About Me

1978: Holding sister Aiti on the chair

Those days...there was no fashion such as wearing shoes!!!

Dashera: A blessing day!

My mother offering tika to grandson Leki, brother Dipak and sister Aiti (2001)

1984-1986: Studied in Damphu Jr High School. Damphu is in central part of Bhutan and is a 3 day bus journey from my home town, Daifam. I always enjoyed the journey between Daifam and Damphu despite of my prone to travel sickness. Variety of people and places from the plains of Assam to the foothills of Bhutan fascinated me. At one point, we had a good laugh about our fellow mate from a Brahmin family who felt uneasiness (drunk!) by a soft drink Gold Spot. What I liked most about the travel was the shopping at various overnight stops: Samdrup Jongkhar, Sarpang and at times in Gelephu. Of course, going to cinemas in these stops was another main attraction.

Home-coming became more or less an annual ritual because of the long distance. However we made home for every Dashera holidays and received blessings from elders in this important Hindu festival. Diwali was always joyful. Our Buddhist friends used to join us in playing "deusiri" and some were good dancers too. Walking up and down the valleys thru' the orange orchards was irresistible to nick oranges that were at hand's reach. We had to make several stops as our kidneys needed to be emptied in the early wintry nights.

1986 also brought a great blow in my life. My father passed away at S/Jongkhar General Hospital just before the Dashera. Our family members were mourning his untimely death while the happy festive mood was all around.

1987-1989: Placed in Samtse High School in the West of Bhutan. Facilities in the boarding school were better than Damphu. 4 students of class IX and X got a room each in comparison to 40 students in each of the 4 long halls. Beds were double bunked often crowded with night visitors. Food menus were better too. Morning and evening studies were done either in the multipurpose hall or in the school classrooms unlike studying on the bed in Damphu.

Besides Samtse was half a day bus journey to Sibsu, the West point of Bhutan. Sibsu is the home of my parents and I had already met my relatives during the funeral of my father. This was after over 10 years that the relatives had seen me. To me it was the first sight as I have no recollection of seeing them as a child. I went to their place during the festival holidays.

Pride of being a matriculation student was running high. This was further enhanced by the gracious visit of HM the King. HM has placed great importance of education to all Bhutanese and was eager to know our difficulties. In my own class, we stood in silence as idols and uttered "Zhung den la" (a courteous way of saying Yes) as taught by our dzongkha lopen when HM asked us to study well and be fruitful citizens of tomorrow. Later, stories that the HM was entertained by some of the answers from other students unfolded. For e.g.; one apparently called "sumtak" as a dzongkha grammar while the other was trying to raise the issue of water problem but missed out the polite way of saying diarrhoea!

1987 is also the year that National Education Week was hosted for the first and the last time. It was a platform for students to compete in various extra-curricular activities. Primary and Jr schools competed at the district level while participants from all the high schools (10 then) gathered in Thimphu. I was picked for Quiz competition with 3 others (Kezang, Tashi and Tshewang). It was an honour to represent our school and also the fact that I was to see the Nation's capital for the first time. I was excited, proud and exalted. We came runners to Punakha High School in the Quiz with a narrow point difference. I was pleased with it on my first visit to the capital. On our return to Samtse, we took part in the Quiz Competition at NIE, Samtse where we were the winners where NIE students, and Kharbandi Technical High School students had participated.

After my class X examination (1989), I spent few days in Sibsu and was on my way to hometown Daifam. I bumped up with 2 classmates (Kuenzang & Karma Chhophel) in Phuentsholing who were searching for temporary jobs. We went to a primary school first who recommended that Education Store might have us. And yes we did get jobs there. The store supplied all the stationeries for different schools around Bhutan. Our duty was to make vouchers, verify each voucher with contents and signed them. It was my first job and I was nervous when the packing assistants called me "Sir" genuinely.

Money was and will always be a problem. Phuentsholing is the main commercial centre of Bhutan. Besides the only place in the nation with 2 cinema halls. I preferred Norgay Hall to Mig Hall despite the later being in the heart of the city. Norgay Hall was about 100 m above the Dhoti khola. Pastries from Tashi Store twisted my nose and activated my digestive enzymes. We were paid Nu. 700/month, which was adequate considering I was staying with my cousin. Temptations were high to spend all the money but I had to save some for my college expenses too!

