Castle in the Clouds- A Teacher's Adventure in Myanmar and Guatemala

So- I have always wanted to live overseas and since I did not do it in my youth, I retired from teaching in the US took my first overseas teaching position at an international school in Myanmar (formally Burma). As I continued my teaching abroad, my next stop- Guatemala. This blog is about day to day happenings in both of these lovely countries as well as reflect on the lessons I am learning from this experience. The posts about Guatemala begin on July 29th, 2018

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Balloon Festival

Week 16: Nov 16-21^st The Month of Local Color

I have been putting forth a consorted effort to get out more and see more of the country and go to events around the city-my goal for November. I started with the famous pagoda here and my next trip out is to Golden City Chetty “where shirts are off and the food is hot.” It is Jacob’s birthday and we meet to eat Indian food. This is the same place I avoided my first month here because I was afraid I would get sick, but three months makes one brave and hungry to try new things. We arrive and get stares from the locals and take over a huge table. The menu is big so I let others order for me. Men in white undershirts move around with precision, silver buckets in hand and a long handled ladle their weapon of choice. We have a silver plate placed before us with three small inserts ready for the variety of curry served. Not so gently a potato curry, a white bean curry and a tomato based curry is sloshed into the spaces via the silver bucket, sweaty man and his ladle. I choose the bread I want to use to scoop up the Indian fare- yummo! All I have to say is that as long as my back is to the kitchen, I am enjoying my meal. I get to make eating at a local dive off of my list.

Next, I anticipate my three-day weekend even though I have no idea of what is in store. One of the juniors has invited me to join her, another teacher and a few more kids to attend the Balloon Festival in Taunggyi (I think I was invited because she wanted to make sure her favorite teacher had an adult guest along- lucky me). It is “to mark the end of the Buddhist Lent, and is also one of the most prominent festivals of the year. Pagodas, houses, public buildings, parks, and monuments are all illuminated and there are various kinds of activities for everyone to enjoy. Thadingyut is not only for joyous but also thanksgiving and paying homage to Buddhist monks, teachers, parents and elders, and asking pardon for whatever misdeeds might have committed.” I wake up early and it is amazing what a person sees at 6:00am in the morning. Two different families arrive to feed the pigeons by our school. A huge flock awaits the showers of grain that come from the full bucket. We leave on Saturday morning at about 6:30 after being picked up by the student’s mother (her mom is staying home to enjoy a peaceful house with no kids- surprise number one). We arrive at the airport and get our sticker (no boarding passes for this trip-all we needed was a small, round sticker to identify us as passengers), release our luggage to the men who then hand carry it to the airplane and we are off. I am a little out of my element since I do not really know the kids and since they are either speaking Burmese or Spanish, but I adjust and just hang out.

An hour later, as we are arriving into the Shen State, I look out the airplane window and the most vibrant colors that form a checkerboard on the landscape- I am so looking forward to the cooler weather that I have heard will greet us. I am not disappointed. Yeah- fall!!!

The young lady’s dad sends a driver to pick us up and we have about an hour before arriving at home base. On the way we stop off at a wonderful restaurant for four different types of fish (I am getting use to people ordering for me). We cross a small-planked bridge (I am constantly scared I am going to break a stick that they call a bridge and fall in the water!) and sit in our own hut, order and wait for the fresh fish to arrive. We have Lemon fish, a hot pot with a fish stew, grilled fish and “Troubled Fish”- it is a fish that is tied up and stuffed. The name indicates it is a troubled fish because even in death it suffers from the bamboo bindings and stuffing (I am sure the kids--there are five of them-- are already tired of my questions).

