It takes us ~

It takes some fears to make you trust

It takes those tears to make it rust

It takes the dust to have it polished.

It takes some silence to make sound.

It takes a loss to make you find it.

                                                                                                                                                                      ◆  Jason Mraz ◆

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother.

Every other girl in this world says her mother’s the best.
But my mother beats every best mother in this world
Because what she’s done as a single mother for me,
No other mother has & can do for their daughter.

Today, on International Women’s Day
I salute my mentor, my best friend, my MOTHER
Without you mum, I wouldn't be what I am today
I love you to the moon & back. 

From 'not liking kids' to 'liking' kids.

Don't let the fear of the time that it'll take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it.
The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.
                                                                                                                                - Earl Nightingale


I started my final week of the pediatrics appointment at the children's hospital here with this quote in mind.
I do  not like kids (Don't judge please). It's not that I hate them but I would choose anything else over having to spend some time with a kid. Their crying gets into my nerves and sets me off.
I know I must have cried a lot as a kid; my mum says I did. And it's only fair for the tiny ones to cry considering the fact that they can't speak - but not being able to take in their howls is my problem. 


So when my Pediatrics appointment began, I was totally nervous. The first few days, I maintained a good distance from kids. I never examined a baby during the first week.
I was disgusted at myself because my friends were all smiling and playing with the kids. Then, I tried - I made that effort - to like kids. I realized I was better with the elder lot of kids (say above 3-4 years). So it was those age group of patients I liked. 

I've learnt that as a doctor/medical student, one must connect with your patient to be able to help them. One must empathize. And in the Pediatrics ward, I was failing at connecting. 

Quite contrary to what I used to think, I liked the subject matter. Our consultant was an awesome lady and she taught us extremely well. Her team was as good as her, so we got some excellent input. 
But they say, in medicine, it's the clinical practice that matters, not the theory bit you inherit. So I was really lacking! I had/have no intentions of becoming a Pediatrician but I was failing the duties and responsibilities of a medical student and I was very disappointed. 

Perhaps luck was on my side - we had to do only 2 weeks of the appointment at one go. We excused ourselves to gain a week more in our study leave of a meager 7days. But due to the rescheduling, we had to do a week more of Peads. So instead of the regular 3 week rotation in Peads, we were to do 4 weeks. 

The third week too, was as same as the first 2 weeks. But on the weekend prior to our last week at the peads ward, I had a heart to heart with my mum. 
And with that I realized that the kids I don't like are innocent. And I'm being the cruelest of the cruel by saying I don't like them; even more cruel by not trying hard to break the "don't like" bond. 

It was time I change; else I'd never enjoy the privileges a woman enjoys. 
I crept into the Baby Room and started watching the babies sleep. I saw reflections of happiness and utter joy in the eyes of the new mothers.
What kept me in the Baby Room for almost 2 hours was really special - there was this baby with liver cirrhosis whose chances of survival was minimal because liver transplants for children aren't done in this country and the parents couldn't afford to take the baby abroad for surgery. The mother understood it all and yet she loved the baby unconditionally.
The mother had gone to get some syrup from the nurse while the baby was asleep. While the mother was away, the baby woke up and started crying. The mother at the next cot tried to calm the baby by showing her some toys but there was no stop to the crying.
I went up to the cot & stroked the child and guess what? The baby smiled and stopped crying. The other lady made a comment saying the baby likes me and you have no idea how much that meant to me. I stayed with the baby till her mum came and not once did she cry then. 


I spent some more time in the Baby Room - watching the babies being fed, being changed, being put to sleep. And it was amazing how these little things go together to help these children grow from the tiny ones they are now to big, beautiful human beings. 


  
Perhaps God was happy with the progress I was making - all my patients during this last week were children under the age of 3.
And with every patient, after taking the history, I always spent some time playing with them, tickling them - knowing them :)

I didn't know how time flew by and it was the end of the week so soon!
I'm glad it was a productive week - I've grown to like children a little. I still would not want to take up treating children in future - I'd suck at it but I'm proud of the steps I took that week.
Saturday, the last day in the ward, we gave chocolates to the kids and donated a few instruments to the ward. 


Goodbye Pediatrics,  for the time being.
Still have 2 small rotations and the Professorial Appointment with these tiny humans. 

