do not get carried away, get caught unawares, or become complacent” commanded His Majesty the King to the teacher graduates during their convocation on 17th February (read full text). His Majesty then articulated his concerns about our education system with the clarity, earnestness and sense of urgency that comes from “worrying every single day”.Our education system has recently come under increasing fire. Yet seemingly little is being done. So His Majesty’s counsel is timely. No doubt, the…

Teaching differently

Posted inEducation
Team teaching – a new pedagogic method practiced in urban schools to address classroom shortages and high enrolment; two teachers teach one class; while one teaches, the other monitors the class and helps students; the two teachers share homework correction duties. This week, Kuensel wrote about “team teaching” being introduced in Thimphu schools. Multigrade teaching – a pedagogic method practiced in community schools to address teacher shortages; one teacher teaches several classes together, in the same classroom; that teacher teaches all the subjects for all the classes; and that teacher does all the homework correction, for all the students.…

Major pension change

Posted inGovernment6 Comments
According to the finance minister’s Pay Revision Notification of 13th February, “The Government has approved a major change in the pension scheme…” The “major change” involves increasing pension benefits to 40% of the final basic salary and raising contributions to 22% of the basic salary (11% each by the member and employer).Increasing pension benefits will, as I argued in a previous entry, affect the sustainability of our pension scheme. Some of this pressure will no doubt be relieved by raising the contribution levels.So what overall impact will the government’s decision will have on the pension scheme’s sustainability? We don’t…