Experience a bit of the Far East in Middletown

Colorful handbags, jewelry, scarves, rugs and wallcovering adorn the inside of two boutiques inside downtown Middletown's Main Street Market: Tibetan Bazaar and East West Imports.

Though they bookend this wood-floored pedestrian mall full of eateries and clothing retailers, East West Imports and Tibetan Bazaar are co-owned by Tfering Yangzom and Sherab Gyaltsen. Bot fit right into the multiculturalism of Middletown.

The Chinese invasion of Tibet in the 1950s forced Gyaltsen’s family to flee to India. Gyaltsen said his excellent grasp of the English language is “because of British influence in India signs and others things are in English. Also I studied English.”

Yangzom, who came here from Delhi, India, 11 years ago, opened a small import store in Middletown five years ago. A year later, Gyaltsen became her partner. Now they are partners in both stores.

Yangzom came to Middletown because she had friends and family here. “I have family in India and so when I go to purchase new merchandise, I can visit and do two things at one time,” said Yangzom.

Gyaltsen owned a restaurant in India and when he came to the United States in 2007, “I worked at a restaurant, but I didn’t like it. I wasn’t used to working for someone else.

“I travel to India once or twice a year to purchase [items]. We are the best store because we know the right people to purchase from. We know where to buy in India and Nepal. We have all new merchandise for spring coming in this week,” said Gyaltsen.

Both Tibetian Bazaar and East West Imports are in Main Street Market, 386 Main St., Middletown, and open weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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