Pictures are from the time our group decorated the ward during New Years.

Making the most of my time on earth

There are things I've always wanted to do, to see, to feel and enjoy. I've done some while many remain only dreamt of.
Perhaps getting it listed will help me achieve the un-achieved ones, especially with worldwide rumbles on December being the end of our world.

                Lets see how many more I should be doing before I kick the bucket because:
                   A well spent day brings happy sleep; a life well spent brings happy death.

• Visit Europe
• Go bungee jumping
• Go on a cruise (December, 2011)
• Achieve my ideal weight
• Hug a stranger
• Visit a church (2011)
• Attend a Sunday mass
• Visit a mosque
• Join a gym  (2012)
• Make my dream home
• Adopt a dog
• Bake a cake
• Go on a road trip
• Scale a well known mountain/peak  (Adam's Peak, Sri Lanka)
• Learn how to swim
• Travel to an island  (Saint Martin's Island, Bangladesh)
• Drive a speed boat
• Donate blood
• Go parasailing
• Visit disney land
• Walk bare foot in a desert
• Ride a camel/elephant
• Experience sun rise (Atop Adam's Peak)
• Watch the sun go down the horizon by the sea  (Done this over & over again!)
• Take up dancing lessons
• Learn the art of crochet (My art work is proudly displayed at home)
• Meet my King (2009 - gave him a peck on the cheek too!)
• Attend a live concert 
• Complete a marathon
• Learn to play table tennis  (2012) 
• Be a member of the school team in one discipline (Quiz team, Badminton team)
• Go on a safari
• Camp in the jungle
• Learn how to say hello in 10 languages 
• Learn to play one musical instrument
• Sing karaoke 
• Get an autograph from one celebrity
• Get a celeb to tweet/retweet me on Twitter  (Xteeener, Meiang Chang)
• Visit at least 3 of the 7 wonders of the world.
• Watch an open heart surgery being done
• Help deliver a baby
• See the Stonehenge
• Spend a day in a five star hotel
• Go on a pilgrimage
• Sponsor a girl child's education
• Attend the Oktoberfest 
• Learn a magic trick
• Learn to make candles
• Help raise funds for an NGO
• Read every book by Nicholas Sparks
• Give a CPR 
• Discover what makes you truly happy
• Say "I love you" & "thank you" to mum
• Get over my weakness of overeating
• Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty
• Touch a snake
• Get a poem/story published (My poem "Salute to our Kings" published in 2005)
• Get into Med School
• Become a surgeon
• Give a speech at a university
• Address a gathering of 500+ people
• Address a gathering of 1000+ people
• Address a gathering of 5000+ people
• Meet Oprah Winfrey
• Hug an HIV/AIDS positive individual
• Open a Swiss bank account
• Fly first class
• Find the love of your life
• Have a pet
• Celebrate your 50th anniversary in Maldives 
• Visit Ladakh
• Meet Dalai Lama
• Learn yoga
• Donate clothes to a shelter
• Start a blog
• Create a you tube video
• Write your memoir
• Make the front page of a newspaper  (2009 Jan - BHSEC results)
• Watch the World Cup
• Eat crab cakes
• Slap an eve teaser
• Stand up for your rights
• Get your palms read
• Get hypnotized
• Have your portrait painted
• Get a tattoo
• Travel solo

Life is too short to let it pass you by.
      We only have one shot at this & then it's gone. 

Today

Today I turn 20
Today I leave behind my teen years and venture into the third decade of my life
Today on wards, I can no longer use the excuse,"I'm a teen"
Today I feel mature, confident & independent.

Today I'm grateful for having such a wonderful mum
Today I'm grateful for having a loving partner
Today I'm grateful for the bunch of great friends
Today I'm grateful to God for giving me 19 years of happiness & success

Today I'm grateful that I am in good health
Today I'm grateful for phones & skype which keeps my family close to me
Today I'm grateful for being born in Bhutan
Today I'm grateful for being accepted into this Medical College

Today I'm glad that I was born
Today I'm glad that I had my share of lows cuz it made me a stronger person
Today I'm glad few people betrayed me - it taught me how trust is not cheap
Today I'm glad I have a wonderful dog - she teaches me how to love

Today I'm glad that I am me! (:

You, I, he, she, they - we are all the same.

