So true these simple profound words. In the heat of the moment it is easy to say anything that comes to mind! However once the words are said, they can never be unsaid .... and can never be taken back!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Words
So true these simple profound words. In the heat of the moment it is easy to say anything that comes to mind! However once the words are said, they can never be unsaid .... and can never be taken back!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Heights of annoyance:
Driving on the the main street you see a person waiting impatiently to cross the street. Every other driver is obvilious to the fact and continue to drive on. You decrease your speed and come to a halt. The person is surprised and looks at you as though to inquire whether you are serious about giving her a pass to cross the street. You nod - beckoning for the person to cross.
The person gives you a haughty look and then walks aross the street - slowly - moving her feet as though it is weighed in gold. It is a now a walk on the seashore where time is of no concern to anyone - she looks up, down and everywhere but your car. And the only thing you can do is wait- strum your fingers against the steering wheel and wonder when people can exend to you the same courtesy that you have extended to them.
(Don't know if this has happened to you but to me it has - heaps of time. Have stopped my car and waited for pedestrians to cross the street (as I should - pedestrians overall should have the right of way especially on the zebra crossing) only to have them give me a smug look and walk slowly across the street - dragging their feet!!)
Monday, January 14, 2013
Silent voices
In the darkest of the night
the only sound there is –
is the silent voices in my head
Far from continuous drone of TV
and idle chatters
Away from the bustle of life
and trivial matters
the only sound there is –
is the silent voices in my head
Far from continuous drone of TV
and idle chatters
Away from the bustle of life
and trivial matters
In the dark of the night
it is just me
and the silent voices in my head
Voices that speak loud and clear
that weigh my thoughts
and every action
that weigh my deeds
and every inaction.
it is just me
and the silent voices in my head
Voices that speak loud and clear
that weigh my thoughts
and every action
that weigh my deeds
and every inaction.
So no matter to it all
the friends and the work
and the business of everyday living
the friends and the work
and the business of everyday living
In the end it is the silent voices
that I must reckon with
in the blackest of the night.
that I must reckon with
in the blackest of the night.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Dreams
You wander often in my dreams
Fragments from my distant memories
Like images in a kaleidoscope
At once clearing my vision
And clouding my thoughts
Filling me with a deep longing
A yearning in the depths of my soul
For something that would never be
For something that could never be
In this illusionary world of dreams
Your warm breath mists my thoughts
Your presence fills me with warmth and hope
And when it is time for us to part
For our story to come to an end
A deep sadness fills my being
A yearning in the depths of my soul
For something that would never be
For something that could never be
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
winter
winter is here
with its chill.
freezing mornings
frosty nights
red noses
frozen fingers
steaming breaths...
and what joys!
 |
| pic: google.com |
hot steaming cups of tea
reading near the bukhari
crackling wood
smoky breaths
and orange
fresh, sweet orange.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
It has been so many months since my last entry. Somehow time seems to just fly by. I got caught up in my day to day activities and despite my efforts to write on a more regular basis - I somehow forgot to write. I even forgot that I had a blog!
Its good to be back again though. Good to be in a place where I can occassionally pen down my thoughts and reflect on my life and write about the things I see around me and what they make me feel.
Its been great to look back at my past entries and to see the things I felt at a certain stage in my life and think about where I'm heading. Very often we are so busy - just moving without taking the time to reflect or think about wh ether we are truly happy about where we are going. So that me for today - just reflecting....
Its good to be back again though. Good to be in a place where I can occassionally pen down my thoughts and reflect on my life and write about the things I see around me and what they make me feel.
Its been great to look back at my past entries and to see the things I felt at a certain stage in my life and think about where I'm heading. Very often we are so busy - just moving without taking the time to reflect or think about wh ether we are truly happy about where we are going. So that me for today - just reflecting....
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Eating green vegetables and fruits - for better health?
Anyone will tell you that for a well balanced diet, it is essential to eat lots of green vegetables and fruits. We are fortunate that in Bhutan a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that are grown. However what is grown is not sufficient for the population. Further due to the climatic conditions, there are seasons when there are fruits and vegetables in abundance and other seasons where we depend a lot on imports for our consumption.
The recent rupee issue has highlighted the importance and the necessity of enhancing domestic production of fruits and vegetables. According to a data collected by the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC) in March 2012, a ‘majority of vegetable imports take place during winter and early spring. Furthermore during the lean season in Bhutan (November to April), vendors based at the Centenary Farmers Market in Thimphu import about 208 MT of assorted vegetables per week valued around Nu 3 million, which totals about 5,000 MT of vegetables valued at about Nu. 83 million’
This is a substantial amount of imports and a significant drain of our hard earned foreign currency (for the Rupee, as we are now very aware, is a foreign currency). While there would definitely be need for some import, it is important to now work towards actively promoting our own domestic production and towards the ultimate objective of self-reliance in this arena.
A recent kuensel article further compounded my concerns - albeit for a slightly different reason. According to the article called “Our source of all things green” the author takes us to a wholesale vegetable market some 80 km away from Phuensholing. A large thriving market, it appears that a substantial amount of vegetables and fruits from this market are purchased by Bhutanese vendors. What, however, concerns me is that the farmers appear to use pesticides on almost all vegetables and fruits. According to the article, pesticides are used for better yields, protection against infection, artificial ripening and faster growth of vegetables and fruits. It appears that synthetic fertilizer or pesticides are used excessively during cultivation and harvesting and lots of preservatives are used during processing, storage and transporting.
This is very disturbing given that much of our consumption of fruits and vegetables are from such areas and from people who may be more concerned about their own profits rather than the consumer’s health.
