Our Nation is Still the Best

Stockholm attack, Venezuela clashes, Syria war, St Petersburg attack, Indo-Pakistan tensions, Pyongyang's nonstop deadly missile testing despite heavy international sanctions and most disturbingly the recent most barbaric chemical attack in Syria. The world around  is not in peace. It seems like the world is breaking into pieces. No international mainstream media     houses flash us reports without a scene or two of war, violence, chaos and confusions backdropping all gorgeous news anchors in posh news  rooms. Almost in every part of the world, most people are at unrest fighting for their rights, braving wars and political chaos, tolerating famine, etc.
     As a result of tussle between top leaders, civilians are suffering. The poor and helpless ones are often crushed. The leaders do not come in agreement to restore peace and harmony in the world, let alone building new peace and harmony. Every leader seems to have a mind to outshine others in his/her quest for power and authority. Their everyday effort to cement their powers weakens their abilities to empower their subjects. Are powers of leaders of the influential countries empowering the rights and freedom of their people?
     But back home in our country everything is intact. The people are basking in the sun of happiness. Our leaders are mindful of their decisions that they don't bring in policies that would fracture our society. Although set in between the two emerging world powers, China and India, our mountains still wear white crowns promising us continuous gurgle of fresh water. And our air is still fresh because of thick forest coverage although some towns are mushrooming claiming some natural resources. Even with unrest environmental devastating activities going on in the two giant neighbours in their call to become economic superpowers, our country is still carbon negative. Our systems and beliefs don't let us cross our limits in claiming natural resources. Our education system prepares our children to become mindful global citizens through infusion of life skill and GNH values in their lessons without compromising the quality and content of lesson. At the highest level, our national plan and policies root from the principles of Gross National Happiness with Gross National Happiness(GNH) Commission as planning commission. With all plans and policies rooted from GNH principles and carefully guided by GNH values, everything that happens in our country doesn't go against nature and society. Once in five years we experience some political shift bought in by elections. New political parties come in with promising manifestos. However every aspiring political party's manifesto must be aligned with National Key Areas drawn by the GNH Commission.
     So I feel blessed, thousandly blessed to be born in this nation which weighs the national prosperity by GDP but by GNH. Every time after watching grey scenes of wars, turmoils, disagreements and strugglings backdropping attractive anchors in posh news rooms of international mainstream media houses, I go out or look through my windows and out there birds will be in great orchestra and clean and green scenes unfolds with few mist disappearing at the mountains and I feel our nation is still great in peace and it is not breaking into pieces.  

Just my though

I was just wondering what would be the quality of education if we had a system of teachers with their days' working hours divided equally between preparation and delivery of their lessons. In a school 50 % of the teachers would be made to teach in morning sessions and other 50% in afternoon sessions. Those 50 % who are supposed to teach in afternoon must prepare their lessons in the morning when other 50% are teaching who prepared their lessons in afternoon the previous day. But mind you, the system must ensure that the lesson preparation hours should be optimally devoted in planning and preparing lessons that all the teachers must be in the school on time and leave at the sound of last bell.
      That way, I think, there is no need for teachers to take their works home compressing their family and private times. No worries about works at the sound of last bell of day. And fresh start at the sound of first bell.
     In the present scenario, teachers plan after their last school activities when they are thoroughly exhausted often having to take some parts of plannings home. Most of us believe that quality and flow of a lesson are determined by the quality of planning and preparation hours. So how can teachers aspire to plan quality lessons when they are fully worn by their days' both curricular and co-curricular obligations?

The Sunday Treat

The trees around my residence are generously bearing flowers. Different birds come and visit them on regular basis. They come and quench themselves with the flower juices and swiftly shoot themselves into the woods.  I don't have to go deep into the woods to refresh myself with natural sights, sounds, aroma, and feels. All I have do is to open the windows facing north every morning to awaken my senses. Often birds, little and swift ones greet me and I feel great morning each day.

    Today is Sunday and I have some time to get more of the beautiful sights around. My little boy is up too and he wants  me to be with me instead of being in the bed. Holding him on my lap with a cup of tea served by my wife, I face towards the north to awaken my senses with live natural scenes in front of me. Crimson Sunbirds, Streaked Spider Hunters, Red Vented Bulbulls and some unknown birds are up in the trees breakfasting on the yellow and pink flowers. And in a few minutes, a squirrel  comes to compete  with the birds for the flowers. As the squirrel nibbles the  flowers, debris of petals fall down helplessly.  It is always good that everything in the nature is not so harmful to others. Although the squirrel nibbles the  flowers of the tree denying fruition, the falling petal debris will settle petal by petal under the tree and as time ticks by, after meeting with other natural elements they will penetrate further towards roots as nutrients for the tree.   And as of birds I have learnt that they are one of the agents of pollination of plants.  

    As the morning mature, the birds leave the yellow and pink flower bearing trees. The squirrel keeps on nibbling shifting from twigs to twigs until it is full and leave. And the trees remain adorning the nature with their beautiful flowers.

    No matter how much birds and squirrels take in each morning of the spring, the trees don't loose all their flowers. This is living in harmony sort of state in nature. The trees give as much as their dependents require and yet don't fall short of anything for their growth.

    In the moment of these thoughts running in me, my boy falls asleep. I must put him to the bed to rest. Surely the birds will come and squirrels too. These days Streaked Spider Hunters and Crimson Sunbirds don't miss these yellow and pink bearing trees. And I don't miss a shot or two of their moments in the trees.