Welcome one and all to my blog. I am

Tenzin Phuntsho.

Hi, I'm a Bhutanese blogger by passion, inspired by 'Blogyul'. Social media is definitely changing the landscape of journalism by enabling story tellers to write on social-media platforms with audience from all around the world.

My Country

I'm from Bhutan. You probably might not have heard of it because it's small and very young when compared to the size and population of almost all the rest of the nations in the world. It so small that it covers an aerial distance of only 300km east-west and 150km north-south but that however, I feel is one of our greatest assets.I mean if u take a stroll down-town Thimphu,it's not like in an urban setting where your time is limited to your work and you hardly notice the people around you. In Bhutan,the smallness of the towns,the sovereignty of the country and the values we draw from Buddhism contribute to an extra-ordinary experience.

The fifth Dragon King

His Majesty has always been and will always be my inspiration. I admire his personality and wisdom. He is so down to earth. I've witnessed national events where HM would gladly neglect the red carpet and walk into the crowd of commoners in the scorching sun.In the following link you will find some of the most incredible things His Majesty did for the welfare of the people. I wrote it when I started blogging. My Dragon King

My HOBBIES

If you define hobbies by the activities you've enjoyed working on for quite a long duration then i'm afraid I have none because my hobbies have never been so constant. Now that i'm the field of visual arts, photography,doodles,sketching,graphics never fail to amuse me. They speak a language that's so distinct yet very universal.

Social Networking

I am very active on social network. I enjoy sharing and reading blogs,personal views,tweets, etc it simply broadens our mind. I tweet and blog about my life.I appreciate people like @SonamOngmo, @passu, @OL lyonpo Tshering tobgay,@sogyel, @dorjiwangchuk @kunzangw(dasho) and many more for their active role in social media. They enlighten young readers and followers like me to contemplate from a different perspective.

Favourite Quotations

"In the end, just three things matter: How well we have lived How well we have loved How well we have learned to let go." - Jack Kornfield
First we are children to our parents, then parents to our children, then parents to our parents, then children to our children.M.Greenblatt
"we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,we borrow it from our children" Native American Proverb

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Have a glance at the work of Architectural students in my college School of Planning and Architecture.

These are urban design models to be submitted to jury before the deadline and at the end of it all this is how the students look like.

My dearest readers just have fun viewing these works of fifth years 2012.

Thank you for taking this time to view my blog. Have a nice day.

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It was the most amazing, adventurous and thrilling trip I’ve ever been to and I bet none can surpass the joy of this trip. It has its own unique charm. I got the privilege to see “Himachal Pradesh” a place just like Bhutan through the eyes of the locals and I’m glad that I learned many things. Thanks to my friend Rishab and his Mom for their hospitality. My one week stay in Mandi, Rewalsar, Manali, Kasol, Haripur, Kullu, and Parvati Valley will be a memory to cherish. People out there are very sociable and helpful. You should definitely add that place in your bucket list.

locals

That night on the twentieth of October after series of attempts to visit GOA which turned out to be a total failure I finally concluded that that I’ll be heading towards Rewalsar for vacations with a group of five. Furthermore Rewalsar is a holy place and it was recommended by my parents.  When I set sail on the 21^st of Oct. Rewalsar was my only destination, however I unexpectedly ended up in several picturesque places of Incredible India! And of course it was really incredible.

Rewalsar is around one night drive by bus from New Delhi. We started the road trip around 7 p: m and got there very early in the morning. It is very holy to Buddhist because the burning lake (tso-pema) is situated there. Legend has it that the Indian saint of 8^th century B.C known as Guru Rinpoche who brought Buddhism to Bhutan was burnt alive by the king of Mandi (which is 25km from Rewalsar). What ensued is not the death of the mighty Rinpoche but a 16yr old boy (which is believed to be the manifestation of Guru Rinpoche) in the middle of the lake on a Lotus.

Below is the picture of the Burning Lake or Tsho Pema.

Rewalsar has a magnificent Guru Rinpoche statue which was inaugurated in 2007 by Dalai Lama. What fascinated me was the concept of the architect that built the Guru statue and the context within its premises. When we entered that place, there was a staircase which elevated to some 20-24 feet above and it had no windows or any sort of openings around. The light was dim below and up top it was brighter which made me feel like entering heaven or getting enlightened. The view from there overlooking the entire town was stupendous. And as usual the pilgrims were very friendly.

At the end of the day after offering butter lamps and the final circumambulation, Ata Ugyen the senior most suggested that we might as well visit Manali since it was just couple of hours away. Everyone was so excited and we concurred instantly. This is where the hilarious and the most adventurous trip begin.

We got ourselves a Tata sumo (cab) right away, heading towards Manali. It took us 3 hrs. We stayed in a hotel that was very luxurious and affordable at the same time. Since it was off season they charged us 500Rs. for one room and during summer the caretaker told me that the room charges sky rocket up till 3000Rs. It was a privilege. We had no time to waste so we started roaming as soon as we got there. Manali is amazing with so many souvenir shops. Skiing, Ice skating, bike hiring, ropeways, rafting, and trekking are also available at affordable rates. 

