Why Burma?

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.

The Group

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……”

9 Jan 10

6:30 a.m.

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” =)

10 Jan 10

in route Frankfurt to Singapore

We had a one-hour layover in Frankfurt- it’s 10:00 here, but it’s so hard to keep track of what time it is because we’re quickly moving from one time zone to the next. They had to de-ice the plane before we were able to take off- yet it’s reported to be over 80 degrees in Singapore. Crazy how humankind is able to move around the globe so quickly like this.

“Mr. F”

Katie and I switched seats as to hopefully appease “Mr. F” (our friend in front of us, as Katie dubbed him, the “F” standing for “funsucker”….) Evidently he likes me better than Katie (don’t I feel honored) because he shot her a dirty look, climbed over his wife, and made her switch seats with him. Fabulous- now since my tv doesn’t work, the tray is broken, and Mr. F is in front of me again, Katie and I joke that I officially have the “worst seat” on the plane=) Seriously though- I feel sorry for people like him. To be so uptight and intolerant must take a lot of the fun out of life….

11 Jan 10

I have to admit it seems like we’ve been traveling forever. We traveled all weekend, even though the days were very much shortened as we traveled across time zones. I realize that part of the reason for jet lag is not the travel but airline meals- dinner at midnight and spaghetti for breakfast?

I never realized Singapore was such an advanced city/country. The airport is evidently reported as rated first in the world and it’s a great place to spend a six-hour layover. Call me sheltered, but I had fun playing on the moving sidewalks=) We explored the butterfly garden, then Sam (of course) found the free foot-massage machines so we gathered there for awhile. I sent postcards to Jared and Lydia- I wonder how long it will take for them to get home….

12 Jan 10

Katie pinch me, *We’re in BURMA!!!*

It was fascinating to see the landscape as we came in for landing in Yangon. It was so different compared to the landscape we had seen in America or Germany. Everything seemed to be rice fields except for small clusters of trees where we assumed houses existed. We saw one pagoda, then realized the countryside was scattered with them- all painted gold and shining in the sun. None of the roads were paved and as we landed we almost wondered if the runway itself was even paved. (then realized it had to be=) We realized later too that we must not have been able to see the city from our side of the plane. The airport itself was much smaller compared to any we had flown through yet, and there were only a few airplanes outside.

It’s so crazy being in such a strange place. I wanted to take everything in when we got here but I was falling asleep as we rode through the city to our hotel. It’s crazy how it’s a city just like at home but so vastly different. It’s also strange being the only “different people” –we get so used to our comfort zones now suddenly we’re on the outside.

We visited the Schwe Dagon Pagoda last night after checking into our hotel. Evidently this is the largest pagoda in Burma and one of the most sacred to the Buddhists- there is said to be eight of the Buddha’s hairs housed inside the largest “stupa.” The entire pagoda was extremely ornate, with many stupas surrounding the main one, statues of dragons (?), and Buddhas. There were many people, praying, chanting, and bowing before various Buddhas, and each statue had a ring of neon flashing lights behind its head. I found it all interesting but was really too tired to take much in- I fell asleep sitting up and waiting for the rest of the group, which all of you who know me well know this has never happened. Ever. I can’t even nap if I try….

to the Delta

We left the hotel this morning on a bus and headed out of Yangon to the Delta region. Downtown Yangon is so fascinating- so many people on the street and much activity in the marketplace areas. The city itself is very much dilapidated- the buildings mildewed and in disrepair. We wondered if the mildew is because of the rainy season or simply because of lack of maintenance. Road etiquette is much different from in America- the horn is used frequently and more as a mode of notification than of anger. Anyone using their horn like this in America would be met with many obscene gestures I’m sure. Public transportation seems to be via covered pickup truck and a few buses- all of which are crammed full with people hanging off of the back.

