Tag Archives: Gross National Happiness

The Divine Comedy: Paradiso – Part 2

Continued from part 1 of Divine Comedy: Paradiso Every time a beautiful girl in kira (their traditional dress) passes by, Chang stops the car and asks for direction. “Abu danna,” he says once or twice, and bows politely when they reply something quick in Dzonga – perhaps, a ‘poda patti’ or ‘get lost, you asshole’ in their language. But I don’t understand why the girls chuckle as they retort (see the typical pic). All morning we spend our time idling … Continue reading

The Divine Comedy: Purgatario – Part 1

This is a sequel to the Divine Comedy: Inferno which was published last week. Click on the link and read from the beginning. Here the journey to discover Bumthang has begun. Tighten the belt friends. Tshewang Chang driving. Throating soulful Bhutanese songs in full pitch. Laughing madly at our screams every time a lorry laden with cement appears suddenly from the concrete mist just ahead of our car and bears down on us. A break, a turn, a skid, a swerve … Continue reading

The Divine Comedy: Purgatario – Part 2

Continued from Purgatario – Part 1 “Why should I marry!” I don’t have an answer to that. “Well, er…you know, people marry…” “To make love?” he laughs again. “Ha ha ha…Chang f***18 girls a month, you know? Tell me, why should Chang marry, Jedda?” I swallow hard. But… “Eighteen women! You exaggerate a lot, Chang. May be, they are all pros,” Jijo asks to get some relief. Yeah Jijo, that was exactly what I was going to ask. “Jedda! There … Continue reading

Divine Comedy: Inferno

Friends, well wishers and my morally sensitive countrymen. Do not go beyond this point if the pictures of male genitalia and some plain talk on sex provoke you or wound your sentiments. Meet me at other stories which would soon appear in RRR. Au revoir! Shangri-la, the kingdom of happiness – Bhutan! What does it all mean! A country which patented the concept of Gross National Happiness (against the outdated idea of Gross National Product) to measure progress should be … Continue reading