Sorry Wai!

Last week 11 of us including four children went to watch this film at the trowa theater in Thimphu. I was looking forward to watching this movie because my childhood friend Barun Wakley was featured as a first timer.

Like most people say, A Bhutanese film is always a hit among the public with the combination of four things. Tshering Wangyel, Tandin Bidha, Phurba Thinley and Ugyen Panday. Sorry Wai, has all four of them.

As expected from a Tshering Wangyel film, it is full of drama.  I had all kinds of emotion flowing through me through the entire film because the 2 hours 48 minutes film has a mix of everything.The film has eight songs of which one is a comedy which seem to be the most popular.

The film starts in an institute where a girl and boy hates one another so much that they can't stand each other. Yes, it is predictable, they fall in love. The twist here is his younger brother also falls in love with the same girl. They make promises which they keep (unexpectedly) as one brother sacrifices his love for the other. I will not reveal the story line here or the producers will sue me (wink wink).

May be I am getting old but I did not like the way the main protagonist (Quendeen) kept his hair. More than the film, I was amazed by the audience. We Bhutanese seem to be so connected to films because the moment the main protagonist stands up to fight the bad guy in the film, there were people cheering up and clapping from the audience. The hall was not filled, but the response from the audience was unbelievable. There was a little boy behind me and he kept shouting every time he saw Phurba Thinley.

Tandin Bidha as usual looks beautiful and dresses very well, I liked Quendeen's acting although a first timer but I did not like the way he delivered dialogues. Lhakpa is good and so is the little Kesang from one of the singing shows also did a great job. It could be because of the hairstyles but Quendeen and Lhakpa do look like siblings.

Other actors Rapay Khandu, Ugyen Wangmo, Azha Namgay, Gyem Tshering and Karma Tshering have also done great work.

In this film most of the actor have their own tag lines. "Talk to the Hand," is used by the female protagonist and the male uses "Shechey." His brother uses "Chodi Chodi," and there is someone who uses "Control."

Before I forget, Barun has done great in this film. I am not saying this because I am a friend, but because he has been a model and has a great body, it has been used well by the director. His profile and the shots taken make him look good. The woman sitting next to me in the theater was also amazed by him and kept saying, he should have been the hero. Barun is the negative character in the film and he has been a stylish way taking his thumb under his nose.

After the film when we were coming out of the hall, I was looking at everyones eyes and most of the girls had spoiled their eye makeup and some had swollen eyes.

All in a package the film is entertaining and there were some audience who were talking about watching it again :)

I am voting are you?

In 2008, I did not vote although I was eligible for postal ballot. I though it would not make any difference to me personally who ever runs the government. I was wrong, when the new rules and regulations were established by the Government, I was equally affected or benefited. Then I realized how important our votes could be.

Five years gone and time to vote again. This year I made sure I voted for the Upper house and the Lower house. I voted during the primary election and now looking forward to vote for the general elections.

Sadly from the five political parties, one got rejected even to participate in the primary round and four contested. The results were not as expected but I was contend. I am excited and looking forward to see the general election results. I don't mind who ever wins, but just wish that the opposition also has more number of seats unlike the previous years.

May the best party win!

Conversation from Wangdue to Thimphu

I am not much of a talker, but whenever I travel by a Bus or a Taxi I respond to whoever asking me questions because I do not want to be rude.

Last week I had to travel from Wangdue to Thimphu by a taxi. My uncle drove me till the taxi parking in the Bajo town and even before stopping a few drivers started shouting names of places they were traveling. A young taxi driver shouted Thimphu, Thimphu and my uncle responded yes one passenger for Thimphu. I was the first passenger so we had to wait for 30 minutes before we had three other passengers.

It was interesting that all the passages (four of us) were women. One was coming to Thimphu for the first time, one was going to renew her trade license and was planning to travel back to Wangdue the same day and the other one, I think lives in Thimphu.

As I was the first passenger, I had the privilege of taking the front seat. It was like I was sitting on a hot seat, as the driver kept shooting questions at me.

Driver: Are you a student?
Me: No ( smiling within thinking, do I look so young?)

Driver: Do you work?
Me: Yes

Driver: Where?
Me: NGO

Driver:WHat is your qualification?
Me: 15
Driver: Ohh! A graduate?
Me: Yes
Driver: Every person I run into seems to be a graduate these days
Me: True, because it is so difficult to get a job

Driver: Where do you stay?
Me: Near the town ( thinking, how his question changed all of a sudden)

Driver: have a family?
Me: Live with my parents

Driver: How come the three ladies at the back are very quite? He looks back but the three women just sit quietly.

He then gets a phone call from someone who is asking the price of his taxi. I become curious and then I start shooting questions at him

Me: Are you selling this vehicle?
Driver: Yes

Me: How Much?
Driver: Nu 360000

Me: How old is your car?
Driver: Two years

Driver: Do you think its in a good conduction?
Me: I have not much ideas about vehicles..