We embark on our diet of rice & Burmanized Chinese

Lunch was in a small village in a restaurant that we described as “Burmanized Chinese.” We ate plenty of this throughout the trip because as Moe told us, most food is cooked in the morning and left to sit all day long, but Chinese is cooked on the spot so it’s much safer for us Americans to eat. Burmese Chinese is not the same as American Chinese by any means, but still very tasty. I still have not quite figured out the difference between this and typical Burmese cuisine- a bowl of rice and multiple “main dishes” to top the rice, usually consisting of a kind of sauce with various meats and/or vegetables. Every meal also included a side of soup. I found it easier to renounce my vegetarianism fo

r the bulk of the trip, which I figured was a small price to pay in order to experience the variety of food that was offered. My main food adventure for this particular meal involved trying squid- not that I was impressed, but at least I can say I ate it=)

"Everybody's got a water buffalo, mine is fast & yours is slow, where'd we get 'em, I don't know but everybody's got a water buffalo"

It’s amazing how we spent seven hours on a cramped bus today and I wasn’t bored even for a minute. It was fascinating just looking out the window. The scenery was much the same the entire way but it’s so different from our norm. Once we left the city, the roads were mostly unpaved- thought even when they were, they were just as bumpy due to potholes. There was much water- houses were built elevated and there were narrow footbridges from the road to the house. There were rice fields and coconut palms and banana trees and we saw duck farms and water buffalo. (everyone really does have a water buffalo here!=) There was also a great number of dogs living in the towns and countryside, but they always looked the same- large, yellow, and pointy ears.

Setting sail

In the town of Bogalay, we traded our bus for a boat, and set off on the remainder of the day’s journey. I have always loved the water and was reminded of this when we boarded the boat, which we had to do using a narrow plank. The boat was open on the front and had a roof over the rest. Our departure was a cause of much excitement in the town- I guess a group of fifteen white people does stand out in these places. Twenty minutes after leaving Bogalay, we stopped at a small hut for a few minutes- I was still writing but Katie suddenly put her hand on my knee- I looked up and noticed three young boys standing on the embankment. Each had a gun in hand. Nobody seemed concerned about this and I never did find out why they had possession of such weapons, whether they were even real, (which they looked so) or whether they were loaded. Nevertheless, we set off again and I did not see anything of the sort for the rest of the trip.

I love cruising the river in the open air. It reminds me of summer days at home, and there are few more beautiful sights than sunlight glitter on water. The marshes look much the same, which I find strange considering the other flora is so vastly different. I would love to know if the same plants here are the ones growing in the marshes at home.

We stopped at a small village for dinner, which was absolutely amazing! The village was beautiful and so calm in the waterfront sunset. This town lost 140 people in the 2008 Cyclone Nargis- sometimes entire families. They fed us in the school- fried fish, rice cakes, (? –a lot like Cheetos, but much healthier I’m sure and without the cheese- I found them very tasty!) cookies, and coffee. They were so gracious and eager to share. Because they were expecting us at noon, school was closed today, and we felt bad that it was now 5:00. After eating, we talked with the village leaders via Moe acting as a translator. The women sat at the back of the room and looked on without participating. My favorite part was when we left- they all lined up on the dock and waved.

When we reached our final destination, we had to walk one kilometer in the dark from the boat to the village where we are staying tonight. I am interested to see it in the daytime. I think we were walking by an irrigation ditch and maybe a field? The ground under our feet was dry, cracked, and difficult to navigate. We finally reached the village of Thar Pyan Gyi, which is home to 300 people. There is a church in this town and we are staying in the community center beside it- sleeping on mats and under mosquito netting. They fed us yet another dinner when we arrived. A random thought strikes me as I am eating- I know so many people at home who have traveled outside the U.S. but I have encountered a scant few groups from outside who visit us. We have so many resources by which to do this.

“only education will be the solution to the poverty”

It is after dinner and we are meeting with members of Thar Pyan Gyi in their church. Most of us are nodding off even though we feel awful for appearing sleepy. I wish I was more awake for this. I was to take it all in. This is so exciting!!!

I am excited to see there are women included in the town leadership here. I wonder how this applies to surrounding villages.

The main issues that we discuss involve education, water quality, and health issues. Education is their main priority- the town provides a nursery school and a middle school- their school year begins in May, which is one month earlier than most schools in Burma, but they schedule school around the students. Schooling here only goes through 10 (or 11^th?) grade, then students must be sent to Bogalay to finish- this can cost $700-$800 per year, which is more than the village can afford. I cannot tell whether any students actually get to go, but I get the feeling the majority probably do not. One quote I pick up is “only education will be a solution to the poverty.” It reminds me of the BC education department’s motto- a quote from Epictetus which states “only the educated are free.” I am interested to find this correlation of values, one which I feel strongly toward myself.

