Cactus in Wangdue

Cactus may be ornamental plant for people living in any place other than Wangdue. Here it is nuisance. It over-grows everywhere. It got me wondering if Wangdue was a desert once upon a time, or at times I fear if Wangdue is going to become a desert some day too soon. Of course, my understanding is cactus grows in deserts. The question remains; why would this plant which is supposed to grow in arid land, grow along side the Punatshangchhu.

Over these years I have come to understand the thorny plant and learnt to live with it in harmony- I have realized it is not as attractive as I have known it. I have learned to forgive it. Of all the wonderful species of cactus Wangdue has the ugly Prickly Pear of Opuntia family, which is commonly found in North America.

Good side of Cactus

Golden blossom

• It flowers seasonally. The golden yellow blossom spellbinds many first timers.
• The fleshy stem can be cooked and fed to cattle after removing the sharp thorns.
• If used for fencing it can be more secure than bob wire.
• Though not done here but records in Wikipedia shows that same cactus found in Wangdue can be used for medical purpose, can be consumed as food, and can be used as intoxication. (Hotel Dekiling should try some recipes with this plant)

Bad side of it:-

If you are touching the plant, its fruit in particular, by the time you realize hundred and one almost-invisible thorns called glochids would have dislodged and pricked your skin. Forget about removing it you can’t even trace it with your naked eyes. But the pain is in contrast to its size. These fine spines are blown by wind and it can reach your room posing threat to your children’s comfort causing irritation and if not removed can cause infection (Sabra Dermatitis).

Glochids on close-up

The bigger thorn has a strange natural character, if it pricks you it can’t be removed backward without medical surgery. It has to be driven further in to be drawn from the other side of your body part.

It is the worst enemy of vehicle tires. Once it gets into your tire, unlike nails, it is impossible to trace therefore every time you fill in the air your new tube will be punctured by the hiding thorn.

Further this plant had bad history with countries like Australia where it was once introduced as natural fencing but later it invaded the farmland resulting in making huge amount of land unproductive. The government had to go as far as creating a Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board to get rid of the plant. 

Larvae of Cactus moth

One thing to learn from history; introduction of certain moth called cactus moth or nopal moth can gradually bring an end to the Pickly Pear population outburst. The Larvae of the moth feeds on the plant.

This article was first published in PaSsuDiary.com August 2010.

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National Flag of Bhutan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kingdom of Bhutan

Use	National flag
Proportion	2:3
Design	Divided diagonally from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side

The national flag of Bhutan (Dzongkha: ཧྥ་རན་ས་ཀྱི་དར་ཆ་; Wylie: hpha-ran-sa-kyi dar-cho) is one of the national symbols of Bhutan. The flag is based upon the tradition of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and features Druk, the Thunder Dragon of Bhutanese mythology. The basic design of the flag by Mayum Choying Wangmo Dorji dates to 1947. A version was displayed in 1949 at the signing of the Indo-Bhutan Treaty. A second version was introduced in 1956 for the visit of Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuk to eastern Bhutan; it was based upon photos of its 1949 predecessor and featured a white Druk in place of the green original.

The Bhutanese subsequently redesigned their flag to match the measurements of the flag of India, which they believed fluttered better than their own. Other modifications such as changing the red background color to orange led to the current national flag, in use since 1969. The National Assembly of Bhutan codified a code of conduct in 1972 to formalize the flag's design and establish protocol regarding acceptable flag sizes and conditions for flying the flag.

Historically Bhutan is known by numerous names, but the Bhutanese call the country Druk after the name of the Bhutanese thunder dragon. This tradition dates to 1189 when Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje, founder of the Drukpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, was in Phoankar (Tibet) where he reportedly witnessed the Namgyiphu valley glowing with rainbow and light. Considering this an auspicious sign, he entered the valley to choose a site for the construction of a monastery, whereupon he heard three peals of thunder – a sound produced by the druk (dragon) according to popular Bhutanese belief. The monastery that Tsangpa Gyare built that year was named Druk Sewa Jangchubling, and his school of teaching became known as Druk. The Druk school later split into three lineages. One of these three, Drukpa, was founded by Tsangpa Gyare's nephew and spiritual heir Önrey Dharma Sengye and afterward spread throughout Bhutan. The nation itself would also later become known as Druk. This legend offers one explanation for how the symbolism of the dragon came to form the basis of the national flag of Bhutan. An alternative hypothesis maintains that the notion of symbolizing sovereign and state in the form of a dragon emerged in neighboring China and was adopted by the rulers of Bhutan as a symbol of royalty in the early 20th century.

