{"id":5947,"date":"2018-12-04T02:15:09","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T02:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=5947"},"modified":"2018-12-07T19:33:01","modified_gmt":"2018-12-07T19:33:01","slug":"5947","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=5947","title":{"rendered":"From the Himalayas to Parkdale"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content_no_spaces” full_height=”yes” video_bg=”yes” video_bg_url=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eBwo3Np56vg&feature=youtu.be” video_bg_parallax=”content-moving-fade” bg_type=”u_iframe” u_video_url=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eBwo3Np56vg&feature=youtu.be” video_opts=”loop” bg_override=”browser_size”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”From the Himalayas
\nto Parkdale” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:150|text_align:center|color:%23000a02|line_height:1″ google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:600%20bold%20regular%3A600%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A<\/span>s the fenugreek blends with black cumin, some hints of turmeric, garlic, ginger and coriander, senses are overwhelmed by the mouth-watering aroma of Tibetan food when walking through the streets of Parkdale.<\/p>\n

Home to largest Tibetan population in North America, Parkdale, also known as Little Tibet, is booming with Tibetan restaurants. Tashi Nangsetsang opened the first Tibetan restaurant, Rangzen Caf\u00e9, in the Parkdale-High Park area. He had one goal in mind. He wanted to bring more awareness to the human rights abuse that the Tibetan people were facing from Chinese officials. Nangsetsang said he decided to shed light on Tibetan issues through food.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css_animation=”zoomIn” bg_type=”bg_color” bg_color_value=”rgba(75,135,71,0.8)”][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/jKsHPNunvwA” align=”center” css_animation=”none” title=”Tashi’s first restaurant”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_column][vc_column_text]After a hiatus of 13 years from managing the restaurant, Nangsetsang said he stumbled upon a new opportunity to open Momo Hut in 2018, the first Tibetan restaurant in the Danforth area. He wasn\u2019t planning on opening a new restaurant. He was initially looking for a space in which two of his clients would open a collaborative restaurant. After finding a space and renovating it for a year, the rent hikes caused Nangsetsang to look elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Nangsetsang said he luckily found a space in Danforth and opened a restaurant with the help of his former clients and his friends and family in just two months. Although, it wasn\u2019t his initial plan, Nangsetsang has continued to raise awareness and highlight Tibetan culture through his newly opened restaurant.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css_animation=”none” bg_type=”bg_color” bg_color_value=”rgba(237,237,123,0.85)”][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn”]\n

Artifacts in Momo Hut<\/strong><\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css_animation=”zoomIn” bg_type=”bg_color” bg_color_value=”rgba(237,237,123,0.85)”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/iiBT-FyEnjg” css_animation=”fadeIn” title=”Prayer Flags”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/sS3L4qj2o2I” css_animation=”fadeIn” title=”Map of Tibet”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css_animation=”zoomIn” bg_type=”bg_color” bg_color_value=”rgba(237,237,123,0.85)”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/dOME6YQc13g” css_animation=”fadeIn” title=”Mani Wheel”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/mRJtDBrusY0″ css_animation=”fadeIn” title=”Painting”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]Nangsetsang was one of the first Tibetans to arrive in Canada in 1971. He said his parents escaped Tibet in 1959. They went through the Himalayan mountains to Nepal and then ended up in India. His parents stayed in Dharamsala, a city in Himachal Pradesh, which is where he was born. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is currently living in exile in the same city.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_gmaps link=”#E-8_JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbSUyRm1hcHMlMkZkJTJGZW1iZWQlM0ZtaWQlM0QxU21Cd29wZ1JFLV8zMWVwLXhJaW50N1pXOE1ZVXI2bHklMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjY0MCUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjQ4MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ==” size=”” css_animation=”fadeIn” title=”Dharamsala”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Upon immigrating to Canada, they first entered Montreal and lived there for the first few years. Due to the unfamiliarity of moving to a new place and the language barrier, Nangsetsang said moving to a new place put his family in a vulnerable position with a lot of challenges. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>However, he said \u201cthere were so many great people who helped us.\u201d When they first arrived in Montreal, \u201cthere was a family that took them under their wing, showed them around Montreal and spent time with them.\u201d He said, \u201cthey made us feel welcome in a strange land.\u201d <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css_animation=”zoomIn” bg_type=”bg_color” bg_color_value=”rgba(181,0,0,0.68)”][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/fm8U4NxK1Pg” align=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn” title=”Tashi’s Journey from immigrating to helping Tibetan refugees”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”slideInLeft”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]\n

Bhutila Karpoche, MPP of Parkdale-High Park said since the situation in Tibet has gotten worse over the years, more and more Tibetans have found refuge in Toronto, particularly Parkdale.<\/span><\/p>\n

Karpoche said when China invaded Tibet, lot of Tibetans fled to neighbouring countries like India, Nepal and Bhutan. In some places particularly like Nepal, overtime the situation was getting increasingly unsafe for Tibetans. She said Tibetans were targeted during the time when Maoists had their insurgency. Overtime, the government became increasingly hostile to Tibetan refugees and most people felt the need to leave to have a secure place to live.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”6202″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_custom_heading text=”Photo from Bhutila Karpoche’s social media” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:11|text_align:right” google_fonts=”font_family:Raleway%3A100%2C200%2C300%2Cregular%2C500%2C600%2C700%2C800%2C900|font_style:100%20light%20regular%3A100%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”slideInRight”][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

\u00a0<\/span>Karpoche said many Tibetans sought refuge in Toronto because of the strong and \u201cvibrant tight-knit community.\u201d She said the community is now settling or re-settling very well in Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u201cThey\u2019re exploring and growing and maturing and exploring as a community in small business, various professions and you know reaching a place where they are contributing back to the community,\u201d Karpoche said. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Similar to many Tibetan families, Karpoche\u2019s family moved to Toronto in 2002. Her family lived in a high-rise building in Parkdale and she said she found herself in a place \u201cwith a great sense of community.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>Karpoche said there were many supportive and great local organizations. She became \u201cactive first within the Tibetan community and slowly expanded to other kinds of community with issues around tenant issue and sort of just went on from there and got into politics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css_animation=”zoomIn” bg_type=”bg_color” bg_color_value=”rgba(32,111,191,0.85)”][vc_column][vc_column_text]

“As a Tibetan, you are sort of born politically active because when you are born you are born as a stateless person. You are not born in a land of your ancestors, your identity is Tibetan but the place where you are born in doesn\u2019t recognize you as a citizen of their country. As a result, you don\u2019t have the same rights.”<\/strong><\/p>\n