One Decade Down; More to Go

10 years before, on this day, I started blogging. 

Thanks to the Chiphen Rigpel Project, the undertaking of the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa Government, the first politically elected government of Bhutan. 

Chiphen Rigpel accreditation for participation 

Chiphen Rigpel was an ambitious project launched with the support of the Government of India in 2010, on the sidelines of the SAARC Summit held for the first time in Bhutan. As delivered through its motto, Enabling a Society, Empowering a Nation, it was a human capacity building project that provided ICT skills to empower citizens to be skilled in this ICT enabled world. More than 5000 teachers working across the nation attended the workshop for 10 days. 

 

It was a blessing for me to have learned multiple things during this workshop besides knowing how to construct my page. Initially, I submitted my appeals to a few individuals who had a registered trademark as popular bloggers to assist me in building a blog for me, but to no effect. But it did not deter me to explore myself because I was internally drenched with a downpour of zeal and passion to create it anyway, anytime.   

 

After exploring it with the minimal ideas and resources at my disposal, I was efficacious in crafting one. Since then, I enjoyed baking pieces of literary stuff – albeit it is not as eloquent and material. Yet it is significant to me beyond compare.  

 

Since my schooling, I had prurience in scribbling anything, anytime, anywhere. Even as a science student, I took a lead role in several undertakings that demanded linguistic capacities – both at school and the College level. 

 

In 2002, while I was in Year 11, I had the privilege to be one of the student editors (male) of the first school newsletter entitled, Loden Rigsel - the name I proposed. That same year, I won 3^rd place in National Essay Competition for High School category organised for the schools across the country. 

 

3rd Place: High School Category Essay

At the Samtse College of Education, I was engaged as a student editor for the Kalapingka – the college newsletter. In 2007, I was the lead editor for 2 class magazines, Fountain of Insights and Some Common Uncommon Whys launched under the leadership of Mr K C Jose (one of the most instrumental literary icons of my life). The same year, I initiated the publication of An Oratorical Omnibus, that archived assembly speeches delivered by teacher trainees in the college. I took the contentment in naming these two publications (Fountain of Insights and An Oratorical Omnibus). 

In addition, I was granted the Institute Prize for Valuable Contribution, which is presented to trainee teachers who make significant contributions to the institution.

Certificate of Merit: Institute Prize for Valuable Contribution

 

First class magazine: Some Common Uncommon Whys

This award was a boost to me as I was also conferred the F L Gorospe Prize for Academic Proficiency in B.Ed Secondary Science for securing the highest aggregate. It is an academic individual award to science teacher candidates who have continuously excelled in their studies.

Certificate of Excellence: F L Gorospe Prize for Academic Proficiency in B.Ed Secondary Science

 

Before graduating from college, like many others, I was equipped with lofty ambitions and tall enthusiasm to put up my best in school. However, these resilient dreams were short-lived. 

 

I was deployed into a remote Community Primary School that was driven with multigrade teaching approach. In multigrade teaching, a teacher tutors two grades that are housed together within a classroom. Teaching the subject that I was trained in (Secondary Physics) was completely out of a dream. I survived teaching everything except Dzongkha (national language) as there was one language teacher in the school. 

 

Following that year, I was sent to a Lower Secondary School that required a science teacher. I got a chance to teach science to Year 8 students. By all measures, compared to my previous school, I found the students at the new school capable to do some serious academic work if I delivered my utmost support and guidance. 

 

I floated the idea of having a class magazine for my students. Students were excited because they would be engaged in such a literary task for the first time. We worked tirelessly for almost a year. But in the end, we could not publish it for some unknown reasons. However, with the support of my friend who had access to stationery and printing facilities, I printed one coloured copy and showed my students what it would have looked like. Not only the students were disappointed for the failure that we could not publish, but I was also equally engulfed with shame and disgrace. 

 

It was the first murder of my dreams!  

 

In the following years, I attempt to breed my ideas but many of my opinions were often perceived as remonstrations. Any idea that originated from me who possessed a very limited working experience was witnessed unworthy to believe and unrealistic to follow. Constant insistence from my side was often deemed as being confrontational and provocative that on several occasions, I was subjected to numerous investigation teams – citing that I was not showing respect to the managers or being non-compliant. 

 

Although I could not keep the momentum of literary works in school, back at home, I had my diary. But archiving everything in a diary was not secured in many forms. I have written a lot of things and they have all gotten lost at some point. Consequently, I have been obliged to eye for a space online where I can landfill my writings and recycle them if required. This is how my blog was born.  

 

And here, I write it at my own pace and form. For ten years, I outlived by the motto of my blog: Does not always have to be a rose to smell sweet. For more years to come, I will cultivate this impetus to keep writing for the rest of my life.  

Doesn't always have to be a rose to smell sweet