06.01.11 Jetlag and Culture Shock
It’s a week since we left England and all in all I’d say we’re doing pretty well on the jetlag front. They say it takes a day for every hour’s difference and we’re 6 and a half hours ahead here so… Alfie and I especially seem to have adapted without too much trouble, Pete is still struggling a bit but then he has had to go to work as well.
Amazingly, Alfie slept right through nights 3, 4 and 5. On other nights we had to do a bit of midnight watching of the Tweenies DVD, especially the first night of course. He then fell asleep around 5am which was a shame as we had to get up an hour later and leave the hotel at 7am for our flight. As you lot were drinking champagne and wishing each other a Happy New Year we toasted you with our coffees at the breakfast bar of a hotel in Bangkok, which is 7 hours ahead. Just as well really, because we missed the Thai New Year entirely, not being able to make it past 10pm despite our best efforts.
And not only has he had the time difference to contend with, he’s also spent the last week cutting 2 of 4 molars now coming through, bless him. What with all that and the heat, missing mormor (his constant companion for the last 2 months), a slightly stressed mummy and daddy and a horde of admirers grabbing his chubby legs every time he steps out the door, he’s doing remarkably well, and all with his usual sunny outlook.
Jetlag is a funny old thing because it isn’t just about feeling tired at odd hours; your appetite is all up the spout too. And then there’s a certain blackness that descends, I guess because you’re all out of sync with your biorhythms or something, so the 4am slump we often sleep through, happens mid-morning, when you’re expected to be your perkiest and the sun is shining and all is well. And the sleep you do get can be a bit, well sort of bobbly. Like you’re weaving in and out of dream sleep and constantly almost surfacing before disappearing into the depths again. Not particularly refreshing.
Then there’s the culture shock. Here I am in somewhere so alien I find it difficult even to describe (though describing and writing helps no end) and it suddenly hits me that this is it. Here I am and I’m miles away from friends and family and there is just me and Pete and Alfie and I have to get on with it, no choice. And so I veer from excitement to depression at an alarming pace several times a day. This ties in with the jetlag too of course and the newness of it all. Some things are so ridiculous (the money thing, see separate entry) that it is mostly laughable, but at certain times of day it becomes infuriating. Take yesterday, when I had to use the loo at the Shwedagon Paya (see separate entry) and paid 1000 kyat, about $1, for the privilege. Pete was outraged and so cross with me for paying it. But as I said to him, next week I might feel able to argue about it. And the week after I will laugh at how silly I was to pay it. And the week after that I might even go back to the lady and demand my change. But now, just for now, I’m paralysed by my culture shock and worn out by jet lag and a little bit suffering from a dicky tummy and you know what? It’s only a dollar. And of course ordinarily he wouldn’t be cross about it, just surprised and bemused, but he’s suffering too and when you add in a fierce 30+ heat then life just feels a little hard work at times.
Then I lay on my new bed in my big new ensuite bedroom and look out at the palm trees and frangipane and bougainvillea, having just swum a whole 8 lengths of our little pool (12m long if that) which is approximately 5 steps from our front door and I feel a lot better. I imagine telephone conversations with my girlfriends, which helps too and think of a time in the not too distant future when I will have some new girlfriends who I will be able to have real conversations with, maybe even on a mobile phone if I’m lucky! Alfie and I have just shared a feast of watermelon, ‘apbuu’ (apple), tropical bananas so sweet they render the ones at home completely tasteless and of course ‘noi noi’s’; his favourite clementines which we eat in vast quantities because they are no bigger than a walnut and deliciously sweet too. Our maid Mu Mu (female names are always doubled) is here and takes care of all the cleaning, washing and ironing and killing the hated cockroaches on her way. I can sit and write this in peace in my air-conditioned room, listening to the noisy birds outside and every time I apply my sun lotion I feel like I’m on holiday. Life isn’t so bad after all.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Shwedagon Paya
06.01.11 Shwedagon Paya
Or Shwe Dagon Pagoda if you prefer. There is often 3 different ways of spelling things here and no-one minds too much. So, yesterday we went for our first visit to the famous Shwedagon Paya (temple) which sits majestically at the top of a hill in the middle of Yangon and is a very sacred and holy place of pilgrimage for Myanmar’s if not the world’s Buddhists.
