Thrumshingla in Winter

Mock Drill for an Earthquake. (HOW IS IT DONE?)

Today we conducted a mock drill for earthquake in our school. I initiated the event because I have undergone a training back in 2009 at Chukha Higher Secondary School.

This is a comprehensive report on HOW IT’S DONE!

So first, I divided them into different teams and appointed a leader. The groups consisted of:

1.      Rescue team headed by Lop. Nado

2.      Attendance group headed by Mr. Phuentsho Dorji

3.      Health group headed by Mrs. Tenzin Wangmo

The victims are chosen from each class secretly and hidden within the school area. Then it is time for some action.

Let me write the actions step wise:

Step 1

As soon as the siren goes (sign of an earthquake) the children in the class dug under their study table and stays there until the siren recedes. This is done in order to save themselves from heavy objects falling on their head.

Step 2

Once the siren recedes, the children slowly walks towards the open space which is our school is the football ground. There the children stand in their respective class line. (The children shouldn’t be allowed to run when they move towards the open space because when they run, there are chances of them falling down and injuring further)

Step 3

Now the attendance team rushes over to the children and finds out the missing children from each class. Once the list of missing children is made, they hand the list to the rescue team.

Step 4

As soon as the rescue team gets the list, they launch the rescue operation. They need to first locate the victims and then rescue them safely to the health team.

Since the victims are dispersed everywhere in the school perimeter, the rescuing operation needs a vigilant and active members. They are equipped with stretchers and blankets.

Step 5

The health team renders a first aid service to the victims. After the first aid, they call upon the police and the ambulance depending upon the severity of the injuries.

(Once the simulation and role play ends, they are served with refreshments)

Utter disappointment over the Unfair Placement!

Source: Google

It was a beautiful day in the early February. There were quite a few people walking towards the Dzong, so I guessed perhaps there were not many civil servants here in Yangtse. On the way we encountered couple of our mates from the college. Today was a day that would decide each of our school to be placed in.

It was one hell of a hike up, till the Dzong. Once there, lots of familiar faces greeted us, well, most were from the same college that we went to.

Just before 9:00 AM, the office assistant summoned us in one of the dimly lit room where all colored plastic chairs were arranged. We sat kind of in the middle row. It wasn’t long, when the Dzongdag, District Education Officer (DEO), ADEO and other officials filled the room.

Soon the Dzongdag had a welcome speech followed by few valuable words of wisdom. Then the hour of decision came, when suddenly the DEO announced our placements.

Well, call it a fate or karma for whatever reason but both of us (me and my wife) got placed in one of the CPS. The name sounded quite funny too. The DEO pronounced as Lichen Community Primary School. I mean really? Did I hear him right was my first doubt.

I just thought this wasn’t just possible! or rather fair! Can they place a secondary teacher in a community level just like that? If so, why differentiate as secondary and primary in the first place?

After all that we have gone through as a secondary teacher down at the college, but to be placed in a community level, was just not right. It was simply unfathomable logic! Sheer lunatic plan! When asked, the DEO had a very lame excuse over it. Was just utter rubbish!

I could have agreed to it, if it were same for everybody, but NO! Some got placed in high schools for no particular reason. Damn with the corrupt system! Just wasn’t fair! Few even got placed in the town, just for being related to the high officials. So much for; ‘no nepotism system.’ Screw them all.

It was sad for us, for not having relatives like them in the sector offices. I had lots of questions for the DEO but didn’t have the audacity to ask. I mean how could I? I pretty much knew that, I was fighting a losing battle. Me against the whole system? Simply didn’t make a match! But again, I ain’t in slightest doubt that my questions could have made a difference.              

Finally, our fate got sealed! Nothing could be done, to revert their crooked decision. Then on, I just didn’t feel like, listening to their fatuous lies for any matter.

I just wish the system to be - fair and just, for one and all, despite of difference in race, sex and relatives. 

Journey Towards My First Placement (Part I)

can't imagine those roads

It was quite by chance that I got Trashiyangtse as my first placement. Both me and my wife were destined to hit the last Dzongkhag of our small country. Well, I haven’t been there myself, but my wife is from there. So there was something to cheer about after all.

 I just knew that it took two complete days by bus to reach there, and that was it. Soon I found that, we were getting ready to leave, for we had to reach the Dzongkhag office for our final placement. So we  bid adieus to all our loved ones and set off.

Since it was in a peak fall, we had to encounter loads of snows on our way. I took a time to look at everyone’s face in the bus and found all in very stern expression. So I got serious too. The bus driver kept that broken stereo full on, till our destination.

Travelling two days, sitting in a bus is no joke my friends. I often had to lift my bumps to change my weight balance off. It was simply tiring. But then sitting beside my wife indeed felt quite loved.

Beautiful Trongsa Dzong

First night- we spent in a very unfriendly hotel in Bumthang. All my life, I thought that the hotels were supposed to be very welcoming (after all we pay for it, right?), but how it got me wrong, once I reached Bumthang. For heaven’s sake, there was only one sleazy blanket (only god knows since when it was used and by how many people) in the hotel. I mean its winter people! And temperature in Bumthang during winter is no joke. It can freeze us to death for crying out loud.

Of course we could change our hotel, but the nincompoop driver took us straight to this particular hotel for what so ever matter. He even warned us (literally) that, if we were to go any other place than that hotel, we were very likely to miss our bus. So changing our hotel was out of option. And still who wanted to walk a mile, in the freezing night knocking on other hotel doors? So we called the day off with heavy heart in that very hotel like the rest of the passengers.

Next day, the handy boy waked all of us around 5 in the morning. My wife wanted to freshen up, but the mere touch of the ice water felt like a chain saw tearing on our bones. So we skipped the idea of fiddling the water. Our journey officially resumed at 5:30 AM exactly.

Once in the bus, I really felt good. For how I wished to get out of that dirt filled hotel having sour smelling blankets. I was happy that we didn’t have to stop for night in anymore, but reach our destination by evening. Half the day was again journey through the snows. I don’t know how many snow covered high passes we crossed. I was hoping not less than five when we finally reached Trashiyangtse.