2008 to 2014. Was this time period really a short or a long journey for me?

This time, I will not write more. Instead, I chose to express through some of the photos which I have maintained over the years. The call of of nature automatically is, " To rise high is to fall down one day". Similarly, I am not surprised but obviously, I know there is a change in part of my life from bachelor to married life to family life. At the end of the day, all I have to do is to embrace these changes. Here are some of the photos which clearly underlines the state of my life has changed.


1. 2008. First Year in the College of Dairy and Food Science Technology. Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, Rajasthan India.

 

2. 2012. Final Year in the College of Dairy and Food Science Technology. Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, Rajasthan India.

3. 2013. My first year in Civil Service and marriage. Married at the age of 26.

4. 2014. We welcomed our first child Tshering Choden into our life. This fetches me a sense of fatherhood.

Life has to go on and on.

35th US President John F Kennedy's Inaugural Speech.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), commonly known as Jack Kennedy or by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963. His Inaugural address delivered on January 20, 1961.

Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice president Nixon, President Truman, Reverend Clergy, fellow citizens: We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom--symbolizing an end as well as a beginning--signifying renewal as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago. The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge--and more. To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of faithful friends. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do--for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom-and to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. To those peoples in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is required--not because the communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge--to convert our good words into good deeds--in a new alliance for progress--to assist free men and free governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know that this Hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house. To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support--to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective--to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak--and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run. Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course--both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind's final war. So let us begin anew--remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms--and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations. Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths and encourage the arts and commerce. Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah--to "undo the heavy burdens . . . (and) let the oppressed go free." And if a beach-head of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion, let both sides join in creating a new endeavor, not a new balance of power, but a new world of law, where the strong are just and the weak secure and the peace preserved. All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days. Nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin. In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. The graves of young Americans who answered the call to service surround the globe. Now the trumpet summons us again-not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need--not as a call to battle, though embattled we are--but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"--a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself. Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort? In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility--I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it--and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man. Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

11 Everyday items that could actually end up killing you. What do you think?

Dear friends,

I read this link a few minutes back and I could not control myself from sharing it in my blog thinking that at least one among thousands/millions will give a second thought after reading it.  Indeed, it is a call for us to explore what is locally available around us instead of targeting for a hi-fi imported food products. 

I know people residing in urban areas in Bhutan have certainly developed a health consciousness in choosing foods but they generally give least importance to foods produced locally due to numerous factors like poor presentation, poor packaging coupled with lack of sustainable supplying ability. However, the flow of local products into the market is gearing up and it will gain momentum with time. 

Therefore, I URGE other readers to kindly give a wise thought in choosing foods.

Well, you must have seen some warning signs on some everyday items. We often see such warnings like Caution, Danger, but tend to ignore them. It is all because honestly, we don't give a damn. However, we're living in a time where it's important to get serious about such warnings. Studies and research undertaken by some renowned professionals have shown that some of our everyday items which we use daily, contain some lethal toxins and chemicals. Sad but, unfortunately, true.

Take a look at some everyday items that could be killing you.  

1. Microwave popcorn

Our favorite time-pass snack is packed in bags which are lined with PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid). This chemical is also found in Teflon. Studies have shown that this chemical can be linked with infertility in women and exposure significantly increases the risk of kidney, bladder, liver, pancreas and testicular cancers.

2. Artificial sweeteners

Nowadays, many of us have started opting for artificial sweeteners in our diet. However, many studies have shown that a number of users of this product actually end up gaining weight. When a breakdown of certain chemicals takes place, a deadly toxin called DKP is produced, which is known to cause brain tumours. A report by National Cancer Institute, USA, states that the use of this product may be hazardous to your health. In fact, the product contains saccharin, which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

3. Alcohol

An occasional consumption of alcoholic drinks is fine. But always getting bhand is never advisable as experts working with the World Health Organization Research on cancer found evidence that alcohol is the main cause of mouth, oesophagus (food pipe), liver, colon, rectum, and female breast cancers. A friendly reminder - studies show that every year, alcohol causes 4% of cancers in the UK, which is around 12,800 cases.

4. Processed meats

What with restaurants these days serving fried mice and brains, processed meat can never be an everyday option. In fact, some studies have shown that people who regularly ate processed meats increased their chance of early death by as much as 43%. The American Institute of Cancer Research published article stating that eating even small amounts of cold cuts or other processed meats on a regular basis increases the risk of colorectal cancer.

5. Potato chips

This one's quite a no-brainer. Potato chips, much to everyone's dismay, are the perfect recipe for causing cancer. These chips include high trans fats with sodium, both of which spell disaster for the body. But all's not lost. Dr. Andrew Weil, a renowned M.D and best-selling author on holistic health, says, "If you're following a healthy diet, there's not much reason to worry about the Acrylamide (which causes cancer) in an occasional indulgence in French fries, cookies and the other foods mentioned by the FDA. If you eat those foods regularly, you should be more concerned about all the unhealthy oxidized polyunsaturated fat and refined starch in them, which are likely greater threats to health than the amounts of Acrylamide they may contain.

