Of all days on the Valentine's Day

It feels different being married, then and now!

Legal Document

I found love of my life at a high school back in Bhutan’s first school. Even at that age, we knew we were in for a serious relationship and hence we nurtured it well. And as we repetitively promised back then, heart and soul, when I graduated, there she was waiting for me, her heart as big as the vast sky and her love still aflame as it was years ago. Our passion made us overcome our impatience of time and distance that tried to divide us. After all, when you know you are in for something sure, you won’t doubt a bit. And we didn’t.

It has been two and half years since I called myself married and my five-month-old daughter is an evidence of that fact. But recently I found my daughter was not an evidence enough, legally speaking. I didn’t have an elaborate wedding where hundreds of high sounding officials and cheering crowd of well-wishers attended nor there was grand party attended by friends and family members. But we had a simplest of the celebration, if you may call it that – just an evening (not by a campfire or candlelight either) at a small hotel, a silent room – where we promised ourselves that whatever life has in store for us, we would always stick to each other and never cease to love, keeping our hearts open. And for the last two and half years, the journey was fruitful besides a few ups and downs.

On the tenth of this month, we applied for the Marriage Certificate at the court. This was required in order to legally register our daughter in the census and there are of course some more reasons too behind processing the document. And as we attended a hearing the next morning, it was an awkward moment filled with anxiety, with the Drangpon sitting high up on the mountain-like throne and us bowing way down below on the floor that resembles a deep gorge. Well, that’s an exaggeration by the way. After a few questions here and there, we were instructed to come next week.

And today is Valentine’s Day – February 14, 2011. My wife and I got legally married. This is a big day for me and my wife. Well, a little update about the courtroom scene today – we bowed down before the Drangpon with great reverence once again. Before he could throw any questions either to us or our witnesses, my daughter started crying. And immediately we were issued the documents along with good wishes.

Now I am a legally married man to a legally endorsed wife. She is my legal wife. I am a legal brother-in-law to her brothers and she becomes a legal sister-in-law to my siblings. But more than anything I am a legal father to my daughter.

Thank you Dasho Drangpon for giving us an opportunity to marry us, of all days, on a romantic day like this! Thank you, my dear, for consenting to legally marry me on a day like this.

Wishing Happy Valentine to all married and unmarried, single and lovers, everywhere!

Utpal Academy - Bhutan's first All-girls High School

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

Community of Bhutanese Bloggers Conceived

And finally it happened. I must say that it was by far the most attended Bloggers Meet. In the past we had bloggers agree to attend and cancel at the very last minute. But on June 24, 2015 – almost 100% of bloggers, who confirmed came. I would like to thank everyone for keeping his/her words, especially those who had to come all the way from Wangdue or Paro. Thank you! 35 Bhutanese bloggers met in Thimphu. We were honored to have the presence of senior bloggers like Aue Yeshi Dorji and Dasho Sangay Khandu. The meeting assumed more significance because of their presence. Equally, we were happy to have many young bloggers in whom we see so much enthusiasm and potential. On top of many things that transpired during the Meet, one of the most significant outcomes was the unanimous decision reached to form a formal group of bloggers, a platform aimed at encouraging and inspiring more bloggers around the country. The members decided that we will call it Community of Bhutanese Blogger

When FIVE is more than FIVE HUNDRED

Bhutanese parents complain that our children are exposed to so much foreign content and that they might soon forget our own root. Some parents also feel that their children respond well and better to stories that have Bhutanese characters and places in them. That's why the need for more and better Bhutanese books in the market. And we have only a handful of people who are committed to making this happen although the financial return is almost none. Bhutan can boast of not many writers. Here writing or publishing aspect of writing is an expensive hobby. In the first place, it is difficult to convince people to publish their writings and many leave it before they are halfway. Publishing is a complicated process. But here it is even more complicated since our publishers are not publishers in the real sense of the term. They would only 'publish' (print) school textbooks and in that they are only being wise - averting risks to their businesses. Recently, the whole

Nawang P Phuntsho

Search This Blog