An array of colours worth 1000 words

A breeze welcomes the day. It’s cool and comfortable on my way to the market. The sun hides behind the clouds!

A woman, with a basket of fresh colourful produce on her head, walks toward me with a ‘Mingalaba’ twinkle in her squinted eyes. Her straight erect slim-figure tells me that she is strong and healthy.

Side roads are muddy fresh from the night and morning’s rain. Stones that were carefully laid and paved on potted roads back in July, are now firmly embedded in the soil, balancing from stone to stone in some areas. The roads resemble cobblestone streets in Europe’s medieval times where roads were evenly paved for horse and cart and alike to use.

The market, an array of colours, smells deliciously fresh and transports me right back to Mondolkiri’s market in Cambodia.

Here at the market , Thanakha ladies in soft whispers, offer a word or two to entice me to their stalls. From an array of vibrant multi-coloured flowers, orchids in particular, are in abundance, to fresh green, yellow, red produce. From meat stalls pounded on to tenderize the meat, to peanuts and red beans and large bowls of bright rich spices, some dried and powdery grouped together on the ground, resemble the effects of the rainbow fresh from a summer’s afternoon rain.

Tucked at the end of all other stalls, clad in a colourful outfit: red and gold longyi with a dark-cemented-blue coloured scarf that drapes from head to shoulder to protect her from the sun, with a straw hat to hold her scarf in place, a young woman with her 2 year old Thanakha pony tail daughter sitting on her lap, beckons me with a wave to buy from her stall.

I leave the market with raw peanuts; fresh produce for salad and this evening’s omelette and, flowers for work and for our neighbour. The bundles of flowers are wrapped in large-thick stony brown-green leaves, laced with thin bamboo material to secure them in place.

On my way out of the market lanes, rice sacks filled with dirt lie on market lanes and act as lopsided walkways between stalls. Trenches filled with rainwater, despite the mud and worn-out rice sacks -from wear and tear with footprints, some heavier than others, the trenches, the walkway, the market lanes between stalls, are immaculately clean.

On the outskirt of the market, motorcyclists, some with brooms on backs of motorbikes, roar around the market’s perimeter to alert the bustling crowd to buy a broom or two … In the process, they disturb a group of dogs mating.

On my arrival home, the neighbours greet me on the lane with rice cake, and I in turn, hand them a bouquet of pink lilies. The husband intuitive of the rains coming sweeps his front garden from leaves and any debris from his already clean and dirt-free front yard.

An hour later, as predicted, heavy rains, heavy storms roar through our little community and soon floods our lane, from home to home, mingling into one other. The husband, who’s name I don’t know experience of the wet season is well prepared.

The day ends with chanting. The grandson, as mentioned in an earlier post: A typical day in Nay Pyi Taw ,  begins the day with chanting before he heads off to school. The grand-father, the husband, the next-door neighbour ends the day with chanting!

Kevin's away in Thailand for 2 weeks, for some R and R; diving and enjoying the ocean in general ....

More will be added at a later date … 🙂 In the meantime, Wishing you fun reading and lots of laughter for September …

Anyone for volleyball, for badminton …?

August News

As I comb my hair and preen my face outside for better lighting with a dash of this and that, the local Thanakha lady next door snags guava from trees and cucumber gourds from her plants.  Her husband, humble as she, pops around our courtyard to pick a handful of fresh chilies from our bush.  This is to prepare a meal for them - for their family, for the monks.

As we sit on our little porch with coffee in hand and watch the world go by, a group of local women in the neighbourhood with baskets on heads gather on the dirt-lane-way to prepare for the market.

As I prepare for work with water in hand to stay cool and hydrated, Thanakka school children mount on motorbikes.  A young boy sits at the front and his big sister sits at the back.  Their father sandwiched in the middle, mindful of their safety, insures that all is well before roaring them off to school. Meanwhile, right at the top of the hour, just like clockwork, their 2-year-old brother begins to wail – he too wants to go to school!  Hand in hand, comforting hands rubbing one another,   ouplá with a heave or two his grandfather picks hauls him up on his right shoulder to further console him.  In the background, his mother loud and clear bellows Myanmar words that we don’t understand. 

August was a month with numerous activities and fun events both at work and at home.  