It is a ‘heart-stopping’ (Lonely Planet) ‘golden mystery…a beautiful, winking wonder’ (R. Kipling) or a sort of golden, bobbly dome affair (stupa), 98m from base to top and all covered in gold. And I mean GOLD. Some 60 tonnes of it, it is said, though it is also rumoured that the bottom half is just paint these days. And the official leaflet says there are 79 569 diamonds and precious stones inlaid at the top. Boy does it glisten in the sun! It can be seen for miles around, even at night and is a sight so spectacular, even Pete, who in his own words has seen a few things in his time, said he had seen nothing like it. It is quite, quite lovely.
It sits in a complex of gates and temples reached by a long, long series of steps. Or in fact escalators or even a lift, depending on which side you come in, North, East, South or West. We only discovered this latter fact on the way down but the exercise was good for us. Each gate has a Hall of Adoration and then there are deities and gods for all the planets, days of the week, some animal spirits (nats) and so on around the central golden-ness and also all around the sides too. In some of these temples people sit and eat their food and congregate and chat, it’s all very convivial. And on a lower level around the base people have shops and bustle about their business. It’s not like the Vatican in reverence though it’s probably just as important. And with equal amounts of gold, probably.
We had a great time wandering round, although the sun was blistering so it was nice to pop into a temple now and again. It’s hard to describe how opulent and impressive these are, many have giant Buddhas lining the sides, others have dragons and lions and such. Some are fairly simple, some are stone or marble, a couple are of the most ornate carved teak and all are colourful and beautiful, to my eye at least. There were lots of families and we saw a very sweet young boy of about 4 learning to pray with his mum and dad on each side. He was collapsing with tiredness and tedium and when he spotted us he tugged and tugged at mummy and daddy to look but to no avail. The look of disappointment as we disappeared out of view!
In fact we caused quite a stir all round. As Pete said, the monks could have cartwheeled naked around the temple and no-one would have noticed because apparently a white family with a blonde and blue-eyed boy is much more fascinating. To say we stick out is an understatement. There are tourists here of course, but not many. And not many with a shiny blonde angel child who smiles and laughs non-stop and is carried on his Daddy’s back in a baby-carrier (which also causes huge consternation wherever we go outside England, let alone Myanmar where I bet there aren’t many around).
Although we had been told that feet are considered dirty (we take our shoes off almost everywhere) and that it is considered offensive to touch someone’s head, including children, the first thing anyone did on approaching Alfie was, oddly, to tickle his feet and ruffle his hair. They were also taken by his chubby cheeks and legs which all got a good grabbing – so far he thinks this is funny but I can imagine the novelty will wear off quite soon. ‘He is fat!’ they declared merrily, ‘my brother’ laughed one man, plonking his little girl next to Alfie while the wife took a photo, ‘may I?’ said a raft of young ladies as they lined up with their cameras. If we thought Alfie caused a stir in Milan or Nairobi it was nothing compared with this. It’s the same in the supermarket. Pete and I will be discussing something and turn around to see 12 people surrounding us, pulling faces at our son. It was lovely in the hotel café the other day when the entire staff, from security to reception ran around after him while we had a drink. But at the Shwedagon Paya it got a little out of hand, at one point we couldn’t stop walking for causing such a crowd around us. It’s a bit weird but I am also enormously proud of my son for having such a lovely temperament and taking it all in his stride.
When we eventually set him down he went running off without a backwards glance and delighted in climbing around the temple steps. He is adept at getting strangers to do his bidding, causing much melting of hearts by stretching his arms out to be lifted up (so he can see better) and even bestowing the odd cuddle on an unsuspecting stranger. He even begged a few spoonfuls of rice off a security guard much to her amusement but was very definite in refusing a 4th helping, saying ‘ne’, shaking his head and running off again.
So that was our first experience of the famous temple. In time we will get a season ticket and no doubt take all our visitors there, probably even treat ourselves to a guided tour. But for this time we had seen enough after a couple of hours. And Alfie needed a rest from his fans!
Or Shwe Dagon Pagoda if you prefer. There is often 3 different ways of spelling things here and no-one minds too much. So, yesterday we went for our first visit to the famous Shwedagon Paya (temple) which sits majestically at the top of a hill in the middle of Yangon and is a very sacred and holy place of pilgrimage for Myanmar’s if not the world’s Buddhists.
