Back to Home Base

Adrian, Stefan, Jackie and I ventured back to the boats this morning hoping to try out the leg rowing style in a traditional boat. The workers at the dock commandeered three women passing by to take us out in their boats. We ended up sitting in the boat while they rowed. It was a nice way to pass the time, but I really did want to try my leg at rowing. Perhaps the next time I canoe… Stefan tried rowing, but never mastered the standing part and headed back to shore. Adrian was able to stand and after a few imbalanced attempts at rowing, he promptly dove into the water cloudy and dark with dirt seen to have chicken feathers and food waste floating in it.

A few of us wandered through the market across the street from the hotel where we picked up some mangoes and then headed back to board the bus toward Heho for our flight back to Yangon. Truly I will miss the mountains.

The Day of The Lake

We spent the entire day on Inle Lake in long, wooden boats just wide enough to be fitted with large, white, wooden deck chairs in a row of 5 provided by our simple, but very comfortable hotel. Our boats rocketed across the lake lifting the bow out of the water about a foot or so. Passing by leg rowers (traditional for the area) collecting lakeweed to be bundled, dried, fertilized, floated and staked into the lake with bamboo poles. Inle lake is surrounded by mountains making land a premium. Most people live on the water in stilted houses where they create floating gardens to farm tomatoes and other vegetables to sell at local markets. The area reminded me of Venice. Literally towns were built with waterway streets.

Partway through our tour of the villages we wandered through a local market where I picked up some jade necklaces. After walking up a very long incline to yet another pagoda, we took a side trail back to view a “waterfall” which turned out to be a spillway for a local dam. Most enjoyable was the bamboo forest with plants I’m guessing were 40 feet tall.

Up In The Hill Country

Another traveling morning to Heho, Taungyi and Inle (inlay) Lake. Heho was a quaint, small town with the only local airport. We stopped briefly to ensure our departure arrangements where I picked up some delicious cracker/cookies and chocolate chew snacks. We drove through the countryside where rice fields covered the area and the eastern Shan Mountains grew closer and closer. This part of the country is by far my favorite!! Temperatures are much cooler and significantly less humid; basically, livable. Strangely the view reminds me of the European countryside with quaint towns and villages scattered amongst the hills, farms dotted here and there and people walking their cows through town streets.

On our way to Taungyi we stopped at the only vineyard owned by a German who rents the land from the government. This added an even further texture of European flavor to the area. Jackie had never been to a vineyard before, so I indulged her with memories from touring wineries with my parents, aunts/uncles and cousins on summer vacations. We stayed for lunch and as usual the bill was miraculously higher than the amount for which people put in money. Every time we do a group meal not selected by our leaders, we end up short somehow. I get people are on a budget, but most meals are not all that expensive here.

Naturally we stopped at a church in Taungyi where we again sat for a good half hour while our group leader chatted with the locals. There was a lovely bench area with flowery shrubbery covering and a nice view of the hills. The terrain reminds me of the book Dr. Hup gave me to read on my journey The Piano Tuner. At one point the author describes the Shan Mountain area as small island villages differing from mountain ridge to mountain ridge. The fictitious story is a great, quick read that gives helpful historical background to the early 1800s when Burma was under British rule.

Our afternoon took us to a Christian bible school where we sat in on a droll Greek class where students were rehearsing for a presentation. We seemed to just wander in as if they were not expecting us to stop in this particular classroom. Yet again we introduced ourselves and then listened to them sing a song in Greek. The singing was nice. I snuck out as soon as I could. The snack provided for us was of fried dough balls with sugar sprinkled on top. Sadly oil filled my mouth when I bit into it—ick! Dinner was absolutely wonderful. I believe this was the night we ate Indian food. The flatbread was fabulous in a country where bread is not a large staple.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Today began with a drive through downtown Mandalay past the popular Zay Cho market and a huge downtown clock tower on our way to the bank of the Ayarwady River. This might be some of the worst living conditions we have seen so far. Small shacks and huts closely built along the river house families working in fishing or boat tours. Literally on the bank, the ground was rutted and muddy. Locals bathed and washed clothes in the brown, opaque river. Some live on their boats which are packed in about 5 two story boats deep along the shore. We walked out across 3-4 to see the river and the bank. Small boats with double bed sized sails patchworked together float by. After a half hour or so we boarded the bus where Stefan suggested we consider taking a boat ride this afternoon to see King Mingdon’s (who founded former Burman capital Mandalay) unfinished temple and the 90 ton bell replica replacing the one built centuries ago by the king which fell into the Ayarwady River never to be recovered. No one objected and our group leader wandered off to make arrangements.


The church was pretty like most are. We sat for a bit while a local member explained the new sidewalk they were constructing outside and some of the programs they offer. As churches start to blend together in my mind, I think this one touted a baptismal font made of marble from the Queen of England.

Our final stop of the morning was a Methodist bible school. We were scheduled to lead chapel for them at 10am. Thanks to our intrepid group leader, we arrived 15 minutes late. Naturally they went on without us. We joined in worship to find at the end they suggested we have a question and answer session with them. Three seminary professors teaching in Myanmar had joined us for our northern study tour and our new friends at the Methodist school decided this would be a lovely time to put them in the hot seat. Amusingly the students had an assignment to write on various theological questions and this was an excellent way for them to research :) For the next 2 hours we participated in a lively session of theology. Jackie and I agreed that this was a most interesting and engaging part of the trip for us. I had food for thought when I arrived back at the hotel to ponder.

