Thursday, August 8, 2019
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
We have an emergency
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Thursday 8
May 2008-The Kathmandu Post
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The Kathmandu Post
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BY MOHEINDU
CHEMJONG
Picture a very recent real-life scenario. You're stuck in a horrible,
typical Kathmandu traffic jam when suddenly a wailing ambulance siren draws
your attention. You feel a chill in your spine and turn to look at the
emergency vehicle rushing past. And what do you see inside the ambulance? A
bunch of people laughing and talking their heads off. They seem to be
thoroughly enjoying their good fortune to be traveling in an ambulance tearing
through the traffic-choked chaos of Kathmandu. Very interestingly, there's no
sign of a medical emergency, let alone a patient. What is one supposed to think
after seeing such a sight? A few minutes of reflective pause.
Honestly, doesn't that unnerving sound of an ambulance create a sense of
urgency that human lives are involved? Or should you disregard the wailing siren and tell
yourself that an ambulance is just another vehicle that's trying to get ahead
through the choking traffic? You read in the papers that ambulances have been
seen being used for all kinds of purposes instead of carrying sick people to
hospital. You also read in the papers that lives that could otherwise have been
saved have been lost for lack of an ambulance. And how may of us know the
number to call if you needed an ambulance?
Even in the
capital Kathmandu, health services are primitive. As there is no emergency
telephone number (like 911), if you needed help in a hurry, you would have to
look up and dial one of 30 plus ambulance services. And as there is no
coordination between the assorted service providers, nobody knows what would be
the quickest way to get an injured or sick person to a hospital. Considering
the long turnaround time, people find it more expedient to just call a taxi.
Early treatment
and proper transport are key issues in improving the outcome of a medical
emergency. An ambulance that is well-equipped and well-designed prevents the
aggravation of the patient's condition. In Nepal, ambulances are operated by a
driver with no medical training and there is no paramedic riding with him.
Family members of the sick or injured are forced to provide emergency care and
end up worsening the patient's condition.
According to
Mahesh Nakarmi, director of Health Care Foundation-Nepal, many easily
preventable deaths occur in ambulances in Nepal. Therefore, people prefer to
use taxis or buses or even motorcycles instead of ambulances. As a result, most
ambulances remain idle during the day and don't earn enough to sustain
themselves.
It may be
fruitful to consider the following points as a first step in reeducating
ourselves and redefining ambulance services in Nepal:
Definition: The
term ambulance service needs to be defined more specifically by the ambulance
service providers so that everyone can easily understand what it entails.
Coordination: As
mentioned earlier, ambulance services lack a coordinating mechanism. A
harmonized network with a free three-digit telephone number and a 24-hour
dispatch center would make medical transport assistance more efficient. The
recent spread of means of mass communication (cheaper frequency modulation
radio and mobiles) can be utilized to coordinate activities to produce better
ambulance coverage.
Ambulances: It
is important to set standards for the type of vehicles to be used as
ambulances. Considering the perennial traffic congestion in Kathmandu,
ambulances need to be very visible and have a distinct livery. They need to be
equipped with medicines and equipment like ventilator, oxygen, first aid kit
and stethoscope. Similarly, the service charge also needs to be fixed and
standardized so that even low-income groups can afford to use ambulance
services. There should be a rule to provide free service in case of accidents and
other specific cases. The Nepal Red Cross Society provides free ambulance
service during emergencies such as road accidents, violent conflicts and
natural disasters. Since petrol shortages have become part of life in Nepal,
appropriate arrangements should be made to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply for
ambulances so that people don't have to die because they are out of gas.
Public
awareness: It is also important that the public is educated about ambulances
and ambulance services. The public awareness program should include instruction
on how ambulance services can be accessed and information about obtaining
assistance during medical emergencies. The dos and don'ts inside an ambulance
should be clearly outlined.
Manpower: Here,
manpower refers to emergency medical personnel and ambulance drivers. The
drivers and paramedics should be trained in first aid and emergency care. They
should have valid IDs and licenses. The emergency medical personnel should have
adequate experience to deal with emergencies. They should also be able to use
the medical equipment in the ambulances and also know how to report and keep
records about their patients and ambulance usage.
