Last Few Days

My classmates; Fussball Champs!

Nine months in New Zealand have elapsed too fast and now it a week away from returning back to Bhutan. The last week at the institute looking at friends and saying to myself we might not see again or we could? It reminiscences of my final days  on similar situations in my School and College. I thoroughly enjoyed the stay, experienced differences in way of life, met people with diverse cultural background and religions, living away from home for the first time and first training abroad after getting employed, which all added different lessons to my personal journey. 

The stay wouldn’t have been so fruitful without warm hospitality of Kiwis and the unforgettable experiences with Bhutanese diaspora here. It was in the beginning that I quite often missed home and and the love of my family but now I have endured enough to feel myself gravitated to this place. I will definitely miss the life I had in New Zealand, the leather couch where I spent most of my leisure time reading books and browsing internet and studying for the examinations. The pet doggy, Casper, which always loved rice and chicken but the owner wouldn’t allow, so I used to feed him whenever we are alone and he loves it.  Casper is cunning enough to acts like he hated me in his  owner’s presence; even if I call, he simply slinks away with his tail down, that is very dodgy Casper.  

Apart from my normal studies, I was happy to be able to attend Buddhist teachings and Meditation classes regularly on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday. I met many wonderful people of different nationality with strong urge to practise Buddhism which always encouraged me too. We went around together, we gathered for shared meals and we were eager to see each other pursuing common goal. The pleasant moments with those people will be one of the hardest thing to let go off my memory. I hope that I have described the facts about Bhutan in idyllic pictures on political, Buddhism, cultural and GNH to lure them; I can see keenness in some of them to visit Bhutan. Honestly speaking, I understood and appreciated Bhutan more than ever before while making them feel the same.

These last few days always makes me feel sentimental to look back. But that is the way of life, after all nothing lasts forever. Speaking strictly from Buddhist point of view, everything is impermanent and realising the fact that it is going to end one day, I don’t crave for longer stay anymore.

As the course ends, I can see some of my friends excited to start with newly offered jobs and some little nervous of finding one. I feel more excited than ever before to join back to Drukair and can’t actually wait to get back in touch with our old friends, A319s. It makes better sense after having decent knowledge of what I am doing. I am indebted to Drukair for time, money and faith entrusted on me. I have to keep this feeling resonating and repay not just with words but with attitude and approach at my workplace.

I am equally excited to get back to my co-workers with whom I used to share so much of fun and laughter on daily basis. Our topics of conversations includes professional to politics, business to religion, success to failure and anything human mind can think of. I will be back to same business which relieves me a lot to think about.  

As articulated in  foregoing, I feel gravitated to New Zealand for spending almost one precious year of my life but still I always feel I belong to Bhutan, where the life so complacent, social vitality is still very strong, sustainability and happiness are deliberated on day-to-day basis. Afterall, whatever our career or personal goals may be, the ultimate destination is to make oneself happy. I am coming home-Happy Bhutan.

My word to ENGINEERS (CST 2012 graduates)

Photo from: orchardcards.co.uk

Congratulations to 2012-graduates of College of Science and Technology (CST). We are really proud to have one more batch of competent engineers. I foresee you all proving the quality and worthiness of CST. I feel much relieved to think about you all. It is now crucial time in your life. I am sure at this point of  life, you will have mixed feelings. Excited-nervous and saddened to loose those friends with whom you spent four to six of your formative years. 

I just wanted to tell you that the career choice once made is, in fact, irreversible. So, I request all of you to make your choices meticulously. Don’t be simply lured towards fleeting (momentary) incentives. Take the best decision. I don’t have expertise knowledge or much experience to guide you all but still, I can’t hold my intentions to let you know, at least some facts I have come across by just graduating a year earlier than you.

It may be good to consult seniors, friends, relatives or anybody but I tell you all not to listen to anyone’s suggestions. It is you who is going to succeed or fail. We all know that as an individual, our perspectives vary. As has quoted, “one man’s meat is other man’s poison”, the best job for one may be the worst for other.

Starting college days with Jadoo and Chang

Innocent Jadoo and I (2007)

After completing my schooling from first modern school in the country (Ugyen Dorji Higher Secondary School, Haa), I was lucky enough to get enrolled in College of Science and Technology (CST) under Royal University of Bhutan(RUB). It is only Engineering College offering undergraduate programme in the country, which now has supplied many top engineers working in various sectors. CST’s pride lie in her graduates performances in civil service examinations and superiority of competence shown in real work field.

 I did not imagine earlier that I will become an engineer one day. I had never enquired anything on engineering field till I joined the college. I entered the erstwhile Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology (RBIT) as raw 10 plus 2 graduate. I was bit anxious as I have heard many stories of failures and the value of graduates. On the way towards college many people whom I met, highly lauded and appreciated me, which was only because of positive fames of our college echoing around the nation. I must thank all CST-alumni for being so good.

Lhendup (Jadoo) and I were dropped to college by uncle. It was mid-summer. There were mud puddles and uneven land surfaces all around the campus. Our vehicle slipped into a shallow puddle. We were hapless. We then, alighted from the car, applied all sorts of forces and even applied our knowledge of lever, but all in vain. My clothes and whole body was tinted with muds and that of Jadoo’s was even worse. Many people surrounded us and “what a shame in front of those ladies”, Jadoo silently whispered to me. We were trying relentlessly to tow the vehicle but my friend Jadoo started another business, “analyzing about the ladies,” he stared at them and dropped his saliva many times.