Enjoying the breeze and bananas on the boat ride was delightful. It was nice to sit and relax in the cool air. Upon arriving up river, we were greeted by a swarm of children who proceeded to question us and act as our “tour guides” telling us all about the area, where they lived and their willingness to walk us all the way to the top of the unfinished temple. Like all other holy temples in Myanmar we removed our shoes before entering. This time, however, we were basically walking up roughly 150 stairs with weeds encroaching from the edges and pieces of brush and crumbled rock on the path. I tried to step gingerly to protect my feet while balancing my bag and listening to the 2 kids accompanying me. I successfully reached the top to a lovely, far reaching view of the river, the 2 gargantuan half crumbled elephant/lion statues guarding the temple and the local town. I video taped my two guides and had them translate a grouping of stones arranged to spell out “I love so and so.” Then tragedy struck. While heading to the far side of the temple, gouged and cracked with deep ravines, I acquired a splinter in the bottom of my foot. Brilliant. We walk most places and who knows what kind of toxins were on the bit of wood. One of the two kids ventured off to procure a toothpick from a friend which I managed to use to get about half of it out—enough to allow me to walk down without pushing it in further. Surprisingly none of my group noticed my trouble. Shortly after my two guides indicated they were going to stay up top and requested I consider sponsoring their school with a donation. Pleased with their accompaniment and care I offered them some kyats. Stefan informed us earlier part of their congenial ploy was to guide tourists to the top, ask for money since they weren’t going to return for a while and often to follow you down regardless of whether they received money.

Before returning to the boat, we ventured to the large 90 ton bell. Each of us rang it using a 2 foot long and 4” wide chunk of wood with a carved out handle in the middle by ramming it into the bell. Great fun! How often do you get to do that?? I think Amy kindly captured a picture of me.

Later in the evening at the hotel I expertly used my tweezers and a can of Sprite to chill my foot and removed the remnants of the overall ¼” long splinter.

On The Road To Mandalay

Today we flew to Mandalay in the north central part of Myanmar. This town is predominately filled with Chinese people. The city has a very organized lay out compared to Yangon and feels very modern/western. The downtown area is much cleaner with less slum looking areas. Overall landscaping is quite different from Bagan. Temperatures are slightly less arid and much of the area we traverse is relatively dense city. We arrived in time for lunch at a restaurant named the ____ Duck. It was either Peking or Yellow I think. The food was excellent! Classy looking place. It is across from a large, red stone palace with an enormous moat around it now in use by the military. This seems to be a popular place for people to hang out. Busy streets border it on all sides and an exercise trail with workout equipment in bright colors borders the fenced moat.

The hotel is much more upscale than the one in Bagan. We think the owner must have been a friend of our group leader. The simplicity was fine, but everything seemed to have bits of leaves and a fine dusting of dirt on it.

Our afternoon trip consisted of visiting a local YMCA where they teach young kids. Most of the time we sat or stood around while our group leader chatted with some of the locals. Before we left, we hiked up 3 floors to the rooftop to “see the view.” The mountains in the distance were lovely, but by this time weariness and boredom had already set in. I’m sure the YMCA is an important place to the community, but these places we visit seem to lack the ability to express this importance to us in their presentations. Later we toured a now church where Adoniram Judson was in prison. Visiting the church was more sitting and wandering thoughts. We did sing some hymns (of which Amazing Grace seems to be the natural default), but the most interesting part for me was standing outside listening to Buddhist children recite lessons/”prayers.” Prayer is an inaccurate rendering as Buddhists to not speak to or worship Buddha like Christians do with God. The best I have come up with is that it is a form of spoken meditation which acts to fill the human need for communication with the spiritual/divine in religion. The children continued for quite some time; at least 15-20 minutes.

By far the best part of today was the trip to the foot-bridge across the Ayarwady River where I met Joseph(?) (he pronounced his name Yo-shay). Joseph looked to be in his mid teens. He was trying to sell trinkets like most people swarming a popular tourist spot. A seasoned veteran at sales, he asked me where I was from and how long I had been in the country, in Mandalay and where I was headed to next. His English was near impeccable. He said he learned English from tourists and at the local monastery since his family had no money to send any of their kids to school. Joseph’s dad died at some point from drinking. One of Joseph’s brothers had started drinking like his father and Joseph had been estranged from him for about 2 years now. He was lucky to make 1-2 sales of jade necklaces either a day or a week. It was hard to catch that part of the story with the wind and people zipping by pushing bikes across the bridge. I appreciated his story and was interested in some necklaces for friends’ souvenirs, but all of his were large medallions and not really my taste. He also did an excellent job taking a photo of me—one of his trademark offerings to tourists. As usual, I left my money on the bus. Only later did it dawn on my that I could have bought a necklace and given it away to Goodwill back home. He was very kind, gracious and truly in a fix; even if only part of his story was true.

Lacquer Ware Have You Come From?

Day 2 in the redish arid landscape of Bagan. We drove across the street from the hotel (mind you, this was in a huge tourist bus) to view a cross built into the side of a pagoda. After our far excursion, we drove back to the hotel so our leader could do something he forgot. Our second outing of the day took us to the Thra bar gate where we stopped for 20 minutes to take pictures of two statues. This was truly thrilling.

