El Cerrito, CA Professional Movers
My name is Yeshi Dorjee . I was born in 1975 in Derge, Kham in eastern Tibet. My family name is Tembaystang.
My parents were a well-to-do family, well-known and respected land owners in Derge, Kham before the communist Chinese invaded in 1959. After the invasion everything changed especially for families like ours.
We lost everything we owned for centuries not only in property and wealth but also in name, status, and family honor which has been passed down for generations. Everything was upside down and continues to this day.
Since my family having lost everything we children grew up illiterate, poor and having no steady home. We barely survived together. Having no land, proper education or freedom to do anything in Derge, my parents pushed us to move to bigger cities like Lhasa to find jobs and better our lives.
Out of desperation, at the age of 15, I barely managed to reach Lhasa working for my traveling expenses along the way. Wherever I could I work at any menial job. It almost took me one month to reach Lhasa.
Initially for the first year or so it was extremely hard for me in Lhasa. I had no job and no proper place to live. I was running out of the little money that I had saved along the way. I only ate one meal a day regularly from the same restaurant every day.
Out of sympathy, I got to know the owner well and he gave me a cleaning job at the restaurant. Given this God sent opportunity I worked diligently and saved as much money as I could for almost 5 years.
My life in Lhasa was getting better at least in compared to my hometown but still there was a sense of fear and no-long term future to grow and freely prosper. The atmosphere was like an open prison.
So I made a radical move after a lot of networking in Lhasa secretly. I had no proper identification papers to travel. For that matter I don't think a majority of Tibetans have any legal papers to travel.
The only way out of Lhasa was by road. I traveled this road as far as it can take me without any obvious attention and inspection. Very secretly I joined a large group of about 45 people to walk across the Himalayas into Nepal.
It was very dangerous, fearful and life altering journey of my life but I had to take that 50/50 chance.
It was now or never to take an opportunity when I was young and strong and still had a future. I said my goodbyes to my parents the night before I left. On the way 4 people had died—two 7-years-old twins, an old man and a women who were in their sixties—in the Himalayas.
It was a very sad day though we were all very tired and barely surviving ourselves. After we crossed into Nepal border the authorities then handed us over to the Tibet office where we spent 6 months trying to process our papers to go to Dharamshala, India.
In India it was a once in a lifetime dream to see his holiness the Dalia Lama personally came true. It was such an overwhelming emotional experience that we all broke down literally crying like a baby. It was a big relief.
Never attended a day of school in all my life and suddenly trying to study in my 20s was very difficult and frustrating experience in India. I tried my best to study for 1 1/2 years and then finally gave it up.
Although life in India was free and happy to some extent but it was still very difficult to make a decent living. Through Tibetan government in exile I was able to get legal documents as a refugee.
Once I had my travel documents in order I tried to get a visa to America. At the time though a very few number of Tibetans were able to get a visa to go to America, many lucky ones manage to get it. Getting an American visa was like winning a lottery!
After a long pilgrimage tour in India and Nepal and lots of prayers in many monasteries I took a chance for a visa at American embassy.
Lord Buddha and Guru Rinpoche had answered my prayers. I arrived in New York in 1998. It was like a dream. I never imagined in my wildest dream that I would ever make it to America.
Although I didn't have anything of real value on me materialistically I felt so happy and free at last. I knew then that I can and will make it in this country.
I stayed in New York for about one year to get to know the way of life in a new country. Once I got a little comfortable I moved to San Francisco Bay area, California where all my friends from Tibet and India were living.
Through the help of my friends I got jobs mostly working in warehouses, packing, storing and stocking and making deliveries throughout the Bay Area. After working for more than 10 years for others I have finally decided to start my own moving business.
Finally to speak for myself I am an honest and hard-working man. I hope and look forward to service you in all your movings. Please do contact me.
Thank you for choosing Tibetan Movers. Moving equipment and materials included in our services. Call 510-703-1031 for a free estimate.
