First Things First

Relocating from one country to another is a bit of a challenge.  The good news is that I traveled light.  After 2 1/2 years in Myanmar I was able to bring home all my belongings in 2 suitcases.  That was the easy part.

Stepping back into my old life in Florida involved a bit more.  The first thing I wanted and needed to do was to buy a new car.  I'd sold my old one when I moved to Myanmar and needed to get a new one.  As someone raised in the suburbs and used to having a car, I'd become obsessed with transportation over the past five years without one.

In Samoa, I walked in the village and took the bus to get to the market.  It was cheap and convenient, in the sense that the bus would stop wherever I happened to be standing by the road.  Of course the buses didn't really run on a schedule which meant that I could spend all day standing by the road, waiting.  One thing that could be depended on was that they operated based on the driver's needs.  If he didn't feel like driving, no bus.  If he had a chance to make extra money by taking a busload of family members to a funeral, no bus. 

When the bus did pick me up I never knew what to expect.  Sometimes it would be almost empty and I could lean back against the wood seat, let the breeze blow the sweat off and enjoy the views of the lagoon.  More frequently, the bus was already packed before I got on.  Usually, as a nod to my age and status as a foreign teacher, someone near the front got up so I could have their seat.  I also inherited whoever was sitting on their lap.  I was always grateful when it was just a few young children.  It was less fun when it was a 200 lb. woman.  In any case, the bus got me where I was going.

In Mandalay my transportation was either the school bus or a taxi.  The school bus was free.  It also got me a lot of attention when the giant bus rolled up on the narrow street in front of my doctor's office.  I never had to sign in for treatment since the bus announced that there was a sick foreign teacher coming in.  Usually, I took a taxi.  I'll save the many stories of my adventures with Myanmar taxi drivers for another post but usually they were reliable, although expensive, by Myanmar standards.

The one consistent thing about my transportation over the last five years was that I was at the mercy of someone else.  When they wanted to go and sometimes where they wanted to go.  I was very excited about regaining the freedom that comes with having my own car.

Before flying back to Orlando I did a lot of research on which car to buy.  I might as well admit that while most tourists return from two months of traveling around Thailand and Vietnam with stories about temples, festivals and beaches, I can regale you with stories of iced coffee and hour upon hour perusing carmax.com.

The obsession I seemed to have developed about which car to buy (or lease?  Perhaps I should research that!) made me realize that decision-making doesn't get faster or easier as I age.  Hmm, perhaps I should do some research on that.

As I flew to Orlando from Bangkok, I spent much of the 33 hours thinking of what awaited me.  Including a car.  I planned to rent a car at the airport and then start car shopping in earnest the next day.  There was a slight glitch in that plan, though.  When I arrived at the off-site car rental location where I'd reserved a reasonably priced rental, I learned that things had changed a bit in my absence.  I knew I had to have a credit card.  No problem, I had two!  Unfortunately, neither was acceptable because they had "debit" on them.  After taking a deep breath, I hauled my luggage (I was feeling like I hadn't really packed that lightly by this point) back on the shuttle van and headed back to the airport.

An hour later I drove off in a shiny new, tiny rental car, which I'd rented for an exorbitant amount.  At that point I was physically exhausted but on an adrenaline high.  It was only 1:00 p.m. and I was going to pass a car dealer on my way home so why not check out a car on my way home?   I'd done my research, been in touch with the dealer via internet and I'd only been awake for 40 hours or so.  Really, what could go wrong?

I discovered another change since I'd last lived in the U.S. and bought a car.  It is not a fast process.  Even though I'd talked to the dealer about the specific vehicle I wanted to buy, it took six hours to seal the deal.  By then my adrenaline had worn off and I just wanted a shower and sleep.  You'd think my smell along would have encouraged them to speed up the process.

I drove my new car home in the dark, having never seen it in sunlight.  By the time I signed the deal I wasn't even sure anymore what features I was getting or what color it was.  I didn't care at that point.

