Social Commentary

Yumtso is a prominent contemporary Tibetan woman blogger from Karze, Kham. Her real name is Yama Choetso, and she graduated from the Central University for Nationalities in Beijing in 2010. Her pen name Yumtso means “turquoise colored lake”. She blogs on Sangdhor net and focuses on current social changes inside Tibet. (more…)

This article was published on the well known Tibetan blog Choemey (Butter Lamp). The piece, published under a penname, concerns social change and shifting family dynamics inside Tibet.

The Bride of the Three Virtues

By Namkha
 
My internet friends may laugh when they first see the title of today’s article. Possibly they haven’t seen this title before. This is a new prize that is becoming popular in Tibetan areas. It reminds me of the time when I worked hard to become a young pioneer at the primary school, and worked hard to become a “student of the three virtues.” The student of the three virtues must be: 1. A good student; 2. Have good discipline; 3. Have good hygiene. The student must have these three virtues. (more…)

Rabjor is a senior Tibetan writer, and he criticizes the argument that poetry has a responsibility to society. (more…)

Kyabchen Dedol is one of the best young Tibetan writers in Tibet and he is also the leading figure of the “Third Generation”, a generation defined both by their age and their distinctive thoughts and views. The piece was published on the popular website Chodmey (Lamp), of which Dedol is former editor. There was a serious online debate among young Tibetan writers about their attitude towards Tibetan scholars, and Dedol argues that there are many other Tibetan scholars besides the widely admired Gendun Chophel and Dhondup Gyal. (more…)

This excerpt is taken from another popular blog Tso Ngonpo (Kokonor). Caterpillar fungus, which grows on the plateau, is sold to the mainland where it is highly prized for its medicinal uses. It has now become a primary source of income for many families in Tibet, especially in Kham and Amdo areas where the fungus grows well. Because it brings in so much money, there have been fights among villagers regarding the ownership of disputed grassland areas where the fungus is found. (more…)

The article is written by one of the prominent contemporary Tibetan writers from kham, who uses the pen name Yumtso (meaning “turquoise colored lake). Yumtso is a common name among Tibetans and also the name of several famous lakes such as Mipam Yumtso and Yamdrok Yumtso. The writer mentions that because of the Tibetan lamas’s dharma teachings in Tibet, the number of smokers and drunks is gradually shrinking, but on the other hand, this medical herb drink called “huo-xiang-zheng-qi water” and contains alcohol, is becoming very popular in the market. (more…)

Dekyi Thang literally means “happy field” in Tibetan. The author remembers the Dekyi Thang of her childhood and mourns the neglect and commercialization of present-day Dekyi Thang. The author notices the growing number of butter lamp shops inside Dekyi Thang, which seems to be changing from a place of worship to a place of business, and points out that only butter lamps bought from each hall can be offered in the hall. This article was published on March 26th. (more…)

This article was posted in August 28, 2011. This is a journal about a journey from Amdo Xining to Lhasa, on the train which starts from Beijing. The train began running in 2006 and made it much easier for Chinese travelers and migrants to come from the mainland to Tibet. The writer compares the attitude of the present travelers’ versus the attitude of travelers twenty years ago, when the Tibetans took off their hats when they entered Lhasa as a sign of respect for the holy city. (more…)

By Jamyang Kyi

1. What are your thoughts on the increasing number of Tibetan prostitutes in the cities?

Answer:

There are some hateful men who use offensive words such as “prostitute, slut, whore” to dishonor the nature of women in general. Even the scholar Gen Sangye Dondrub, whose publications are supposedly rich with “rights” and “equality,” likes to use such types of words. Those people have wounded my heart and the hearts of other women like me. Today, suddenly facing such a question has saddened me. (more…)

In Lhasa, jobs as nannies are mostly sought and found through relatives, as well as the introduction and recommendation by friends. As a result, there is a continuous flow of young Tibetan women from agricultural and pastoral areas to Lhasa, which has slowly formed a spontaneous but sizable nanny market and workforce. At the homes of Tibetan cadres, workers and local residents, their main responsibilities include rearing children, cleaning, taking care of and accompanying elderly people, and housekeeping. Among the retired Tibetan cadres, workers, local residents with private houses or dual-career Tibetan families with more than two children, most of them hire nannies. Some families even have two to three nannies. (more…)