Showing posts with label Gelephu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gelephu. Show all posts

06 August 2016

Monsoon Lessons


Now that the monsoon has passed and things are gradually falling in place, it’s time to look back and reflect. John Dewey said, ‘we do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience.’ 

Last month we saw what could be easily called the worst monsoon in many years. Sarpang town was wiped from the face of the earth. Two southern towns of Gelephu and Phuntsholing spent many sleepless nights. Samtse lost a critical bridge. Road network across the country was disrupted. Our country suffered huge losses in damages.

But in these bad times we saw the most heartwarming responses from our men in uniform across the country volunteering in rescue efforts. We saw them putting public safety ahead of their own. In them we saw heroes we could always rely on in times of need.

In the middle of confusion in the south, where the fury of nature had left everyone helpless we saw the selfless leadership of our King and the Prime Minister. The kind of leadership the rest of the world could only pray for.
Pic: His Majesty's Official Page
However, far away from the affected areas, here in the capital city we saw the other side our people, the not-so-good side. With road connection to the south blocked at several points, assumptions of fuel shortage created havoc. Avalanches of cars rushing at the fuel pumps to hoard fuel.

The endless queue of cars only showed how embarrassingly selfish we could become in the face of disaster. Everyone wanted their own tanks to be filled, disregarding the need of the fellow citizens. No one seemed to think that if our country at all suffered from fuel crisis we were all in it together.
Pic: The Bhutanese Facebook Page
Despite the comforting official announcement against the problem the ugly rush continued at all depots for days. We believed more in the hoax. Of course what more can we expect from the population that once believed in the salt shortage rumor? Some families may not have finished the salt they selfishly hoarded that day in 2013.

Besides the fuel hoarding, we also heard stories of taxi drivers overcharging desperate travellers and we saw local vegetable vendors doubling the price of their produce in the absence of competition from imported vegetable. These are some qualities that make us not Bhutanese.

We Bhutanese are by nature harmonious social beings. That makes us stand out in the big blue world despite our smallness. But why do we act like some ghosts possessed us in times like this? Why do we become so selfish suddenly?

Now that the roads are cleared as promised and that we didn’t run out of fuel, what have we learned? Even if we weren’t in queue at the fuel pump, or had anything to do with the opportunist vegetable vendors and taxi drivers we are all equally guilty in this. Remember what Albert Einstein said,

‘The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.’

This article is published in Business Bhutan on 6th August 2016

29 January 2014

Gelephu Airport- the Biggest Photo Studio

Another Landmark place to visit in Gelephu is of course the Airport. It's a few minutes drive from the Gelephu town on Sarpang Highway. You will be surprised at the security system there- the gate is unmanned and open, you can drive your car on to the runway. It feels very empty to see a brand new facility so deserted, there is not a structure to be seen anywhere within view, forget any aircraft.

Since no plane is landing, I landed there!
The dream of an airport in Gelephu remained on the pillow for ages, but that dream somehow seemed so sweet to me now when I look at the vastness of the plain. If Bhutan wants an airport of international standard Gelephu has the scope. Of course Paro will always remain our iconic airport.

I don't know why Gelephu is so shy about growing. Nothing seemed to have worked well here. It's such a waste of this beautiful place. Even the airport is more like a photo studio, where people come with cameras take picture in different pose.

This is the last post I am writing from Gelephu. But I have some more to write about this place when I reach home. I have been here for 24 days and tomorrow morning at 8 am PaSsu Diary is Signing out from Gelephu.
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27 January 2014

The Art and Science of Tshachu

Gelephu Tshachu is the only tshachu I have ever been too, therefore I am assuming other tshachus are more or less of same architectural design. The unwelcoming design of the low-roof shed, and suffocating thick walls around the congested pools don't seem to have any element of art at all. But on the second thought there seems to be a form of art typical to pre-modern Bhutan, which is based on the science Bhutanese understood very early in time.

The Tshachu is under that low Green Roof
There is physics in the circular shape of the ponds, circle is the most accommodating shape. They had to choose circle because they could not build bigger pool for another scientific reason-the science of preserving heat. It led to keeping pools small with thick high walls and even the low roof of the shed. Though it seem like a typical Indian well, sometimes even resembling oven at the cremation ground, they seemed have crafted the best of art relevant during their time with the science that is timeless.

See any aesthetics? Look who is with me. She says people are stinking, I had to explain what was smelling. 
What is disappointing about the evolution of Tshachu is that it didn't evolve with time. It remained frozen. It's time something is done about the architecture of Tshachu. It has become one very important wellness tourist destination for Bhutanese and it's time we place some importance on our own people too.

Modern architecture should intervene and create space and convenience. The pools should be enlarged to accommodate as many people to reduce the waiting time and avoid indecent rushing. The heat science should be taken care by glass walls and wooden tubs. Introducing glass technology will transform the aesthetics of the place with sufficient light and much needed hygiene.

It's also time to pay attention to the huge drains that pose safety risk and adequate amenities should be put in place to avoid gender awkwardness while changing.

To be continued, if possible...

21 January 2014

Gelephu Tshachu

I have heard badly about Gelephu Tshachu, and the images of it on media made it worse, but I didn't want to go back without seeing this infamous place. So a week ago I took my family there. It was about to be 6PM when we reached there and men were crowding at the gate for their turn. It was already dark and the place was depressing without proper lighting. I was yet to see the tshachu pools when men started gatecrashing and invading the women's turn. There was nobody at the gate to see to it. 
When all men have climbed over the gate and wall then came a young man who open the gate for me. He blew the whistle as if there was anybody left at all. At the pool the scene was very ugly, men were rushing in and women were trying to escape. I thought that was it. I had seen enough already.

