Nawang P Phuntsho

What a wonderful way to begin yet another year! Unlike in the past, you can now do all transactions with a single BOB account from any branches in the country. Earlier the bank charged its customers half of TT charges when you deposit or withdraw money from branches where you do not have accounts. (TT charge: Nu. 2.5 for every Nu. 100,000/-, minimum being Nu.20/-) For example, you have an account in BOB Lhuentse Branch. But you are here in Thimphu and you need some money. So, you go to BOB Thimphu Branch to withdraw some money from your account maintained at Lhuentse Branch. Until now you are liable to pay some charge. But come January 2012, the bank plans to do away with the charges. This is wonderful thing for the customers and would truly benefit Bhutanese who maintain accounts in the country’s biggest and oldest financial institution - Bank of Bhutan! There would be a substantial income loss with the doing away of the charge, but it is definitely for the good and benef...

Photo: Penstar Collection Another development in 2011 that we can be proud of is in the field of delivering financial services to the public.  Now if you have one ATM card, you can withdraw cash from any Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) of any banks in the country. This means you need not at all have to bear the burden and hassle of carrying cash in your hemchu. Thanks to Bhutan Financial Switch (BFS), which RMA installed in December 2011.  This would go a long way in promoting a cashless society and at the same time, Bhutanese now have the financial convenience, which was limited in the past. And with the introduction of ATMs customers no more had to wait in line in the crowded branch offices to withdraw money.   But when more and more people possessed ATM cards, more and more people came in flocks and slowly, lines started to form around ATMs. People started to complain. But now if many customers are lined up to do the transaction, then you can move on to ...

With so much pride Being parent has been one fulfilling experience and I am sure all parents agree with me. But sometimes I don’t understand how parents become so irresponsible that they neglect their children. And I have also often heard men talk of leaving everything related to kids to their wives.  That's not right. As parents, I feel both the husband and wife are equally responsible to their children, well, that’s if we love our children.  Do you need this preaching? Love our children, we all do. Right? Children are often born out of love and affection. And I could control my anger and resentment when I saw the poster that portrayed most men as unfeeling creatures. Those men helping their wives are laughed at. It is a shame that fathers need such moral preaching. 

Still going strong "My grandmother, like everybody's grandmother,  was an old woman," writes my favorite author Khuswant Singh. Of course that's a crude way of describing one's grandmother, but I am sure he meant it well when he wrote that line. I find it so funny and can't get over with the expression. My grandmother is 87-year young (I borrow the term from Bhutan Youth). She is blessed with a long and happy life. She gave birth to a dozen children of which only eight have survived.  She is a living example of love, compassion and generosity and was loved all back in her village. Always willing to help others, her neighbors remember her for exemplary kindness. As a grandson, I might lie to you, but there are people who know this is the truth. It is comforting to know that she is here with us and still going strong although she complains of a series of body aches and numerous pains. It pains me so much to hear her talk of such pains in her frail ...

Dawa posing for me Last night she went missing. This made me restless. I could not imagine her being in the streets when it is very cold outside. The thing about winter in this border town is that it gets deep into your bone and you have so much pain afterward. I did not want her to be out in the dark at that hour when no one was on the road. I worried that she might get trampled over by the speeding trucks. The realization that I have lost her forever made me cry. And I cried my heart out. Just as she came I lost her, I repented. I might have behaved rude with her sometimes but I have always taken good care of her. When she refused to eat anything last time, I panicked and became restless. She would not even feed on milk. But losing her forever was something I never expected. I was broken hearted. Crying didn’t help me. When sleep finally overtook me, I dreamed terrible, illogical dreams, which I often dreamed when I was under so much stress. I thought it was only natural. An...

Academic Block Welcome to Bhutan’s first all-girls school. Isn’t that wonderful news to all our parents? Certainly, as a parent of a one-year old daughter I am excited about the coming of a school exclusively dedicated to the needs of girls. Our girls need special treatment, which we can for sure entrust the responsibility to Utal Academy, Paro. Dinning Hall I really like the name – Utpal – in Buddhist world, Utpal is another name for lotus flower, which is believed to grow from mud and yet blossoms into a beautiful and majestic flower. It stands for purity and many deities are depicted holding flower Utpal, more prominently Jestusn Dolma, the Goddess Tara. Symbolically, it also stands for the transformation of our girls. What an apt name for the school! Hostel Room The Principal’s message posted on the academy’s website promises providing our young women an “opportunity to participate fully in a wide range of extracurricular activities to develop skills and qualities that...