Bhutan’s Journey into Space

                                                                                                                                                                             Abstract submitted for presentation at 

                26th United Nations / International Astronautical Federation

Workshop on Space Technology for Socio-Economic Benefits:

“Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure for Development (3Is4D)”

Bremen, Germany 28 – 30 September, 2018

Presenter: Cheki Dorji

Kyushu Institute of Technology

Masters in Space Engineering

Bhutan, a landlocked Himalayan kingdom, remained in self-imposed isolation until late 1960s. Ending its isolation, Bhutan embarked on the process of socio-economic development. One notable development on the information and telecommunications front is the introduction of internet and television services in 1999. A little less than two decades later, Bhutan has its first ever satellite, designed, built and operated by Bhutanese engineers, in space.

JAPAN—The Land of Convenience

With convenience stores spread across every corner, reliable public transport system to travel anywhere anytime, the customer service and hospitality deeply rooted in their culture, or just not having to deal with toilet anxiety, this country is already living in the future we could only dream for our children and grandchildren.

Yes, I am talking about JAPAN—the land of convenience.

With less than a couple of months to return home, I started pondering on why Japan is the most convenient and liveable country in the world. So where do I begin? No matter where you live, nearly anything you want is within your reach at any time. Zero-waste society that is so well organized and its people so well-disciplined, Japan has taken convenience to a whole new level and here’s how…

1. Convenience Store

Convenience stores in Japan: Most commonly, 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart sell just about everything you want and are open 24hours.

7-Eleven Convenience Store

Just ran out of cash or need to print something urgently at odd hours? No worries! Convenience stores will be at your service 24 hours. Starting from ready-made lunch box to any drinks (hot or cold), paying your utility bills to reserving tickets for any events/concerts, printing your photos to photo-copying documents can be done at convenience stores.

How to get Hired as an English Teacher in Japan

Are you considering living in Japan for a year or two to experience Japanese life? Then…  becoming an English Teacher is one way to get to Japan with zero Japanese language skill.

I’ve been asked a lot of times about how I managed to secure an English teaching job in Japan. So here’s for those who have asked and to others who want to ask!

But before that you might also want to ask me how I landed up in Japan in the first place. Well, after few months into our marriage, my husband got this wonderful opportunity, one of a kind in Bhutan, to study Masters in Space Engineering in Japan.

Hiroshima: City Once Dead, Now Alive

I developed a genuine dislike for History subject when I was in 8^th grade. It made me fall asleep. Then it made me feel horrible about myself for not having any interest about those great warriors who sacrificed too much for building our nation. I had nothing against my subject teacher because the subject itself was boring. But now I understand that look on his face, “ahh such a pity child. Might be dealing with a tough home situation or possibly poor nutrition.” It might have been painful for him to deal with someone who sleeps the entire class and scores terrible grades. You could probably fathom out the feeling if you’re a teacher.

I might be exaggerating a little but this was what happened. History was taught by school Principal, who was always buried in a blanket of responsibility. He would be gone most of the time with official works and couldn’t keep up with the scheduled syllabus. Then it would lead to countless weekend classes just before the exam. He would merge 3 classes together out on basketball court on a chilly Sunday mornings and would read out the History textbook. There was no charm in freezing your butt off from the concrete floor underneath while listening to some boring lecture. Since then I lost track of my passion for history and I couldn’t recover from it. My relationship with History almost came to nonexistence by the time I finished Junior High. It became a subject that I memorized just for exam and not enjoy at all.

A-Bomb Dome then and now