New year's Resolution

My new year's resolution is to come out clean; quit smoking and perhaps exercise more.

Smoking is bad, I know. Every time I smoke I get scared of cancer and dying young. Perhaps the disease has caught up with me even but I have no way of knowing since I haven't had health check-ups done in ages. One particular instance gives me shudder even now, last time my hair fell handful.

What started as a young girl's fancy has now become a woman's agony? I'm not a public smoker and a very few people know that I do. That's because I only smoke in the vicinity of my bathroom or the verandah, making my family the passive smokers. I hate doing it in public and I hate the smell when others do it and yet savor the smell when I smoke. Trust me; I'm not proud of it.

When it comes to smoking it's like, "I know I can quit smoking, I have done it hundred times before". In my case, I'd quit for a day and the very next day, before I know it I'd be standing by the pan shop. It's a sheer addiction and I curse that day in 2005 when I tried hard to learn from my seniors in RIM.

Come 2011 and I'd have to quit forcefully if not willingly. I'm glad the Tobacco Control Bill has been passed just in time. I can only hope for stern rules and reluctant shopkeepers, who wouldn't sell to me even if I begged on my knees.

Though I've always thought of myself as a good girl but smoking has marred my image, now I'm kind of disfigured and scarred for live and I've but long lost this decent girl image of mine. It's one bad habit that I've developed over the year and something I've come to regret a lot in the recent years.

The coming year I'm really hoping to come out clean even if it means for me to seek the help of rehabilitation centers (rehab), though my problem is not as dramatic but if it helps. In 2011, I hope the government can put total ban on the sale and use of Tobacco products, let them imprison the users. Let the rules be so strict that shopkeepers quit selling out of fear and the smoker quit smoking for the very same reason.

I'm really working towards achieving my resolution goal; I've been clean (of cigarettes) since yesterday morning. It's a small start but you have to begin somewhere right? That’s what I have done.

Thimphu ready for its first-ever Mayor

Mayor is the title used for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government. We have seen and heard of mayor(s) but in Hollywood movies.

Well the Dzongkha translation of the word ‘mayor’ is a ‘thrompon’ and of municipality is a ‘thromde’. It was decided during the last session of the parliament or a session before that, the towns of Thimphu, Phuntsholing, Gelephu and Samdrupjongkhar would be classified into class ‘A’ thromdes and each thromde is to have its own thrompon or the mayor.

Thromde election comes under LG (local government) elections and ECB (election commission of Bhutan) has already conducted many tests around the country. However, judging by the qualification of the Thrompon hopefuls that test may not be necessary. The candidates confirmed so far for the post of Thimphu’s first ever Thrompon are an architect, an engineer, a private company’s proprietor etc.

Those planning to contest for the post of Mayor are already identifying the city’s problems and making promises to resolve them at the earliest. People’s requirement of their mayor is one person who understands the town planning, land and housing issues, government policies and infrastructure and hence explains why the candidates are retired architect, semi-retired engineer etc.

On the eve of Bhutan’s first municipal elections, high hopes are vested in the Thrompon-hopefuls, expectations are varied and high. A mayor is the executive head of the city and a very powerful post. There are many wanting to be the one; however, just high qualifications and occupying the post are not good enough. We need action, we need changes for better, we need him/her to make a difference and we need it soon.

Identifying city’s problems, making false promises or giving long speeches are not enough to make a difference. There’s need of resources (human resources and others) and budget, to actually implement those plans. Perhaps it’d be wrong to blame our town planners and our would-be Thrompon even because we have to consider budget constraint before anything.

Reports say Thimphu has the current population of about 108,000 and only 6,486 registered voters. Which means only 6,486 people will decide what’s best for the rest of the people residing in Thimphu. It’s not fair not every citizen gets to vote, however, not many seems to care. This is how the modern mentality is like; we are all selfish. As long as it doesn’t affect us individually, we do not care much.

So someone from Thimphu valley, someone whose census is registered under Thimphu Dzongkhag (for at least last one year), someone in whom people have their faith gets to become Thimphu’s first-ever Thrompon. So far, three candidates have come forward to contest. I do not know anyone of them personally to give my judgment, nor does it count, so ‘may the best man win’.