August 15, 2013..

Quite a day for me to come to New Delhi, India to pursue my

further studies. So I arrived in Delhi to take on the heat and tackle some head on
turbulence that life had in store for me in India. No lies: I was pretty excited when I
bid farewell to my loved ones, my country Bhutan and boarded my flight that day
but when the flight landed I was whooshed by the heat that was offered to me face
on. I arrived with my comrades if I must say in this battle of life where we were
supposed to venture on to the journey of adulthood (at least for me). Luckily enough
we had our seniors from Bhutan pick us up from the airport and usher us to our
college: School of Planning and Architecture. When I told my people back at home,
they were very proud that I had opted for Planning and had got placed in one of the
top colleges in this field, SPA.
So we entered the college campus through the OUT gate, no pun intended and no
lies again I was shocked and taken aback with what I was seeing Cause when I
saw the campus on the college website it seemed pretty nice Plus what luck,
because I had arrived on Independence Day, then canteen, the mess and the offices
were closed. So I had to stay in with my senior in her room and the next day the
office work had to be completed if I wanted to join the classes and claim a room in
the hostel but then no courtesies without some running around. Thus me and my
friends knocked on some pretty many doors from the registrar to the account to the
cashier to the admission office and finally admission done, spick and span (so we
thought) but then the hostel room did not seem very bright so again we ended up
crashing in at our seniors room for one more day (Nope we stayed in their rooms
for almost 2 weeks)
Hence the classes began, and by gods grace I was introduced to someone from
Shillong and turned out her name was Tsomo too (mine has an H). Going to class
wasnt no bed of roses either what I encountered was the countrys best, all with
90+ percentile and all of them had come through a nail biting process of selection
and examinations and there we were ( me and Pema Thinley) merely with our class
XII board exam marks. Oh and when we were sent, we were told that our course
was called Urban Planning and when we entered the class we ended up being
Physical planning students. The classes were too much to deal with; the heat, the
drafting and my good for none sketching and thats when I thought I would just quit
and go back home. Back home where the weather was pleasant, people werent so
insolent, administration moved faster and where I did not have to sketch but then I
wanted to study planning too. And thus with a whole lot of counselling from the
friends, seniors and other people which I dont remember right now I ended up
staying here and viola three years running right now.
Thus the classes went on, I started making more friends and started getting used to
the stares which people seem to offer me wherever I go. I get sick every semester
and honestly I dont think the climate really suits me and I have had so many weird
yet tragic experiences such as losing my purse which had my citizenship identity
card or per se my only identity claiming that I am from Bhutan but still I have no
regrets at this point of time. I have learnt a lot of things about planning and about
life. I have gotten used to living without my parents (before I came here I had never
gone away from my parents). I have got a better insight of planning and how it

affects lives through and through and that it toughes upon a wide range of topics
which I bet no other field or profession does.
Basically at first I nothing but a box of complaints but now that I think there couldnt
have been a better place for me to study planning than in SPA. SPA has taught me a
lot of things both professionally and personally. Learning from the best set of
faculties one could ever wish for It has also taught me to deal with my anger that
is when the group and the work doesnt go as per your wishes, it has taught me that
wherever you go there will be biasness and we cant really do anything about it but
to work hard and rise above that and the most important thing SPA has taught me
time management and being happy with what you are doing (being grumpy and
sulking doesnt really help)
Every year I come, I always have to do the mandatory runs for the registration and
the hostel rooms so I suppose somethings really dont change but in the end its
worthwhile. I wouldnt say that my journey till date in India and in SPA has been
beautiful and wonderful. What I would say is that they journey has been worth
remembering and that 30 years from now I would still say the same things that I
have learnt a lot from SPA, made some awesome friends, gained a whole lot of
experience and made memories worth my life and I have got two more years so
lets hope that the journey here on is as memorable..
And yes before I take leave, I am Ngawang Tshomo, IIIrd year, Planning and I hail
from the land of Thunder Dragon, Bhutan. Bhutan is a very small country and I as a
citizen of Bhutan will ever be indebt to India for helping Bhutan all the while.