Sija translates for her mother

Greetings,

We asked her about growing up in Lhasa after 1935.
Sija, her daughter, a doctor in a local hospital translated.

“It was very basic and humble. It was all fields, small communities working the land.”

She still has many childhood friends she visits or walks with in the Barkhor.

What did she remember about the monasteries?

“The Drepung was filled with monks (estimates 10,000) and many people, more than today would go there to pray.”

Difficulties?

“The hardest time was during the Cultural Revolution
(1966-1976) when guards came, took away all my jewelry, burned and destroyed old books and forced everyone to learn the Red Book. Some of my books were very old.”

She never learned to write. Sija and her mother often sing songs from that time. Her mother’s good memory allowed her to sing many songs.

Now she lives with Sija and son in good health. She was very kind to us, constantly refilling our cup with butter tea. Then she’d raise her hands together, palms up, smile, and say “Drink up, drink up.”

Peace.