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A story by Kyla (17), inspired by TERMA Hygiene Exhibition in June 2003. Terma is an international NGO who works in Lhasa on healthcare. The exhibition was organized to teach the public the importance of hygiene in order to stop diseases from spreading. All the staff and the blind children of the project visited the exhibition. Kyla is a girl from a family of which the father as well as two brothers (twins) are blind. Two other (sighted) children have died about 5 years ago, last year the mother died as well. The two brothers, Jampa and Dorjee have opened up their own teahouse, Kyla opened up her own medical massage and physiotherapy clinic.
 
"It is not so long ago and it can always happen again. In the middle of Tibet there are two beautiful valleys with two beautiful villages. The valleys have many trees and flowers and rivers with clear water. one day a man of one village thinks about how to become very rich. He had an idea: He looked at the old and big trees and said: (oh, I can cut the trees and I can sell the wood in Lhasa.) Then all the people of the village help him with cutting the trees and they are driving to Lhasa. They get a lot of money for the wood. The village becomes very rich. But there is no shadow anymore and the beautiful flowers die because the heat of the sun is now very strong. And now the village looks very ugly. When the people of the rich village go to Lhasa they buy a lot of things. They buy beer in cans, orange juice in plastic bottles, sweets for the children put in plastic bags and a lot of paper boxes with sweet cookies. They have many parties and they throw the trash around the village.
One night the wind came, and in the morning some of the trash lies in the river and makes the water very dirty. Then the flies come. They like to sit on the dirty trash. And they bring bad diseases to the people. The people all become very sick because they can not wash their hands in clean water and a lot of the children loose their teeth because they eat too much sweets and don't brush their teeth. All the money they have they spent for the hospital. so they become very poor because they are not healthy and they have no more wood to sell. There is no grass, no shadow and no clean water for the animals. The animals can only eat plastic but this is not good for their milk.
 
The other village, which is not rich, is still very beautiful. The people are healthy and the landscape is full of big trees. on the trees grow sweet and juicy fruits that look like gold. Their Yaks and goats can stand in the cool shadow and they can eat the nice grass and drink the clean water of the river.
One day a tourist visited both villages. He heard about the villages in Lhasa. he heard that one village is very rich and one village is very poor. He first visited the rich village. He was very surprised and asked the businessman: "I heard that your village is very rich, but why is it so ugly?"
The businessman said: "we thought the trees we cut will grow again. But our earth now became sand. There is no water in the ground and the trees cannot grow again." Then the tourist visited the other village and is again very surprised: "This is not a poor village!" said the tourist. "the people and animals look very healthy!" The villager said: "we don't have money but we are very rich because we have beautiful landscape and we are very happy."  The tourist thought that a lot of people should come and see this beautiful sight. Therefore he builds a teahouse and a big restaurant.  And then a lot of people come to enjoy the beautiful landscape of the village. They buy their drinks in the teahouse and sit everywhere making parties and drinking beer in cans and orange juice in plastic bottles......."
 
Here the text of the theatre play that has been developed from the story by the children and staff: "What a beautiful sight!" (People from the happy village come together to make their environment more beautiful.)
 
Kyla: People from the Happy-village! People from the Happy-village! The sun has already risen over the hills, and you still didn't come to plant the trees!
Digi: I am coming! Yudon! bungso! they want us to plant the trees!
Yudon: we are coming!
Jampa, Tenzin, Dawa Tashi, Dachung, let's go plant the trees!
All: Yes! Let's go to plant trees!
 
Song:
Young village people!
In order to have a good environment,
we do our best to plant new trees.
If there are more trees
it will be not so hot.
When the environment is good,
our health is good.
Trees prevent floods,
therefore every one has to take care of these trees
to have a new developed village.
 
Kyla: Hey friends! let's take a rest for a while!
All: alright! We are all tired, let's take a rest.
 
(All villagers sit down and drink and eat together)
(Businessman comes to Happy-village, acts loud and arrogant, speaks in his mobile.)
 
