Minggalaba, Yangon.

I am almost ashamed to admit that I actually have a blog.
It has been four months since I last updated this page and the post that I am about to write is simply 3 months late. Talk about procrastination or new year's resolution. Bah, we're not even halfway there and here I am proudly admitting how I have broken one. SO EARLY >.<!

Enough complaining and whining. You don't come to this page to hear me complain and sulk. So, here are some snapshots of how the Myanmar adventure rolled.

Myanmar

It wasn't the airport with its brand new furniture and half-functioning air-conditioner that caught my attention. Those lines of men draped in long 'skirts' from waist down waiting behind the transparent glass walls did. The scenery was a stark contrast from what we have left a few hours ago in Changi, where comfort and luxury perfumed the atmosphere at every single corner. Nevertheless, one would never have to worry of the single important mission in airport, the ability to navigate around from the plane to one's luggage.  

I half regretted not sleeping a bit longer on the plane when I felt lady fatigue started flirting with my eyes. Or probably it was the hot pungent air infiltrating the city, stinging my sensitive skin even as I was seated in what looked like the first class transport choice. Surely the interpretation of comfort is subjective here. The cigarette smoke travelling from the front seat forgot its way out through the nearest window and shot its way to the back seat, greeted and tickled my nose before discreetly dissipated to the air outside. That brief moment being in the cab was enough to transform the texture of my hair, which wasn’t fantastic in the first place, to a piece of tangled sprayed-like hairdo.

Yet, as the wheel turned and thoughts drifted from my shallow sensation, I caught myself questioning whether this was really Myanmar. If I were up on a parachute and landed on this part of the world, I would totally be so lost because, it looked so similar to my hometown. I would go around and around to find a similar looking road and find my way back home, which would never happen. It was too strange. Do developing countries always look so similar? Perhaps the paint they use on the buildings? The concrete they bought? The houses, buildings and trees....what happened to altitude and geographic location? 

Our itinerary was close to nothing and its importance had left my friend and I to plan it with our very kind tour guide once we reached our lodging place. The whole trip felt like a sweet fruit cake and the icing would be the chance of meeting different kinds of people. People who were in the 'field', laboring for a purpose. One thing that touched me most was how some of these HIV-infected villagers faithfully came and worshipped God every week. Some of them shared their testimonies during one of the sessions. Powerful testimonies of how they came to know the Lord.

I was deeply humbled by the trip and fell in love with this city and the people. Not to mention we got to know a few pastors and their amazing wives. One of the wives actually rode us on her motorbike. I was such a fearful bird and she tried to assure me that she would really ride the bike slow and safe. My other friend of course was thrilled with the chance of riding one and would have preferred a higher speed.

Nevertheless, Myanmar is indeed a great place filled with great people. I forgot to mention that Jason Mraz was in town and we went to see him. But don't ask me of the experience because if I was dying to tell you about it, I would have written a full paragraph on the experience itself. But I didn't and so take the hint. 

Lapegnye - the sweet tea,

Longyi

Heidi helping with decoration while I looked on and be lazy

yummy roaches

would u care for one?

i have no idea what hitler and Gandhi were doing on the same wall?

Transport system

On one of the new buses

art gallery

Art collection

Girls with Tha na ka

Can't believe this

Till I saw this

One of the best place to buy rubies

Cuteeeee novice. 

Shwedagon

Yay!

Look like an image on postcard? hehe

With the girls in the girls' home

Heidi and her fave boy

Mi Young hugging the girls one by one.

In English class.

The beautiful view from the bus on our way back from Tangoo

With the leadership school students - commissioning day.

a bizarre dream in august

I had a bizarre dream last night. I was on a plane. A small one. The kind that  allowed six people on board, including the pilot. I didn’t really know if it was designed for six people or less. All I could remember was there were six people on it and the plane seemed to be full.

The pilot, I remembered, was an ang-moh. He had handsome beard, the kind that was grown for a few days after it was shaved; the kind that when you put your hands to rub against it, pricked a little. I always thought man with those types of beard looked the most handsome, that’s why I called it the handsome beard.

The plane didn’t seem to be flying initially until I noticed what was under it; a green land. I had never seen a greener green than the green of that land. The place looked like one huge valley and was blessed with perfect weather. I remembered hearing that I was in Australia…but it seemed this place had no association with any civilization.

The first thing I saw was a horse. It had two different colours on its body. The first colour extended from its head towards the middle half of its barrel and from there, a second color continued before it reaches its hooves. The first color was beige and the second one was dark brown. I remembered the first thing that came to my mind when I saw the horse was ‘Nutella’. The colour looked just like the chocolate and hazelnut combination in a jar. The horse had white hair and looked very healthy.

Then the plane flew over several beings underneath. They had spikes on their heads and looked beastly. They seemed to notice our presence but didn’t seem to be interested to know more. I took out my camera and prepared to snap a few pictures. The ang-moh pilot didn’t seem too happy about it. He mumbled something to me but I couldn’t really hear. I guessed I must be terribly frightened that I couldn't care about whatever he had to say. 