When we had eaten lunch and rested at the hotel from 1-4pm (this was a good thing as it is the hottest part of the day and I had already died 3x over from heat exhaustion), we moved on to a lacquer ware shop to learn the lengthy process of bamboo and flexible horse hair lacquer pieces. High quality lacquer ware takes anywhere from 6 months to a couple years to make. First the lacquer must be harvested from lacquer trees—something akin to collecting rubber or maple tree sap. One needs something to lacquer next. Two main types of material used at the shop we stopped at: bamboo and horse hair. Bamboo is coiled or woven to form rigid shapes while woven horse hair is as flexible as rubber.

Once you have a specific object created, a coating of black lacquer, ash and clay is applied. The process shifts to a time consuming back and forth between layering lacquer, drying it in a cellar and sanding/washing it. When the desired shininess and thickness are achieved, the piece is either finished as a shiny black or sent on for scribing and coloring. Colored pieces have colored lacquer added until thick enough to scratch down into to create a design with various pointed tools similar looking to calligraphy pens or dental tools. Artisans can etch in lines or blocks for extremely intricate animals, scenery or geometric designs. In-between colors coats of clear lacquer are added. At this shop I only saw red, yellow, green and blue coloring. Pieces ranged from monochromatic to all available colors.

What makes lacquer ware unique is its ability to waterproof, shine, fireproof and make unbreakable whatever it coats. Road (or temple) side salespeople would often show us how a lighter would not burn the piece and smashing it on the ground would not nick or crack it.

For very in-depth information:
http://asianspiritgallery.com/burmese-lacquerware-burma-lacquer-ware/

Crowds Harassed and Helpless...But Nevertheless Persistent

We arrived in Bagan around 8am. Our first stop was to the only Christian church for worship. Apparently 2 weeks of not having an English worship service makes me bawl during communion. Perhaps I was simply that hungry for a word of life. I really didn’t think I would be feasting on Jesus here between Buddhism and Baptists. With little good preaching and no bible to read, I savor the moments that do come. Perhaps this is a tiny taste of what it’s like to be a persecuted Christian or a frontier people trying to keep faith, hope and focus on Jesus. It was all a very strange occurrence for sure.

In the afternoon we visited the Shwe gugyi and the Dhamayan gyi temples ending the afternoon with a boat ride on the Ayarwady River. On the boat I tasted some tamarind sugar wafers and toffee/brittle bars with nuts in them. Nothing like a sugar rush to keep you going.

Every site we stopped at greeted us with a crowd of locals flocking around us to sell souvenirs. After a few stops all I could think about was Jesus being harassed by the helpless crowds of people who follow him during his alone time bringing him to have compassion on them. I, however, had little to no compassion for these people. They pressed in on us as soon as the bus door opened and we set foot on the ground. Some of the more talented and experienced sales people made the effort to talk with us and share some of their stories before asking us to support them and their family. This is how I met Mu Mu.

Mu Mu is 35 and has 5 kids. When she asked how old I was (27), she responded that she had 3 kids by my age. Her nearby sales mates chuckled at this fact. Mu Mu lives near Bagan and speaks excellent English which she learned from the tourists over the years. She worked from 7:30am to 7:30pm. As we made our way toward the bus, she asked me to stop at her shop to purchase something in support of her and her baby. I was strongly considering getting a small lacquer bowl or a bracelet (as this was something on my purchasing list), but had left my money on the bus. When I told her that I was not going to buy anything a wave of sadness washed over her face. She offered to wait while I retrieved my money from the bus. Though I felt bad for not supporting her, I also didn’t want to encourage her to continue business near the temple sites. Being tired, wiped out from the heat and severely irritated by the relentlessness of the saleswomen, I had little patience for the repeated drain of “You are very beautiful. You buy a __(insert souvenir of choice)__ from me? Pretty lady! Good deal for you! Lucky money. You like? Just looking okay. You like necklace? You want bowl?”

Circle the Lake

Last day in Yangon before heading to Bagan for the study tour up north.

Stefan, Daniel and I took a taxi to a local youth center Stefan had visited in January on his first trip to Myanmar. Unfortunately no one was there for the afternoon worship service. Instead we took a drive around Kandawgyi Lake stopping for snacks and drinks at Kandawgyi Hotel. Much of the area around the lake is a picturesque part of Bogyoke Park. We were afforded a lovely view of monsoon rain from the hotel restaurant while a few people were soaked trying to cross the bridges over the lake. Later on we met Joseph and Tin Tin for dinner at Mr. Bar-B-Que for some of the most deliciously grilled meats and veggies I’ve ever had. The late night does not bode well for an early morning departure to Bagan.

The Cost Of Living Adjustment

Bananas here have a unique tanginess you cannot find with the fruit picked too early and shipped in from South America. A Myanmar banana can be mostly brown and still not too sweet or over ripe to eat. There are two kinds: one similar in shape/size to what you see in the US and one about 2/3 the length and 1.5” in diameter with a grainier texture. Papaya is out every morning for breakfast. The buttery taste is not my favorite, but it does offer energy and water that is safe to consume. That’s less bottled water to consume and less plastic in the landfill or on the street.

Much of the food here is excessively oily so I have taken to eating 3 Chinese buns and 2 slices of bread each morning to balance things out. Grazing has also become necessary. If I don’t eat something at morning tea and in the afternoon, I find my stomach revolting with hunger pangs. Hot tea has been revived again as an obsession. Every restaurant offers it before a meal. Good to know there will be a reliable source of water. Just make sure to ask for Chinese tea at breakfast or you will end up with coffee colored tea that is far to bitter to consume without sugar.

