Although I was thinking it was time to post further reflections on Burma, I find this the perfect time to do so, given the headlines this week. The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader in democracy Aung San Suu Kyi was very recently released from an extensive sentence of house arrest.Although again, politics was the issue I focused upon the least and still know very little about, it is still a step of hope for the country of Burma- it is the little steps that matter.
I remember driving on our bus around the city of Yangon and passing the lake on which Aung San Suu Kyi lives. Soon after, we passed the street where her house is located, however did not venture down the street given the presence of military. Still -the area is a snapshot in my mind, a memory of a place where we were.
I do not know if others do this, but I find myself thinking quite often of places I’ve been, people I’ve met, and even though I am somewhere else, perhaps far away, I find myself thinking of what is happening there now in the present time. I think of the area by the lake, the presence that seemed to hang in the air- the proximity to an issue that covered the news throughout the world. I wonder what is happening there now- has the military truly disappeared? Are there crowds of people thronging the streets- even by the lake on the main road? Is there celebrating still- even days later? Is Aung San Suu Kyi out on the streets greeting people or enjoying the freedom of being outside? I think of the atmosphere in the city and in the country as a whole. I think of what it must be like living there now- perhaps a glimmer of hope for a brighter future. I wonder what goes through Suu Kyi’s mind, where she will even begin in the work for her country.
Some reading this may wonder of the purpose of these reflections, but I think that somehow they are beneficial. Somehow in wondering these things, and contemplating what may or may not be happening, one opens oneself to another’s experience- puts oneself in another’s shoes. We may not know what it is like to live in a country like Burma during a time such as this, but it does not mean that we cannot learn from it, and become better citizens to our own community, and our own world.
One always hears about the “art of teaching.” As an artist, I like to think of teaching in this way, comparing it to the creative process I feel when choreographing a dance, learning a piece of music, or designing a new show. While one may not give much thought to teaching as an “art”, I have found that this is a truthful term- to be a truly great and effective teacher, one must know what to do and when to do it, what to say and when to say it. As is true with any art, it takes many years to develop into an artist, practicing and perfecting the art until one is truly adept. The difference from other arts though is that when you are learning to dance, it does not matter how good you may be- even if you make numerous mistakes in a performance, the only one to whom it truly matters is yourself. It is up to you to take those mistakes and use them to become a better dancer. The same is true with teaching- every teacher makes mistakes, and hopefully we use them to improve our teaching. The difference with teaching is that even when you are still learning, even when you are only a beginner, what you do matters anyway. Your students are depending on you to teach them- whether or not you have yet perfected the art, you still make a difference. It’s a daunting task.
I’ve been messing around with my Burma pictures lately for a few reasons. Besides revising my slideshow powerpoints for new presentations, I also decided to decorate the living room in my new apartment to represent my travels, I hung a smorgasbord of pictures of the Burmese landscape. (I hope to soon hang my Burmese lanterns as well=) Lastly, I recently spent a large sum of money allotted for my physics lab at the new high school where I am teaching. While some claim I may not have had much funding to work with, I couldn’t help but think as I my wish list became longer and longer of those students on the other side of the world and the teacher in Thar Pan Gyi who managed to teach with what little she had. Perhaps the scene that remains most imprinted on my heart from that trip was this one- the faces of the children and the small basket of school supplies which was all resources the school had for its students. I plan to keep this picture on my desk at school, where I will be reminded to constantly give thanks for all the blessings we have.
If a picture’s worth a thousand words, how many words are still missing? I look at the pictures on my wall and somehow I realize their limit, the small message they convey. A picture can tell so much, but in merely looking at it, who can know the surrounding, the circumstance in which it was taken, the sights, the sounds, and the meaning behind its subject? I look at one of a sunrise in Thar Pan Gyi, and although it only shows the rays of sun emanating from behind a small hut, I remember the smell of breakfast, the sounds of roosters crowing and of the village awakening. For one of an Inle Lake sunset, I remember the motion of the boat, the spray from the water, the wind in our faces and our hair. Pictures may not be able to convey everything, but to those who were there, they are windows-instead of looking out, we look inside, and remember. To those who were not, they are a window to a message, glimpses of an experience, shared in an image.