According to The Legal Provisions of the National Flag of the Kingdom of Palden Drukpa as Endorsed in Resolution 28 of the 36th Session of the National Assembly held on June 8, 1972, and as restated in the Constitution of 2008, the yellow signifies civil tradition and temporal authority as embodied in the Druk Gyalpo, the Dragon King of Bhutan, whose royal garb traditionally includes a yellow kabney (scarf). The orange half signifies Buddhist spiritual tradition, particularly the Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma schools. Druk, the Thunder Dragon, spreads equally over the line between the colors. The placement of Druk in the center of the flag over the dividing line between the flag's two colors signifies the equal importance of both civic and monastic traditions in the Kingdom of Druk (Bhutan) and evokes the strength of the sacred bond between sovereign and people. The white color of Druk signifies the purity of inner thoughts and deeds that unite all the ethnically and linguistically diverse peoples of Bhutan. The jewels held in Druk's claws represent Bhutan's wealth and the security and protection of its people, while the dragon's snarling mouth symbolizes Bhutanese deities' commitment to the defense of Bhutan.

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National Symbols of Bhutan

	National Flag  The national flag was designed in 1947 by Mayum Choying Wangmo Dorji and modified in 1956 to take its final shape. The Bhutanese flag is divided diagonally and exhibits a white dragon or a Druk across the middle. The upper part of the flag is golden yellow, representing the secular power of the king, while the lower part is orange, symbolising the Buddhist religion. The dragon, white in colour, is a symbol of purity, representing Bhutan. The jewels held in its claws epitomize the wealth and perfection of the country.
	National Emblem The national emblem is contained in a circle and is composed of a double diamond-thunderbolt or Vajra placed just above a lotus, surmounted by a jewel and framed by two dragons. The thunderbolt symbolizes the harmony existing between secular and religious power, which results from the Buddhist religion in its Vajrayana form. The lotus represents purity; while the jewel stands for sovereign power; and the two dragons, male and female, truly depict the name of the country, declaring it in their great voices to be the land of thunder and dragons.
	National Flower Blue poppy or Meconopsis grandis, which grows at high altitudes of the alpine meadows of Himalayas, is the national flower of Bhutan. Despite its pretty and delicate appearance the blue poppy has the power to endure harsh weather, especially winter, and blooms to its full beauty in spring.
	National Tree The national tree of Bhutan is the cypress (Cupressus torolusa), or as it is locally known - Tseden. It is often associated with religious places. The Bhutanese identify with it, as it is straight and strong and can grow in inhospitable soil. The cypress is also referred to as 'The Weeping Himalayan Cypress.'
	National Animal The national animal is the Takin (Burdorcas taxicolor), an extremely rare bovid mammal of the ovine-caprine family. It lives in herds in the steepest and most thickly wooded declivities of native mountains at an altitude of 4,000 metres (over 13,125 feet), and eats bamboo. It can weigh as much as 250 kilograms (550 pounds). In summer, Takins form large herds (up to 300 at a time). They go into cover at midday and come out late in the afternoon. Locally they are known as Dong Gyem Tsey.
	National Sport The national sport of Bhutan is archery. Animated competitions, usually accompanied by a banquet, are a part of all festive occasions. Contests take place throughout the year. Since time immemorial, Bhutanese have been passionate about their national sport of dha (archery). Competitions are a riot of colour and excitement, usually accompanied by a banquet, and are a part of all festive occasions. In these contests the two teams in traditional dress shoot at small wooden targets placed 140m apart (Olympic standard is 50m).
	National Bird The national bird is the Raven (Corvus Corax Tibetanus). It is locally known as Jarogi, and it was once a capital crime in Bhutan to kill one. Ravens are even known to nest in the walls of the nation's monasteries and dzongs. Bhutan's reverence for birds is even exhibited on the Royal Raven Crown of the Druk Gyalpo. The Raven in Bhutan's history is the guardian Deity Mahakala, who is believed to have taken the form of a raven to guide the country's unifier, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, to Bhutan and is one of the most important guardian deities of Bhutan.
	National Anthem The National Anthem was first composed in 1953. It became official in 1966. The first stanza can be translated thus: In the kingdom of the dragon; the southern land of sandalwood; long live the king who directs the affairs of both the state and religion.
	National Day National Day is celebrated on the day that commemorates the ascension to the throne of Ugyen Wangchuck, the first king of Bhutan, at Punakha Dzong on 17 December 1907.

