Bhutan Declares Tuesdays as Pedestrians' Day

-->Beginning June 5, 2012, Bhutan has declared every Tuesday of the week as “Pedestrians’ Day”. On this day, other than public transport such as taxis and buses and vehicles belonging to the armed services and hospital ambulances, no vehicles will be allowed to ply in the core zone of Thimphu city.

This is ingenuity at the highest level; a stroke of genius! We should have done this much earlier. It is good for our health and it is good for our environment. Best of all, it is good for our pocket.

I had a number of offices to go to. I pulled out my Thorlo trekking socks and dusted my New Balance sneakers in preparation for the 3-4 Kms of walking I would have to do during the day. I decided that I would call for a taxi to drive me to town. Before I could make the call, I was informed that our Prime Minister was seen walking to his office. That did it. If the Prime Minister of a country can walk to his office, I can certainly do it. So I gave up the idea of taking a taxi. Instead, I drove my car to the parking of the National Assembly and left it parked in the parking lot. From there I walked to all the places that I needed to visit.

One office I couldn’t go to was the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs in Tashichho Dzong where I had told an officer that I would come and see him. I had to call him and inform him that I would not be able to make it to see him. Why? Because I was wearing sneakers and the rules in effect does not permit anyone to enter the Dzong unless one is in dress shoes.

 All set for the walk

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Is it possible that the government can relax the sneaker rule - especially for Tuesdays so that people can gain entry into Dzongs even if they are wearing sneakers? Walking 3-4 Kms wearing hard-soled shoes can be very bad for one’s feet. Wearing comfortable footwear will encourage people to walk for longer durations.

The rule encouraging people to walk is very good. But the government must also see that it does enough to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

Do We Need An RTI Act?

-->The 2-days seminar/workshop on RTI Awareness organized by the Department of Information & Media, Ministry of Information and Communications concluded yesterday. I participated in the seminar not so much because I needed to know more than what I already knew about the benefits of RTI Act. I did so because it presented me with an opportunity, a platform, to make a statement - without any ambiguity - that Bhutan is not ready for the RTI Act.

The gaggle of notable speakers from around the world had one common message: that Bhutan is in absolute dire need of an RTI Act and, in their view, we need it TO-DAY, not tomorrow.

Let me assure you that the lineup of speakers at the seminar was impressive - each of them were articulate, well spoken, fluent and very knowledgeable. I was thoroughly impressed by the vastness of their experiences. I know too that they were very sincere in their good intentions for Bhutan. They truly believed that they had a very important message for us.

All that is fine, except that there is one minor detail we must not forget: the fact that all of them come from cultures that are vastly different from our own. The maturity of our democracies is at two opposite ends of the pole. The realities that exist in their countries are different from those that exist in ours. And, MOST IMPORTANTLY, we do not share a common history; a history that most often direct and shape our future.

They come from countries that have long and painful history of colonization, of deprivation, of subjugation, corrupt politicians and failed governments. That is why, during the course of the debate, I asked them a simple question:

How are their experiences relevant to us?

We are a nation of less than 700,000 people. There are hardly any secrets in Bhutan. In fact, because of our compactness, transparency is a national embarrassment.

Our Constitution already guarantees us our right to information. What additional rights or freedom can an RTI Act offer us?

Persistently, the panelists collectively insisted that the RTI Act is most often the result of DEMAND FOR INFORMATION. I pointed out that if that were true, as far as Bhutan was concerned, there is only one, repeat, only one recorded history of demand for information - that of Hon’ble National Council Member, Mr. Sangay Khandu. Can a law be considered for enactment based on one solitary demand? Ofcourse, there were a few articles written by the media extolling the virtues of the RTI Act. But the media’s demand for RTI Act is inconsequential since every one of us know that their interest in it constitute a very serious conflict of interest.

One other question I asked the panelists at the seminar was this: why did a great country like India with a few million brilliant minds take 56 years to enact their RTI Act – from the time they got their Constitution? One of the Indian speakers put the blame squarely on their politicians. That was very unfair. On the contrary, my view was that the Indian people were very wise because of which they gave themselves that many years to understand the issues involved, engage the public to debate on it, deliberate on each of the clauses of the proposed Act, understand their implications, so that, when finally they enact it, they have a well thought out and enforceable law that would benefit the common people.