In preparation for a few presentations I was asked to do on my trip to Burma, I decided read my own blog/journaling from my trip. Many thoughts ran through my mind as I once again experience and in doing so remember….
However fascinating it may or may not be for others to read the narrative of my trip to Burma, it is invaluable for myself to be able to return to my thoughts and feelings and relive the experience. One thing I regret is that the spring semester of classes began only days after our return from Burma and I feel as if I never was able to find the time to fully reflect and synthesize the meaning of all I experienced. I am so glad for all the writing I did there and in the time immediately after, that I have many of my thoughts preserved.
I remember many nights in Burma before Katie and I went to bed, we lamented the thought of returning to the rush of life- the scheduled hours and minutes, the demands on our time from all directions rather than the lifestyle we experienced in Burma- the focus on time for others rather than following the schedule centered upon oneself. That return to the rush is exactly what happened- looking back on why I was not able to spend more time in reflection was exactly the thing Katie and I dreaded.
More than that though, I am caught by my writings on letting go and living a life of surrender- one would have thought that after all I learned I would have worried less, slowed down, and taken more time to reflect. Sadly, I find I did not. I worried about life after graduation, stressed over homework, overloaded my schedule, and agonized over job searching. So often we realize our weaknesses, yet still succumb to them regardless- I let this reflection be a lesson in itself.
Amusing Thoughts
I notice that there are numerous typos in the narrative, though I read and reread it before I posted it, adding notes, editing and such- whether or not this bothers you, I apologize=) and hope that perhaps I can contribute this to terrible jet lag that followed the trip.
In reflecting on the time immediately following my trip, I remember having an amazing attention span. I guess this comes from spending 54 hours on a plane and riding buses or boats for up to 12 hours at a time. There was one evening near the beginning of the semester where I spent two hours straight lying on my bed reading an extremely boring psychology article and writing a response. My normal work ethic in this situation would have been a bit different and while I planned to complete the assignment in stages, every time I thought to take a break I realized I really didn’t need one. Getting my assignment and others like it done in one sitting was fabulous and while I hoped the motivation and incredible attention span would last- unfortunately it didn’t=)
Where Dreams Come True
I remember on the plane on the way back from Burma, David asked us if we had any big plans for the summer. As he asked the question, I suddenly remembered (I had honestly forgotten)I was going to Disney World with my sister and our dance studio. Somehow it hit me that after the purity and simplicity of Burma, I really had no desire to spend time in Disney World- the center of American idealism.
At the same time, I was interested to gauge my reaction to Disney World after Burma and all the experiences at BC and working with NCP. I had been to Disney twice before- once when I was five years old, and once exactly four years before this trip with Dawn’s School of Dance, just before I went to Bridgewater for my freshman year of college. The past four years have changed me in many ways- in my outlook on the world, the meaning of community, and my conscientiousness of my place in the world among it all. I knew that this would reveal some of those changes and while I must be honest and admit that some aspects of Disney were downright revolting to me, I was excited to look at it as a learning experience.
Here I will stop and both warn and apologize to those who really love Disney World. I know that for so many, it is the trip of a lifetime and many wonderful memories with family and friends have been made there- some of my own wonderful memories come from there as well. I am not a Disney-hater I guess- I love going to the parks, love the movies, and absolutely love classic Disney songs. My past two trips have been wonderful bonding experiences with my mom and my little sister and I am thankful I was able to go there with them. I only question the symbolism of our society that is so encased in this company, this land of entertainment- it sounds a little bit depressing, but I guess I see through the *magic* -to me, it has become transparent.