From:

With Thanks

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Tourist Find Food in Bhutan Monotonous

While most tourist find food in Bhutan monotonous as reported by BBS in Jan, Hotel Dekiling Kitchen brings out the best of native cuisines. The original local cuisines are rich in flavour and health but the essence is lost in hotels trying to modify them for tourist, we at Hotel Dekiling keep them original!

News from BBS:

"Culinary tourism has always played a pivotal role in Italy and France, among other countries in the world. Over the years, food tourism elsewhere has gone on to become a vital component of the tourism experience.But, it is just the opposite in Bhutan.Despite, the New York Times listing Bhutan at number five of the top places to visit this year, repetitive and bland food, could prove to be a possible setback for an otherwise booming tourism sector in the country.According to the Bhutan Tourism Monitor report, there are increasing number of food related complaints by the visitors.The report also states that, buffet system by many of the local hotels accommodating tourists, is one of the reasons why tourists find food in the country monotonous.The Chairperson of Guide Association of Bhutan, Garab Dorji, said food is a concern. He said every time they take their guests to a restaurant, the menu is the same. “It is either rice, chicken, or seasonal vegetable.”Luxury hotels like Amankora, having known the importance of gastronomy and tourism, gives food a top priority by hiring professional chefs.Amankora’s Chef, Matthew Schaefer, said they have five hotels in the country and each hotel has expat chefs. “…If I were a Bhutanese restaurateur and I wanted to meet the next level, I would hire a Bhutanese chef from Aman or from Taj or any good hotels in the country.”In order to improve quality of tourism services, especially on food, the tour operators were to be guided by the 1999 Rules and Regulations. The rules talk about ‘Minimum Meal Entitlement’. The minimum meal entitlement lists out a variety of food items for each meals. But the rule was hardly implemented. After that, the Tourism Council of Bhutan issued a notification to the restaurants to strictly offer A La Carte Services- which means a separate price for each item on the menu – instead of buffets."

Source: BBS Jan 14 2013

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Food in Bhutan

From:TCB Website

The most distinctive characteristic of Bhutanese cuisine is its spiciness. Chillis are an essential part of nearly every dish and are considered so important that most Bhutanese people would not enjoy a meal that was not spicy.

Rice forms the main body of most Bhutanese meals. It is accompanied by one or two side dishes consisting of meat or vegetables. Pork, beef and chicken are the meats that are eaten most often. Vegetables commonly eaten include Spinach, pumpkins, turnips, radishes, tomatoes, river weed, onions and green beans. Grains such as rice, buckwheat and barley are also cultivated in various regions of the country depending on the local climate. 

The following is a list of some of the most popular Bhutanese dishes:

• Ema Datshi: This is the de facto National Dish of Bhutan. A spicy mix of chillis and the delicious local cheese known as Datshi. This dish is a staple of nearly every meal and can be found throughout the country. Variations on Ema Datshi include adding green beans, ferns, potatoes, mushrooms or swapping the regular cheese for yak cheese.
• Momos: These Tibetan-style dumplings are stuffed with pork, beef or cabbages and cheese. Traditionally eaten during special occasions, these tasty treats are a Bhutanese favourite.
• Phaksha Paa: Pork cooked with spicy red chillis. This dish can also include Radishes or Spinach. A popular variation uses sun-dried (known as Sicaam). Hoentoe: Aromatic buckwheat dumplings stuffed with turnip greens, datshi (cheese), spinach and other ingredients.
• Jasha Maru: Spicy minced chicken, tomatoes and other ingredients that is usually served with rice.
• Red Rice: This rice is similar to brown rice and is extremely nutritious and filling. When cooked it is pale pink, soft and slightly sticky.
• Goep (Tripe): Though the popularity of tripe has diminished in many countries it is still enjoyed in Bhutan. Like most other meat dishes, it is cooked with plenty of spicy chillis and chilli powder.

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