I call him 'Brother'

This is a lad that I got to tell
I call him my brother
He listens to my pointless thought
With all his passionate still
And helps to untangle my obstructions.

He is more of calling simply brother
For him being so sweet and sound
Softly pardoning me everytime
Help connecting dots when I get lost
Smoothly stirring my soul with indulgence.

I hope, together we move on
Letting our smile exchange for no reason
For us being preciously owned,
Like sibling, like friend
Calling brother, ever and always

My Amateur View on Tourism Exemption Levy Bill.

The principle of 'high-value, low impact' tourism development, a guiding tourism growth of Bhutan is highly commendable and has undoubtedly contributed to the unique tourism brand of the country until now.

This policy has paid off well to the objective of maximizing foreign exchange earning while minimizing the potential adverse environmental and cultural impacts. The framework was pinned down in line with the unique development concept of Gross National Happiness.
Tourism has been the second only to hydropower interms of revenue generation, with the policy of imposing a USD 200 to 250 per person per day tariff (including USD 65 royalty charged by the government plus food, accommodation, local transport and guides). With this revenue generation, tourism in Bhutan succeeded in providing a source of good government income , while at the same time making tourism in Bhutan an exclusive and distinctive destination.
I personally do not see USD 65 royalty waive for the tourists visiting eastern Bhutan a only solution for the issue of promoting tourism to 6 eastern dzongkhags. This royalty waive to eastern Bhutan will incur huge loss on government revenue, and at the same time clearly defying the policy of high-value, low-impact with promotion of mass tourism in eastern Bhutan indirectly. I also feel that this royalty waive will create the country with different rule and regional biasedness as there are few other dzongkhags with the least or same tourists arrival than the those 6 eastern dzongkhags.
The issue can be confronted by working into making Bhutan a year-round tourist destination (solving the seasonality challenge) and by building good road networks and infrastructures in all parts of Bhutan (making all places accessible and convenient).

To Whom It May Concern

The development strategy of our country are all planned around the environment and accords environment as one of the major pillars of the GNH. The commitment to conservation has been expressed in its National Vision, “Bhutan aspires to be a self-reliant, environmentally sustainable, democratically governed, and culturally vibrant nation whose citizens are highly skilled, capable of responding to the emerging global challenges and contributing to equitable and sustainable socio-economic development and wellbeing of the community in which they live and the country at large.”

In this regard, Ministry of Education of Royal Government of Bhutan has come with commendable initiative of introduction of Environmental Science (ES) in the formal curriculum of secondary schools across the nation. As education being a potent weapon and panacea of all evils that can do wonders, the ES curriculum in schools can serve that function in confronting the environmental challenges. The initiative truly will help to develop new knowledge, skills and values for attaining a better quality of environment and higher quality of life. It can bring about change in the attitude of the masses to do something concrete about the solution of current environmental problems and the prevention of new ones.

Ministry of Education with support from Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTFEC) has introduced Environment Science (ES) Curriculum as an optional subject in class IX and X in 2015 and 2016. The Class IX ES text book was launched on 21 February 2015 in dedication to the 60th Birth anniversary of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. About 5000 copies of text books were printed and distributed to middle secondary and higher secondary schools.

Today with financial support of about Nu. 5,236,000.00 from the BTFEC, Royal Education Council (REC) is in the process of introducing Environmental Science in classes XI to XII with the goal to build a cadre of young people equipped with knowledge, skills and values to engage them in the conservation of natural heritage, promoting sustainable and equitable use of natural resources, preventing all forms of environmental degradation in the pursuit of GNH. This initiative is also felt so important to maintain linkage and consistency in learning.

The subject was introduced in schools for the student to learn, and the learning happen at school together with teachers in placed to teach and guide. In the Education Minister note at Teacher Human Resource Policy, 2014; he stated that the “the quality of education cannot exceed the quality of teachers”. How we grow and develop as a nation in the long run depends on the quality of leaders coming out of our education system, and this in turn largely depends on the quality of teachers we have in our schools. Therefore, the quality of teachers, their subject relevancy and the quality of their teaching are crucial factors in achieving the desired student outcome. Thus, the Chapter 3 of the Teacher Human Resource Policy focused on recruiting qualified professionals as per the subject specialization and with the right aptitude and attitude into the teaching profession.

The ES subject has been introduced few years ago and the subject for class 11 and 12 is soon going to get introduced in the schools, but who is going to teach the subject.