After a good night's sleep, I raced to the garage.  There was a car!  My car!  Full of gas and ready to take me on adventures!  I'll miss the company I always had when I traveled in Samoa and Myanmar but I'll get by.

Should You Visit Myanmar During the 2015 Election?

Tourism experts in Myanmar are predicting a significant drop in the number of tourists during high season, 2015/16.  That's normally November - February, which is also the time for the best weather in Myanmar.

An historic election is scheduled to be held in early November, 2015.  That seems to have created concerns about visiting the country during that time.  The government has already started hiring additional police to start in September to help guard against any violent protests or activities.

I can't predict the future but am not concerned about being here during the election.  I do plan to be cautious.  I don't discuss local politics.  I don't go near rallies or large crowds.  I am keeping up my normal routine, visiting the local stores, restaurants, markets and pagodas.  To this point, there has been absolutely no problems that I've encountered.

The other expats and I have a game we play when out and about.  It's based on "slug buggy", an old game in which you punched your companion in the arm every time you saw a VW bug.  In Mandalay, we punch each other every time we see a foreigner (not one of the expats who lives here).  It's a frenzy of punching and giggling when a tour bus drives past.

I hope you'll keep an eye on the news and not just automatically cancel your trip to Myanmar.  It's a beautiful, amazing country and the burgeoning tourism sector needs your support.  Plus, without you, I don't get to punch anyone.

All Good Things, Including Vacations, Must Come to an End.

I loved Luang Prabang and hope to go back.   After a tuk tuk ride to the airport (for which I paid the same price as my ride from the airport in an air conditioned van) was fine, although there were six of us Western sized folks and the motorcycle struggled mightily getting up the hills.  Ironic that as we were discussing where we were from I found three of the other passengers are also teachers in Myanmar - they teach in Yangon.

After LP, I headed to Bangkok for more relaxing and eating.  Let's face it, I don't really travel, I just graze.  No photos from Bangkok.  I stayed at the hotel where I usually stay, ate where I usually eat and grocery shopped where I usually shop.  I mostly went for walks and took advantage of cable tv and fast internet.  Yes, I'm a slug, but a happy one.

It was an easy flight back to Myanmar and the afternoon weather was perfect - sunny and in the 80's. Arriving back home was easier because of the very friendly greeting of the immigration officers.  "Ah, my friend!  It is so good to have you back!"  Bet you've never heard that from a U.S. immigration officer.

Rather than wait for the other arriving teachers, I sprung for a taxi, since I was the first one through customs and the others weren't even in the long line yet.  A good choice, since they arrived over 2 hours after I did.  I went to my apartment, dropped off my junk and headed back out in the taxi to go food shopping.

Halfway there I realized I hadn't grabbed any more Myanmar money (Kyat, pronounced Chought).  I only had $25 worth with me but figured I'd just get a few items.   Silly me, I'd forgotten Myanmar prices.  I bought a large basket of of goodies at the market (carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, avocados, fresh prawns, onions, potatoes, green beans) then stopped at Chicken King to pick up a kilo of frozen chicken.  Chicken King, by the way, is actually a cell phone store which has a single freezer filled with chicken.  On the way back to school I also stopped for a bottle of Myanmar rum.  I came home with $15 left.

The prices weren't the only great part of my homecoming shopping.  The main thing was the greetings I got from the vendors.  Some saw me coming (I'm not hard to miss in Myanmar) and I saw them gesturing and yelling to their friends.  Lots of smiles and gesturing on both sides, since we were happy to see each other and they don't speak English and I don't speak Myanmar.

Back home, I got unpacked and settled in.  One teacher brought me parchment paper from the U.S. (we both like to bake) and another teacher brought a pair of sandals from Canada (we'd had a casual conversation about the challenge of buying shoes for Western sized feet).  Both were such thoughtful gifts and so appreciated.