The town can handle minor health issues, which involve seasonal ailments for the children as well as malnutrition. The community center in which we are staying seems to serve as the clinic because there are a few medical supplies there.

The pastor and his wife seem like a wonderful couple. The wife is the town’s only nurse, teaches the nursery school, and is part of the village women’s group. She is obviously a leader but exudes a calm countenance. Her body language shows that she is comfortable with herself yet it is obvious that she cares for people. Her role in this village intrigues me and I would love to talk to her, but there is the language barrier.

13 Jan 10

waking to the sunrise

I forget how much I love mornings because I always sleep through them. I woke up this at 5:00 this morning to the church bell and the sounds of the village worship service. The songs were beautiful and so joyful- wonderful to listen to as I rested on my bamboo mat. The village people told us last night that we were exempt from the service this morning because they knew we were tired from traveling but they would like us to come tomorrow. I don’t know if I will be any less tired tomorrow but I am excited to experience their worship.

We watched the sun rise behind the church, which was absolutely beautiful in the calm of early morning. I was excited to find many wildflowers behind the church as well- so different than what we have at home.

Breakfast consisted of sticky rice, dried fish, butter sandwiches, and tea. I’m happy that I finally started liking tea before the trip! (I have always wanted to be a tea-drinker and finally learned to like it=) Katie and I joked about how airline food would be good after ten days in Burma. I don’t know what we were thinking- these people are going to prove us so wrong!

“I have enough for now”

I am fascinated by the education here. We visited the school this morning (6^th, 7^th, 8^th grade). The teacher was twenty-one years old- she said she was once a freelance teacher but when the cyclone hit she lost her entire family and she felt obligated to come back and serve her own village. She is not paid but she is supported by the village. When we asked if she had enough supplies to teach, she pointed to a tiny basket which held two books and a few pieces of paper and said she had “enough for now.” I thought of my own classroom during student teaching- the shelves of books, computers, supplemental technology and endless resources that aided my lessons, and find it hard to imagine teaching with so little with which to work.

The school is open on all four sides so during the rainy season the floor is entirely mud. The chairs are plastic lawn chairs that are carried from the church to the school and back each day. We asked the students their favorite subjects, which turned out to be English, history, and science. They also learn Burmese and math. I wonder how much English they learn as the teacher had to use the translator in order to talk to us.

A Joyful Noise

When we returned to the church. All the village children were inside singing Bible school songs. Our guide said they meet three times each week to do this. I was amazed by the enthusiasm of all the children- especially in watching the boys. Boys in American often have an attitude when it comes to music but here they were excited to be singing. Girls were situated on the right side of the room and boys on the right. A few of the songs had motions with them and some were even in English, although it took me awhile to realize this because of the children’s accents. They asked us to sing for them so we quickly brainstormed and sang “Peace Like a River” and “I’ve Got the Joy.” We were obviously not as practiced as they were as a group but they loved it anyway.

“no hope”

We boated two hours to the small village of Kat Thar Baung. This village was completely wiped out by Nargis and there are only a handful of houses rebuilt. We ate in a large house seated on the floor- apples, bananas, pineapple, fried fish, wafer bars, tea, and coffee. Many gathered in the house while we ate and afterward discussed their village and effects of Nargis. (I got to hold the baby!=) We also discussed women’s outlooks and one of the comments that struck me was they often feel there is “no hope.” All of their sewing machines were washed away in the storm so there is no way for them to make an income. They are doing so much work to rebuild their lives there is not much opportunity for anything more than survival. There were many goodbyes afterwards and pictures with the women of the village. They were so eager to help us- one little girl noticed us looking for the bathroom, grabbed my hand, and led us all to the back to find it. Something about her guidance touched me- even though it was a simple act of finding the bathroom, her willingness to help was so sincere and said more than her words could have.