August began with a number of invitations from my colleagues and students:  KathyAung and her family invited Kevin and I for a family scrumptious lunch at her mother’s home .  They live at the government Herb Garden property where Kevin and I now walk the 5-kilometre trail on weekends.

The following weekend, one of my students Htet Swe Oo, his wife and son and mother and 2 nannies invited us to yet another delicious luncheon at the Swe Si Taw restaurant that is a mere 5 minute drive from our place.

During that same period a couple of Myamar colleagues and I: Nwe Nwe Soe and her friend, we ventured to the Big Ocean Centre to look for running shoes for Nwe Nwe Soe who was preparing for both a volleyball and a badminton match with the various parliamentary departments.   At the end of August she won both the badminton and volleyball tournaments against all other departments.   As a result, we returned to Ocean, this time to the  bakery to indulged on coffee, cakes and pudding to celebrate her victory and the 2 trophies that she  won.  Nwe Nwe Soe  will be receiving her trophies together with her Pyidaungsu women volleyball and badminton team early next month at the sport complex ceremony. The men’s Pyidaungsu volleyball team will also be receiving their trophies.

In mid August 3 Government officials came around our house at suppertime, around 6 pm to ask for our documents from us. They took photos of our passports and gave us each a form to fill out.  Could it be a routine monthly check to insure that all is well with visas et cetera from their standpoint?   Monday morning, as per usual, things were soon resolved with the help of Cuso Myanmar.

Throughout August, there was a shift in the grandeur of the parliament among parliamentary staffs.  Staffs were shuffled to and from different departments, to different offices to learn about all departmental jobs, to leave footprints for others to benefit from.  That is to say, staffs will pass their talents and expertise to future parliamentary staffs on all accounts; their talents will continue to reign from department to department…

August was a month where I visited Parliamentary staffs in their designated workplace. This is to address what is it that they want to know and how to strategize ways to strengthen their skills further in their jobs.   Their skills will be brought back and addressed in the classroom for teaching and learning prospects.  We will also focus on the different creative writing interests that are being revealed as I continue to work with my talented students.

Elsewhere in the grandeur of the parliament, 4 officials and 12 English-speaking MPs were handpicked to attend a 3-day ASEAN conference that is being hosted in the Philippines in early September 2017.  (Last year Myanmar hosted the ASEAN conference).  The MPs and officials attended a 3-day preparation workshop in English at the Pyidaungsu Hltuttaw.

More news in the parliament, the telecommunication bill was tossed back and forth between the 30 MPs at the Amyotha and the Pyithu Hlattaw (upper and lower house).  Finally, after being tossed around for 56 days, much longer than any other bills, it was resolved, passed with little change at the Union Assembly/Pydaungsu Hluttaw and the bill became law. The MPs are now on recess for the month of September.  They went home at the end of August to their constituencies throughout Myanmar to work with their village people.    

Other news in the parliament, ethnic youths throughout Myanmar from the 7 regions and the 7 ethnic states came to NayPyiTaw to represent their colleagues back home. The one-day conference was held at the Union Assembly/ Pydaungsu Hluttaw to hear Ethnic women MPs talk about Human rights issues in Myanmar.

Lately, every morning someone in class and in the research office brings a variety of Myanmar cuisine for me to taste.  From scrumptious Shan noodles with soup, to mohenga to chickpea sauce with fried bread a.k.a. idkyaguai. From tasty tealeaves salad to hot buns, to creamy cakes and more cakes ….   Together with the theme of food, are flowers of all sorts that staff bring to work to share with others and yours truly. And,  happily wear them on their hair  and, intricately weave them/it (depending on the number of flowers that day - if it's a rose), on mine!

By end of August, more parliamentary staffs and officials are walking the stairs instead of taking the elevator to their office on the second floor.

August ended with a Cuso royal visit to Nay Pyi Taw, a rare event.  Grant, a Cuso volunteer nearing his end of term with Cuso International came for the weekend to visit  with us all - The NPT team.  It was refreshing to speak to a volunteer with positive views about life, about Cuso.

More will be added at a later date … :) In the meantime, Wishing you fun reading and lots of laughter for September ...  

A typical day in Nay Pyi Taw

Looking through a set of different lenses … 

Unlike Cambodia where plans changed within minutes of the day, where a meeting was switched to a different day, week or even month, where there was no such thing as a typical day; In NayPyiTaw, at home and at the Parliament it is different; there is indeed a typical day where life is somewhat reassuringly predictable!

