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Everything is personal

12 December 2008

Here is a litany of complaints compressed and compiled for your reading pleasure. It’d be foolhardy to think changes will come our way just because someone vaguely wrote about it in a newspaper. And who takes newspapers seriously in Bhutan anyways? People I know buy it for Crosswords and Sudoku, all delightful toilet engagements.

My grievances are worded about in numerous seminars and conferences with added emphasis on proceedings and prudence. If holding these brain storming sessions produced solutions, we wouldn’t have problems and well, I wouldn’t be here penning my part!

But I’d rather have hindsight and do things better than plan puzzling panoramas from which we stand isolated. Foresight is for the sages, me and my lot; we want our honest daily wages.

You see, my dear landlord picks up the rent right on cue; the new month’s every second day. I’ve stopped making requests about the water shortage and the pathetic plumbing.

These are minor glitches compared to the upkeep of his expensive watches. Then I’ve a run in with the police. It’s getting embarrassing; I don’t know how to handle them anymore. Be nice and they swagger. Be firm and they take you for a dumb bum. From the jailhouse (on one busy night, 38 bed equalled 115 detainees, leaving one fresh fish to re-ponder the inhumane predicament of the inmates in Memeylhakha.

He now believes the canines have it better!) The next onestop shop is the courtroom. Shakespeare, along with the Grim Reaper, awaits you there. A virtual drama unfolds with righteous tones and some fine dialogues.

The brouhaha carries on to the workplace too. They count the late minutes minus the extra-hours. It’s like what my friend Harry says, “Those who have must get more; for those who don’t have anyways wouldn’t know.” Neat indeed!

I’ve had it with red-tape. If I come across one more ‘bureaucratic late-ape’ I’m going to a cave and meditate. When you write, there’s supposed to be an economy of words and generosity of expression.

The reverse is what you get at most ceremonial gates; an abundance of wealthy excuses and poverty of action.

I’ve been feeling sick lately. The diagnosis was road-rage, brought about by dangerous doses of chauffeured pride, agitated cabbies and wanton women driving normal commuters to the edge. I’m not a male chauvinistic pig but ladies, driving demands a turn-around of your beautiful svelte necks.

Label me cynical but here are some more of the accumulated cumulus that block and cloud my sky. Is the RGoB the sole provider of jobs, security, prestige and paychecks? Is the Royal Bhutan Police consecrated with powers we don’t know about other than to serve and to protect?

Do judges mounted on high pedestals ever come down to earth when sitting on cases? Is the judiciary married? Is GNH a harp or a flute? Have politicians forgotten the chewed up grassroots? Is corruption honest and hardworking? Is the ACC a news network like CNN and the BBC? Is the private sector open and publicized? Is ‘fronting’ the same as an LBW? Does the TCC require a celebration to keep and maintain the city clean and green? And just what the heck is a ‘meeting’?

The simpler things are, the better they tend to work and the better they work, the happier you feel.

In the end, we are all goods and consumers, perishable ones at that. You sell me services and we barter, bargain or negotiate. We don’t do shoddy deals. If we used our heads we’d find that you don’t necessarily have to run a company to learn the simple art of being nice, helpful and make a profitable name for yourself and the organization you represent.

The RGoB is the kingdom’s biggest conglomerate, there is so much potential in it. The business they have is in running and managing the country and its resources, with people being the most valuable assest.

So should you hear a fellow citizen yelp; at offices, in lawhouses or seeking help with some procedure that’s under process, remember, he’s paying for the help.

BY JURMI CHHHOWING
K4 MEDIA, THIMPHU

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Posted by Bhutan Observer · Filed Under Opinion 

Comments

2 Responses to “Everything is personal”

  1. bhutanese.blogger on December 12th, 2008 3:54 pm

    I don’t get the point. Language is too difficult for me.

  2. Lobxang on December 16th, 2008 4:21 am

    Women MPs caught on the Patang edge.
    Woman lawmakers say His Majesty has already talked about them having an insignia equivalent to the Patang. So, Bhutan Times covers another important national issue on the internet.
    I know we have invested a lot of trust in these key people in gambling against the big change. It was a joyous transition. W e put aside our farm works and cleaned our hands to vote for them. The speeches were grand. Lots and lots of new information, how to vote, how not to, why, where and our every lay men’s question was answered. It was indeed a smooth transition.
    Now change was just beginning. We needed to have some place for these people to stay in. Not an ordinary house would do. No, they are the honorable ones. Next, how are these people going to work? They need cars! Yes, we all chimed in. They need cars. The money was there, but it was hard to decide on Cars or Hot cash. Well, there pursued a whole new topic of debate in the parliament. I let them decide and did not care to follow up if they finally opted for cars or cash. They are the most thoughtful people in the country, they know what’s best.
    So, our MPs were almost set to make the change. But we needed to pay them. Yes, theirs is not an ordinary job. They have to bear extra expenses. They need to wear expensive ghos and kiras to the meetings. Let’s pay them a fortune each. Wait, not so fast, a fortune is not enough, so they said. They need more. Alright, let’s think about it. Let’s make it another topic in the parliament. Does anybody know what happened about that?
    That being done, change was drawing near. Our Honorable MPs are going to work hard now. ‘They work hard. Let’s classify them’. Somebody yelped from the crowd.’ Yes, let’s respect them’. Then there was another long meeting. Blue Kabneys and patangs solved the National Issue this time. Now everybody would recognize them at a glance and they can pay their respects. All these time, I was growing more and more uncomfortable about the whole democracy thing. Secretly, I pitied the MPs. They should have joined the uniformed segment of the law keepers. They get to flash about their badge at work.
    People like you and me can bitch and complain, but that’s not going to change anything. Now the women MPs need their fair share of rights too. They need insignias! Mother of all surprises! I thought only Kings and witches in fairy tales carried insignias. Stupid me, I almost forgot. We are a different Nation! We are the happy lot. We cannot wait for our leaders to prove and make them known. We color code them so we know them. That’s quite tricky. Isn’t it?
    Dear friend, if you lasted through the whole article, here’s news; you are not done yet. Time is running out! Our MPs will soon have to retire. What’s going to happen to their retirement? Let’s not waste time here okay? Let’s have another long meeting. Let’s take it to the parliament. They worked hard. Let’s give a retirement home, an education scheme or something for their children, come on, chime in, let’s make a good long list and thank our MPs. After all, they are the Honorable Ones.
    Oh, by the way, it was really nice bitching here, but I must hit the road now. I am visiting my old folks and I have a good three days’ trek by foot all the way into my mountains. Pssssst… It’s just between you and me okay?

    Lobxang
    NYC

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