The Royal Academy

Weekly Newsletter Vol. 1, Issue XXX 

 

108 butter lamps for His Majesty’s Long Life 

In this Issue: Interview| Dr Wagner 

His Majesty’s Birthday Celebrations| Kinley Wangdi, Serthub & Pemba Tshering(Grade VIII) 

Glimpses from Macbeth| Phuntso Wangmo &Sonam Tshomo Tshering 

Declamation Night| Usha Kiran, (Grade VII)&Serthup Pelbar (Grade VIII) 

Recycling Waste |(Grade IX) 

Look, Think, Wonder| Tshewang Dorji (M) 

  

17th November 2019  

Interview

 Good Morning Dr. Wagner. I think when you first arrived here all the students and faculty were away on the nature retreat. On the one hand, it must have given you enough time to get over your jet lag and on the other, you would have been extremely lonely. Can you tell us something about your experiences?  Good morning, Madam Rema! I remember as if it was yesterday! Mr Dorji Rinchen was waiting for me at the airport with a hand-written sign saying “The Royal Academy” that I could barely read. He was so polite to me, he was so nervous to speak to me. It is amazing how things change and how close we can get with some people.   I was exhausted. The weeks before my departure to Bhutan were very hectic. I had to get married, get rid of my possessions, reduce all my belongings to two suitcases and a bag. It was as if I was being born again. Going to a country where most people can barely point to on a map, where I didn’t know anything about and, most of all, one of the countries were I would be the farthest away from anyone I knew.  I thought I would arrive at the School and get to know everyone. When I first reached the school, there was no one here. Mr Dorji Rinchen, Mr Karma Yoezer and Mr Tshewang Dorji, the cook. They made me feel very welcome and asked, should I need anything, to let them know. At that point, I still didn’t know anything about 

  

17th November 2019  

where I was going. I thought there was a bus service that could take me down to Paro every hour or so. The reality dawned on me very quickly, that I would need to rely on everyone.   Next morning, I met the finance officer, Mr Drupthop Wangchuk and he handed me some money, that would be deducted from my salary. He gave me the money and I had no idea if it was a lot, if it was a little, if I could buy a pack of bread or a car. Mr Karma Yoezer then took me to Bondey to buy a couple of things. All that jet-lag I was feeling went away. Everything was so beautiful, I started taking photos like a maniac. Then I brought some of the money and bought bread, jam, and some biscuits. Little did I know that these would be my meals for the next 4 days. After some time, Mr Tshewang Dorji, the cook, made me lunch and I had some food for the first time in a few days.   My first few days here at the Academy were very lonely. I used to bring my drone and fly it around. Madam Deki youngest son ran towards me screaming: “Helicopter, helicopter”, and tried to chase it around. It was very funny! Well, I lead a pretty quiet life until on a Thursday before Nature Retreat was supposed to finish, a group arrived back, unexpectedly. I met one of the teachers who thought that I was Mr Ben. Then I met a few students, the first one being Tashi Pem. I think that, at this point, my life at the school really began. After that weekend, I had met pretty much everyone. It was another month or so before I knew any other student’s name other than Tashi Pem’s.   What kind of educational background are you coming from? Did you have a good time during your days as a student? How different is it from our Academy?   I do not come from a well-off family. I found out the other day that most students at the school thought I was rich and I was born rich. They were a little shocked to learn about my back story. My father was a metal worker and my mother was a hairdresser. I have an older sister.  I was not a very good student, but my sister was. My sister started to shine in school, got a scholarship, started her climb to the top. I always felt like a victim of my sister’s success, but the truth was that I was not doing anything to deserve the things she deserved. When I was 15 and my sister 17, she was accepted to medical school in Brazil and the chance to move to Ireland came. My sister did not want to go, but I did, so we went. In Ireland, I wanted to be someone completely different from who I was in the past. I didn’t know how to speak a word of English, but I had to learn. As well as school, I got a job as a waiter during Friday evenings and weekends. During my free time, I had to study English. I got a taste for studying and it became quite addictive. Praises started to shower over me and, the harder I studied, the more praises and awards I received, which made me study harder, which made me receive and more awards and rewards… things got out of control. Suddenly, I went from not knowing a word in English to being one of the top students in the school in a matter of one year. Life became quite easy after this! I knew that if I settled down and worked, I could reach where I wanted. And all the things I complained that my sister used to get and I didn’t, well… guess who was getting them now?  From the school, I managed to be accepted to the University I wanted in Ireland, University College Dublin. I received a scholarship for my excellent exam results and graduated second in class. I went on to do my masters, 

  