I couldn't agree to myself. Am I going to leave Gelephu without experiencing Tshachu? Am a going to deprive myself of a lifetime experience? Am I going to live with that bad impression of that place forever? 

So last weekend I joined four of my training mates who are regular Tshachu visitors. We made it there before 8PM. There were hardly any people at the gate, which was already open. The ponds were packed and surprisingly there were a few men among the ladies. The whistle blew but the ladies showed no sign of coming out. So we readied ourselves and waited at the mouth of the pond that's reputed to be the hottest. There were over 13 people staring at us from the pond and I could hardly see any space to breath. Five of us were waiting in shorts. Then a man brushed across us and went in. I was annoyed at first but after watching him adjust himself among the ladies with good humor I began to like him.

My friends who were already senior visitors told me that we should subtly slip in like the man. One by one we joked our way into the pond and to my amazement the population in the pond increased to 18 and we were still comfortable. Everybody was so welcoming that I could think of no other people in the world who can be as accommodating and forgiving. I spend the next one hour enjoy the hot smelly water and funny company. There were different types of people coming in and going out, and the friendly atmosphere in the pond remained throughout. Every time a new member came in everybody moved a little bit to make room, and every time someone walks out everybody stood up to give way. 


Seriously I have no faith in the healing power of tshachu, I feel any hot water can have so much healing power if we can soak for so long. But what make Tshachu special to me is the social aspect of it. People from different places gather here and indulge in a very rustic and yet so Bhutanese form of social activity. Where in the world would stranger share a tiny bathtub in minimum cloth for hours? This should be one place to visit before you die.

Health Tips: Tshachu is mostly visited by people with different kinds of diseases, and therefore some caution has to be taken. 

15 January 2014

Tokay Gecko is Valueless

Tokay Gecko was rumored to have the cure for AIDS and therefore was insanely valued in millions. Further there were many websites giving convincing details of sizes and prices of the lizard. I spent good amount of time on internet and yet I didn't encounter this hoax news until the Gelephu incident appeared in the news. This is a case of lack of media literacy at worst. The rumor is more than two years old, how did it suddenly become so viral in Bhutan?

Poor Tokay Gecko
The truth about the reptile will disappoint many people who must have gone too far to become a millionaire overnight. The lizard that is rumored to be priceless is actually valueless. It's neither endangered nor protected species. Taiwan alone imported 18 million Gecko in 2004, because it's used in traditional medicine, but curing AIDS is out of question as confirmed by World Health Organization. It can surely kill mosquitoes.

Dead Geckos to be used in Traditional Medicine 
Everybody heard about the buyers who are ready to pay millions for a Gecko that weighs over 300 gram but nobody actually sold one. Everybody is looking for buyers. There is no buyers. The best price known is USD 50, yes just 50. The online scam has sent hundred of thousands of people to jungles across the world, who must have removed every single gecko from the wild. This could lead to the extinction of the species given the depth at which the rumor has reached. The people responsible for fabricating this story are nothing less than sick Hitler for the lizard world.

Coming back to Bhutan, I am still wondering why the Gelephu incident even happened. The lizard is neither endangered nor protected yet the poor caretaker was arrested and slapped Nu.100,000 fine. This case added gravity to the rumor. Under normal circumstance would anybody be arrested for capturing a lizard? Why is everything that is (considered or rumored) priceless suddenly taken care by law? Is law greedy? Is law ignorant? Tokay Gecko didn't make any Bhutanese millionaire but it has generated lots of suspicion and hatred in the society and criminalized a few.

Please let ignorant people around you know that Tokay Gecko won't make them millionaire. Verify my claims with articles in The Bangkok Post and Global Voice, the only two authentic site that cared to report on the lizard. All the other sites are fake, created just to launch the rumor.

13 January 2014

Rubber Forest

Gelephu is a whole new world for me. Born in the north I am up against many warm adventures in the south. I am making heavy use of Sundays that I have to myself and family because weekdays are insanely tight. I wish I had good reception of 3G connection at night to write down all the first hand southern experiences.

The following is the picture of the woods across the Gelephu High School campus. It's two acres of Rubber trees. I joined my friends during the lunch break to explore the woods and extract rubber. Kids were playing with rubber balls they made from the trees. I took a knife along to try out the cutting skill we learnt in high school geography.

Rubber Forest
The trees were laden with milky saps, just a small cut and it comes oozing out. It soon turns into rubber. Gelephu High School had the intention of adopting the trees and harvesting the rubber. They had called Indian experts for advice and found out that each tree could give them at least Nu.1500 a month. This could have made the school self reliant but the idea didn't sell well with NEC for whatever reason- so I learnt.
Oozing Milk
Raw Rubber Balls kids made


Looking at how children have exploited the trees, each tree carries hundreds ugly scars, the trees may not remain harvestable very soon. The question is why are these trees planted if they are not harvested? And even bigger question: If rubber trees grow in our country why haven't we invested in it?

For now, Gelephu High school uses that forest as assembly ground during the hot summers as natural air conditioner.

09 January 2014

The First Bhutanese Nepali Movie- Made in Gelephu

My daughter has been watching the first (and perhaps the only) Bhutanese Nepali movies for quite some time, and as always she watched it over and over until she could repeat every dialogue and hum every music in it. When we were travelling south last weekend she slept till Tsirang and when she woke up she was upset, she wanted to go back.

That's when I remembered the movie. I told her that we were going to place where the Nepali movie was made. I promised her that I will show her all the locations she saw in the movie. That conversation excited her and after a while she happily went back to sleep.

It was in Sarpang we stopped for lunch and after we got back in car, she started insisting on going to the house she saw in the movie. Luckily I could recognize the spot where on comical romantic scene was shot, near Jigmeling. I could see the glow on her face as we passed by the place. After that she came back to the same demand of going to the home and the village in the movie... (Anyone knows where it is?)