It happened when I was in class one. Those days I had friends from my village (though they disappeared gradually over the years), who used to be in the other section. Well it so happened that their class teacher used to always send them home before mine did as a result they used to wait for me. I used to say, “Madam, go home. Madam go home”. What I wanted to ask was, if I can go home but I always used to say “go home”. I didn’t know then I was telling her (my teacher) to go home instead. Well my teacher too never corrected me. Her response was always, “Payday, is your baby crying at home?” I could do nothing but resolved to stay couple of hours more. This used to happen very often. Almost everyday.
When I was in third standard I had the same teacher. Well once madam told me to stand up so I did. She said, “Payday, draw a house under the tree”. I went to her, took the chalk from her extended hand and went to the black board. There I drew a big tree with leaves and root etc. under the root I drew a house and I showed it to my teacher. She after examining my drawing carefully said, “Payday is your house underground?” my classmates had a hearty laugh. It was only then I knew under the tree means “under the branches of the tree”.
Well in my fourth standard I had to deliver a speech in dzongkha. My sister, who happened to be in the same school, then, made a good speech for me titled “Sharig Yenten” (meaning: education). That morning right after the national anthem I was called in front of the crowd (we didn’t have stage then. the assembly used to be outside when it’s sunny otherwise on the corridor). I went in front and started. First of all I wished all the teachers and students and then I said, “The topic I have chosen for today is education” (I said it in Dzongkha). After that I put my hand in my pocket (of my kira) for the paper (on which I had my speech written), to my utter disappointment the paper was not there. I didn’t know what to do so I thought I would have to do without the paper. So I started, “sharig yenten zaar mi dhi”. Mum. Again, “sharig yenten zaar mi dhi”. A long pause and nothing. I was mum. No sound would come out of my mouth. After staying there for eternity without uttering a word I was sent back to the assembly line by the head teacher who took pity on me. It was one of the most embarrassing moments of my life. Heheh...
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