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| Profile: Palmo Tso |
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Poet, writer, scholar and humanitarian, Palmo Tso was born and raised in a Tibetan nomad tent. She lectured in Haibei Teacher's School, Qinghai Province, and has been an associate professor of Tibetan studies at Northwest Nationality University in Lanzhou since 1997. She has devoted her life to teaching and writing, producing several books and numerous magazine articles written in Tibetan. She is the founder of the first ever Tibetan women's quarterly magazine, the editor of the first collection of Tibetan women writing and an online community for Tibetan women writers. Machik is proud to support Palmo Tso's work through the Tibetan Women's Writing Program.
 (Translated by Shamo Tar) When I think about what it means to be a Tibetan woman, I can not separate my gender from my race and my identity. At eighteen, I became a teacher, teaching high school level students in Haibei Teacher's School, Qinghai Province, where I had just graduated. I didn't know how to teach, but I taught. I was very lucky to meet one of my best teachers, Ma Lama, who later became my colleague. He taught me while we worked together. He taught me the most valuable lesson of my entire life--the key to real happiness is to teach and to give. He became my life-time mentor and friend. Now, he is 80 years old, teaching in a monastery. I visit him often. Having taught in the Haibei Teacher's School for 3 years, I decided to continue my education and went to Northwest Nationality University to earn a higher degree. In 1988, for the first time in my life, I saw a whole new different world--city of Lanzhou. I was born in Yahu Village, Gangcha County, Qinghai Province, where there was and is no electricity. The entire village is nomadic. Ten of us lived, cooked, and slept in a tent. We had no separate kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. I had eight brothers and sisters, and we all lived together with my parents. All I knew was my village, village people, approximately 300 households, and livestock. Our family was financially poor, earning $ 300~400 per year. However, my father and mother managed to get by and sent me to school. Looking back, I can see now how my parents instilled in my brothers and sisters the importance of an education. Coming from a Tibetan nomad tent, Lanzhou city is a place of a whole new world. I studied in Northwest Nationality University for two years and earned my college degree. I had two teachers whom I found very inspiring--Dozhi and Pari Sangyal tutored me and taught me Tibetan literature and other subjects. They were passionate pedagogues who taught me more than my subject, Tibetan studies. After completing college degree in the city, I returned my hometown and taught in the Haibei Teacher's School for four years, from 1990 to 1994. With new improved knowledge, I came home with passion. I thought of dedicating my life to teaching, however, I started feeling that I wasn't fit in that society anymore. I had many ideas, but had no friends to share them with. In my hometown, Tibetan populations were fewer than Hui nationality. I wanted to talk with Tibetans, but I found very few Tibetans that I could actually speak with my ideas, feelings. I was lost. I did not feel good. I did not have a social life. I started writing. My passion about writing has been started then and never stopped writing thus far. My first poem, "In the Snow Mountain", describing Tibetan Amdo's hometown, life, and people, was published. I was excited, thereafter, I wrote my second poem," Tempting Love", which was published as well. Many other poems and articles were published soon after. In 1994, once again, I left my hometown and came to Lanzhou city. I was 26 years old, enrolled by Northwest Nationality University as a master's student. I was the only Tibetan woman taking masters' courses in the university. In our class, we had six people in total. Five of them were men. I had lots of pressures. I could feel people were gossiping behind me saying I was that graduate female student. I had to start learning English. That was difficult but I did not spend too much time learning English as I focused on learning Tibetan literature and wanted to excel in it. I kept writing poems, papers, and articles. I wrote on the bus, on the way to home, on the road, I wrote whenever I had time. About 20 of my writings were published while I was a graduate student. After my three year journey as a student, I had to decide whether to return to that isolated hometown or stay in the big city. If I had gone home, I wouldn't fit in the society again as I knew I was the only person who had received a master's degree among all the populations in my hometown region. I chose to stay in Lanzhou and became a university teacher. I was busy teaching the students 10 to 12 hours a week and 5 courses. I gathered my time and kept writing and publishing, however. Another 20 articles were published. Gradually, I adjusted to the urban environment. I talk like city people, interact with people by city standard of living. Every time I get home, the nomad area, a place with no electricity, I hide the city part of me, and I am another person. Somehow, I have never felt happy living in the city. Riding bus, going home, and talking with the nomads became one of important part of my life. I was inspired to work harder than ever before as I talked with the Tibetan nomads, especially, with the women. I feel Tibetan women need help as they are so marginalized. In 2003, I initiated the first ever published Tibetan women's magazine. I did not have money, but I used my own pocket money (about $100) to publish the first magazine on Jan 3. I encouraged my female students to write and submit their writings to my magazine. Around 15 students submitted, but I selected seven of their writings. I have noticed, nowadays, fewer and fewer Tibetans write with our mother language. I strongly believe the magazine would be a way of encouraging my students to speak their thoughts with their own tongue. I would encourage the students to write topics about social problems, the environment, and women's issues. We have distributed our magazine to 53 organizations and institutions, including universities, monasteries, and institutions outside of China, such as Columbia University. I spent about $400 to publish the quarterly magazine. Northwest Nationality University, the one I am teaching in, has never contributed even a dime. Nevertheless, I am happy to see my students being encouraged by their published writings. The fourth year of the Tibetan women's magazine was financially supported by Losang Rabgey, the executive director of Machik. I was lucky to meet her and I did not need to spend my own money to do that work. I saw more of my female students being inspired by this work. Four students came and talked with me about their interests in helping me with the magazine. I taught them how to edit, format, proofread, sometimes, I sent them to interview people. Now, they are being very helpful. All of them are very much interested in the work. They have grown up. One time, I sent three of them to participate in a conference related to Tibetan traditions and culture. I gave them a list of questions to ask the people that I wanted them to meet with. They did a wonderful job. One of the Tibetan women has been working with me on this magazine for two years, and will go on helping me for another three years because she will be doing her master's degree in the university after completing her BA. Apart from working on the magazine, I have produced three books. I studied in Beijing Normal University for one year, 2005, an exciting year, during which I encouraged Tibetan women across Tibet plateau to write and submit their writings to me. I called some people, who are not only my students, but are people that I don't even know in person. All the women's writings were classified in three categories: collection of novel, collection of papers, and collection of essays. The collection of papers was published and sponsored by someone in Beijing by giving $3,000. The collection of the novel and essay are ready to publish in two books, but I don't currently have funds to do so. Teaching and writing is really my life. You would not believe that I did not want to be a teacher after I graduated from Northwest Nationality University as a master's student. I wanted to do something else, but my mentor, Ma lama, repeatedly asked me to be a teacher and to offer help to others. His edification leads me throughout my professional life. Besides teaching and writing, I also financially help those who are in need in my nomadic hometown. I personally, from 2005, sponsor 10 elementary students' tuition every year. Theoretically, the elementary students are not supposed to pay tuition according to Chinese policy, but for some reason it is not true in my hometown. Last year, 2006, I wrote a letter to prefecture leaders and reported the fact that the policy is not being implemented on the ground in my hometown. I received their feedback. I am hoping that the students will not need to pay tuition soon. I don't advocate for women's independence, liberation, and individualism. I do, however, value equality: being equal between nationalities, between man and women. At age 40, I don't have children, nor husband. I feel I am not a successful woman, yet I am happy for what I have done and I will continue my work. |