After Metok County was “Opened Up” By Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser that was originally written for broadcast on Radio Free Asia on January 29, 2011 and posted on her blog on February 17, 2011.

“Waterfall of Youth - Dhondup Gyal” Music Video by Yudrug (Green Dragon)

"Waterfall of Youth - Dhondup Gyal" by Yudrug (Green Dragon) 

from HPeaks on Vimeo

CCTV Says Lhasa People Are “Happiest” By Woeser

High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a blogpost by Woeser that was originally written for broadcast on Radio Free Asia on January 23, 2011 and posted on her blog on February 5, 2011.

In this blogpost, Woeser returns to themes that she explored earlier in a blogpost titled "Happiness Under Gunpoint" and also "What is Happiness". This is also a timely blogpost as Tibetan New Year and March 10 are both approaching and security is usually tightened in Lhasa at around this time, see our blogpost from a few days ago titled "Fear and Discrimination in Lhasa".

For readers curious about the CCTV 2010 Happiness Survery, see this analysis on the website Beijing Review.

*UPDATED* Tsampa Eaters and Sweet Tea Drinkers: Tibetan Identity Assertion Through Food

High Peaks Pure Earth has updated this post from January 19, 2011 to include some more interesting food-related trivia and new photos. We are keeping the original post up on the previous URL here. Since publishing this post as part of GOOD's "Food for Thinkers" week-long online blog festival, we have received great feedback and information. We have also read with great interest the long article by Jamyang Norbu all about tsampa and look forward to the rest of his series "In Defence of Tibetan Cooking". 

Below is the updated version of "Tsampa Eaters and Sweet Tea Drinkers: Tibetan Identity Assertion Through Food"

Fear and Discrimination in Lhasa

High Peaks Pure Earth has noticed several status updates and anecdotes by Tibetans on social networking sites recently that give an insight into everyday life for people in Lhasa.

Previous posts on High Peaks Pure Earth that deal with the issue of discrimination against Tibetans include examples of Tibetans not being allowed to stay in hotels in Beijing or needing to be reported in public hostelries and baths. 

Tibetan Singer Tashi Dhondup Released From Prison

High Peaks Pure Earth is pleased to read the news reported by Radio Free Asia on February 8, 2011, that Tibetan singer Tashi Dhondup has been released from prison. Readers may remember the videos we posted last year from his album "Torture Without Trace".