We arrive at our house (it is an extra house the family owns because their home is being refurbished so it is the bare necessitates, but it is free and comfortable). Dona Fer and I head out to tour while the kids run errands. We go see--- what else--- a pagoda. It is lovely and I get to play with my vibrant tool on my camera. And here starts the comedy of errors. We get back late and miss the kids, miss dinner and wait for an hour at another house while the family employees figure out what to take to the festival. We have no idea what is going on because we do not speak the language and our interpreters are elsewhere. No worries- it is a “go with the flow” kind of weekend. The next item off of my “to do list while I am in Myanmar” is now checked off. I climb (some might call it heave) myself in the back of the work truck and off we go—into traffic—lots of traffic. I guess this is a pretty big deal. I soon find out over 100,000 people are in the crowd with us. This is exciting to a point (soon I will explain when that point ends!). We walk around after we find the truck that is parked close up earlier in the day (this sure is the way to go- people have made our festival experience extremely convenient- most are walking for miles and we drive up and have a front row seat) to find food. Check three off of my list- I actually eat some street food and it was good- with chopsticks! Pictures to follow. Fifteen balloons in all are set to flight that night. Some have fireworks shooting out from beneath them after they were up, and others have beautiful displays. Some make it up and some don’t. So imagine 100,000 people stampeding to get out of the path of a fiery balloon and you can see where the excitement ends and fear begins. This occurs early in the evening while I still have the sense of wonder in my eyes. Now I start to worry about my hair- I forgot my hat and I have a huge head full of hair that is so dry right now that it would be like hay catching a flick from an ember of a cowboy’s stove. I set out to buy a hat and come back with a hat, a scarf and a plastic chair (the lady was flabbergasted that I wanted to give her the equivalent of $5.00 for a plastic chair to keep- forever). Obviously, I could use my F150 pick-up truck with my soccer mom gear in the back- but I improvise. We head home about 3:30 am and skip the last few balloon launches. I am so tired and actually cold, but my new hat and my pride kept me from complaining, but I do realize it is hard to keep up with 17 and 18 year olds.

The next morning we find out that we are now on a balloon launching team. We are going to the day festival, through the gates, into the big field (that we avoided the night before for fear of being in a stampede) and will be part of the festival. It is nice to have people in high places. They have gone out of their way to make this weekend a memorable one. We dance, we cheer and we light the balloon- it launches and the team runs along with it to continue to pump the live fire fumes into the base. I move aside and let the ones who know what they are doing complete the task. How exciting!!! We leave to get dinner and have plans to return- thank God it rains and our plans change. After being in a traffic jam for two hours, abandoning the truck and walking three miles to town, I did not think I could take anymore fun (yet would never admit it). Awwwww sleep.

The next day we are driven to the airport and back to reality. What a great trip it was. I will stop now and write more later. My next event is “Black Voices (a female a cappella quintet) and Gitmeit (a group of 30 singers from Myanmar that are the first secular choir” Concert. I can’t wait to share the experience.

Reflections:

1. People watching is one of my favorite pastimes. Watching others watching the balloons launch was amazing. Watching four young men power a Farris wheel was unbelievable and watching young people share their homeland so graciously was humbling. Seeing a parent notice me watching their precious child and then seeing that parent light up and share their joy was special. Catching a group of kids taking my picture and then seeing the excitement on their face when I pose for them (with them) and then ask them to pose for me is a special memory I will cherish. We really are one human race with so much to share with each other if we let down our guard a little and share the love

2. Thanksgiving is coming up and it is bittersweet. We will celebrate here on Saturday and I will attempt to make my first piecrust from scratch. Another first-wish me luck. Then on Thursday I imagine I will need to find something to do so I will not feeling sorry for myself and dwell on missing my kids. It is a holiday that centers on food, but it is whom one shares that food with that really counts. I am so glad to have quickly formed some friendships here so that the celebration will not be forced.

3. Have you ever seen a poinsettia tree? I have now- huge ones - and they are beautiful. Wow- a wonderful Christmas gift for the eyes.

4. I cannot explain how hospitable and sweet the people of this country are. Perhaps these examples will be good ones to share. Upon arriving in Yangon after our trip, we get off of the plane, walk down the steps (yes, it was a little plane and we get off and walk on the runway) and seven airline employees have a line formed, each holding an umbrella to protect us from the sun. Secondly, on our trip after we abandoned the truck in the traffic jam, walked three miles and were caught in the rain, we ducked into a small noodle shack to stay dry. The drivers found us and walked us to the truck under the protection of umbrellas and all the while- they were soaking wet. This was above and beyond the call of duty- this was what they wanted to do.

5. Everywhere I look I am taken back in time. I will share a picture of a family of FIVE on a Vespa-like bike. Do you think they have laws against that? I think not. Two schools of thought on this and I am in the middle.

The group- we are off the the festival!

View from the air

A scene along the road

Lunch at the fish place

In each hut is a table for a group to eat.

Troubled fish

View from the pagoda

pagoda

bells at the pagoda

sunset

Dona Fer

a monk and the sunset

My first street food

our first balloon

and it goes down!

Balloon with the moon

a view of the crowd

fireworks

man powered ferris wheel

sticky rice in bamboo??

The young men who snuck a picture of me and then took one with me

the crowd

our balloon launching team

look at that face??

The elephant bites the dust!!

Young boys gathering the still hot sticks used to help light the balloons. They will sell them in the market to make some extra money.