I am not suggesting that Bhutan take 56 years to enact an RTI Act. But certainly, we can allow ourselves few years to work on it, allow our democracy to mature, our people to understand their responsibilities that come with the freedom that they have been given under the democratic system.

I also opined that it was simple to enact a law but very, very difficult to enforce it. I suggested that Bhutan must first work towards creating the enabling conditions in order that the delivery and application of the RTI becomes possible. Given the poor state of our record keeping and the level of ICT knowledge and implementation, enforcing the Act will be near impossible, regardless of our lawmakers’ very best intentions.

I pointed out to the resource persons that out of the 241 countries, only 86 countries enacted RTI Act, as of 2008. More than 60% of the countries did not adopt the law. Why? By the way, one among those counties that does not yet have an RTI Act in place is: Singapore. And we know that Singapore is one of the world’s most dynamic countries.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the experts believe that we need the law NOW. I disagree with them totally. We are not ready for it now. Every educated individual is in no doubt of the empowerment the RTI Act will give the common man. However, its relevance and usefulness is a matter of timing. We need to understand the mindset of the people who will be seeking the information and those of the present set of people who are holding the information. Will the giver give willingly? Will the seeker seek responsibly?

In conclusion, it is my view that the experts’ need for haste is driven by their paranoia and a dread of their own past. Bhutanese people have no such baggage.

The Rupee Crush and the Ngultrum Crunch

-->Day-before-yesterday, a reporter friend asked me; “What is your view on the Rupee crunch? When do you think it is likely to be solved, if ever?”

She was aghast at the simplicity of my answer. She couldn’t accept that the reason could be explained away in just two lines - in all of 5 seconds, in such simple and uncomplicated terms. She expected me to come up with an elaborate economic theory, a complex and intricate explanation on what went wrong where and when. She was sure I would give her a mind boggling, blow-by-blow account of how things went wrong - a detailed, step-by-step remedial measures that needs to be put in place, to get out of our present woes.

We have complicated our lives so much that simple things are no longer credible. That is why, perhaps, we feel a sense of sophistication when we prefer cocktails that contain dashes of salt and pepper, instead of drinking whiskey in the raw. Thus, I suppose, it is understandable that my newsperson friend looked at me incredulously and did not believe a word of the simple and straightforward explanation I gave her. In her mind she had already decided that I would offer her something titillating, something dramatic, something debilitating and scandalous, in order that she can faithfully perpetuate the confusion that she and her brood had been dishing out.

Each of our media houses are so preoccupied in outdoing each other in putting out preposterous and outlandish reasons why we are in our current predicament, all of a sudden and without warning, that they have completely failed to report on the positive effects this supposed Rupee crunch is having on the country. As a result, we have today a nation full of nervous and gawk-eyed people who have been mislead into believing that our problems began a little over two months back when the RMA Governor started regulating the use of Indian Rupees. No one seems to understand that our problems began with our crush for the Indian Rupee that started with our modernization sometime in the early 1960’s.

Another hazardous belief that is gaining popular credence among the media and the people alike is that all able and competent people must join politics. They do not seem to care that the mass exodus of experienced civil servants could cause even more dangerous leadership vacuum in the bureaucracy. A strong, dedicated and functioning civil service is even more critical for the efficient implementation of the government’s plans and programs.

Even as the next elections are drawing near and even as a number of aspiring political parties are dangerously coming close to being formed (if media is to be believed), I am getting more and more worried. The successful formation of even one additional party means that we have to go through a primary round of elections. For a miniscule country with a population size of less than 700,000 people, a primary round is too wasteful and unnecessary. Even for the current two parties, there aren’t enough credible candidates to go around - let alone leadership of any substance. Bhutan is in no condition to afford a wasteful primary round. Therefore, let us hope that a third party does not get formed and, even if it does, let us do away with the primary round and go straight for the real deal.

The combined stress of a Rupee crunch as well as an Ngultrum crunch could turn out to be the proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back!

But I tell you! We are living in exciting times. My temples are pulsating with the reverberation caused by the rush of warm blood that is pounding them. I am so thoroughly excited by the intrigue surrounding the mystery of the Rupee crunch and the provable solution that may come from some totally unexpected quarter. The intellectual hounds among you should analysis the situation, seriously.

Too Much Unrestrained Freedom?

