Tashi- the friendly guide
Tashi Wangdi (Blessed with happiness) was the affable
tourist guide who was with us from the time he received us at the Paro airport
to the time he saw us off at the airport six days later. At 34, he represents
the typical youth of Bhutan with big aspirations. During the course of the five
days he was with us I tried to probe him about his life and he was more than
willing to oblige. Here is his story:
Tashi was born in Punakha, old capital of Bhutan, where his
father was a small time businessman. After doing his schooling in Bhutan, he
moved to Darjeeling to get a BBA degree. At Darjeeling not only did he learn to
speak fluent English but also a smattering of Nepalese. While in school he was
so naughty & mischievous that his father had written him off as a `no good
fellow` and would not give him any pocket money. As an enterprising young
fellow Tashi decided to try his hand at being a part time Tourist Guide, which
not only helped him earn his pocket money but also made him learn more about
his country. He thoroughly enjoyed his part time job because he loved meeting
& talking to people. This helped when his father passed away when he was in
college and he not only had to look after his own college education but also
help his mother supplement her income from a small shop she was running
and support his younger brother to
complete his studies.
After his graduation, when he returned home his mother
insisted that he take up a government job because it would ensure security and
continuity. With her contacts she helped him get a job in a government
department. Within two weeks into the job he realized that he was not cut out
for a desk job with fixed hours. Much to his mother`s disappointment he quit
the job and after undergoing an intensive training course as a Tourist Guide he
became a full time Guide. His deep knowledge of his country and his ability to
answer any questions posed by tourists and his excellent command of English
helped him become a popular guide within no time ensuring a decent income from
his new career.When I asked him if he read a lot, he laughed and said, `the
only books I read are the comics. But I am a keen listener & observer`
While continuing as a guide, he started a night club in
Thimphu, the capital city in partnership with a friend. He gave up the business
when he found he could not devote enough time to it.
While young men in Bhutan marry when they are around 30, he
was married to his sweet heart from school days when he was only 24 and the
couple today have three boys ranging from 11 months to 8 years. Like all the
boys in Bhutan, after marriage, he moved to his wife`s home on the outskirts of
Thimphu. It is an independent cottage with a small garden with a couple of
bedrooms which he shares with his father in law, mother in law and his brother
in law`s family. His father in law is a successful cinematographer. No wonder
his wife also got trained in a film institute in Delhi and is a successful
documentary producer. The family lives a comfortable life with the joint income
of all the family members.
His brother is currently working in Australia with whom his mother
lives. Though he also had opportunities to go abroad and earn in dollars, he
decided to stay put in Bhutan because he loves his country and would love to
make it big in his own country. One of his dreams is to start his own travel
agency which will have some specialization like offering a variety of water
sports.
Commenting on democracy in Bhutan and how it has helped
people, he gave his trade mark smile and said,` Under the King we paid less
taxes. We now pay more taxes. In the name of development the government is
collecting more money from people but we are not complaining. Incidentally our
government does not like open protests of any kind`
Bhutan is boasting of a high Gross National Happiness. When
I asked him if it means that everyone is happy in Bhutan, his answer was
illuminating, `Happiness is a state of mind which varies from person to person.
However the overall happiness can be judged only by Good Governance, clean
environment, good health etc. I do believe that overall people in Bhutan are
happy people, whatever economic strata they belong to`
Tashi himself came across as a happy fellow doing a job he
is passionate about, earning a good income, with a loving family, living in a
decent place and generally contended with his life. As a parting shot he told
me; ` Someday I would like to get into politics and serve my country`.
At the airport when we were bidding him good bye I thanked him for all the time he spent with
me answering all my questions without losing his patience. I told him that I
hoped to see him as a Minister in his government in the future. He gave me a big hug and thanked me for the
blessings.
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