Sonam Choki- The Story of a Girl Who Reads "Dawa- The Story of a Stray Dog"

I met Sonam Choki on her first day in school. I am usually very forgetful but I still remember about that meeting because she left a lasting impression on me. She came to me to ask if she and her friends could go home because she had seen people leaving. The fineness of the language with which she asked me took by the pleasantest surprise. I couldn't believe a little class VII girl could own such beautiful language. I even asked her father if she had studied overseas but the secret to her amazing language was her habit of reading endlessly. Reading surely does magic, she proved it to me.

After a few weeks my school started forming clubs and I had to leave my old eLearning club to take up School Museum club but I had some unfinished dreams with the old club. So I called back all the old members of my former club to rebuilt the team and carry on. I then went looking for Sonam Choki. She was already into another club. I asked her if she would like to join my former club and read for audiobook recordings. She happily accepted.

I handed her over to a senior member, Chidananda who was the technical operator of the club and asked him to try some recordings with her. One day he came running to me to express his appreciation for her skill. He agreed that she is the best we have had. They have tried several poems, and short stories over time, and our ultimate goal is to record Kuenzang Choden's "Dawa- The Story of a Stray Dog".
Please listen to the following piece of recording they have done with minimal technology.


If forward looking companies like M-Studio would agree to help we are ready to record the book, so that the book, which is studied as textbook can be loaded onto mobile phones and any student can listen to it for free. Of course books are to be read but when it's a textbook you have to read it over and over, therefore listening alternative can be a great help.

If you like her reading, know that it's the magic of her reading habit therefore encourage, inspire and motivate children around you to read. Reading not only makes one a good reader but also shapes the soul and changes one into a cultured young fellow. Sonam is that.

How Are Scientists Made?

Does it take a scientist to invent a scientist? Seemingly yes because we never had a Bhutanese Scientist and therefore we don't have another. There is no inspirational figure to look up to for the students who are pursuing science. The highest dream they can dare is a mere MBBS. I don't know if the science we teach in school is only capable of making children dream as far as engineering college or medical college. Invention cannot be taught of course but how is it inspired?

School Science Exhibition is perhaps one obvious optional answer. By that I don't mean those namesake events where children do imitations of steam boat, waste chemicals from science lab to replicate volcanic eruption (for the thousandth time) or make a rocket with plastic bottle and football pump that will only fly two meters high.

School science exhibitions have reached new heights now. Children now make chopping and grinding machines with renewable energy, solar mobile phone charger, bicycle mop, and prototype of very futuristic machines. I am very excited to see what other 11 schools will come up with at the 2014 Science & Technology Exhibition in my school on May 10, 2014. These schools are coming from eight different dzongkhags.

The Logo images are not original, integration is :)

Each school will showcase three exhibits, which were the best from their own school exhibitions. The winning school takes home Nu.25,000 and load of inspiration. Sadly it stops there. Because unlike in other countries no company takes part to see if there are some inventions they could invest in. I hope this happens down the line.

We could go that far to bring in companies but at least we have taken the first step toward making the Science Exhibition very scientific. The judges we are bringing in are not only science lovers but some of them have inspiring inventions in their names. Two of the judges will present their inventions and brave attempts to the expected 72 budding student scientists on May 9, 2014. 

The venue my school has set up will win every heart that comes here, every little soul is hard at work these few days to make the place so welcoming that no one would want to go back. The school intents to make the whole experience the most memorable and inspiring.

On the Exhibition day I will be photographing and compiling reports on every exhibit and I intent to share them here with you all. But if you are around or if you love science enough to come all the way to Bajothang from wherever you are, you are invited. 

Teacher's Day to Remember

This Teacher's Day in Bajothang was more than a cut-cake and some happy-teacher's-day dances. It will be remembered for ages, there will be thousand trees telling the story of May 2, 2014, literally. Every student and teacher in my school planted at least a tree each around the town.

Drawing the Plan of Action at 7:30

 Planting trees is not an interesting story to tell, and some could even think we got confused about the dates. It's supposed to be June 2. Well there is a difference, June is not as good as May for new saplings to grow. When we plant in May we mean to see them survive.

The Mastermind, supporter and friend.

And Green Zone in Bajothang town remained on paper for very long. The town has so many urgent issues to take care of before they could have the luxury to think of the green zone they once planned with pride. Thanks to the Environmental Wing of PHPA-II that is led by my friend Sangay Dorji. Last year he proposed the idea of plantation and I took the matter to my school. We agreed to do a massive community service and here we are. We formed a core team who put the idea together and made everything possible. Thanks to Vice Principal Melam and Ugyen Tshering for making it happen.

Plantation as far as the eyes could see

The trees are named and their survival is put up for a competition, therefore we expect this plantation to be different from other mass plantations, we want every sapling to grow into tree. The best classes will be awarded prizes at the end of the year. One parent came looking for his child's plant so that he could nurture it when she is gone to school, but only one parent. I would request more parents to own this idea.

One businessman came forward to offer refreshment to our students, I was so happy with him but I declined because we had our own refreshment. He act of kindness and responsibility earn so much respect from me. But again only one businessman showed that mentality.

