and we're back

Who is back? From where?  Both good questions with good answers. Today who is back is the writer and the from where is Mexico. But first, Mexico. After I have hit the red/green light and am free to go I walk the time share gauntlet at PVR I know I am almost home. Yes home! The final frosted doors will slide open and there will be the mixed crowd of expectant hosts and the drivers and the services all watching for signals - are you mine? Next - fresh sea salted air and palm trees and warm breezes that remind me of the paradise this is for a frosted over Canadian. And then life begins..  not the cram it all in in two weeks vacation life but the OMG there is a community here and people who don't leave. It was interesting to note the seeming insensitivity of those who come and go to those who make their life in PV. OK we are here let's get at it! And now we are gone - bye see ya next season.  Like we are back in Victorian England days or in the Hampton's where the season is not to be missed.
The season, not be be missed or to be dabbled in or to be avoided. The opportunity for the businesses and workers to thrive. Let the parties, fundraisers, day trips, and social gatherings begin until you can't think anymore. A million ways to leave your pesos behind, to be a part of a frenzy of activity and group gatherings.  Have you been to ?? this year and did you know that ?? is playing Tues at ???. Are you going to the ?? fundraiser? How about the Gala for ?. Everyone will be there, it is a black and white theme.

AND THEN YOU ARE JUST TIRED! In the rest of our lives not in Mexico, there is generally a much calmer more home based life. No frustrations at inconveniences or language barriers or raw in your face political and economic situations. You can predict how things will work generally speaking. But it is that uncontrolled brightly coloured environment and chaotic energy that makes Mexico home.  Free to be.

Let's go horseback riding in the mountains today. OK. How about ziplining Thursday? OK. Meet me at the fashion show at Nacho Daddy's for Pasitos. OK. Have you had dinner yet at the new Si Senor's? NO  How about Langostinos on the beach? Of course, several times weekly. All that heaven by the ocean and sunsets combined with great food and waiters. Some friends call it the office and can be found there daily. Will you be going to hear VF reading from her first novel or at MM's unveiling of her new painting? Do you know if it is possible to buy corn syrup here? And what is the effect of sea level on making pastry? Rocks - let's paint rocks with some of the girls........

and a full happy life emerges.........   but then there is home - the known, the familiar, the family the career, the personal business, the favourites that just aren't anywhere else...
And did I mention the heat?  Much as fly screaming out of minus temperatures to Mexico is the OMG is that really air con in the plane and reasonable I need jeans weather in Canada. 

Can I really have it all? really?  Apparently I already do.

at the time........

Days in and it feels like a lifetime….

Sun Mar 13. When I wandered this morning, the first thing I saw was the young boys, who do an obligatory year at a monastery, walking through the neighbourhood market collecting food in their alms bowls. In this way the monks are cared for by the community.

Occasionally as you walk down the streets you find a pile of cooked rice often with veggies on the sidewalk. At first glance I thought, litter, then with the frequency I thought feeding the stray animals in the generous caring for all beings that is the way of Buddhists. And today I was told that this can be about feeding the evil spirits outside of the fence or gate of a property. How cool is that?

To arrive in Yangon with eyes open has been interesting. On first blush there is more English signage than expected and simultaneously less spoken or used in day to day life. Our hotel is amidst a vast maze of street markets. Fried pancakes, fresh meat, household goods, foods of all varieties. It is rather hard to talk about the food two days in because I have just come from gastronomic heaven in Bangkok. But of course the rice base is wonderful under a variety of vegetable and meat dishes yet to be described. Spicing is somewhere between Indian and bland – more savoury than sweet – heavy oils, fried. Lots of noodle stalls. The average meal in the street or in the small local restaurants costs less than $3 or 3,000 kyat (pronounced chat)

Thurs Mar 17. The HIS is a very interesting school. It is part of the Gulen charter school network. In the summer school many students are from community schools, delightful children who are not able come to HIS for the regular school year for one reason or another. Some have come from far away states to stay with family for the summer. I am working with teachers from England, Wales, US, New Zealand, Australia, Phillipines, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, India and ex-pats from Thailand. Many of the younger teachers spend their time traveling and teaching in Asia. This summer job is a stepping stone to Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and further travel. Some are deciding whether they wish to stay on for the year or not. There is a high turnover of Western teachers in HIS (1-3 years). Now these truly are gypsies! A new concept – the western people who get a teaching English as a foreign language certificate with no other post secondary education are hired on par with those with full degrees and are called backpackers – they are a sore spot in particular for teachers from other Asian countries as there is quite a hierarchy in pay scales in most schools.

Everything I had heard about the Burmese people being lovely and wonderful is true. I walk through the street market outside our hotel daily and people are beginning to call out and say hello, some even are bravely trying their English. We have had unusual heavy rain (and cool, thank God!) and there are some ladies on the corner who were chastising (teasing) me for not having an umbrella. After all the time in Mexico, Punta Cana and even Bangkok it is great to be here and not made to feel like a bank or a target. People notice and may greet us politely but there is not attempt to engage beyond a sort of friendly neighbourly manner. The only hawkers or hustling vendors are the young men who guard the doors and collect the fares for buses and back of truck vans calling and shouting to compete for riders – strictly local. What a treat to find such a beautiful country and virtually tourist-less culture in place. It is not odd to have a restaurant attempt to return a tip that they feel is too generous. May you all be able to travel where tourism has not spoiled the interest in the human behind the appearance.

