People – Tshering Tobgay

Water and food security

March 25, 2012Economy, People13 Comments

Students and teachers of Thimphu’s schools came together in Changangkha to commemorate World Water Day on 22 March. The celebrations included a wide array of well-thought-out presentations and entertaining performances highlighting the importance of water. I was given the opportunity to talk to the students. So I told them a story, one that is relevant to this year’s World Water Day theme: "water and food security". But one that is also relevant to the current rupee crisis. Here’s a quick summary of my story: Nob Gyeltshen is 77 years old. He hails from Dorithasa, a small village in the…

Public works

March 15, 2012People, Towns11 Comments

Thimphu's main roads are fairly good. They are not necessarily beautiful, but, in spite of limited resources, they are, by and large, smooth, wide and well-managed. The smaller roads, however, tell a different story. Many of them are narrow, riddled with pot holes, and have not seen any form of maintenance for years. Naturally, many local residents are frustrated. One such resident is Aum Thinley Lham. She lives in Taba and, for the longest time, has complained bitterly about the state of her road. But instead of continuing to grumble, she has decided to take matters into her own…

Family strength

March 11, 2012People8 Comments

Here's another picture for my 'father and child' series: Tobgay and his wife, Sonam, with their children occupying a vantage spot at the Chukha Dzong courtyard. The family had traveled from Bjabcho to attend the consecration of their dzong, and had made sure that they would enjoy a clear view of the folk and mask dances during the festivities. The consecration ceremony was graced by Her Majesty the Queen and presided over by His Holiness the Je Khenpo.

A role model

July 24, 2011People9 Comments

Civic sense. Do we have it? Sangay Dorji is one person who does have good sense of civic responsibility. I chanced upon him fixing potholes on the road to Dechhenchholing. He collected soft rock, gravel and mud from a nearby landslide to fill the larger potholes. And within minutes, even before he was finished, vehicles started plying on the repaired side of the road. Sangay Dorji, who lives in Dechhenchholing, drives a taxi on the weekends. He decided that he didn’t need to keep driving on a certain rough patch when he spotted a small landslide above the road.…

Devika Darjee

February 1, 2011People, Sports

A winnerAlmost 200 of you took part in the poll to decide who would be our sportsperson of the year. Thank you for voting. And thank you for your many comments. I closed the poll at midnight on the last day of January. The race was close. Ugyen Yoeser (cycling) and Devika Darjee (cricket) ran neck and neck in our informal competition. Eventually Devika won, but by barely a whisker – she secured 55 votes against Ugyen’s 53. Devika Darjee was the only lady among my nominees for the sportsperson of 2010. She beat nine men to the top…

Hospitality business

January 13, 2010People, Villages

Shebji is Sombaykha’s northernmost village. And, civil servants, especially Dzongkhag officials, traveling to Sombaykha normally spend a night in there. After walking continuously downhill from Tergola (at about 4000 meters) through alpine meadows, giant rhododendron forests, and subtropical jungle to Shebji (about 1500 meters), most travelers are happy to rest their tired knees in this little hamlet. Now, in accordance with our age-old traditions also still practiced throughout rural Bhutan, travelers can choose to eat and drink, rest and sleep in any one of Shebji’s eight houses. Each one of them would feel honoured and very happy to offer…

Changemaker Chencho

December 18, 2009People

Ashoka Changemakers have announced their winners – the three most innovative solutions that radically rethink mental health to achieve individual and community well being. And Dr Chencho Dorji’s project, Promoting Mental Health in Traditional Bhutanese Society, is among them. Dr Chencho’s project has won. Dr Chencho is an Ashoka Changemaker! Well done!

