Jamyang Norbu's blog
TSEWANG NORBU “TAK-GO”: IN MEMORIUM (1949-2018) Photo: Tibet Initiative I first met Tsewang Norbu-la at the Frankfurt Book Fair (the world’s largest trade fair for books) in the year 1999 (I think it was) where Tibet Forum had rented a stand to publicize recent publications on Tibet which included Tsering Shakya’s Dragon in the Land …
All the delegates at the 5th International Rangzen Conference received a group audience and a photo opportunity with the Dalai Lama on the last day of the conference. It was a large group and I was kneeling close by his feet (he was standing) so most probably he didn’t see me. I understand he later …
Exactly a hundred years ago, to the day – the 29th of April 1918, Tibetan government troops captured Chamdo. After a long and brutal siege the Chinese garrison finally surrendered. Following the liberation of what can be described as the capital of Eastern Tibet, the Tibetan army advanced all along the Kham front eventually freeing over half the territory …
Continue reading “Centennial of a Historic Tibetan Victory over a Chinese Invasion Force”
The Russian explorer Nikolay Przhevalsky in 1878 described Lhasa as the “Rome of Asia” We know that since time immemorial, an unending stream of pilgrims, mendicant and merchants flocked to that city particularly during the period of the New Year and the Monlam festival. Early accounts even refer to Armenians, Pebouns (Newari), Casimiris (Muslims), Mongols, Chinese …
Continue reading “Tibetan Restaurant Culture: Origins and Evolution”
REMEMBERING KHEWANG ELLIOT SPERLING It’s a year now since my dear friend passed away. Although I have become, by default, the unofficial obituary writer in the exile Tibetan world, I could not, at the time then, bring myself to perform the necessary honors for my departed friend. In fact I was not able …
HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF TIBET’S ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST COMMUNIST CHINA’S MILITARY OCCUPATION & TYRANNY L-R: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Mrs Tashi Dolma, unknown, Diki Thondup and Tenzin Sonam. On November 8th last year the Dalai Lama received a presentation set of eight books that constitute as complete a history of Tibet’s heroic resistance to Communist …
Last year, when putting together the March 10th Memorial website, a major problem I encountered was obtaining photographs and film footages for this critical period in our modern history. Three black-&-white photographs were all there was of the public demonstration on the morning of March 10th. Possibly the most reproduced of these three photos is that of the enormous crowd gathered before …
I guess most of us need cheering up this week. The only comfort food I know that might just begin to do that is a plate of steaming momos. Even writing about it makes me feel a little more positive and hopeful than I did a moment ago. I am also writing this post to celebrate …
REFLECTIONS ON GYALO THONDUP & MODERN TIBETAN HISTORY Power Struggle in Exile – The Opening Guns The above image by pioneering color photographer, Ernst Hass, compellingly captures the early Tibetan refugee experience: dislocation, disease, trauma, desperate poverty and so much more. It also underlines the native toughness of these women and men, and their readiness to …
Continue reading “Untangling a Mess of Petrified Noodles II”
REFLECTIONS ON GYALO THONDUP & MODERN TIBETAN HISTORY Politicians and celebrities around the world employ ghostwriters for their memoirs and screeds. So the autobiography of a prominent Tibetan political figure being ghosted (or co-written) should come as no surprise to anyone. What was unexpected about Mr. Gyalo Thondup’s archly titled The Noodlemaker of Kalimpong (NMK), …
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