There were so many things that ran through my mind as I spent three days in the parks with twelve-year-olds=) Disney World is literally its own world within itself- even the manhole covers to the sewers have Mickey’s emblem molded on them. Each time before our Magic Music Days performance we are taken outside the back gates of the park and are told that we are not to take pictures behind the scenes. Disney is adamant that the surrounding area of the park not be made public. It is a little eerie being outside the gates- it is similar to the outside of any park or building- maintenance roads run in various directions, dumpsters sit in obvious locations, and one sees a few employees here and there going about their business. The exception to this ordinary, somewhat dirty, somewhat dull scene however, is the large fence that looms above and the sounds of laughter, music, screaming, and other festive sounds that are emitted from the other side. Somehow I was horribly reminded of the analogy this serves for our world. Are we not the society within the gates, focused on the fun around us, never thinking of the larger surroundings, not even allowed to truly see the outside?And the ones on the outside forgotten- able to hear the sounds and know vaguely what takes place inside, but never able to take part, never invited…..
Amid my skepticism though, I realize that the true vision of Disney is not one of corruption or overwielding power- the original intent of the industry and the parks was that families enjoy time together. I know there is much question of Walt Disney’s true motives and I have not done enough research to be able to offer an opinion on his character, but if this is the true vision of Disney World, one cannot argue it is not a noble goal. I realize there are many things like this in the world- things with the greatest of intents, the purest of visions that can go terribly wrong- wreaking havoc and causing pain and suffering that they do not intend or sometimes even realize.
I decided to travel to Burma during the beginning of 2009 for many reasons- most of which I still cannot fully explain. I had never traveled outside of the country, and thus decided that it was time to see the world. I was also so focused on all my schoolwork and activities, I was intrigued by the prospect of traveling somewhere where I didn’t always know what was coming next- where we would be, what we would eat. I was ready to just take it as it comes. I had also raised funds for Give a Girl a Chance, a program through New Community Project that provides scholarships for girls in remote parts of the world who would not have the opportunity otherwise. I was interested to see firsthand the effects of such programs- perhaps to make legitimate my cause for future benefits.
The trip with New Community Project is a Learning Tour- not necessarily a mission trip, but neither is it a tourist vacation. We visit many places tourists don’t go, and sit down and talk to the people, thus learning about the lives they lead, the problems they encounter, and their needs. This paves the way for new programs through NCP. It’s both the organization’s method of action and of supervision, and travelers like us get to learn along the way.
Many of our group was interested in the government and politics of the country and their effects on the people. I find that I tend to focus more on the people themselves, the lives they lead, and especially aspects of the education system. I also notice in my journaling that I take a scientific approach to noticing the environmental aspects of the land and the plants and animals I observed. I get many questions about the politics and I know they are somewhat under international focus and scrutiny these days, however I can’t say I took in as much of that as I did other areas of interest.
Here we are in the New York airport, where most of us met up to set out on the journey. According to recent tradition, we had to begin with a jumping picture!!! (left to right- me, Sam, Aubrey, and Katie....not sure what Sam is doing=) There were fifteen people on our Learning Tour- from all areas of the world and from many different walks of life. Here’s a glimpse of our group~
David Radcliff- here’s a name known by many. It’s kind of difficult to describe David- he’s the head honcho of NCP, travels all the time, and gives mesmerizing speeches about all he learns to share the stories of those far away. You never really know what’s going to happen next on a trip with him- a chance meeting with someone along the way may lead to a 45-minute conversation and a new benefit effort. “Pizza, I don’t know about that……”
Katie- is a fellow BC student who shares my dinner table and many of my friends. I counted her in my circle of friends but after 54 hours next to each other on a plane, countless hours on a bus, being hotel roommates, and basically taking a trip to BURMA together, I realize I didn’t really know her at all.
Sam- joined Katie and I in Bridgewater for the trip to the airport and beyond. Sam is a BC alum, camp kid, veteran BVS-er, and dairy farmer. Foremost, he was a great entertainer- sharing stories in the airport and other places. You never really know what he’ll say next but that’s what makes him so lovable…..
