Where lovers meet and read

"Meeting place for book-lovers" indeed!

Well, this month’s theme of my blog is people, innovation and creativity.

And this one is about a woman who had the opportunity to live her dreams. In the heart of the town, she runs a bookstore, which she tells me runs quite well. She is an avid reader herself I can make out and to supplement that fact I was informed that she has formed a book club in her bookstore. There are around 30 members. She tells me only a few attend the reading sessions nowadays. The members decide on a book to read and they come and decide what they read when they meet. That’s wonderful isn’t it? Getting to share what you have read is truly an unforgettable experience. Otherwise we just forget in a week or two. I do. I don’t know about others.

The books in her store are arranged in a systematic manner and you will find it easy to find the books you are looking for. The set up is excellent. Location is every businessman’s dream- in the heart of the city. And to add to all these, she collects old things – I saw a very old tape recorder and an old type writer. The décor is really awesome.

“The only difference is I don’t need to make a lot of money,” admits Kunzang Choki, the owner of Junction Bookstore. “This is what I love to do and I am happy that I am getting to do something that I really like.”

Kunzang has a master’s degree and yet chose to run bookstore in a place where not many people like to read. But she knows what she does and she understands her products. She knows her customers. Many senior readers and foreigners were seen in the store when I last visited the shop. The fact is she is not greedy for money. As long as people love books she is happy. And in fact she must be the only Bhutanese who runs a bookstore with an adequate knowledge of books accompanied by her immense love for reading. Her counterparts are all businessmen wanting to make big money.

And as someone who loves books, I really admire what Kunzang does for life. Maybe even envy her. The fact that she is not doing it for the money, but to nurture her passion and love for books is something that I really like in her bookshop.

For more information and to get the real feel of what I share with you here, please visit Junction Bookstore – “a meeting place for booklovers” and experience it first hand. By the way this is not an advertisement, I am not sure if KC gets to read this, but I am doing out of sheer respect for the person behind this wonderful bookstore.

Here is also a link: http://junctionbookstore.tumblr.com/

When they are ready

The Ministry of Education discovered 890 'underage' children admitted in schools across the country in 2019. Thus, the ministry in May 2019 issued a notification revoking the admission for these children. Majority were in urban centres. Desperate, parents and the affected schools requested the government to intervene. They also requested the government to consider lowering the enrolment age to five years. Currently, in Bhutan a child can legally go to school only when s(he) is six years old. And that policy was strictly followed a few years ago to the extent that some schools refused to admit children even if they were short of a few weeks. So, parents, mostly in urban areas, resorted to faking their children's ages. Many parents were guilty of adding years onto their children's actual ages. However, most parents, we are told, managed to correct their 'mistakes' later. Faking a child's age was rampant...

The Vanishing Currency of a Bhutanese Village

Growing up in rural Bhutan, the richest people in the village often had very little cash. They were known as chukpo , 'the ones with cattle'. And no one asked how much money a person had in the bank. No one or only a countable few had bank accounts, anyway. Wealth was measured in fields, cattle, grains, and the ability to carry a family through the seasons. Cash existed, but it played only a small role. Most exchanges happened through barter. Rice for chillies, soya beans for Sichuan peppers, cheese for eggs. I still remember that a ball of homemade cheese was worth two fresh eggs. Nobody needed a calculator because people simply knew. The most remarkable part of the system was the exchange of labour. During sowing and planting seasons, families needed extra hands, yet labour was rarely paid in cash. If I spent three days helping on your farm, you spent three days helping on mine in return. No contract was needed to be signed. No money changed hands. Wealthier households so...

Community of Bhutanese Bloggers Conceived

And finally it happened. I must say that it was by far the most attended Bloggers Meet. In the past we had bloggers agree to attend and cancel at the very last minute. But on June 24, 2015 – almost 100% of bloggers, who confirmed came. I would like to thank everyone for keeping his/her words, especially those who had to come all the way from Wangdue or Paro. Thank you! 35 Bhutanese bloggers met in Thimphu. We were honored to have the presence of senior bloggers like Aue Yeshi Dorji and Dasho Sangay Khandu. The meeting assumed more significance because of their presence. Equally, we were happy to have many young bloggers in whom we see so much enthusiasm and potential. On top of many things that transpired during the Meet, one of the most significant outcomes was the unanimous decision reached to form a formal group of bloggers, a platform aimed at encouraging and inspiring more bloggers around the country. The members decided that we will call it Community of Bhutanese Blogger...

Ngawang Phuntsho

Search This Blog