It is a ‘heart-stopping’ (Lonely Planet) ‘golden mystery…a beautiful, winking wonder’ (R. Kipling) or a sort of golden, bobbly dome affair (stupa), 98m from base to top and all covered in gold. And I mean GOLD. Some 60 tonnes of it, it is said, though it is also rumoured that the bottom half is just paint these days. And the official leaflet says there are 79 569 diamonds and precious stones inlaid at the top. Boy does it glisten in the sun! It can be seen for miles around, even at night and is a sight so spectacular, even Pete, who in his own words has seen a few things in his time, said he had seen nothing like it. It is quite, quite lovely.
It sits in a complex of gates and temples reached by a long, long series of steps. Or in fact escalators or even a lift, depending on which side you come in, North, East, South or West. We only discovered this latter fact on the way down but the exercise was good for us. Each gate has a Hall of Adoration and then there are deities and gods for all the planets, days of the week, some animal spirits (nats) and so on around the central golden-ness and also all around the sides too. In some of these temples people sit and eat their food and congregate and chat, it’s all very convivial. And on a lower level around the base people have shops and bustle about their business. It’s not like the Vatican in reverence though it’s probably just as important. And with equal amounts of gold, probably.
We had a great time wandering round, although the sun was blistering so it was nice to pop into a temple now and again. It’s hard to describe how opulent and impressive these are, many have giant Buddhas lining the sides, others have dragons and lions and such. Some are fairly simple, some are stone or marble, a couple are of the most ornate carved teak and all are colourful and beautiful, to my eye at least. There were lots of families and we saw a very sweet young boy of about 4 learning to pray with his mum and dad on each side. He was collapsing with tiredness and tedium and when he spotted us he tugged and tugged at mummy and daddy to look but to no avail. The look of disappointment as we disappeared out of view!
In fact we caused quite a stir all round. As Pete said, the monks could have cartwheeled naked around the temple and no-one would have noticed because apparently a white family with a blonde and blue-eyed boy is much more fascinating. To say we stick out is an understatement. There are tourists here of course, but not many. And not many with a shiny blonde angel child who smiles and laughs non-stop and is carried on his Daddy’s back in a baby-carrier (which also causes huge consternation wherever we go outside England, let alone Myanmar where I bet there aren’t many around).
Although we had been told that feet are considered dirty (we take our shoes off almost everywhere) and that it is considered offensive to touch someone’s head, including children, the first thing anyone did on approaching Alfie was, oddly, to tickle his feet and ruffle his hair. They were also taken by his chubby cheeks and legs which all got a good grabbing – so far he thinks this is funny but I can imagine the novelty will wear off quite soon. ‘He is fat!’ they declared merrily, ‘my brother’ laughed one man, plonking his little girl next to Alfie while the wife took a photo, ‘may I?’ said a raft of young ladies as they lined up with their cameras. If we thought Alfie caused a stir in Milan or Nairobi it was nothing compared with this. It’s the same in the supermarket. Pete and I will be discussing something and turn around to see 12 people surrounding us, pulling faces at our son. It was lovely in the hotel café the other day when the entire staff, from security to reception ran around after him while we had a drink. But at the Shwedagon Paya it got a little out of hand, at one point we couldn’t stop walking for causing such a crowd around us. It’s a bit weird but I am also enormously proud of my son for having such a lovely temperament and taking it all in his stride.
When we eventually set him down he went running off without a backwards glance and delighted in climbing around the temple steps. He is adept at getting strangers to do his bidding, causing much melting of hearts by stretching his arms out to be lifted up (so he can see better) and even bestowing the odd cuddle on an unsuspecting stranger. He even begged a few spoonfuls of rice off a security guard much to her amusement but was very definite in refusing a 4th helping, saying ‘ne’, shaking his head and running off again.
So that was our first experience of the famous temple. In time we will get a season ticket and no doubt take all our visitors there, probably even treat ourselves to a guided tour. But for this time we had seen enough after a couple of hours. And Alfie needed a rest from his fans!