To facilitate mainstreaming ES in schools, 107 teachers from Middle Secondary Schools and Higher Secondary Schools were trained to teach ES curriculum in class IX and X for few days in 2014. Again, REC trained 110 Science teachers from all secondary schools at Tsirang this year for about 11 days to facilitate the ES in class 11 and 12, spending the budget of about Nu.2.5 Million. Thus, several question arises here;

1. Does the Science teachers with Physics, Chemistry and Biology background considered competent enough to teach totally new Subject with just few days training?

2. Science teachers, otherwise specialized to teach three science subjects adding an additional task to teach new Subject is a solution to alarming numbers of teachers resignation?

3. Is it not contradicting to ‘Ministry plan of One Teacher, One Subject Policy?’ As per the Executive Order by Secretary dated on August 4, 2017, he mentioned that “ the resolution of the 18th National Education Conference (NEC) held from January 9-12, 2017 at Phuntsholing, that all teachers must choose competent as per the one subject one teacher policy as per their subject specialization.

4. Is this not the sign of poor stakeholders’ consultations and dialogues among different organizations and agencies like Ministry of Education that introduced the Subject, Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) that recruits competent teachers and Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) and its Constituents and affiliated Colleges that offer tertiary education and Ungraduate course as per the needs of Civil Service?

5. Are Ministry and RCSC are still not aware about the tertiary level Environmental Science graduate? RCSC has not specified any slot for Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in ES subject. Already the two batches of Environmental Science student’s graduated with Bachelor of Science degree from Sherubtse College. Again in coming year, another batch each from the Royal Thimphu College and College of Natural Resources are graduating with this Degree.

6. Does the Subject is considered so minor at schools that the contents in it are not important to impart effectively to our students by a subject specialized teachers?

Education Ministry is going to held Sherig Conference in Panbang, themed, a king’s vision, country future and a people’s dream, it is timely for me to express this as one among many of the people’s dream. There, the highest executive level of ministry, DEOs, Principals and teachers are going to sit together and discuss on the educational reforms and the ways for the improvement. Realizing the fact that Education is a public interest, hope my concerns here will reach to all the people To Whom It May Concern as a expression of humble concern.

My Quiz Event during Teachers Day; Respect to all my Teachers!

(This is my Quiz Program held during Teachers Day, 2017. It was the great day for me to organize the Quiz Event for the Great Teachers on very significant day. The program was mainly to share laughter and smile by our teachers on this day forgetting their otherwise a hectic and tight schedule lives.)

Introduction                                       

Every child, no matter where they come from, deserves great teachers. Passionate, motivating, and effective teachers are the foundation of a quality education; and a quality education opens the doors to a lifetime of opportunity. Here, all of us are lucky to have awesome teachers, both during school time and today here at college, who despite their hectic daily schedules have never fail to guide, and nurture us towards the right paths! This quiz is a tribute to all my past and present teachers, so that you may take little time to response the stupid, silly and funny questions from your students and share laughter together at least today on this very special day from your daily tiring and dedicated lives.

To start the funny Quiz, these are the participants in each group.

Group I	Group II	Group III	Group IV

These are the general information and rules for the quiz.

1.     

•    The quiz contains 5 rounds of 4 questions each.
•    20 points will be awarded for the correct answer.
•    10 points will be awarded for the pass questions.
•    Group will get 40 seconds to think and answer the direct question.
•    Group will get 10 seconds to think and answer the pass questions.
•    Audience shall not give any hints or clues to the competition.
•    Pass questions from participants will go directly to Faculty Audience.

Questions

1. When do you stop at green and start at red?

Answer: When you are eating watermelon

2. What is the total wooden steps count on climbing from ground floor to upstairs of Faculty Block?

Answer: 17 Steps

3. What is the total class strength of Bsc. Environment and Climate Studies final year?

Answer: There is no Bsc. ECS final year student currently in college

4. Make a sentence using all the letters of the alphabet?

Answer: A quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog

5. Carefully listen to the audio and identify a person, his profession and the module of lecture he is delivering?

Answer: Tashi Dhendup Sir, Assoc. Lecturer under Department of Sustainable Development. (Lecture on Module Applied Environmental Economics)

6.  Who is a recipient of Dekyed Longchoed Award in year 2015?

(Note: It is an award conferred to the most outstanding student who has excelled in academic performance, extra-curricular activities and has made significant contribution to the college of natural resources.

Answer: Phuntsho Wangdi (22nd Diploma, Forestry)
7. My qualification is in B.Sc. Life Sciences (Botany Honours) from Sherubtse College. And I also have M.Sc. Forestry. My area of interest is in Forest and Environmental Studies. I had my major fields of research in wetlands, allelopathy and ethnobotany.
The above description best describe whom?
Answer: Madam. Sushila Rai

8. How many pieces of biscuit are there inside the small Parle-G packet?

Answer: 12 pieces

9. The hall no.      is called Convention Hall, what is the hall no.      called?

Answer: Old Dining Hall

10. Who is driving the college vehicle BG-1-0170?

Answer: Mr. Sangay Wangdi

11. Mr. Damudar always eats breakfast, a plate of veg. momo (consisting 5 pieces) for Nu. 40 from Hotel Pulami, later during lunchtime, he again eats two plates of momo from the college wet canteen. How much amount did Mr. Damudar spent eating momo in a day?

