In the shadow of the mountains

Monday, July 1, 2013

oNe PhOtO a DaY fOr JuNe

THE PROMPTS FOR THE MONTH

1B IS FOR ….. blooms at the entrance to Katja’s house as we leave Tz

2 A MOMENT -actually THE moment yesterday when we left Tanzania- today has been all in airports and planes!

3 ON MY TABLE: a feast at Khun Churn veggo restaurant BKK

4 AFTER DARK: Traffic on Sukhumvit Road Bangkok

5 ENVIRONMENT: A perfect environment for a relaxing mood adjusting holiday

6 TRANSPORT: The ubiquitous BKK transport – the tuk tuk

7 BRIGHT: Water lilies with the bright morning light behind them in Jim Thompson’s House Museum

8 AN ANIMAL: an elephant made of orchids in the Paragon Shopping Mall

9 FROM DOWN LOW: Looking up at the delicious noodle options at a street stall in Kao San Road

10 YOU: Me - always in my element when I am in the water! (Taken by my hubby a couple of days ago, trying to restore my self-confidence)

11 SOMETHING FUNNY: Towel Origami – Thai style hospitality

12 11 O’CLOCK: at exactly 11am we were at this fruit stall buying a healthy delicious assortment of fruit for our picnic style lunch after a 10km walk

13 KITCHEN: The last 4 kitchens we have lived with and lovingly cooked up a storm for family and friends every available opportunity 1 the narrow galley kitchen in our home in Adelaide, 2 our basic but functional kitchen in Bhutan for 2 years, 3 The makeshift kitchen with no kitchen sink, set up on trestle tables in Thailand for 6 months and 4 the utilitarian, crowded and perfectly practical Tanzanian version. (None taken today –all from archives)

13 KITCHEN (Mark 2): Local Thai style mobile kitchen selling Pad Thai, of course in the port at Thongsala- this is the shot I wanted to take yesterday but I didn’t see any of these ingenious mobile motorcycle kitchens

14 TEXTURE: Close up of a coconut palm growing in the beach in Koh Pha Ngan

15 FROM ABOVE: the beautiful clothes, scarves, bags and textiles I bought home from Bhutan laid out for girlfriends to select and wear to high tea just after we got home. I loved wearing them and hope to do so again. (not taken today)

16 FAMILY: the most important member of my family- my partner, best friend and soul mate

17 CENTRED: perfectly centred in the middle of the performing area and mid air leaping at the Tsechu in the Tashigang Dzong (taken Dec 2012 & one of my favourite shots of Bhutan)

18 STREET: the only street in Haad Salad

19 CURRENTLY READING: mostly menus and guide books

20 CUTE: cute images and sculptures of turtles abound on Koh Tao as “tao” means turtle in Thai

21 LUNCHTIME: typical Thai lunch: cheap, fresh, tasty, authentic and convenient

22 ENJOYING LIFE: on the beach at 7am in Koh Tao before the sun is too intense

23 LAST: last glimpses of Koh Tao on our last night on the island

24 NEGATIVE SPACE: on the deck of the ferry port my hands and shadow

25 SHARP: sharp, dangerous and readily available on a street stall in Bangkok

26 EMPTY: Its rare to see the footpaths empty and the streets stalls all packed up in downtown Bangkok

27 INTO THE SUN: early morning cityscape Bangkok

28 RED: rambutans on a street stall in Yangon

29 IN MY BAG: travel essentials always with me –there s also sunblock but it can’t be seen. This handbag by the way is the best investment I have ever made. It can be worn 3 different ways and as long as you don’t put more than 7kgs inside, it cannot damage your neck, back or shoulders. Designed by a chiropractor!!!

30 HANDWRITING: My own rather childish Chinese handwriting of my favourite Chinese character on a background of the script used in Myanmar. The character means prosperity, luck or happiness depending on the context

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Myanmar: initial impressions and first thoughts!

We were a little nervous about venturing into Myanmar for several reasons. Is it really the right thing to do? Can we afford it? Do we really have enough mint-conditioned US dollar bills to survive without being able to use ATM machines? Are we really up for the difficult challenges and hard travel involved? We needn't have worried on any account. Things have changed since our guidebook was written and as in all developing countries at a rate of knots. We decided to spread the money we can afford to spend around among the smaller independent businesses rather than spending exclusively with government travel operators so the moral dilemmas about not coming are not so compelling, while simultaneously trying to live on a smaller budget. We will definitely have enough bills and the ATMs are now dispensing Kyat anyway. It is not that difficult and, well, so far the more harrowing journeys are still before us.

From the moment we touched down we felt good: not the least reason for me being that it was turbulent and scary in the latter half of the short flight, but also because it smelt like Asia of old. From the onset in that first taxi ride from the airport we were delighted. Myanmar seems like Asian fusion to me. There are elements of several cultures: Chinese, Thai and Indian being the most striking but they are all infused with a uniquely Burmese flavor. I guess if I knew my history better that wouldn’t surprise me but it did.

The Chinese traders of gold in the flashy red shops, the street side fresh vegetable markets groaning with produce and their wily business sense are infused with a mellowing Burmese attitude we discovered yesterday in Chinatown. It is near impossible to discern who is who in terms of heritage but I have never heard less Chinese spoken in a Chinatown before and we have been to a good number around the world as we are automatically drawn to them and always end up loving it!

That quintessentially Thai way of presenting fruit in such an appealing and instantly edible way, the quick, easy, genuine smiles and child like delight in the simplest things as well as the face-painting and Buddhist devotion all instantly take me back to Thailand but here they are still somehow Burmese not just a copy.

