This is the story about the birth of Shandrok......
這是北方牧人誕生的故事 ......
The birth of Shangdrok started off as two friends, trying to figure out what other jobs can be choose from in the local Tibetan village, besides taking their traditional livelihood path or passing the exam to work as a teacher or a government employee.
『北方牧人』的誕生是一對朋友想找出除了放牧,參加考試成為教師與公務員的少數工作之外,在藏區高原村落間還有甚麼其他工作機會的可能。
However, the figuring out process took years. Brewing an idea to do something new and adventurous is rare here in Tibet, not to mention to its actual action, for most of the young students’ parents are still traditional nomads, who did not have a second thought about how to make a living besides what’s their fore-parents have always been doing.
這個探索的過程比我們想像的更長,創新與冒險在這裡是少見的,更別提捲起袖子,付諸實行。 大部分年輕人的父母都是牧民,除了當牧民,他們難以想像還有甚麼其他生計方式。
Feeling the most connected, are the animals here on the plateau. Yaks and sheep, especially the former, have always been the herdsmen’s main focus and affiliation. Without yaks, nomads can be a complete stranger to this harsh environment.
高原上的動物是牧民唯一擁有的資產,尤其是犛牛更是維繫着牧民生活的中心。沒有犛牛,牧民將無法在冰冷的高原上生活。
And so, the unknown adventure they were about to take, had to do with what makes them the most peaceful in heart.
因此,我們認為這個創業的冒險之旅,應該與這個對他們來說最忠誠且最有情感的氂牛有關。
When we asked the nomad women about where is their spinning wheel and weaving equipments, even with an “okey, I’ll find it out and bring it to you” answer, the result of a few hours of search ended with “sorry, I forgot where I put it”.
當我們問牧民婦女,他們的織布機與捻線機在哪裡時,他們會回家找了幾個小時,然後跟我們說:太久沒用,忘記放在哪裡了。
Without noticing, cheap convenient plastic tents and other substitutes have entered their life in less than a decade. Incidents of such, fundamentally change the way of life up here on the plateau, and their traditional craftsmanship is at the edge of disappearing
不經意間,便宜的塑膠帳篷與其他廉價商品已經進入他們的生活中已經快幾十年了。這些衝擊改變了高原上的生活,他們傳統的手藝也正在漸漸消失。
But even the appearance of life is changing, the memories, both in mind and in body, is remaining, at least for the elderly generation and the ones that did not except formal education.
即使生活的形貌在改變,身體與心靈中傳統的記憶仍深植於老一輩,甚或是未受過教育的牧民心中。
So locating at the gap of two eras, the two of our adventure takers, decided to start a business, merging traditional craftsmanship and new point of views to produce some items with practical functionality, beauty and a sense of hand-made warmth.
處在兩個新舊世代之間的我們,決定以傳統的手藝以及新觀點來製作具有實用價值,美感,手工溫度的產品。
And perhaps at its best, to give the world a reminding voice of how we might look at our long-used life with a different angle, for better or worse.
當然,更希望能給予世界一個「物品能被更長久的使用與製作」的新角度。
However, starting a new business is not easy, or as any of us cannot foreseen what we’ll encounter, there’re many new concept and habit challenge along this process that almost made us give up.
開始一個新的創業原本就不容易,這一路上許多新的觀念衝擊與文化習慣的差異,也幾乎讓我們放棄過。
This is the story not only about what we have produced here on the plateau, but also some anthropological records of what’s happening up here.
因此,我們期許這裡不是記錄我們如何在高原上成功的創業,也是能將一路經歷忠實紀錄下來的地方,不論好與壞,成功或失敗。