Souvenirs from Manali.

I remembered in the midst of some shopping one of my close friends from high school (Pravesh Sharma) told me on Facebook that he’ll be on vacations in Manali. I called him that moment and to my surprise he was in Haripur (which is approx. 20km from Manali) and had arrived there the same day as we did. We decided to meet up the following day. Ata Ugyen and the rest decided to leave early back to hostel in New Delhi so I tagged along with Pravesh and his group of two.

Pravesh introduced me to Rishab when we met. Rishab is from Manali and it was in his conked out maruti 800(car) that we travelled in to so many places.

 In the middle of a heavy traffic we would be busy pushing his car for momentum and in addition to that his engine is really unpredictable. All eyes were on us but we had to do what we had to do. 

His mom was so kind to us and she never kept us starving. Every morning she knocked the door gently and left four cups of tea on the table beside the door for us.

The first morning in Haripur, I felt like I was in Taba/Thimphu. It had the same terrain except for the architecture and culture. People out there look like Nepalese and the language they speak is a fusion of Hindi and Nepali. It is funny but I felt comfortable speaking there since my Hindi is usually broken with Nepali words in it.

Rishab took us to hot springs in Parvati Valley and Clath which was really relaxing and the silence there was somehow very soothing. We also tried the rope way across the river. I don’t know what it’s called but it’s basically to carry passengers across the river on carriers suspended from cables. It was breath-taking. I wonder why we don’t have this back at home; the carriers and the cables don’t look so expensive and yet it is as thrilling as a roller coaster ride.

Meself in Kullu 

The Ever-green restaurant in Kasol was amazing. It had low lying tables and candle light which made us feel like we had travelled back in time where there was no electricity and yet it was very very comfortable. There we were with two hollow guitars jamming up with a Russian hippie. His face was covered with thick moustache and his head with big dreadlocks. He sung reggae but it was in Russian, we enjoyed it anyways. Beside him he had his wife and his 2yr old baby.  There are many hippies out there. The Dushera fest in Kullu was jaw-dropping even though I did not see anyone eat Selroti like the ones we used to get back home. Many locals were happy drunk that night and seemed very friendly. They kept reiterating that if we have problem just call them.

All in all what I observed over there regarding architecture made me realize that the “building construction” rules that have been implemented in Bhutan is making a huge difference both in the fields of aesthetics and comfort. For instance, it is mandatory in Bhutan for a building to have a roof and space is required between two adjacent and opposite buildings. It is exceptional to ignore these rules out here in Delhi where there is land crunch but in a place like Himachal where free land is in abundance, I was wondering why the houses were joined together into a congested town. However at the vicinity of town where Rehab’s house is located I saw plenty of western architecture coming up which looked very nice. This is not allowed in Bhutan so as to maintain and preserve the tradition of Bhutanese architecture.

We could have stayed a bit longer but time did not permit. We hopped in at “Haryana Bus” in the morning around 5:00 am and got back to Delhi at night. The roads were spiral just like the ones at home and since we bought the cheapest tickets available it caused us inconveniences but the entire trip was worth it and I’m looking forward for more.

To wrap it all up, this trip was fun and most memorable. Thank you mom and dad for this. Without your support this would have been just a dream. J

This is my dost Rishab

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When I was young my grandma told me that good Samaritans will always find a place for themselves beside gods in the afterlife and that hell awaits the cruel ones. I used to believe in it so much but then as I grew up I realized that good does not always triumph over evil like in fairy tales and so my faith in religion gradually started dwindling and I found myself leaning more towards science. My Dwindling Faith

Heaven and hell were just words to describe blissful happiness and excruciating pain.

Here I am now, with a totally new perception.  After some research on ancient aliens, UFOs I stumbled upon a documentary film. In brief, it was basically about aliens that landed on earth long time ago but I feel there’s something more to it. I take it as science proving religions and I was very much fascinated. So I thought this may be worth sharing with you my dear earthlings.

It is the ultimate truth that god created humans. Our ancestors believed that gods descended from the heavens above and every time they prayed they looked up towards the sky as is shown in the picture above. Gods possessed supernatural powers and were often depicted in painting and scripts with light beams around them.

According to that documentary film it refers to God as Aliens that landed on earth long time ago. In fact the descriptions of god I’ve mentioned above pretty much suits the characteristics of an extra-terrestrial being. Aliens landed on earth from the sky with light emitted from their spaceship. They possessed high-tech equipment and weapons which allowed them to do all sorts of things that seemed very supernatural to our ancestors.

Darwin’s theory of evolution explains the transformation of species depending on the context but it never really explained the chromosomal change of chimpanzees to humans which is impossible according to that film.This chromosome alteration is a mystery.

