Farm life is never easy, least of all in Tibet. On our way from Kabala Pass back down to Lhasa, Pema asked if we would be interested in seeing a small Tibetan farm. She herself had grown up in a tiny village and was intimately familiar with the hardships of rural life. We stopped by the roadside and selected a farmhouse at random. Pema knocked at the gate and asked the farmer whether he would be interested in having visitors. Our host was incredibly gracious to us, showing us around his home, introducing us to other members of his family, offering us home-grown barley and toasted beans and homemade cheese for us to sample, and talking with us about his work and his life.
The gentleman is 51 years old. He lives on the farm with three sons and a daughter and two infant grandchildren, a pair of five-month old twin girls. His wife has passed away. His daughter-in-law died soon after the twins were born. His son is a widower at 20 and will probably remarry if he can find a family whose daughter will accept his two daughters. Our host greeted us warmly and made us feel welcome during our entire visit with him and his family. His life is hard. He smiles and gets on with it. It was a rare privilege to meet him.
The gentleman is 51 years old. He lives on the farm with three sons and a daughter and two infant grandchildren, a pair of five-month old twin girls. His wife has passed away. His daughter-in-law died soon after the twins were born. His son is a widower at 20 and will probably remarry if he can find a family whose daughter will accept his two daughters. Our host greeted us warmly and made us feel welcome during our entire visit with him and his family. His life is hard. He smiles and gets on with it. It was a rare privilege to meet him.
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