Friday 27 November 2009
Marriage, GNH and Democracy (From the dairy of ¨Nobody¨)
I am a pretty normal bachelor, for the most part, in the capital city of Thimphu.
However, a few days back, my father paid me a visit, traveling two nights and three days from the village. And he has claimed that the village Gup gave a sermon (But what I feel is that it must have been one of those Gup talks) on Gross National Happiness. Now, my father urges me I should get married right away reinforcing it’s a matter of the state—a piece of advice that I am never able to take in favorably, along with GNH. Blame Thimphu girls for the former, Gross National Equal-ness for the latter. (To be happy, everyone should be equal, once my colleague had pointed out, which still rings in my head frightfully). The Gup had convinced the villagers to achieve the philosophy of GNH, every bachelor should be married.
My father thus had the wisdom to say, “I don’t understand how you keep yourself happy without a girl in your life”.
“In my time, a young man like you would be fathering a few kids, equally happy each night!” Later I learned it was this point he was trying to drive home. (A man has to drive home points!).
Fathers!
Talking about happiness, “Thank you, thank you!”, a girl had blurted out so many times, crying happily over the spoils, during one of those nights, and during another night I had seen policemen outside discotheques being conducted with beer (for free) since they were cold and angry with the club proprietor for not letting them take a few girls with them (for GNH?). I even heard one of them say,
“Only that we are on duty, we drink this fast, but if time had allowed us, we would have enjoyed the luxury of sipping the beer at the most minimal speed”. I sympathized with them after they had made their point with the beer, drowning it in a big gulp. Later I learned it was a genuine issue. An issue of time is the greatest of issues! (And a man has to sympathize).
“You have to get married before 2008 because I don’t have any power over you after that. We are going democratic”, my father said.
Well, this gup guy really has sensitized the people on GNH and democracy, not to mention the institution of marriage!
The Gup has torn me between marriage, GNH, and democracy now. A man can handle two, but three massive concepts and implement them? Close to impossible or not at all!
I have finally decided to write to the gup and appeal to him. I will try to talk him out of this marriage thing until 2008. And I have plans to read on GNH and Democracy too. (A man has to try!).
However, a few days back, my father paid me a visit, traveling two nights and three days from the village. And he has claimed that the village Gup gave a sermon (But what I feel is that it must have been one of those Gup talks) on Gross National Happiness. Now, my father urges me I should get married right away reinforcing it’s a matter of the state—a piece of advice that I am never able to take in favorably, along with GNH. Blame Thimphu girls for the former, Gross National Equal-ness for the latter. (To be happy, everyone should be equal, once my colleague had pointed out, which still rings in my head frightfully). The Gup had convinced the villagers to achieve the philosophy of GNH, every bachelor should be married.
My father thus had the wisdom to say, “I don’t understand how you keep yourself happy without a girl in your life”.
“In my time, a young man like you would be fathering a few kids, equally happy each night!” Later I learned it was this point he was trying to drive home. (A man has to drive home points!).
Fathers!
Talking about happiness, “Thank you, thank you!”, a girl had blurted out so many times, crying happily over the spoils, during one of those nights, and during another night I had seen policemen outside discotheques being conducted with beer (for free) since they were cold and angry with the club proprietor for not letting them take a few girls with them (for GNH?). I even heard one of them say,
“Only that we are on duty, we drink this fast, but if time had allowed us, we would have enjoyed the luxury of sipping the beer at the most minimal speed”. I sympathized with them after they had made their point with the beer, drowning it in a big gulp. Later I learned it was a genuine issue. An issue of time is the greatest of issues! (And a man has to sympathize).
“You have to get married before 2008 because I don’t have any power over you after that. We are going democratic”, my father said.
Well, this gup guy really has sensitized the people on GNH and democracy, not to mention the institution of marriage!
The Gup has torn me between marriage, GNH, and democracy now. A man can handle two, but three massive concepts and implement them? Close to impossible or not at all!
I have finally decided to write to the gup and appeal to him. I will try to talk him out of this marriage thing until 2008. And I have plans to read on GNH and Democracy too. (A man has to try!).
# posted by Sonam Phuntsho @ Friday, November 27, 2009 
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