Dr Sanga Dorji

December 10, 2009People

Dr Sanga Dorji, Chief Physiotherapist, JDWNR Hospital, on 3 December 2009, at Hotel Taj addressing his guests who had come together to celebrate International Day for Persons with Disabilities: Honorable Tshogpon, Honorable Lyonpos, Honorable leader of the Opposition, Honorable Thrizin of the National Council, Honorable members of the Parliament, Representatives of the International Organizations, Dashos, Leaders of the Business communities, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen … Dr Sanga’s introductory words were ordinary – this, in fact, is how almost every speech for almost every official occasion in Thimphu begins. But he said it with passion, and great satisfaction. For…

Biking in Bhutan

November 23, 2009People

I’ve recently started cycling again. So I was happy to bump into Kuenga Wangchuk, Pasang, Singye Tshering, Amier Mongar and Nima Palden. Kuenga is a bike technician with Yu Druk, a tour company that specializes in and promotes cycling in Bhutan. Pasang owns a tour company, Singye and Nima are guides, and Amier is a bar tender at Bhutan Suites. The five friends bike together as often as possible, but at least every weekend. Most of their routes are around Thimphu. To Tango Monastery, for example. Or to Kuenselphodrang. And, sometimes, to Sangaygang from where there’s a lovely 5…

Farmhouse lunch

November 8, 2009Economy, People

We had lunch today at Aum Sonam’s house. Aum Sonam, who was a member of the last National Assembly before the introduction of parliamentary democracy, served us a sumptuous meal of kharang, sikam, aima datsi, mushrooms, farm eggs, cottage cheese and papaya. I enjoyed Aum Sonam’s cooking thoroughly. It was clean, wholesome and traditional. So I asked her if she would be willing to make lunch for other travelers between Bumthang and Mongar or Trashigang. Her answer was “yes!” quickly qualified by “but they should call me first”. Her farmhouse is located among Thidanbi’s bucolic paddy fields about five…

Kaila’s

November 8, 2009People

I’m in Bumthang en route to Eastern Bhutan. And, like most public servants passing through Bumthang, I’m staying at Kaila’s Guest House. Kaila Tamang, originally from Katmandu, came to Bhutan in 1969 to cook for Fritz Maurer, a Swiss cheese-maker. He worked for Mr Maurer in Sha Gogona and in Chamkhar before joining the logging center at Lamai Goenpa as the head cook. When, in 1984, Mr Maurer built the Swiss Guest House, Kaila was recruited to manage the guest house. He worked there for 10 years till, in 1994, he bought an acre of land in Chamkhar (for…

Nopkin.com

August 24, 2009People

Is this site too serious? Do I complain too much? Does my writing lack style? Am I boring? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you should visit Nopkin.com. There you’ll find a good supply of exciting stories and funny jokes, all contributed by members who write and live by the Nopkin maxim: “make somebody’s day!” Nopkin is the brainchild of Sangay Tenzin. When Sangay joined work, in 2005, he realized that it was difficult to stay in touch with his friends. So he decided to do something about it. He painstakingly developed a website that was…

Language, culture and identity

August 24, 2009Culture, People

On 24 June 2009, H.E Pavan K. Verma, India’s ambassador to Bhutan, talked about Culture, Identity and Globalization. The talk, which was organized by the Centre for Bhutan Studies, was attended by wide cross section of people, from scholars, teachers and civil servants to consultants, businesswomen and politicians. Ambassador Verma, an accomplished scholar and writer, warned his audience that, due to the unprecedented reach of globalization, change in Bhutan is inevitable. And that unless we have an intimate knowledge of our own culture – a knowledge that can only come from deep introspection – we will not be able…

Bhutanese runner

August 21, 2009People42 Comments

Every year, countless professional and amateur runners from all over the world dream of taking part in the New York City Marathon. However, only 37,000 runners are selected to run in New York’s world famous marathon. Rinzin Rinzin, who hails from Pam in Trashigang, is one of them. Rinzin ran at school. And participated at school-level marathons. But he never won any prizes. He kept running though, and as a guide at Amankora, he sometimes accompanied his guests for short runs. One of them, Mr Ynaar, and he quickly became running buddies. They jogged together almost every morning and…

Important musing

August 19, 2009People

When I invited guests to contribute articles, I forgot to mention that the welcome does not extend to anonymous writers. The reason is straightforward: readers will take what you say seriously only if they know who is saying it. Plus there’s the matter of respecting our readers, people whose attention we seek. And then there’s accountability. But before I could announce this rule, one Anonymuse, an anonymous person, sent me an article. So I’m going to publish what Anyonmuse has to say. The person has, after all, spent considerable time thinking and writing about an important issue.