New School Year, New Uniforms

It’s the first week of June, which means that the new school year is starting in Myanmar. Back to school means the end of those carefree lazy days, and it also means having to buy new uniforms and school supplies for the new term.

Most of the kids that I know from 90th Street in Mandalay are among those students returning to classes this week. Not all of them, however, are still in school, a few having to drop out prematurely and work to help earn money for their families. Not an ideal situation, but it’s a poor neighborhood and people do what they can to get by. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to do something to help the children and their families now that the new school year was commencing. Two years ago I bought material at a local market, enough to make school uniforms for about a dozen students. One of the parents measured all the kids and took the material to a nearby tailor on 90th Street, and in a few short days they had their uniforms. That went over well, so I decided to do it again this year, but on a larger scale. I contacted my friend Khin Nwe Lwin, who is the daughter of U Nyunt Htun, one of the men who patronize the teashop on 90th Street. Khin Nwe Lwin works in Pyin U Lwin, a town about 90 minutes from Mandalay, but she returns home at least twice a month. I asked her if she would help coordinate the buying and distribution of uniforms. This time I said that I wanted to buy about 20 uniforms, not only for the kids that I took on a field trip in March, but any children from that group of families. Khin Nwe Lwin helped me pick out some deserving kids that came from poorer families and tallied the cost of everything.

 

Unfortunately, I had this brainstorm after I returned to Bangkok, so I wasn’t able to give her any money when I was in Mandalay. But I solved that problem by recruiting a special courier. One of my friends, Walter, teaches at an international school in Mandalay (yes, such things do exist there!) and he comes back to Bangkok frequently for visits, trips that are actually necessary due Myanmar’s rule about foreign workers having to make cross-border visa runs every 10 weeks. So when Walter was in town last month I gave him a chunk of money to give to Khin Nwe Lwin. Once he was back in Mandalay, he hopped on his motorcycle and zoomed over to 90th Street and passed the money over to the owner of the teashop, U Tin Chit, who then gave it to Khin Nwe Lwin. Altogether, we outfitted 23 children! There was some money left over, so I suggested that she divide it up and give each child a bit of pocket money. In a recent e-mail she reported that everything went as planned, and sent me these photos to prove it! From the one photo, it looks like a few of the boys must have done short summer stints as novice monks. In any case, I’m happy to know that the crew will all be looking good for the new term. Study hard, kids!

 

Meanwhile, I also got an e-mail from one of my friends in Bagan, a fellow who goes by the name of Ninety Nine. It’s even spelled that way on his ID card! Now in his early twenties, he is currently working at a new hotel in town. He had dropped out of school for a few years, but about two years he started taking classes again so that he could get his high school diploma. Easier said than done, apparently. He failed the final exam last year and after more study sessions he recently took it again. This is what he told me in the e-mail:

“I fail my exam again for this year, about the mathematics too. So, I don’t want to try for the next year. This subject is like fighting the lion for me. Please give me the best advice.”

Hell, what I can tell the guy? Keep trying, study harder, you’ll pass it next time, blah blah blah. Honestly, I don’t even know how important it is for him to pass this exam, unless that’s essential for getting a job in the tourism industry, which seems to be his preference. He has outstanding spoken English language skills, and an engaging personality, so I think he’d make a great tour guide, or someone who could manage a shop or restaurant that caters to tourists. Whatever he decides to do, I hope it’s easier than “fighting the lion.”

 

Soccer Monks

I’m back in Shan State today (at least in my cyber state of mind) with the novice monks from the Tat Ein Monastery. Like most men and boys in Myanmar, these guys are total football fanatics. When not studying their Buddhist texts, they are more than willing to kick around a football — what’s called a soccer ball back in the USA — either inside or outside the monastery. Unlike at some more well-to-do monasteries in Myanmar, the monks at Tat Ein don’t have access to a TV, their football cravings are confined to actually playing the game.