Recently, a large number of my friends and relatives around the country spotted me on BBS TV - bearing a microphone in hand and wildly gesticulating like a man possessed - making some speechless points!

A friend commented that I was so driven by emotion that I was dumbfounded for words. Another smart Alec opined that I was a masterful shadow-boxer. However, the best comment came from my dad who too had seen me, for a fleeting moment, wordlessly making some points on BBS TV. Apparently, he had called up my sister to ask if I was joining politics. A mute politician? Preposterous!

You might wonder why I am suddenly the center of so much attention among my friends and relatives and why such a huge ruckus is being kicked up about my mute appearance on the BBS TV. The reason is that I was invited by the Bhutan Center for Media and Democracy to be on the panel that was discussing: Freedom of Media. How is freedom of the media understood in Bhutan, how do we fare in terms of free speech? What about our regulatory environment?

I had made some very scathing remarks against the media as a whole, how they had so far failed to live up to their enormous responsibilities as the Fourth Estate. How most of our young reporters are forever stuck in that state of infanthood. How, even after so many years, they are not being able to mature into responsible, committed and passionate custodians of the nation’s conscience. How some of them have usurped their right to free speech by being irresponsible and damaging in their reporting.

I had also touched on the subject of the RTI Act being proposed as a knee-jerk reaction arising out of some hurt ego and whether we have evolved enough to fully understand the responsibilities that come with freedom and whether we are mature enough to understand and respect the enormity of the empowerment that the RTI Act can give us.

I had also reminded them that if they were not getting the information they seek from government agencies, it was because they antagonized the source of the information and that they lacked tact and skill in handling prospective sources of the information they seek.

I had categorically stated before my talk that being critical was not being negative. I am on record (the entire proceedings were being tape recorded and video filmed) where I had pleaded with the media to be more responsible and not to add bewilderment to the already confusing state of affairs as a result of our lack of experience in a brand new form of governance.

It is obvious from the way my words were censored and muted by BBS TV, that my opinions were not well received by the media. That is fine but that kind of behavior throws up a very serious question:

How can the media in Bhutan grow into a responsible public apparatus if they can silence and moderate opposing and uncomplimentary views about themselves? Who then regulates them? Is the current state of affairs among our media houses the result of too much unrestrained freedom?

Think about it.

Pardon Me, Your Slip Is Showing

-->Druk Air is Bhutan’s national flag carrier, and the only airline that, for decades, operated commercial flights in and out of the country. We now have a second airline (domestic only) that attempts to give it some semblance of competition. As a monopoly holder of the air travel business, the airline had no need to spend money on advertising and, it would appear, even what little they spent was spent on pathetically inaccurate Posters, like the one reproduced below.

Take a careful look at the poster. There is something terribly erroneous about the poster. Let us see how many of you can spot the flaw in the poster.

Full Moon Over Thimphu

-->According to reports, the moon is supposed to be closest to earth yesterday the 6^th May, 2012 which was a full-moon day. I assumed that it would look bigger and brighter. It wasn’t really so - I shot the image below at 9.21 PM. Frankly I didn’t see much difference in its size or its brilliance. But I do see that it has seen lot more battering since I last photographed it.

Has NEC Failed TO DO Their Job?

-->In recent times, there has been a lot of news on littering and dumping in public places. From all that I can see on BBS TV and read in the print media, it looks like, finally, the Thimphu Thrompen (Thumbs Up to you - way to go!) is going to do something about tackling one of our most shameful and visible failures - pollution and waste management.

This morning I visited the website of the NEC (National Environment Commission) to see if they have been adequately empowered to act in matters relating to pollution and irresponsible dumping of waste. From the notice posted on the front page of their website (reproduced below), it seems like they have been – for the past many years. So how come they have failed to act?

“This is for the general information to the public that washing and cleaning of clothes/vehicles and dumping of any kinds of wastes by the river banks or into any water bodies are prohibited under the Waste Prevention and Management Act of Bhutan 2009 and National Environment Protection Act of Bhutan 2007.

Therefore, everyone is informed to stop carrying out these activities. Henceforth, anyone found violating these Acts shall be liable for both civil and criminal penalties.”

On 23^rd September, 2010, I posted the following article on this blog - raising the issue of the terrible pollution that was being caused to our rivers and lake. I have not heard any action being taken by the NEC. I even visited the NEC office and spoke to one of the officers there to do something about the dumping into our rivers. Nothing has been done.