Typically, Kevin and I awake to the early call of the rooster’s crow, followed by the Monk’s gong and the 6 to 8 barefooted Monks, old and young who are about to collect food donation from the local neighbours lining on both sides of the dirt-lane-way.

Whilst enjoying our breakfast and coffee outside our little porch, each morning, across the way, we watch the old man with his grandson pace about the neighbourhood.  Hands behind his back, clad in a white and green checker longyi with a green towel wrapped around his head to match his longyi, slowly the old man pushes his gait forward.  All the while, quietly following behind him, his 2 year old grandson emulates his grandfather’s every move, every step...    Beside us, there is a lot of chatter.  Next door, locals in the neighbourhood seem to be dropping by at the local family’s home for this and that.  The young boy, obedient and loyal to his grandparents, while his mother is away on an early shift, begins the day, chanting! With a wave or two on his bicycle, the young boy leaves for school after his prayer.

Here on the home front, the runt, the littlest chicken of the family boldly enters our courtyard to eat morsels of dried rice that Kevin has especially prepared for him.  He is soon joined by his mischievous brother and, mother hen who’s come to inspect what her juvenile children are up to.

Soon the activities on our little lane way slowly disperse to here and there and I usually get ready for work.

The black iron gates creek as I slowly back the car out on to the lane way.    The hand wheel is on the right hand side of the car.  However, I drive the car on the opposite side of the road, which at first was tricky to drive!

As I slowly drive out onto our little lane and on to the main road, I pass a group of Tanaka smiley faces waving in a chorus of  ‘Mingalabas’.

A heard of buffaloes encouraged by their master to equally line up to either side of the narrow road to let motorists pass through, are interrupted by impatient motor cyclists who manage to sneak through. They weave in and out and around buffaloes beeping their horns at them to speed up their gait and to move out of their way.

Once on the main road, street sweepers and more women sweepers covered from head to toe, to protect themselves from the sun, blend in with the traffic to sweep the already eerily clinical streets of Nay Pyi Taw where history of any sort seem to be forever swept away.  A leaf falls in the hand of a masked Tanaka face sweeper before it’s allowed to hit the ground!

Before approaching the first set of traffic lights, a policeman stops the traffic to allow a convoy of pearl white minivans to take precedence over the traffic and directs them to the main road.    These minivans filled with elected MPs from different constituencies throughout Myanmar are taken to the parliament to attend an important meeting.

Onward and upward on the main road, now half way to the parliament, a large group of monks line the street with their food bowls and umbrellas ready to cross the road for the pagoda.
Once I reach the parliament, I go through a set of 3 black iron gates boasting golden ornamental tops.  The guards salute me at the first set of gates and let me pass through.  At the second gate, a group of staff hand me both a car pass and a work pass.  I drive 200 meters more and enter the last gate down the way before reaching one of the 31 parliament buildings: The Union assembly a.k.a. the Pyidaungsu building.

Typically, predictably so, a chorus of laughter is heard in the corridors, in the parliamentary staff offices.  As I reach the shared research office at the end of the hall, there is more chatter and laughter from the wonderful staff I work with.

Typically the day begins with teaching my awe-inspiring students who are enthusiastic, engaged and motivated.  I can always depend on them to lend a hand for this and that.  ‘Tis truly a pleasure to be in their company!  Of course not to mention the incredible MPs that I also work with who are just as delightful!

Volunteering is about having an authentic experience wherever you are.  It’s about experiencing the small stuff:  having an Adventure to the electricity office on my way to work …. ; Coming to work to find a beautiful rose on my desk and having a communal delicious Myanmar breakfast with staff, all in courtesy of the parliamentary staff in our office.  It’s about paving the way for others who otherwise may view things differently than you.   Wherever we are, wherever we’ve been to throughout our travels and living and working overseas, we are usually happy and satisfied!

More later  … ) In the meantime, Wishing you fun reading and lots of laughter for August

Nay Pyi Taw - a happening place ...

July News ...

Emerald rice fields etch the contour, the neatly manicured silhouette of Nay Pyi Taw, resembling the diverse stunning colours of jade that is mainly found in the Katchin ethnic State and sold throughout Myanmar's diverse culture.

