Tsultrim Gya Tso has a quiet presence on Main St., spending most days tucked away in Little Tibet, the antique furniture and imports store. Though he spends his daylight hours as the face behind the intricate goods the store sells, the story he has to offer is a compelling facet of 680 Main Street.

Born and raised in Eastern Tibet, Tsultrim was training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk in Gandan Monastery when his teacher sent him on a tour of the U.S. Tsultrim arrived in Los Angeles in 1999 with no English but the alphabet; he received asylum in 2000. In 2003 Tsultrim moved to Middletown to work at Little Tibet—he knew the owner, Bhumbala, who is from the same area in Tibet. 

Tsultrim is now involved in the Tibetan community in Connecticut. He estimates that there are about 200 Tibetan immigrants living in the state. This tightly bound community comes together at least twice a year without fail. The two large celebrations include the Dalai Lama’s Birthday and the Tibetan New Year.

Having traveled to 46 out of 50 states, he has been able to make interesting observations about the country and its inhabitants. He noted, for example, that Aspen, Colorado, is environmentally “just like Tibet.”

Tsultrim has not traveled back to Tibet since he left ten years ago because of the political difficulties involved in obtaining a visa. He plans to stay in Middletown and enjoys living in Connecticut, where he has had no trouble making friends. He described the people here as nice and open. Next year Tsultrim is eligible for citizenship, a path he hopes to pursue.