As I walked through the corn field, I looked up to see a perfect blue sky without a speck of cloud. The gentle breeze I felt on my skin refreshed me and kept me going forward. I was in the center of an acre of corn field and I was determined to make it across the field. Not because a box of treasure awaited me at the other end but because I hadn't been to my village for the past 6 years and had missed all the natural beauty that the environment there provided. My village is towards the southern part of the country with hot & humid weather prevailing most months of the year. I despise heat usually but today, even the scorching sun didn't deter me from heading out into the corn field all by myself. 

With a cowboy hat protecting my head and knee long shorts, I strode across the field, sometimes switching onto little runs. Time & distance flew by in the blink of the eye and I had made my way to the other side of the field by late afternoon. I had just laid down on the lush green meadows to catch my breath when I heard a group of people shouting their lungs out. Initially, I ignored it thinking it might be some kids but when I heard the cries of a girl a little later, I couldn't resist but go check out what was wrong. 

I followed the noise and reached a small house around which scores of people had gathered. Since I'd returned to my village directly from college, everybody called me "The Doctor" and they knew me. On seeing me, they let me go past them to the front. 

My picture perfect day got cast with gloom when I saw what was happening. A group of 4 people were thrashing a young couple with leather whips. The girl's clothes were almost torn, while the boy's legs were bleeding profusely. The girl was screaming in pain while the boy was face down on the mud and writhing in pain. I asked the people around why they were being beaten. I was shocked at what they told me. 

The girl, 20 and the boy, 22 were working in the nearby tea estate and had fallen in love with each other. The girl's parents were very strict and the boy was from a lower caste. When the girl told her mother about their affair, the mother had told her that her father would burn her alive if he comes to know of it. She was told to break up with the boy. 
The two, however had plans of their own. The boy, though from a low caste, belonged to a good family. He did not drink, smoke or gamble and was known for his humble and kind nature in the village. The girl felt safe with him and so, they eloped and got married. They sought refuge in the neighbouring village and when the girl got pregnant, they decided to come back. They had thought that with a grand child on the way, the parents might accept them.

However, their parents thought otherwise. They didn;t show the slightest hint of happiness on seeing the girl with her baby bump. The father pulled out his whip and lashed her. Soon, neighbours gathered and they got together and started beating both of them. I was appalled. 
I quickly ran to the nearest temple and requested the head priest to come with me. Once they saw the priest, they stopped lashing the two. However much the priest tried to explain to them how inhumane and illogical they were being, the father was content on killing them both with his own hands. 

I told the father that I'd like to speak to him and his wife alone but he bluntly refused. So I asked the priest to tell all the people gathered around that I want to speak to all of them. I, being 'The Doctor', they agreed. 

Once everyone was quiet, I told them that I want to narrate a small incident that happened to me a few years back in this same village. 
Few years back, I was walking past an orange orchard with my cousins marveling at the number of oranges that the tiny trees had. Our mouths were salivating, the aroma was enchanting. 
Suddenly, we saw an old lady come towards us from the other side of the road. She was returning from the market, with a huge netted bag full of vegetables and fruits. We were sure that she was coming to scold us for loitering around the orchard! 
On nearing us, she asked, "You little ones want to taste the oranges, is it?" We quickly said no, and that we were just looking at the trees. She chuckled and looked at us for a long time. She told us how she as a kid used to go around orchards with her friends when it was the harvesting season and ask for fruits. Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she talked of her childhood days. Suddenly, she sighed and said, "While most of my friends were given an orange each, I was never given one...", on us asking why she said, "I am from a lower caste, my little ones. They believed that if they gave anything to people of my kind, their harvest will get them nothing" We were dumb struck. 

She put her basket down, went down on her knees and started removing plastics of vegetable from her bag. She pulled out a huge black polythene bag and gave it to us. We asked her what it was and she urged us to open it. 
Our eyes were greeted by huge oranges in the plastic! The old granny said, "I was mistreated as a kid but I do not believe in castes-not because I belong to a low caste but because I know that all humans are the same. Both you and I bleed blood when cut & both you & I return to the same mud on dying, so how are we different? Eating oranges given by me wont disfigure you, dear children, so relish it." And she left. 

