My Kitchen Garden

I am a son of farmer. Agriculture was our main source of income for livelihood. It was the agriculture that enables my parents to send me schools and then to college. In fact everyone without depending on agriculture directly or indirectly cannot sustain to live a life. Agriculture work is very important for everyone and I particularly have interest in doing it. 

My neighbors are kind enough to share with me their part of kitchen garden when I share with them the interest I have for making one. Fine Sundays and free hours after office are the time I spent on gardening work. My mother supported me with varieties of seeds she collected over the year.

It requires hard work from us and then the things keep on happening as you wish. If I had spent those few hours in playing games, my time would have end there but because I spent on gardening work, those few hour time seems not yet end as I still can enjoy those time’s time. 

If the field is dark or grey, it’s one of the characteristics of fertility and if it’s easy while digging then it’s encouraging to work. It so happen that I planned to do it and the conditions favour me.

My sister and friends help me and we have sown the seeds of beans, reddish, maize, ground nut, chilli, lady finger and cucumber. Only this much I could collect this time. 

At first I doubt whether my seeds will grow or not because I didn’t add any manure and there was ginger plantation before this. But after few days or a week with rainfalls, it started to germinate and they starts growing. That was the time I did enjoy seeing my first kitchen garden becoming green. Then the willingness to care for it comes from within and automatic. 

I also have sown the seeds of which I don’t know the name and what kind of vegetable it is. One of my friend gave me that seed and it has started to grow and still I am unable to recognize but then my friend don’t want to say what it is. It’s interesting sometimes to see things growing and I am caring for it, yet not knowing what kind of fruit it would give me. It looks no difference to some common grasses grown around and I feel it would bear me nothing but then sometimes I also expect something out of it. Anyway it’s growing so nicely.

Everything that are green attracts the heart of most people. It is not really because the color green looks good. It is because everything out of green is good for all. It has lots of benefits to all the living beings on earth. Beautiful Summer Mountains and valleys are the sources of fresh air and sources of food to all living beings at all times to come. Because of all greens we all do survive and that’s the reason why do I care for green.

Human beings out of their extraordinary senses have selected few among millions that are grown green, some bearing fruits and some bearing only leaves, which are good for health to consume as vegetables. This may not be true but I wrote it because I once heard that, everything that we cultivate as vegetable today are grown plenty in the forest many centuries back. That’s what old people says.

It really feels good taking some hours away from normal office time and going deep into the jungle, chop down heavy loaded branches and fix it in the garden for proper anchorage of the bean stem.

 I can recall beautiful memories from childhood days where I was sent in the jungle to look after few number of horses and many cows while helping my grandfather and grandmother. Sorry grandpa and grandma, you are no more to be seen and talk to but I always will remember your kindness towards me. Those days used to be very beautiful and meaningful. 

Being born as a son of farmer in the far flung village where words of modernizations are unheard, I am blessed that I have learnt lots of lessons out of it to realize what life is meant to live for. Though people never heard of bank balances and never try to have one, they survive with biggest smiles all the time. 

Though my bank balances are always zero after getting job, I keep on smiling and always be happy. Little funny but that is what I am doing and it is because I have learn to be happy without bank balances. Thank god! That is what I am and am happy with it.

Coming back to my kitchen garden, it is what keeps me holding onto my life by remembering best times I have spent in the past and encouraging times to spend here after.

As time passed by and when things I cared for becomes green and greener is the time I spent most on caring more. Early in the morning, went there to see if anything new changes has come and then back after office to work. All of this makes my time and a day very beautiful and always fruitful. 

I never failed my official task and I was always there to work for my garden, never reject anyone’s call and never failed to call my parents and friends and never reject any social gathering. What is there to say that I am not happy and my days are not beautiful? My days have been always beautiful and I always pray for the same. 

On 23^rd May, the heavy rainfall and the storm made my garden look awful, shapeless and some uprooted. It made me feel so hopeless at first but then it brighten up my feelings when I saw them waking up slowly and coming back to normal as the sun rises and transferring radiant of energy to them. Again how beautiful it is? The natural phenomenon. I am learning a lot from this garden. 

I really wanted to see organic vegetables coming out from my kitchen garden and now it’s there. It is going to save me few bugs and shared some with friend’s kitchen as well but then it doesn’t touch me much but the time I spent to make this garden beautiful. I am going to miss this time until next beautiful thing I planned to do.

Happy Teacher's Day

I wish all my teachers a Happy Teacher's Day. You all have made lots of difference in my life and I was glad you all were my teacher. Thank you for giving me strength and thank you for giving me courage and confidence. Thank you for your patience………… You all helped me see what I could be and made me a better person.  You all are the best teacher ever!

Teachers job is most tedious and yet you all did it without complain. You shape the mind and brain of young for better future. You did everything selflessly and I should say it confidently that I have had everything from you all without paying a penny yet you all didn’t asked for. Today when I stand to become teacher myself, I find every reasons to say that you all are the best teacher ever.

There really are no words to express gratitude for all teachers do and I should say there’s no boundary limit to my gratitude for you all my teachers. Once again Happy Teacher's Day and enjoy the joyous day of yours. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Journey of my life – JNP

Since after I joint into teaching at Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic, the place becomes the center of learning and living for me. Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic, as the name indicates, it has connection to the history before monarchy and today as our great kings continues to support the development of the institute, it becomes the center of hopes for the nation and the citizens. It was great privilege and an opportunity for me to serve the one and only polytechnic institute in the country. I was determined to dedicate my life in serving the institute in whatever little ways I can to make a difference. 

 Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic, formally known as Royal Bhutan Polytechnic was started in the year 1974 and was the first technical institute in the country offering diploma programme in engineering.  It was located 18 kilometers away from Samdrup Jongkhar, second gateway to Bhutan from Assam in India and shopping destination for the people of east. Today we have 741 students, 25% girls and 45 teaching staff supported by 56 non-teaching staff all working towards making Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic the Centre of Excellence. The various courses offer by the institute are Diploma in Civil Engineering, Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Diploma in Electronic and Communication Engineering, Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Diploma in Computer Hardware and Networking and Diploma in Surveying. I was very fortunate enough to get to work as an assistant lecturer under Diploma in Civil Engineering and Surveying.  By the next academic year, BE in Power Engineering and Diploma in Procurement and Material Management will be offered. 

JNP Staff with Honourable Tshogpen

 We have very farsighted visionary leaders; director supported by deans, managing the institute for excellence in its function. Professional upgrade of the teachers, academic excellence and good behavior among students and infrastructure developments of the institute were the top priority as a mission to fulfill.

I found that the senior faculties were very supportive in any kinds of help that we need as a new faculty. They are friendly in nature and doesn’t behave to create any gap between us. Some of them said, once we join Jigme Namgyel Polytechnic, we will never feel like to go away. This is what truly happening to me today. I was made to play almost all the games facilities available. Starting from lawn tennis which I have seen only in television and youtube, table tennis, badminton, basketball, volley ball and football which I think is never meant for me before. During my four years of stay at CST, I have never touch those games accept football for two or three times and now within four months of times at JNP, I have developed so much enthusiasm to play all the games and I am very happy for the changed. Thanks to all the senior faculties for your encouragement and supports. 

JNP staff football team lead by our director

Another reason for me to like about JNP is my friends. They are like my family and we eat, drinks, laugh, sing a song and sleep in a single house. Thanks for your wonderful company. I had a friend who cooks well like a mother and support like a brother. There are sometimes things to hurt but never take it serious. Cooking early in the morning, packing lunch for the office are some wonderful things we have done, though as a bachelor everyone expect us without breakfast every day in the office. Thank you once again Vasker and Indira.

With my friends

 The residential where I live is known as Thangzor, derived from the hilly and plain in nature of the place where all sports facilities are available. Thangzorpas are well known for the coorporation they give to each other in times of help and kind of togetherness they had for enjoyment so called family gathering. I am very happy to be part of Thangzorpa and I really did enjoy your welcome dinner when we first join as Thangzorpa. There are lots of unique things that families of Dewathang do in terms of social gathering and I really did liked the tradition of Sharchoppas arra being the first in discussion to proceed for any gathering. Thank you all Thangzorpas and I am very fortunate to be part of you all. Hoping for the great days ahead.

Thangzorpas gathering

 After getting job, I got huge responsibility to carry on. Firstly my family who has been eagerly waiting and hoping with great expectation from me. They want me to help them here after and I thinking that I am doing it without fail. As a lecturer in the institute, I have the responsibility to take care of my students and I have given my heart for it. So far of my stay here, I had a great time taking responsibilities. The response of the students had really encourage me to continue with the job and I am really determine to do so.

Thank you my parents, teachers, friends and almighty god for the good health and the good things that I am able to do for it fulfills my dreams and I am hoping and praying for my dreams to keep fulfilling.

Teaching as my Career-JNP

As a school going kid my ambition was to become a teacher. It may be because I know only about teachers or may be because it’s my fate. My ambition remain unchanged until my class XII result was declared and I was asked to join one of the premium engineering college in the country-CST. I choose to join the college although my ambition was different because there were no one to guide me and all I know about was that if I choose to join engineering college, it’s a better option for my future. Changing my ambition from becoming a teacher to an engineer didn’t have any regret in me, so I choose to become an engineer.

 Four years of courses in civil engineering was successfully completed. My lingering thoughts and wishes to become an engineer and support my families was about to accomplish. Then I was thinking, what kind of life I would be living beyond supporting my families? About my own family in the future, the meaningful life I wanted to live and the things that I can do to make my life meaningful. Of course there will not be a great thing that an ordinary person like me can do for this world but I got a strong believe in myself that I can do it greatly in my own small ways to make some difference. Then the thoughts of becoming a teacher came again to me. By becoming an engineer, there will be a great sense of achievement and responsibility of leading a meaningful life but becoming a teacher has more than that in life.

 While saying so, my passion for engineering never dies. Studying engineering was my passion and now teaching as a career becomes my interest in life. Many people objected my idea of becoming a teacher. They want me to become an engineer and earn more. Still people talks the same wherever I met with them. It was the interest that I have for my career that holds me strong to believe in myself than to whatever others have to say for me.

 Now it’s been few months past teaching to my students. Things are happening beyond my expectation and my interest into teaching grew day by day. For the successful days so far, I wanted to thank all my teachers for teaching me values in life, friends for all kinds of help, my family for your immense support in my studies and almighty god for all.

First Year Surveying Students

With future surveyor-Boys

With future surveyor-girls

  

Thanks to all my students for your supports.