Frankly, it is very simple. Since all the puja celebrations are funded (paid for) by the owners of the construction companies and house and workshop owners, all that is required is to write to each one of them and inform them of the laws in place and put them on notice that if they do not act responsibly, they will be prosecuted as per law. Thereafter, monitor the puja sites and enforce the rules – strictly.

I am not suggesting the banning of the celebration of the puja. What I am asking is that, there must be better ways to have fun. Think of better and safer ways of doing things.

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Thursday, September 23, 2010

Of Pollution, Puja and God Who Gets Dumped

Here it was, yet again, the 17^th of September, a day when motorized vehicles are adorned with vermilion, multi-colored balloons and yards and yards of colorful synthetic ribbons. On this day, puja pandals are hastily hammered together; in the basements of semi-finished buildings, factories, vehicle workshops and metal fabrication facilities - to house a mustachioed idol of a four-armed being, riding an elephant and wearing a crown and loads of jewelry. In his hands he holds a water-pot, a book, a noose and craftsman's tools. The brightly colored idol, in whose honor such a ruckus is being kicked up, is that of the mythical Lord Vishwakarma - believed to be the chief architect and supreme engineer to all the Gods in the Hindu pantheon.

Strangely, in my experience, it is not the professional engineers and the architects who honor the Hindu God but the migrant Bengali and Bihari laborers, mostly in the construction industry, who celebrate the Vishwakarma puja. And they do it with unrestrained zest and gusto. Street corners, construction sites and vehicle workshops - all come alive with a cacophony of popular Bollyhood movie songs blaring out of tattered sound boxes at decibels high enough to shatter one’s eardrums.

For a God who is celebrated with such passion and enthusiasm, the Hindu faithful seldom build temples or permanent statues in honor of Lord Vishwakarma. Perhaps, that is the reason why, during this puja celebrations, one will not be hearing any hymns or devotional songs extolling the virtues of this God of engineering and architecture. Instead, one will see devout Bengalis and Beharis gyrating wildly in front of the idols. This manner of honoring a God is alien to most Bhutanese who are used to expressing their devotion to God with murmured prayers offered with closed eyes and folded hands. Nevertheless, I have yet to see a Bhutanese decline the pandal’s make-shift Pundit’s customary offer to plant a red “tika” on their foreheads.

While the deafening sounds generated by the incessant pounding of old tins and empty plastic barrels keep the Bengali and the Bihari adrenaline flowing, a large population living close to these numerous pandals spread across the town is robbed of sleep and peace by the celebrations that go on unabated, all night long.

I am told that there are in excess of 400 constructions that are ongoing in Thimphu town alone. This will get only worse in the coming years. Therefore, I get this feeling that the celebration of Vishwakarma puja, in its present form, has the potential to be a great public nuisance, if allowed to fester unchecked and unregulated. If we do not act now, there is a real danger that it may become a part of our culture - a culture that is neither meaningful nor productive. More importantly, even beyond the fear of being saddled with a culture not our own, the environmental damage and the noise pollution caused by these celebrations should be reason enough for concern. We need to intervene now when the problem is still relatively manageable.

There is something not quite right in the manner in which Vishwakarma puja is celebrated in our country. I see aspects to it that are not in conformity to the generally accepted code of conduct and decency required to be observed when celebrating in public spaces. It would appear that it hasn’t yet dawned on the Bhutanese people the long-term damage the Vishwakarma puja celebration is causing to our environment. Or, as usual, we are taking a lackadaisical attitude towards it.

Let us consider the following:

1.     Celebration and/or conducting of any public function is, by rule, subject to proper written authorization from a designated government/regulatory authority. I have not yet heard of such a requirement being imposed on the annual celebration of the Vishwakarma puja. What are the reasons for this special immunity? Given the very public nature of the celebrations and considering that a large number of people congregate during this occasion, shouldn’t we require the event to be properly licensed and monitored? And, if we decide that they should be regulated, who should the regulatory authority be? - the Ministry of Home & Cultural Affairs, BICMA, the City Corporation or should it be the RBP? What should be the guidelines in order to ensure that it is celebrated in a way that it does not infringe on people’s peace and privacy or cause damage to the environment and the ecosystem?

