I moved to India from Tibet when I was 17 years old. I wanted to see His Holiness Dalai Lama and study English. When I arrived to India I managed to see him – I could not believe my luck!
But you see I felt very sad and excited because I started to think about the situation. I felt sad that not everyone has the opportunity to see him or to even arrive to India safely, like I did. I know I am lucky.
It took me one month and fourteen days to travel from Lhasa. We walked for days without food and drink. We would survive on water from the rivers whenever we did come across one, and on fruit whenever we found a tree that would grow anything edible. On my journey I was very fortunate that there was no snow. But it was, like for others, very dangerous when we crossed the border. We couldn’t walk over the bridge so we had to swim – I didn’t even know how to swim but my willpower didn’t stop me there. I must have paddled like a dog haha. We met seven other prisoners in Budhan and continued our journey from there.
When I arrived to India I lived in a school for seven years but I got very sick so that I could no longer remain there. The thing is, I was not used to the climate and food, and so my whole system just shut down and could not comply. My body started to repel all the rice and dahl I had eaten every day for lunch. I have to take medicine now every day since then. You see it is not easy when one can not eat everything and has not got a good health.
I am grateful, however, that one of my teachers gave me shelter and food since I had nowhere to go when I could not stay at the school anymore. I live in Norbulinga and come to McLeod Ganj every day to learn English. I like living in India but I find it very difficult being alone here, not having a proper education or having a job. The salary here is quite low but I have to try and survive somehow.
What I love is to help others and to sit with my friends and talk or listen to each other’s problems. There is a sense of relieve whenever I do this. The best days here for me are when it is His Holiness Dalai Lama’s birthday and teacher’s day at school. He is such an inspiration! On teacher’s day it is also a massive celebration from morning until evening. We give gifts, sing, dance, eat together, and play sports and games.
I have six sisters and two brothers. We can only be in touch via WeChat, 2-3 times per month. My cousin lives in Switzerland so I would like to try and get a visa. If I get to Switzerland I would work so hard to be able to go back to Tibet and help my people by opening a school that teaches them English for free or any other skills that I pick up along my journey… That is my dream.
Tenzin Damdul (24)
Photo credit: Yasmine Tanwidjaja-Pajares
Interview written & edited by Yasmine Tanwidjaja-Pajares
But you see I felt very sad and excited because I started to think about the situation. I felt sad that not everyone has the opportunity to see him or to even arrive to India safely, like I did. I know I am lucky.
It took me one month and fourteen days to travel from Lhasa. We walked for days without food and drink. We would survive on water from the rivers whenever we did come across one, and on fruit whenever we found a tree that would grow anything edible. On my journey I was very fortunate that there was no snow. But it was, like for others, very dangerous when we crossed the border. We couldn’t walk over the bridge so we had to swim – I didn’t even know how to swim but my willpower didn’t stop me there. I must have paddled like a dog haha. We met seven other prisoners in Budhan and continued our journey from there.
When I arrived to India I lived in a school for seven years but I got very sick so that I could no longer remain there. The thing is, I was not used to the climate and food, and so my whole system just shut down and could not comply. My body started to repel all the rice and dahl I had eaten every day for lunch. I have to take medicine now every day since then. You see it is not easy when one can not eat everything and has not got a good health.
I am grateful, however, that one of my teachers gave me shelter and food since I had nowhere to go when I could not stay at the school anymore. I live in Norbulinga and come to McLeod Ganj every day to learn English. I like living in India but I find it very difficult being alone here, not having a proper education or having a job. The salary here is quite low but I have to try and survive somehow.
What I love is to help others and to sit with my friends and talk or listen to each other’s problems. There is a sense of relieve whenever I do this. The best days here for me are when it is His Holiness Dalai Lama’s birthday and teacher’s day at school. He is such an inspiration! On teacher’s day it is also a massive celebration from morning until evening. We give gifts, sing, dance, eat together, and play sports and games.
I have six sisters and two brothers. We can only be in touch via WeChat, 2-3 times per month. My cousin lives in Switzerland so I would like to try and get a visa. If I get to Switzerland I would work so hard to be able to go back to Tibet and help my people by opening a school that teaches them English for free or any other skills that I pick up along my journey… That is my dream.
Tenzin Damdul (24)
Photo credit: Yasmine Tanwidjaja-Pajares
Interview written & edited by Yasmine Tanwidjaja-Pajares
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