In Tibet, honesty and sincerity are never lost in translation

Altitude stress wasn't the biggest challenge for me during an interview in Shigatse. The language barrier was.

Since most of my interviewees speak only Tibetan, I can't do my job without the two Tibetan-Chinese interpreters from Ema who have volunteered to help.

Although their translations are accurate, I still feel the process hinders understanding. How I wish I could understand their language, which sounds melodiously powerful to my ears. If I could speak Tibetan, I think I might have reaped more stories from them, as they seem to live a different life from most of the people I have interviewed during my time as a journalist.