The beginning

Tashi delek! My name is Tashi, which in Tibetan means prosperity. I am a young woman, living in a small Himalayan village, near a raging river. I used to live in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, but when my father passed away when I was 12, I moved here to live with my uncle. Both my father and uncle were crafts persons, specifically in trade. As a woman, and being a tradesperson, it has been challenging, especially in this small village. My uncle and I trade medicine, so we are the go-to people in the village when the doctors need specific medicine and ingredients.

I’ve been taking classes at the local school for about 2 years now, developing my knowledge on our body’s anatomy and different diseases. Because this is such a small village, and it is hard to get to, I need to make sure we are not trading medicine that is not necessary. I hope to continue educating myself and expanding my knowledge.

I’ve recently started helping my neighbour in his farm. He has three pigs and four goats. He also cultivates corn and tomatoes. I help him once a week, everything Wednesday morning.

He mentioned to me last week that there’s a possibility of a hailstorm happening within the next week. This could do great damage on his farm and his vegetables we’ve been taking care of. Luckily, I knew of someone who was selling rare protective amulets in the Deer Park. He asked me if I would make the trip over with him. I’ve been debating the pros and cons, and I’ve come to the decision that my main priority is helping my uncle and I don’t want to leave him alone in the business. Especially since if people can get hurt by the hail, the doctors will be coming to stock up on medicine.

For now, I am going to get enough food together to last us for the week, and to just hope for good fortune for my uncle and I, and for the rest of the village.