We visited one other village today- we all thought for some reason that we were headed back to our lodgings but suddenly we found ourselves being led onto two smaller boats and taken up a smaller river to another village. We found that although we had not been expecting this, the people here obvious had, for there was a second lunch laid out for us- larger than the first and to be honest, a feast- this picture of me attempting to open a prawn to eat it. I was too stuffed to eat it, but felt obligated to try it because of their animated motions showing me how to open it correctly....=)

The people were so excited to see us- as soon as we were off the boat they all wanted to shake our hands. I am amazed how forward these people are. If anyone visited us at home we would be so reserved at first but they are eager to greet, to help, and to get to know you.

Bedtime thoughts

It is 8:45 and we are going to bed. We are so tired and sticky after these two days. I would hate for anyone showered to get on our bus tomorrow because we reek. Shower tomorrow though…..

I notice these people here are never as rushed as we are in America even though they have so much to do to rebuild their lives and we have only our ready-built lives to keep up with. I find it amazing that all our technological advances that are meant to make life simpler actually make it so much more complicated.

14 Jan 10

Peace be Still

Five a.m. may be extremely early, but there is truly no better way to begin a day than spending it in worship. The village of Thar Pyan Gyi had only two copies of their hymnal in English, but most of their hymns were familiar anyway, and they sang in Burmese while we sang in English. Listening to the same song in two different languages was unique and truly a blessing.

David spoke about the message of Jesus- welcoming and helping each other. He also spoke about hope of a new community. He used the analogy of a rooster crowing at 4 a.m. as we had heard the past two mornings- even though the sun is not up it knows it will come, so he crows anyway.

We were asked to sing for the service this morning so we sang “Peace be Still and Know that I am God.” I love this song for its peaceful melody, beautiful harmony in the round, and its simple but valuable message. It is one that speaks to me and while I find that to “be still and know” does not come easily for me, I find it comforting.

“Peace be still and know that I am God,

Peace be still and know that I am,

Peace be still and know,

Peace be still,

Peace be,

Peace”

The language barrier is so frustrating. I want to talk to these people, to be able to relate to them but we can only exchange a smile, a nod, or a handshake. I understand better the story of the Tower of Babel and what it meant for the world.

After leaving Thar Pyan Gyi

We fall into the rhythm of our lives so easily. Sometimes it hits me as I sit on this boat that I’m in Burma. How many days at 8:30 a.m. have I not been rushing to school, or sleeping in or making a list of tasks for the day. Instead I am sitting on the bow of a boat wearing a bamboo hat, surrounded by pole boats and coconut palms. It feels like the most natural thing in the world.

I am fascinated by the incredible balance of the people here. I love the bamboo pole bridges and I want to try crossing one=) I also want to acquire the skill of balancing things on my head and go to class with my bookbag on my head- wouldn’t that attract some strange looks on campus!=)

Lunch in another Burmese-Chinese restaurant was accented by the Asian music videos on the television above us. The music is not unlike popular music back home.-I am so having the BC Dance Team do a dance to Southeast Asian hiphop!=)

After lunch we traveled for an hour and a half by bus before stopping only to find we had only traveled twenty miles. So are the road conditions in Burma.

“I love goldfishes ‘cause they’re so delicious!”

I find that in most of my travels, there usually comes an instance which includes loud singing in the back of a bus. Such happened tonight, which I guess is expected after seven hours. Around sunset, our group began to get rowdy and our repertoire came to include commercial jingles, Disney classics, and much more……good times!=) I love our group! I think our Burmese escorts were glad to arrive in Pathein though- crazy Americans…..

We ate dinner in the Karen Baptist Center, which heads fifteen ministers and 279 churches. The ministers continually travel to different congregations to check on things and see how they are doing. As Emily points out, it’s a much more hands-on and personal approach than most church hierarchies. The church also sends missionaries to many parts of the Delta Region.

15 Jan 10

Today was an exciting day! We began at the Karen Center and toured the building where girls made bags, satchels, and other textile items. Here we brainstormed ideas for NCP items and looked at selling backpacks from here through NCP. We then toured the Matthew 25 Love Clinic. The head doctor said the clinic was sponsored by three benefactors and staffed by volunteer medical school graduates who were waiting for placements in government hospitals. There were two floors, a delivery room, OR, and perhaps twenty beds total. What struck me more than the limited resources and facilities that were available was the thought that although primitive the facility may be, consider the availability of healthcare to the people of this country. While the clinic is certainly a resource for the surrounding area, we witnessed firsthand the poor road conditions and I wonder if somebody in dire need of treatment would even be able to get to a clinic like this in time. We are so used to the idea that we can call 911 anywhere and get help, but I realize this is not the case here.