Our bird balloon we launched- successfully!

and we danced!

our balloon

more of our team

Ponsettias! and this was a small tree

Five on a cycle?? crazy

The traffic jam

a a local woman feeds the birds at 6:00am

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Week 15- No Black Friday ads around here!

Week 15 Nov. 10^th- I need Target!

It is Sunday morning and I have had two cups of coffee, a piece of raisin toast (who would have thought!) and have been serenaded by the lady behind me as well as a party in the street playing gingham style through a very loud speaker. I am still in my pajamas, yet need to get going so I can go up to school and grade a few papers and plan for the week. I have been putting this blog entry off because I have not had anything significant happen this week of which to write. So, I think I will write about writing a blog.

Many people around me are reading and say they wished that they too had started writing about their experiences and are amazed that I have kept this up. I, too, am amazed that I have been disciplined enough to write weekly. You see, discipline is not one of my strengths. I start many things I do not finish and I set lofty goals that I do not accomplish. I procrastinate on chores that overwhelm me and I do not prioritize well. I have many journals that have one or two entries from significant times in my life and I have told a few people I would write their stories if they ever wanted to sit down and do it. This blog however, seems different. I want to document this time in my life, because I do not want to forget it. This is one goal I set for myself that I actually accomplished. No, it is not the version I had in my mind, but sometimes life throws one a curve ball and how one reacts to that determines much.

Currently, I am up to 109 pages on a word document. I do not know how that happened and I am amazed when I sit down with nothing to write about and end up with an entry that seems somewhat significant. Taking an hour each week to reflect on what has happened to me that is new or unique, helps me to keep things in perspective and count my blessings. I have slowed down a bit on checking how many page views I have on my blog, but when I first started that part gave me encouragement and motivation. It reminded me of the feeling I had the three times I tried online dating. I would get home from work and immediately check to see if anyone had viewed my profile. I got that little feeling in the pit of my stomach when I had a message to view and the excitement of a child on Christmas morning when I had a “match”. I became obsessed to view the website, but then never followed through. The caution part of my brain kicked in and I became a voyeur of my own profile rather than an active participant. With the blog, there is no risk involved (except that I might make an error in grammar or spelling and the grammar/spelling Nazis among you will judge). With the blog, it is just my thoughts and I. Sometimes, this practice of weekly writing motivates me to get out and do something worth writing about and other times, it forces me to think. I do agree with the old adage that we all have a story to tell. Most never do anything with that story but get old and have their grandkids hear it over and over. I am so glad I have some stories from my mother’s Italian family written down so that they can be shared for generations. However, I have nothing from my father’s side. With them both gone, the chance is lost. He would never talk about the war in which he fought, growing up with a single parent because he lost his dad early in life or going to college on the GI bill. All I remember of his stories was that he hitch hiked home from college and that the experiences from the war turned a wonderful peaceful soul into a person who craved alcohol to mask those memories.

My point is whether a person feels they are a good writer or not, all should try to record their story in some way- by documenting pictures in a photo album (I am so scared for this generation of digital picture takers- does anyone ever print them??), by writing a poem, a journal or a blog. It is good for the soul.

A brief accounting of the week: Tuesday was book club. We discussed Lean IN and for some reason at one point of the evening, the conversation goes to bashing America. I am starting to get a little defensive. It is almost like the “I can call my sibling a name but don’t you even think about it (I cannot tell you how many times I write “abou tit”- one of these days I am going to not see my mistake and let it go through!!) mentality. I get defensive. Oh well, next month’s book is lovely and I do not see a way for it to turn into an America needs to.... discussion. It is The Art of Hearing Heartbeats and so far the writing is beautiful.

November is donation month for the monasteries. A big metal “tree’ has been erected in our school’s foyer and students bring in item to hang from it or stack beneath it. Thing like towels, monk fans, school supplies, food baskets are all around the tree. There is also a money jar. What a wonderful way to teach charity.

Because the rain has stopped (OMG- I have not even mentioned that—THE RAIN HAS CEASED!) we had a happy hour on the rooftop of one of the apartment buildings. It is nice to get together and just listen to people’s stories. This however, stifled my writing material this week. I had planned to “go out” to 50^th street so I could stick to my cultural activity month goal; However, when going out means not starting until 9:30pm that gives me five hours to talk myself out of the experience. One of these days I will find my inner youth and take the trip downtown.

I am still trying to decide if jewels are in my future. See the pictures and look at the lure.

