Kuenza's Diary

I have been away from home for exactly two weeks today. The first night I set my foot in Samtse, I felt a little depressed and unhappy. I couldn’t help think that I will spend one month in this dzongkhag and five months in the field – scattered around four other dzongkhags. But we were welcomed and people were all ready to help us. In Sipsu, I must say we didn’t quite feel welcomed, as much as we did in Namgaycholing (Laherini). I started writing this article when we reached there, where the Gewog ADM and the Community Centre staff were both very friendly and kind. The census was going on in Sipsu when we got there and though I called the Gup, he told me that he was busy with census work and he would ask the Bellbotay (Tashicholing) tshogpa to help me (after that I started seeking help from the ADMs). This Tshogpa was not a big help, I must say. We had to go to his house and all he gave was direction of the respondents we needed to meet. You see, I mention this because in other vi...

I have been so lazy for so long. I have been traveling, walking to different villages in Samtse. Right now I am in Gomtu. With the help from here and there, I managed to get accommodation for 16 people at the MD's mansion turned guest house. We were welcomed by our host, an electrical engineer at PCAL who my husband knows; I think I met him twice as well. We were given four rooms, with mattress and blankets as well. But our joy was short lived because I was called to inform that we will have to move downstairs where we will have to sleep in our sleeping bags. We were asked not to take even one mattress from the rooms that were previously given to us. It seemed a little strange but anyway, who are we to question? We were here under their favor. The reason was that they were having some monks as their guests. The mysterious monk guests didn't arrive that day, neither yesterday. I feel like it was a lie. While they showed their generosity and kindness, it was half hearted, it see...

I talk to a person I have never met before. Until this moment of necessity, I didn’t even know of his existence, leave alone knowing his name. Destiny has its way of giving you surprises when you least expect it – and it makes it all the more worthwhile. I am tired. I expect people to be ungrateful and unwelcoming. I am in a new place and I am lost.   And yet, I greet a man who has waited for me all his life. It will sound strange when I say this, but believe me, I saw love in his eyes the first time I set my eyes on him and smiled as a way of greeting. Not only did I feel grateful for his enormous help, I was getting a tingly feeling inside me and this time, I didn’t even want to caution myself. I tell myself, that love is going to find me anywhere, and it didn’t matter who and where. And so, my heart has my will. What caught me by surprise is the way we could open up so easily. I tell you, I am not the extrovert kind. I take time to open up to people and it is only aft...