Journalism to me

I am a boy who is still waiting to be turned 20 by this October. I am a man who can’t be bargained or controlled by any one. I am a man who still is perfect with loads of imperfection. I want to carve out my own future.

Journalism is what I am pursing. it was my dream plus my parents too. I just want to earn and live my life by writing and reporting news on border aspects. Journalism demands one to be adventurous, hardworking and a very patient man. But I don’t have any such quality as such. All I am doing is trying and trying. I would say fifty percent has been achieved and another fifty is yet to be achieved.

Journalism to be doesn’t mean just writing and reporting. It’s all about learning and educating others on a timely basis. I believe that the pen is mightier than the sword. I want to write and report news that brings out a new story that can change the whole idea. If media is a watchdog ,than I will become the watchman protecting the nation and its people from corruption and injustices.

“Changing Bhutanese perceptions toward traditional festivals due to the emerging modern trends”

Celebrating festivals is a tentative moment of every nation around the world. Different countries have its own way of celebrating on the bases of one’s unique cultural and tradition.

Likewise, Bhutan too has its own ways and styles of conducting and celebrating festivals uniquely comparing to other nations. Bhutan is one country in this Tibetan Buddhist world that festivals have been keeping the same trends without much changes from its origin till present generation in term of celebrating traditional festival. (Mystic Bliss tours and travels).

In Bhutan there are many types of festivals such as national, religious and seasonal festivals. Amount all the prominent one is the  Tshechu festivals meaning 10^th day of the  month according to Bhutanese calendar.

During the Tsechu

Traditional tshechu festivals originated with the influx of Guru Padmasambhava – “one who was born from a lotus flower”Guru Rinpoche , the precious Teacher in the 8th century. . Later with the arrival of great saints Terton Pema Lingpa ( the treasure discoverer) and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgay in the year 1450 and 1616 respectively. And today Tshechu festivals are celebrated to honored them and some festivals are celebrated to commemorate the deeds of the Buddha or those of the great masters of the past associated with Buddhist traditions or another traditions. None the less some festivals are introduced to celebrated the completion of the temple or lhakhang in the 9^th century.

Different festivals have different significance and they have their own ways of beliefs and consideration as per their customs and traditions around the world. Primarily, they all serve the purpose of bringing happiness to our lives and strengthen our sense of community, yet they do have other aspect .  But with the emerging of modern trends such as economic development, in flow of tourist and importing of foreign goods, the Bhutanese perceptions toward traditional festivals are changing. Over the past several decades, Bhutan has faced both external and internal threats to its culture.

In addition, Bhutan also has had to combat the various threats that modernization poses to its  medieval culture.  Both government sources and social scientists have noted the impacts of modernization, especially on Bhutanese youth. (Mathou 1999; Planning Commission 2001).     

 Increase in flow of tourist is the one major reason for modernization of the country and people tent to imitate their life styles and importing of foreign goods makes society more lethargic which harms the tradition of the nations as a whole. And marrying foreigner usually leads to clash of religion and leads to forgo one’s religion and too Media has given lots of negative impact to the country. 

 It is believed that everyone must attend a tshechu and witness the mask dances at least once in order to receive blessings and wash away their sins. Bhutan’s masked dance festivals, called tsechus in the local language of Dzongka, date back three and a half centuries.  At that time the monks were both the civil and religious authorities, and the dances were used to educate an illiterate populace about their history and religion.  The dances have been handed down from one generation to the next, and remain virtually unchanged from their origins.

Every mask dance performed during a tsechu has a special meaning or a story behind it and many are based on stories and incident from as long ago as the 8^th century during the Guru Padmasambhava.Two of the most popular tshechus in the country are the Paro and Thimphu festivals in term of participation and audience. The Thimphu Tsechu was established by the 4th Temporal Ruler, Tenzing Rabgye (1638-1696) in 1670 on the 8th month of Bhutanese calendar to commemorate the birth of Guru Rinpoche.

Besides the locals people many tourist from across the world are attracted to these unique colorful and exciting displays of traditional culture. An auspicious event of many of the tsechus is the unfurling of the Thongdrel from the main building overlooking the dance area (Mystic Bliss Tours and Travels). As the word Thongdrel itself mean ‘liberation on sight’ it is said that by seeing or watching that bad Karma would get vanished. So people come rushing to witness that as it is unfolded by the sunrise.

Local festival especially, tsechu besides being a religious event to feel blessed and cleansed of sins, it help people get refresh and relax after their long period of doing tiring work. So in the past people prepare and plan to go for tshechu before a week is left for the Tsechu to happen, they even borrows clothes and  coral, torques if they don’t have all those in themselves. They gets excited and energetic to go for tshechu but now “the feeling of enjoyment has been replaced with the feeling of detestation” (Kunsel,2014,4,14,p.4).