6. Hydrogenated oils

This basic cooking ingredient is actually deodorised and colored. Plus, excessive Omega-3 fatty acids can cause health issues. David Lawrence Dewey, a journalist, raised the warning flag to consumers of hydrogenated oils in 1996. He said that hydrogenated oils lead to a myriad of health problems including coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, autism, food allergies and autoimmune diseases.

7. Red meat

Red meat is heavy for the body to digest. Sadly, an everyday diet rich in red meat makes one susceptible to increased risk of cancer. In fact, a study released by the British Medical Journal showed that younger women who ate red meat had a slightly increased risk for developing breast cancer. The study involved close to 90,000 women followed for 20 years, meaning that, from a statistical perspective, it was respectable.

8. Toothpaste

We have been using this for a very long time to protect our teeth. But studies done by Hemad Yasaei, professor at Brunel University, London, have concluded that chemicals like BPA (used in plastics) or Triclosan, used in toothpastes, are known to have other ill-effects including cancer.Shocking but true!

9. Plastic food container

We rely on plastic food containers almost on a daily basis. But as reported by Professor Hemad Yasaei, additives added in plastic, PVC and polycarbonate products like plastic food containers belong to the category of chemicals having the potential to cause cancer.

10. Carpets

Something most of us have in our homes. But carpets have now become the hallmark of cancer as the stain repellent present in them includes cancer cells that have ability to multiply indefinitely, resist aging, creating disturbance in metabolism and developing genetic mutations, as reported by Brunel University, London. 

11. Liquid handwash

It's time to switch back to soaps as Biocides, a chemical used in making handwash, is carcinogenic in nature.

Now, the decision is all yours.

Thank you for your time in reading it.

WHY COMPLAINING IN LIFE IS NOT GOOD?

The civilized human society gets dirtier and unhealthy when we try to sow seeds that will pull in disharmony, confusion, hatred etc. One of the causes is the “COMPLAINT” rather than critical feedbacks. Today, Bhutanese society treads through a new road since 2008 with institution of democratic form of government. The freedom of speech is enshrined in the Constitution of Bhutan and the degree of freedom of speech that Bhutanese enjoy is worth appreciating. However, this very right seems to be misused when people do not know the difference between “COMPLAINT” and “CRITICAL FEEDBACKS”. I personally feel critics need to do thorough homeworks before they actually criticize on somebody’s actions or works. Majority of Bhutanese bear a habit of complaining without any concrete evidence or basis which ultimately confuses the society at large. A true conscience and clear line need to be drawn before we really are about to or complain on any subject. I think a well informed citizen will criticize and persons with low volumes will just simply complain because it is as easy as swimming downstream for them. At the end of the day, what benefits the society is through critical remarks not complain.

Of late, Bhutanese people have picked up a habit of complaining based on hearsay and concoction which has no legal basis at all if tried before any institution. Instead, we need to be well informed than others if we prepare to complain. To complain is as easy as opening your eyes but to justify it, is something otherwise which nobody is ready.

It is very interesting to end the note with an inspiring quote below;

 “If you took one-tenth the energy you put into complaining and applied it to solving the problem, you'd be surprised by how well things can work out... Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier.” 

― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture 

CONFUCIUS QUOTES; A TRUE MANIFESTATION OF HUMAN VALUES.

" Instead of being concerned that you have no office, be concerned to think how you may fit  yourself for office. Instead of being concerned that you are not known, seek to be worthy of known"                                                                          ------ Confucius-----


"If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed;if in terms of ten years, plant trees;if in terms of 100 years, teach the people"                                              ------- Confucius-------

The above two quotes by Confucius (Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher) have indeed been a source of inspirations for me to express my opinions relevant to life. Having acquired a vast dynamics of knowledge and experiences through teaching and dealing with people as a teacher and politician, Confucius' quotes are truly heart touching. Out of thousands of quotes, these two quotes for me are truly inspiring. 

The first quote underlines the cases where people complain about the circumstances and environment they wish to work. Generally, people seek comfort and satisfaction in  the job that they do. Optimistic people do not complain about whatever tasks they are assigned with. They possess positive views, attitudes and they succeed ultimately with ease. If people are not optimistic and hardworking, anything that they do project as a restraint towards success. All in one, it is an attitude of an individual which determines to associate with people and work. 

It is not through names that people are remembered but obviously through good deeds. Media hype may temporarily create an image of a person in public domain but real picture of a person will unearth with time. Such incidents have happened in the past, happening today and will continue the same trend in future too. Therefore, a true colour of a man is his achievements and good deeds during his service in public life.

Second quote is yet another interesting one which relates to a character of a person. A good man does not look for short cuts and instead he executes the tasks with true diligence. In life, we meet and deal with people from different walks of life. It itself is a diversity and complexity which requires a clear conscience while working. As rightly quoted by Confucius, we need to think and work for the long term benefits and happiness. Name and fame will naturally follow.