I am homesick. Friday night I had to tell our host that he needed to change the music because I could not take anymore James Taylor. You see James Taylor’s Fire and Rain was one of our favorite CD’s to play on road trips and Dylan’s rendition of Carolina was absolutely the cutest thing in the world with his little Texas twang twist on the lyrics. I found myself singing one moment and then teary eyed the next. I also found out that one of my best friends is going to have to go back and have a tumor removed (for the third time) from her brain. I have been with her through this for the last 28 years and feel so bad that I will be half way around the world and not able to help. She has a strong faith and is a miracle in human form with all she has been through. I will pray for fast healing and for her doctors at MD Anderson to have wisdom. With readers from six countries, I ask that you do the same. Her surgery is the day before Thanksgiving, Nov 27th. her name is Trish (I know- confusing but true).

It will be good to get home, get kisses, get bored and then get back. I am also in need of a few things and desire the one stop shopping ease of Target. What I do not miss is being bombarded with ads for Christmas. My gifts this year will be unique and probably ones that my sons, siblings, as well as my nieces and nephews will say- "What was she thinking?" However, when you get right down to it, don't we really all buy what we need and if we want it bad enough, don't we find some justification for the purchase? I rest my case- they will love the stories behind the purchases.

That’s all for now. Next weekend I go to the Shan State to participate in the Lighting festival in Thadingyut . I imagine there will be great pictures to share and if I can take pictures and protect my hair from catching fire- you know I will do it. remember- if you click on the picture, they get bigger.

Great example of juxtaposition

We found a grew little textile shop that does custom orders and has wonderful light weight material

All hand done

Look at the little bolo shirt (is that what you call them?) Who wants one??

Precious and semiprecious jewels. I wish I knew more about how to buy them.

White pearls, black pearls purple pearls- all kinds. Below- I like this design. I think I need one. :)

Sunday, November 3, 2013

From Shwedagon to Margaritaville

Week 14- First of November: From Shwedagon to Margaritaville

This week I am keeping with my goal of getting out in the city a little more- sometimes on accident and some times on purpose. It was a three-day workweek. The last two days of the week are for parent conferences. All the secondary teachers are spread out in the cafeteria and the concept is that the kids and the parents come in to discuss the first quarter progress. Like all schools, many more elementary parents showed up than secondary. I had most of my 8^th grade kids and parents come in, but only a few of my juniors and seniors. Once again, I am taken back by the beauty of the moms and the jewels—oh, to have a gem mine all to myself! Much of the time, I feel like a mime because I am trying to bridge the language gap. I love your daughter, becomes “I love your daughter.” And then I enthusiastically draw a heart over my heart. ‘We are reading independently.” Is followed by my hands in an open book. This is probably not necessary, but through my ESL training, I know it helps. Plus, I am sure I am entertaining the teachers who do not have a parent at their station. I have one dad that is so proud of his daughter he has a grand piano coming in from Japan. My mind quickly goes to, “Wait a minute- You can get a grand piano delivered over here and I can’t even get my kids to send me a care package!!” Another parent and I have a full conversation (with her daughter translating) about meditation. I tend to fall asleep when I meditate. I need to try it again since I have slowed down a bit from soccer practice with my boys three nights a week and tournament weekends. She demonstrates, and I say I will try. Goal number two for November. “Clear your mind and the rest will follow..” I think this is a song.

So Friday is a work-day since I only have a couple conferences set up. I plan on getting everything graded and the next two months planned out. I get one month planned out, grade half my papers and get some fun, quality talk time with my colleagues. I just love talking with everyone and more importantly, asking questions. One woman and her husband are here and have been teaching overseas for over 20 years. They raised both of their children overseas and now one is here also teaching. What an interesting life they have lead. Sometimes, I wish I had done this much earlier. Sometimes, I want to become a recruiter for all of my young teacher friends and just shake them and say, “If you love to travel- this is where it is at!” (I know that is a preposition at the end of a sentence but I have poetic license). Other times, I think I did this at the most perfect time. The time where I still have the energy and love for teaching, but have burned out on the bureaucracy of it all.

Because we do not have school on Thursday/ Halloween, it is celebrated on Wednesday at the elementary school. I love being at a school with little kids. They are beyond cute- especially on dress up days! I come in and there are decorations all over with buckets and cauldrons on the tables—but wait—no candy! What? No candy? It is not Halloween without candy. I quickly mention my objection and am told that the candy will be placed in the buckets later and everyone (elementary kids) has a scheduled time to come through and trick-or-treat. Add that to the list of things I miss- opening the door for trick-or-treaters. The good news is I do not have to miss soccer. On Halloween I go to the soccer game (and kept the stats I might add- although I used my own system that I need to explain to the coach who I am sure will be disappointed) and it is like old times.