With regard to
emergency medical services in Nepal, the number of tasks that need to be done
are many, and the paths that need to be traveled are chaotic. But we need to
work extra hard to improve ambulance services and save more lives. World Red
Cross Day (May 8) is celebrated around the world in the name of humanitarian
service. It is the most appropriate occasion to pledge to get serious about
humanitarianism and emergency medical care. It is also time we put an end to
the misuse of ambulances and inculcated some sense into people to show the
proper respect to this life-saving profession
(With input from Mahesh Nakarmi,
Health Care Foundation-Nepal.)
Saturday, May 18, 2019
Monday, April 8, 2019
Springtime Memories....published in a magazine...
Springtime Memories
-by Moheindu Amiran Chemjong
The
sonnets of spring devastate the thundering walls of my lonely heart. One more
time in my life, my love for you burns in my psyche and I joust between the
cadence of pleasure and pain, of illusion and reality. The tango of the softer
season has returned to the old courtyard spreading the dabs of camphor and
lemon balm. The sparkling cherry blossoms of spring speak of love and the silky
murmur of the spring time wind touches the tops of cypress trees, reminding me
of the love we once shared, the spring of love, and the divine courtyard where
you courted me in spring. The spring’s golden light dances with the happy
clouds of the beautiful dancing season and fills me again with the concoctions
of our legendary romance. The courtyard has long gone to sleep since you
decided to hide away in the deep gorges where God resides and today with her
imperial touch, looks like a cactus flower full of thorns or like a beautiful
face with no soul, no life, no hope…beauty trapped behind the harem walls. The
innocence of the season has melted away the dusts of the bonfire, the viles of
the heartless yesterdays and the tender hope of spring is emerging from the
corners of the winter traces. Amidst the pagan, my heart and the courtyard
remain like falling bridges, stuck between hope and desperation, feeling the
bitter strains of your absence yet cherishing your love. In the mists of my
missing you, holy flames of passion rise in me but without you, they freeze to
be paths of memories in my mind. In the spring delight, the birds of music try
to remind me of the immortality of our love, they toss a burst of rose petals
on me asking me to cherish memories, to live on the sweet music borne out of
spring and enjoy springtime in your name. The fountain in the courtyard, too is
trying to nurse my burning soul with her pure droplets and the spring sun is
spreading rose-colored lights in the hope of intoxicating my senses with the
sugary nectar of spring. My massacred
heart glistens at the ray of hope. Maybe, tonight the stars will fall like the
rain, maybe these chains of separation will disappear like fogs. Maybe the
springtime moon will help me find you in the shadows of spring! Or maybe,
tonight, you’ll return to our courtyard to tango to the beats of spring with
me! Maybe you will come….
Thursday, March 28, 2019
HEAVENLY BLISS
HEAVENLY BLISS
Moheindu Chemjong:
And then, there are those days! Those days filled with utter joy, such radiating, emaciating joy that I want to shout to the world how happy I am. These are the times when my every single care dissipates into the thin air; when mental and physical weariness seem alien to my body. I feel as if I'm badly smitten by the happiness bug and every cell in my body is bubbling with bliss!
The irrepressible excitement, the indomitable spirit of mine, the truth of being alive, the ability to smell the roses, the warmth I can feel when I hug my puppy and the heightened exhilaration of my sense of sight when I catch my lover's eyes are the facets of my blissful state of being. It is on those days that I feel I'm by the ocean on a warm, sunny day playing with the beauty and blessedness of water as I enjoy the far sightings of the ship.
I feel like jumping on my toes like a child and feel like defying maturity. The blissful feeling makes me want to sing on top of my voice. In the halcyon days of mine, in every soul that comes my way, I see a spiritual friend whose beauty shines brightly like the stars and my eyes can exude such brightness that can provide radiance to the darkest skies.
Even the twittering of the birds seems to rhyme with the beatings of my ecstatic heart and there is a stream of passion overflowing all over my body. My smile exclaims fulfilment, gladness and extreme joy. I see butterflies in myriad colours, and the lovebirds, madly in love in the natural high sing to my songs.