Kay- I met Kay at YAC last summer- we were standing around making small talk when she mentioned she was going to Burma in January and I was like “NO WAY! So am I!” Thus began our adventure together- Kay is a freshman at Manchester (one of Bridgewater’s sister colleges), and the most enthusiastic person I’ve met about seeing the world and learning more about other cultures. “I love this place, I love the culture, I love the people, I love you guys, I love life!”
Alex- lived in my Tower last year, thus I was her RA. She graduated from BC last spring and is now on an extended tour of Southeast Asia, keeping us posted via her own blog which cracks me up! Burma was only the beginning of her travels.
Turner- is also a freshman at Manchester and was a fun addition to our group. He and Tracy almost missed the plane to Singapore, lost their luggage along the way, but made it to Burma with us- they only had to spend 4+ days in the same clothes…… “so….what kind of bikes did you see in Switzerland?”
Dawn- lives in Arizona, leads music, organized most of our musical endeavors on the trip=)
Aubrey- Dawn’s 16-year-old daughter- she was Kay, Katie, and my partner in crime for all our crazy adventures.
Tracy- also luckily made it to Burma with us, minus her luggage. She’s from Indiana and it graduating from Bethany soon.
Kat- lives in Singapore but is a native Californian. She mostly definitely had the shortest travel time of all….
Emily (“Auntie Em”) - is a native of the Shenandoah Valley but spent the last two (???) years working in the South Pole. She officially had the best facial expressions ever.
Weeks- is an electrical engineer who also just finished working in the South Pole. There was never a dull moment with him either. “see? See? It’s the Asian guy I told you he was in this music video!” Katie: “that’s Eminem….” Gretchen- informed us she’s a traveler- but usually in the form of cruises and such. This was her out-of-the-box experience=)
Sherry- from Indiana and heard of NCP through a 4-H presentation that David did. She thought Learning Tours sounded cool and decided to join us=)
Moe (pictured here) -our most fabulous tour guide ever! He led us the entire ten days and was very informative in his knowledge of the land. Our favorite quotes from Moe: “let’s roll!” and “whatever……”
I walked to the end of the sidewalk in the frigid cold, the campus quiet, the sky dark, stars above, and I thought- ‘this is where it all begins.’
12:30 p.m.in route Dulles to JFK New York
We took off and I realized that I have no watch and with my cell phone off as it will be from the entirety of the trip, I have no sense of time. Perhaps this is a good thing, to break away from the time rush. I rather look forward to it.
We had a laughable moment when the stewardess momentarily forgot our destination in her welcome announcement before takeoff. I guess when this is routine it is only understandable- It’s funny since for me, this is the first I’ve flown since I was seven years old. I marvel how we are all on different walks of life and how often we forget to look outside ourselves. I feel this is just the beginning of this realization.
Every time I hike in the mountains, I marvel at the beauty of the Earth meeting the sky- I get the same sensation as I look out of the window of the airplane. There is still snow on the ground and from far above, it is a beautiful perspective of winter. The flight is only forty minutes but thus far, I have been glued to the window- it takes me back to elementary school when I used to pass time looking out the window of the school bus. I find it ironic too, remembering that my bus ride taking me ten miles also lasted forty minutes. How much farther I’m going this time!
I have to laugh at myself- it took me five minutes to open the bag of airline peanuts. It figures I would be the one to explode them all over the airplane right?
9:00 p.m. in route JFK New York to Frankfurt, Germany
Katie claims she can’t smell my feet. I hope she’s not lying because I took my shoes off and it’s totally knocking me out. The guy in front of me has already turned around and asked me to stop shaking his seat- It’s going to be a long ride I can tell because I wasn’t moving that much….. The guy in our row is cool though- he’s from Germany and Katie has nick-named his “Franz” =)
When I first created this blog, I was a student at Bridgewater College, wondering where life was taking me. Now I'm a high school physics teacher, teaching wonderful students at two wonderful schools and still wondering where life is taking me- not because I'm not in the right place, but because you never know what's just around the corner.