Inya Lake Hotel
02.01.11 Inya Lake Hotel
So here we are in Yangon, ensconsed in the rather fantastic Inya Lake Hotel. When we arrived, via a 15 minute drive from the airport, Alfie and I were welcomed by an army of concierges on the majestic porch, who took care of our luggage while we wandered through the foyer (we had so much luggage that Pete had to wait at the airport with half of it for the driver to come back for him). And would you believe it? There in the foyer of our hotel was a menagerie of animals! Real, live baa’s (2 pygmy goats), quack quacks (2), bok bok’s (1 chicken), a cockadoodledoo and 4 little bunnies. All inside a straw-laden picket- fenced enclosure which I think was supposed to resemble a nativity scene or some such. What luck! Alfie immediately stamped his (and therefore our) approval on this place. Genius!
The hotel itself nestles on the northern shore of the lake which lies in the north/middle of Yangon. It does seem to be rather far from anything so for 3 days we haven’t ventured out. As there is 34 acres of grounds and the most fantastic pool however, that doesn’t seem as bad as it sounds. The pool is huge and has an equally large baby pool attached with a wonderful mushroom-like fountain, a bridge to swim under, steps and a fairly steep incline to over 2m at the deepest end.
Pete declares the building to be Socialist. By which he means it is supposed to impress (and repress?) while all the time being made, in fact, of concrete. Indeed it is on a grand scale. How many London hotels have room for a live nativity scene in their foyers I wonder? And it is also a Testament to Teak of course. Vast acreages of floor being laid in it and all the furniture being made of it (and it is SO heavy). Our room is enormous (just as well with 15 pieces of baggage) and everything epitomises an air of faded grandeur as you might expect when the mighty have fallen. I feel I am getting into some Socialist prose here.
The staff are beyond lovely, besotted with Alfie and endlessly patient when he wants to play with the ornamental lions (he and the doormen growl and roar sweetly at each other). The uniforms are beautiful with brightly coloured lime or turquoise or royal blue blouses and matching skirts, or sarongs, for men and women alike. Well, the men have a more sober, plain shirt but all wear the ‘longyi’ (skirts).
All in all, not a bad place to get over our jetlag and acclimatise to the sun.
So here we are in Yangon, ensconsed in the rather fantastic Inya Lake Hotel. When we arrived, via a 15 minute drive from the airport, Alfie and I were welcomed by an army of concierges on the majestic porch, who took care of our luggage while we wandered through the foyer (we had so much luggage that Pete had to wait at the airport with half of it for the driver to come back for him). And would you believe it? There in the foyer of our hotel was a menagerie of animals! Real, live baa’s (2 pygmy goats), quack quacks (2), bok bok’s (1 chicken), a cockadoodledoo and 4 little bunnies. All inside a straw-laden picket- fenced enclosure which I think was supposed to resemble a nativity scene or some such. What luck! Alfie immediately stamped his (and therefore our) approval on this place. Genius!
The hotel itself nestles on the northern shore of the lake which lies in the north/middle of Yangon. It does seem to be rather far from anything so for 3 days we haven’t ventured out. As there is 34 acres of grounds and the most fantastic pool however, that doesn’t seem as bad as it sounds. The pool is huge and has an equally large baby pool attached with a wonderful mushroom-like fountain, a bridge to swim under, steps and a fairly steep incline to over 2m at the deepest end.
Pete declares the building to be Socialist. By which he means it is supposed to impress (and repress?) while all the time being made, in fact, of concrete. Indeed it is on a grand scale. How many London hotels have room for a live nativity scene in their foyers I wonder? And it is also a Testament to Teak of course. Vast acreages of floor being laid in it and all the furniture being made of it (and it is SO heavy). Our room is enormous (just as well with 15 pieces of baggage) and everything epitomises an air of faded grandeur as you might expect when the mighty have fallen. I feel I am getting into some Socialist prose here.
The staff are beyond lovely, besotted with Alfie and endlessly patient when he wants to play with the ornamental lions (he and the doormen growl and roar sweetly at each other). The uniforms are beautiful with brightly coloured lime or turquoise or royal blue blouses and matching skirts, or sarongs, for men and women alike. Well, the men have a more sober, plain shirt but all wear the ‘longyi’ (skirts).
All in all, not a bad place to get over our jetlag and acclimatise to the sun.
Internet and Telephone
15.01.11 Internet Access and Landline Phone
Because I haven’t got internet access and the few times I have logged on I’ve been unable to access my blog, some of these entries will be posted all together. I’ll do my best to put them in date order but the date I wrote them will appear at the top in case of confusion, so you can see when I wrote it. Hope that makes sense!