I cooked up the prawns in a butter/chili/garlic sauce for dinner.  I enjoyed being back in my own home.  And in the middle of the night I listened to the faint sound of drumming coming from a nearby monastery.  Tomorrow I'll have to ask my local friends what the occasion was.  Yup, great vacation but good to be home.

Now, if Myanmar internet allows, here are some photos of my last day in Luang Prabang.

Another lunch, another great view of the Mekong river.

This was a small place, with a few tables and one middle-aged woman doing all the cooking and serving.  I went for the most expensive item on the menu.  Hey, I'm on vacation - who cares if it's 20,000 Kip.  Which is about $2.50.  Great food and a view!

Condiments for the omelette were (L to R) fresh lime, a sweet/salty dipping sauce and crushed peanuts.  The cook didn't speak enough English to tell me what was in the dipping sauce which is a shame because it was delicious.  I'm going to experiment by mixing some oyster sauce, sugar and rice vinegar.  I've never considered adding these items to an omelette but will be doing it from now on.  It transformed the meal.

A very hearty portion, filled with local greens (morning glory, sprouts, etc.) along with a bit of the local sausage.  Delicious.

One of the hotel uses these classic cars to pick guests up at the airport.  Rooms there cost about six times what I paid for a very pleasant hotel room.

Many of the hotels provide bicycles for guests.  These just happened to be made of bamboo.

Luang Prabang sausages, drying on the sidewalk.

My dinner, almost every night, came from the little barbecue stand next door.  My favorites - eggplant, green onions, squid, chicken and mushrooms.  About $3.00 for all this deliciousness which came with a fantastic lime, sugar and red chili dipping sauce.

Making Chicken Noises at the Market

Yesterday was great.  Two other teachers and I got a taxi for the day.  Rather than visit all the tourist/historical/religious sites, we just opted to run errands.

We started with breakfast at a local tea shop.  Generally, tea shop customers are male and Myanmar so, as usual, I turned heads.  The teachers I was with are Myanmar and Singaporean so they don't stand out quite as much as I do.

The tea shop manager, me and one of the young servers.

So tasty - fried dough filled with mashed banana.  Traditionally sprinkled with sugar but I was happy without.

Dipping another pastry (a gift from the tea shop manager) in sweet tea was perfect.

Most tea shop customers are men.  I saw two other women this morning.  But, not a problem.   I've never received anything but friendly smiles and good service.

The front of the tea shop on 26th street.

The tea shop is just yards from this bank.

After walking through the crowded, open air room, we settled at a table near the open kitchen.  The manager, a charming and flirtatious 72 year old took our order.  I opted for the banana plahda, which is fried bread with mashed bananas inside.  The manager treated me to another pastry, which was much like a plain long John donut.  It was great when dipped in the strong, sweet tea.

After the tea shop came shopping near Diamond Plaza.  This baby was ok with me as long as I didn't get too close.  The mother and baby are wearing the traditional thanaka on their faces.  It's made from a paste which is from a special kind of ground wood.

Our next stop was near Diamond Plaza, where I wanted to buy some fabric for my new longyis.  The cleaning ladies I've been teaching English to gave them to me as gifts.  One is long enough to wrap around me twice.  The other, like the rest of my longyis fits but I prefer a double wrap.  Since teaching first grade is active, I don't want to risk flashing the kidlets.

After buying some fabric (less than $5 for 3 yards), we wandered toward the cooking supplies and I made the greatest purchase ever.  Pie pans!  Technically, they are very small serving trays but I think they will work just fine as shallow pie pans.  We did have a communication glitch during the purchase.  I was explaining to the teacher from Singapore that I'd found pie pans.  "Pie? What is pie?"  she kept asking.  English is her first language, so I just kept repeating "pie".  She wasn't getting it, so I started naming types of pie - pecan, pumpkin, lemon meringue, peach, apple, etc.  She finally figured out I was saying "pie pans."  She thought I was speaking Myanmar and that pie was a Myanmar number.