I told the people gathered around this story.After I finished, everyone was silent. Nobody uttered a word - I was embarrassed, I thought I just made a fool of myself and nobody understood what I was trying to convey. Suddenly, I heard somebody clap and in no time, the crowd was applauding me. 
In a row, people came forward and talked to the parents of that girl and told them that the boy's caste doesn't matter. What matters is that he is a good human being and that their daughter is happy with him. The parents were very stubborn and didn't give in, initially but when so many people spoke to them, they agreed to accept the couple. The two were rushed to hospital and I heard they recovered from the trauma. 

I was in my village for about 3 weeks following that incident and every time I went out, people recognised me and looked upto me. Some families even called me to their houses and asked me to give my advice on problems they were facing. Some mothers wanted to admit their daughters to school, but the fathers were against it. On educating them on the importance of schooling, many of them agreed to admit them to school. 

I was only 20, but people listened to what I had to say. They had faith in me. And I was glad that I was making a difference. I always believed in equality and justice. I always watched television programs that advocated social justice and often, my mother would tell me that I should be a lawyer or a social activist instead of a Doctor.. 
Today, I am content that I could instill principles of equality and solidarity in the minds of my village people. I'm glad that I was there, that I advocated for what is right although I was the only one against the scores of people gathered there, that I managed to get people support what is right. 

The mindset of people in the world are changing and they're evolving to accept many changes. Yet, there are nooks and corners in various parts where women are still looked down upon, where girl infants are being killed, where girls are denied the opportunity of schooling, where young boys are forced to join the army - every one of the these people have a voice and they deserve to be heard.

If not for us, the educated lot, who will  help them out? Without help, these people will have a very bleak future and die dis-satisfied.
 Let us help them, when we can.




Fiction story I wrote for a friend. 

Bhutan's own 'Royal Wedding'

The world's youngest reigning monarch, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck married Ashi Jetsun Pema Wangchuck on the 13th of October, 2011.
Who doesn't know about it, right? *widesmile*

I know millions of pictures of The Royal Wedding are doing rounds over the Internet, but being a Bhutanese who loves her King & the new Queen to the core, I couldn't help get a bunch of these pictures from various places and put it up here.

13th to the 15th of October was declared a national holiday in Bhutan so that people from all districts, from all walks of life could come together and be a part of the celebrations.
The National TV had a live telecast of the entire celebrations and also had a Live Webstreaming on their website to ensure that Bhutanese outside the country also get to be a part of the celebs.

I bunked clinicals (the first time since clinicals started in May, 2011!) and watched the live telecast with other Bhutanese friends in the University.

The celebrations were done in line with the culture & traditions of the country. The bride looked gorgeous in her yellow tego, red wonju and an intricately woven kira. What caught my eye was her shoes; heels but custom made with Bhutanese embroidery over it.
Our King looked handsome and "kingly" as ever.
The Fourth King's smile (*which makes my heart melt*) added much more joy to the celebrations.

It was an emotional moment when His Majesty crowned his wife and delicately held her face and smiled. That moment will be etched in history forever! So will the moment when the newly weds walked out to the courtyard of the Punakha Dzong hand in hand :)

Then began the celebrations with the thousands of people who had gathered around the Dzong. His Majesty & the Queen walked around amidst the people accepting their heartiest congratulations & good wishes.

The next day, on their way back to Thimphu which is a 71km journey, the King & the Queen walked, yes walked, most of the way talking to the people who had lined up along the road to greet & wish them.
It was past dusk when they reached the capital, and inspite of that, they went around, talked to as many people as possible. It's not without a reason that our King is called "The People's King".

On the third day of celebrations today, people gathered at the National Stadium where His Majesty gave a speech with Her Majesty the Queen by his side.
His Majesty kissed his bride, thrice - their bond was sealed with a kiss, much to the happiness of the people gathered at the stadium :)

Then followed a cultural program to keep the guests entertained while His Majesty the King & the Queen went up to the stadium to interact with the people.

I could not be a part of it, being away from home, but still, my heart swells with pride!
I'm proud to be a Bhutanese, to be under the reign of such a wonderful, down to earth King who loves his subjects and treats them like his own children.



Here's extending my heartfelt congratulations & Tashi Delek to the newly wed.