 

Before I arrived in Nyaungshwe this time, I bought the monks a new football in Yangon. It wasn’t that expensive but it was certainly of much better quality than the beat-up ball they had been using. They might be novice monks, but that shouldn’t prevent them from playing a little football once in a while. And as you can see from these photos, they certainly get a kick out of doing just that!

 

 

 

Taunggyi with the Kids: The Trip Pt. 2

And then it was time for the park. Historic site are interesting, but the kids always love the park. After visiting Kakku we spent some time in Taunggyi on the way back to Nyaungshwe. I had ambitious plans for the afternoon; we’d stop by the Shan Museum in town, visit a few temples, and then spend an hour or two at the park and mini-zoo at the edge of town. Well, we were running a bit late by the time we arrived in Taunggyi so we didn’t get to do half of those things, but at least we had enough time to visit one revered hilltop pagoda and the park.

 

As part of the admission to the park we all got free drinks. I assumed that this meant some sort of watered-down soft drinks, but it turned out to be hot coffee! Sort of a strange drink to offer to children, but then again I reckon it beats giving them Coke or something other sugary crap. We walked around the attractive little park (they’ve done some landscaping work on it since I was last there over a year ago and it’s looking much nicer), stopping first to see the collection of animals: frisky monkeys, cute rabbits, tiny turtles, a few deer, some noisy ducks, and a couple of sleeping bears. I kept asking the kids: “Where are the crocodiles?” … “Where are the snakes?” … but despite their finest investigative efforts they couldn’t turn up any. Maybe that’s just as well!

 

After the zoo, we walked deeper into the park and across the swinging wooden bridge (when it swayed from side to side, it was hard to tell if the children’s screams were ones of delight or fright), and took more photos. Throughout the day I was amazed at the variety, and volume, of snacks that the youngsters — including the novice monks — consumed. Many of them had obviously brought packaged snacks and candy with them (the monks had this uncanny ability to produce treats from the folds of their robes!), and whenever they saw an ice cream vendor or other snack merchant, they would stop and purchase something. I have the feeling there were some tummy aches in the village later that night.

 

Every time I’ve taken these kids on a trip it’s been exhausting; long days and hard rides in uncomfortable vehicles on rough roads.  But no matter how tired I get, the enthusiasm of these kids — their smiles and laughter, singing songs in the truck — always manages to revitalize me. It was close to sundown by the time we reached Nyaungshwe. The truck stopped at my hotel and I climbed out, turned and waved goodbye to the crew, their smiles radiating back at me. Magic once again.

 

 

 

Kakku with the Kids: The Trip, part 1

The first time I visited the primary school at Tat Ein village was about four years ago. My friend Htein Linn, who runs Golden Bowl Travel Services & Bookshop in Nyaungshwe, took me there after I expressed an interest in helping an underprivileged school in the area. The first time we took donations of sandals for the students, the type of flip-flop footwear that most people in Myanmar call “slippers.” After that initial donation I followed it up with sports equipment (footballs, volleyballs, badminton sets), medicine on the trip after that, and then first aid boxes to hold the various medicine and bandages.

 

About two years ago one of my visits coincided around the time of the annual balloon festival in nearby Taunggyi. This festival features two varieties of balloons; one type is launched during the day and the other type is accompanied by fireworks at night. I had already made plans to take the monks from Shwe Yan Pyay monastery in Nyaungshwe to the festival, but those monks only had time to attend the night-time festivities. I really wanted to see the daytime balloons too — they are constructed in the shapes of various animals — but didn’t fancy travelling all the way to Taunggyi by himself. I then had one of those spontaneous brainstorms that turned into a brilliant idea: Why not invite the students from the school at Tat Ein village?