Next we headed to the gold pounding place.  I'd seen a piece of art there and wanted to price it.  I still loved it - gold leaf in the shape of a large leaf, framed on a black background.  But at $95, out of my price range.

Since we were near a grocery store we liked, we headed there next.  I wandered around, picking up a few things I needed and then remembered I wanted to buy eggs, but hadn't seen any.  I asked an employee where they were.  She did not speak English, so I used the Myanmar word for eggs - Oh.  I kept repeating "oh" and she kept looking at me blankly.  We walked over to another employee and I tried again in English and Myanmar.  No luck.  We picked up another employee who gave me another blank look.  I was getting frustrated and was now surrounded by six young female employees, all wanting to help but having no idea what I wanted.  So I started making chicken noises and imitated a chicken laying an egg.  They immediately got it and we all headed to the eggs, about 10 feet from where we'd been huddled.

I picked up the eggs and said "eggs"  and "oh".  They looked at me and smiled.  Clearly, "oh" is not actually the Myanmar word for eggs.  I asked for the word and again, they wanted to help but didn't know what I wanted.  So I started saying words in English, then words in Myanmar.  Then I said "eggs" and pointed at the eggs and looked at them quizzically.  They got it.  The Myanmar word for eggs is "ooh"  no "oh".  It took ten minutes to get the eggs but I now have six new Myanmar friends.

I also picked up a bunch of DVDs for the kids and a Coldplay CD for me.  The CD was $.70.  Sorry, Coldplay, Myanmar does not abide by international copy write laws.

After shopping we walked next door to the food court.  While the other two teachers were buying some Myanmar food from one vendor, I went to the place where I'd bought the excellent coconut noodle soup previously.  I was very excited to order it - "1 bowl of chicken coconut noodle soup for take away." all in Myanmar.  The workers seemed both shocked and delighted.

If you'd like to either grocery shop or enjoy some "oh no cow sway" (coconut noodle soup) from the food court, ask any taxi driver to take you to Gandamar Wholesale (its not actually a wholesale shop) on 78th street.  The driver may also know it as the old Ruby Mart.   The food court next door has stalls with Indian, Japanese, Thai,  and Myanmar food, along with rotisserie chicken and a stall that sells coffee and smoothies.  My bowl of soup, which was enough for a meal, was $.80 USD.  By the way - when I write Myanmar words, that's my own spelling - I just go phonetically and write it the way it sounds.

After a rough morning of eating and shopping we decided we needed a rest, so headed to a beauty salon.  We spent the next two hours being pampered like queens.  The place is clean, air conditioned and the staff are lovely.  Shampoo, blow dry and massage - $6.50.

My massage therapist at Style Star.  She's tiny but incredibly strong.

Another staff member.  For the shampoo, you lie on the comfortable beds in the photo.  

Two AIS teachers (left, center) and the shop owner, paying the bill.

The owner of Style Star located on 35th St. and 70th.  It's very common for women to own businesses in Myanmar.  

The ladies who work at Style Star.

Feeling cool and refreshed, we headed back into the 100+ degree heat to one of the important religious and historic sites, the oldest monastery in Mandalay.  We had no interest in the monastery but were very interested in checking out the goodies for sale just outside the monastery.  Unfortunately, the vendors have become accustomed to interacting with tourists and have gotten a bit greedy.  After explaining that I am not a tourist, but a teacher who lives in Mandalay, I asked the price of a small wood carving.  The vendor confidently said $18, which was ridiculously high.  It pissed me off.  I understand that this is the off season and they may be lucky to see a dozen foreigners a day and want to make as much as possible but this was highway robbery.  She asked what I'd be willing to pay and I said $5.  She laughed, right up until I walked to the next stall.  Then she came running and offered the price of $6, which was fair.  But I refused because I didn't want her to think it was ok to try to rip off foreigners.

