We sat down together a week back in the very cozy Hello Café in Boudha, Nepal for cups of coffee and some snacks, talked about our lives and her vines. (A vine is a short video, usually 5 to 10 seconds long of compiled clips of random stuff. They are frequently posted on social websites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.) Our conversation moved from some weird jokes to rather more serious themes.
Tenzin Woesel: Hello, I am Tenzin Woesel. I have started a project to interview young talented Tibetans around the globe to make people of the world aware that Tibet is an independent nation and has its own celebrities just like other nations. With this project, I also intend to appreciate and encourage young Tibetan women like you who are talented and are pursuing their passion to go further. I love your funny vines on Instagram. I'm a fan.
Lhakyila: Oh, thank you.
TW: Have you ever been interviewed before or is this going to be your first time?
L: This is my first ever interview. (So how about a picture together on Snapchat?) A Nepali fashion blogger once told me that she wanted to do an interview with me but somehow that didn’t happen. And after this I got a few proposals which failed too.
W: You are known by your Instagram account username; lhakyila. What is your full name?
L: Its Tenzin Lhakyi.
W: What is your favorite subject in school?
L: I love Art the most.
W: When you grow up, what do you want to pursue as a career?
L: I haven't decided yet but I want to study either Theatrical Arts or Psychology.
W: You have more than 5000 followers on Instagram and you are a person of public interest. How do you feel about being so popular and how do you handle fame?
L: It started off with posting videos for my small circle, just to make them laugh but then it escalated to hundreds following me and then thousands. People enjoy my silly videos and I enjoy making them laugh. My jokes may be popular among Instagramers but I stay as humble as I can.
W: Share your dream with us.
L: My biggest dream is to meet His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. And other than that, I have kept a promise to myself to travel to 50 places before I die.
W: Tell me which places rank the top 3 out of the 50 places you want to visit.
L: Paris, LA and Tibet.
W: Who is your celebrity crush and why so?
L: I love Beyoncé because her idea of feminism attracts me.
W: When we were kids, we used to dream about becoming something special and as we grew up, we realized it was a weird and a funny idea..
Do you have a childhood wish like that?
L: Yes! I watched a lot of Disney movies and serials when I was a little girl and I have always been so influenced by the characters in the movies. I used to wish I could get to act one of the characters someday.
W: Beside Vines, where does your interest lies?
L: I love playing basketball, swimming and sketching.
W: How did the idea of making Vines come up?
L: I made funny videos on my sister’s laptop while she was out. I usually make sure I delete them before she returns but somehow I had failed to delete one of the videos and she saw it. I think she liked it because she posted it on her Instagram and I got some good comments from her friends. They even asked me to make more of such videos. So I made an Instagram account and since then, I have continued making Vines.
W: Do you get moral support from your family in this field of interest?
L: Yes, I do! My family likes my vines and encourages me to work on my passion. They have even agreed to send me to a theatrical school if I wish to attend one after my schooling.
W: Do you watch any comedies? Which comedian do you look up to?
L: I don’t have any favorites at the moment but my friends say that my jokes are kind of like Russell Peter’s jokes so i’m looking forward to watching his comedies.
W: In several videos, you speak in Korean language. Are you a Korean drama and a Kpop freak?
L: Oh yes, I watch so many Korean dramas that now a days, for some of the scenes, I think I don’t need the subtitles (laughs). And as of Kpop, I am a fan of the boy band called Big Bang.
W: Do you ever make schedules to post your vines? For example, saying to yourself that you will post only 3 vines a week?
L: No I don’t. I make whenever I feel like making one and I post immediately.
W: We girls are very conscious about how we look and how we present ourself to the world. Do you sometimes cancel making videos because you don’t look good in the camera?
L: No, I don’t. And moreover, in most of the videos my hair was oiled and my mom would say; “Lhakyila, at least wash your hair before you make a video to post.”
W: On a scale of 0-10, rate your self-confidence.