Late July brought heavy rains with thunderstorms in the Nay Pyi Taw region and its surroundings. The Irrawaddy River is flooding the planes even in places where there is little rain. In some places throughout Myanmar where the river runs through, some villages have been displaced because of the flood. The Irrawaddy River also known as Ayeyarwady River is the country's largest river and most important commercial waterway.  

With the rains, temperature here in Nay Pyi Taw is pleasant - at least for  now.  It's cool in early morning and warms up to a comfortable 27ºC to 35ºC tops.  It's a relief!

delicate white orchids with a hint of mauve

Here on the home front, in our little oasis, our boungainvillaea tree is still going strong, where two black dotted butterflies dance from flower to flower. Under mango trees and throughout the perimeter of our courtyard,  vegetation is lush, blooming and producing more fruit.  Bushes and roses are flushed with an array of colours unfurling each day to rich creamy yellows- the colour of friendship, snowy-whites, and dusty-roses. One of the orchids lined on the wire under the mango tree is also in full bloom radiating beautiful small delicate white flowers with a

hint of mauve!  We have also discovered more bushes hidden among other plants; some are producing tiny spicy green and red peppers that we use as a base for cooking, others, AloeVera gel that we extract from several AloeVera plants, we sometime use for our skin and guava fruit that we gladly give our neighbours...

Neighbours rescuing our mangos

July was a month where
neighbours came around our house to rescue mangos from our trees. Mangos that rained from our trees in abundance regularly reached the tables of families in our little community.

Neighbours, across our little lane and beside us have built a trellis either for their running beans, snow peas, cucumber plants and other climbing plants.   Each morning, across from us, the old man  with his grandson walk around the neighbourhood’s front gardens to test the strength of every trellis and to assess the growth of every climbing plant. With the nightly rain and heavy rain by day, some are already 12 – 20 inches tall.

Students are talking to each other in English

With the change of the season, from dry to wet, there has been a positive change of pace in our class. There have been progresses and milestones, where students are gaining more confidence each day. Shy students, who appear to be more self-assured, are now talking, and are even volunteering to share our morning introduction to the start of the day’s lesson: either to give a brief account of the daily news, review the day’s work, talk about Myanmar and ethnic traditional dress and or fashion, the lyrics of a song … and anything else that is of interest to them. I’m so impressed! What’s more, two of the parliamentary recruit staffs in my class announced yesterday, that they have received a job promotion, which indeed called for yet another celebration in the very grounds of the parliament.

Parliamentarians are also feeling more confident with their Oral English skills and are even laughing at their own mistakes! Conversational English is a fun and most interesting job one can ever hope to have especially  with parliamentarians whom I have learned much from. These MPs had regular jobs like you and I: teaching, farming, government employees, et cetera …

Bush in flower

Other news, July brought a week of mishaps: a minor car accident and laptop crash – my laptop!

On the narrow road, on my way home, a motorbike, driving too fast  and out of control, bypassed two cars (from his lane), came to my side of the road and collided, literally into the Cuso car that I drive to and from work.  Both motorbike parts and the left fender of the Cuso car flew to the side of the field and, the driver’s flip-flop got firmly stuck into the car’s front bumper . Before I knew it, the narrow road was blocked with locals and neighbours, yes neighbours from my street who were informed that the foreigner who worked at the parliament had just had an accident!  Chatter and more Burmese chatter among the locals and neighbours and the police went on for about an hour or more as to what to do? Phone calls back and forth to various people: the Cuso local car owner, Cuso staff and Kevin were shortly informed.  An hour or two later, after the commotion, locals and neighbours began to leave the scene. 

More bushes in flower

In the end all ended as well as can be. The motorbike driver’s wife came to rescue her husband, (who went away with a  few scratches), and drove him home with her brother's  motorbike . As for me, I drove the severely dented bumper Cuso car home.The next day, the car was taken away to be fixed.

Whilst the Cuso car was at the shop for a  brand new look, I took a taxi to the parliament. Thank goodness for google map, for Cuso Lisa who showed me how to use it. On the first day of my adventure the taxi driver dropped me off at gate 3, in the middle of nowhere. However, I was able to find my way to gate 1 where I was suppose to be originally dropped off.

