Thrift store-to buy and to sell

‘Someone’s trash is someone’s treasure’ and this definitely was when we visited the second hand stores in Obhiro. From the branded to no brands products including bags, clothes, shoes, electronics, home appliances, furniture and many more were available. Some of them were almost as new so I am sure it may not remain on the shelf much.

Amongst all I couldn’t believe they even had cosmetics, shampoos and creams because I never imagined these items can be thrifted as well. For me, whenever I buy a wrong product I would use it anyhow because I paid for it.

At first when I went inside the store I thought why use used products when we all like brand new. However, going around and seeing the items I felt like there is no better method of recycling than a thrift shop. 

There are times when we like a product then after buying it we don’t like it and it remains in the wardrobe or home but if we have the thrift shop we can just sell it. The same product can make another person happy as they are able to get it at a cheaper price. 

Especially if we are settling for the first time like I was 3 years before I would have definitely bought few of my home items from a thrift store if there was one because I would have saved a lot of money and my house would not have been empty(FYI it’s still empty 😅). 

Loved this so much

Yuki

Monochrome world it is,

Shades of white makes up the entire painting.

Not colorful,

Yet so beautiful.

Endless snow keeps falling,

So powerful to be stealing,

My attention from the class

To the moment of last.

Momentarily taken to dreamland

Not less than a fairyland.

Playing with snow until frostbite

Yet a warm fire awaits inside.

Stirred up my heart,

Sensai’s voice to an alert

Back to reality

With the same actuality.

Even if the world had just white color I would have made colorful memories.

Agriculture in Hokkaido

Bhutan is well known for being an agrarian society to both inside and the outside world so adding value to our existing strength would only proliferate our value. Learned from the agricultural evolution in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido is one of the prefectures located in northern Japan where four seasons can be experienced distinctly.

It wasn’t an easy start even for them as they also started with barren and forest covered land where fields were ploughed by horses. Well that was because at that time that was the only available resource. Making the best use of the available resources is something we have to learn rather than crying on what we don’t have.

Pic from Sensei's lecture slide

Nothing is done blindly which includes even planting the trees in rows along the farms which is done to serve as a barrier to the wind. This is something my District can adopt as Wangdue is known for strong winds. It was rather ignorant of me not to know that straight crops have higher market value compared to the bent ones especially asparagus.

The number of people doing agriculture has declined over the years due to the ageing population yet the size of the agricultural land remains the same. Although labor shortage and aging population is a concern for them like our country they challenge numbers with efficiency (mechanization). Fortunately, for Hokkaido it has the maximum number of core farmers which is 60% of the total population aged below 65 years compared to the rest of Japan. That’s why Hokkido is the highest producer of Agriculture crops in Japan. Even the farmers here make 4-5% higher profit in comparison to the farmers in the rest of Japan.

I always thought being a farmer would not require any qualification yet it isn't the case here. To be a farmer in Hokkaido one needs to be certified. Likewise there are no off seasons for the farmers here they work full time and throughout the year although three winter months are fully covered by snow. These winter months are considered rather crucial for the farmers as they make plans for purchasing seeds for the next cropping season, develop operating/farming plans and get approval from the Agriculture Cooperatives because if the plans gets approved one gets a loan to purchase seeds for the coming cropping season. It is interesting to learn that all the farmers here have completed senior high school so they are all literate and run their farm like running a business. 

Amazed, overwhelmed and inspired to see how the agriculture practices have advanced here.

Flaunting the gift from Sensei

To the land of 'Nippon'

From Kuzuzangpo to Swadikharb and to Konichiwa, I got an amazing opportunity to travel 2846 miles (as per google) from my home country for the very first time in three years of service. My anxiousness started a week before the trip as I was unnecessarily worried about so many things which included getting sick in flight, poor sense of direction, language barrier, arranging expenses although it was a fully funded trip and of course food. Fortunately, we were a team of nine so most of my worries got taken care of. 

So Thailand welcomed us with more than 30 degree Celsius

and with countless seafood by the street. Life there was so different from back home. People were busier, streets were crowded and the business hours went till late night. There was no sight of the blue sky and the green trees. It was filled with concrete buildings, shopping malls, sky trains, all kinds of businesses both along the streets and inside the concrete buildings. I heard people say Bangkok is cheap but let me tell it isn't. More than 5000 Bhat vanished in a night although I did not have to pay for the accommodation. Amongst all, I especially envied how the businesses were flourishing while in Bhutan it is just the opposite. 

Just when I started missing my home we landed in the land of rising sun but more than the sun it was the land of snow. Maybe it is the cultural affinity but my heart came to relax when we reached the destination. I could even fill my belly with their food. People here are extra polite and kind though they never do anything extra. Things here are more organized and systematic and technology advancement is always something to be credited. Thank goodness I was tipped beforehand on the extreme cold weather and the technologies here, especially washrooms because most people who come here for the first time always shared their difficulty in using the washrooms. 

Our location is very far from the capital city but nothing is compromised here and I noticed the equal development and facilities were equally advanced though there were no skyscrapers and 50 storied buildings. We were awestruck by each and every detail the place offered, specifically the Uniqlo store which is a very famous brand in Bhutan. Maybe the popularity of the brand tricked us because we hoarded the store like no other customers and spent all our money in a week while we still have more than two weeks to go. Wishing for a miracle to survive the rest of the days here without money at this hour while I write this piece. 

Gateway to snow land 

                                 

My Story

So it was the Spring of 2023 when my story started. I remember it was a cold night with gentle evening breeze when we shared our shy greetings. Like he says I don’t remember the first encounters before this night as I was still grieving from my past and I never thought it was possible to fall in love again. 

From the very first text, countless conversations and midnight calls followed like any other relationships. Without even realizing we fell for each other yet we remained as just friends. Kinda cliche I know but what is love without cliche. 

However, it didn’t take us very long to be official and I am glad we made our moves fast. I mean why take such a long route when both of us knew that we are the ones for each other. 

On a fine evening he took me out for a dinner date and in between our conversation he held my hand for the very first time which threw a chill down my spine. My heart raced with excitement and nervousness. I couldn’t even make eye contact with him because I couldn’t believe that another soul would ever love me. You see, I love myself a little less. 

During the entire dinner I blabbered a lot of gibberish yet he keenly listened to my every word. I swear nobody looked at me the way he did that night. My heart yelled with happiness so see so much love and appreciation in his eyes for me. Thereafter I knew I would also have a story to tell cuz I finally found the main character of my story.

It's him, the main character of my story