Castle in the Clouds- A Teacher's Adventure in Myanmar and Guatemala: July 2014

I’m BAAAAAAACK. Touchdown Golden Land

July 29 (I think- jet lag and time changes have me confused.) First day back for my second year of teaching is bittersweet. Bitter because I return to a place that will be void of many friends I made last year. Bitter because my eight weeks home reintroduced me to the life I love, the friends I love and the family that makes me who I am. Bitter because the things I hated last year (mosquitoes, humidity and heat) have not magically disappeared. And bitter because I do not know what is in store for me after this year. Sweet because I know what is ahead of me and am not scared like I was last year. Sweet because I think this is the year I will loosen the stronghold that food has over me. Sweet because I get to do what I love and that is teach kids and learn about people all over the world. And sweet because I do not know what is in store for me after this year. Not knowing is a double-edged sword.

My time home is just what I needed. I am without a car so all the running around I need to do is scaled back to running I really need to do rather than mindless shopping and seeing everyone I have ever known. I have quality time with my boys and friends and enough down time to reenergize and get ready for the new school year. My friends and family are super accommodating and offer rides without hesitation (the old me would feel guilty here). I am in heaven in a place called Texas. The weather is so mild I have to pinch myself. I will not bore you with all the details but know I had my fill of Mexican food, Blue Bell ice cream and hamburgers- so much so I did not dare to get on the scale to see how much of the 30 pounds I lost came back (Thanks Sandra for giving me permission to be in denial). Probably the best thing of summer is I got to see my whole family (which included my best friend) at my nephew’s wedding- the highlight of my visit. When it comes right down to it, all I have to say about my time in the states is I am so blessed to have such fabulous friends that it does not matter where I am, they are always with me.

So my flight back to Myanmar is pretty uneventful. No tears are shed at the airport- 5:15 (who am I kidding 5:50) is a little early for the emotions to flow and my luggage is 50 pounds exactly (thank you Kimberly for the luggage scale!). I had no start sightings in the LA airport and they let me keep my Rotel tomatoes and my cans of green chilies- of course those in Texas and California can appreciate the need for these ingredients (it did take about 5 minutes for each TSA inspector to pass them through the scanner, wand inspection and I did have to have my hands swiped). I cannot say the same for the Japanese. Boy they are sticklers for rules. No amount of pleading and begging works on these people. I am not happy. I arrive in Bangkok tired and swollen (I forgot my compression socks) and head at the hotel for my three hours of sleep.

I arrive at the airport in Bangkok to get on my flight to Yangon only to find my name is not on their manifest. Of course I left the paperwork for my flight at home in Texas so I have no proof that I had a ticket. Yes, one might say I could have looked it up on my computer, but for some reason I cannot remember my password (have I said I hate this part of getting old??). Eventually, the employees find my reservation- for the day before!!! So I have to buy a new ticket. Strike three for Tricia’s ability or lack there of to make seamless plane reservations. I also did not see what the weight limits are on this airline so I have to pay $100.00 in overage charges (that can of pumpkin will be so worth it when I make my pumpkin dump cake at Thanksgiving!). Oh well, you live, you learn.

I arrive at my home in Yangon to a clean, cool house. The guard who looked over it during the summer did not let our plants die and not did he allow the mold to grow, so I am one happy camper. I had heard stories of people arriving back after summer break to mold everywhere and did not want to tell that story. I lug my 50-pound bags upstairs and start unpacking. I am quite pleased with myself at the things I chose to bring back (or in this case- did not choose to bring back). The only food I packed is some quinoa, a can of pumpkin, hidden valley ranch dressing packets for my taco soup, some bullion cubes, taco seasoning, popcorn and a box of Special K cereal with strawberries. After unpacking, I come downstairs and see one of the taco seasonings in the corner of the living room, half eaten-I think I have a rat!!! I will end with that. J

Reflections:

1. Knowing makes all the difference. The unknown is exciting, but it does a job on a person’s psyche. Last year at this time, my family worried, my friends worried and I was a ball of nerves. This year everyone knows I will be fine and that nine months goes relatively fast. This is a good thing.