Morning conversation centered around women and feminist theology. Anna May came in wearing a bright pink shirt reading “This is what a feminist looks like” to lead our session. Ruth 3.1-5 paralleled conversation on human trafficking along the Thai and Chinese borders. When the young girls arrive, they are given clothes and makeup, told not to talk or leave the bed before a man and are locked in the room. Some girls sleep with an average of 5-10 men per night. Half of the money is promised to the girls, but with fees for police and electricity they barely end up with enough to buy a bowl of noodles for a meal. When they die their bodies are burned on piles of tires to prevent further disease from spreading. If they are lucky enough to buy their freedom and return home, no one associates with them for they are damaged women. Some are followed in the evenings into the fields or woods where bad monks and other men force them to have sex. Some girls stay at the brothels and keep working to send money home. Once they reach 20-25 they are too old, make little money and are forced to take other jobs. Here is the story of one young girl who looked to be about 15 or 16.

As she recounted her story, she said she had sex with about 1000 men in a year. She had been in Thailand for 6 years. Having not stayed in school, she couldn’t do the math to figure out how many men that was. The first time a man has sex with her she bled so much she passed out. Two more men had sex with her before she was allowed to recover. The first paid $1000, the second $800 and the third $600. After a few years she got pregnant, but did not know until she went to a doctor because she felt so tired. She was 6 months pregnant when she asked the doctor for an abortion. Without a large amount of money, she was told it was too late to get rid of the baby. Returning to the brothel she asked the house mother for money and she refused saying it wasn’t her problem. The girl returned to her room and took some pills. The next day she passed out. When she awoke to feel her abdomen, the baby was gone. They told her she had a baby girl who she said “would have sinned when she got older like her mother had. This is not the life I want for my kids.” Men take a few minutes and give you money, but planting rice takes a few hours while you wait for the harvest.

Anywhere from 30-80K girls are trafficked each year in Thailand.

Peace By Force...Or Is It Karma??

Romans 13.1-7 was the basis for a Karen (Kah-ren) perspective. This text and discussion seemed to push the question: How much control does God have in earth? Is everything divinely ordered by God as a facet of God’s will? Should you simply accept your position, leaders and surroundings in life without resistance as faithful obedience to God? To submit to leaders in authority is to do what God intended. Claiming a leader was appointed by God in early Christianity is actually a subversive statement as most rulers of the day believed they achieved their political power of their own might, sword and gods. Our presenters also pointed out how Paul wrote this letter before Nero began persecuting Christians and had his mother killed. Such is the time of the Pax Romana (peace by force). In Myanmar, a literal interpretation of scripture is the pietistic tradition and reinterpretations are resisted and frowned upon.

It has been my experience that things which are forced are merely illusions of what people seek to bring about. Forced love isn't really love. Forced peace isn't really peace. Some might call it a version of compromise. Some might consider it karma--getting the balance owed to you for past deeds whether good or bad. I prefer to call it what it is--the law. If it is forced, it's a rule or command placed upon you; a yoke to bear. If it is karma, it's shaped primarily upon past deeds and has little to do with present or future actions. I don't know about you, but I find looking backwards hurts more than anything. Either I'm craning and straining my neck or I'm reminded of all which I cannot change.

In Buddhism, rulers attain their positions by having good karma from previous lives. To me this seems an arbitrary way to decide. How do you know if someone led a good life previously? What if they are lying to attain power? The scriptures teach that a good king will honor the people by using a proper tax and not taking what is unlawful. However, there are no rules about succession. If a king is good, his son may be permitted to rule after him. History shows how commonly leaders were killed or paid off to bring in a new leader/dynasty. For those who use unlawful means of securing leadership, power or wealth, a Buddhist can always do good deeds (such as building a pagoda to gain merit) to balance bad karma for good karma. The larger, more expensive and jeweled a pagoda is, the more merit one receives.

Our afternoon study tour was of a local seminary. We met some professors and students, toured the campus and were treated to snacks and drinks.

How Far Would You Go to Learn?

Wa students from a youth center shared their stories of how they traveled from poor families and regions to Yangon for education. Here’s Ok Sin’s story.

Like many children, she came to Yangon for education and was taken in by an adoptive family. The family did not treat her well and kept her around for cheap house labor. Many of the adoptive families will abuse the kids or force them to do so much house work there is no time to go to school. Children are caught in the struggle because they have no way to get home and no safe place to go. Ok Sin’s family refused to let her go to school because it cost too much. Ok Sin missed much of her education and began to think she was stupid. At one point the family decided they didn’t want her in the house anymore and she ended up on the street for 2 days. Scared and alone, she had nowhere to go. Even with all the dangers on the street, especially at night, God protected her. Ok Sin went to a friend’s house for help. Her friend’s adoptive family called Ok Sin’s adoptive family. For some reason they came and took her back.

At school Ok Sin noticed other kids had enough food and clean clothes to wear, yet she was not able to choosing what she wanted or liked. Things were simply given to her. Ok Sin was able to save enough money to buy presents for her family and to visit them up north. Upon arriving she discovered her parents had died while she was away. Ok Sin returned to Yangon with a broken heart and more resolve to finish her education. Finally in 8th grade she met the director of a youth center specializing in helping kids who come to Yangon for education, but end up in harsh adoptive family situations and cannot afford to have a safe place to live and study.

