One of the great things about my summer stay here in Dharamsala has been meeting and spending time with the array of bright, talented Tibetans in this small small town. Last Sunday I was happy to be part of a TibetWrites event launching writer Bhuchung D. Sonam’s new book “Yak Horns.” I was invited to moderate the event which included a discussion about writing and live poetry readings by Tenzin Tsundue, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa and Tenzin Dickyi.
Thinlay was interviewed on VOA’s Cyber Tibet programme in May 2012
And then yesterday I had the honour and privilege of meeting Tibet’s youngest blogger, 8 year old Tenzin Thinlay! Thinlay started writing a wonderful blog called Tibetan Sky earlier this year and he’s already been featured on Voice of America’s Cyber Tibet programme talking about it. He’s well on his way to going viral!
Thinlay’s blog is a place where he writes about his family, school, friends and interests. He also blogs stories and his poems – everything in Tibetan! The story of how he named his blog is very interesting and creative, his name Thinlay འཕྲིན་ལས་ sounds like Thinlam སྤྲིན་ལམ་ which translated literally would be a path for clouds – the sky! So his blog is Tibetan Sky.
I caught up with my fellow blogger during lunch break at his school, Sambhota Model School in Gangkyi, and did a short interview with him in Tibetan:
What’s your name?
My name is Tenzin Thinlay.
How old are you?
I’m 8 years old.
When did you start writing your blog?
In April this year.
How did you get the idea to start a blog?
It was when my Pala was away working in France and I would write to him every day. Pala asked me if I wanted to keep a blog instead so I asked him to set one up for me.
Screenshot of Thinlay’s blog “བོད་ཀྱི་སྤྲིན་ལམ། Tibetan Sky”
Your blog is all in Tibetan
Yes.
Do you like writing in Tibetan, is it difficult to blog in Tibetan?
I asked my Amala to show me how to type in Tibetan and I learned it in one day!
One day? Wow!
Yes, one day.
What kind of things do you write about in your blog mostly?
My blog is like a diary and I introduce things I like in it and blog things I have written for school. I also take photos myself and upload them onto the blog.
Who reads your blog?
My friends and family members read it. My Pala also sent the link to some of his friends and they visit it too.
Do you think you’ll write your blog in English in the future?
Hmm, I don’t know about that yet.
Do you know what you want to do in the future?
I want to become a scientist.
Do you write your blog every day?
Not every day, I write when I have time but lately I’ve had exams.
I notice you post your poems on your blog.
Yes I write poems when I don’t have a lot of time because they are short.
With Tenzin Thinlay at his school
How do you advertise your blog?
My Pala puts my posts on Facebook and Twitter.
Do you have Facebook?
I don’t, I used to have one but I had a problem with the password and I can’t access it anymore, they told me my password had changed even though it hadn’t – I don’t know what happened!
Do any of your friends have blogs?
I don’t think so.
You’re so young, 8 years old, I think you might be Tibet’s youngest blogger, that’s what I’m going to write!
[Smiles]
If you read Tibetan or are learning, do visit: http://tibetansky.blogspot.com/
A big thank you to Mati for introducing me to the new generation of Tibetan bloggers! Also thank you to the staff and kids at Gangkyi’s Sambhota Model School who were very accommodating and welcoming!
Dechen's Blog 