17th November 2019  

Ph.D. and reached the dream of many students, academically speaking, which is the chance to study at the University of Oxford.   Some of my friends from primary school are now in jail for crimes, getting into all sorts of trouble, while some reached the very top, because we were able to recognise a good opportunity and embraced them.   During the first few years in school, while I was in primary school, I used to get bullied, beaten up by other students, and often missed school because I purely did not want to face another day in the classroom. Things did not get much better until I moved to Ireland. I had some teachers who always supported me, but they spent most of the time dealing with trouble-makers and kind of forgot I existed. We had two options: To give up and join the trouble-makers or remain polite and wait for the bad times to pass. I did both. The first one did not last 

very long, I am not a good trouble-maker.   Had I been given the opportunity to study at a school like the Academy, I am sure that many things would have been different in my life. Because I have been bullied in the past, many things that have happened to me left scars, which I am still trying to deal with it. If I had a supportive mentor, someone I could talk to whenever I was in trouble and support my decisions, I would probably have reached the same point in my life, but the path in my early school career would have been much easier, believe me.   How do you tackle the challenges of work-life and family life? Do you manage to spend time with your wife?   Working at The Royal Academy demands a lot of my time, many hours that I have to leave my wife at home, alone. I try, as much as I possibly can, to go back home to spend time with her. She is very supportive and accepts how things are. In all, I don’t feel I have been able to manage the work-personal life balance well, but I am really 

trying my hardest, I have to say. It is a very difficult process to manage to balance professional and personal life. For the time I was single, it was much easier, but as soon as you commit your life to a person, priorities change.   Liany and you have travelled a lot. What kind of preparations do you make before going on a trip? Are your trips very expensive? How do you manage the costs? 

  

17th November 2019  

Liany is the finance officer of the house. We decided that she is much better with dealing with money than I am. Since we left Brazil, our income decreased quite a lot. From two incomes, we are reduced to one single income. Now, we have to account for every cent we spend. She does all of that.  When she first arrived in Bhutan, we decided all of that and how we were going to spend our money. Each of us has a fixed allowance. This is money that we can spend with whatever we want. Then we have a fixed amount for food and other expenses and the rest, we save in order to travel. We have to be very rigorous with our budgeting, otherwise, we are not able to travel. We do a lot of research about several countries before we go on holiday. We take into account how much transport costs, accommodation, food, itinerary, what there is to see, what we want to see, where we start and end our trip, how much airfare costs, what the weather is like in the countries at the time of the year etc etc. Then, and only then, we decide which countries fit into our tight budget. We usually choose three from the list and decide which one fits best what we both want to do. We have different tastes, but coming to a decision is never very difficult.   Let me give you an example of our planning for our July 2018 holiday. We came down to three countries: Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines. The Philippines fitted in our budget, but it was monsoon season in July, so we ruled it out. While in Papua New Guinea, it would be quite cheap to travel around, but to get there, it would cost a lot of money in airfare, almost as much as the cost of the other holiday in full. Well, Indonesia fitted well in our budget. So, we chose Indonesia! Until the time we came to this conclusion, it was about 3 months of planning. After the decision, we had another 4 months to book and plan and book the actual trip.   Like anything in life, if you want to do it well, it takes a long time to plan and what your priorities are. With the budget we have, everything needs to be extremely well planned. In order to travel, we have to give up many other things! But that’s the price we are willing to pay to get to know the world!  What do you do in your free time? Are you able to pursue your hobbies?   Free time? What is this? Hahahahaha! Lately, I have been dedicating my free time and turned my hobbies into something work-related. I revived things I used to do and made them into something that I could leave in order to pass on my knowledge to all my students.   Take the example of painting. I used to do painting. For many years, I did not paint. I became an aesthetic teacher who could not paint. Anyway, I overcame all my difficulties and went back to painting. This is something I enjoy doing and helps me be a better teacher. The same for music. I have been studying music more often, as some students have asked me about music theory. Doing something for the sake of doing, I haven’t done in some time, there is just no time. Referring to another question, the time I spend with my wife is when we work together. We sit in our office, I get on with my work and she gets on with her work.   Many of my other hobbies are currently on-hold. At this time, taking another hobby right now means taking time away from everything else, which is not at all possible right now. I always have them at the back of my mind and, when time allows, I will certainly get back to them.   

  

17th November 2019  

His Majesty’s Birthday Celebrations 

Kinley Wangdi, Serthub & Pemba Tshering(Grade VIII) 

 

It was the 64th birth anniversary of His Majesty the fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. There was a 

short impressive speech delivered by Mr, Ben and Thukten. King Jigme Singye Wangchuck was born on 

November 11th, 1955 at Dechilingphodrang. He received a modern education when he was young and studied 

in India and in the United Kingdom. He became Trongsa penlop on June 16, 1972. And he was crowned as 

king in 1974 upon his father’s sudden death. He was 16 years old. His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck has 

done many good things for Bhutan. His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck advocated the use of Gross National 

Happiness (GNH) for the well-being of citizens rather than Gross domestic product . He created many schools, 

BHU, and roads. He also introduced modern methods for agriculture. Hydropower was given importance. 

Roads were built connecting the country even in remote areas. More schools were built because as a king he 

believed in the importance of education and also introduced the first airline. He made friends with people from 

other countries. He made one law that states that the country’s forest cover has to remain above 60 percent. In 

the year 2003 Bhutanese faced a civil war. It was the most unforgettable event for all Bhutanese people. He 

protected the country and people. And the last thing that Mr, Ben talked was that in 2008 he gave up his throne 

to his son Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He gave his title to his eldest son, Jigme Khesar Namgyal 

Wangchuck in 2006. Now we believe that he is the reincarnation of Zhabdrung Nagwang Namgyal. 