While studying at the youth center, Ok Sin worked hard to pass her matriculation exam since her primary education was so poor and close to nonexistent. She took the BARS exam 3 times before she passed and was able to start working on her Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies. Ok Sin is still living at the youth center where she is safe and excited to study.

The youth center is always full with a waiting list. Ages range from 9-21. Kids attend public school during the day and receive extra lessons in the evening. The second round helps them absorb the information which is often not taught in ways kids can fully grasp the material. The director of the youth center shared her faith story of wanting to DO something to help the Wa people. When she found out about the children being mistreated by adoptive families, she knew this was her calling and chance to change the lives of these kids. Work is demanding. The center must be staffed 24-7 for the students who live at the center. Older students with leadership abilities function as dorm leaders and monitor the kids. The eyes of each child are filled with hope despite their difficulties. One of the college students there was studying to become a civil engineer. Each day, lesson by lesson the youth turn their hope into reality.

The Seduction of Taking Charge

Poverty and justice were the focus today. Did Jesus really condone fasting? From what should poor people fast? Does it make sense or is it fair to ask poor people to fast? Our presenters suggested that action can be more important than ritual or rules that confine. The rich are the ones who need to fast because they distracted from doing good by earthly treasures. Oppression keeps people focused on survival and not on advancement. When basic needs are met, people are able to flourish and be fruitful.

It is hard to sit with those who have little. We ate lunch at a very poor church and the church members were the ones giving us presents. They gifted us and we simply showed up for food. Granted we were there for conversation and fellowship. I am always blown away by how generous or other focused people with limited resources are (be it money, status political say or the like). Perhaps I focus too much on the details and not the larger story. I see the trees, but not the forest. Jesus, are you still in the business of corrective vision eye surgery??

Control is seductive. It’s everything we humans want: to know what is next, to know who is in charge, to know what you can get away with, to know when you have accomplished enough to earn your own position or items. Perhaps it’s not so strange that the highlighted object of trouble in the Garden of Eden is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After all, knowledge is power. It is authority. Even knowledge we think of as good can lead to trouble and misfortune when achieved outside of God's means and time line. Certainly the view from up top (higher up on the ladder of knowledge or power) has a unique perspective greater visibility of the surrounding land. Yet heavy hangs the head that wears the crown--and we're back into the tension of life.

By Senses

Today I have opted to offer a more creative flare to the blog instead of only recounting the day's events.

The smell of cooked food wafts into my nose. Nearby are skewers of spiced meat ready to be fried or grilled at a moment's notice. Searing hot woks dot the front of many street side restaurants where men sit idly without work. As I move down the block the scents change from sweet mangoes to pungent durian. I notice a fruit that reminds me of prickly pears, but is neither prickly nor pears. The inside is a soft, sweet, white fruit enclosing a hard pit. Bags of the skins lie strewn on the sidewalks.

People pass by me at a slow pace. No one is in a hurry to arrive or leave any place. Trucks packed full of people, arms and heads sticking out while others clutch tightly to the truck bed railing, go whizzing by. They make abrupt stops to let passengers off. No one flies around since they are packed like sardines. Busses ferry people through crowded streets for 200 Kyats (20 cents). As I walk along the street I am cautious not to trip on garbage or fall into the drainage ditch covered by large cement tiles. Taxi drivers honk their horns to get the attention of foreigners asking "Taxi?"

Turning down a side street I head for the hotel. There are fewer people along here, but just as many restaurants and small shops with living quarters above. The bike shop, owned by an Australian, is on the left near the baby supplies store. I pass by two internet cafes filled with people. On the right is a huge pile of sand that has washed out into the street. No one knows what it is for. As I turn into the tiled driveway of the hotel, I anticipate the cool, air conditioning in the lobby.

We also studied prayer/fasting using Matthew 4.1-11 and the Tower of Babel Story in Genesis 11.1-9. Some of the highlights of interpreting the bible through Kachin eyes included:
God wants people to be spread all over the world and prevents them from planting their own glory (the tower)
As people move around on earth, they will try to hold power and seek to create structures

This morning I led chapel with a focus on the text Matthew 15.22-29 (non-Jewish woman who asks for healing from Jesus, even a crumb’s worth). The main theme was that something small can make a big difference. It’s what the woman knew was true about how God operates and that was enough for her.

And Now Introducing...

I roused from bed at the usual time to head downstairs for a taxi ride to church. Dress for the day included my longest skirt and a t-shirt; best to cover up as much skin as possible for the conservative Baptist flavor that fills much of Myanmar. Adrian had replaced his usual wear with a long sleeved shirt and a tie (the expected clothing for male foreigners). A good friend of Hrang from seminary met us and shuffled us into a taxi. We arrived at the church 20 minutes later.

Shortly after being introduced to some of the church elders, Adrian and I were asked to decide who would get up and speak a few words of welcome and thanks for their inviting us. When our friend translated this for us he distinctly said whoever was going to speak should offer thanks from the US. Adrian took this to mean I was the chosen one. :) Not the first time I've been asked on the spot to greet or give thanks. Kind of comes with the ministry territory.

So began the 2 hour sit-a-thon in high heat/humidity. I don't think I have ever fallen asleep during a sermon, but this was dangerously close. I could barely keep my eyes open as it was all spoken in Burmese and just sitting made you sweat. Despite the hot weather, we were offered a song book in English so we could participate.