We are working on internet access at home and should have this sorted in the next month or so. In the meanwhile, as I am without childcare (something else I am working on!) I can’t easily get to an internet café. My blogposts and email replies are therefore limited to the weekend when we might go to a restaurant or hotel with wifi. And even then I don’t particularly want to spend hours on the laptop!
So apologies in advance for erratic replies and communication generally. We do have a landline telephone and our number is 01 544172. I can’t remember the country code for Myanmar and I’m sure it’s a minimum of around 18p a minute, but DO check International Call Checker which you can access via Martins Money Tips, if not via Google (in the UK at least). You can also make calls via Skype of course (you’ll still pay but it’s cheaper) and if you prefer to talk for free, Pete is often online at work; his Skype name is alfredsdad (and I’m alfredsmum)! We are six and a half hours ahead of the UK. We’re about 6 hours behind Australia, depending on which state you are in.
You are very welcome to call and do remember that the phone lines here can be erratic so don’t give up. You may hear an engaged tone even if we’re not engaged for example.
If all this sounds too complicated then do please keep the emails coming as they are very much appreciated, even if we aren’t able to reply at once!
Because I haven’t got internet access and the few times I have logged on I’ve been unable to access my blog, some of these entries will be posted all together. I’ll do my best to put them in date order but the date I wrote them will appear at the top in case of confusion, so you can see when I wrote it. Hope that makes sense!
We are working on internet access at home and should have this sorted in the next month or so. In the meanwhile, as I am without childcare (something else I am working on!) I can’t easily get to an internet café. My blogposts and email replies are therefore limited to the weekend when we might go to a restaurant or hotel with wifi. And even then I don’t particularly want to spend hours on the laptop!
So apologies in advance for erratic replies and communication generally. We do have a landline telephone and our number is 01 544172. I can’t remember the country code for Myanmar and I’m sure it’s a minimum of around 18p a minute, but DO check International Call Checker which you can access via Martins Money Tips, if not via Google (in the UK at least). You can also make calls via Skype of course (you’ll still pay but it’s cheaper) and if you prefer to talk for free, Pete is often online at work; his Skype name is alfredsdad (and I’m alfredsmum)! We are six and a half hours ahead of the UK. We’re about 6 hours behind Australia, depending on which state you are in.
You are very welcome to call and do remember that the phone lines here can be erratic so don’t give up. You may hear an engaged tone even if we’re not engaged for example.
If all this sounds too complicated then do please keep the emails coming as they are very much appreciated, even if we aren’t able to reply at once!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
More First Words
Of course I forgot a few last time I blogged and in fact since then, he has added a few more!
Daa - Ta/Thank you. He's been saying this for ages now and likes to play a game of handing you things and you saying ta.
Kekkek – crocodile, while in IKEA looking at their soft toys
Ha’ – hat. It’s unusually cold in England and we’re all wearing woolly hats. Daddy has also bought some camouflage earmuffs which he seems to love, as opposed to the hat which he constantly removes.
Ye/Yeah/Eh – yes! Getting the hang of yes and no and as of the last few days Alfie has been practising saying yes for food and suggestions as to activities. Still a bit random. No seems mostly for things that are forbidden and occasionally things he doesn’t like, such as mummy telling him to come down the stairs on his own instead of carrying him. No is accompanied by shaking of the head and yes seems to go with a sort of exaggerated nodding.
Ey – egg, your favourite breakfast food of all time. You also connect these to chickens and baby chickens thanks to the Farmer George book.
Daddy – you are definitely saying it but tantalisingly, only once. You do say it to mean daddy though and it seems like you are trying to attract his attention. We’ll regret teaching you this very soon I suspect.
Daa - Ta/Thank you. He's been saying this for ages now and likes to play a game of handing you things and you saying ta.
Kekkek – crocodile, while in IKEA looking at their soft toys
Ha’ – hat. It’s unusually cold in England and we’re all wearing woolly hats. Daddy has also bought some camouflage earmuffs which he seems to love, as opposed to the hat which he constantly removes.
Ye/Yeah/Eh – yes! Getting the hang of yes and no and as of the last few days Alfie has been practising saying yes for food and suggestions as to activities. Still a bit random. No seems mostly for things that are forbidden and occasionally things he doesn’t like, such as mummy telling him to come down the stairs on his own instead of carrying him. No is accompanied by shaking of the head and yes seems to go with a sort of exaggerated nodding.