The pan chewing, selling and staining of public streets, the henna red hair of the men, the delicious curry, fried snacks and sweets of many of the street stalls, the lilting Indian accented English, and the many Hindu and Muslim places of worship located in the same neighborhoods also project a similar atmosphere to India but still it is not the same.

There is a cross-cultural feel with pan vendors having Chinese faces and Indian street stalls selling noodles and Burmese dishes. There seems to be no animosity and a great deal of not just tolerance but acceptance, harmony and goodwill.

We delighted in seeing the ever-changing vendors pedal their wares on the circle train loop around Yangon yesterday. Pineapples, pan, stuffed tofu with chilli, donuts with sugar and condensed milk, bananas, and noodles were among the few I could recognize but there were more that I couldn’t. Not all on sale was food and 2 shoulder poles of hats and a variety of Buddhist magazines were also available. That is to say nothing of the bags, basket loads and bundles of fresh vegetables going home with their buyers. The vendors mostly carry their goods on their heads and then plop down on the low stool, they carry with them, in front of each customer, once they have indicated that they will buy. One needs to be quick to make a purchase as the vendors swap carriages at each station and they are only a few minutes apart.

The 3 hours was a wonderful insight into how and where the real people live and the other passengers were as keen to understand us as we were them. The sheer awe on the faces of the children and elderly as we sidled by the airport runaway was a joy to behold. Once we had past the taxiing planes other passengers crowded around to see if I got any decent snaps and a few gave me the thumbs up. The train was excellent entertainment and great value for a $1 fare even though we suspect that was five times the local rate if not more.

There are many other influences from across the Asian continent too. The ever-present remnants of colonial buildings in decrepit and decaying states, lives lived on the streets, the jumble of washing hanging from barred windows in tiny apartments and the construction, demolition and general chaos of all roads and footpaths to say nothing of traffic that does as it pleases most of the time, remind me of Kunming and many other Chinese cities in the 1980s. The style of clothing for both men and women also bears striking similarity to many other parts of Asia. The food is definitely fusion in some instances but also pure and authentic cuisines in others. The Burmese certainly have their own fresh and tasty dishes and a wide variety of fresh produce from which to create them.

The Buddhist nuns here also seem to play a much more prominent role than in other Asian cultures.

Here so many men still wear the traditional attire, whereas elsewhere we have been in Asia it is predominately the women who continue the traditions. Last night’s monsoon dinner show us just how versatile those “longyi” wraps the men wear are. As we sat at our outdoor table under the awnings, the skies opened up.

Our little umbrella was no match for the torrential downpour and the one the restaurant offered soon supplemented it. We managed to finish our meal without it floating away but eventually relocated to a slightly better protected table and watched all the men adjust the length of their “skirts” to accommodate the flood waters under the tables and across the road and footpaths while the women just became as soaked to the skin as we were. Just as we had laughed our way through dinner they too giggled their way home and appreciated the cooling and purifying effect.

Today's visit to 14th century Shwedagon Pagoda, the iconic Budddhist symbol of the nation was serene and calming. It is truly a haven of spirituality and a source of national pride. One cannot help but be moved by the beauty and devotion so obviously enshrined in the site and the people, who have protected, restored and revered it for so long.

Things are looking good for the rest of our 3 week stay and the travel adventures will no doubt shed more light on this very charming, welcoming, playful and respectful culture.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

A new daily challenge

Recently I have had a lot more time than usual on my hands. This motivated me to take up a new challenge. I have long been an advid collector and reader of quotes; most especailly inspirational ones and this prompted me to download the book "101 Life Changing Quotes" by Tim Beacham and to spend some time as per his instructions contemplating and writing about the quotes he proposes.

Early in the book there is some advice from the author from which I have selected the following.
“Here is my step-by-step instructions on how to leverage the power of this book and to transform your life........Take a few minutes and truly think about what the quote means and determine how you can apply it to your life......... The Daily Quote Journal is just a means to approach your goals with a positive outlook.”

While I do not intend to include all 101 in this blog I thought I would occasionally add some of my ramblings as an adjunct to the travel tales and a suppliment to the photo a day challenge I regularly publish. So without further ado I will begin and invite anyone who feels inspired to add their own opinions, ideas or comments.

2. “There is no education like adversity". - Benjamin Disraeli

I cannot one hundred percent agree with this. Fundamentally I believe that we all grow and learn when we are challenged and extended beyond the comfortable range of our normal experiences but education takes many forms. It can and should be a positive, enjoyable and enriching process that doesn't have to be tied to adversity. Many such experiences are just as powerful in the knowledge we acquire from them. I acknowledge that some of the most valuable life lessons are acquired facing hardships and difficulties but not all. I can list as many positive learning experiences as negative ones, if not more. Yes the struggle to come to terms with communism in China, borderline xenophobic attitudes in Japan, overt cruelty and violence in the devoutly Buddhist cultures of both Thailand and Bhutan and widespread and overbearing poverty and its many heath and social complications in many different developed and undeveloped countries, have taught me great lessons and are adversities. That is to say nothing of the personal challenges life has thrown at me. There are however equally positive interactions from which I have learned equally valuable life lessons. How can one fail to respect or not wish to emulate the perseverance and determination of the Chinese, the work ethic and appreciation of aesthetics of the Japanese, the gentle, smiling grace of the Thais or the resilience and self assuredness of the Bhutanese. Through admiration and the desire to emulate these profound qualities we are educating ourselves from the joyful, respectful and harmonious aspects of life not only the adversity. Yes there are always lessons to to learned the hard way but they are not the only lessons. In fact there will always be education with or without adversity. Commitment to life long learning and not only formal institutionalised learning is a must and life doesn't only consist of struggles.