My Worldview Then and Now – Accounts of my First Travel to the Capital

I was preparing to leave for my village Drepung from Gyalpozhing when a young man in white gho came to my aunt’s place. He said that I have to report to Gyalpozhing Higher Secondary School (GHSS), my alma mater, immediately. On reaching the school, I was told that I had to reach Thimphu, the Capital City, not later than 18 February 2009. I was expected to report to the Office on 19 February 2009. The day was Monday, 16 February 2009. I had exactly two days travelling time required for a bus. In the afternoon, I went home, some three to four hours journey by foot, to meet my Ama and collect my luggage. My maternal grandmother came to see me off. My maternal grandfather was bringing his cattle home. On my way back to Gyalpozhing, I met my neighbours who had come for shopping. They offered their best wishes and sincere prayers for my onward travel to Thimphu. Meanwhile, Apa and my brother-in-law (cousin’s husband), working at Thridangbi, had also arrived at my aunt’s place primarily to manage money for my travel. By then, the little money I had earned from my month-long work at Gyalpozhing-Nganglam highway had already been spent. My uncle, who was working as a technician at Kurichu Hydro Power Corporation Limited, had arranged a lift for me in his supervisor’s duty vehicle. On 17 February, my uncle’s supervisor would be leaving for Thimphu to attend an official meeting. I was told that we would be leaving at 05:00 in the morning.   

Amid excitement and anxiety, we went to my uncle’s supervisor’s place. He could not accommodate me in his vehicle as his relatives would be travelling with him. Disappointed but helpless, uncle dropped me till Lingmethang where I got a lift in M/S DSB Entreprise’s delivery van. Apa and my in-law came in the same vehicle till Thridangbi, their workplace. My cousin, working at Trongsa, fitting electrical poles, would help me get a seat in a bus travelling to Thimphu. I would put up at another cousin’s place once I reach the Capital City. 

Within my family circle, I am known for being timid, very timid. Starting a conversation, let alone enquiring for certain information about places and directions, was unfathomable. For the first time traveller, I kept myself updated of the places reached by following signboards and parapets along the road. DSB Entreprise’s delivery van had got stationeries to be delivered to schools in Bumthang. I had to manage, find a vehicle travelling to Trongsa to put up for a night at my cousin’s place. I could have stayed at Chamkhar, Bumthang for a night and catch a bus the next day. It was not a straightforward decision. There was no certainty that I would get a seat as February was the peak month for students to report to their respective schools. More pertinent, travelling outside my native district, Mongar, for the first time imposed on me a feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. I wanted to feel at home with those whom I can associate with, at the earliest. I was already nineteen years old though. I reserved a taxi for Nu. 1,000.00 to go to Trongsa. My cousin told me it was an exorbitant fare. It was also my first time in a taxi. Although I had travelled in vehicles to Drametse from Kidheykhar (Kilikhar), Mongar to pursue my lower secondary education (Classes VII & VIII), we (students from my village) would travel by trucks, tippers or DCM. The local bus (popularly referred to as lokor (the locality of Mongar and Trashigang mispronounced it as lokor/l) bus among the natives of Mongar) between Mongar and Trashigang was the best deal but would require us to look for a lift for another 19 kilometers (some 33 turns) up to Drametse Lower Secondary School from Thungdari, popularly known as Zero Point. Otherwise, we would have to walk uphill for more than two hours. 

The winter night at Trongsa was refreshingly cool. The following morning, we requested the driver of the bus travelling from Mongar to Thimphu to accommodate me. Had it not been for my cousin’s friend who was a close friend of the driver, I would have been compelled to look out for alternatives. Understandably, the bus was fully packed. I had to sit on my own luggage for the entire trip. At least, I would be able to reach Thimphu in time within my financial capacity. I had regular contact throughout the day with a cousin who would be my host once I am in Thimphu. I kept him informed of where I had reached (signboards and parapets my reference points). We stopped for lunch at around 13:00. Following the signboard of the restaurant, we had reached ‘Bemilo’, Wangdue Phodrang. A local oral tradition (kha gyud) has it that Choje Drukpa Kunley named the place ‘bum med lo’ since he did not find any girls/women there. I found it easier to identify with the name of the Dzongkhag, i.e., Wangdue Phodrang than the specific place, i.e., Bemilo. I told my cousin we had reached Wangdue Phodrang. In subsequent years, as I travelled to and fro, I came to know and realise that Bemilo is located right across the border between Trongsa and Wangdue Phodrang and one would take at least two hours to reach proper Wangdue.  

My cousin must have considered the travelling time between Wangdue Phodrang (the site where the Dzong stands) and Thimphu. He was waiting for me at Simtokha as early as 16:00. The bus I travelled, M/S Dhug Transport, encountered frequent failures of its parts, the specifics of which I do not know even today. We had to stop not less than three times before we had reached Lobesa for maintenance. It was already 18:00. My cousin told me to come by a taxi. But I could not dare to call a premature exit from the bus since it had accommodated me when I saw no viable options. The bus would make another stop at Hongtsho for tea and snacks. It was half past 21:00 when I met my cousin at Simtokha. We headed to his place at Gidakom in his colleague’s car. It had been a tiring day but the promise of the following day gave me energy and liveliness.

On 19 February, another cousin accompanied me to the Office. We were informed that the said appointment had been deferred and we would be informed on the next possible date.  The following day, I received a call that I need to report to the Office the next day. It was a moment undreamt of and even after knowing my Bhutan Higher Secondary Education Certificate (BHSEC) results on 29 January 2009, I had not known that I secured second position in the BHSEC 2008 Arts Stream until 16 February 2009 when I was informed by the Vice Principal of GHSS.

That was my world – isolated and disconnected. My travel to the Capital was on the command of the Office of the Gyalpoi Zimpoen (His Majesty’s Secretariat). Even in my wildest of dreams and imaginations, I did not see that coming – to receive a Royal audience at Lingkana Palace on His Majesty’s First Birth Anniversary after being formally coronated on 01 November 2008. 

The life-defining moment…

His Majesty shared with the fourteen of us his life experiences and connected with us in every possible way he could. For example, His Majesty knew Ugyen, an alumna of Yangchenphug Higher Secondary School, one of the top performing students in the BHSEC, very well. Among others, His Majesty emphasised the importance of having a strong pool of human resources for the country in securing Bhutan’s security and sovereignty. His Majesty awarded us the certificate, writing our names and the congratulatory messages all by himself right in front of us. Before awarding us the certificate, His Majesty crosschecked with the palace officials if all fourteen certificates were in order. ‘What is your aspiration?’ His Majesty asked me as he handed me the certificate. ‘I am interested in law,’ I answered in submission. 

Today, as I look back in time, tracing my roots (the starting point), I see I have come a long way. There is a world beyond Drepung and Mongar, and the earth revolves around the sun, not vice versa. Sacrifices made by my ever enduring illiterate agrarian parents, backing of kith and kin, support of friends and guidance of teachers have made this journey possible. As I strive for greater heights, I always make an effort to remind myself that spending nights on hides (animal skin treated for human use) with few worn out clothes was not as pleasant as I find it to recollect and make it public. That is my life’s hitherto journey. It shall have its own course…!