At a time when most children of her age are busy with skipping ropes, riding bicycles and playing games on phones, 11-year-old Yeshi Tsheyang Zam has just published her first book.
This makes the class seven student of Lungtenzampa Middle Secondary School one of the youngest published authors in the country.
Aptly titled Khakey, the book is an illustrated story about Khakey, a western Bhutanese custom of children discreetly delivering snowballs filled with delicacies to a neighbour’s house on the first snow day of the year.
After the snowball has been placed, the children playfully shout,” I think there’s something behind your stove. ”
If they manage to sneak their snowball in a neighbor’s house, the neighbour cooks a meal for them. But if they get caught in the act or after they have shouted the phrase, the children get a face full of soot.
“I can’t believe my first book just got published,” Yeshi writes as she acknowledges the support she received in coming up with her book.
Yeshi Tsheyang Zam, who is from Babesa, says she was inspired to write about it following an article her mother wrote on it a few months back.
“Before last year, my mother wrote an article about Khakey in a magazine,” said Yeshi Tsheyang Zam. “At the time, I did not even know what Khakey was. She told me it was a cultural game.”
For Yeshi, the book is just the beginning, while it is also a big hopeful step towards reviving the culture her generation has only heard of and not seen.
“The next time we have a snow day, I would like to see everyone having Khakey in their hand enjoying this cultural game in our country,” she said.
Part of the proceedings from the sale of her book will go towards the Bhutan Toilet Organization.