2.     During the day of the celebrations, a large number of vehicles that ply on the roads are decorated with yards and yards of colorful synthetic ribbons and balloons and flowers made of Styrofoam that obstruct the vision of the drivers. This is clearly hazardous and could result in road mishaps and endanger lives. Strangely, if you ask those who partake in these decorations, they are clueless as to its religious or social significance. What are the RSTA’s and the Traffic Police’s stand on this? In most countries, anything that you attach to a vehicle that is not an allowable gear or attachment or useful accessory is tantamount to altering the original design of a vehicle, which is prohibited. Is such a thing allowed under the RSTA or the Traffic rules? Without doubt, such decorations obstruct visibility and thus can be classified as dangerous driving. Should it be allowed?

3.     The worst part of the Vishwakarma puja celebrations is that the celebrations end the next day - when the idols are immersed in rivers and lakes. It defies logic and it is absolutely incomprehensible that an idol of God that one reveres and worships, end up being dumped into the river like a bundle of garbage. Why would any one want to worship it if it were to end up being dumped like a pile of dirt?

        However, it is not for us who are outside the faith to try and decipher the why, and the why for, of such a seemingly illogical act. To us, it is more important to understand the consequences of this act from the point of view of its impact on our environment and social and communal harmony.

4.     Traditionally, idols were made from mud and clay and painted using vegetable dyes. But commercialization of festivals and the sheer volumes of idols needed to be produced and transported over great distances meant that the traditional materials did not fulfill the design specifications of the modern idols. In the process, eco-friendly statues are no longer economically feasible. Thus, the new generation idols are produced from non-biodegradable materials such as plastic, cement and plaster of Paris and painted with chemical dyes that contain harmful and toxic agents.

     Can you imagine what the thousands of idols, along with its synthetic and plastic trappings, being dumped into our river systems around the country are doing to our environment? Besides poisoning our water sources, can you imagine the damage it is causing to the aquatic creatures that inhabit our rivers and lakes?

       Have you considered that these toxic materials finally end up inside the bellies of fish that we eat? Have you considered that the river waters with all the contaminants end up in the irrigation channels that our farmers use to irrigate their farms that produce food and vegetable that we consume? If this is going to be the case, how realistic is our dream of becoming a nation of organic farmers?

It is clear that unregulated celebration of the Vishwakarma puja can go beyond being merely a public nuisance. Its environmental implications are of greater concern. Why is it that the National Environment Commission has overlooked this issue? Why has the RSTA and the Traffic Police not been alerted of the dangers of vehicles being decorated with things that could cause dangerous accidents on the road?

I believe that it is time for the government and agencies under it to put in place rules and regulations and promulgate them to ensure that:

a.     the puja is celebrated in a manner that is not detrimental to our environment while, at the same time, it is celebrated in a way that it does not cause problems and hardships to others;

b.    that the celebration is licensed by a competent authority in order that the licensees can be held accountable;

c.    ensure that, if possible, idols are built in-country under strict supervision to ensure that only bio-degradable materials are used to build the idols and be decorated with environmentally friendly substances. If that is not feasible, ensure that their import is brought under some control so that only idols built with harmless and bio-degradable materials are allowed to enter the country.

I know that it is in the Buddhist spirit to allow free and fair practice of individual faith and culture. But being tolerant does not mean that we have to accept practices - whether cultural, religious or social - that harm the environment as well as cause disruption to the peace and tranquility of others within the sphere.

If we pride ourselves as an evolved lot with the capacity to think objectively, analytically and with reason, it is quite ridiculous to continue to engage in acts that were conceived in medieval times when conditions were different from what it is today. It is acceptable that certain beliefs and practices may have been pertinent and useful during a particular time and stage in our evolution - but not all of them are now useful or relevant or even practicable.

Conservation and protection of the natural environment is one of the four pillars of GNH. We take great pride in being a champion in environmental conservation. If that be the case, we should have no hesitation in rationalizing, if not entirely doing away with, certain practices that are undeniably accepted as being harmful to nature and the environment. In my opinion, there should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that the manner in which Vishwakarma puja is celebrated in its present form is a great polluter.

Lord Vishwakarma cannot be a very happy God knowing he has become a source of pollution and defilement of the environment.

