Chocolates for a Change.

If you are new into the Bhutanese shops and are given chocolates or chewing gums instead of coins whenever they have to give you back change, don’t get surprised, this practice has now been moving for quite few years in all parts of the Bhutanese Shops through out the Country and has become a common practice even if the shop keepers have few coins for change. For an Example, you have purchased a goods worth NU 96 and you have paid NU 100, the shopkeepers usually offer you Chewing Gums or Chocolates worth Nu 4 and he/she would say “ Sir/ Madam, I am sorry, I don’t have changed you can take this chewing gums as change.”

Won’t it be irritating for you if you have less money in your wallets, this will make a huge difference to poor villagers after all a penny or a Ngultrum (Bhutanese Currency). Such acts or practice has now been moved from shops to ticket counter of transport service as well, recently, I was to board to Gelephu on some work and the counter lady had to returned me Nu 3 as change and she said that she doesn’t have coins to offer and up goes her hands into a jar of Chewing Gums where she gave me three, I had no choice but to accept it. But for most of the people like me, it’s a matter of prestige and quietly accepts chocolates or sweets for a change. “grin” Am in being forced to buy their goods. Government should come up with some ideas so as not let the people suffer or are made to pay for what they don’t intent to buy.