November 11th is celebrated as Children’s day. These were the important points about the fourth Druk Gyalpo 

Jigme Singye Wangchuck birthday celebrations shared by Mr.Ben and Thukten Chodra.   

  

17th November 2019  

Glimpses from Macbeth 

Phuntso Wangmo &Sonam Tshomo Tshering 

  

17th November 2019  

 

  

17th November 2019  

Declamation Night 

Usha Kiran Limboo [Grade VII] & Serthub Pelbar(Grade VIII)  

Malala Yousafzai (Ugyen Pema)   “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”     

Chief Seattle (Sonam Lhazom)  

“Men did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it.” 

  

17th November 2019  

Friddy Fri (Sonam Euden)  “Change your path,not your goal. Work harder. Work smarter. Try something new, get advice and keep going!” 

 

Princess Diana ( Tshering Lhaden)   “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.”

  

17th November 2019  

Bhutan’s former Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay (Ugyen Tshering)       

“Our constitution demands that a minimum of 60 percent of Bhutan's total land shall remain under forest cover for all time."  

His majesty the Fifth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk (Dawa Zam)   “ Make our country a better place to live for the future people of Bhutan.” 

  

17th November 2019  

Socrates (Serthup Pelbar)  “The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways - I, to die and you to live. Which is better? God only 

knows.” 

His Majesty The Fifth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk (Thukten Choida)  

“The acronym for these extraordinary qualities of the Bhutanese people: Sincerity, Mindfulness, Astuteness, Resilience, and Timelessness is SMART.” 

 

  

17th November 2019  

 His Majesty the FifthDruk Gyalpo Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk (Younten Tshering) 

  “What we lack in numbers we must make up in talent.” 

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (Pema Yangchen Choden)   

“You all have everything, everything you need, to rise above all of the noise and fulfill every one last of your dreams.”   

  

17th November 2019  

His Majesty the King of Bhutan(Kinley Zangmo) 

“Now keep in mind one thing that set us apart is integrity, honest, reliable and trustworthy people.” 

   

   

   

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

17th November 2019  

 

Recycling Waste |(Grade IX) 

Green House 

Thukten Choida,Tandin Dorji,Nawang Dolma, Sonam Choki, Dorji Wangmo and Tandin Wangchuk 

Who loves a garden will love a green house too! 

Creativity is intelligence having fun! 

Your uniqueness is your own magic! 

Design For Change 

Ugyen Kinley Singye, Pema Yangchen and Kunzes Tara Dorji 

  

17th November 2019  

The diamond quest for recycling waste. Let’s join hands and make the world a better place.  

I can, you can, together we can!      

MESSI 

 Tashi Namgyal, Pema Gyeltshen, Tenzin Tshering, Pema Rinzin and Jimi Pfinso 

We are the suppliers. We are the contributors. We are the supporters. 

Bags Baskets 

 Lokith Lepcha and Sonam Lhasom 

Used once 

  

17th November 2019  

Thrown once Used forever! 

 KJS’S Design. 

 Jamphel Lhamo, KInley Leksom Dorji,Sonam Yangden and Sonam Deki 

We Recreate, We make use, 

We are designers.   

 Kinley Yangzom, Ugyen Pema, Dorji Dem,Sonam Deki, Dawa Zam, Rinchen Zangmo and Sonam Euden 

The more you use, 

  

17th November 2019  

The more you have. Use what you have! 

  Jigme Choedra 

Quality is more important  than Quantity. 

   

 Deki Choden and Jigme Lhamo Recycling things into other things. 

MAGIC!  We are MAGICIANS!!! 

  

17th November 2019  

    

Creativity Of Youth 

 Kinley Wangchuk, Sonam Chogyal and Tashi Tobgay 

The new generation is creative. We must do our part. 

Something is better than nothing.  

Phub’s Handmade Journals 

Phub Zam  Turns dreams into plans 

  Turns art into journals 

 

  

17th November 2019  

With paper  Look, Think, Wonder 

Tshewang Dorji(M) 

     Dear Readers, If you find yourself reading this right now or whenever, I want to remind you to lookup. Look up when you feel embarrassed. Look up when you are just not sure what tomorrow will look like. Look up,think,wonder. Look up and think. Look up,admire,love. When we quarrel with each other we misunderstand each other we can apologize,be normal or be like family. Remember that we were never separate in our hearts even though we are separated physically. Mental illness lives, anxiety lives, addiction lives and depression lives.  Millions of people around the universe waking up with the same dark, aching places you promised you’d never walk and talk about. I have noticed how fast we(as human beings) to push aside the most meaningful parts of our lives. So what if we created this discussion? This discussion is based on real feelings, real illnesses and real people.  You don’t know me, I know you. I can promise, it gets better with everything that is disorganized. I promise you,it’s getting better. 

  

17th November 2019  

I really don’t know much. But I’ve come to believe a few things that I hold dear. People make up this world, keep race aside, gender aside, opinions aside and just love.   

           

We want to publish your work!  Please deliver or email submissions to the Editing Team by Thursday evening at 5pm: 

theweeklynewsletter@academy.bt