For Want Of A Nu.10.00 Genja Ticket

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The President
Association of Bhutanese in Perth
AUSTRALIA.

Dear Association President,

Greetings from Bhutan. It is my hope that this finds you safe and sound, down under.

I believe that the pleasantries of a formal introduction can be dispensed with since I have already spoken to you on WhatsApp - so you know who I am. What you do not know is: what do I want from your Association? The following is my story.

I have few relatives studying/working in Australia - a little over half a dozen of them - one among them being you. Of that many, a nephew recently bought a parcel of land in Thimphu and wanted me to represent him in the signing of the land transfer documentation, to be executed as a matter of official record with the Land Commission.

The all-important Genja Ticket

It turns out that the rule in vogue is that the Letter of Authority in my favor has to be executed with his thumb impression (not signature) affixed over a legal stamp. Now that was simpler said than done - understandably, it appears that getting Bhutanese legal stamps in the land of the Koala is akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. It took him three days to finally get the stamps from some friends and have the paper executed.

I was unnerved - I mean here was a situation that could very well cause, what they call, a disastrous slip between the cup and the lip. A perfectly good deal could be jeopardized - for want of a Nu.10.00 legal stamp. I decided that we cannot allow this to happen - not particularly when I am trying very hard to get the message across to every single Bhutanese in Australia and elsewhere that we need them to buy land back home in Bhutan, and not in Australia or elsewhere, so that they are encouraged to eventually return home, to reap the benefits of their toil.

Thus, few days back I drove over to the GPO and bought four sheets of legal stamps - each containing 50 stamps each, making up a total of 200 stamps. This should be good for atleast 100 land transections. I am happy to let you know that the Genja Tickets have been forwarded to your Association by DHL on 08/02/2023. The packet should be in your hands any day now - please confirm, upon receipt.

It is my donation to the Bhutanese community in Australia. I shall appreciate if you could distribute the stamps freely - to any and all those who may stand in need of them - with my wish and hope that they make tons and tons of money - so that they can buy acres and acres of land back home in Bhutan, and eventually come back and settle down to lead a life of leisure, and of calm and peace.

Bye and take care.