L: Seven. I used to be very shy and didn’t have many friends in the school I attended till class 10 because I was very conscious about how I looked. I used to be pretty fat back then and I always thought people would judge me. Now that I have lost some weight, I feel confident about myself. And posting videos on Instagram helps me become more confident.
W: Besides Tibetan, what other languages can you speak?
L: Since I was born and bred in Nepal, I speak Nepali too. I can also speak Hindi and sometimes Korean (laughs).
W: What was the most awkward moment ever?
L: I once took out my pen case in my class only to find out I’d mistakenly brought the TV remote control instead of the pen case because I was in a hurry when I left home for school. My friends made fun of me. And later that day when I returned home, mom yelled at me saying she had been looking for the TV remote control all day!
W: What was the weirdest thing a fan has done to you?
L: A fan once asked me where I actually live. That scared me and my family enough!
W: Do you ever feel insecure and uncomfortable loitering around your locality?
L: Yes, I do. Sometimes. And I get nervous when people give me that blank stare. But I love the place I live in.
W: How do you handle your nervousness then?
L: I wear hoodies most of the time so I put on my hood when I get nervous. I can get very nervous sometimes that I cannot even make a move.
W: What is your relationship status and tell me, would you date a fan?
L: I am single. If he is hot, yes. (Who would not date a hot guy anyways!)
W: Would you describe yourself as girly or Tom-boyish?
L: I don’t exactly know but sometimes I do realize I am girly enough when I see so many pink-color stuffs in my room. And I remember, one time I didn’t go to school because I was unable to decide what to wear since we wear casual clothes on Friday for school. I found myself surrounded by clothes, clothes and clothes.
W: Have you ever taken part in the theatrical performances in school?
L: Yes. I am always too keen to take part in these but sadly, up to now I have never got to act the main roles in the plays I have participated in. This disappoints me always. The only time I did get the role of one of the main characters in the play, the play got cancelled.
W: I checked your ask.fm and there are some stupid questions from the stupid haters. How do you handle those haters?
L: Oh yes, I know! Most of the people on ask.fm are haters and they ask me weird things, mostly about my relationship. I just respond them in a sarcastic way like calling them homies. And in one of the very recent videos, I reacted furiously to the lamest question I was ever asked; what my gender is.
W: Its 2015 already. What was the biggest thing you achieved last year and what plans do you have for this new year?
L: I have made many people smile watching my videos and I feel that's the biggest achievement. For the new year, I plan to make more videos and entertain more people.
W: Leave a message for your fans here.
L: I love you all. Thank you for encouraging me to work more on this Vine project. Keep supporting. And the haters, well, I still love you no matter what.
W: Well, this is finally the interview I am planning to work seriously on. Thank you for taking out your time, Lhakyila. Stay beautiful. God bless!
L: That's a good start for both of us. Our first ever interview. I hope we meet again after 5 years, you as a TV Host and me a celebrity. (Laughs) Thank you.
great work woesella !! keep it up
ReplyDeleteThank you, Gyendala.
DeleteShe is the best <3
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ReplyDeleteGood one Woesel. Didn't know we have a good comedienne who might have a great success ahead. I read this interview and now I'm looking forward to watch Lhakyila's vines for the 1st time. All the best both of you.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhen frustration and anxiety possess my head i give a look to your videos and which pretty much helps me to release them. I am thankful for that and plz dont stop making vines cause i can't stop looking such a pretty, cute little artist. May god blessings be up on you.
ReplyDeleteSuper fan of lhakyila and great work woesel :-) she is the one <3
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dekyi!
Deleteway to go!!! u've got bright future behind u ^_^!!!!
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ReplyDeleteIt's seems like I m reading a professional scripted conversation between you and lhakyila.. Great work..keep it up..
ReplyDeleteObviously big fan of lhakyila..
Thats a huge compliment. Thank you! :)
Deleteare u newari
ReplyDeleteLhakyila 😊😊 you're amazingly amazing! Keep making a lot of videos
ReplyDeleteLhakyila 😊😊 you're amazingly amazing! Keep making a lot of videos
ReplyDelete