A LIFE OF HER OWN

Jack Schneider

When Chandra Gurung came to the United States, she was 26 years old,

and had a mere $300 in her pocket and a suitcase full of clothes.

Today, 12 years later, she is the owner of Chandra’s Hair Salon, on

Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach. Now 38, Gurung has been a Fountain

Valley resident for three years. Before that, she lived in Huntington

Beach for five years.

Gurung’s life has been a journey different from that of most. Her

struggle began before she was even born with her parents having to endure

a life as Tibetan refugees. They were forced to escape from their home in

Tibet and live in exile in a neighboring country, the northwest part of

India. This is where Gurung was born and raised.

While Gurung attended a Tibetan refugee school, her father worked for

the Indian army, while her mother stayed home. Gurung recalls her

turbulent childhood where if it wasn’t drastic monsoons she was battling,

it was malnutrition.

“It was hard, life was very tough,” Gurung said. “I was eventually

immune to the conditions, but it was never easy though.”

It was due not only to these adversities, but to her Buddhist faith

that Gurung was able not only to get through the tough upbringing, but

develop a philosophy that would guide her through life.

“As a Buddhist, I follow the belief of working hard to be a good

person,” she said. “If you don’t hurt, you can’t harm.”

It was during the time that Gurung attended refugee school that she

was fortunate enough to be sponsored by Eleanor Roos from Sacramento.

Donations of money and clothes from Roos continued for seven years, but

stopped suddenly.

This not only piqued Gurung’s curiosity about Roos, but about the

United States as well.

Determined, Gurung saved enough money to eventually get on a plane to

the United States.

“For the last few years of the donation, I couldn’t reach her,” Gurung

said. “When I got to the United States, I brought presents for if I met

her and I thought she would be happy. I went and tried to find her Social

Security number but couldn’t find her.”

Although disappointed, Gurung organized to stay with a friend from her

refugee school who she knew was living in Santa Monica.

While there, Gurung joined a small community of Tibetans with hopes of

networking and getting a job. Not only did she find a job in that

community, she found a future husband.

“My husband struggled the same way as me when he came to the United

States,” Gurung said. “The Tibetans have a really small community of 200

people, and we all know each other. We have remained very close and share

everything.”

Eventually it was through her future husband, Che Ngokhang, that

Gurung landed a job in Huntington Beach as a housecleaner. While working

aS a housecleaner, she took English courses and studied full time for a

year at a cosmetology school in Garden Grove.

After all the lessons of spelling and styling, Gurung went out on a

limb to follow her dream to utilize her abilities by opening her own

salon. After working there for a couple of years and saving her earnings,

Gurung was able to pay off the salon’s lease and become its owner.

A hard worker by nature, Gurung initially worked 60 to 70 hours a week

just to keep the salon in business. In fact, this became a routine for

the first two years.

Gurung’s customers come into her salon amazed by her personal journey.

One customer, Mary Watland, says she admires Gurung’s charm and

positivity.

“I thinks she’s an exceptional person,” Watland said. “She’s just so

thankful to be here and proud to be an American and thankful for the

things she has.”

Gurung’s business has become so prosperous that she now has two

employees.

“She’s a very nice person, always laughing, smiling and giving the

customer whatever they want,” said stylist Julie Hong. “I feel lucky to

have found the right boss.”

Gurung is still enthused to work long hours and shows no signs of

slowing down. She is always happy to greet her customers and work extra

hard to meet their needs while always conveying an underlying tone of

gratitude for the life that she has come to know.

“People ask me how do you do all this, and I tell them that it’s

nothing, I enjoy it,” said Gurung.

After living in the United States for more than a decade, Gurung says

the one thing she learned to appreciate about living in the United States

is freedom.

“It’s great living here especially coming from India, and I feel very

lucky and successful,” Gurung said. “Here there is so much opportunity,

especially for a woman. I feel very successful opening my own business.

If you are willing to do it, you’re dream will come true.”