The Ben10, KinderJoys and my Kids

Time has changed. No! To put it right, things have changed over time. Recall back those childhood days and most of us will be taken into the flashbacks of a countryside. Myself, having been born and raised in the far-flung places of the easternmost part of the country, access to any of the fancy toys were not even thought of. Forget about the current day battery operated toys, handful of marbles would be my  prized possession. PET bottles,  rubber bands, wooden cars, bhaktang ball (a ball made out of torn socks), jerry can caps and the likes would make its way into my toy-box. Yet, I would be contended and play all day long with this locally improvised toys. And to sweeten our mouth, all that we could get was a glucose biscuit and orange sweets.

Talking of today's kids, they are way beyond one can ever fathom their wish list. They nag and pester until their wants and desires are fulfilled. It is one ordeal to compromise against their wishes. At one time, my elder son sat down right on the floor of one of the shops in Thimphu and cried out loud on the mere mention of not buying the toy he wished. All I could do was to surrender to his demand, feeling a little embarrassed infront of the confused crowd.

If you are a parent like me, Ben10 and Kinderjoy would not be greek words anymore. This anime and the chocolate egg has definitely cast a spell on my kids.
The Ben10 characters have rapidly diffused into every form of their lives. They live in the wonder-world. All they demand is jackets, shirts, caps, bags, slippers, shoes, socks, watches and so on with the Ben10 imprint on it. To make the matter worst, these cloths and footwears with the Ben10 characters are unusually priced higher than the ordinary ones. Everyone makes hay while the sun shines.
Kinderjoy is yet another attraction of my kids that sucks stream of cash over time. Priced at Nu. 30 a piece, all that you get is two small chocolate-balls and a worthless toy wrapped inside the shell. The fact that the toys are hidden inside the plastic shell makes it all the while curious for the kids to be wanting for more, with the hope of getting a better toy each time they get.

Despite all these disparity, I flaunt about my kids, in the fact that, they know much more than I have seen and known at their age. My four year son gleefully inserts the password on my iPad with his tiny little hands and the next few hours he gets deeply engaged in exploring the wonders of this gadget.

Glimpses from the Bumdra -Taktsang Trek

Twelve of us, mostly married couples, dared to move on with our plan to trek up to the sacred sites of Bumdra and Taktsang despite the incessant rain the night before. It was 3 AM in the morning of Saturday, 20th April 2013, when I rubbed my eyes and began to hit the road. We reached Sang Choekhor Buddhist College at around 9 AM - our take off point. Although the showers began to threaten us, our determinations became only stronger. After walking uphill for hours, we spent the night on the hillock of Bumdra. The next day, we headed back to Paro via Yoeselgang, Ugyentsemo and Taktsang. Sticking to an old adage "A picture is worth a thousand words", I am posting some of the pictures which were taken from my Nikon 3100 DSLR camera.


Snow took us by surprise. Who would expect it around this time of the year?



Two of my friends enjoying the touch of snow flakes.



Time for some "cheese" as we move on.



Me and my better half taking a break for some pose.



Our final destination (3800 masl). Who wouldn't love to stay in those tents?



Chortens below the Bumdra Monastery.



This is what the mother nature has to offer us - A visual treat.



Dads and Moms getting childish. Proving that we are still young at heart.



Taktsang Monastery as seen through my lens.

Despite all the hardships that we encountered, this trek was one of a kind which would bring back beautiful memories. This two-day trek has every little episodes within itself, which would be hard to put in words. You would only know if you experience it yourself.

Walking a Tightrope

At times I wonder about the very existence of duality in every aspect of our life. The more I contemplate on it, the more I can see beauty in it. White would not be white if there is no black. Good is of no good if there is no bad. Plain and Rough, Rich and Poor, Tall and Short, Sorrow and Happiness, name it, everything exists in opposition, so called antonym. Would not it be incomplete or incomparable if there isn't any object for comparison? How would you know that you are happy, if you have never experienced sorrow. In essence, one must experience a blend of everything in one's life to have lived one's life fully.

I have accepted this fact and the acceptance of this phenomenon puts my heart at ease. I have also accepted the fact that one cannot always be successful, and that, failure is also an integral part of life. Even in successful marriages, you cannot expect bed of roses. An altered saying goes on as "Marriages are made in heaven, so is thunder". So, we know what to expect. Like a man balancing on the rope for every little steps, I say in life, it is like Walking a Tightrope.