I write a reverie and suddenly, there is a shower of red and orange gerberas, deep mauve roses, sweet-smelling water lilies and I feel as if the demigod, Kahlil Gibran is whispering prose into my ears. And while I lie back on the lush green grass and cherish my days on earth, I feel as if the gorgeous blue sky is smiling down at me. I sit under the plum tree and savour the magnificence of God's gift to me. I feel as if I am being caressed by Mother Earth and in her womb, I feel the tranquillity flowing in my veins, no westerly wind or snow or a heartless soul can steal my heavenly feelings. I am loved and cared for, respected, and never disliked, cheated, doubted or envied and all the evil in the world disappears, and love and hope prevail.
On the epoch of ecstasy, the incredulous smell of lavender plants and Intense Pleasures by Christian Dior tantalise my senses giving me the lightness to fly on my wings. On the certain days of euphoric happiness, I'm the lover of life, the child of the Universe who knows the inevitable yet romances the few days on Earth.
Friday, March 15, 2019
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Dashain 2064 in my eyes-The Kathmandu Post
Dashain
2064 in my eyes
-Moheindu Amiran
Chemjong
Last year, the day of tika had been another
ordinary day in my life. I had had a regular working day. I clearly remember
that I had gone to Scarborough beach for a
walk in the evening like in most evenings as usual. I had had a frozen Indian
meal for dinner like on most days. But my mobile had been ringing continuously
because my parents, cousins and relatives had been calling me to give me greetings
of Dashain and blessings. Our conversations had been sentimental with
outpourings of me being missed on the special day. My heart had been very heavy
that day, evening and night! Due to my studies, I hadn’t had the opportunity to
be home for Dashain and therefore, this year, this Dashain was very special to
me. Besides the privilege and honor of being with my family and relatives, this
year’s Dashain also showed me some very interesting facades. I felt that this
was almost like catching up on what I had missed out the past three years and
hence I owe these sweet and sour truths of Kathmandu
for making my Dashain 2064 extra special!
The one thing which was quite noticeable was the
petrol hike, the petrol line! Dashain came and has almost gone away but the hype
of petrol just has not come to an end yet. This was indeed a big time because
many people who had to go and receive tika had to break and bend their rules.
Some had to get lifts and some decided to go and receive tika at many places on
the same day if the houses were on the same route. This year we had some people
in the house to receive tika but it was rather funny because they wanted short
cut blessings for their taxis would be waiting outside. Because of limited
petrol and diesel, some decided to leave their cars home and resorted to taxis.
Likewise, there was another party who wanted to rush back home to sleep in
early for they had to get up and be ready to queue up in the petrol lines by
four am the next morning! I heard many complaints about the petrol shortage and
many stories of the petrol lines. I learnt that there are lots of other people
like myself whose socializing and interesting past times have decreased because
of this crisis!
Passing by the roads, a close look at the petrol
lines this time gave another surge of ideas Since the lines were long and the
uncertainty about getting petrol seemed to be high, I thought that some NGOs
and INGOs could use this time and grab the attention of the people waiting in
the line to disseminate important bits of information or even distribute their
pamplets! At a time when barbequed sausages have hit many roads of the Kathmandu valley, the petrol lines could be some idea to
expand the business. Or, even ice-cream or take-away tea or coffee! A lot of
people seemed busy adjusting their hair, getting rid of blackheads and doing
their eyebrows. You know what, the beauty business could just start amongst
these lines. Different people in the lines seemed to be absorbed in different
thoughts, wore different expressions and seemed to be having different types of
conversations while waiting. It seems to be that this is a big time waster and
I suggested my friend a book or two. It was then that he narrated the story of
how his headlight disappeared when he had been too busy absorbed in some
newspaper while waiting at the queue!
Like in the past years, the season was at her very
best during this festive season. There is the sweet autumn breeze, the mellow
sunshine, the beautiful colours of marigold and the makhmali flowers, the heavenly colours of the mustard in the
fields and the magnificent smell of guavas in the air! My heart was profoundly
happy and I felt a sense of pride and self-satisfaction filled my heart and I thought how lucky I am to be born a Nepali and belong
to my motherland Nepal where culture and heritage flourish in spite of what
Nepal has been undergoing in the past years.