Indian Cry

After visiting the clinic, we took our bus perhaps twenty miles out of Pathein where we transferred to a van and the back of a roofed pickup. We had seen these in Yangon where there were at least twenty in the back- we only fit eight. It was extremely dusty but fun and kind of exotic for us to ride- ok, so we had a tourist lapse of excitement….=)

We first went to a small farm which served as an education site for farmers. The goal is to introduce farmers to a wider variety of crops so if one fails, their income is sustainable. I like this place because really it was the first truly wooded area I had seen thus far- I thought it was beautiful. They grew a variety of crops, including a whole greenhouse of chili peppers- David decided he was brave enough to try one, even though Moe warned us they were strong enough to “make an Indian cry.” As David was about to take a nibble, Moe suddenly cried out “No!,” making us think there was truly a health issue related to eating this vegetable. However upon asking, he simply stated “Indian cry, American scream.” Turns out David didn’t scream, but said there was quite a burn- I cannot admit to trying it myself although a few in our group were brave enough.

We next went to a small hut which housed a few looms and a training program for women to learn to weave. This provides a skill and source of income for women who otherwise had little option but to travel to Yangon and work as a domestic household servant. It was fascinating to watch them work with the many threads to create intricate patterns. The women here make $200 each month making and selling cloth. The program could serve more women but they don’t have funds to feed women during training or to buy raw materials to start new fabrics.

From there, we walked through the bamboo forest to the village. We could tell it was recess time at the school because we could hear the children as we got closer. They were standing on the porch waving to us and others were in the field playing soccer. We first went in a building to wait for lunch (where we encountered a huge beetle the size of a mouse!) Lunch was served in the nursery school. I was intrigued by the school- there were posters on the walls showing vegetables, the names in English and Burmese, drawings by the children (of humpback cows!) and a birthday chart on the wall.

Lunch was the most delicious yet- traditional rice, main dishes, and soup, but I found a seaweed dish to be excellent and was very excited to find a chicken dish made with pineapple=)

Afterward, I was able to meet a few children displaced by Nargis, cared for by the village and provided scholarships by aid. I was so touched to meet them after working to raise money for GGC the past two years. I wanted to scoop them up in a big hug and talk to them and listen to their stories. It made me want to work harder to help them. Even though I was passionate about what I was doing, it made the cause seem more real to me.

We were told that in order to begin the next school year in June, it will take $50,000 to send the children to school. That’s a daunting task to anyone working to make it happen! NCP has set a goal to raise $10,000- check out Back to School Burma for more information! http://www.newcommunityproject.org/burma.shtml

A solar eclipse

Our next visit was to another agricultural learning center. There were men and women here- when we asked, they said men were farmers, but women were also in attendance so they could learn and share knowledge with their villages. We next asked if their education would be respected in their home villages- the answer was no, but they said they would farm on their own and when others notice their success, they can then share what they learned.

We were able to witness a major solar eclipse during our visit here. (shown on above) We probably wouldn’t have noticed had somebody not mentioned it, but when we paid attention, it was obvious that the light was somewhat dimmer than it should have been mid-afternoon.

Childhood dreams remembered

After riding our open truck back to the main road, Moe realized that we did not know where the bus was to drive us back to the

city. While he went to find it, we found it an opportune time to explore rice paddies. (with the guidance of Karen leaders) I was fascinated, after passing endless rice paddies in our journeys, to finally see how rice is grown. We visited some women who were transplanting baby rice plants to larger fields. This involved bending over in ankle-deep mud to accomplish the task. The sunshine and cool breeze in the field provided nice working conditions, yet I suspect this task probably left one with a sore back by the end of the day.