Ey – egg, your favourite breakfast food of all time. You also connect these to chickens and baby chickens thanks to the Farmer George book.
Daddy – you are definitely saying it but tantalisingly, only once. You do say it to mean daddy though and it seems like you are trying to attract his attention. We’ll regret teaching you this very soon I suspect.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Alfie Update - First Words
So our son is talking. And talking and talking and talking. At least, in a language he and we understand, if no-one else. He has been burbling away a good long while, and the other day marched up to a lady in front of a notice board and said something very decisive along the lines of ‘yakkadakkadakadak’. She laughed out loud and said to me ‘he sounded exactly like he was telling me which tree we ought to look for’ (we were at Westonbirt Arboretum). Anyway, in no particular order, his current (and first?) words are: • Bye Bye (with waving, often as soon as anyone leaves the room or when he decides to walk out of a shop) • Nanight (ditto) • Banzai! (Hands in air) • Yeah! (Usually clapping then hands in air, like mummy does) • Moo, Baa, Cockadoodledoo, Bok Bok (chicken), Neigh, Miaouw, Woof Woof (sounds like ooh ooh), Ee-Aww (donkey), Fsshh (fish), Eeeeee (Elephant), Rah (Lion/Tiger), Sssss (snake), Pig noise (like snoring) • Up! (usually to Incey Wincey – up came the sun etc) • Cheers! (a sort of Thhh sound which makes sense) • MorMor (mohmoh) • Nannie (Nannnn) • Nana (Banana, often with monkey picture in book) • Nononononono (accompanied by shaking of the head, often while looking forlornly at the TV remote) • Noi Noi (oranges, or more correctly, clementines) • Brrrrmm (cars) • Nee naw (fire engines and such, obv) • Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee increasing in volume (Hand me that now you moronic parent!) What astonishes me with the animal sounds is that you now only have to say the proper word, i.e. cow, dog, cat, pig etc and he will tell you the sounds they make. But more extraordinary than that, he is able to recognise the most obscure and surreal rendering of each animal, so it doesn’t matter if it’s a photo, cartoon, toy, ornament or the real thing, he still knows what it is. And some of them cartoons and toys can be very weird, not to mention the fact that dogs in particular come in all shapes and sizes. That, I think, is very clever; the joining up of the word, the sound and the picture/representation. Some things, like deer, can variously be neighs or moos which I think is fair enough. Today for the first time we have also heard a definite ‘no’ though it sounded more like a ‘ne’ but was in answer to whether he wanted some food or other so made sense to us. He has also said Daisy (Aunty Susan’s dog), Katie (cousin) and Granddad. At least, we recognise the vowel sounds but it’s debatable whether anyone else would. He has also definitely said Daddy a few times but rarely repeats it so you feel like you may have heard it wrong. But then again… And then there are the words you understand but can’t yet verbalise. These are too numerous to mention but some current favourites are clock (incl watches), book, nose, teeth, ears, mouth, toes – this includes on animals as well as family, real and in pictures, dummy, shoes, hat, chair, phone, TV, bird, ring, ball, bath, sleep and more! In other words, we have a real little chatterbox on our hands and wonderful and magical it is too, especially as you can see his world expand exponentially as his comprehension and verbalisation increase, almost day by day. Lovely!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
We're off to Myanmar! (Burma)
We’re off to Burma (Myanmar)! Pete has got a great job with an NGO out there and I’m already mentioning no names so that this blog doesn’t become contentious before we’ve even begun…
Life is in limbo at the moment. We are camping out at mum’s in Bristol, having packed, shipped and rented the house in London. Pete’s start date (and visa) is suitably vague, hampered only slightly by the recent elections on 7th November and the rumoured freeing of Ang San Sui Kei any day now. We were on standby to fly out on the 18th November as late as yesterday but have now heard it’s likely to be the 25th at the earliest. It’s a bit stressful. Although we have the house to ourselves at the moment as mum and Tony are away so we should be relaxing and enjoying ourselves without any responsibilities, temporarily!
I am VERY excited about Burma. Not a part of the world I know much about, the nearest I’ve been is 4 days in Kuala Lumpur on the way to New Zealand in 1993. But as soon as Pete said it was a possibility I got a good feeling. I mean, Rudyard Kipling and the Road to Mandalay, it sounds soooooooo romantic! We hear it is very safe out there and expats and foreigners are barely affected by the military regime. That said I am doing some research which is harrowing to say the least. And I don’t want to say too much because I have no idea how contentious that may be, or dangerous. More for any Burmese that may work for us that us I suspect. In the meanwhile I will be as circumspect as I can.