At the Dashain 2064 gatherings and parties, the
music sounded very cool and modern! All my younger and dance-loving loved ones
sway their bodies to these numbers, I thought that they must be dancing to some
English or Hindi hip hop or rap numbers but on closer listening, I was
absolutely amused that these ultra modern numbers, too carried the Nepali
spirit for in spite of the rap, they were all remixed
Nepali songs- By road ko batoma, Resham firiri, Rato ra chandra surya!
This was quite a sentimental Dashain too! With blessings
and dakshina, my elder ones gathered tears in their eyes. They all told me that
they are proud of me and especially proud of my decision to come back to Nepal Nepal
Dashain 2064 also brought back lots of vivid memories
to my mind. I thought of us playing cards, kites, firecrackers, counting daskhina,
playing on the swing and got quite nostalgic. This was aggravated by the fact
that this Dashain, the only daughter and granddaughter who in Kathmandu
was me. All my sisters, brothers and cousins are all studying or working abroad
and none decided to make it home this Dashain. But I felt truly satisfied that
I was here to receive tika from my sick relative, too. He lay on the bed as he
put tika on our foreheads but I felt this was the most emotional fulfilling
aspect of this Dashain for me. I thought what a beautiful festival we have-that
allows us to get together with loved ones and receive blessings from our elder
relatives and what a beautiful culture that teaches us to respect our elders!
During Dashain, we had many people coming to our
house. For the menu, there was the usual meat, rice, chiura, vegetables,
sweets, yogurt, fruits including aloo dum. But I couldn’t stop smiling when
someone starting complaining that this Dashain, the price of the potatoes have
gone up drastically, my Mother should have made lauka dam instead. He said that
on one hand, we’d be enjoying a Dashain feast and on the other hand, we’d be
following Ram Dev’s diet regime! My friend suggested that from new year
onwards, people should refer to the Rastriya Bank’s Price Index before giving
dakshina or in other words, mangi bhatta
has to be taken into account, or too could go out on the streets!
I also noticed that our Nepalese society is
becoming more skeptical and vocal about the old age custom of making animal
sacrifices. I saw articles in newspapers and magazines and people were talking
about this old age custom. Had it to do with the blood shed and atrocities that
have taken place while I was away, I wondered. To follow suit, a friend of mine
also bought 10 kilos of meat and kept it in the freezer. Likewise, I also did
not hear too much hype about the Dashain sait, the most auspicious time to put
on tika.
Though things are changing, I noticed that the
niceties of Dashain had been kept intact. I saw that from Talchikhel to
Panchkhal, children were busy playing on the swings. Till Astami, the eight day
of Dashain there was a huge rush of people in New Road Kathmandu , rushing and buying for Dashain! It occurred to
me that we, Nepalese people have the power of resilience, the power to adapt,
adjust and accommodate as Sai Baba has said and to learn to live in spite of
the uncertain situation of Nepal
The week leading up to Dashain, there wasn’t a Nepal
The other hot topic during the Dashain parties in
my household seemed to be modern day thieves who visit houses when Dashain is
the air!My relative had recently been bothered by this thief in broad daylight
on Phulpati this year. This thief in a mask demanded for mobile phones, watches
and cash. Poor lady had no choice but to hand over the mobile phones and
watches but she used her instinct and said, “Bhai, you’re taking our mobile
phones but maybe please have the sim cards?” But just before he left, he did
not forget to say, “Thank you Aunty. Dashain greetings to you. “Another family
friend narrated a story of how on Saptami, she saw a truck of household items
being loaded on to a truck. She thought to herself, “What a time to shift,” but
that very evening, her neighbor told her that it was a thief had gotten inside
the house and stolen their goods when they had gone off to visit different
temples. Someone suggested that we should always have some fresh bank notes in
the house all the time during Dashain for our own personal safety!
Dashain was on in full swing but the hordes of
people coming and going outside the country did not stop. On the Astami
morning, I saw some healthy youngsters dressed in designer track suits and
expensive sports shoes, jogging at six. It was rather interesting because on
their backs, they had dokos filled with wood sticks. It looked a bit strange
and so I asked them what was going on. They told me that it was their physical
preparation to become lahures in near future!
