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.

    

The Status of Life Skill Education Implementation in Our School

The abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. 
                                                                          -WHO (1993)

Realizing the need to enshrine this  WHO’s meaning of Life Skills in our children, we implement Life Skills Education (LSE) to the best we could do.
Life Skills Education walked into our school unconsciously in 2000 with the very first sound of the school’s bell and consciously in 2013. Our former colleague Mr Tshering Dorji conducted a three day vigorous SBIP after attending a NBIP on LSE in Gelephu. He took us all through the contents of LSE and ways to implement LSE in schools. Since then our school has been ensuring one LSE period for each class in a week. And still today, despite heavily loaded with both curricular and co-curricular obligations, each one us take at least one period of LSE in a week.
During LSE periods, we follow the guidelines of the LSE Guidebook for Teachers developed by then Comprehensive School Health Programme of Ministry of Education to lay concrete foundation of life skills in the children. The guidebook has been very handy in delivering LSE to the children especially when we don’t get time to plan our own LSE lessons. The 19 modules in the guidebook are thoroughly planned and are very essential for our children to pick up and pack up for shaping their futures. The modules running in a format—age group, advance preparation, objectives, activities, facilitators’ guide and fact sheet—serve as readymade food for us to feed the children directly. We make sure that we deliver the modules which are age-appropriate for our children by referring the age group section. However, we try to adapt and instill the modules for adolescents too if they are very beneficial and crucial for our children’s life skills development and advancement. 

Then it is impractical for us to say we only cascade LSE distilled in the 19 modules of the guide book whole through the year. So when we are done with the modules age-appropriate for our children, we immerse them into activities such as games, storytelling, gardening and watching movies demanding exercise of some important life skills. 
Further we don’t just limit our children to embrace life skill values in LSE classes only. As required by the policy, we sincerely incorporate ten core life skills values in our daily lessons without compromising the content and quality of the lessons. We make sure that our lessons breathe at least two of the ten core life skills.  And similarly in co-curricular activities too.
And all these acts of kindling our children with finest values and life skills is reminded by the sign post displaying ten core life skills in our garden at the Nachung Scouts Den. Often we take the children to the sign post to cascade LSE. Surely the sign post stands there braving all weathers to imprint in both children and us the 10 core life skills and actions thereof both in our rush and leisure hours.
Particularly this year, in February, it had been very appropriate for us to cascade some distilled life skill values during the Nation-wide Value Orientation Week as a part of planned programme. The 10 core life skills were divided among us and we were to prepare a session incorporating the delegated life skills strengthened by effective strategies for our children. 
Then on 25/3/2017, Refreshing LSE, a PD refreshed us all with life skills values particularly 10 core life skills and the usage of the guidebook. On that day we re-committed ourselves to instill fine life skills in our children realizing the importance of values and life skills in children whether they excel academically or not in their lives. 
Despite our heavy curricular burden due to shortage of teachers we will make sure to use the guidebook sincerely and cascade some of the best values to our children.
All in all, with LSE Refresher Professional Development Course done, a LSE period for each class per week, LSE values infused in our lessons and co-curricular activities, the 10 core Life Skills post standing strongly, and the school’s both physical and internal ambience emanating endless learning inspiration, LSE will surely succeed in shaping our children with ‘the abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable’ them ‘to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.’ 