Exam results : Ever Surprising

I am still in the mood of celebration, this time, for my BCSE examination result. It caught me by real surprise when my brother called me and said, ‘you topped’. I couldn’t simply believe it. I rushed to buy a kuensel from nearby Grocery Shop. It was true. My only disbelief for now is, it must be a printing mistake. That sounds foolish right? I don’t know why? My intuition was that I will not be able to make it to top 12. I did not spoil my paper so badly, but still I was not convinced. I was sure to pass (i.e. to get minimum of 50%).

I still wonder why I did not believe in myself. My intuitions were actually wrong. I am happy that I scored the highest of all in Electrical and Electronics category.  It is already 12 noon and I still didn’t take my breakfast. I am still responding to calls from friends and well-wishers, I am still replying the mails that are popping up.  This moment is wonderful and I must use it properly for ecstasy I am going through will rarely come. I am in jocund mood.

The Flattened World

This book review was  done by Mr. Sangchu while in Second Year in the year 2008 at College of Science and Technology. He is currently Tariff Officer at Bhutan Electricity Authority.

THE WORLD IS FLAT  by Thomas L. Friedman

Ap Sangchu

Running with Gazelles, Eating with lions. 

Thomas L. Friedman has probably written the single most important book of this century. Globalization has/will supercede all traditional boundaries of sex, class, race and nationality. This is one of the chapters discussed by the author as the one of the ten forces that flattened the world. I too find this particular topic very important and will influence the lives of millions of people globally. And it is very important that all Bhutanese prepare themselves before this force hit our country and create a change which we are unaware of.

On December 11, 2001, China formally joined the world trade organization, which meant Beijing agreed to follow the same global rules governing imports, exports, and foreign investments that most countries in the world were following. It meant China was agreeing, in principle, to make its own playing field as level as the rest of the world.

Responsibilty versus Character

It is tough. People are different. Entire perspective is different for different people. It’s rather hard for me to perceive my own life and my daily actions. I am inherently extrovert. I love cracking jokes, making fun with my friends, teasing others, expressing myself and have a gift of tongue for which I used to get constant blows from my mom. I joke too much. I try to find fun and be joyous at all instants of my life. That’s my life. I sometimes encountered group of people who don’t know how to accept fun at all, some can create but can’t take it for them and some keep silent and take all.
I joined the college with enormous pride as my mind was already full of positive fames of CST. We had really good time as first years. Constant reminder from seniors for our misconducts and regularly walking out of the track when young minds get together. It used to be interesting and memorable.
Our stay in college as second year and third year was not so fascinating. It meant only normal life. It only meant observing clash between two extreme batches in the college. By that time we have finished our rigorous training of our attitude in first year. Being silent observer is painful especially when fresh comers do things in their own way. We then just supplement and give recommendations to final years, just to add fuel to razing fires of final years and scrutinize all of fresher’s ‘ attitude. It is tradition of our lovely CST. But, to be the one whose attitude is to be mended, it was hard to imagine. We never looked at what benefit it would give us. What difference can it make upon our lives?

Farewell nite for final years 2010

GOODBYE FRIENDS – FAREWELL NITE -MAY15, 2010


Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to this very special occasion tonight.

Today we have here bittersweet occasion. Hope this ambiance gives you the ceremonial feelings. This is just gesture showing our feeling of greatness.

Firstly, I thank my associates here and other peripheral supporters, for organising the event.

We organisers thank you all for joining us.

I on behalf of all students, thank all our respected seniors for standing by us and guiding us during your stay here in the College of Science and Technology. We are very much thankful to you all, especially to our councilors for your efforts to keep the spirits among student body alive. We thank you for devoting your time working for betterment of services and discipline within student body and college as a whole. I on behalf of all my friends’ thank you for teaching us, the ethics of college, guiding and giving us lessons through various methods. I am sure all would be thankful to you for mending our mannerisms and behaviours.

So many occasions like today’s we had together, so many funs we had together, so many picnics we enjoyed together, so many memorable things we shared. Those lovely memories are now only memories of past and especially today I have mixed feeling of joy and sorrow, for you are here today and will create vacant space which cannot be filled by mere presence of somebody. To let memories of our past togetherness during your stay make me appeal you to say let us be together forever.

I am short for word to describe how I feel today. We are deeply saddened and my heart really pains to say goodbye to our outgoing friends, but we must understand that it is inevitable part of our life and we believe in saying, “Nothing is so spacious as to have friends at a distance, they make longitudes and latitudes”. We are very much confident our friends here will excel and display their true potential given the platform to do. Therefore, we optimistically hope each one of you will find your desired path hereafter and we offer our best wishes for all your pursuits. We expect our outgoing friends to guide us when we are still in middle of the path by sharing your experiences at college and more importantly of employed life.

Four, five years before you (i.e. final years) entered the college of science and Technology as crude class XII student whose stance on studies was just mugging up things for cramming into for exams. After acquiring analytical, reasoning, and necessary rational skills you carry the prefix of ENGINEER with your names. We feel after spending your formative years at this college, you have gained more than what you have expected and what we see. Now, you are most prized asset of the college. We are very much optimistic that your performance in various fields would add extra boom to college identity, whereby more doors remain open for CST graduates in job market in competitive future.

Lastly, we genuinely beg your pardon if ever we have disappointed you during your stay in CST. We whole-heartedly believe in respecting seniors and protecting your right as per norms of the college. We without any hesitation feel that you are most suitable people within the campus to be respected. Once again, if we ever disappointed you during your stay with us, it was all due to our ignorance. Please forgive us.

Goodbyes are not forever,

Goodbyes are not end,

They simply mean, I will miss you,

Until we meet again