With the span of three years, the mobile craze has
really really caught Kathmandu ! This Dashain,
I met lots of souls who had the malshri tune as rigntones which I found really
amusing! However, what was pleasing was that one should really be thankful that
even mobile phones registered in Nepal
My Dashain this time around was extremely
interesting! I am very convinced that you also had a remarkable Dashain. Now,
Diwali is on the way, let us hope Goddess Laxmi will bless everyone and give us
a fantastic and interesting Diwali!
Published in the Uni publication
Student Life
-Moheindu Chemjong
I started my
student life in Australia
Before I go on,
let me tell you a little about the culture of my home country, Nepal
When I arrived I
was hardly prepared for the huge difference and the cultural gap but I knew I
was here for a purpose, to earn a degree and therefore, I pushed on, I tried
and survived. The best thing about my lectures at ECU were that they were
mostly in the evenings. The night hawk that I am, I enjoyed doing all my
research and writing assignments till late in the night and wake up comfortably
and then go to lectures in the evenings. Therefore, my evening lectures would
be like going out in the evenings with friends and attending some seminar
conducted at some hi-fi conference hall before a cocktail party! Soon, I learnt
that the students are assessed not only in their exams like in my home country
but we had assignments to do and presentations to give. In the first semester,
I did have a difficult time with the assignments and reports because I was not
familiar with the expectations out of the students but with a little help from
the Academic Advisor, I soon started getting distinctions. By the second
semester, my grades improved drastically and I was absolutely thrilled. I
learnt that starting well ahead in time whether it came to assignments or
presentations was the way to score well and maybe it was because of this reason
that I spent hours after hours studying! I noticed how people in Australia Rome
The other type
of assessment was group work where two, three people had to put their heads
together and work in a team. Though at times, arranging for meetings was quite
an ordeal as we had to take all the group members in consideration, I think it
was worth the effort. There was a time when a certain group member tried to be
pushy but in rest of the other group assignments, I had a very enjoyable time.
Working together as professionals, commenting on one another’s contributions
and getting to know my colleagues better was fantastic indeed. Group work not
only led to stress but also to some wonderful friendships! But, I think the
best part were the exams. Having studied in Asia
and having mastered almost all the skills of giving exams, I enjoyed sitting
for exams. When I was first told about the take-home exams, I was in cloud
nine! Never had exams been made so very easy and all we had to do was to look
for the answers, though I admit that the questions in take-home exams are very
tricky! When I could go to the beach, lie down on the sand and do my take-home
exam, I couldn’t ask for more. And even the exams where the questions given
before hand were fabulous, I could concentrate on the answers that I am
confident in and prepare them only to get very good marks! Therefore, I was
completely satisfied by the way the assessments were done and though I had
never learnt to think outside the square, I think I have very well learnt the
skills on doing presentations, writing critiques and also faring well in exams.
When the
pressure of the exams mounted and when I thought that I had reached the
saturation point, I used to just pack my bags and head to Down south for a
couple of days’ break. Australia Melbourne Sydney Western Australia
The lecturers
too were fantastic. Not only were they highly educated, skilled and very
professional but they were also were very helpful, friendly and understanding.
This made the whole learning experience for me as an international student very
convenient, interesting and enriching. Some of them were so passionate about
their subjects that I used to catch their bug and go home feeling completely satisfied
after every single lecture. Some of them spoke so eloquently and I think I
could thank them for their use of idioms, sayings and such beautiful words that
even my vocabulary has greatly increased!