Then we talk about cars and brands and suddenly, we speak of monthly incomes. I have no idea how our conversation reached there but this is what I vaguely recollect.

Me: I heard Taxi Drivers earn a lot
Driver: No, its just around Nu 30,000 to 40,000 on an average
Me: That is higher than what most civil servants earn
Driver: Is that Much, I earned Nu 90,000 one time
Me: No wonder, taxi drivers keep on changing their vehicles

Driver: This however, depends on the drivers. There are some married taxi drivers who say they are going to find passengers from home but hardly work. They have affairs so keep roaming. There are also some who play snooker the whole day and some who spend most of their money on girls.Some who spend huge amounts on the phones.  One has to be very hard working. If a taxi driver says he does not have much income, it means he is doing either of these.

Me: Ohh! really

Driver: I even know a doctor in Thimphu who drives a taxi just for fun. He does this so that he has a reason to come out of the house and keep roaming till late hours.

He then started talking about the kidnapping cases in Gelephu and then about politics. Then both of us become quite till we reach Semotkha. He then starts asking where each one of us want to be dropped, but he also mentions he is just making one stop. So all of us said Taxi parking.


When I recollect today, it was a conservation all mixed up :)

Our National Flag

I have always admired the big national flag fluttering outside the Tashichhodzong in Thimphu. I always assumed that the caretaker or probably a police on duty would come and hoist the flag every morning, in an ordinary way.

However, recently I had a meeting at the dzong and the meeting was over at 4:50 PM. By the time I came out of the dzong and started walking toward the parking lot, office time was already over. I saw three monks fully dressed (as if going for a ceremony) coming behind me followed by a group of policemen well dressed for drill. I was confused and thought they were going to the palace but they were actually going to bring down the flag. It was such a beautiful process and I though to myself, if bringing down requires such a process, I wonder how they hoist it.

Luckily I had a camera with me, so I got to take some picture of the process.

I Got Flowers Today...

 By Paulette Kelly

I got flowers today.
It wasn't my birthday or any other special day.

We had our first argument last night,
And he said a lot of cruel things that really hurt me.

I know he is sorry and didn't mean the things he said.
Because he sent me flowers today.


I got flowers today.
It wasn't our anniversary or any other special day.

Last night, he threw me into a wall and started to choke me.
It seemed like a nightmare.
I couldn't believe it was real.
I woke up this morning sore and bruised all over.

I know he must be sorry.
Because he sent me flowers today.

I got flowers today,
And it wasn't Mother's Day or any other special day.

Last night, he beat me up again.
And it was much worse than all the other times.
If I leave him, what will I do?
How will I take care of my kids?
What about money?
I'm afraid of him and scared to leave.

But I know he must be sorry.
Because he sent me flowers today.
I got flowers today.


Today was a very special day.
It was the day of my funeral.

Last night, he finally killed me.
He beat me to death.

If only I had gathered enough courage
and strength to leave him,
I would not have gotten flowers...today.

We rose in Bhutan

Bhutan has alway been supportive when it came to women's right and gender equality so how could we not be a part of the global campaign "One Billion Rising" to stop violence against women.
In Bhutan 68 % of women reported domestic violence as something that is natural and the heights rates of acceptance were reported among women aged between 15 to 24.
On 14th February we joined 200 other countries around the world to raise and say No to any form of violence against women.

Watching a Bhutanese Film

I had to rush to get tickets for the film Jarim Sarim Yeshey Tshogay and when I finally got the tickets it was for the front row. I asked to change but they were sold out. Surprising because it was not the first day of the show and the same film was being screened at both the theaters at the City Mall.

We (my aunty, her two children, her friend and me) had decided to watch this particular film because we had seen the promotion of the film while watching another Bhutanese film, Say You Love Me.

Jarim Sarim Yeshey Tshogay was entertaining centered around the female protagonist Tsokey Tsomo Karchung's life. She is from a poor family but has big dreams, which she accomplishes. Although there are a few connections missing the over all picture is clear. The film does not have any strong male character.

Like most bhutanese films, this one is a lengthy too. My toes nearly froze by the end of the film.

I laughed through out the film but in two of the scenes my eyes were full.

It was amazing to see how the audience got so much into the film that there were a few shouting at the characters playing negative roles in the film.

The film had catchy songs and nice dance sequels. I am sure there were six songs in the film.

I enjoyed the film but would have loved it if I had got a better seat.

Feminism

Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions.. for safety on the streets… for child care, for social welfare… for rape crisis centers, women’s refuges, reforms in the law. If someone says ‘Oh, I’m not a feminist,’ I ask ‘Why? What’s your problem?’