We spend a lot of time celebrating the positives of village life in Tibet. In Yeshi’s home, four generations live together and provide for one another. Many things just work better.
But how about when events take an unexpected turn? Recently, Yeshi’s mother has been sick again, and the road connecting her to the nearest hospital is being repaired, rendering it impassable.
Everyone hoped she’d just get better, but eventually it became unwise to delay a hospital visit any further. At this point, Yeshi’s brother and nephews got a car as far as it was possible to drive, and then took it in turns to carry her on their backs across two valleys to the next thoroughfare.
Over here, when the road is up we take it for granted that a diversion will be put in place. In Tibet, it’s a case of survival of the fittest, and this can mean the difference between life and death.
But there are advantages to this largely unregulated situation. As mum recuperates in hospital across the way, several family members are busy digging up the road back home. I have vivid memories of navigating the hairpin bend in question on the day of our arrival in Yeshi’s village. Just beyond it lies the “Party-Masses Service Centre”, a government office where we were required to register as “aliens”.
This road never effectively served the large vehicles that travel up and down it, so households have clubbed together to finance and carry out its reconstruction in order to make it fit for purpose.
I asked Yeshi whether the Service Centre must approve these works or if local residents can repair as they see fit, and he explained that as long as everyone in the village is on board, between them they can make whatever changes they like to the layout of the village.
This is refreshing to hear. In Oxford, even a dropped kerb is a matter for council approval, and every time the restaurant’s pavement license is up for renewal Yeshi gets super uppity about the amount we have to pay and the paperwork involved.
On the other hand, it’s just as well my own mother – who’s not local – doesn’t need piggybacks to the hospital. Many hands make light work, or the system must provide. It’s swings and roundabouts.
We’re open all the usual hours this week, as follows:
Weds – Fri: 5-9.30pm (dinner only)
Saturday: 12-3 / 5-9.30pm
Sunday: 12-3 / 5-9pm
This week’s menu is up on the website – check it. Come by for dine in, take away and a wide range of freezer food, including family-sized boxes. If you’re looking ahead to Christmas we’ve also got plenty of mooli pickle and sepen chilli oil in the house, as well as cookbooks.
Finally, we’re running an offer on Taste Tibet freezer food for all our newsletter subscribers this week. Have you signed up? Click here to receive weekly news and offers direct to your inbox.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Julie and Yeshi
Opening hours this week:
Weds – Fri: 5-9.30pm
Saturday: 12-3pm 🥢 5-9.30pm
Sunday: 12-3pm 🥢 5-9pm
☏ 01865 499318
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