Friday, June 29, 2012

Fish Bone Stuck In My Throat


Source: Google Image
Not so amusing but a fish bone got stuck in my throat while having lunch yesterday. I tried reaching it with my fingers - index and thumb, but was to no avail. I went to hospital 'Emergency Department' and told a doctor but apparently he was frigging busy 'mostly chit chatting' and I was asked to wait outside. I waited for an hr with much optimism that as long as that fish bone is pulled out I should walk out of that door - happy with an easy feeling. However, the doctor either forgot or has ignored me. When I showed up to him again, he had that look as if I was consulting him for the first time and asked, "Yes, what is it?" So, guess what? I had to repeat all over again…the fish bone getting stuck in my throat... Surprisingly, he still seemed least worrisome about my situation and to which he asked a ‘brother’ to take a look at it. I followed brother to ‘dressing room’, where I was offered a stool to sit on and a lamp was pulled closed to my wide opened mouth. He tried pulling out the fish bone but was barely able to see where it was stuck in the first hand. Finding no help, I had to return home. The night was sleepless with the bone constantly poking. Drinking water was just another pain to add.
Not long enough, the sudden pain in my throat from the bone again disturbed my sleep. And I woke up to find the sun was already up. The pain was no better yet I continued with my morning ‘wash up’. By then, my mom had the breakfast ready to be served, which was always the case. So, I grabbed a mug and plate, filled both with ‘suja’ and rice. Even while I was eating, I could still feel the bone poking. And you may call this magic but when I was done with my breakfast I found out that the bone that has been poking overnight and morning finally disappeared. It was as though a prank was pulled onto me by one of my ‘never-nice-friend’.
So, I am not sure if I should be worrying in consulting a doctor to make sure the bone is not there for once and all?   

Monday, June 25, 2012

The Naked Dzongkhag

Sunday is an extended day for a family or friends in planning to get together and do something exciting/relaxing. Usually, it is occupied with picnics, offering of prayers, 'karmey' and 'nyenda' in lhakhang, or simply making a round in town for shopping purpose or just to hang out. However, the Sunday of June 24, 2012, for the residents of Wangdue Phodrang Dzongkhag was no 'extended day'. Rather it brought a dismay from witnessing a tragic strike hard leaving their Dzongkhag naked.  
Source: PaSsu
(According to some sources, the fire
broke out from the entrace door)
It was the Sunday when the third oldest and historic monument/fortress called Wangdu Phodrang Dzong , which once stood tall on the ridge where Phochu-Mochu and Dangchu rivers meet and flows as one happily united river, was gutted to ground with an unstoppable blaze that started around 4 p.m. (BST) and raged onto midnight or even later without any sign of mercy. Today, June 25, 2012, the nation mourns for its great loss. Well, on the contrary, the nation is also happy to learn that all sacred relics have been successfully rescued and is in safe hand/place. This is yet another history in making.
This is not the first tragedy of its kind we are witnessing. There were many and to name one, Taktshang (Tiger's nest), believed to be one of the most saved and sacred treasure, was razed to ground. However, not long enough, the monastry was rebuilt while still retaining its original architecture. Even so, watching Wangdue Phodrang Dzong engulfed in blaze - helpless - and as I blog this simply gives me goose bumps and chill yet dead feeling at heart.

Building of Wangduephodrang Dzong by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel on the ridge that assimilates like the trunk of a sleeping elephant, as the tale goes, started in 1638 and after a year long, in 1639, the construction completed. Going by the history, the Dzong was caught in fire once in 1837 causing a major damage and later in 1897, an earthquake added another damage. Of late, in 2011, there were minor damages by yet another earthquake. All the damages caused were renovated to its original structure within the quickest possible time span. However, the damage we are witnessing this time will not only cost the nation a huge expense but also a lasting disheartening moment in addition to good amount of time in successfully re-erecting the Dzong back to its originality that rested 'on the trunk of a sleeping elephant'. 

Source: Facebook (After approx an hr or two of fire breakout in evening)

Source: BBS (The fire still eating the Dzong late late night)
The very cause of  the fire breakout is still a mystery, although some say it started from a short circuit, a nearby saw mill, or someone might have set on fire deliberately. Whatever the cause was, the treasure either "flew into sky or  is drawned under soil", as Mr. Karma Dorji, reporter of BBS, reports LIVE with a deep saddened tone. "It was as if the sleeping elephant that carried the fortress was standing up and shaking off the dzong it carried for centuries." (Kuensel, June 24, 2012.
Today, Monday, June 25, 2012, I join the nation in mourning for the great loss of our almost 400 years old monument, the Wangdue Phodrang Dzong.  