It was wonderful to know how they climbed the ladder of success and in a
way, some of my teachers were role models for me. One of the lecturers was a
highly qualified lady with the brains, the sense of humour, charm and the drive
and I could completely relate to her and in fact, I wish to be like her in some
ways when I am her age! On the whole, the teachers at Edith Cowan
University
The other lot of
people I met at University were my colleagues from different parts of the
world-from Kenya Korea United Kingdom India
On the home
front, things were equally interesting. I rented an apartment but I had no idea
how to look after the house and how to cook. After living on sandwiches,
instant noodles and take-a ways, I decided to learn how to cook. I started with
the simple recipes and in my learning process, I burnt my hands, cut my fingers
and wasted a lot of food but then slowly, I got a feel of cooking. I then
graduated to cooking some decent dishes and within a year, I became quite a good
cook. My friends developed a liking to my cooking and at this point of time,
cooking has become a great passion for me and whenever I have spare time in hand,
I try to cook yet another gourmet cuisine and when I go back home this summer,
I am planning to impress my family members with my newly acquired skill! But in
spite of my culinary skills, every time the pressure of assignments became
difficult to handle as deadlines arrived, I used to head to Hungry Jacks’,
Dominoes, MacDonald’s or some fast food restaurant, maybe a bit too much! At
the same time, I also learnt how to clean and look after the house. I’ve also
learnt some tips of gardening and my little garden of petunia and my lemon
grass plants are doing fantastic! In fact, from the studious student of back
home, I have also become quite a home-maker! While doing the household chores, I
used to remember the uneducated women in the villages whose sole duty is
house-keeping and how they have to wash dishes with cold water and straw even
in the freezing cold weathers because hot water is a luxury! Thinking about
these tolerant, hard-working women in Nepal Nepal
Today,
University life has ended for me and I am preparing for my exams. I’ve deeply fallen
in love with ECU and I feel I will miss the wonderful University, my friends,
my favourite place-the Churchlands library with the huge collection of books,
the much loved Mega lab, the cafeterias, and the Postgraduate lab. I will also
miss being in an academic environment of learning. But heart of hearts, I will
always treasure and cherish my student life at the Edith Cowan University and I
will remain indebted for what it has given me-a degree, a chance to grow
intellectually, a chance to become a better person. It has given me the hope
that I can soar high above in the sky and has armed me with the skills to do so!
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Monday, January 28, 2019
The Sweet Melodies of Cooking
The Sweet Melodies of Cooking
-Moheindu Amiran Chemjong
Yesterday morning, I cooked a
full three-course meal. Now, is that something? No? Would I know how to cook at
all? I can do the finest sushi, heart-warming minestrone soup and extremely
luscious curry laksha. Would cooking be a favorite past time? No, not
necessarily. Hence, when I decide to drown in the throes of cooking after three
odd months, it’s absolutely drama supreme amongst my loved ones!
In terms of cooking, from the
time I learnt how to make a decent cup of tea to getting familiar with the
vegetables and spices that I did not recognize till a few years ago and making
that paradigm shift in my mindset towards cooking, I can honestly say that I’ve
covered a great deal of ground.
While growing up at home, I was
totally convinced that I am not carved out for cooking or cleaning. As long as
I remained indulged in the ravishment of intellect, I thought I am on track.
When I eventually left home to live by myself while studying, the reality hit
me hard in the face. I had to either live my life on take-away food, order home
delivery each day or survive on frozen pre-cooked food or instant noodles for
the next two years.
For the first six months, I
really did that. It was after a while that I started missing home-cooking as I
lovingly remembered those flavors of the past. I remembered those days back at
home where my display of indignation had been too apparent when I had been
offered cooking lessons, including structured courses by my parents and
relatives. Since I had absolutely no
idea about cooking, I had no option but to start with the most basic method of
cooking-boiling! I started having boiled eggs, boiled chicken, boiled tomatoes,
boiled potatoes, boiled peas, you can imagine-the boiled works! But thanks to
the raw herbs, Tobasco, ketch-up and the spice of lemon, I acquired and grew to
like boiled meals. I feel like a cave-girl but still love a plainly done palate
till date.
Then the next step was to get a
fancy wok, a brownish slow-cooker, a fabulous steamer and multi-colored,
tasteful crockery to keep my spirits up (till then, cooking was a no-no
activity for me) and a handful of cookery books from around the globe. In came
the emails, letters and paper cuttings of recipes from friends. I was so
thankful that I had the fastest connection broadband at home such that if I
needed quick instructions on the dos or don’ts of a particular spice, for
instance, I could embrace google for quality control or sometimes, even for disaster
management. It was here that I decided to train my psyche, play with the
stereotype in my head and I decided to ardently court cooking as a ceremonial
splendor!