After the service we joined the two pastors who led the service and some of the church folk for lunch. At this meal, as at most, we were treated to generous portions of rice, oily onion soup and flavored meats (curried chicken, fried fish with tomatoes and some version of what looked like beef). Our hosts encouraged us to take seconds and to "eat up!" Eating hot food actually doesn't make you feel any warmer than before. The food was always delicious and filling.

Not The Usual Suspects

At a random moment I spotted a place on the map the group is unlikely to go for our study trips: the Shukhinthar Amusement Park and Bowling. Jackie thought this sounded like fun so we took a taxi for 5000 Kyat (chet, roughly $5). The park appeared abandoned with rusty equipment and only the people running the park walking around. We found the water park and there were about 12 teenage boys swimming who shouted "Hello" at the two of us as we walked through. Since most of the society here is quite conservative, I wondered if women are allowed to swim and show that much skin.

We asked a couple people where the bowling was and they said on the next street. Thinking it was still in the park, we wandered some more. We finally saw it through a fence and realized it was separate from where we were. Next door was a very modern bowling alley. We rented shoes and bought socks. Each game was ~$1.30. The scoring monitors above us were all manually entered so we had a girl sitting at the desk keeping track and typing in the scores for us while we played. She also clapped for us when we did well.

From bowling we decided to head downtown for lunch and to walk around. We were dropped off at the Trader's Hotel where we stepped inside to cool off. Much to our delight we found a case inside with loaves of fresh bread and cheesecake. We were mesmerized by the bread and decided to purchase some before we headed back to the hotel. Across the street was the Sky Bistro which Linn had gone to with some people she met here. Their food was fairly inexpensive for a fancy restaurant on the 20th floor. We had an excellent view of the entire surrounding area of Yangon as well as the Shwe Dagon Pagoda. Each of us ordered a dish to share. It turned out the servings were enough to feed 2 people each, so we had enough food to last us for lunch and dinner.

Next to the Sky Bistro was a movie theater with a show in an hour from when we finished lunch. Thinking it would be something we would never do with the group and would also be air conditioned, we got tickets for ~$1.60 each to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The movie was pretty good and we stayed nice and cool. It was interesting to note that they show the flag and play part of their anthem (I think?) before the movie starts. Everyone stood up. Most people also ate crunchy snacks and a few took phone calls during the movie. The ushers also checked for tickets with two boys in front of us, so I missed a few minutes of the movie. It was fascinating to see how people acted and that most wore western styled clothes.

Tomorrow we will split into pairs and visit local churches for worship.

The Dead, The Red and The Sitting

Another bright, sunny day. The afternoon study tour for today took us to a huge WW II memorial with rows of graves, beautiful flowers and long trellises of vines with purple flowers. While we were wandering around, gardeners were trimming bushes, mowing the lawn (with what looked like the cross of a weed whacker and a rototiller) and At the center was a huge, round, stone pavilion where a short description carved in the stone said 27,000 people were buried there from the war. One of our participants, Mark, made an insightful comment about how one person's ideas could influence and hurt so many. An interesting feature was the 4" deep inset in the ground for each row of headstones. I wondered if this was more of a practical feature (perhaps having buried the entire row at once) rather than an aesthetic one.

From there we traveled to see white elephants which in fact looked more red and pink. If they had been clean I think they might have looked almost tan colored. Probably the lightest skinned elephants I have ever seen, but certainly not white. We were all rather disappointed. While here I had the chance to talk with one of the MIT students who explained the origins of the 7 different ethnicities in Burma (Kachin, Chin, Karen, and Wa are the only ones I can remember right now). She told me most of the people arrived from Tibetan and Chinese areas originally and the people differentiate them by their facial features.

Our last stop of the day was to see the largest Buddha in Burma. It is carved from one piece of alabaster stone found near Mandalay. The statue was carved and then transported by train to Yangon. It sits about 30-40 feet tall. Most of the pagodas we have visited have very few people at them when we arrive. At this one I was able to see a monk praying.

Today was another very hot day. If I do not keep as cool as possible it is hard to function. Most of the time I feel like a zombie. I am contemplating buying an umbrella to shield me from the sun and the rain when it eventually comes. They sell ones that fold up into about 6" long. Tomorrow is a free day for us to do whatever we want. I feel like we have already seen most of the sights and there are not many places to go for entertainment or spots listed on the hotel map. I should spend some time working on a sermon for chapel. Jackie (Hong Kong) and I are leading Monday's service. Here's to words of inspiration!

Is The New Really New, Or Just The Old Again?

All of Thursday was devoted to travel. Our first stop was at a church close to an hour outside of town to greet a Baptist pastor. [Later in the day he would serve as a contact for us.] We wound our way through Syriyam to the Pagoda in the River. Originally built on an island in the middle of the river, this pagoda was quite large with about 8 separate buildings. We started by feeding popcorn to the rubber/butter fish which look like very ugly catfish. We wandered around the pagoda noting the painted panels of a king's dream imagined ~600 years ago. Depictions showed the moral depravity and decline of the population where everything was opposite how it should be--the frog was eating the snake, people cheated instead of helping each other, ponds were deep at the edges and shallow in the middle. Some of the local people who occasionally join us on our travel outings mentioned that it was interesting how this dream happened so long ago and now it was coming true. Seriously....when have humans ever shared peacefully and not cheated one another?? I did find my day of birth corner which is where I would sit and pray if I was a Buddhist.