We will be living in Yangon, probably in a 3 bed house with garden and a pool in a complex with another 3 houses all with families. I can’t wait to see the famous Schwedagon Paya which is a temple in the centre of Yangon, covered in over 60 tonnes of gold leaf. It takes weeks to get around apparently! And I am fascinated by Buddhism so looking forward to learning more about that and hopefully taking some meditation classes. We will have a maid, as we did in Nairobi, and hopefully someone to take care of Alfie part time. I hope to be able to work to contribute to our coffers; ideally we’ll be debt free by the time we leave in two year’s time. Admin work and English tutoring is widely available so I’m told.
The culture is so alien to me but also fascinating, particularly the mix of religions (incl Catholicism and animism) and the exotic tribes such as the Padaung or ‘giraffe-necked’ women, the ones with all the rings around their neck, remember them? I’m also dying to see the huge varieties of flowers and foliage and try the food; curries here we come. The climate concerns me slightly, only because 40 degrees and high humidity sounds a bit exhausting and I’ve no idea how I’ll cope with 5 months of Monsoon weather…
I’m super excited about being able to get back on my bike, however. Before we left London I bought a bike seat and helmet for Alfie and I envisage both swimming and cycling becoming part of our daily life.
It looks like we’ll be arriving before Christmas though no doubt our Christmas decorations won’t turn up until January, but hopefully it means there will be plenty of social activities among the expats and of course we’ll be able to throw a party or two of our own.
You are all invited!!
Life is in limbo at the moment. We are camping out at mum’s in Bristol, having packed, shipped and rented the house in London. Pete’s start date (and visa) is suitably vague, hampered only slightly by the recent elections on 7th November and the rumoured freeing of Ang San Sui Kei any day now. We were on standby to fly out on the 18th November as late as yesterday but have now heard it’s likely to be the 25th at the earliest. It’s a bit stressful. Although we have the house to ourselves at the moment as mum and Tony are away so we should be relaxing and enjoying ourselves without any responsibilities, temporarily!
I am VERY excited about Burma. Not a part of the world I know much about, the nearest I’ve been is 4 days in Kuala Lumpur on the way to New Zealand in 1993. But as soon as Pete said it was a possibility I got a good feeling. I mean, Rudyard Kipling and the Road to Mandalay, it sounds soooooooo romantic! We hear it is very safe out there and expats and foreigners are barely affected by the military regime. That said I am doing some research which is harrowing to say the least. And I don’t want to say too much because I have no idea how contentious that may be, or dangerous. More for any Burmese that may work for us that us I suspect. In the meanwhile I will be as circumspect as I can.
We will be living in Yangon, probably in a 3 bed house with garden and a pool in a complex with another 3 houses all with families. I can’t wait to see the famous Schwedagon Paya which is a temple in the centre of Yangon, covered in over 60 tonnes of gold leaf. It takes weeks to get around apparently! And I am fascinated by Buddhism so looking forward to learning more about that and hopefully taking some meditation classes. We will have a maid, as we did in Nairobi, and hopefully someone to take care of Alfie part time. I hope to be able to work to contribute to our coffers; ideally we’ll be debt free by the time we leave in two year’s time. Admin work and English tutoring is widely available so I’m told.
The culture is so alien to me but also fascinating, particularly the mix of religions (incl Catholicism and animism) and the exotic tribes such as the Padaung or ‘giraffe-necked’ women, the ones with all the rings around their neck, remember them? I’m also dying to see the huge varieties of flowers and foliage and try the food; curries here we come. The climate concerns me slightly, only because 40 degrees and high humidity sounds a bit exhausting and I’ve no idea how I’ll cope with 5 months of Monsoon weather…
I’m super excited about being able to get back on my bike, however. Before we left London I bought a bike seat and helmet for Alfie and I envisage both swimming and cycling becoming part of our daily life.
It looks like we’ll be arriving before Christmas though no doubt our Christmas decorations won’t turn up until January, but hopefully it means there will be plenty of social activities among the expats and of course we’ll be able to throw a party or two of our own.
You are all invited!!
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