Numerous studies highlight the direct link between exposure to harmful toxins and our health. It is alarming to think about just how much toxins are being put into our bodies every day - all in the effort to eat well and live a long life. And to think that we tell our children that they must eat their greens to stay healthy.
(And that is only just for fruits and vegetables – I shudder to think of all the chemicals and growth hormones that may be injected into the meat.)
When I was growing up, I was always encouraged to eat lots of apples with the peel. The peel, I was told, was very nutritious and good for health. So I relished biting into the apple and eating it whole.
Nowadays, with all the chemicals and pesticides that are infused into fruits and vegetables to, we are advised not to eat the peel of the fruits such as apples as they have direct contact to pesticides to keep them from getting spoilt quickly. Imagine biting into an apple and instead of taking in nutrition, you are directly consuming something that has chemicals that will in the long run make you sick.
So in a way – the recent rupee situation has been quite an eye opener for us. It has made us realize just how important it is for us to enhance the domestic production of our fruits and vegetables. This will need to be done through a well strategized plan of action with support to farmers and producers and with the collaboration from many different stakeholders. It is no doubt a big task but one that is necessary and timely. I understand that efforts / studies are already being undertaken towards this at the national level (this is a subject that merits extensive discussions and not one that I wish to discuss here.)
In our own individual capacities, however, we also need to support our domestic producers by purchasing their products. First of all, by supporting our farmers we are encouraging more rural based employment and enhancement of rural income. With more demand for their products, they will be encouraged to expand, mechanize and collaborate with other farmers / cooperatives. In the long run through a proper and systematic network and linkages, the supply and prices can be stabilized and that is in the best interests of everyone concerned – the farmers, the consumers and also the country as a whole – for less imports means less demand on foreign currency.
Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the Bhutanese products are more ‘organic’ in nature – simply because no / less pesticides are used. As such, organic products fetch a premium price in all countries where people have increasingly begun to understand its value. And so for the reasons that I have mentioned earlier, I feel that while Bhutanese products may be a little more expensive, in the long run it is an investment that is well worth it. Think how much you will ultimately save in medical bills alone.
The recent rupee issue has highlighted the importance and the necessity of enhancing domestic production of fruits and vegetables. According to a data collected by the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC) in March 2012, a ‘majority of vegetable imports take place during winter and early spring. Furthermore during the lean season in Bhutan (November to April), vendors based at the Centenary Farmers Market in Thimphu import about 208 MT of assorted vegetables per week valued around Nu 3 million, which totals about 5,000 MT of vegetables valued at about Nu. 83 million’
This is a substantial amount of imports and a significant drain of our hard earned foreign currency (for the Rupee, as we are now very aware, is a foreign currency). While there would definitely be need for some import, it is important to now work towards actively promoting our own domestic production and towards the ultimate objective of self-reliance in this arena.
A recent kuensel article further compounded my concerns - albeit for a slightly different reason. According to the article called “Our source of all things green” the author takes us to a wholesale vegetable market some 80 km away from Phuensholing. A large thriving market, it appears that a substantial amount of vegetables and fruits from this market are purchased by Bhutanese vendors. What, however, concerns me is that the farmers appear to use pesticides on almost all vegetables and fruits. According to the article, pesticides are used for better yields, protection against infection, artificial ripening and faster growth of vegetables and fruits. It appears that synthetic fertilizer or pesticides are used excessively during cultivation and harvesting and lots of preservatives are used during processing, storage and transporting.
This is very disturbing given that much of our consumption of fruits and vegetables are from such areas and from people who may be more concerned about their own profits rather than the consumer’s health.
Numerous studies highlight the direct link between exposure to harmful toxins and our health. It is alarming to think about just how much toxins are being put into our bodies every day - all in the effort to eat well and live a long life. And to think that we tell our children that they must eat their greens to stay healthy.
(And that is only just for fruits and vegetables – I shudder to think of all the chemicals and growth hormones that may be injected into the meat.)
When I was growing up, I was always encouraged to eat lots of apples with the peel. The peel, I was told, was very nutritious and good for health. So I relished biting into the apple and eating it whole.
Nowadays, with all the chemicals and pesticides that are infused into fruits and vegetables to, we are advised not to eat the peel of the fruits such as apples as they have direct contact to pesticides to keep them from getting spoilt quickly. Imagine biting into an apple and instead of taking in nutrition, you are directly consuming something that has chemicals that will in the long run make you sick.
So in a way – the recent rupee situation has been quite an eye opener for us. It has made us realize just how important it is for us to enhance the domestic production of our fruits and vegetables. This will need to be done through a well strategized plan of action with support to farmers and producers and with the collaboration from many different stakeholders. It is no doubt a big task but one that is necessary and timely. I understand that efforts / studies are already being undertaken towards this at the national level (this is a subject that merits extensive discussions and not one that I wish to discuss here.)
In our own individual capacities, however, we also need to support our domestic producers by purchasing their products. First of all, by supporting our farmers we are encouraging more rural based employment and enhancement of rural income. With more demand for their products, they will be encouraged to expand, mechanize and collaborate with other farmers / cooperatives. In the long run through a proper and systematic network and linkages, the supply and prices can be stabilized and that is in the best interests of everyone concerned – the farmers, the consumers and also the country as a whole – for less imports means less demand on foreign currency.
Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the Bhutanese products are more ‘organic’ in nature – simply because no / less pesticides are used. As such, organic products fetch a premium price in all countries where people have increasingly begun to understand its value. And so for the reasons that I have mentioned earlier, I feel that while Bhutanese products may be a little more expensive, in the long run it is an investment that is well worth it. Think how much you will ultimately save in medical bills alone.
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