Monday, February 21, 2011

“DID I WISH MY KING???”…LAY MAN ASKS…!

It takes someone to remind us…I don’t care about others but for me, I need someone to trigger. So it was and it will be. I have never been to our national stadium so formally like today, 21st February 2011, and I was flashed back to the decades ago. The old national band with beats and trumpets engulfed me with nostalgia. I felt like I was walking back to the years and years ago, when I was listening to the old radio. I realized I am old now. Time has taught me enough…

Those where the days when I would be in the ‘half full’ shirt, belly region of my shirt would be torn, and crying for the breakfast as soon as I wake up from the dusty bed. Not exactly a bed, it would just be a hand made mattress stitched so many torn clothes together and pillow made up of husk in a sack. I remembered how I cried for my mother when she would leave me and my younger sister all alone and both of us crying “Amaa..”

Now Bhutan is transformed. I remember my village mates have rice cookers and boilers each at least. IF not for our great fathers of Bhutan, it would be for none. Fourth king served the kingdom bravely, defending the militants in a day, and compassionately (loving and missing his people). By now, I changed my king. Every body was bit scared thinking, “what will be the next”? It’s not because people lack trust in him, but in losing our former. But he displayed his role as real people’s king.

Have you ever seen any other king kissing his subject? Have you ever seen any ruler playing with the kid? Have you ever seen people staying with their leaders and hugging him? Not so common… when ever I think and see my king hugging and kissing with the innocent kids and holding the wrinkled hands of our senior citizens, my eyes get blurred with tears. I saw him travelling in any weather, ridges and gorges to meet his people. I saw him cooking in his own ancient home. He is my model that I worship and look up. Deep inside, I feel, “how lucky am I to born here as a lay man”!

As I came back from the stadium, and walking in the busy street, I was walking with wisdom. Though I felt lonely all alone I was thinking a lot; How many of our guest in the tents must have sung the national anthem very proudly? How many of the students beside me must have replied ‘GYALO’ with deep thought. Of course there may be few, but I saw many for fun and left the memories in the dead stadium….wishing you sincere ‘happy birth day’ to your majesty the fifth druk gyalpo. May you live for eternity…



Sunday, February 13, 2011

The lost life…..Dead man writes…

The lost life…..Dead man writes…
How do you feel when you hear of an accident? Does your heart beat increases or gossip for the sake of hot news? Have you ever thought of how the victims must have struggle to die while we struggle to live? Have you ever seen or been to accident site????? Here are some answers…..go ahead…and find out how we usually feel;
It was somewhere in the mid of Autumn. I was traveling all the way from Mongar to Thimphu. Started with a two packs of 'High land'. Journey was bit hectic so I put on ma head phone to get myself lost in the world of music. Alcohol stated to work. I was feeling bit dizzy and headache controlled me to silence. Forcefully I closed my eyes till I was awakened by my sister’s call
‘Where are you now’…she asked me.
‘Here at Thruemshinla’…about to cross…i replied.
She told me many things about my lunch and road safety regarding the frost backed roads and all. I was least bothered and answered ‘ok’ many times. It was somewhere a thirty minutes drive after that. I was informed of the bus accident at Trashiyangtse. Late at night, I was at Tronsa with almost a freezing point. BBS reported of Bolero car accident of carrying not a passenger but population I guess. Many injured and one dead reported the BBS with Maps online.
People are not freed from the Nepal plane crash. Eighteen people were killed and series of accidents are occurring. It was again when I was at wangdue, I was informed of Bus accident at Lampelri near Dochula pass. I was then curious to see the spot because we will be coming across this place soon. Pillars beside the roads read "lampelri '0' kilometer". We searched for the accident site. I have no other mind then to see the accident spot, thinking I may not get the chance to see next time. I came almost to enjoy. It was 4;00 o’clock in the evening and i wasn’t expecting the dead bodies will  be there. We parked the car few meters away from the site and walked down. Policemen were busy taking their late lunch. Doctors have left the spot with medical waste stained with blood. Six dead bodies were arranged in the line. They didn’t  look like dead body indeed. Their muscle’s function weren’t stopped. I saw the policmen lifting the body so flexibly. They were wrapped with a thick white cloth and dumped on the DCM. One girl, around sixteen or so with a pink half stocking and black jacket was laid still. Their faces are covered yet they revealed the sadness of the accident.
It moved me and others too. Driver claimed of a mechanical failure but this failure killed nine people. I felt for the first time and thought about the impermanence very deeply. I was ridding like dead man, lips dried and heart beat increased as if to compensate the beat after my death. I felt lost, dumped and speechless really…..
People talk of accidents very lightly. I talked of accidents for the sake of gossip but now I feel the pain. I think of their pain and their struggle before death. In Bhutan, AIDS killed 42 people within ten years but accident killed roughly 35 people in month. We should give a proper priority when it comes to the health of the people. Its not for popularity that I write but to keep a print within us that machines kills us if we don’t use safely. As I moved from the site I saw  woman, her eyes swollen and cheeks painted with tears. She was held by a policemen near an ambulance. She must have lost her son or daughter ….That incident aggravated my pain and I still feel her and the dead-bodies… May all the souls rest in peace….