The truth is that we are nothing but genetically engineered products of the aliens and we were created to be their slaves. That’s why our ancestor say god created us and perhaps the first of genetically engineered humans are Adam and Eve.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, the Stonehenge in England, the Bermuda triangle, the Mahabharata, the Greek mythology, the Mayans and so many more that baffled scientists provide the existence of aliens in the pre-historic times and some still believe that they are here today watching us or in other words observing how their genetically engineered products are progressing.

Scientists are unable to explain the construction of these wonders of the world by human at that time  therefore leading to the assumption of construction  by aliens.

Did you ever imagine how humans advanced in technologies over a short span of time? All the gadgets like cell phones, tablets, Rockets, Jets, advance military weapons etc. This sounds pretty stupid but what they say in the documentary film is that U.S government (most powerful govt.) works in collaboration with the extra-terrestrial beings which makes them possess the most advanced weapons and technologies and in return concealing all the secrets of the world.

Whatever the truth maybe religions evolved to give meaning to life, to explain how life originated and to show the path of happiness so I’m not concerned anymore about my dwindling faith in religions as long as I strive hard to be a good human being which is exactly what my king emphasizes on every time he makes a speech or starts a conversation with his subjects. I think I’m going too deep. I’ll stop here for now. …This changed my perception and I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Photo Courtesy: Google

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Below are the flaws Robert F kennedy found out in GDP......


what GDP counts
Air pollution
cigarette advertising
ambulances to clear highways of damage
locks for our doors
jails for ppl who break them
destruction of the redwoods
loss of natural wonder in chaotic sprawl
napalm
nuclear warheads
armored police cars to fight riots
guns and knives
tv programs which glorify violence.


what GDP doesnt count
the health of our children
quality of their education
joy of their play
beauty of our poetry
strength of our marriage
intelligence of our publice debate
integrity of our public officials
our will
our courage
our wisdom
our learning
our compassion
our devotion to our country
in short he said,"GDP measures everything in short,except that
which makes life worthwhile."as quoted by former USA president
Robert F kennedy.

Thats why GNH.:)

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There are pictures of HM that has touched the inner core of my heart,like the ones where he embraces a shabby old man and where he cooks for children that were vulnerable to natural calamity, The photo of HM playing football bare feet with school students and many more...and there are pictures that just bring smile on your face..


There was this picture on facebook where HM had tikkas on his forehead during dassian (a hindu festival);... i was staring at it and it didnt evoke any breathtaking moments but what caught my eye was the enormous no. of comments.Thats when i realized that this time it was the lhosampas that were going through the emotional moments.

"every culture of every people is the culture of his majesty,, coz he lives in one ness,,DRUKPA.."commented by lox galey

"Happy to see you King treat them equally Hope you have three eyes to see us" commented by Ghana Shyam.

After reading this,i saw what i couldnt see in the beginning.This picture meant alot to them and now also to me....HM can see what we cannot...After all,One Nation One People....:)

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Back home in Bhutan, Architects are highly demanded in the job market. If you were to opt for architecture your job in the future would be considered secured. This made me see architecture as one of the course that would bring pride. Apart from this I thought architecture was all about drawing random sketches. Now at this juncture, what I knew about architecture seems to be very inaccurate. Since Bhutan is at the infant stage of development, majority of the buildings look alike and architects don’t pay much heed to aesthetics. This as I see it now is wrong. I came to know that the personality of an architect should be reflected through his creations. Architects must be able to express himself through his work.
I used to think that to be an architect, we must focus more on science but in reality it seems it is more to do with art than with science. For instance, the great Architect Tadoa Ando (Japan) would be the most suitable example. He was an illiterate truck driver who was interested in architecture. He became a great architect by learning with sight and feel such that he never read anything but looked at pictures only.
Such a self-educated man who taught in universities he could never attend clearly depicts the nature of the course.

Architects make the world a better place for human habitation. Whatever an architect designs, it has reasons and purposes. If an object has to perform a certain function, its design must support that function to the fullest extent possible. I’ve found that the most difficult task in being an architect is changing our mentality. I vividly remember one of my jury saying that we all have preconceived notions and that as an architect we must unlearn what we learned. In other words, we must think out of the box.

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio quoted that, “now, that should be so carried out that account is taken of strength, utility and grace”. Firstly Marcus a the author of the “The Ten Books of Architecture” which is a very antique book. Secondly it means that every construction must take into account strength which is firmness, stability and utility which is commodity and lastly grace which is aesthetics, delight, etc. This unfolds a new meaning to me regarding architecture.

Furthermore, as a corollary to the lecture delivered on 10th jan I also came to realize that as an architect we must try to achieve sustainability. Sustainability has three dimensions. Social, economic and environmental dimensions. Achieving sustainability would enable the world to continue supporting human existence.

In my wisdom, with changing time and new challenges there is a scope for further modifications in the future. Global warming is one factor. It causes mass destruction in many forms such as natural calamities. To seek for shelter from new disasters I think architects will have to modify many designs.
Finally I conclude here by saying that architecture at the core is a personality based course. Tenzin Phuntsho Section B Theory of Design

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