By then we were back to being hot and sweaty so stopped to buy a beer on our way home.  My interaction with the vendor was annoying but the men riding on top of a truck filled with cement bags made up for it as they waved and smiled when they saw me on the street.  That's more typical in Mandalay.

I was planning to add photos with captions explaining locations but the internet is too slow.  Here's the info

Tea Shop - on 26th St., around 65 (I think) near Aya Bank.  Not far from Mandalay Hill.  Well worth seeking out.  If you are visiting Myanmar, you MUST enjoy a meal at a local tea shop.  The locals may stare, but it will be friendly stares and if you smile, you'll get dozens of smiles in return. Plus, free tea and excellent food for less than $1 USD.  No English menu but the manager speaks some English and there's always a local or two who will be happy to translate for you.

Style Star - outstanding place for shampoo/arm/shoulder/back massage and foot/leg massage.  On 35th at 70th.  Across from Super Points.  English is limited, but no worries - they are used to foreigners.  Women only.  Sorry, guys!

Child Labor

Making the short walk from the school building across campus to my apartment this afternoon, I was sweating after walking two minutes.  I noticed a truck near the apartments from which people were shoveling dirt (or manure?) onto a pile on the ground.

As I got closer, I realized the two people wielding the shovels were boys about 10 years old.  Working quickly, they didn't seem to be fazed by the strenuous work in the heat and sun.  As I passed I said hello to the boys, first in Myanmar and then English.  Typical Myanmar reaction - they stopped for a moment, gave me huge smiles and waved.

I couldn't help but think of how mightily my brother and I complained about the chores we had to do as kids.  Putting dishes into the dishwasher.  Sweeping the porch.  Making beds and cleaning toilets.  Putting clothes into the washer and dryer.

I don't condone child labor.  I hope the boys attend school when it is in session.  It did occur to me though, that if I have my first graders do a bit of shoveling every day it might help them burn off some energy.

Speaking of digging reminds me of a story.  My father was a clever guy.  When my brother and I were about 4 and 7 he convinced us that if we dug a hole at just the right spot in our backyard in Arizona, we would be able to dig all the way to China.  Really, he showed us on a globe how it would work.  Once there we could make new friends with some Chinese children.  My brother and I were all for it and dug with great enthusiasm.  Not much skill, but lots of enthusiasm.  We gave up on the "new Chinese friends" idea not long after we started.  My dad stepped in, dug for a bit and then planted a lemon tree.  That was his plan all along.

To add insult to injury, a couple of years later my brother and his friend and I were playing sheriffs and outlaw.  I was the outlaw and was strung up by the neck from that lemon tree for rustling cattle.  Luckily, my mom saw what was happening and cut me down.  I always hated that tree.

Going for a Sunday Ride to Sagaing

One of the best things that's happened to me recently was meeting my new friend Sai.  He's from Mandalay, in his early 30's and just returned from 10 years studying and working in the United States.  He's a kind, intelligent man with a great sense of humor.  He's homesick for America and enjoys hanging out, speaking English and talking about the United States.  I love his knowledge of Myanmar along with his understanding of an American perspective.

He picked me up last Sunday so we could spend the day checking out the sites.  We started at a local monastery.  To celebrate recent special occasions (father's birthday, sister-in-law's birthday and brother and sister-in-law's wedding anniversary) the family was providing food for the monks at the monastery they "attend".  I put that in quotes because it's not quite the same as when Christians or Jews in America attend weekly services at church or temple, but Buddhist families have relationships with their own monastery and get to know the monks.

On our way to the monastery, we stopped to check out this upscale resort.  Very nice and prices are about the same in the restaurant as the US.  Rooms are more expensive than a comparable hotel in the US.

Sai at the monastery

These are the more senior monks who are also teachers.

Harry is Sai's nephew and attends Montessori preschool at AIS.

This is his big brother, William.  He's one of my first-graders and how I met Sai.

Mother of Harry and William, sister-in-law of Sai.  Beautiful Myanmar woman who exemplifies the beauty, grace and style that is valued here.