When it rains it pours. That very same week my computer crashed! The parliamentary IT team came to my rescue, and managed to have my laptop in a temporarily working order during class. At noon, we, one of the IT staff and office staff, KityAung and I drove to the computer store for some answers. On the way there, in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw, a cow and a buffalo joined us on the 20 multi-lane highway. We, the cow, the buffalo and the Cuso car were the only ones on the highway aiming to our destination ... :)

Luncheon with a colleague and her family in our home

Elsewhere in Nay Pyi Taw there’s a fabulous busy local restaurant tucked away up on the hill of Thyabegon Market that Kevin and I go to weekly, to have beer and a cheap delicious Burmese dinner.

July ended with us receiving an official letter from the government to confirm our stay in the heart of our little community!

More later … :)   In the meantime,  Wishing you fun reading and lots of laughter for the next coming month.

Education Today VSOCambodia - UK Article

Bunong lady harvesting cassava

Placement in Cambodia 2013-2016 
written by VSO-UK/education roles  - Claire Gilderson
May 2017

Riding through/ on traitorous roads on the way to village schools, Mondolkiri province

'The road to prosperity' changing lives through education ...

In May 2017, ALICE CHANDLER will be flying off to Myanmar to volunteer. This is her second placement with Cuso International. She recalls her first adventure in Cambodia following a long teaching career in Canada.

Bunong villagers (harvesting cassava,) resting from a hard day's work

“I decided that it was time for me to embark on  an exciting journey,  so I leapt half way across the world to volunteer for two years with VSO – Cuso in Cambodia.  I wanted to go to a developing country where I could be part of the community and work for the well being of others.

In 2013, I was placed as a Primary Education Adviser at the Provincial Office of Education in the beautiful hills of Mondulkiri • the poorest rural province in Cambodia. I worked with teachers, school directors and various staff to help improve the quality and access to basic education.  I fell  in love with  this amazing place and I was fortunate to get my placement extended until 2016.

Workshop at Sen Monorom POE with School directors and cluster-chiefs

In the west,  teachers are trained by professionals, but in rural Moodulkiri,  teachers receive minimal training.  They’re poorly paid and sometimes don’t even turn up for work. They often have two or more jobs or work in the fields to make ends meet. Pupils in isolated Bunong rural villages have difficulty in seeing the value of education.  Attendance is low because children are expected to help with household chores and work in the fields.  School infrastructure and sanitary conditions are poor.  Buildings are exposed to the elements and become problematic during the rainy season.

Teachers trained to use this book with their students

Despite the challenges, I was inspired by local teachers who implemented workshops for rural schools.  I watched them blossom before my eyes and saw smiling children explore endless possibilities through their schoolwork.  Laughter became contagious and learning became easier. Humour is an important part of facilitating positive change.

Teacher using newly-learned-tools in village school from a 5 day workshop

Teacher Trainers having fun during a workshop session

Every year, local comnunities conduct a School Enrolment Campaign in the villages 15 days before the start of the new school year.  In 2015, local men and women in Mondulkiri province were asked to share their personal stories about how their education has positively impacted their lives. These stories were broadcast on local radio to encourage children to go to school and stay in school. My local colleagues and I worked on a collection of interviews and short stories about the value of education, social inclusion and gender equality. It  eventually became a book:· 'The road to prosperity - my education, my life'.   In January 2016, this book was approved by the Mondulkiri Provincial Office of Education and was funded by VSO Cambodia.  School directors and teachers are trained to use this book  with their students to  promote school enrolment throughout the province.

Locals paying homage and delivering food donation to Monks for P'ChumBen festival

POE official whom I collaborated with daily

It was wonderful to feel part of a community where neighbours have the time for each other. I truly enjoyed working and living among local people who were full of energy and hope despite their circumstances.

Kevin and I at the San Monorom round about

Volunteering with VSO - Cuso International gave me a sense of accomplishment and an opportunity to learn from teachers who do the best they  can with limited resources. 

 I enjoyed my experience so much that  after 12 months of return home in Canada, I’ve decided to volunteer again with my accompanied partner, Kevin in Myanmar for a year with Cuso International!”

https://www.vsointernational.org/educaitionroles    May 2017   

see page 7 - Education Today:  https://content.yudu.com/web/69r/0Aiy7k/ETMay2017/flash/resources/index.htm?refUrl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.education-today.co.uk%252F