Results of Class X were announced thru' radio (BBS). God Heaven! I was one of the first 20 toppers in Bhutan and was called for an interview in Thimphu. The WUSC had 2 scholars abroad, one in UK and the other in the US.

I packed my tooth-brush and a new "gho" with a new pair of shoes in my rucksack. The monsoon had just begun. The bus got stranded just below Tshimalakha. There was a choice between a return to Phuentsholing in the same bus and to walk across the landslide area where one can catch a bus to Thimphu. I ended up walking about 8 kms. I met students from Kanglung on this tedious errand. They were heading Thimphu to get their class XII results. The conversation calmed me down as they welcomed in a friendly atmosphere to college in contrast to what I had heard about college ragging!

The interview was on a weekend. It was in Foreign Minister's chamber lying just above the main entrance of Tashi Cho Dzong- the parliament of Bhutan. We assembled outside the dzong at the Car park lying in front of the canteen. Then we were brought into the Dzong. I stumbled as I entered the chamber and mumbled as the Minister queried. Next was to write an essay. We were served with delicious pastries and tea! A dream of becoming Dasho couldn't had been closer than that moment.

By afternoon, results were disclosed and we were paid all our travel expenses! I spent another week in Thimphu waiting for the roads to clear up and headed for Kanglung College! A first winter break that I missed my home town.

1989-1991: Became a member of Sherubtse College family. I took Bio-Maths, a course that suits for both engineering and biological fields. I told that I wanted to be a medical doctor in my interview to the panel that was introduced first time in the college. It was not the best of times.

1991-1993: Due to difficult times in my hometown, I decided to head straight for Thimphu after my class XII exams. I put up with my cousin brother who arranged me a temporary job in Survey Department. I did opt for medicine after my class XII results. I applied for seats in North India but the confirmation never came. I tried to change my career to engineering but Education Dept discouraged me. Some of my friends who went to India after class XII had returned with a degree and were sitting for civil service exams. For a brief period there was a hope that some of us (waiting students for medical course) would be sent to Bangladesh where 3 succeeded in getting the place. Frustrations were high! I even applied for jobs in UNDP that was announced in the kuensel. Finally got a place to come to Ireland and that too was not an easy road. A moment that was to last 3 months went thru' nearly 3 years!!!

Temporary Job in Survey of Bhutan 1991-93

With freind Tshering Choden feeding the data

In October 8, 1993, Jambay and I had the first taste of being in the aeroplane and that too was on our national airline, Druk Air. Landed in the fuming heat of New Delhi where we had 12 hrs. gap before the next flight (KLM) to Holland. I got travellers diarrhoea. Thankfully the pills given by the air hostess controlled it a lot. Arrived Schipol airport in the early morning hours and had to wait another couple of hours to catch the flight to Dublin (Aer Lingus). I could eat a little by then. We changed our aircraft in Dublin for Galway. There Dr Quinn and Delaney collected us. They didn't have any placards but immediately knew the two Bhutanese students at the arrival hall! They brought us to our accommodation and then showed the college! Course had already begun as we were late by two weeks. The class had been told about the coming of two foreign students but gender was not mentioned. Later a classmate kidded with us how disappointed he was to see two ugly blokes as he was hoping to see two French gals. I wished the gals were at least glad to see us!!!

1993-1995: Galway Regional Technical College, Ireland. Spent the first Christmas holidays in Edinburgh with Bhutanese friends. A group of Irish who had volunteered or visited Bhutan at some stage helped us in arranging visas and air-tickets. Drinking wine and playing "hazaray" (card game), some played "paarala"(dice game) were the past-time. Cracking the funny stories of first time abroad comers was tasty never conceding what we ourselves had been thru'. New Years Eve in the streets of Edinburgh was the craziest. At midnight, the fire works floated the sky from the Edinburgh castle, the place Shakespeare relates to in Macbeth. Exchange of new year wishes began and even strangers got kisses from the Scottish lasses!