Yes, I burnt my fingers, I have
scars to last a lifetime as testimony to the cuts on my hands while trying to
learn how to chop vegetables and got the fire alarm ringing and neighbors
alarmed many times before realizing that, cooking, like writing, is another art
form of colour, of vibrancy, of hope and of radiance. I tried, tested, failed,
wasted a titanic amount of food while learning how to get these gastronomical
arrays correct. For the next one year, the trials and errors dominated my
cooking chambers as I religiously submerged myself in this new found prolific
creative activity. But there were upsides to this phase, too.
Though once a person who had
admitted that the cooking element was missing in me, I learnt to differentiate
the cooking techniques that I had not identified with. I learnt the beauty of
grocery shopping, especially choosing the textures, colours and layers of food
which after my cooking epiphany would translate to exotic aromas and exquisite
flavors as my delightful culinary sensations. In these tender strokes of art,
my heart started to appreciate the vast interesting universe of spices and
condiments, the varieties of the sexy olive oil, the freshness of even boring
vegetables like leek, broccoli, asparagus or artichokes, the heavenliness of
coconut and soya milk, even the gooey uncooked chicken or lamb and octopuses
and lobsters. I hadn’t been near uncooked raw meat for as long as I remembered
as felt very queasy. The experience made me reaffirm my belief that this art,
too required discipline and that discipline is really a horse that we ride! The
magnificence also lay in the fact that there was imagination,
conceptualization, personalization and of course, harmonization.
Cooking, all of a sudden, broke
like a fragment of impassioned serenades in my being. Can you believe that my
friends and cousins started to appreciate my culinary finesse? My curries and
soups became such hits that they nicknamed me ‘Queen of Soups.’ I flourished in
the starring role and the whole idea of cooking provoked only feelings of
goodness in my heart, exceedingly. When they murmured those words of praise, my
grandiose sense of accomplishment almost forced me to trumpet the feelings in
utter poetry!
Yesterday, I had consecrated my
three hours of cooking for my aging relatives. They were just overpowered by my
generosity of my morning time presented to them. Maybe the nuns taught me this
invaluable lesson correctly long ago, it is in giving that we do receive. The
allure of giving myself in cooking for others is overwhelming in itself. Their
thank-yous crystallize as immortal realizations in my heart. But when they look
me straight in the eyes after my having made the labor of love in a pot, we
exchange mutual glances of awe, our hearts bloated with love. This inexorable
moment only lasts for a minute but the eloquence of the art of cooking and the
delirium of dazzlement in selfless giving in cooking and my feelings are best
articulated by a favorite composer Irving Berlin, ‘ The song is ended but the
melody lingers on.’ The sweet melodies of cooking…..
The Last Shangri-La- Bhutan......from a long time ago!!!
The Last Shangri-La- Bhutan
-
Moheindu Chemjong, 2002
If your inborn aspiration to seek
something beyond the apparent emptiness of daily existence has been pushing
you, you can experience heaven on earth – visit Bhutan Bhutan
Guarded by the mighty Himalayas,
the Kingdom of Bhutan was left blissfully untouched and the scared values of
the Bhutanese people shrouded in isolation till the 1960s, and maybe it is
because of this very reason, she still retains the kingdom where
Tibetan-Buddhism is the state religion, the Bhutanese people try to protect
their sacred heritage. Buddhist teachings play a significant role in their
peaceful lives. Wedged between India China Bhutan Bhutan cyprus Bhutan Bhutan Bhutan
One and a half hours drive from Thimphu takes you to Paro, the most beautiful valley in Bhutan Bhutan Thimphu , it was also the seat of the National Assembly.As
you pass the Dzong, walk down the moderate slope to the interesting looking
cantilever bridge. On the hill above the Dzong stands an ancient watchtower
which has been since 1967, the National Museum of Bhutan. The Museum has in its
possession over 3000 works of exquisite art, covering more than one thousand
five hundred years of Bhutanese cultural heritage and brings history to
life.Similarly, another area of tourist interest is the Ugyen Tshering
Penjor Palace Paro
Airport Bhutan Tibet
Phuntsholing is the gateway to
the forbidden world, as they say and is separated from India Bhutan
For the ones who fancy hiking and
trekking, Punakha and Wasdfsd are top on the list. The semi-tropical Punakha is
know for its excellent climate where fruit trees flourish. A drive to DDD La
Pass will give you stunning views of the high mountains of Bhutan.While in
Wfsdfsd, also visit the impressive Dzong that houses the provincial monodfsj
community. The Bumthang Trek is also an excellent 4-5 day trek with idyllic
scenery, sdfa wick fasdf and a pass at 3,400 metres. For the hikers who can’t
resist rhododendrons in bloom, the Gantey Gompa Trek is the ideal one. Jomolhai
Trek takes you to the Base Camp in the lidgfa region, the place of sdfa herbs
and alpine vegetations, not to forget the breathtaking close-views of the great
Himalayan Pfsdfsd.