There was a crowd of people gathering halfway around one of them. These beings didn’t seem to like to wear any top. The males were bare-chested and the hairs on top of their heads were long and bushy, similar to that of British guards outside Buckingham Palace, only that these hairs were real. One male was tied unto a bark of a tree. His arms were wide opened and he was staring at the people with such an anger I had never seen before. For a while he looked like a lion that was ready to prowl at his enemies. 

I remembered I was rather worried all the time because the pilot seemed to fly a little too near to these people. I couldn’t remember exactly what the next scene was but when I took my camera out, some people on the plane said, ”They are going to kill you!” Their voices wasn’t loud but firm and strict and with that I took it down. Then I heard someone said, "We'll meet again...on this plane... but now you have to leave. " I didn't understand what he meant. I thought they conspired to drop me on this island. So I begged them for mercy but before i could open my mouth, something hit me hard on my head. It came with a loud noise that was so devastating that I had to force myself to get up amidst the pain that I had. I sat up and found myself seated on my bed while my arms slowly reached the blasting clock that successfully yanked me out of my bed.  I hit the silent button and felt something on my head. It was wet.  I smelt the red liquid on my hand. Blood. 

When I am down...

and oh my soul, so weary.
when troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then I am still and wait here in the silence....

until You come and sit awhile with me.

I wish. 

The real version: 

When I am down and oh my soul, so weary
when troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then I am still and wait here in the silence.....

for an hour, three days, or a week..max!!

GOD, You didn't come and sit with me.
Where are YOU???


It's not pretty when I am upset. 

But the truth is, every time I am down, I remember random people would come and encourage even without me having to share my burden. And they would speak the Word I need to hear. Sometimes, people simply sit down with me out of boredom....and bless me without knowing it. It happened so many times that I just have to give credits to the One who painstakingly arranged it for me. I trouble Him a lot I guess. So He did sit awhile with me. Quite.

The thing is, it took me awhile to realize this. Sometimes when we were done talking and I felt encouraged, I thanked my friend and forgot about Him, after all  they are my friends what? But when it happened repeatedly, someone kept trying to lift you up when you were on the floor each time, it felt like someone kept giving you money when you're broke. You couldn't be that lucky, could you? So there should be a culprit... and it is not madam coincidence.

What about you? Did you notice Him sitting awhile with you, today?    

“God is not a belief to which you give your assent. God becomes a reality whom you know intimately, meet everyday, one whose strength becomes your strength, whose love, your love. Live this life of the presence of God long enough and when someone asks you, “Do you believe there is a God?” you may find yourself answering, “No, I do not believe there is a God. I know there is a God.”

~Ernest Boyer, Jr.

image taken from:  http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/BRGPOD/28463.jpg

View from jendelaku !

I wasn't kidding when I said I have a thing with sky. LOL! It simply attracts me :) 

That canvas of Yours. 

If the sky is a canvas

of he who paints

just for bewilderment

or my enjoyment

chanting rhythms

of rain and shine

so that I'd be mesmerized.

Oh then I would gladly

abide by

that which You have made

and bask in that petty minutes

of

instant adoration

 For my heart

can't stop

she just can't

stop

to 

smile at Your piece.  

 

My favourite shade

Curry rice....

I had a date with my cousin who introduced me to Coco Ichibanya. The idea of eating curry and rice was never a favourite and even after looking at their menu, I was still not convinced.

B-B-BUT...I left the resto a happy woman :)

While in any other places, there is a standard size for your rice serving, I was glad that this restaurant actually compensate the customer for taking less rice. So, I really enjoyed the idea of me not wasting food plus I get to save on the dollar. Awesome Coco!

Of coz, that was not the only thing, their curry is actually nice. I won't say exceptional because it tasted pretty much the same and I couldn't really recall their taste now LOL but they served this 'pink stuff' on the table which I assumed to be soured onion (don't stone me if I get it wrong...it was from my observation of the texture) which I grew addicted to. I think I finished half of the cup in one seating.
It literally gave more taste to the already tasty gravy. Love it.

Mushroom chicken omelette curry rice

Spinach with clam and tomato curry rice

One of my random obsessions

I definitely have a thing with sky.....and sunset. They have the power to make me stop everything that I am doing to simply catch their seconds of fleeting scene. 

My sunset....coz I saw it every evening.

A few seconds after.

It was about to rain and I was shocked to see such heavy and dark clouds passing over. 

The pictures looked similar coz I couldn't resist taking so many of them. 

The horizon

What a beauty to behold. 

Artistic soul's necessity.

.........and I am not talking about me. In case you thought I just did. 

A view from the door

Coz there'll never be enough of them.  

                                      
                                 and the list goes on......

Of course, in my free time, I take the chance to slip into some of the dresses or skirts.                                       

This loud pink skirt surprisingly fits comfortably to my waist. It is often a burden to wear a skirt that doesn't fit well or give a 'merry-go-round' effect when I wear them. This one: pass :)

  

Basically the entire house looks like it is draped in clothes

The view from another door. 

Oh well, anyway, had a fun time playing around the house.