The Boy is Born With Grace and Splendor

The collective prayers and wishes of our parents, relatives, friends, well-wishers and ourselves answered at 11:39 pm on 19/01/2017. We were blessed with a baby boy. We wholeheartedly thank the Almighty for showering us the happiness the boy is for us. And from here on we take refuge in the Almighty to guide the boy's dreams and service for the humanity with success and jubilation. 
     The happiness and blessings brought in by the boy are because of the principal sacrifices and hardships undergone by the boy's mother and my beloved wife pushed forward smoothly by the blessings of the Almighty. Since the boy's conception in mid spring last year, I have seen my wife undergoing lots of hardship and sacrifices like all the mothers in the world during their pregnancy period. For nine months, I have seen her braving morning sickness, occasional headache, physical discomfort and occasional mood swingings. Then the last and most challenging shot, the Labour pain, of  pregnancy is a tussle between life and death. My wife undergoing the stages of labour got me into thinking how much my parents had struggled to bring me in the world and as a result my gratitude towards my parents particularly my great mom multi-layered. It is really true that the parents sacrifices and hardships to bring us up is best-known when we become parents ourselves. I strongly wished I could share some of the labour pains my wife. But I was helpless. All I could do was to stand beside her and make her feel she had somebody special to hold on. She nearly took about 12 hours to undergo the stages of labour. I felt genuine respect for all the mothers for their great hardships and sacrifices in bringing new ones in the world. In that critical moment of my better half, I prayed the Almighty and the dieties we revere for the smooth transition of bringing our much awaited child in this world. I strongly called all the virtuous acts I did to bless my beloved wife to deliver the child without much complication through my prayers.
     Thank God, for making everything convenient for us. The delivery was successful without having to refer better hospitals.  The nurse on duty nurse Mr Thinley and the cook of the Panbang BHU rendered their duties beyond the call of their duties. I sincerely thanked them. We found comfort in their words and relieve in their presence(a couple of nurses who monitored the transition of the labour pain before nurse Thinley are also included her for great gratitude).  And of course the other health personals who were involved in our baby's birth since it's conception deserve loudest thanks, particularly the Health Assistant Mr Leki Dorji of Kagtong BHU for being near and reliable guide towards the successful pregnancy. And then let me not forget to respect the duty of the wet sweeper who had to clean up the afterbirth fluids and garbage. The great service and support we got from those health personals involved in our delivery reaffirmed in us the nobility of services rendered by hospital staff around the world.
     Then there wasn't any question of not getting support from my near ones. My parents, siblings and relatives back home and.elsewhere had always wished best for us. In action, my wife's sister residing in Thinleygang, Panbang had been principal support. Of course all our near ones had been praying for us which we won't forget. In addition to unwavering support of our homes, our friends too played major role in some some parts. From friends from far and wide, we received good wishes and prayers. And from near ones,  we received immediate and much needed support. Great thanks to my friend, Sangay Phuntsho, Goshing Agri for being free rides at anytime when we had to visit the hospital (my friend Panbang BAFRA In charge too included here for the thanks). While in the hospital undergoing post delivery monitoring, friend Pema Namgay, Panbang Gonor, and Sangay Phuntsho and their families for timely nutritious food for both the patient and the attendants. My faith and belief in friendship reaffirmed.
     like all the aforementioned, how can I forget the most convenient time the baby was born, winter vacation and most favorable weather. Particularly I was very happy with time to stay beside my beloved at her most critical moment without having to worry about my works and obligations.
     As a result of all these, baby boy came to this world, an additional being in the world. Now the baby is finally delivered to us with grace and splendor. And now it is our responsibility to guide his life towards leading a successful life. We will invest our capabilities to develop the boy with the calibre of a US President, though he doesn't attain any of the great leadership post physically, to meander his life towards the sea of success. Life is all about ones leadership, leading our thoughts and actions.
    

Natinwide Cleaning, Nationwide Awakening

Today is National Cleaning Day. It is the government's noble initiative to commemorate a decade of our King's successful golden rule. Today 'every paper you pick & every drain you clear will contribute towards realizing His Majesty's dream of making Bhutan the cleanest country.'
     Our school joins the nation to observe the historic day by spearheading the cleaning program in the community. Teachers are divided into two groups, one for Nganglatrong chiwog and other for Kagtong chiwog, to co-lead the day's program following the directions from the Dungkhag Education Sector.
    With our school located in their chiwog, the people of Kagtong chiwog have an advantage to attend some cleaning related presentations in the school. Yesterday evening I thought of making a presentation or two to uplift the people's status of waste management. And today the day begins with my presentation. It is a cold morning. The sun is just appearing from the southeastern horizon slanting it's rays upon us although it is already 9 am.
I present them a story in which a group of responsible family gets together to make a yucky creek great. Then I highlighted some of the hazards of nondegradable wastes on our natural environment. Stuffs such as plastics, metals and rubbers are very useful in our daily lives but the waste out of them pose great disaster to our environment, I reinforce the gathering.
     Plastics, metals and rubber have become very important materials to produce different goods going by their strengths to withstand any sort of weather. However when they lose their strength of durability, waterproofness, air tightness and usefulness, they become some hazardous wastes in our environment. So what can we do? We can't divorce their use completely. We have to think of some creative solutions to the problems posed by the nondegradable wastes. Therfore my presentation covers some of the simple and possible ways reduce, reuse and recycle some wastes too. Of course there's no doubt the people of rural places don't reuse their wastes. It is often the elites and well-offs who don't reuse wastes. A juice bottle after finishing it's content flies off a window of a posh car while it is a prized container to store best wine in a hut. I reinforce the people's good practice with a pictorial presentation about some suggestive ways to reduce, reuse and recycle wastes.
     At the same time I also urged the people to think of ways to earn cash from trash. I wish the trash business to flourish. I wish the manufacturers could refund atleast 10 percent of the total retail prize of every goods if a customer returns them a container in reusable condition. May be this happening somewhere. In Japan it is really happening, I think. During my short training in Japan in 2014, our escort officials used to advise us not to tear off the foilpapered container specifically milk containers beyond the manufacturer's marked openings and also not to crush the bottles by reasoning that the manufacturer would buy back the containers from trash dealers, wash them and refill with new contents. In our country some beverage companies are buying back the containers from the scrap dealers. And that is why the bars stock up beverage bottles for selling. Now I wish the metal foilpapered containers too could fetch good cash in the business of trash. So even a container saved for selling will lighten the wastes on our natural environment.
     Then an animination movie on environment conservation has been supplementary treat to the gathering while the tea gets ready.
     Right after the tea in the warmth of the sun, we move towards the BHU area through the dusty farmroad. There are plastic wrappers thrown in some nook and corners. The people mostly students picked them all. The junk food wrappers top the collection of waste followed by pet bottles and foilpapered containers.
     Apart from cleaning,  we dig pits at strategic places with high hopes that passerbys will dispose their waste in the pits instead of littering every nook and corners. 
     It is a very good community service. And every glow of garbagefree place we can build on today will add up to the nation's tryst to gift Clean Bhutan to His Majesty the king.
     At least on this day, even a most irresponsible consumer will be sensitized when even high profile officers are out either cleaning or clearing.
     with mandarin season on, the people turnout is not up to our expectations. We expected that all the people will come and join us. However it is consoling to have sent children to represent their house. It is actually the people who are rarely immersed in such program to participate and learn. However the children being the future beneficiaries of the place will grow up into responsible beneficiaries. This is confirmed when I see the children immediately reacting to a man who disposes his wastes in the brook.
     Today we can make the community light by lifting all the litters around and disposing them in the waste pits. Today we are happy that we could join the nation to commemorate a golden decade of His Majesty the king. Today I am happy with big participation of youth in the program although I was little frustrated with those who didn't turn up and those who sent children instead of them. Today I could educate the public on some simple waste management practices.
      Hopefully the people will not throw wastes everywhere to make their place yucky.

