The analogy which compares the Tibetan landscape to typography doesn’t accurately reflect the characteristics of the Tibetan people. In general they are not edgy, sharp nor grand, but humble and compassionate. It’s very easy to recognize a Tibetan among Indians as he’s the one who’s not shouting at you in the market streets.

Still, today many Tibetans cross the border and become exiled to the neighboring countries like India. Many of the people in these photos have walked on high mountain glaciers for weeks to reach the border of Nepal, from where they continue on to India. Walking on these glaciers may sound like, fun but it isn’t. Not only does the extremely cold weather and thin air make it a pain, but so does the fact that they can only walk during the night and they can’t make a fire for cooking (otherwise they’re easily recognized by Chinese). Dharamsala has a special ‘tibetan children’s village’ to accommodate and educate the newcomers. As well as the Tibetan script-photos, these photos are taken all over the state of Himachal Pradesh.

The crowning of year 2003’s brand new Miss Tibet was an extraordinary beauty contest. Tsering Kyi found out that she was the only contestant from the other initial 10 applicants who had shied away before the start of the contest. So the jury had no choice but to choose her! She IS really beautiful, and full of inner strength (she read her own poetry on stage at the contest), which is perhaps due to the fact that she’s from an ordinary Tibetan nomad-family. We need more beauty queens like this!

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Read more about the Tibetans at:
Tibetan Government in Exile