The 1,300 holes were dug by JCV, we should have rather dug them ourselves because we wasted as much time in filling the massive hole. We planned the program for an hour and it took was over three hours before we could finally return to school for cut-cake celebration. By then I was dead exhausted but the cake looked very refreshing until I realised that I forgot to pick up my daughter. I borrowed a car and ran with the cake on my dashboard. I thought it was once in a lifetime fun but at the end of satisfying event I got a few disappointed friends who hated me for taking them on plantation trip. But I bet students loved it and that's all that matter.

Finally Cut-cake celebration in School

Happy Teacher's Day to all the teachers across the country, and to all my teachers who helped in shaping my life.

Mountain Echoes 2014

Mountain Echoes, a Festival celebrating Literature, Art and Culture in Bhutan began in 2010. The fifth edition of the festival will happen from 22nd to 24th of May this year in Thimphu. Quite strangely I am
speaking at the festival along with people who have achieved so much in life in the field of art and literature. I don't have any significant contribution whatsoever to earn an audience who would listen to my talk, but I am assured that it's going to be a conversation format and there will be other guests with me mostly from outside Bhutan, therefore I don't have to worry about mocking empty chairs.

My Profile at the Festival

I am already worried about disappointing people because there are many remarkable people who deserves the stage unless we are already done with everybody in last four festivals. There are about fifty people speaking at the festival and I am proud to tell you about twenty are Bhutanese. The full list of speakers can be found on Mountain Echoes website.

I am honoured to be invited at Mountain Echoes, and I am thankful to people who have recommended to the organizers. I have to leave behind my insecurity and fear because there are some good friends out there who wish me well. 

My show is scheduled on 23rd May 2014, 5:00 pm at Taj Tashi

Mountain Echoes Festival is an initiative by the India-Bhutan Foundation and produced by Siyahi.

The Last Wangdue Bridge

The historic wooden Wangdue bridge gave way to a motorable bridge in 1970s. The new bridge was perhaps a green iron bridge which stood there till 2002, when it was replace by the current concrete bridge.

How did I know the last bridge was green and made of iron? The answer is half submerged in the river (see picture). It is not only an eyesore near a very important site but also not a friendly foreign object in the river biodiversity. 

I am wondering why the rubble was left there. Who was supposed to clear it? Why was it left there? Was it ok to be left there in the river just like that? 

Rubble of the Last Iron Bridge

I can guess that the iron is of very good quality and given the opportunity some people might want to scrap it to pieces and use it for some purpose or simply sell it of. In Bajo town even septic tank covers are lost and a recent news reported that a home lost all its window grills, which suggest that iron is in high demand in scrap market. Then, why isn't that ugly bridge scrap lying there forever? There are at least few good tonnes of solid iron, and instead of letting it rust in the river and remain as an eyesore for ages why don't we let some people take it away for free?

Rooting Hormones

There are two special plants in my school, a shrub and a tree. Mysteriously they are alone, just one each. While I understood enough of the tree the shrub remained largely mythical until I sought help on Facebook.

 

The Shrub (Name: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow)

Now I know their names and I know both propagated from cuttings. I have already begun working on multiplying the plants but given my bad track records with plants I knew I was missing on something.

The Tree

I have tried cuttings of hedges before with little success, and this time I am dealing with precious plant. I don’t want to lose this plant. I sort advices from my biologist friend Ugyen Tshering who suggested about rooting hormones that stimulate root growth during plant propagation, something I never heard before yet something that easily clicked on me. It was my environmental engineer friend Sangay Dorji who reminded this computer teacher to go to Google and search on “How to prepare organic rooting hormone” I felt very stupidly enlightened.

What I found on Google was what Sangay Dorji already shared. There are two easy ways to prepare rooting hormone at home besides commercial hormones.

1. Extraction from willow leaf
2. Honey

Extraction from Willow Leaf: Collect fresh willow leaves. Pour boiling water on it and leave to brew for 24 hours. Throw away the leaves and there you have the rooting hormone. It can be stored in refrigerator for months. Use the liquid for soaking the tip of your cuttings for a few hours before planting them in polybag.

Honey: Honey is natural rooting hormone. Just dip the tip of the cutting in honey and plant it right away. As simple as that.

But the success of rooting largely depends on how well you nurture them daily. Don’t be stupid like me- they don’t need sunlight as yet so keep the plants in shade to better the chance of their survival.

Rumor: Even Aspirin is said to have the rooting magic in it. Dissolve few tablets in a glass of water and soak the cuttings in it for some hours before planting them in polybag.

My Mother's Donation to My School Museum

When I was planning my School Museum I called up my mother to help me. She already gave a long list of things she could help me with. But I had to reject some of her offers because I am not after antiques and valuables.

My Mother went home briefly and returned with load of stuffs for my museum. She has asked our village folks to help her son. She was surprised that not much is left in the village now.

If you have rural stuffs Please donate to my school Museum. Even torn and broken stuffs will work, after all it's a museum.

These are from my mother: (Do you want to try the quiz again? Name them)

1

2(a,b,c,d)

3

4(a,b,c)

5

6(a,b)

7

8(a,b)