Mountains and the Pebbles

 I half know them. I wanted to be serious if my funny friend was not there. Driver's look of caricature must have taken my friend into nightmare. God damn! irritating boss still rests her butt majestically over the warmth of 1960s engine. She assures one crown .
We passed through the precipice of the tangled patches of roads through the jungles. I took my BABA(tobacco) and he started swabbing his lips, moistured by saliva and that dirty tongue. Driver was talking too much to steal the confidence of our boss. Unkempt geek still have to do somthing with his partial working tape.
Anyhow we got closer as passed. Just a day was enough to be a friend. May be I am nice or they are rather good. our journey began. I am trying to experience the civilian work. my stupid friend prepare for the interview. Elites, intellectual, middle class and destitute like me were entangled in a mess.
Sky blue Pajero(car) needs to be dumped in the river resembling same color. Abruptly it would stop on the steep restless road. somebody must have lost balance in the brain and starts vomiting. Reached somehow, not knowing where we are. shops are closed. muddy road with creaking gate lead us to the LG's office. Besides all day journey with wired back and intense pressure on the butts we had to make dinner. Had somehow and fallen asleep with little chats and shattering snores.
"Our task begins, she's with me. ummm.... I wont be bored." muttered within me. we walked down with her over sized shoes and kira(Bhutanese dress for women) pulled above ankle with her right hand and an umbrella on her left piercing the soft earth beneath. Stupid friends jumped over the slidde mass, and i was still holding her hand to guide. It was dusk when we were lost to find the road. i wasn't drunk but zonked of walking all the hills panting.
I just wonder, sometimes just smile and little help is good enough to nourish our relation. Many emotions have overwhelmed me. I felt in complete. It was difficult to challenge with time and love . It is an onerous thing to love for a person who lacks veracity and openness in this field. It remains concealed but reiterates within. Sometimes I had been despondent of ridiculous matter. I just feel like walking back through this memories.
Many started coupling and i was losing my friends. they would get lost by 4:30pm and returns seldom on dinner. I must have been boisterous trying to digress if filthy topic comes in. I would sing to the peak of my voice to tear the cord within. Huh...! Funny friends became my fan despite my sporadic denigrates in jest. It was insane, when one of my friend started loving my old schoolmate. They have been in the collge together for three years, yet he found this suitable. Wasn't it funny or fate bound them?
By evening i would get drunk. I would speak out what I hid and take out what I had. I would be in moribund state, lying within a drain or somewhere outside. In this plight Ugyen and Divya has been my succor waketo  me and cover me at least.
It was grueling to climb the hills of Merak(place) and Nagchungla pass. 3800 meters reads the pale blue color on th half cave rock .Icy blades of wind are sliding over my cheeks and ear became thin. i felt thin really... Heart must have forgotten her beat because lips are turning blue. No...she must have forgotten only lips. Rest was fine.
Prior to these days, two days passed in the plains of Merak. Next would be for Sakteng(place). Much more beautiful place. I was mess captain of my troops. I woke up at 5:00am and everything was ready by seven. Horses and helpers came but our boss repudiated to the demanded amount. "whats wrong!" i thought. Just mater of hundred bucks. i was trying to be innocuous with him with great reverence, but somehow I broke his mood. That was spicy actually. I liked it.
As we moved two of the staffs of Merak came to see off us. He sang from the ridge below and I replied from the hill above. Heart of the stones must have melted besides two madam wiping their tears with their muffler. Besides so many grievances, I felt, I loved, cried hatted and enjoyed. I tried being emollient with her but once gone never returns in life. I sang last on the eve of our departure and she must have peeped through her translucent wine glass with emotions flooding her away. For now nothing remains but the memories of how we slipped, slided and walked through the PEBBLES AND THE MOUNTAINS....!!!!!!