Names

This is Mipham. In Buddhism his name translates roughly to 'Indestructible'. His surname is 'Chhowing'. The english translation is something like 'In the Dharma'- together it amounts to 'Indestructible Dharma'.

I hope he'll forgive me for my presumptiousness! you see, names in the Himalayan Buddhist cultures are normally a sort of a blue print provided by the local lama, a big trulku, a rinpoche: they are hardly ever given by parents. Hence the different names among siblings in one family.

Though the times are changing and Bhutanese names these days are going stratospheric!

My own name has been of some bother: Jurmi is 'Unchanging' and maybe that explains why i never do! But as peculair as it is, the names we have do carry more than just an identity tag. I check out the names and the 'nick names' my mates carry and find the naming apt, evry apt.

'Dew' is a 'bullet'. Guys named Dews behave like one.

'Tew' is wild, untamed entertainment.

'Job' is a redneck. I've Job-mates and they are scandalious!

'Dirty Punk' speaks for itself.

'Supe' is headless. So are we! We dunno where that came about (although there are embarrasing legends behind it; something to do with the toes!

'Harry' got stuck with Harry. Now its a sensitive issue when that oft.bespoken phrase, Tom, Dick and..... comes about. I actually called him 'Burns' back in college. He had Kurt Cobain sideburns and they looked oddly-similar. Sadly it didn't stick.

'Jigs' is very much the 'Cat'. He's now become 'Bull Dog'.

'Ganza' amounts to a big nose.

'Tosh' is tosh.

'Jaado' is mysterious.

'Kaado' is white-skinned,

'Naado' is black.

'Zabey Thow' is literally 'Worn-Out-Hammer'!

'Chor Malik' is an Indian pointer. This is the original 'Slumdog Millionaire'!

'Muk Bangey' is 'Crooked Mouth'.

'Popzey' is a 'Show off'!

'Sambo' is for Samdrup. Its the Bhutanese take on 'Rambo'!

'Tsagey' is a retard.

'Chenrazey' is a lecher.

'Jendrix' is the Bhutanese 'Jimi Hendrix'.

'Labbar' is the 'Big D'.

'Phantom' is the dazed doper.

'Bhuey Tarzan' is Tarzan minus the swing.

'Godfather' in Bhutan is the Drug-Pusher-in-Chief.

'Godmother' is his wife.

'Dhaab' is opium-based-cough-syrups.

'Maal' is marijuana.

Gotti is not the American-Italian mobster. Its pharmaceutical pills.

to be continued............