The Golden Ring - Tulasa

The best of its kind,
presented by beautiful minds;
the precious gift will be valued till the end.


A few years of working together, brought closer in hearts,
Lessons prepared, discussed and infused into the innocent minds;
But the sands of time changed my trail,
And I ought to forget my teaching lines.


Dear students, Principal, colleagues and friends,
The value you perceived would not strike the great minds.
The heart beat stops when the word flows,
"the words are less when the heart is full", someone said of course!


I am thankful in my thoughts and prayers,
For your empathy, the love and care.
Humanity, togetherness and the value shared,
The golden ring you gifted will glitter forever.

Year 2011

It is amazing and at times sad to see how fast the time flies! As 2011 goes by, I try recollecting all the past 10 or 20 years that I spent. It is really hard. I cannot even recollect anything happening in some of the past years, as if those years did not exist at all! How could that be 365 days just did not make any significant impact on my memory!!
Anyways, 2011 is also almost gone. This is beginning of my 4th year in this new college. After 17 years at Sherubtse and few more years in service before that, I completed 23 years of job in the government as of 2011. I decided to cut my official knot with the university. I am processing my retirement benefits and is able to see so little money from my 17 years of service. Perhaps enough to buy  a small housing plot  somewhere in a small town. Big ones are beyond my budgetary scope. Dream of building a small home is still far fetched.
The early pension that will start coming after 3 years will perhaps buy me monthly ration!

In the meantime, I like to look forward to some more exciting work and output bearing greater satisfaction at RTC and hope to see some more parts of the world and life before I may be able to retire and catch up with my big family circle...

A letter with philosophy and wisdom from a recent visitor to my office

With all my respect to Prof Islam, I reproduce as he wrote:


03 12 11

Dr Shivaraj Bhattarai

Dean

Royal Thimphu College

Bhutan

Dear sir

My very recent visit to your campus in a quiet late afternoon has been my introduction to a realm of possibility. I felt its fundamental relevance to me : a mind in search of knowledge, equilibrium and perpetuity.

The elements of pure learning that gradually herald enlightenment into young minds, I found, are present there. These are tranquility, basis in nature, simplicity and pure youth. Your ambience testifies to a potential : unique, lithe and sovereign.

That you have assorted the classical thoughts and practices from across the globe in the course curricula is a positive enterprise. The Bhutanese learners do possess an essential identity for being able to assimilate this academic exposure into a strengthening nourishment. I foresee their noble evolution. However existence cannot be but a progression to be overviewed by time.

I value my interaction with you. You offered a listening ear to me. We share the solidarity of witnessing and understanding that education elevates from weakness to strength, from groping to controlling, and from dominance of instincts to calm inspiration.

In a campus of true making, all learn - who teach and who are taught.

Yours sincerely

Ahmed Iftekharul Islam

University of Science and Technology Chittagong

Bangladesh