From here we traveled to see ancient ruins of a Portuguese church from 1749. This was not overly exciting as it was high weeds around the ruins and a crumbling brick structure. The highlight was the tomb of an Armenian buried inside the ruins. This is where we met up with the local Baptist pastor who helped us gain access to the location since it is guarded.

Shopaholics Anonymous

The afternoon adventure for today was a trip to a huge market in downtown Yangon. Similar in style to markets in Europe or Mexico, the building covered about an entire city block crammed full of tiny shop stations selling jewelry (Burma is famous for high quality sapphires and rubies), fabrics/clothing, carved wood statues and the usual solicitations of artwork and postcards. I was not overly interested in the jewelry--not my thing and also far more expensive than I had money for--and we were told the artwork was not that great. I headed for the fabric section hoping to find a scarf or shirt. Upon browsing through the many stands I found a lovely dark red scarf with little silver spots on it, but decided to come back later after having seen what else was available. This was clearly a mistake as I never saw that shop again. I did however come across a handmade orange silk shirt for ~$3.80 that looks great. It almost has a Chinese appearance with buttons down the left side and a decorative neckline like a V with wings. Since I am roughly the size of most Burmese people, the shirt fits like a glove. I may have to return to the market at some point to purchase more in a variety of colors. Likely I will not find that same shop again, but there will be about 50 more to choose from.

The one downfall of the market tour was that we had all agreed to meet at the main door around 3:10pm. There are two main doors to the market. No one was at either one around the scheduled time and the market looks so repetitive it was hard to tell from which door we had entered. After about 10 minutes of searching and checking and repeated requests by people to purchase charcoal pictures or change money, I figured out which door we had come in from and headed back to the vans hoping the group had not left yet. I spotted the vans, much to my relief, halfway down the block in the parking lot, but no people. Just as I paused to imagine where everyone could be I heard my name. A young boy in front of me was pointing to the left. Turning I noticed the entire group having afternoon drinks. At least I found everyone.

A group of us decided to stay downtown to walk around for a while. We wandered past the Shwe Dagon Pagoda (the largest one in Yangon which can easily be seen from cities away and from an airplane), some of the governmental buildings with a decidedly colonial appeal to them, numerous small shops and street vendors and finally over to Chinatown. We were only there briefly. Most shops are owned by Chinese people and local people work in them. When it came time to eat, half the group had been having stomach problems, part of us opted to take a taxi from there to the cafe we had afternoon coffee/juice at after the market tour and I joined them. The cafe served a variety of foods from different countries (France, Italy, America, China, etc.) and was a nice change of pace from the local cuisine of rice, cooked vegetables, meat in sauce with bits of bone and trays of pickled relishes and fresh greens. Most greens are washed in local water so those are off limits. Meat is often cooked on the bone which can be found whole or in shards throughout your food depending on how the meat was cut up.

All in all the day was okay--tiring as usual. And now for a cultural note.

As a further note on the climate, the humidity is about 70% and the average temperature has been in the mid to upper 80sF. No idea what it is when the sun is out and baking us as my portable weather station is in the hotel room. Glad I brought that along! Burmese culture is primarily a moderately dressed one. Both men and women wear sleeved shirts (either short or long) and skirts of varying bold patterns that tie at the waist allowing a stride's worth of movement for the legs. Footwear is slip on thong sandals. When you arrive at a temple or pagoda shoes are removed. So far the skirts I brought have been okay. One has a hole in it (not sure if it was before or during the trip) and they are still quite warm--though I imagine a bit cooler for me than pants would be. The one shortcoming is that your legs rub together when sweaty which causes heat rash and pain.

At Last...My Love Has Come Along

Today I arrived in Myanmar!

I got to the airport around 11:30am, roughly on schedule. The flight in was much longer than expected. I thought it would be 2 hours, but I think it was more like 3-3.5 hours. I fell asleep just before the flight attendant passed out the customs and arrival forms--the kind of sleep where your head bobs around because you are so tired.

Surprise #1: They fed us a lunch meal and a snack. If you want to eat for free, fly China Airlines!

Surprise #2: Dr. Ling picked me up at the airport. It was nice to see a face I recognized after 2 days of not knowing anyone. He was very excited that I finally arrived. Perhaps a bit shocked that it was real.

We went from the airport to the hotel to drop off my things and then to MIT (Myanmar Institute of Theology) to meet up with the rest of the group as the program started on Monday. I missed going to the largest pagoda in Yangon yesterday, but today we went to the natural history museum. It was extremely hot in the building and the temperature increased with each floor we ascended. We managed to make it to the 3rd floor before we gave up. Artifacts go back to the 10th century with carved stone, carved stucco, fabrics, paintings, lacquered containers/dishes, hand carved furniture, huge wagons and musical instruments to name a few of the things we saw. It's quite something to see intricately ornate clothing one of the 3 kings of Burma wore 300-400 years ago and know it was hand made.

Dinner was at a local restaurant about a block from the hotel. Cuisine was very traditional including rice, bamboo mix, cooked greens, and a tray of sauces and garnishes. Much like Mexico, foreigners cannot drink the water. This excludes consuming any foods and drinks that are not cooked or bottled for concern of getting sick after eating them. Having been to Mexico twice, you get used to brushing your teeth with bottled water and keeping your mouth shut in the shower no matter how badly you want to sing.

