I am Choephel I come from a remote place where education was totally cut off to the people of my nomadic village. Luckily I was sent to a monastery where I could receive a basic knowledge of Tibetan philosophy and the Tibetan language. At the age of seventeen I left the monastery where I was studying because I wanted to see the beauty of the world. The ups and downs of my life in this competitive society motivated me to know the importance of modern education. But in Tibet there aren't any schools for adult like me except some monasteries.

I don't mean that monasteries are not school but they are only for monks. Therefore the only choice was coming to India by risking my life. At the age of twenty-eight I left my seventy-five years old dear father behind and took that dangerous journey. The hardest thing was the departure from my beloved father and my dear siblings that foggy morning. I felt that half of my body was out of function when I saw that my father was trying to fight back his tears, and he said, in a tearful voice, that I should not forget that there is a simple nomad family that is always willing to support me. Also he added that I should not have any hesitations to ask for support if it would be necessary. Those were the words which made me lose the strength to hold back my tears. But, I didn't want my father to worry about me by seeing the tears on my cheeks, so I simply said goodbye to my father and got on the bus that was waiting for me.

In that misty night I started the most risky journey in my life with four Nepalese (To whom I paid three thousand Yuan) via Dromo (the border between Tibet and Nepal) to Nepal. We climbed up a pathless mountain that was totally covered with a dense forest. I was so scared when I felt that my guides were doing something that was so suspicious. But, there was no choice. I had to follow them with a load of fear and worry in my mind. There was no conversation between us except the gestures that told me to hurry up. They didn't know any Tibetan and I couldn't understand any Nepalese. After three hours of walking in silence they led me down to some houses with a very high wall around them. The sight of those buildings and the wall bought a fresh fear to my aching heart. My legs were trembling with fear, and my heart was beating as hard as it could because I thought that the complex was an army barracks. But, later I found that it was a green house station. There we took a short nap until the morning. In that early morning we got on a bus that was going to Kathemandu (The capital city of Nepal). The bus stopped in a big, but untidy station. I had not got any ideas where I was. There we took a taxi and drove into a very narrow street. After forty or fifty minutes we arrived at the Tibetan reception in Nepal. So, I really couldn't control my tears of enjoyment.

After twenty days rest at the Tibetan reception center in Nepal I was

sent to India with one bus full of newcomers who came from different parts of Tibet. After several long nights of driving we arrived at the Tibetan reception center in McLeod Ganj just before dawn on a cloudy morning of 25th, July, 2004. Of course the first question was when we could have an audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. We were told that His Holiness was abroad for some days. Before his return we had to prepare to join the school that we had already registered for at the Tibetan reception center in Nepal and that we were going to be sent to the school immediately after having the audience with His Holiness in order to save our time. The night before we were going to have a private audience of His Holiness, I was so excited. I could not sleep for almost whole night just like a small child who was going to have a birthday party the following day. Early the morning of the 6th, August, 2004 every body in the hall at the Tibetan reception center was thrilled, and their faces were lit up with joy. As for me that morning seemed especially long and slow, maybe because I was so elated. Later that morning we all sat, with beating heart, in front of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his living room. Firstly he wanted to know if there was anyone who faced any particular problems during the journey. But, nobody replied to his question. So, he began to give a short speech. When I saw His Holiness' sympathetic face and heard his tender words, my heart was bursting with happiness, and

I felt a great sense of relief even though I could not understand most of his words (Because of the dialects of Tibetan). The simple way of his living condition made me shed on tears.

On the 8th of August, 2004 I joined TTS (Tibetan Transit School) with some other newcomers like me. There I started to read English just from A.B.C.D. There I spent more than four years. The first two years were the toughest part of my life because I couldn't get any information about my home, my father, my siblings and my yaks. I missed them all; there was not a single day that went by without me thinking about my small, peaceful home. Even almost every night I dreamed that I was home .There was no one who could imagine how much I desired to see my beloved family. In fact I have a very simple home, in which there was a great-hearted gentle man who was always taking care of me. There were four good-natured siblings to whom I can share my sadness and happiness. There is a little herd of yak around our small black yak hair tent, with which I can keep myself busy on those beautiful pastures of my village. However hard it was, I had a lot of experiences and learned so many things that I never expected within that short period. I truly appreciate all the teachers and staff members of TTS for showing me the bright way of the future and making my dreams came true.

On 11th March 2009 I entered Educational Support Tibet School

(E. S. Tibet ) so that I can consolidate whatever I had learnt in my ex-school. This sufficient school is located in a very quiet place near an Indian village that is situated nearby the range of Himalayan Mountain. Our school is surrounded by many species of trees that protect it from the noise of society. The natural music and the songs of birds on the branches of the trees always encourage us to study hard. When we feel bored, the lizards on our school wall make us laugh and refresh us by moving their heads side to side and up and down just like modern dancers. From the day of my first entrance of this two-story white building I believe that I could fulfill my hopes. I believe that I could train myself for a wonderful future of great happiness in this small and tidy institution. So, I like this school very much, and I hope I can keep on until the graduating day of this school.

Thanking you

E.S.Tibet Student
Choephel