The monks range in age but the requirements are the same.  These young boys are students.  Their families choose for them to be monks at this age.  When they are about 18, they will decide if they want to remain a monk for life.

The food looked and smelled delicious.

Monks and nuns only eat once a day, before noon.  On special days, like this one, Sai's family told the monks they wanted to provide food for that day.  They actually provided the money and the monks bought the groceries and cooked.  Sai's family (and the family's servants) helped serve the monks and also ate, after the monks were done.

The food looked delicious but I'd just finished breakfast so didn't eat.  There was chicken, a variety of vegetables, lots of rice, fruit and cake for dessert.  When the monks aren't provided food like this, they take an alms bowl out on the street to silently ask for food.  It is considered a blessing or mitzvah to give food to a monk or nun.  The monks and nuns are not allowed to wear shoes during this time, which is usually early morning and this time of year, very chilly.

When all the food is collected, the monks return to the monastery and all the food they've collected is pooled and then divided equally and eaten communally.

After an hour or so at the monastery, we headed out.  I asked if we could stop at a shop I'd seen that sells wicker chairs like the two I recently bought.  I wanted to buy a foot stool and was in luck.  Found just what I wanted and got to take photos of the nice ladies working there.  People in Mandalay are getting used to seeing Caucasian tourists, but not so much in stores like this that cater to locals.

These young sales people were giggling and trying to hide behind each other for the photo.  They're wearing traditional longye clothing and thanaka on thier faces.

This woman is making a chair like the two I bought from another store.  I got a foot stool to match.  My apartment is now furnished!  Chairs, btw, were $25 each and foot stool was $8.

We continued our drive to our next stop - Sai's family's manufacturing plant.  He was excited to show me and I couldn't wait to see it.  They make plastics for the agricultural sector.  One major product that they were producing that day is batter operated backpacks used by farmers and landscapers for fertilizing, etc.  There are over 160 employees and almost all are women.  We discussed that and Sai explained the women just show up and do the work.  Men tend to argue, fight and waste time more.  The employees were very quiet as they went about their work.  Apparently that's not typical but when an owner and foreigner stroll through, everyone is on their best (and quietest) behavior.  Still lots of smiles for me from the women though, who giggled when I said hello in Myanmar.

After leaving the plant we drove through a relatively new, very affluent residential neighborhood.  It is near the new stadium, which was built for the SEA games.  The houses are each worth millions of US dollars and most are huge since they house multi-generational families.  Land prices here have skyrocketed.  That, combined with hard working people, has created a whole nouveau-riche culture.  Mansions are springing up everywhere.  Some look more like hotels than houses.  Because there appears to be little, if any, city planning many of the mansions are on dirt roads next to scum filled swamps and make-shift housing for those who haven't struck it rich.  

As we moved past the mansions to an area which is more representative of where the workers from Sai's plant live, we passed men playing sepak thakraw.  Very popular in SE Asia, it is amazing to watch.  Normally played with 3 on each side, it is like beach volley ball.  But played with a softball sized ball made of bamboo.  And with a net but you can't use your hands, only your feet or head.  It is amazing to watch and as much as I wanted to take photos I didn't want to disrupt their game any more than I did by just watching for a few minutes.  You can see a sample on this video.

We also passed a boy and girl at a small shop playing some type of board game.  Not quite checkers, not quite chess.  Again, I didn't take photos, although I suspect that while they would have been a bit embarrassed, they wouldn't have minded.  Sai explained to them that I'd never seen the game and was just curious.

Continuing on our way to Sagaing, near Amarapura which is like a suburb of Mandalay, I asked Sai what was going on on the other side of the divided road.  We stopped so I could take photos and we could watch.  It seems an entire village was celebrating that their young boys and girls were being taken to the monasteries to become monks and nuns.  For some children, this is very temporary, only ten days.  For others, it's the beginning of a life dedicated to Buddha.  All Buddhist men are expected to serve as a monk two or three times, once as a child, once as a teen and again in their 20's.

