Tibet Oral History Project: Interview with Tsekay on 4/13/2015

The interpreter's English translation provided during this interview is potentially incomplete and/or inaccurate. If you are not fluent in Tibetan, please refer to the interview transcript for the complete and correct English translation. Read the interview transcript in English at http://tibetoralhistory.org/Interview...

** This interview about life in Tibet was conducted by the Tibet Oral History Project. This non-profit organization aims to preserve the history and culture of the Tibetan people by interviewing elderly Tibetan refugees about life in Tibet before and after the Chinese invasion. Learn more at http://www.TibetOralHistory.org.

** Interview Summary: Tsekay was born in Bungpa Bupthoe, Utsang Province where there were 100-200 nomad families living scattered on the hills in tents. As a child she had chores such as herding animals, milking and grinding tsampa 'flour made from roasted barley.' She recalls the beautiful colored flowers that covered the hills and plains, which the children played with. Tsekay describes the distribution of work between men and women. The men travelled to the Changthang 'Northern Plateau' to gather salt and then went to Nepal to barter it for food grains while the women stayed home to look after the animals and weave clothing. She says a nomad's life was hard but there was freedom. When her family heard that the Chinese were coming they feared difficult times were ahead and decided to escape to Nepal. But without their animals and unable to speak the language, life was difficult for her in exile.