Funny Signboards

-->I just returned from a trip to the Eastern Dzongkhags (Districts) covering Mongar, Trashiyangtse, Trashigang and Pemagatshel. It was not fun because it rained every day and night. Most nights, my companions had to sleep in the car because their tents got flooded with rainwater and sleep wasn’t possible. My own tent wasn’t spared either - most nights there was a small rivulet flowing beneath my tent floor. Fortunately, I have a very good tent - Cabela’s Outfitter Series^TM Extreme Weather Tent - that can withstand anything that the elements can throw at it. Also, I sleep on a raised camp cot which means that there is no danger of rain water seeping into my sleeping bag while I sleep. I always wake up bone dry in the morning :)

Cabela’s Outfitter Series^TM - Extreme Weather Tent

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But the trip wasn’t entirely without its moments of hilarity. The stretch of road between Trashigang and Pemagatshel is strewn with road signs that provide the weary travelers a good bite of laughter and amusement. The DANTAK (the organization responsible for building roads in Bhutan) has put up road signs along the way that are quite humorous, if a tad dour. The following are some example of the DANTAK’s ingenuity at lively road signs:

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Not to be out done, a shop owner in Khaling town comes up with a shop sign that has got to be a first of its kind. However, for the life of me I could not decide whether he did not know the Dzongkha equivalent of “General” or he couldn’t think of the English word for “Tshongkhang” and therefore decided on the amalgamation. Regardless of how strangely it is constructed, there is a nice ring about it, a kind of seamlessness in its integration: General Tshongkhang - not bad at all. By the way, what is the Dzongkha word for “General”?

 

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But the following signboard at Yadi School did not amuse me at all. I mean an institution of education and learning cannot do any better? Forget the English, I suspect that even the Dzongkha version is written all wrong. Small wonder then that there is so much talk about dropping education standard in the country.

Rarely Shown Bird Photos

-->Some friends have been rather unhappy with me for not posting photos of my birds. Well, here are six of them. These are some of my best bird photos that have never before been shown. I am finally posting these to pacify those friends who seem to have missed seeing my birds.

Please click on the image to see all six in a slideshow.

Ejoy!

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The first image is that of a Scarlet Finch. Actually I had been chasing a pair of Gold-napped Finch - for two hours - without any success. Then, all of a sudden, this stunning bird appeared on the scene and captivated me. For the next one hour or so, I chased it around the forest. It moves fast but once it perches on its feed, it didn’t seem to care that I had a bazooka trained at it, allowing me to shoot at a leisurely pace. I must have shot over 300 frames - this bird is so beautiful, you want to keep shooting even when you know that you got the best shot you are ever likely to get.

 

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The second bird is called Crested Bunting, a cute little bird mostly confined to warmer places. Many a times I tried to photograph it in Wangdue area but the cheeky fellow always managed to give me the slip. But I finally nailed it in Lemithang, Mongar. It likes to strike quite a pose and sings a nice song too.

 

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The bird below took me by surprise. It is so small - only 10CM - and it was fleeting around with a bunch of Warblers. I have had enough with Warblers - they are such great teasers and I am so angry with them. I will not shoot them unless there are no birds left to shoot. But the little fellow below somehow caught my eyes because of its straightforward black and white markings. And, it did not behave like a Warbler - so I decided to take a closer look. Lo and behold, it was a Little Pied Flycatcher. I had never seen it before, let alone photograph it. This was a real find.

 

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One time I was parked by the roadside in Yongkala in the hope of seeing one of my most favorite birds - the Sultan Tit. The yellow-turbaned black Wazir never showed up. However, in its place, I landed myself another of my life birds - the sly looking Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher shown below.

 

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There are two birds that I particularly loath photographing - the Verditer Flycatcher and the White-throated Kingfisher. I have never been able to reproduce their colors accurately - it always comes out yucky - I think it is their shade of green. However, I finally managed to get it right in my following photo of the White-throated Kingfisher. As you can see, I managed to get the details quite well and the sharpness is darn good too. And, I dare say, the exposure is near perfect too!

 

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And finally, Bhutan’s MUST SEE bird: the Satyr Tragopan. Some believe that this bird is Bhutan’s most beautiful bird. But photographing it is not easy - particularly in Sengore where you can see these birds. The area is always wet and, even worst, it is foggy most of the time. This makes it extremely difficult for photography. I must have exposed a few thousand frames shooting this bird but I have barely 4-5 images of the bird that are, what I consider, keepers.