2. Even when you have had two months of the best technology one can have, when you don’t it really is not that big of a deal. When I arrived home I had not Internet or cable (these kids have smarts phones so the extra bill is not worth it). I immediately hooked both up and vegged in my house for two weeks catching up on television series I had left behind and watching a few ted talks. Upon arrival in Yangon, I had no Internet because my password is not working and for some reason, we have lost most of our TV channels. I am proud to say, I am only a little frustrated. My Skype works so I am able to tell my sons that I arrived ok- but other than that, how important is it. We are so tied to technology that sometimes we forget to appreciate that which is around us. So I sit on the porch, listen to the yappy dog next door, and hear the government school children sing their hearts out. As I go to bed at 4:00am (yes, my internal time clock is off), I hear the pleasant chanting of the monastery. Right now, I do have the best of both worlds and I am so glad I chose to step out of my comfort zone to have this experience.

3. Our taste buds need a rest. As much as I loved checking all my favorite foods off of my list during my stay in Texas, I will have to say, I have never noticed how salty everything is. At times the food was uneatable (although I managed to eat it anyway- how sick is that??). I think it is because I have lived a year in a land that does not process much of their food and it is farm to table that I am now aware of this. Many times I did not feel well this summer, not because I drank too much or ate too much- but because I was eating out a lot and the food was just over seasoned. I am so proud that I have finally developed the ability to listen to my body and what it is telling me. I hope I develop that ability more this year and develop some new eating habits.

That’s all for now. I am off to buy groceries, report the need for a rat trap and get on the Internet to check Facebook ( I know many think we spend too much time on social media- but it is my lifeline to many!) and publish this blog. Those of you who I had the pleasure of seeing this summer- thanks so much for your love. Those who I missed, I am sorry but know you are in my heart. Here’s to a year of personal growth and adventure for all of us. J

Trying to catch up- May to July

As with any school year, this one ended in a flurry. Papers lay in stacks to grade, year-end parties are on the calendar and goodbyes have to be said. A blog needs to be written, but contact with those leaving is more pressing. So as I look on my notes from May and it is now almost August, some things need to be covered but rather in story I will be doing to in reflection.

· The first thing on my notes is “Dinner with Sylvia and Nat”. A few of us went to their house for dinner. What a treat. Neither are teachers so we get a perspective of Yangon from another voice. He works for the government (I need to stop there or I might get deported), and she is from Scandinavia. Reflection: I am meeting people from all over the world. Imagine all those childhood stories, the different perspectives on government and current events. I love people and think we all have fabulous stories. I hope this blog motivates others to share and reflect.

· Trader’s brunch- Traders is a posh hotel here is Yangon. I think it has been renamed The Shangri-La so that will give you some perspective. The brunch is $35.00 a person and goes on from 11:00am to 3:00. I go with a group in our last three weeks before school gets out. We stayed the whole time. Free flowing wine, a sushi station that would put one in Japan to shame, and every other kind of food you could imagine. I am so glad I found this my last month before going home (and not at the first- it is such a nice treat to discover late in the game). It was incredible. Reflection: Food makes me happy. Most people remember events and navigation by people and street signs. I remember food served and food landmarks. I was so excited to get home to my Mexican food and other favorites that I made a mental list in my head. I am glad to say, that I think I am over it. Hopefully, this year will be one where I can be more mindful of what I am putting into my body and thus become healthier.

· Gated community: One night I was coming home and the gate was down. Imagine that- I live in a gated community. Granted the gate was one long pole and was lifted effortlessly by a guard who pulled a rope- but still, it’s a gate. I had to laugh out loud at the humor of the image. So many times we build up walls to protect ourselves. Some of these walls are real and others are in our heads. When we get right down to it, most of these times these walls keep us from being our authentic selves rather than keep others out. Most are as easy as this one to remove, we just have to be mindful.

· Replacing the outside light. Whenever we have an issue in the house, we do a work order and magically it is fixed. Sometimes better than others! One day I arrive home and I have three mean replacing the thingy that holds the florescent light bulb on my porch. One was on a metal ladder, and the other two were handing him tools. I freak- “No, no, get down!” I tried to pantomime with great urgency about electrocution. His ladder was in a pool of water. Reflection: As much as we hate the intrusion of government in our lives and of policies that are made for our protection, it is a necessary evil to keep at bay other evils that are far more menacing. Hopefully, the one of the bonuses of Myanmar coming out of developing to developed country will be protection for the masses. I am constantly shocked at the conditions people have to endure to work.

