Make A Wish in Norway

While in Oslo, Norway, my host took me to a small Buddhist center where people can come and browse through the library well stocked with Buddhist books, including “Buddhism for Dummies”. Its a nice quiet place in the middle of downtown Oslo, and also has a resident Lama – a Tibetan monk from Darjeeling, Lama Jangchub. Lama Jangchub gives teachings and meditation classes.

Anyway, the center is called Tashi Ling, and found something interesting on their notice board.

>> Visit Tashi Ling website

>> Find direction to Tashi Ling Oslo

Make A Wish in Norway

Signboard leading to the Tashi Ling Buddhist Center.

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A VAST Move

- By Dipika Chhetri

>> Original story by Kuensel

There is good news for those, who didn’t like climbing up the dingy stairs to get to the voluntary artists studio in Thimphu (VAST).

VAST will be shifting today into a transformed two-storey Bhutanese house, which boasts a new studio, gallery, café and a view of the clock tower square.

Members, who have worked for days on end with curious neighbours peering over their necks, are proud of the result – a blue paint splattered gallery with arty window displays, which will double as a library and café, an open upper level studio covered with paintings, and pieces of artwork everywhere else.

The café will sell cakes baked and donated by friends, and a special ‘Bhutanese chili’ momo.

The founder of VAST, Kama Wangdi alias Azha Kama, said the move was necessary, with the studio needing better space for the weekly classes for children, as well as the exhibitions that VAST holds.

“It was also an exciting change for everyone, we all needed a new project to come together for,” he said. “The location is much better now, too, and easily accessible.”

Despite the amount of work that has gone into preparing the new studio, VAST may have to move out of it in a little more than a year, because the building is old and may only stay up that long.

“People are surprised at how much effort we’ve put, but then we do a lot of work even for a month-long exhibitions. It’s all part of the fun,” Azha Kama said. VAST has worked from the old attic studio in a building above the Changlimithang national stadium for more than a decade now, ever since it was founded in 1998.

Started as an NGO to teach art to children, VAST conducted weekly art classes for children every Saturday since 1998, annual summer camps, and regularly exhibited the work of its artists, mostly youth, who have grown up with the art classes.

It also takes up philanthropic projects, such as building houses in rural communities, establishing a ‘rice bank’ for the very poor, who otherwise fall into debt, and taking old people on a pilgrimage to Bumthang. The projects include youth volunteers, who get the opportunity to help and interact with people from rural communities, who live different lives.

VAST expressed an interest to register as a civil service organisation last year, but it hasn’t yet applied for registration after the rules for application were released in January this year, despite its excellent track record.

Azha Kama said that there were many requirements that needed to be fulfilled, and a lot of work had to be done before it could apply for registration as a CSO.

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Grand Opening

-Article by TshoTsho and Puki

Our new VAST Studio, a two storied old house with a cafe, library and a studio upstairs is now located at the Clock Tower Square. It took us more than a month to renovate the new VAST studio. After days of breaking down and fixing the broken pieces, the new VAST was something to look at.

May 15th was the day, VAST was reopening with a new gallery and a cafe. At 5 :30 in the morning Asha , tshotsho and babyla were getting things ready for the Lhabsa. Asha lam started with the Lhabsa and we got busy cooking breakfast, last minute preparation while Madam Yannick and Tandin were filming the opening sequence. After the Lhabsa all of us gathered at the front door waiting for Asha Lam and Asha to grace the opening. By 9 am guests, family members and friends started pouring in with gifts and donations for VAST. Everyone who came were welcomed with suja , desi and shamday.

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What attracted our guests to the “Newly Opened VAST Cafe” was the chilli momo(ema datsi momo),first in town, we had home baked cakes contributed by the members , friends and families of VAST as contribution for VAST fund raising.

The Exhibition was a success with everyone appreciating the Art works and the effort put up by each individual in creating the new VAST. Most of the guests showed their encouragement by buying paintings and encouraging them to continue their beautiful work. We owe our gratitude to all those who contributed to VAST cafe where the proceeds go to the VAST fund.

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When everyone was busy with their own responsibilities, Sir S. Bishwa was upstairs preparing a feast for VAST members. Everyone had a good meal after an eventful day.

That is not the end, Asha opened the champagne and everyone’s faces were filled with joy. We didn’t have a tashi labey dance , instead we had a modern tashi labey by bokto , aue kueron , tashi , aue chimi , thukten and Drakpa.

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