March30th: Same--Same, but
different
March for me is birthday month so
that is where I will start. As I get
older, I appreciate birthdays even more--I know this is the opposite of what
most people think, but in a generation where the needs of others come before
yourself- birthdays are the one day when it is all about you- unless you live
in Myanmar. In Myanmar, a birthday is
the day when a person gifts other people.
This works out well for the elementary teachers where the students still
think of their teachers as heroes, but for us secondary teachers, most of the
gift giving is a party at a restaurant with the birthday person's closest friends. This year I decide to go local and gift
others with cake. I make three cakes
(Jaden’s chocolate cake, a blueberry dump cake and a banana cake with lemon
frosting) and each of my students is invited to come up at the end of lunch to
partake in dessert. Success- they think
I am a baking Goddess and I will have to admit- it feels great. I continue the
tradition when I left school and pass by the ice cream seller. For 5,000 kyat ($5.00) I could buy 10
neighborhood kids a large ice cream cone.
Although I did not stick around to see the recipients of my gift, I
smiled as I walked home. I ended the evening by buying ½ of a little street
seller’s flower string for $1.50 then gift some to the taxi driver. I will have to admit, although I love
receiving gifts, this tradition is something to behold. The birthday person is still the center of
attention and the warm fuzzy feeling is lasting. Don’t get me wrong- I loved
the longyi material I received from one of my parents and a lovely bracelet. I
loved even more the wonderful cards I received for four weeks from one group of
friends. I did, however, learn an important lesson about myself- as much as I
love getting gifts, I think the giving is much more fun (unless I strike out
and the gift sucks!).
Myanmar is a country where the
squeaky wheel does not get the grease. If one gets frustrated and then takes
out their frustration on another party, results will not happen- the person on the receiving end of the fury tend to
just ignore the situation. The people
also tend to think less of the person who is frustrated. Case in point- A few
friends and I are at 19th street for street food BBQ and have to
share a table with a local man and a couple of his guest. They do not get their
food quick enough (ok- truth be told- we were served their food and did not
notice). The man started demanding his
food, doing the kissing for service sound that locals make here, yet never got
his food. We on the other hand, got our straightaway. Taxi drivers constantly get lost or have to
stop for directions. The passenger just
has to sit and be patient knowing soon the stop will be found. It is much more
calm this way- much more Zen. Although I still get frustrated, it takes much
more to push me over the edge. As Martha Stewart would put it, “That’s a good
thing”.
At the end of March, about 18
teachers and I go to Borneo for a conference. The island is beautiful and the
conference awesome. I enjoy a good speaker and we had three excellent ones plus workshops
galore. I get a great deal out of it and got to see another part of the world.
I do an excursion down a river to see Proboscis monkeys and fireflies. Of
course I have to laugh because once again I am greeted with a boat that is
nothing like what I imagine- or that is pictured on the company's brochure. But the good news is the dock is higher than the
boat and I do not have to navigate a ladder.
I snap beautiful shots of reflections of the scenery on the water and
take in a beautiful sunset. Then---OMG- the Mangrove tress full of fireflies is
a sight to behold. I think that is where someone got the idea for twinkle
light- AMAZING! No pictures- you will just have to imagine (and if you are from
Texas- remember your childhood).
As the school year comes to a
close, I am taking in all the moments. As I reflect (and I do this often) I try
to find one thing from the day I can embrace. It might be a well-written paper,
a special hug I get from a kid I taught the year before (they love to hug me
and I catch them secretly squeezing me like a little doughboy), the greeting I
get from a neighbor going to market or a smile from a stranger. It might be the super good shot I get on my
camera by accident that makes me look like I know what I am doing or the advice
I am asked for from a friend. I am so lucky I have many moments in my life that
are blessings.
The title “Same, Same but
different is a common aphorism here in SEA. It means what you would think it
means. As I have travelled around this area of the world, I have found many
things that are the same but have their different twist. Small villages are small villages, local
transportation for tourists is whatever the locals can make out of a Vespa-like
vehicle. This is a saying I will take
with me as I return to my home.
Reflections so far:
1. I have had many moments during these two years from which to
learn and reflect. It makes me think of
other times and memories that I have. These moments in time will always stay
with me. Whether it is Sandra unloading my mother's stuff after her
death and an arduous trip to Canyon Lake, my sister, Chris, seeing me as a
comfort after her daughter’s death, seeing my brother as human as we bond
through our children, the moment I knew my marriage was over, Wendye and the
piece of paper on the ground during a mission trip, fireflies in the trees, learning
the story of Saint Francis of Assisi through the walls murals Assisi when the new Pope was
appointed, Rebecca telling me to enjoy my son rather than worry about a clean
bedroom, beach time with the local Burmese, talking with the cleaners at a
school event and learning of their struggles, spelling massage wrong for two
months, learning to let go of perfectionism and fear of judgment in my blog
writing—all of these moments are special and will forever be in my memory as
learning moments. Sometimes I think we look for the bells and whistles, the
loud symphony and clouds breaking and because of this, we miss the little
things. Sometimes it is those little things, those moments in time, that we
need to recognize.
2. During the conference in Malaysia, I was privileged to hear John
Wood speak. He is the man who wrote Leaving Microsoft to Change the World. http://www.leavingmicrosoftbook.com
Those of you who know me will not
be surprised when I admit that I cried during most of his speech; it was so
inspiring. I pondered through the tears as to what my purpose is in this world.
Through my many blessing I have had during this journey, what should be the end
result? Yes, I have had many excursions and seen beautiful things. I have seen parts of the world of which I
have never dreamed. I have acquired
beautiful things from all over and have a calmness I have never experienced. But
why? Do I just take the things I learned and move on or do I build from this?
With privilege comes responsibility and yet since I have been responsible from
the time I as fifteen, I resist. Is that selfish?
3. With our Internet problems I have come to the conclusion that
sometimes nothing is better than a little. I think I would rather have no Internet
than slow Internet. In this fast paced world it is the waiting that gets a
person down. If I know I have nothing for which to wait I can move on.
Bye for now--- next- Australia!
These are the boats we travelled on for our tour. At least they did not involve a ladder!
A male proboscis monkey. They were all over the trees.
Let's get a little bit artsy- a-r-t-s-y. An old boat on the water
The sunset on the river was amazing.
I will call this reflections.