I haven’t been able to figure out the street systems or maps here – nothing is labeled and signs are in the curly Burmese letters if there is one at all. But I do walk, any time of the day or night. I have only heard the monks wandering through the streets ringing their gongs at 4 in the morning once but I haven’t gone out to follow yet. Within a 15 minute stroll from the hotel I have found two evening Muslim schools, three Hindu temples, several Buddhist temples and Pagodas, simple foods, three supermarkets, two malls, many many car repair and tire shops, slum tenements and new condos. I am constantly astounded by the humble existences on the street literally around the corner form some very high end furniture and clothing stores. Lots of supermarkets with everything I could need for household or food though I don’t think Monsanto is here. Food is fresh and local. Products are recognizable but not labels.

One Time in Bangkok

Always on the move! That’s my lasting impression of Bangkok.. Swirling energy and the noise of people heading somewhere. One neighbourhood rolls right into another and everything intermingles old-new modern-ancient, foreign-national, rich-poor. And everywhere are little shrines carefully tended by a devout servant, a secretary from an office inside or a community member so all can stop for a moment to toss a prayer to Buddha.

Most little alleys are crowded with tiny clothing (yes both the clothes and the store!) and consumer shops, and hundreds of food stalls (the most unusual street eats being spiced insects which, oddly enough, I wasn’t even curious to sample) in the lee of modern high rise office towers and hotels. And people everywhere. I loved to walk the streets to know day to day life in Bangkok and watch how the scurry happens. In this sprawling city you can publicly travel in many, many ways - modern skytrain and subway, limos, bright pink taxis-always ask for the meter to be turned on, city buses, neighbourhood vans, local buses, tuk tuks from another era (lots of fun but hard to look about from within), on the back of motorcycles (my favorite being the beautiful coiffed women in skirts riding side saddle as passengers with high heels swinging in the breeze), on express boats, long boats, bus boats… I had been acclimatized to seeing a family of 5 on quads in Mexico so did not have an apoplectic fit when I saw toddlers and infants balanced in their father’s arms on the front of a motorcycle. Going….

Friends of friends graciously ensured I was informed and guided and very happily shared their favorite, fabulous restaurants. Whether fine dining or in the local neighbourhood food was excellent and very inexpensive. I had to work really hard and feel really underdressed to find a lunch meal that touched $10. In fact some of the most delicious food two people could stuff themselves with rang in a total of $8. No one, not even the animals need to go hungry here. I am ruined for life if I ever think I will eat Thai food that is as amazing as it is here. Pad Thai to die for. I salivate even remembering it.

Tourist day was temple day. I cruised up the river on the tourist express boat to the site of the most famous temples – Wat Pho, Arun and Phra Keuw. The temples drew a blend of curious tourists stumbling about amidst devout Buddhists in prayer. The air was scented with incense and jasmine. The Grand Palace was closed when I arrived since one of the crown princes was in prayer. Nice to have a national monument become your sacred temple for your personal use methinks – I kept trying to figure out how to get all the milling people to go away so I could mediate under the glow of the golden Buddhas undisturbed. An enterprising tuk tuk driver offered to ferry me about to see other temples and sites until it re-opened. He could not be dissuaded from a stop to nudge me into a beautiful jewellery store – they give free gas to drivers who bring tourists!

Visiting heads of state stay at the Grand Palace more than Thai royalty but it is a palace nonetheless. At the moment the king is reported to be quite ill in hospital with rumours of being poisoned by the queen floating about. Shakespeare is timeless and some things never change. As I walked through the glitter and the gold and the huge vaulted glorious buildings I was reminded of the Vatican and its collections (Holy Redeemer has a gigantic golden Jesus floating over the altar) and wondering how humans could convince themselves this has anything to do with God.

And so I acclimatized… later today I am on a plane to Myanmar, to my next adventure. I met some very beautiful Burmese people when I was taken to a Karen refugee education centre. A few amazing people volunteer their time and talent and treasure to offer basic English Thai and IT classes to this small community resettling in Bangkok. And so it was that the greatest thing moving was my heart!

Teaching in Myanmar. How'd that happen?

After taking time off to rest and restore, I was starting to get itchy to do something. This is always the first noticeable characteristic when I am ready and looking for a change. In expressing this restlessness last December, friends and family independently kept pointing the compass to Thailand. So while huddled in my condo avoiding the Toronto winter in January, I started surfing and it didn't take long to find a job board for teaching positions. And there, third line down, was the glowing posting "Teach ESL in Myanmar" calling to me. Upon opening it revealed a need for English teachers for a two month summer school ESL program. I became very excited, but in uncharacteristic fashion waited a few days to respond. Still excited and intrigued I sent a summary resume. Turns out Horizon International School Yangon would be pleased to have a Canadian principal on staff.

What I know about the position is that I will be in the main campus in Yangon and that my accommodations will be in a hotel, March 11 - May 13. All is air-conditioned. I will be in Bangkok from Mar. 6 acclimatizing and getting my business visa. Once in Myanmar I will not leave the country and there is much to see and do there. In particular I am looking forward to visiting their many ancient Buddhists sites. And of course whatever comes up as things do. I have a couple of weeks after to travel in nearby countries, ending with 3 days in Hong Kong before returning to Canada June 4.

What an adventure! Stay tuned.............