SEMESTER VACATION

Spending three months with my parents was truly rejuvenating, despite the demanding work of toiling under the scorching sun and pouring rain. The joy of living with my parents overshadowed the fatigue from the laborious farm work that was prevalent during that period. As farmers, my parents were also engaged in the buzzing activities on their paddy fields, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to assist them when needed.

Each day, my parents would rise early at 4:00 AM and prepare for the day ahead. By 6:00 AM, I would accompany my father to the fields. It was not an easy task to work in the fields, as it required a great deal of skill and technique. Without proper knowledge and technique, all our energy would be wasted in vain.

My semester break proved to be the best investment as I was able to assist my parents with over half of the farm work before my return.

In preparation for my departure, I made a reservation to leave on August 2nd, 2013 at 9:00 AM. I arrived in Thimphu a week before to withdraw my stipend and tuition fee from the RCSC. While I arrived on August 1st, some of my friends had arrived two days earlier.

On August 2nd, we hired a taxi from Phuntsholing to New Allipur Duar, West Bengal, India. Unfortunately, we received distressing news that our train would be delayed by twelve hours due to an Assam Strike. We waited for eleven hours before finally boarding at 8:30 PM. The following day, on August 3rd, we arrived in New Delhi at 10:30 PM and immediately continued our journey by bus through the night. Finally, on August 4th at 8:00 AM, we arrived in Punjab.

The journey from Phuntsholing to Punjab was not a pleasant experience. One of my friends, Durga, lost his wallet at the Kashmiri bus station. Unfortunately, someone pick-pocketed it from the backside of his jean pant, and all his important documents were inside it. This incident reminded me of the statement made by Lobzang Dorji, the Principal, during our farewell gathering, "Any part of India is not safe. Be careful."

As Bhutanese who are known for our love of hot chili, we found it difficult to cope with the spicy Indian dishes and decided to stay away from them. Rinzin and I faced a tense situation as we had no place to stay. However, four kind-hearted women generously provided us with meals and lodging for three nights.

Regular classes commenced from August 7th, 2013, for our third semester, and we anticipated that it would be a challenging period based on our timetable. Despite this, we remained optimistic, knowing that nothing is impossible, although it may not be easy at the same time.