 

I discussed the idea with Htein Linn and he enthusiastically endorsed it. Most of these kids, he told me, had never travelled very far from their village, certainly not past Nyaungshwe, so a trip like this would be very special for them. After getting permission from the teachers and U Sandimar at the monastery, I ended up taking a group of 50 students and monks to that festival. I don’t think it’s a cliché to say that these kids had the time of their lives. Going to new places, seeing new things, the wonder in their eyes; it was an amazing experience not only for them but for me too. Seeing these kids having so much fun, and being so appreciative afterwards, really warmed my jaded heart.

 

Last year we took another trip, this time to the Pindaya Caves. That was a longer, more tiring, and dustier journey, but it was still a fun excursion for everyone. For my visit last month we ventured back to Taunggyi (there is a nice park with a small zoo on the edge of town, along with a very popular temple) and further down the road to the ancient Pa-O stupa ruins in Kakku.

 

We had lunch at a monastery near the famous “grove of stupas” (there are about two thousand of these cool old monuments crammed together in the park) and then wandered around the site afterwards. The only problem was coordinating a group of that size. This time around we had over 70 students (not only from the primary school, but kids from the village who attend the high school in Nyaunghswe), teachers, novice monks, senior monks, and a few parents. And when it came time to see the actual site, some people went in one entrance, others went in another entrance, and a few more straggled behind or got lost. Not a single group of kids followed a logical path through the park. Needless to say it was pretty much total chaos. But fun chaos. I wanted to get photos of everyone, or at least pictures of as many of the kids grouped together as possible, but that ended up not happening. I just never saw some of the group while we were there!

 

I’ll post some of the Kakku shots today, along with a few of photos that I took at the school before departure. I have plenty more photos that I took at the park and the temple Taunggyi — along with some that one of the novice monks took with my camera (that will be a post by itself) — but I’ll save those for next week. This week is the annual “New Year” water festival throughout the region: in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. The locals are enjoying a long holiday break and celebrating with water silliness. Happy “New Year” to everyone once again!

 

Monks in the Hills

Tucked away in the hills of Shan State, just a few kilometers east of Nyaungshwe, you’ll find the tiny village of Tat Ein. That’s where I do my English language teaching stints, and that’s also the location of a Buddhist monastery, where about 20 young novice monks live and study. 

 

The monastery is overseen by its founder, the revered monk U Sandimar, and a handful of senior monks. In addition to studying Pali texts, the novice monks take turns cleaning the monastery, both inside and outside. And once in a while they have free time to play games, everything from marbles to football. On this visit, I observed some of the older novices attempting to dig up stubborn old tree stumps on the monastery grounds. Hard work, especially in the heat of a March afternoon (one of the hottest times of the year in this region), but with a cooperative team effort their task proved successful!

 

Here are some shots I took during my recent trip. I tried to time my visits during their midday break or late in the afternoon, so I wouldn’t disturb the monks’ studies. Study sessions don’t seem to be as rigorously held as they are at other monasteries I’ve visited in Myanmar, but you never know when your presence will be a distraction, so I make sure I don’t linger too long and overstay my welcome. Nevertheless, tourists are encouraged to drop by and visit the monastery if you are staying in Nyaungshwe. And don’t be surprised if you are invited to stay for tea with U Sandimar. During one recent chat I discovered that he is a big fan of US Westerns, those old Cowboy and Indian movies!

 

 

 

 

 

Faces of a Changing Nation

There is no doubt that Myanmar is changing, and changing fast. Much has been written about the myriad changes: various democratic reforms, new personal freedoms, the easing of media censorship, and even the launch of ATMs and credit cards. Cheap SIM cards for cell phones and faster Internet access are next. Yes indeed; big, swift changes have arrived and continue their determined march.

 

But if you’ve been following the news, you know that all is not wonderful in the golden land. There are still many disturbing issues that continue to fester and flare up throughout this “union of states.” Tensions between ethnic groups, and even Buddhists and Muslims, are a big cause for concern, as is the widening income disparity in the country. Yes, plenty of people are making better salaries and taking advantage of new economic opportunities, but the vast majority of the populace continues to leave in poverty, or damn close to it. The trickle-down theory ain’t working here either.