This was in no way a tourist event.  I was the only one snapping pictures.  People did not seem to object and most smiled and many waved.  The rock band on one "float" kicked it up a notch when they saw Sai and I watching and taking photos.  It was the kind of amazing experience that makes me so love living here.

I'm having technical challenges in putting captions to these so I'm going at it a different way.  From top to bottom:  This woman was wearing a traditional longyi and carrying what I assume will be an offering for Buddha at the monastery.

Next, several groups of women were wearing matching longyis.  Members of the same family, I'm assuming.

The next two photos are boys going to become monks.  You'll notice they are wearing makeup and look like girls.  Seems that's the tradition to dress boys like that because that's how a former king dressed.  I don't completely understand it and need to do more research.

Next came a float with a rock band, blasting music.  They were one of 3 or 4 trucks blasting music as the procession moved down the highway.

After the rock band comes the special carts pulled by oxen.  They carry the young girls who are going to become nuns.  The carts and oxen are highly decorated.  There is a company that rents them for events like this.

The final picture is the end of the parade and the traffic which had been backed up as people tried to pass.  This is a major road leading into Mandalay and there were hundreds of people, horses, oxen, etc. walking in the procession.

As the procession moved on, Sai and I got back into the car and headed toward Sagaing.  There's not much to see there, except the hill covered in temples and pagodas.  The views are amazing and this was my introduction to a week in Bagan also filled with temples.

Because I seem to be having technical problems, I'll post the Sagaing photos separately.

Impressions and Memories of the Last Couple of Months

I'm not sure if it's my age or what, but time seems to be flying faster than ever.  It seems as if it's Monday morning and when I turn around it is Sunday.  Since I opted for a staycation over the holidays in Mandalay, I'm enjoying the time to just catch my breath, relax and get caught up on stuff I've been putting off for months.

Before I forget them, I want to jot down some experiences and impressions from recent months.

• Myanmar has struggled over the last decades, politically and economically.  Things are improving but the country's infrastructure needs so much work.  Health care, for example.  As a result of Mark Owen's recent traffic accident (he was hit by a truck while riding his motorbike) I've been asked to put together a policy for the school on getting emergency treatment for injured teachers.  The health care in Mandalay is not the best and getting out of the country is not easy.  

  

  A dog napping on the dirty floor in the hallway of the largest government hospital in Mandalay.

  
  

  

  Getting Mark from the ER and Radiology to get an ultrasound required a trip outside.  Notice the gurney is bare metal. We made this trip more than once, by the way, since they determined he also needed a CAT scan.  That was a brand new piece of equipment.

  
  

  

  The Mandalay airport has jetways but I've never seen them used.  Instead, Mark had to endure being carried up by baggage handlers.  The jerking was not good for his broken ribs and punctured lung.  While Air Asia has jetways it uses in Bangkok and knew that they had someone on board who needed to get off in a wheelchair there was neither a jetway or wheelchair when we arrived.  It took over an hour to get off the plane after everyone else had disembarked and was the worst example of customer service I have ever seen.  Ever.
  

• Sounds always remind me of where I've been.  Most of the time they're in the background and I'm not even conscious of them.  Other times, like the early morning church "bells" and roosters in my village in Samoa, they can't be missed. A sound I'll always associate with Myanmar is that of horns honking.  Because driving rules here are loosely applied, cars, trucks, motorcycles all honk to let you know they're coming up on you from behind.  Or if they see that you might be trying to cross the road they honk to warn you not to.  Or to let you know that they are in the lane next to you.  While I wish AIS was closer to the center of town to make dining and shopping easier, I appreciate the relative quiet of being on the outskirts of the city.
  
  I was surprised and laughed out loud at a sound I heard repeatedly at the Chatachuk market in Bangkok.  Prior to making an announcement on the loudspeaker they would play the exact same bell tones used on cruise ships.  
  
