I had an opportunity to work as an English teacher at EST in the fall of 2010. Having found the 'job' over the internet while finishing an assignment in Ladakh, India I did not hesitate to go for it even though I had a very scan idea of what to expect.

Teaching Cambridge First preparation to young Tibetans in the foothills of the Himalayas sounded great and I felt somehow privileged to be able to answer the call.

The hospitality, eagerness to study and genteelness of my new students turned my time in Gahr Sukkar into truly unforgettable experience. Waking up to the sound of HH the Dalai Lama's words being read out loud in the field next to the EST by one of the participants, walking together down the road to the village "washroom" debating Tibetan issues, smiling over endless cups of tea /Indian? Tibetan? English? and working, working, working.

By Hannah Girardin