Knowledge has been a super tool which polishes, refines and grooms uncivilized human beings. Through ages, teaching/preaching has been a conventional method/practice to make people know each other, recognize and discover the possible fault lines and thus safeguarded human community into a harmonized society. 

With time, life is becoming increasingly tough today. But the fact is that, it is an individual who matters. If you are good, do good and think good; you naturally are projected by people around you as good and PEOPLE remember you even after you no more on this earth.

WHY BHUTANESE JOB-SEEKERS DREAM FOR CIVIL SERVICE JOBS?

Why select jobs?

Every country has a national policy of maintaining a small, compact and efficient civil service to deliver public services. Similarly, Bhutan has such policy and Royal Civil Service Commission is a constitutional body vested with responsibilities and powers to manage the core man power of the country through comfortable, viable and stringent legislations to govern civil servants as enshrined in the Constitution of Bhutan. Numerous legislations (Acts, Rules and Regulations) that pertain to improve the quality of civil servants came into picture based on past statistics and records over the years.

For every Bhutanese, I guess it is a dream to become a civil servant and serve TSA-WA-SUM. Civil Service Commission has a good framework of rule to recruit young graduates through different stages of tests (preliminary examination, main written examination, viva voce). RCSC tries to explore, discover and test the capabilities of young graduates. Once recruited, I think civil servants of Bhutan have a secured life and good future prospects.

As far as I am concerned, the private sectors of Bhutan need to nurture and create impression to jobseekers for a secured life. There are not many Multi-National Companies (MNCs) in Bhutan where job opportunities are created for Bhutanese. Interestingly, private and corporate sectors of Bhutan are gearing up for the same and many jobseekers are looking for jobs in those sectors. Jobseekers are gaining confidence in both private and corporate sectors gradually. However, there are many factors that determine the attitudes of jobseekers. All if not most of the jobseekers want to get into civil service due benefits, incentives and healthy working environment.

RCSC serves as a guardian for all civil servants across country and looks after the welfare of each and every civil servant. 

MY PERSONAL VIEWS ON GIVING NU. 2 MILLIONS AND SERVICE UTILITY VEHICLES TO GEOGS OF BHUTAN.

Being a Bhutanese, the pledge of giving Nu.2 million to each geog had generated a set of mixed feelings in my mind from the day this pledge was formally made by People’s Democratic Party during election campaign. Though, it would be absolutely unfair to oppose on this topic at this time yet I strongly feel making my own personal judgement is worth justifiable in any forum. Therefore, I request readers’ discretion at first instance before I precede blogging. It is not my intention to undermine/underestimate any institution neither to hurt anyone at any cost. This blog is purely based on personal views.

Politically, the pledge of allotting Nu.2 million to each geog might had been a tactic to garner votes but this idea seemed very genuine and beneficial to general public at larger interest. Such a step is a true manifestation of devolving of centralized powers (Wangtse Chirpel) to common people in reality. Moreover, it also signals a direct assigning/vesting of responsibility to people at grass root level (local government) for the first time in Bhutanese history and making them accountable to what they plan and do. All in one, what I am trying to say is “Gups are given full financial powers in terms of planning, implementation and follow-up to directly benefit their geogs”

Unlike in the past, Gups need to be extra careful in discharging their duties especially in financial matters. According to some sources, the biggest concern for Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for next five years is how this budget will be utilized effectively by the geog in most transparent and accountable manner. Similarly, National Council members expressed their concern about how this budget will be meaningfully utilized during the first sitting. There are many factors why ACC and National Council members are worried; a handful of uneducated gups (No formal education) in some geogs, inexperienced and lack of competent human resource dealing with financial matters at geog level, etc. I personally feel it is immature at this stage to give Nu. 2 million to a geog before considering possible loop holes which might hinder the implementation. If serious attention is not given, it may result to fraud, corruption, misuse of fund etc. Some Gups may land behind jail after five years.

The Service Utility vehicle (SUV), Bolero for each geog is yet another good pledge that many people will cherish when it is materialized. This vehicle will help common people to carry dead bodies (corpse) to cremation grounds, ferrying sick people to hospitals during emergency, carrying surplus farm produces to markets, etc. However, there is every chance that this facility may be misused by local leaders for personal gain. Therefore, it is always recommended that a stringent terms and conditions are placed properly in the system before the geogs are provided with vehicles.

In Bhutan, the degree of physical development in geogs varies from each other. Some geogs already have roads, electricity, clean drinking water, good communication facilities, good irrigation channels etc while some geogs especially in the east, south and north are deprived of such facilities. Instead, the past government had entertained these geogs with other alternatives. Therefore, I think fund may be allotted to the geogs based on the factors like availability of facilities, population, area, etc.

It is my premature views and the real scene will be witnessed by every citizen in next five years.