Ngawang Phuntsho

Living away from Bhutan reveals who we are in unexpected ways. Here in Perth, we often notice this in ordinary conversations. When someone learns that we are Bhutanese, her face brightens.  Almost every time, they mention a Bhutanese person they know. “They are kind, respectful, hardworking people.”  Those few words always stay with us. Even far from home, Bhutanese continue to live the values we grew up with. Helping others without being asked. Working sincerely. Treating people with respect. Without realising it, we become representatives of our country through the way we live each day. At a time when Bhutan is opening itself to the world through the visionary Gelephu Mindfulness City , this matters even more. The world is beginning to look toward Bhutan with curiosity and admiration. When they meet Bhutanese abroad whose actions reflect compassion, humility, and integrity, the image of Bhutan becomes something real and human. At the same time, living abroad also tests how m...

Bhutan's ongoing textbook delays have exposed something larger than a temporary printing problem. They have revealed a growing mismatch between a modern curriculum and an old delivery system.   This year, Classes IX and XI began learning under the new Cambridge-aligned curriculum. Yet many students started the academic year without printed textbooks. Schools relied on soft copies, handwritten notes, and borrowed materials while waiting for books to arrive. According to reports by BBS Bhutan and The Bhutanese, delays emerged at multiple stages: design, printing, and distribution. The Ministry of Education and Skills Development explained that textbooks had to be developed under a new model while also supporting local printing firms. Schools adapted because they had no choice. That adaptation is worth examining carefully.  Bhutan's classrooms have already begun moving toward digital learning, not by design but by necessity. Teachers are sharing PDFs. Students are reading ...

On quiet mornings, over coffee, certain thoughts return with unusual clarity. One of them is relationships. Among Bhutanese who move to Australia for study, work, and a better future, I have often noticed two very different stories unfolding inside relationships. Both begin with hope. Both begin with sacrifice. But they do not always end in the same place. Migration changes many things. We speak often about jobs, permanent residency, children’s education, and financial security. What we discuss less is what migration does inside the home, between two people, in the quiet space behind closed doors. I have seen couples who arrive here and grow stronger. Australia (any other foreign country for that matter) quickly teaches people that survival is shared work. Rent is high. Bills do not wait. Both partners often work long hours, sometimes in jobs far removed from what they once imagined for themselves. A husband who never entered the kitchen back home learns to cook after a late shift....