 

Here are some photos of a few of the sweet people I met in Myanmar during my trip last month. Just normal folks, trying to keep their heads above the turbulent economic water, going about living life as best they can in these challenging times.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Classroom Quandry

When I was in Shan State earlier this month I did a single day of English teaching at the primary school in Tat Ein village. This time around, however, the classroom setup was very different and as a result the lesson was much more difficult for me to teach.

 

Normally when I teach at this school, the class sizes are small, ranging from 6 to 15 students, and I only have to concern myself with teaching one group at a time. The school recently completed the semester (actually, the end of their school year) and final exams, so regular classes were finished by the time I arrived. But they’ve been holding “special” classes for the kids to give them something to do during their break, and just before I showed up, Ma Pu Su and our mutual friend Pascal (from France) also spent a couple of days at the school, teaching English and even giving art lessons. For my class, they combined all the students from the school, including ones that go to the middle school and high school in nearby Nyaungshwe. As a result, I had over 50 kids in class, ranging from first graders to high school students, and a few novice monks from the adjacent monastery. As you would expect, the English skills of this bunch ran from nearly non-existent to pretty impressive.

 

As soon as I saw the classroom setup — with partitions gone and desks moved into new positions — the problem become apparent; how was I going to teach this bunch? I had prepared various lessons and activities, but I quickly realized that most of it was going to be useless in a class this big, especially one that had students with such a wide gap in language skills. If I dumbed the lessons down for the beginners, the experienced students were going to be bored, and if I taught them something with any degree of complexity, the younger students would be totally bewildered by it all. And even if I had an activity appropriate for te whole bunch, how was I going to keep them all involved? A definite quandary.

 

I ended up doing some tried and tested language activities that combined English vocabulary with silly games. In one activity, I blindfolded students (one at a time!) and instructed them to walk in various directions around the classroom in a quest to find a hidden object. Of course I had to familiarize them with the various English phrases first (walk right, left, go straight, turn around, stop!), but even with that short lesson, some of the kids couldn’t get their directions straight and walked into walls or bumped  into their classmates. All of which only added to the fun and giggle factor.

 

I also brought along some small jigsaw puzzles and a few Dr. Seuss and Berenstain Bears books. I ended up not using them in a lesson but during the midday two-hour lunch break I dug them out of my backpack and let some of the kids have fun with them. Those jigsaws are always a hit, but I was pleasantly surprised at how engrossed they were in the books too. It was a challenging day in the classroom, but a very enjoyable one. These kids are all really sweet, very polite, and a joy to teach.

 

 

 

 

 

Road Weary

I’m back in Shan State this week, visiting my friends in Nyaungshwe and nearby Tat Ein village. I’ve had a wonderful time so far, but I’m already feeling very, very exhausted. Is it possible that I’m getting too old for all of this non-stop travel? Naw, that can’t be it!

Yesterday I visited U Sandi Mar, the head monk at Tat Ein, and was invited to stay for lunch. As usual, there was a fantastic spread of vegetarian dishes, all prepared the dedicated staff who also help with the adjacent primary school and monastery. After lunch and a chat with U Htin, the school principal (who told me he is a fan of American horror films!), I trotted up the hill to the monastery, where Sandatika, one of the vivacious novice monks in residence, was waiting for me, a big grin on his face.  While visiting U Sandi Mar I had given Sandatika a bag of stuff to hold for (fruit for the novice monks, along with some medicine that some of them need to treat skin infections on their head), and he patiently waited until I was finished. Great kid, as are the rest of the monks.

At the monastery, I took some more photos, instructed the monks how to use the medicine properly, and then took my leave. It was study time for Sandatika and three other older novice monks who are prepping for an exam this month. The remaining younger novices either rested or played with the football I brought. I rode my bike back into town, intending to rest for an hour or two before cycling over to Shwe Yan Pyay, another monastery in town. Well, that visit never happened. I was so weary that I slept until nearly 6 pm. Just enough time to get up, take a shower, slip into a fresh longyi, and cycle over to Ma Pu Su’s house, where she had another amazing dinner waiting.