The highlight of the trip to Edinburgh was a visit to a former Governor of Hong Kong. He was the president of Bhutan-British Friendship Society. He narrated his story of meeting our 3^rd king at Paro where he had difficulty to identify the king as all men had dressed well. Further, he smiled saying that his "khaadar" (ceremonial scarf) knotted as he tried to offer to the king. So HM unfolded the knot for him.

Summer of 1994: Visited Bhutanese friends in Holland at Enschede. Also had the opportunity to meet linguistic Dr George Van Driem who was helping Bhutan to develop a Dzongkha-English dictionary. Met Ron Augustin who had worked in Bhutan for tea.

Spent 10 days sightseeing in London. Met up with few more Bhutanese friends towards the end of my stay.

Summer of 1995: Went to Spain for about 2 weeks. Camped in the Alps near the French border and swam in the Mediterranean Sea at Salou. Did lot of my shopping for home in Zaragoza. I spent rest of the vacation in Bhutan. This time, I went via Bangkok. I surprised my mother by being at doorsteps of our home.

1995-1996: Internship year in Limerick Regional General Hospital. I had plenty of time for social activities.

Summer of 1996: Visited France from the Eiffel Tower to Disney Land in Paris, castles of Versailles to the famous horse race arena of Chantilly.

14 Nov. 1996: received Certificate in Medical Lab. Science from Galway RTC graduation.

1996-1998: Degree course in Dublin Institute of Technology. Internet was gaining popular in Ireland. I opened my first email account using hotmail in summer of 1996. The same time when Co. Clare had won the all Ireland Hurling championship after 80 years!

Summer of 1997: Went to Crete, Greece with my crazy friends from Dublin. Holidays could have been hardly different if we hadn't driven through out the island and not attempting to do Scuba diving.

In spring 1998, came to Sweden under Erasmus student exchange program. Met my Portuguese girlfriend there. I visited her in Lisbon right after my final dissertation. We travelled all length of Portugal from Coimbra in the North to Algarve in the South. Fish was always in the menu in this country.

Summer of 1998 was the best and worst of times in the West. Best for I had passed my degree with honours and had spent a month in Portugal with my honey. Also was greatly honoured to meet Ms Mary McAleese, the president of Ireland at the Presidential House. Worst as it was time to go back home for good after meeting so many nice people in different places including my Portuguese sweet heart.

In early August 1998 I prepared to leave for home. There were already few farewell parties, one being a surprise party in a local pub. I got stranded in Delhi as my luggage didn't arrive on time. The flights to Paro were also in mess due to bad weather. The Indian Independence day was nearing! I decided to take few short tours around Delhi while I was there. So went to see the Red Fort , the Taj Mahal in Agra, etc.

Arrived Bhutan after a day halt in Kathmandu due to poor visibility. Put up in the Crown Plaza Hotel courtesy of the Druk Air. I joined few friends to see the valley. We lit butter lamps in Boudhanath Temple.

Attended a month long orientation program for the graduates. It was a pleasant re-union with some of my best friends, and made new ones as well. Spent Dashera in Thimphu with cousin brother but went to sister's place for Diwali. There I met my mother and brother too. It was just like the old days in my hometown. The two nephews that I had seen in 1995 had grown taller.

End 1998-present: Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden pursuing post-graduate studies in Biochemistry.

Went to Oslo, Norway in spring 1999 to attend farewell of Jigme. Following summer, cruised to Finland with my then Vietnamese girlfriend whom I saw again in early 2000 at Hanoi, Vietnam.

September 1999: Attended a conference in University of Reading, UK. Met two of my old classmates from Bhutan after over 7 yrs.

Summer 2000: went to Los Angeles, CA for a conference.

Summer 2001: Chicago for a conference and holidays in Canada (Toronto & Montreal).

Summer 2002: Orlando, FL for a conference as well.

Made several excursions to Ireland over the years meeting my Coady family and friends around the island. Visited Manchester at least 4 times over the period 2001-2002. On one occassion, flew to Isle of Man visiting the tallest man living there!