Besides enjoying nature at her
best, you can also shop for some interesting souvenirs to take back here.
Bamboo, RRrere and cane-work, handmade fabrics, wooden stamps and coins are
recommended. Do not forget to try out Erma Ddfsd , the national dish which
comprises of chilli peppers in cheese sauce, the famous Bhutanese red rice, and
shodfsdf (meat patties) and yak meat if you can! If luck favours, you can
witness the famous dances of Bhutan port of Bhutanese
So, whether it is being engrossed
in natural beauty of being a part of Bhutanese culture for a short while, or
marveling at the splendorous architecture of Bhutan Bhutan
Positivity....published while I was a student
Positivity-Moheindu Chemjong, Perth, WA
Finally,
I've realized what makes me tick. For me personally, the most attractive person
in a crowd doesn’t necessarily have to be suave and be reeking of some
expensive perfume all the time or have to be a person who's very knowledgeable
with the most polished demeanor, a person with a positive approach towards to life
can also be equally captivating for positivity is the fundamental quality, if
you have it-you do have a great deal-you're already a charmer, a winner!
My
favorite author, Stephanie Dowrick says, the greatest power one has is the
power to influence others positively and that it should be treasured. My
neighbor, Ian, for example is a constant source of positivity for me. A stocky
tall man nearing his 70s, one can easily say that Ian has aged gracefully. Ian's
zest for life is remarkable! When we bump into one another occasionally, I
often ask him how he's been keeping, to which he blurts out,
"Marvellous"," Fantastic", " Superb"." Never
better"," Almost as good as you" and you can see the radiance in
his eyes as he utters these magical words. His words are almost as inspiring and
powerful as Oprah Winfrey's or as Rikki
Lake
Positivity
doesn't mean turning a blind eye to the grey areas of life. Positivity means
accepting life's both good and bad as they come, being resilient and bringing
out the best from the worst situations. As the famous adage goes, "Love
life," it really pays to be enthusiastic in life about everything though
it might just be a tiny butterfly hovering by. Research indicates that a
positive attitude goes a long way in determining a person's perception of the
world. It not just helps people conquer sickness and disabilities but also
makes them more efficient and successful. A positive attitude empowers a person
to deal with difficult situations, focus on the brighter sides of life. Of
course, life isn’t laden with roses all the way through, there are often times
when things go out of hands, misunderstanding happen, dreams are broken, life
does have the rough edges and when we feel like packing up for goods and
calling it the quits. It is in these times that positivity comes to aid.
Positivity
might look like a distant dram but unlike any other skill, it can be learnt and
it comes with practice. One of the most important aspects of cultivating
positivity in oneself is being with people who have a passion to live or just love
life. Positivity is contagious and though it might just be for a short while, why
not live in their skin? My best friend is another person in my life who is very
positive. When things don't go my way, he tells me to take a positive approach
to the problem and reminds me how every single problem under the sun has a
solution and that the brighter days will surely come. This already is so
admirable and gives all the people around him the strength to carry on. It is for the indomitable positive spirit
that I not only admire and respect him but also love his company.
Positivity
is the magic sutra that makes life much more beautiful and much more
meaningful. So for just once, why not try to look at things positively, just
try it once. Soon, it'll be second nature to you!
Monday, January 21, 2019
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