Bungso: Hey! Look there! what a handsome guy over there! Maybe he is a businessman!
All: Where? Oh yes! That is really a handsome man!
Businessman: Hey guys! How are you all?
All: Welcome, sir!
Businessman: Everyone seems to have a great time!
All: We are tired of planting trees, so we are resting here a bit.
Businessman: can I join you?
All: Of course, please take a seat.
Jampa: sir, what is your name, please?
Businessman: My name is gyandsan. I am a businessman.
Digi: Ohoh, we already heard that you are a quite famous businessman.
Businessman: Oh, really? -- What's the name of your village?
All: Our village's name is Happy-village.
Businessman: The name of this village and this surrounding really fits together.
All: Oh really?
Bungso: If you are a famous businessman, you probably have been to different places.
Businessman: Oh, yes, yes of course. Yes to some places in the mainland and also to foreign countries.
Tenzin: oh, then you must have lots of money!
Businessman: Oh, what to tell you. -- by the way -- I came here to see how rich you are.
Jampa: In our village we don't have any income.
Dachung: What kind of business do you have?
All: Oh, yes, tell us!
Businessman: Oh, ... You could also have income.
All: What income could we have?
Businessman: All those trees behind you are money.
All: What? these trees are money?
Businessman: Yes they are. if you sell all these trees, you will become rich within one day.
All: Oh, how is this possible?! And how can we live without those trees?
Businessman: Of course you can. In cities they don't have many trees but they have tall buildings and every family has their own car and their own bikes. Everyone has their own mobile phone, too. If you sell these trees I can give you lots of money.
Kyla: that's right!
All: Yes, that's right! Shall we sell?
Kyla: Businessman, we want to sell these trees!
Digi: Yes of course! who does not want to become rich? we will sell for sure!
Bungso: No, we don't sell! These green trees give us and our animals fresh oxygen and also they prevent floods.
Yudon: Yes, yes! Our trees give us life. If you cut these trees our environment will get spoiled!
Upper-village people: We want to sell!
Lower-village people: No, we don't!
Businessman: Hey fellows! Don't fight! You're real farmers acting like that! those who want to sell come with me!
Upper-village people: Did you think it over? we will get money!
Lower-village people: But anyway we don't want to sell.
Upper-village people: Alright, then let's go!
Businessman: You can cut all those tall and thick trunks.
Upper-village people: For these trees we should get 1.000.000 RMB.
 
(Businessman is making a phone call)
 
Businessman: Just now I am doing business. They are discussing the price. If we have decided on everything I'll call you back. Then you can send a truck. ok.? Bye, bye.
Digi: Businessman! We have decided on the price.
Businessman: How much is it?
Upper-village people: 1.000.000 RMB
Businessman: Oh, how expensive!
Upper-village people: Businessman, you must do, what you promised!
Businessman: o.k, o.k, Can you put these trees over there?
Upper-villagers: Businessman, we have moved the trunks.
Businessman: Now you can go.
Upper-villagers: We got 250.000 RMB for each family.  How lucky we are!
Bungso: Hey, what is there to be so happy about? Money is just a ghost. Now you have got it, later you will loose it.
Yudon: Yes it is. But we have our own beautiful environment.
Tenzin: Hey, now let's go and take a rest under our trees.
Lower-village people: Yes, let's go to rest.
 
Digi: Now we have got money. We can buy what ever we like. How about having a pick nick?
Upper-villagers: Great idea!
Jampa: Shall we go with a tuktuk?
Digi: Oh no! Now we've got money we'll go by taxi!
 
Tenzin: Hey, now let's go back home.
Bungso: Alright, let's go. we have to feed our animals.
Yudon: Yes we have to go back home. my children are waiting for me.
 
Digi: Hey fellows! Now we've got money we can do what ever we want.
Kyla: Oh, yes! We enjoyed ourselves a lot today!
Dawa Tashi: Did you pay for the taxi?
Jampa: Yes I paid.
Digi: How much did you pay?
Jampa: I paid 20 RMB
 
song:
We drink chang and we got drunken,
in this sarisiri we live our lives.
 
Bungso: Hey friends, shall we go to see our trees?
Lower-villagers: Alright, let's go!
Bungso: Hey, look our trees have grown a lot in such a short time!
Yudon: Yes, look we have got a result for our hard work.
Bungso: Hey, shall we water our trees?
Lower-villagers: Yes, let's water our trees!
Bungso: Shall we now take a rest?
 
(People from the upper village become very sick from all the parties. One day they have to go to a hospital.)
 
Yudon: Hey, look! They eat and drink all kind of things. And now look, they all become sick!
Lower-villagers: Well, that's their own fault.
 
Kyla: Doctor, one of our village-women is very sick. She doesn't want to go to a hospital. But today I insisted and brought her here. So, can you please check what's wrong with her?
Doctor: What problem do you have? let me feel your pulse. Oh, you must have a very bad stomach ache. What did you eat recently?
Digi: I didn't eat at home These days. I often ate what ever I got outside in a restaurant.
Doctor: Oh, that's why. Now you shouldn't eat any kind of spicy, sour or raw food. I will give you medicine for three days. By the way, which village are you from?
Kyla: we are from the upper-Village.
Doctor: Oh, in these days there are lots of people from the upper-Village. They all are somehow sick. You must be careful.
Digi: Yes, Doctor. All this money that I got for selling trees, I spend it on medicine. But I am not getting better at all. Now I think I have to sell my animals, too. Oh, how can I survive?!
 
