Customer service

I am usually a patient and calm person. I also try to be assertive and not get over powered by others but this was the first time I lost my cool in Bank of Bhutan (BOB).

I try and avoid going to banks because of the crowd there but I had to go and get some work done. I entered the BOB and directly went to the customer care corner. Upon getting information on what I wanted to do, they directed me to a lady. I had a written application to change the signing authority of a joint account. I went to that lady and after hearing what I was there for she sent me to another lady. Before she directed me she read my application and told me to mention the account number on the printed application. The lady also heard about why I was there and finally directed me to an elderly man, she said he just needs to sign it and the application will come back to her.

When I approached the man, he just took my application and kept it aside. He did not even ask me why I was there. I tried to explain to him that this was urgent and that I need the approval today itself. He gave me a stern look and read through and pushed the letter in my direction. "This is not the way you write the application and why did you write the account number with a pen instead of typing it," he said. I told him that I was directed from one person to another and that one of his staff told me to do that but he was not ready to hear anything. He kept shaking his head and saying it can't be done.

Finally I lost my cool, I took hold of the application and told him that this is not the way you treat your customer.

BOB being one of the oldest banks should be approachable and know how to treat their customers. However, even with many banks coming up customer services in Bob is yet to improve

women's movement in Bhutan

The issue of night hunting has been raised time and again but nothing much done. Bhutan has for ages had lot of citizens without an official father because the custom to marriage was not really there. Many of the couples who have children did not have a marriage certificate until the child had to get admission in schools. It was only then that they processed for a marriage certificate when the child was six years old.

In Zhemgang there is a man who has agreed to be the father of 10 children born out of night hunting. He agreed to let the mothers use his name when the children were admitted to school. Similarly a woman recently in Kanglung found out that there were 178 children in Kangulang area who were without fathers.

She demanded that the government have a DNA bank of all men who have studied at Sherubtse College in the last 25 years so that fathers of illegitimate children in the east can be brought to justice. She had posted her written protest on the Facebook Pages of the PM and other ministers. She said they will be held responsible for a large number of illegitimate children in the east if the government failed to come up with an immediate solution.

She warned the government that, if it failed to say or decide on anything about this by March 5, the activists would come out on the street, beginning with stoning of Sherubtse College gate and protest on the Royal Thimphu College campus on March 8.


I do not think this is the way forward but I think there is a lot the government can do. I know the Government cannot fulfill the DNA bank but they can work on rules to avoid such things. 


This isn't a great start but it is a start of the women's movement in Bhutan


Women United will never get Defeated!

ATHANG PHOTO EXHIBITION

I sent in ten of my pictures for Tathang Charity Photo Exhibition and they selected three of my pictures to be exhibited. This was the first time I was taking part in such an event and I was nervous. Unexpected to get anything out of it, it was a great surprise for me when i found out that one of my picture got the second prize at the exhibition. Thank you the organizers for giving us such opportunities. I am not a professional photographer and these pictures I took were just random. The whether, light and the nature just favored me. It is such an inspiration to take more pictures.

My award winning picture. This Picture was taken on my way to Lingzhi in 2010



These are the other two entries 

- A magical view of Dzong in the mist. This was also taken in 2010

-Students of Lingzhi Community Primary School during tea break

Subways

There was only one faithful person who used the subway near the swimming pool. Otherwise the subway is used for other purposes other than crossing over to the other side of the road.

I tried using it once or twice but gave up because didn't want to spoil the start of the day with the foul smell. In the evenings it is so dark and dangerous to use it.

Government has pent a good amount on building this and its all going in waste. RSTA should have a rule not only for vehicle drivers but also for pedestrians stating that it is compulsory to use the crossroads and the subways. This would be safe for the pedestrians and with more people using the subway it will be much safer and cleaner.