Time is experienced so differently in Tibet. Watch the video sent recently from relatives back home and all becomes clear. This was Yeshi’s life for fourteen years – he herded sheep and yaks from the age of six. It was seasonal work, but it followed no fixed calendar. You knew what needed doing according to where the sun sat in the sky and the subtle changes in the land below.
When I first met Yeshi he told me that he didn’t know exactly how old he was – just the year of his birth, which in the Tibetan tradition is calculated according to the astrological zodiac. As a sheep in the Tibetan calendar, this makes him either 29, 41 or 53 this year… Go figure.
One of the many challenges of making our life and business work far away from the grasslands of Tibet is getting Yeshi on board with following schedules and keeping to appointments. Out on the plateau you would rarely make commitments ahead of time, allowing instead for work and life to take its natural course. If plans did need to be made you’d phrase them in terms of “tomorrow” or “ten days from now”. Days of the week just weren’t a thing.
It’s a wonder then that we manage to pitch up our tent on the days that we say we will, and that the food is ready on time. In fact I am no great help to Yeshi in this area as I don’t even keep a diary. How we manage to get through the usual festival season is a mystery and miracle. A fair amount of flying by the seat of our pants.
Which is where we are at now with our new premises, and the reason why we can’t say for sure when we may be open to throw open our doors. It will happen when the auspicious day arrives, and likely we won’t know when that is until the skies clear and the stars align. Bear with us!
In the meantime you can still find us outside Silvie on Thursday and Friday evenings (5-9pm), and we are continuing to run home deliveries on Saturdays for the time being. This service may slip away soon so get it while you can!
Thanks everyone for showing up when we say we’ll be there! We look forward to seeing you again soon.
