Tamara

I am originally from Philadelphia. I worked at the Philadelphia Museum of art and later at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in the 1980's to early 90's. I then moved to San Francisco where I spent two and a half wonderful years- some of that time spent visiting friends in Italy and the Netherlands.Then finally traveling through Eastern Europe and then to Turkey. Around this time I decided to go to India, I was 29.I have been in Asia ever since. I would make trips back to the States twice a year to see friends, but would always return to Asia.Some of my most favorite countries were and still are Papua New Guinea, India,Nepal, Pakistan, China and Laos. In the summer of '98 I finally went to Tibet. That trip was great especially hitch-hiking to Mount Kailash.I spent around a month in the west and then hitched to Xinjiang. I spent my 34th birthday in Kashgar with some Swiss who had also hitched from W Tibet to Xinjiang and a nice French man.My next hitch-hiking extravaganza was from Yunnan Province to Lhasa in January! That trip really tested my inner strength.I was stuck on the road for nine days- no ride.I slept outside in the bitter cold a few nights and spent one night in an abandoned mill. When I finally had gotten another ride, it was all the way to Lhasa.There was only one frightening incident on the way which I will not write about here. From January through June 1999, I was in Lhasa studying Tibetan.To this day I can still read and write the language.I later lived in the mountains of Northern India for awhile and then moved to Kathmandu. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v725/garbotara/st_and_Lhas a_198.jpg During that turbulent time in Kathmandu-from 1999 to 2001 there were many strikes and riots. The Maoists were doing everything they could to cripple the country. But by far the worst event was the massacre of the Royal Family on June 2, 2001. I remember waking up that morning in Boudanath and switching on the TV.I was in absolute shock. I woke up my house mates and had to break the news to them.Everything shut down and it was difficult to leave the country. I was on one of the last flights out of Nepal before everything shut down yet again.I almost didn't get to the airport since the roads were all blocked. I would only return for brief visits to Kathmandu after that. After having TB in 2003- I became ill in India or Tibet. I decided to move overseas again. I spent a year in the south of China. I am currently working in Beijing.I hope to continue my Tibetan studies. I have spent the last eleven years in Asia. I have given up trying to live back in the States. I am interested in social anthropology and very intrigued with the migratory habits of the various ethnic minorities in Asia. I also love art, literature, opera, etc.

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