Answer: Nu: 100 (Hint: The cost for the plate of momo in college wet canteen is Nu. 30)

12. Who is the inter-class champion for boys and girls basketball respectively during Spring Semester 2017?

Answer: ECS First Batch (For both Boys and Girls)

13. What is name of student standing there (Standing near technical and serving group)?

Answer: Neten Wangchuk (popularly called ADDICT)

14. What could be the word shown?

Answer: Teachers

15. What is the total government scholarship intake in Bsc. (Diploma Nested) Food Science and Technology for coming Semester in CNR?

Answer: 40 Students

16. One of the students from Naropa University, USA, who is currently studying in CNR, is popularly called as Meto. What is his real name? 

Answer: Kathleen Brickner

17. What is the number of fan in the common Kitchen Dinning (each flat) of upper hostel?

Answer: 2 nos. (1 Ceiling Fan and 1 Exhaust Fan)

18. What is the Wi-Fi password for the lower campus?

Answer: hoste1234wifi

19. Where is college Security guard Ata. Chimi Dorji from?

Answer: Mongar (ngatsang)

20. What is Taxi Fare per passenger from lower campus to upper campus?

Answer. Nu. 25 per person (Hint: It cost nu. 100 for reserve of taxi capacity of 4 passengers until lower campus from Mesina and Nu. 200 until upper hostel. Thus, the difference of Nu. 100 in reserve)

Conclusions

Finally, I conclude saying that you all are not just a teacher, but a true inspiration and icon for all of us. You did not just do your job, but a lot more than this. You all are kind, compassionate, empathetic, positive, and owe credentials, experience and intelligence. But of all you all INSPIRE the lives of thousands and uncovers hidden treasures, possibilities and magic right before everyone’s eyes.

For us, this is not an only day, we celebrate Teachers Day. In fact, all days in a year are to be a celebrated as a teacher’s day in each of our mind. Thank you teacher and have a wonderful Teacher’s Day 2017.

                       
Thank you all Participants, Audience Teachers and Students.

Depa Bondeypa’s Relatives: Of legend, myth and metaphor

Author RinzinRinzin’s novel ‘DepaBondeypa’sRelatives’ is an engrossing tale about a poverty-stricken man called Bondeypaand his relationship with his relatives and neighbourhoods in his two stature of life, as a poor man earlier and as arich Bondeypa later. Novelaccountsof Bhutanat a time when it was untouched by modernity.

The story is the based on a local legend from Lhuntse about Bondeypa, whose ancestors were said to have been a Depa (chieftain/ruler) of locality of Nyongdela. It was narrated that the misfortune of Bondeypa was attributed to loss of mermaid Gyalmo’s blessing, after she abscondedTsadilaTsho.Story is entirely Bondeypa’s experiences in his village and journey to Bumthang upon royal decree.

As story begins, Bondeypa woke up early morning with much duties and worries from inside the solitary ancient castle of Nyongdela. His duties start from cooking and looking after his two children to having enough means to meet basic needs for a family. As usual, Bondeypa goes for hard labour peonage in neighbouring house and bring whatever he gets after tedious work to home. At village, very humble Bondeypa was humiliated, mortified andmocked by all the neighbours. To his dismay, Bondeypa received a royal decree commanding him to report to the King at Bumthang. Bondeypa sets into long journey of meeting many people, passing many places and crossing across Rodungla passuntil he reached palace.  In the King’s grace, humble Bondeypa shared all his harsh realities of life. Kindhearted and generous king gave him enough wealth to sustain his entire life with decent living.

After ten days journey, Bondeypa was back to his village and made his way towards Nyongdela  riding a fully decked pony with his children. To the reader’s surprise, when Bondeypa was encircled with the heap of horses’ load, villager came towards him claiming uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. Bondeypa openly prostrated his King’s gifts for creating many relatives, which led the fair-weather relatives and friends to leave in embarrassment. Thus, it gave birth to the metaphor ‘Depa Bondeypa’s relatives’ – referring to fair-weather relatives that still today exist in their locality.

The book takes reader through a legend, a myth, which traces the ancient trade route and reflects the rural Bhutanese life, traditions and customs. It holds on the theme of fickle relationship human tends to developed depending on circumstances of other.