With the Beautiful Brogpa Buddies - not long ago!
In between 2012 and 2017 I served Trashigang District, a time I thought I should share here with my one or two blog followers. I am not a famous person and being one is not in my mind but these photos are put online to keep me reminded how I served the people and how I had the compensation from state for my works. I am a timid man who follow rules like Buddhists follow Kanjoor and Tenjoor, Muslima Quran, Christians Bible. But here I want to go a bit away from my normal route to keep my memories going.
Deborah Cater has to say "You have to taste a culture to understand it." I tasted it and I know it. They talk the way they want to and they can also like any ordinary person manipulate things if they have to. But I like the way they enjoy their harsh way of life without any disgruntlement. Long Live the Brogpas!
And Menander says, "Culture makes all men gentle." I don't know much about how culture makes men gentle but I get softened every time I see Brogpa ladies, young or old. May be I like them, I am not sure. These two girls were respectable, responsible and reassuring. They came to reach us with the traditional arra till the end of their village. I will not tell the year though. I find them beautiful. They are beautiful right?
We shape the culture, the and they call us agents of change, the dream makers. We dream of our Brogpa culture unaltered for eons but we dream for an easier life for our Brogpas. They know what to do and we encourage them to continue with their tradition of maintaining cattle, wearing the same dresses. Here, at least two civil servants have been localized. One is an Administrative Officer while the other is the Livestock Extension Agent (extreme left). Cheers to Brogpas way of dressing!
Look at this cheerful lady. Who would not appreciate a Brogpa? Well, if you don't, it is your problem. I love these ladies not for their strength but for their cheerful faces in the most difficult times. Jonathan Safran Foer says, "Food is not rational. Food is culture, habit, craving and identity." It is true. Yea, it is indeed true.
Albert Einstein said, “Without ethical culture, there is no salvation for humanity.” Right! I guess. So, look at the 1000 miles smiles. Do you laugh a day like that? I don't think so. These are the people who want to keep the culture going. No dearth of people who are interested to keep it going. Just put a little effort to keep them going. We can do it. It is not impossible.
I thought I was doing what John Ray has to say on beauty, “Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.” Yea, that's true! But I found in the photo later that the beautiful lass was not at all amused when I raised my hand to hold her to show to the world that I appreciated her. I felt like I forced her and you can't imagine how guilty I am even today. I was later convinced that she did not dislike the idea of my hand over her but feared social objection since we barely knew each other. Look at her. Isn't she beautiful? If you don't find so, your eyes have problem. Please visit the hospital. We will keep the culture going at any cost. So determined are we.
Everywhere, anywhere, somehow and whatever the situation. Do you doubt my liking of the Brogpas way of life. See me here. This was in Khelephu in 2013 with Tshogpa. Anywhere I am there, I am with them. Everywhere I meet them, I greet them. Somehow I make a point to reach them. However, I know that they are better than me by many times in many fields.
Leadership unsurpassed! With the former Gup (now no more) of Merak and the then Dean of Bhutan's first College, Sherubtse. The Gup was a cool person not bothered by many harsh things at his cold place. He would talk less and speak what he meant only. However, he would joke with me since I never told him things very seriously. He liked me the way I liked him. Reserved and innocent, he never had any malice against his people. The Dean and I studied our Pre-University at Sherubtse itself. The wonderfully cool man served the College well.
Mesmerizing-Ly cheerful people! They would not mind a photo with me but they would like the hard copies of the photos. I could never supply them with hard copies but now that they are online, I will share this blog with them. I hope they will like it and I am sure they will.
Taming the natural products; Gentiana species are used as curry materials. A very sincere but less read village Apa (second leader) never had an idea to bully his people or cheat them in any way. He just wanted to complete his term to do the business of natural resources management on the principles of sustainable management. Cheers to Apa. Heard he is doing well.
Nothing harsh for them. They can cross Nyagchungla any time of the day. Amazing ladies! Aren't they? They were returning from Sakteng in one of my trips between Merak and Sakteng via Nyagchungla. I thought, "wow, wonderful ladies" and for the record, they did not appear a bit tired and I realized how weak I was when I could reach Sakteng very late night. Keep your sturdiness going. I admire you ladies.
With Local guardians of nature and culture; Livestock man, Administrator, Gup, Forester, Mangmi and an Engineering Technician. Together, we walk the extra mile to keep the society going. I can't imagine their capability to cover miles in less than half the time I take. The yak herds are miles away from their homes but they manage them with ease. What more, they even carry a lot of loads on their backs while moving from one pasture to the other.
Rain, snow, sun, windstorms, flood do not matter to them. They enjoy their problems absolutely. No worries, no hurries. Just live the way they are. Ap Nima here with me has less hair to comb but more face to wash and even his teeth may need no brush very soon. He agrees to my joke but with lesser amusement. And I am sure he finds me a very funny as I always disturb him whenever I am at Merak. For no good reasons I call him at night and ask questions such as "how many ladies love you so far" which does not go well to him and he laughs away.
Just for a change, I forested him with my official cap and he told me to let it be there forever. Well, nothing lasts forever and I needed the cap. So, cap for him only for photography. See what he is wearing. He told me "No problem" the hide comes from across the border, so it is not one of our Gorals. Does that make sense? But I think I cannot sue him for that Goral that was killed before I entered forest service. That stinks but I think it is organic. Cheers to Brokpa culture.
No wonder, Brogpa buddies have road right up inside their village. They are good planners. They were and they will plan well. They asked us if we can supply them with many things and one of my friends told them "you guys are really intelligent and we will put the best of what we can for you all." I was witnessing the discussion and concluded that they were highly informed people. Kudos to Brogpas.
Lady planner in action. No nonsense business. Just wait and watch. My buddies know what they need. Brogpa ladies to stay at home and serve their men and children. They are amazingly cheerful and does not give damn to any weather conditions, such an admirable courage. I would love to have one of them with me but for a slot with me. Given the chance, I would keep one of them as my partner lol (this is serious joke).
No problem making plans but problem with the funds was what I heard but fund was very much there. But when we planned, we had funds and I am sure they enjoyed many facilities out of the project we planned. Of course I know they also forgot what we did then. Plantations, Bukhari, CGI sheets, bridges, river embankments and many more. No confusions about what we did after our plan.
Juniper on the Dzos' back. To keep the culture going, the Dzos have to keep carrying things. Roads do not matter to them. Culture! But later things are likely to change and I see a dwindling lovely culture. What to do? Let it go the way it should.
But the imminent threat is loss of dress culture sooner or later. Less people likely to continue wearing same dress. Wondering how to make it keep going? May be marry one of my cousins and let the culture flourish. Any other ways, please teach me.
Disclaimer
This is my personal thought and anything written here is not intended to harm or promote people or things mentioned here. No one is authorized to use the content of this blog for either personal or private purpose. People mentioned here in are fictitious characters and any resemblance to anyone with some characters or more are purely coincidence.
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