  I still think I'm hearing helicopters when Chinese made trucks go by.  They sound exactly the same.  And at the same volume.
  
  I generally prefer silence to noise.  I've never understood why people walk on the beach listening to Ipods instead of waves.  After a day in a room with 29 first graders, I do not want to go to a noisy restaurant or bar.  I'm looking forward to my fellow teachers returning from the holiday travels but while they're gone I'm enjoying how quiet the apartment building is.
  
• Transportation is my greatest challenge (other than language) in Mandalay.  In Bangkok, you can usually grab an inexpensive taxi anywhere.  Friday and Saturday nights, especially when it's raining are exceptions.  In Mandalay, taxis are expensive and can be hard to get.  Getting a taxi to pick me up at school requires a phone call.  Because simcards are so expensive here (about $250 USD) I don't have one.  I ask a school guard to call for me.  But the guards generally don't speak English.  Usually that's no problem.  They know "taxi".  But if I want to be sure a taxi picks me up an hour from now?  Not possible to communicate.  Usually it takes 15 - 30 minutes to get a cab.  But it's not unusual to take a couple of hours and a few times I just gave up.
  
  If I'm cooking and forgot to get X ingredient it involves a taxi ($10 fare) to drive the 15-20 minutes to the store, then back.  I usually just ditch my plan for dinner.  Or beg another teacher to make a shopping run on their motorbike.  I don't have a motorbike because of the traffic and healthcare situation.
  
  Dinner out generally means hiring a taxi to take me to the restaurant, wait for me, then take me home.  That means the taxi is generally at least twice what I pay for a nice dinner.  I tried having the driver not wait around and had the restaurant call a taxi for me when I was ready to leave.  The driver didn't speak English, there was miscommunication and the normal 15 minute ride turned into an 1 1/2 hour adventure.
  
  I thought I'd reached a solution to my dilemma.  I found a nice taxi driver, who speaks English and was willing to give me a bit of a discount for using him regularly.  Then I had a wallet dropping incident during the recent emergency trip to Bangkok and lost his phone number.  Damn.  U Soe Min, where are you???

  

  I still have not gotten over my fear of crossing four lane roads with no traffic signals and pedestrians don't have right of way.  But I do it.  Because even a chicken has to cross the road.

  
  

  

  Trucks, motorbikes, cars, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, horse-drawn carriages all share the roads.  To get a driver's license you just have to pay a fee.  

Mandalay Photos

Bet you thought I'd be posting Bangkok pictures, didn't you?  They're coming, but first, I want to take advantage of having WIFI to upload some photos from home.  Away we go...

It was raining when two of the staff rode to work, so they left their umbrellas to dry.  This garage is directly under my apartment.

Near the Nat festival in Mandalay.  Horse drawn wagons are still commonly used.

Fair food!  If they cook it, I'll eat it.

Delicious prawns that are fried in some kind of batter.  I ate them like the locals do - shells, heads and all.  Roughage.

It was hot and these looked great.

Did I mention it was crowded.  This is my eye view.  Yes, I stand out in a crowd.

Nice fabric but since I was sweating the blankets didn't appeal.

My former next door neighbor trying on a cool hat made of papier mache.

Flowers for sale to be used as offerings to the Nat spirits.  It looks like green coconuts but they're not.

A cool instrument.

So you have any idea how hard it is for someone built like me to get up after dining this way?

Friendly man with beautiful baby.

Worth tilting your head for.  I was taking a photo of a pagoda and he wanted his picture taken.

People hand money to the guy in white who folds it and puts it in the tiger's mouth.

It's easier to take a bucket bath when you're this age.

A human powered ferris wheel.

They climb up and start climbing across the top to get it going.  Then, while it is going really fast, climb down and jump up to catch the seats to slow it down.

I doubt if they have Workers' Comp.  

This is typical of how I was greeted every where.

Psi is loved in Myanmar.  These were large balloons.  That's Jodie's head in the middle.