The hotel room is nice. I haven't quite figured out how to work the air conditioning, but it's not bad for sleeping. Nighttime is warm, but not as oppressive as the daytime when the sun is out. The dew point is in the low 70s which makes most activities challenging, like say drying your hair or walking up stairs. There are 2 beds, a bathroom, 2 chairs, a desk and a clothes cabinet. I am expecting, since I have a 2nd bed, that I will get a roommate next week. The 3 other Americans who are signed up will not arrive until the 2nd week.

Four Legs With Horns In The Airport

Greetings from Taipei!

I arrived here at about 5:30am (4:30pm CST). Good flight, but a bit turbulent towards the end. Managed to get about 6 hours of sleep and then a nap after breakfast. The entire airport was quiet and no one was around except other waiting passengers. Went through a random security checkpoint hoping it would be near where my flight is leaving. Seems like all the terminals are connected. There are about 4 girls singing choir music behind me. Quite nice.

Found this free internet kiosk--Awesome! Not sure where my final flight leaves from, but now that it's 6am there's more people, shops are open, food is available (though I'm not hungry--had beef and potatoes and eggs and hashbrowns on the flight over here) and it seems like the information desks are staffed.

If all goes well I should be in Yangon by 11:30am.

I have been entertained by the green space (try posting the video I took at some point) and the large cow/yak looking animals painted with various Taiwan scenes. Much like the frog and fish displays in Erie. Seems a popular thing to do.

The City By The Bay

I arrived in San Francisco around 5pm. The next portion of my journey (12 hours to Taipei) continued at 1:30am. The ticketing desks for China Airlines opened again at 9:30pm. Knowing that I would have about 9 hours to spend in San Francisco, I planned to take the BART train into downtown for a break from airports. Though the price for BART was a bit expensive, it was worth the trip to see a little bit of the city. Most places were closed from the holiday weekend and being a Sunday.

I did enjoy figuring out the travel plans and a place to walk on my own, a new challenge. Would have been more fun with someone to wander the city with or show me the interesting sights...like Alcatraz or the Golden Gate Bridge. For better or worse I had the song We Built This City by Jefferson Starship stuck in my head the entire time I was walking around. It was nice to soak up some English before heading to a country where I don't know any of the language. At least in Spanish speaking countries I could catch bits and pieces if not whole conversations (depending on how fast they spoke).

Rocket Girl

Today's the day! Zero hour 11:15am. Time to unplug the computer and turn it off! See y'all in August!! Peace out.

Carry On My Wayward Daughter

Everything is pre-packed. From what I can tell, I should have everything I need. The last few days have been a frenzy of randomness with much roaming about the house finding something here and there I would need for the trip. A month is a long time for which to pack. In my usual fashion I seem to have compiled it all into two carry on sized items. Unfortunately I think one of the airlines will only allow one carry on. This is just as well since I have some heavy books in the one bag and I wouldn't want to lug them around all day. Nevertheless I am not a big fan of checking luggage with waiting for it at the carousel, the chance it might get damaged/lost/delayed, and not having access to everything you might need.

Thanks to Megan I did attend one of the best fireworks shows I've been to in a while tonight for the 4th of July. Thanks to Sarah G. I had the pleasure of seeing little Eli and gained the motivation to move many of my things into the attic. Never did get around to eating that last piece of chocolate cake in the fridge. Sad.

Have Adventure, Will Travel: Part II

The focus for my time in Myanmar will be thinking about and hopefully practicing interfaith dialogue. I am looking forward to seeing Dr. Ling again and meeting the rest of the participants for the summer program. There will be 3-4 more from the US, a couple from Sweden (I think), one from Switzerland and one from Denmark. The other countries I can't remember.

I am excited (though a bit anxious) to have the intentional opportunity to swap stories of faith with other Christians as well as those of other religions. I do not know what the daily schedule will be like. For my trip to Yangon I will have a 9.5 hour lay over in San Francisco. Hopefully the BART will be running as scheduled so I can take a trip into downtown to wander around and not spend the entire time in the airport. One more good reason to check my second bag :) I'm sure there will not be as much to do since I am traveling on a Sunday.

Have Adventure, Will Travel: Part I

Ever since summer family vacations to interesting places, I have loved traveling. With travel trailer in tow, we have made it as far N as Maine, as far S as Kentucky, as far E as the Atlantic Ocean and as far W as Colorado. Arriving at a camp ground, we would set up home base and then venture out into the countryside to see what findings were there.

By the time sophomore year in high school rolled around and the Spanish club offered a trip to Spain, I was more than ready to go (having already been to Montreal). It was easy to sign up again for Mexico my senior year. I loved both trips. Understandably when the time came for a cross-cultural trip for seminary I signed up to go to Guatemala. On internship last year I spent a week in Ireland with my friend Karen.

The desire to travel came again when thinking about when and where to take a first call. How could I settle somewhere for 3 years without taking one more chance to travel and branch out my ministry skills a bit more? Imagine all the interesting people I would meet, the conversations I would have and the culture/history I would encounter.

Last fall semester when I took two classes with Dr. Ling from Myanmar (Burma), I discovered the summer program at the Myanmar Institute of Theology where Dr. Ling teaches. One month in Myanmar comprised of 3 weeks of lecture/guest speakers and 1 week of travel. How could I pass up the opportunity to spend 28 days in conversation with new cultures, religions and ways of life?