RAPA dancing Bodra

 In 1987, monastic authorities in Bhutan voiced complaints about disrespectful photography (Shackley 1999b). A commission on tourism was formulated to investigate the complaints. The commission confirmed the inappropriate behavior of tourists and noted “growing materialism” among monastic authorities who were accepting gifts from tourists (Mowforth and Munt 1998, 153). Additionally, the commission reported “tourism may have an adverse moral impact on young people if they observe tourists’ behavior that might be interpreted as belittling the mystical power of the country’s religion”.

Now we rarely can see young people going for festival and instead they watch it live on television. Some people do not go for Tsechu because they don’t get a good place to sit, stay with family and they even don’t get a place to park their cars so “it is no longer about family get-togethers, meeting friends and witnessing, what tourists visiting country calls an open theatre play”( Kunsel,2014,4,14,p.4). So people neglect to go for festivals and rather stays at home watching television as “they are better seen on the silver screen to be better identified and in fact feel more blessed” (Kunsel,2014,4,14,p.4).

Reference;

Handoyo,C.(2014). Tourism council of bhutan. Retrieved from http://www.drukasia.com/bhutan-festivals.

Kuensel, Editorial, (2014, April 14). p.4

Mystic Bliss tours and travels. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.bhutanmystic bliss.com/Bhutan_travel/festivals of Bhutan.html.

Is Sherubtse a school or college?

We are mostly aware of what hot dog looks like. With comparison to the above statement we can clearly identify what Bhutan looks like. We are a small nation that of red role between two giant nations called India and china. Due to its size, Bhutan has just 3 universities where sherubtse is the oldest college in Bhutan. Before it use to cater to all different streams but now it only takes arts and science .in 2013 there were about 600 students but now the college has around 1000 plus.

Unlike other university that provides free food in lunch but here the atmosphere is different. Instead of having food, you are bound to make your own three square meal. From the government of Bhutan we are provided with 1500 nu but it reaches just nearly 1200 to us. We are declared as government scholarship. Is this what scholarship defines?  Gedu College which recently started has comfortable sit with 2 people sharing a single room but out here in the oldest college we are cramped in room of 3 people each and they promises us that they will put 4 person in a single room next year. Have a look in DH 4 in room number 10, when you enter, foul smell would greet you and in total there are 10 people sleeping and living there.

It’s not only the facilities that struck you. During my high school days, the food was just good but the learning environment was excellent with neat classroom having comfortable sits and light equipment. But out here you have to carry your own chair. At the start of the class if you are late, be prepared to carry your own chair or share with your fellow mate who is thin. Peak of learning says the motto. If the college authorities’ introduce bell system, we would be same as normal school but school would be better off.

If my financial status were better off I would have intentionally joined RTC but coming from a middle class Bhutanese family. I had no other option but join this old college. People say old wood is best to burn and old wine to drink but this college just shames the old proverb. We don’t ask for anything great to happen to us but all we want is peace and loving environment. We are not asking for favor but I believe it’s our right.

BROKEN LOVE

A drop of tear

Fall on my hand

While I sit

Under the broken heart.

I peep through window

Of my broken heart;

Saw myself a victim;

Of broken apart

When my eyes blur;

Everything turns into pain;

Rhythm of pain last forever.

Tear from the depth eyes;

Turns to un bearable ache.

From someone despair

Those pain rose in the heart.

And to gather tears aside.

Still then

I don’t want to see you crying

I wish I wish

To draw a smile on you forever.

 Ps. I still love you.

The refuge prayer.

I take refuge in an old mans chastened ****, withered at the root, fallen like a dead tree; I take refuge in an old women’s flaccid****, collapsed, impenetrable, and sponge like: I take refuge in the virile young tigers Thunderbolt, rising proudly, indifferent to death; I take refuge in the maidens Lotus, filling her with rolling bliss waves, releasing her form shame and inhibition.

Drukpa Kuenley (photo courtesy: Google)

The branches of the Great eastern Tree grow and grow, but the foliage’s spread depends on the tree roots extent.

A fortnightly series from a book by Russ and Blythe Carpenter.

WHO AM I?

If you search my name in Google, a brown man with a title of dasho would pop up but that’s not me. I am a normal Bhutanese citizen who loves to eat chili even after suffering from stomach ulcer and who believes in death and rebirth (karma). I want to get married with a beautiful girl and have children and to lead a peaceful and happy life. My name is Karma Galey and it was given by my father.it has a story in it.my father tell me that when my mother was pregnant for 6 month, he had a dream were a dark man came into his dream and told that the child would be a boy and name him Karma Galey.

Being a last bencher whole my student life, my grades were just normal all the time. I was the one who would always shout form the back but would get black out in front of others especially with the girls. Now I am man who has traveled half the country, and was hospitalized for two times after a fatal car accident and still breathing to succeed. From my childhood days I would get lost in reading the news in Kuensel and other paper, I would land up reading the paper time and again. I always had a fantasy to write and write. I don’t want to inspire others or tell you what’s good or bad. I just want to write my own story that I have seen and felt.

It’s been only over a year but now I am proud to say that I am a journalist in making.  I want to be voice to voiceless and the gun to corrupt politician. And I promise you that after 5 years type my name in Google and guess what!!!!! My photo would be there 

That’s who I am and will never change for anyone.