Yay! The weekend is here. I wake up early to do a four-hour tour of the Shwedagon Pagoda. We start at a breakfast place and had traditional Mahinga (fish soup). Personally, I would have gone for pancakes and bacon, but when in Rome…I left most of mine. We then go to a smaller pagoda and watch as the men in our group got to go in and place gold leaf on the Buddha- for some reason women are not allowed in this shrine (I even got too close to the door and was quickly stopped but the guard- all I wanted to do was take pictures!). I could go on a diatribe about this but will honor the culture and say nothing. Skip this next part if you do not want some history.

Next the Shwedagon: Let’s start with the important stuff: The topper is called the diamond orb. It is called that because it is topped with a 76-CARAT diamond! Down from that, there are another 4,351 diamonds with a total weight of 1,800 carats. Dang- that is some major karma someone acquired. Next, the “umbrella” is 43 feet, weight in gold is ½ ton and has 83,850 jewels. The total weight is 5 tons. The reason for all the pomp and circumstance is that this pagoda is supposed to house the relics of four Buddhas who had attained Enlightenment – Shwedagon, the Reliquary of four. The last Buddha whose relics were obtained was said to be Gautama Buddha. In 600BC, he was said to be traveling in seven directions and was offered alms-food. As thanks he gave them four strands of hair as a blessing. The King who took the hair, added it to the other relics and built the shrine of 66 feet welcomed these merchants. As the years progressed, more rulers added to he height and beauty of it. There are three other pagodas and eighteen big images of Buddha (reclining Buddha, Jade Buddha etc.). Eight sides exits so that each of the days of the week are represented (Wednesday is divided into two parts). That is the short version. It is an interesting place. The long version is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shwedagon_Pagoda

We end our tour with a visit to the fortune-teller. I am bound and determined to skip this part because the last time I did this I obsessed on finding a Hawaiian shirted man at a soccer game who was truly to be my next husband. I sit and listen to the fun things everyone else is told (Courtney will have her best year at age 31; Graeme will marry soon; Frank should hang out with younger people and not spend all his time with his wife; his wife should work for six more years (she was planning on retiring in two- she was bummed); Scott will get a promotion; I don't remember what he told Charlene- but it was good; Jody should be in the world of art (she is an art major) and should play the lottery with all 9’s and she will win. So after a few, “Go on Trish”, I gave into peer pressure. I think God will forgive me, but I do not know if I will forgive myself. Me- I “do not have luck in the men department and should plan on spending my golden years with my younger sister. I will be lonely” I do not have a younger sister! Well, doesn’t this just SUCK with a capital S. What a quack (I say this after my mood was altered for about 30 minutes).

A nice meal followed by some pimping,a hour long taxi ride home- man I need these taxi drivers to listen to me (But the tour of the city was nice) and I am in bed by 10:00pm. (I skipped the Halloween boat party because A. I imagine myself drinking and falling into the yucky river and B. I figured it would be a young crowd and C. I imagine a boat party in the US and then go back to my vision of the pirate boat) as I hear the story the next morning and yes a rusty barge was their chariot.)

Sunday I wake up and help a friend find a wedding ring. Jewels are mined here, so the prices are good. I wish I liked jewels. I do plan on buying something, but will wait until I know what I am doing. The shopping was successful; she will love what she is having made.

Next, I go with people to the American Club to see if I want to join. Ohhhh, I am in food heaven. I see brown sugar, popcorn, Cheetos. I see spices, vanilla, green chilies “Oh my”. I ponder the decision. Do I spend the $200.00 so that I can take great things to pop lucks? Do I spend $200.00 for the year membership and hope I do not get into the old habits of cooking with processed foods? Do I spend the $200.00 and trust my cravings? I have lost 20 pounds so I say no- but do leave with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and a diet Dr. Pepper! and the club served up the best margarita I have had in months-- well, the only margarita I have had in months!

Reflections:

1. I came to Yangon knowing I did not like Asian art and knowing nothing about Asian history. I still do not like all the gold, but am learning to appreciate the art and certainly the history. I still will not change my house décor back home but will buy little things that will remind me of this journey.

2. They say we are in the cooler time of year. I do not know who names these seasons, but this is not cool. I think I took the wonderful lakes and rivers of Texas for granted. We should appreciate the place we live and sometimes become a tourist. Perhaps seeing these things we see everyday through the eyes of a tourist, will make them special again.

3. I think I want to become a photographer when I grow up. I wonder how one makes a living at that? I need to find all the cool buttons on my camera and explore the techniques.