(Jampa brings Dawa Tashi to the hospital.)
 
Doctor: What problem do you have?  
Dawa Tashi: I have strong pain in my stomach and in my back.
Doctor: Do you drink any alcohol?
Dawa Tashi: Yes, I always drink beer.
Doctor: That's why you have problems with your liver. Actually alcohol is most harmful for your liver. so, from today on you should not drink any alcohol otherwise you will get yourself into life danger! I will give you medicine for five days. You must come back after you have finished your medicine.
Dawa Tashi: Oh no! This businessman cheated us! We sold our trees and bought these diseases! How can we survive?
Doctor: In these days, as people get richer they eat and drink all different things. So they have all kinds of diseases. Besides I heard that the upper village is quite dirty. there is lots of trash everywhere. The flies love the trash and they bring even more diseases.
 
(the flies come to the village and sit on the trash.)
Song:
We are small flies.
We love places that are dirty.
People made such a nice environment for us.
This is our heaven.
We make people ill.
This is our duty, this is our duty.
 
(After a while a tourist comes to the Happy-village.)
Tourist: my name is Tashi Pasang. But people call me the "travelling Tashi"! Today I came to start a business.
 
(He looks at the upper village, but is not impressed.)
Tourist: There is nothing special with this village. The trees have been cut. And the lawns are dry. The Water is polluted.
 
(Then he goes to the lower village. The tourist thinks:)
Tourist: Oh, this village is really nice. If I start a pick nick place here I'll make lots of money.
 
(He looks for the owner of this place.)
Tourist: wey, wey!
Tenzin: Wey, who are you looking for?
Tourist: I am looking for the owner of this place.
Tenzin: We are the owners of this place. Why are you looking for us?
Tourist: I want to rent this place to start a pick nick place.
Tenzin: oh, Hey friends! Come quickly, somebody wants to rent our place!
Dachung: oh, where is he? Why do you want to rent this place?
Bungso: Won't our trees and lawns get spoiled?
Yudon: Yes! Our water will get polluted!
Tourist: Oh no, I will water these trees and I will take good care of all this.
Yudon: wait, first we want to discuss.
Bungso: Will you cut our trees?
Yudon: Then our lawns will be burned.
Tenzin: It will be good if we rent our place. They said, they will take care of our trees and lawns.
Dachung: Yes of course. We will make some income.
Lower-villagers: We have decided to rent out the place.
Tourist: How much will you charge for rent?
Lower-villagers: 10.000 RMB
Tourist: How expensive! I came here to rent the place, not to buy it!
Lower-villagers: Then forget it. Let's go back.
Tourist: Hey! wait a moment!
Lower-villagers: What do you want now?
Tourist: First you help me to prepare this place. After that I will pay you.
 
Lower-villagers: We have prepared the place.
Tourist: ok., here is the money.
 
(to himself)
Tourist: Actually I came to play a trick on these farmers. But these villagers are trying to play a trick on me. Anyway, If I have good business I will definitely become rich.
(Now to all:)
 
Tourist: Hey everybody! From tomorrow on I'll open my pick nick-place.
(In the morning at ten o.clock.)
 
Tourist: Oh, now the guests are coming!
(Then he shakes hands with his guests and greets them.)
Song:
We are here together,
nala chungse yo
how good it would be to be together forever.
soho yala
nala chungse yo
Those who gather together
nala chungse yo
may they never have healthproblems
soho yala
nala chungse yo
 
(When the guests want to leave the place)
 
Bungso: wait a little! first let's pick up the trash!
Yudon: Leave it. the garbage looks like flowers on the lawns. Let's go home.
 
Sonam Wangdu: Oh, the nice environment that we had before, now its all dirty. Trees and lawns are dry, water is polluted. There is a lot of trash in the water. There should be somebody responsible for taking care of this nature.
 
(A monkey jumps on the stage.) Song:
I am a small monkey.
People are all interested in money.
They sold all the green trees. they sold all the green trees.
How can small monkeys like us live?
Oh, how said. Its really difficult to live on this earth.
 
(The fish come.)
Fish like us can't live in this place.
Water is dried up and the earth is dried.
how good it would be if people think about animals like us.
Rivers which were clean before are now polluted.
Fish like us can't live in this place.
 
All: Everyone listen to us! Please don't copy what we did. We must prevent diseases for this and the next generation. We must take care of our environment And this is the most important thing we should have done!!