I missed out on another dinner at her house two nights earlier. I had just returned from teaching a class at Tat Ein’s school and was heading out the door to buy some more monk medicine when Su dropped by my hotel to invite me to dinner. One of our mutual friends,  Pascal from France was also in town, and it would have been nice to see her too. But I was feeling very tired that evening too, and was looking at an early departure the next morning; a field trip with 70 village kids (and monks) to Kakku and Taunggyi. So, I had to beg off that invite, as well as one the following night, because I wasn’t sure what time we would return from the trip.

My plan today is mostly to rest, but I need to drop by Shwe Yan Pyay with a fruit donation later this morning, and stop by and see everyone at Tat Ein one more time before I leave for Mandalay tomorrow afternoon. This trip is already zooming by and I’m having fun, but I need to remember to pace things and not run myself too ragged.

Mandalay Monastery

One of the more interesting aspects of visiting Mandalay, at least for me, is discovering the plethora of monasteries scattered around the city. The southwest part of town, in particular, is chockablock with peaceful monasteries of various sizes; from the sprawling Ma Soe Yein (which also houses a Buddhist university) complex to much smaller ones, many of them located on lovely tree-shaded streets.

 

Over on the north end of 90th Street, heading toward the central business district, I stumbled upon a mid-size monastery (about 100 monks in residence) about two years ago. This monastery is primarily populated by young novice monks. Some of these youngsters have come from other parts of the country (during one visit, the kids were delighted to point out the sole monk from Shan State) and some are orphans. Living and studying at monasteries like this one assures them of both an education and at least one good meal every day.

 

Somewhere in my notes I’ve got the name of this monastery on 90th Street written down, but I can’t find it amidst the debris in my backpack. In any case, I make it a point to stop by there each time I’m town. I’ll take some photos of the monks during their midday break and return a day or two later with prints to give everyone. And yes, even novice monks can get very excited about having a photo of themselves!

 

21 Shots: Remembering Myanmar

I’m thinking a lot about Myanmar lately, as I begin planning my next trip over there. As the days fly by I realize my departure date is less than two months away. Holy monhinga … time to start picking out which longyis, in my ever-growing collection, to wear. All this trip preparation reminds me that I still have a bunch of photos leftover from my last trip that I haven’t posted yet. So, on that note, here we go: 21 more reasons to remember Myanmar.

 

Making morning treats at a small neighborhood teashop on 90th Street in Mandalay.

 

Novice monks bring water for the primary school at Tat Ein village in Shan State.

 

Students at a village school near Inle Lake play games during their lunch break.

 

Early morning cyclist on a muddy street in Nyaungshwe.

 

Tapping and blowing out a tune in Shan State!

 

Students at Tat Ein’s primary school peek under the partition to check out what I’m teaching in the other class.

 

Ko Maw Hsi and his daughter in Mandalay.

 

Zin Ko shows off his tasty new key chain in Amarapura.

 

Drying out chili peppers outside a monastery near Nyaungshwe.

 

Even monks enjoy a game of late afternoon football!

 

A student in a pretty hat poses in front of a pretty plant at a temple near Pindaya.

 

Nyaungshwe traffic jam!

 

Taking aim while playing the shoe game at a pagoda in Amarapura.

 

A little afternoon street corner guitar serenade in Yangon.

 

A monk in Mandalay during his morning meditation walk.

 

Checking out the tunes at the teashop on 90th Street in Mandalay.

 

Ko Maw Hsi bangs a gong in Mandalay.

 

Novice monk with his alms bowl outside the monastery at Tat Ein village in Shan State.

 

Dancing the day away in Amarapura.

 

Students at a village school near Inle Lake play on the slide during their lunch break.