· Fish out of water. As I have written before, when it rains, my outside area becomes pond-like. I also have drainage areas around my house. One in the inner gate is small (about four inches wide) and the one outside the gate is about a foot and a half wide. Well, I guess fish live in there because one morning after a downpour, I spy this little fish trying to scoot his way to water (the water had risen, and he had become stranded when it subsided). He was not making much progress so I help him along to the big ditch. He then turns around and ends up back in the small ditch that did not have much water. Reflection: Sometimes everyone needs help. It is in our human nature to offer that help. Yet, oftentimes we find ourselves offering help to those who then go right back to old habits and behaviors. They become fish out of water and struggle for air. What I have learned is that at times it is ok to let people struggle. It is from that struggle that growth occurs. I think that my time away from my kids has been good. They are making their own way and learning to swim like champs.

· I got a package! Some of my friends got together and sent me a package. I was excited beyond belief. Upon opening it, I found that someone else was also as curious as I to the contents of the package. Yellow stuff was all over everything. A bag Mesa had been cut opened (yes, cut with a knife) and it had spilled over everything. To top it off, they had sent a citronella candle so all the mesa was contaminated with that smell. Needless to say, our tortillas went into the trashcan rather than our mouths. Reflection: I think I did fairly well in not trying to take America with me this year. Yes, I have a years worth of deodorant, hair products and medicine, but the food--I need to just get over and enjoy the tastes of this region. I thank my friends for their effort and I am sure great expense, but I think a note, a call or an email would be much better medicine for the soul rather than food.

· Choice Ted Talk—I watched a Ted Talk before I left on Different Perspectives. Although it took me about an hour to watch a seven- minute talk thanks to all the buffering, the content was quite provocative. The basic premise was we have become overwhelmed as a society because of the constant deluge of all products from which we have to choose. Reflection: I so agree with that. From my two foreign exchange students, I saw that in their eyes during our first trip to the grocery store. As I think about my master bedroom closet still full of clothes even though I purged seven bags full, I am amazed at the collection of clothes I have amassed. One of the things that is unique about living in a developing country is that those choices are whittled down to a few. Yes, while my closet here is growing, I am still nowhere near the clothes to what I have in the states. We can get by with less; we are freed to think more clearly with less. Less IS more.

· Maid no more. We fired our maid before we left for home. I use the term we, but really Jody did the dirty work of which I was relieved. She was just not good at her job and perhaps this will motivate her to try something new (I tell myself as I write this). We have hired one of the people who has been working three years for one of the teachers who is leaving. I am so excited that clean floors and good cooking might be in my future. Reflection: Guilt is a sneaky sister. It stays with a person for a long time. When I think about letting Rita go, that guilt encompasses me like a cloud. As I reflect on this, I remember so many things in my life that guilt has motivated me to do. I use to buy shoes because I felt bad for the shoe salesman who brought out five pair for me to try on. I took backtalk from my teenage son because I felt guilty he was raised without a father figure. I said yes, when I wanted to say no because I did not want to disappoint those who had faith in me. One of the good things about getting old is that guilt does not have such a stranglehold on a person. I have been told I am a little blunt these days. That I say what I mean and mean what I say- however, these truth tellers always add that I do it in a way that is not harsh. Sounds like a contradiction to me, but what I do know is that the guilt I do carry around is much lighter than it use to be and that it is about things which are much more humanistic than a pair of shoes. I think that is growth.

· Parties!!! I hate the end of the year, but will have to say, I love the parties that come with it. The one I will discuss is the party we threw for the staff. We went to an old bowling alley and all bowled together. It was quite fun to see the staff cut loose and be themselves and not feel a need to “work” for us. As the evening went on, I broke out my Right, Left Center game and made an announcement to see if anyone wanted to play. I had about 12 takers (a nice mix of teachers and staff), proceeded to hand out three one thousand khat bills to each of the staff so they could play and then started. When they figured out they could win money, the look on their face was priceless. I was excited that after two games one of the staff won. She took home about 40,000 khat ($40.00US) and was elated. What was a little to us ($3.00) amounted to a lot to them. It was a great evening. About the other parties? Just let me say, I now know how to play beer pong and I can still do a beer bong. Nuff said.

· And last but not least on my notes from May is the phrase, “He’s a star if we homeschooled him.” I have no idea where I got this quote or why I wrote it down. But it is something to ponder.

· So that’s all from my notes from May; now I am on to summer fun and my arrival back to Yangon.