     Nationwide cleaning
      Nationwide awakening
     
    

Birds are Always there for me

Birds are always there to greet me every morning I open the windows. Flights.  Tweeter. This is an advantage of having different trees in our school campus. Different birds come and visit trees. Some even nest and settle. This is a beauty of having trees around.
     Of late a couple of birds came into my sight just around my residence especially in the morning hours. I don't have to go deep into woods to watch birds. They come close to our windows and doors. Day before yesterday morning I went around our residence upon hearing unusual chattering of birds. To my amazement an owl was resting on a branch of a tree few meters from behind the house. A Streaked Spider Hunter was was around along with a couple of Red-vented Bulbuls and some tits. I assumed that the birds' chatter out of the fright upon the owl's presence. I couldn't identify what owl it was. It was more likely an Asian Barred Owlet(Glaucidium Cuculoides) going by size and appearance. It was heavily stripped (technically barred) and brown with some white spottings. It was perched restfully favoring me a shot or two in my camera. It's eyes were brilliantly open as if it had fixed eyes on its prey. I stealthily walked towards a tree nearby the garbage pit to capture the bird's perching moment. Meanwhile, the chattering tits and Bulbuls flew from tree to tree as if to indicate their frights. The owl remained perched magnificently and other birds flew around restlessly. In a tick of few seconds, the owl shot itself like an arrow down the thick bush. The other birds kept on chattering. I went down towards the bush to see if the owl was there. It wasn't there. I then came back to watch other birds.
     A group of Green-backed Tits(Parus Monticello) were still chattering on the tree. One by one, they disappeared into the tall trees below the path. The Red-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus cafer) remained on the tree while the Streaked Spiderhunter (Arachnothera magna) screeched away towards the playground.
     I came back home satisfied because I got some of the winged ones moments captured in my camera.
     Then yesterday morning, I went around again to see if the owl returned to the tree although I was aware that it would be highly unlikely to spot same bird on the same spot. No more owl that morning nor the tits nor the spiderhunter. Of course Bulbuls are common. However I was drawn towards the Children Park by the laughter of some laughing thrushes. They were White Crested Laughingthrush (Garrulax leucolophus) moving towards the Riverside gurrulously. I could zoom in one of them's brief perch in my camera before they move away one by one from tree to tree out of my sight. I was happy to have some clear shots of the bird. The Laughingthrushes are common in this locality. Often when we are in the nearby woods, their presence is felt with their garrulous laugh. But it is very difficult to photograph them in the bushes because they don't perch more on a same spot like some birds. In my frequent sighting of the bird, I have had tough time to get clear photograph of the bird. So yesterday it had been a sort of moment that the birds came purposefully to present me those better shots. The birds went laughing. I came back satisfied. 
     The sun was just up about 50 cm from the southeast horizon slanting it's rays upon us. Everything was brightening. The dews were sparkling. A drongo perched on a bent top of a bamboo. I felt a warmness surging in me when I could capture the drongo's warmly moment of rest.
      Red-vented Bulbuls and a Long-tailed Shrike are regular visitors in the school garden right in front of our residence. There are beans growing sufficiently. Now that the children are away home after their exam, the vegetables age and fall in the garden helplessly. So the birds take advantage of the fallen seeds. They don't go back satisfied with those fallen ones. They claim the ones on the plants too. So when they perch on the stakes to claim beans, I get better shot of their labour. As their company, bees are always there buzzing from flower to flower of the overgrown spinaches in the garden. Soon these yellow flowers will turn into seeds and more birds will visit to claim the seeds. And more shots I will have of the winged ones if I spend my vacation here.
     I am blessed to have eyes for the birds. In my pleasure of watching and photographing birds, I draw myself towards nature better. And better I feel at a spot of birds when I feel low in the flow of my life.
     Finally if you wanna have birds around, plant trees.