Here I find I must admit to a childhood dream of mine- as a child who devoured books and had a rampant imagination, I dreamed of wearing skirts everyday and running through sunlit fields with the wind in my hair. Looking at these shadow pictures, I realized that I was finally here- long skirts, bamboo hat, wind in my hair, and sunshine on my shoulders. It was exhilarating! I realize I’m a big dork but I had to share that=)

Interesting fact of the day:

Many of the cars here are operated on the right side of the vehicle, but they also drive on the right side of the road. Evidently they used to drive on the left, due to prior British influence until one Burmese leader, fascinated with astrology, had some sort of *divine inspiration* to “change.” So…..by his orders, the Burmese have driven on the right ever since. This often means that a passenger must

ride along in the car so they can see around other vehicles in order to pass safely.

we saw quite a spectacle after exploring the rice paddy- two pigs roped onto a rickshaw! Katie & Aubrey claim they blinked so they were alive....poor pigs!

What a day!!!!

When we returned to the Karen Seminary for dinner, we found to that our visit coincided with the annual Seminary Fun Night. The entire courtyard was decorated, there were food stands and picnic tables set up, and music playing. We were eager to explore, but our guides led us through the courtyard to a pavilion in the back where one hundred children were gathered- as we entered, they all stood and began singing us a welcome song. We were surprised and delighted- it was amazing hearing them all sing!

After the children finished their songs, we each introduced ourselves with our name, where we are from, and something “fun” (as David requested- evidently we had been too boring with our self-descriptions when we met the sustainable agriculture students) about ourselves. Our descriptions were handled via a translator. After introductions, we invited the children to ask us questions. Because they were shy, we proceeded to ask them questions instead. Here are a few of the questions with their responses~

What is your favorite sport? Football-volleyball. I am not sure of the actual name for this, but we have been fascinated with this game we have seen children play during our trip. It is played on a volleyball court with a net and a ball much like a soccer ball, but made of wicker. The ball is kicked over the net instead of hit with one’s hands.

What is your favorite food?

RICE!!!! This was a unanimous response! This surprised me because it’s such a common staple to them- I wonder if they are exposed to much variety.

This question was David’s: Who is smarter, girls or boys? Of course all of us were rooting on our respective gender in memory of elementary days (boys have cooties….) yet the response shocked us. While not as adamant as the “rice” answer, there was still a unanimous agreement that boys are certainly smarter. Our fists in the air were stilled- of course it makes perfect sense they would say this. It only reflects what we have been able to observe ourselves- women’s confidence, their persona, the very nature of their presence. Still, it saddened me to see these young girls automatically assume their intelligence as secondary, without reference or appreciation for their own gifts.

Tell us about them

I stood up and told the students that I taught children their age in America- and if they could tell American children something, what would it be? I don’t think the question was translated properly because I never really got an answer, but the response that came back was that they wanted to know all about American students. I was unprepared for this and didn’t know quite what to say but I told them my students like to sing and dance, and were actually a lot like them. They asked their favorite game and I said “kickball and four-square.” They asked what was four-square, which was the most difficult question yet- we made do as best we could=)

A universal language

After our question-answer session, the children sang us two more songs. I was so touched by these- I am always touched by music and to hear these children singing to us warmed my heart. I so wish I knew the words they were singing. It struck me as I listened to them though that music is really the same in every language- despite the words, there is still meaning in the music, and the notes touch a part of your soul in a way nothing else can.

As has the last village, the translators asked us to sing a song in return, so we quickly (slightly panicked) put together our program of “Joy Joy Joy” and “Peace be Still.” We should really coordinate a performance to have handy for any other opportunities/requests we may encounter….

“God bless you”

After the conclusion, the children all swarmed around us in the front of the pavilion, all wanting to shake our hands, and saying “Hello” and “God Bless You.” This was amazing, inspiring, and so much fun all at once. I couldn’t even move clear of my seat because there were so many children around me- we shook hands for at least ten full minutes and afterwards our faces hurt from smiling so much.

We ate dinner in the upstairs room of the Seminary where we ate last night, the only difference was the window was open and there was lively music coming from the festival outside. Afterward, we joined the festivities, playing darts and other carnival games. We attracted a following whenever we went to a new activity- I guess when you’re the only white people, you do stand out a little.

When we waved goodbye, I realized how special this place was- and they had provided such a warm environment for us the past two days. It was like a party when we left- the Karen leaders, children, and even the crazy drunk Asian who had taken to following us around (this was interesting….) all gathered and waved as our bus pulled away.