Nawang P Phuntsho

Photo: Bhutan Observer Some people complain that parties are making a lot of promises and that they think most of the promises may not be fulfilled and that they are mostly false ones. That’s the whole point! Isn’t it? I like promises - and big ones too. I believe political promises are like the goals that the parties are setting for the next five years that they would try to achieve if they are elected. Some may have set small goals and those that would be achieved. I like the fact that someone promised a bridge over Mawkhola. That was good example. Even if the bridge could not be built over it, some form of efforts was being put during the last five years. We were told that at least a feasibility study was done. But otherwise if there were no promise then no action would have been taken. This is a typical example. Of course I am still reserving my vote to that one guy or a party who promises and builds a bridge over that river. That will be the future course...

And interestingly in some places in Thimphu, these trees still dominate the scene. The pollens have literally filled the surrounding areas. Of course they in no way do spare the passing vehicles and pedestrians alike. These trees remain ideally away from the reach of city officials - who may not have seen them at all or even if they have, these trees may never be in their agenda now. This is interesting. Even within Thimphu - there are step-motherly-Cinderella treatments! And there is no doubt such differential treatments are meted out to rural over those in uran areas.  The following are some pictures of the remaining and thriving allergy - poplar trees. I am sure there are many more out there.

Picture: Kuensel It is spring here in the capital and Thimphu is heating up after cold winter made its exit. At this time of the year, many people especially living on the southern belt of the country are envious of the place. And here this weather is giving us its own share of heat. And with little or not much rain the place is dusty.  But of late there is this poplar tree or cottonwood become nuisance to us all. The sources on the Internet say that these trees are found throughout the North America, but they are here in Thimphu too. The pollens the trees produce are cotton-like "white fluffy cloud" that enters our eyes, nose and in our cars. Many have complained of getting allergies. Here is what I have found on the net - (source: http://www.livestrong.com): Many plants and trees require insects and other animals to reproduce, while others use a combination of different methods. Poplar trees, by contrast, rely entirely on the wind to reproduce. To make up fo...

A few days before the meat ban happened, I had to drive my wife to town. And every shop failed us. All meat shops were filled with people who hungered for meat and would even fight. I felt terrible. As soon as new stock arrived it was sold out completely. Hotels! Meat vendors assumed the roles of great benefactors. People working in many government offices are far more polite than these meat vendors. But at the end of all - my wife's mission failed. Inside in my head - I was greatly relieved; being a vegetarian and having to buy meat does not go well together.  Anyways - that was that. The following is something I wrote long time ago and I think it is still relevant even now when the nation hungers for meat.  *****************************************************************************************  Of course there is the need to eat accompanied by the need to survive. Thank god, our forefathers and their forefathers decided to keep only three meals a day....

Courtesy : http://www.studiesweekly.com And this is something I really wanted to express my views. I think it is good to show support to a particular party because we think in the same wavelength as that party on most issues. But do we need to become its member to do that?   What does affiliating people with different parties do? I think it divides people on the party-line and partitions a small society. This was clearly demonstrated in 2008 elections with just two parties. Today we have five of them. It is difficult to understand why people become members of a political party - are some of them coerced? Peer pressure? And as you know Bhutanese are by nature amicable people and will never say NO even though they do not agree on something.  Are there special benefits that a party member enjoys over those who aren't? We have been told that many people who joined as members of the two parties weren't so happy when the election was over. This goes to show that t...