Before razing to ground by the unstoppable blaze
Source: Yeshey Dorji (Photographer and blogger. Photo taken 7 months ago)

Source: Google Image

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Reminded & Disturbed


Introduction of Tobacco Control Act has been a long time controversial amongst the Bhutanese and quite an awestruck for the first time foreign hearers, rising of tax on alcohol beverages was another hit. Although, most voices are disappearing now in contrast to few months ago, I am still bogged and often ponder if the legislation passed was satisfying enough to replenish the greed of every individual in considering it as equitable. Anyway, below are some of my lingering thoughts and one shall not take into a matter of serious concern as to if I am right or wrong. This is my lone opinion and does not in any manner provoke in defying any individual, organization, or nation at large.   
Source: Google Image
The Government of Bhutan has taken a very huge leap in introducing the Tobacco Control Act and may be the first nation to ban smoking in public areas. The smokers with valid licenses are restricted to smoking in permissible areas like ‘smoking room’. While the majors (rich or high ranked) are less affected, the minors (residing in remote areas or who are backed by poor financial) are striped off their long time availed luxury of buying from nearby shop and smoking anywhere and anytime they whim for. The locals seldom produce any tobacco substances on their own and needs to be constantly dependent on imports by the shoppers, who on varying intervals make a visit to India or Bangkok staking their life at risk for the prize of reaping some profits. According to the Tobacco Control Act, 2010, no individual is allowed to buy tobacco or tobacco products for selling purposes. A person is entitled to importing “200 sticks of cigarette/bidi or 30 pieces of cigar or 150 grams of other tobacco and tobacco products” per month for self-consumption only (Tobacco Control Rules and Regulations, 2011). However, with building pressure from the people the Tobacco Act has been amended once. Although majority of the rules still remain intact to the original, individuals can now consume almost the double in retaliation to its initial permissible quantity. In addition, importer shall pay '100% Sales Tax if imported from India' and '100% Sales Tax and 100% Customs Duty if imported from countries other than India' and that again for self-consumption only (Tobacco Control Rules and Regulations, 2011). Due to all such restrictions and impositions, the businesses of shoppers are becoming hideous. While some find secretly burying in rice is helpful, there are others who consider hiding below car seat cushion is smarter way to cheat law. Because of all such hardships and risks a shopper has to endure, the prices have hiked double the initial when smoking was permissible and no such law was passed.
Source: Google Image
Nonetheless, it’s quite another story to see people still smoking in areas that are considered forbidden and threatened if caught red handed. There are many incidences where I spotted people with varying ages smoking in snooker rooms, hotels, and in the middle of town. It is also fascinating to see people ‘possibly big shots’ driving big loaned cars, smoking freely in the middle of town as they pass by policemen without the slightest of hinge that they are breaching the very young law that is in action. Alas! Policemen seem least, if not at all bothered by such situation either. So, the question is, whom the law is actually bended to?       
It would always come as astonishment if I ever come across someone who just quit smoking because a law has come into action and he/she is strictly obliged to being patriotic. I still see people in possession of smoking about the same, if not more numbers of sticks of cigarette every day. So, I am not really sure how effective the ban on tobacco or tobacco products is momentarily or long down the road.
Of late, I have been reminded and disturbed by the “Under Age” restriction policy for smoking and drinking as well. If government is willing to expend tens and thousands of money in formulating and implementing new laws of a kind that has similar consequence of the ones already existing in a nut shell, then why is under age smoking/drinking not looked into as a serious matter? This law or rather policy has been passed for years yet at the moment it simply seems undermined. Involvement of youths in battering, smuggling, robbing, intruding, murdering, and etc. are at serious hike and the very prominent factor/stimulus being the consumption of alcohol and tobacco substances. Yes! The government is also trying to minimize the consumption of alcohol by raising its import tax. However, the consumers seem to be again least, if not at all bothered. I am starting to draw the conclusion that whatever the law or imposition government is trying to intervene with for the interest and well being of every individual and preservation of environment, the heed and appreciation from general public is minimum. The only hope I can cling onto is foster the under age restriction of consumption of alcohol/smoking and not add unnecessary laws that would intrigue individuals in improvising towards performing actions that would bring direct/indirect impact to the society as a whole.