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Glimpses of life in a central school
COVER STORY: It’s 5:15 am. Wangbama Central School in Genekha, Thimphu is under a thick shroud of fog. And it is raining. But the students are already up and readying for the day. Eighteen-year-old...
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Wisdom removes prejudices
YOUTH IN FOCUS: My brother is a transgender, but I am a devoted Buddhist and so I don’t feel comfortable with these things. Is it a sin to act like this or to be gay? How should I treat my brother? –...
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How in the dark non-tolerance succeeds
COVER STORY: It’s a Friday evening in Thimphu. The sun has gone behind the mountains. Soon it will be dark. At the National Memorial Choeten, a group of traffic police are setting up plastic tables and...
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Driglam Namzha: Bhutan’s code of etiquette
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO: Driglam namzha is often described as Bhutan’s code of etiquette. Drig (སྒྲིག་) denotes order, norm and conformity. Thus, driglam literally means the way (ལམ་) of having order and...
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Voluntarism, a Bhutanese value that is taking resurrection of sorts
MAIN STORY: Kuenga Lhaden volunteered to be a microphone coordinator at an event held by Department of Youth and Sports. It was 2008. That was the beginning. She continues to volunteer for good cause...
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Shun blame and self-pity mentality
YOUTH IN FOCUS: I have lots of problems. In particular, my step-mother has been against me since I was a child and I feel hopeless, and so I drink and even use drugs to block out the sadness. I’m not...
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Learning happens beyond classrooms
MAIN STORY: At the Swimming Pool Complex in Thimphu, a group of children between the ages of six and 15 are practising for the upcoming inter-school taekwondo competition that will be held this month....
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How to get a six-pack
HEALTH AND FITNESS: Hi Sir, I am really interested in abs workout and I have been consistently doing the abs workout for a month now. I wanted to ask you how many times should I do the workout in a...
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Oṃ Ye Dharma! The Tendrel Verse
WHAT WE DO WHY WE DO: The concept of tendrel (རྟེན་འབྲེལ་) or pratītyasamutpāda is the central philosophy of Buddhism. Teachings on tendrel explain the theory of causation on which the whole Buddhist...
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When the wild comes barging in
MAIN STORY: Meet Nana, Thimphu’s favourite up and coming star. She wears a black coat with pale yellow crescent on the chest, always. She weighs 47 kilograms. Already the celebrity is tired of being on...
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Choose your way, but be not self-righteous
YOUTH IN FOCUS: I love animals and so I want to be a vegetarian. But my parents are strongly against it. They say eating meat is not the same as killing animals and so there is no bad karma. Also,...
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Trying to kick the old habit
MAIN STORY: On the hill opposite, the giant Buddha is looking far, far into the future. Amidst beautiful gardens and flowers of myriad colours, Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre for Drug and Alcohol...
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What is in a Name?
Part 1 WHAT WE DO WHY WE DO: Names form an important part of a person’s identity. They serve as conventional labels to identify a person. Bhutan has an interesting naming culture both in terms of how...
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The main of weight training
HEALTH AND FITNESS: Dear Sir, I just joined a gym. I am extremely excited about what will come my way. I have read that exercises and sports build character and confidence. Could you please explain it...
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Vying for a space in tight market
MAIN STORY: Landing a job is increasingly becoming difficult. Degrees don’t help you get comfortable, well-paying jobs anymore. Jobseekers submit application everywhere, regardless of their...
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Whatever the problem, self-harm or drugs are never a solution
YOUTH IN FOCUS: My best friend is quite stressed nowadays since we are in class twelve and lately she has been hurting herself. She has little scars all over her arm and I’m very worried for her. She...
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Running down Bhutanese rivers
MAIN STORY: It was in 1997 when the first kayak expedition reached the country. The expedition consisted of a team of international kayakers. The team were hosted by Tourism Council of Bhutan, which...
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What is in a Name?
Part II WHAT WE DO WHY WE DO: Name and significance In the Bhutanese tradition, religious persons give names with blessings and prayers. Thus, the names have spiritual significance and most names are...
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Losing fat
HEALTH AND FITNESS: Hi Tshering, I am desperate to lose some baby fats around my belly, thigh and arm area. Some people suggest that I eat rice just once a day or eat curry instead. Will that work? I...
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Getting back to the roots
MAIN STORY: It feels strange to not know where one truly belongs. I was born and raised in Thimphu and here I have been all my life. Never have I been to my ancestral home in Zhemgang. If I did, I do...
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