New year, new life

At Laura's garden

Myaungmya teachers

As I travel back to Yangon after a lovely weekend visiting friends and teachers in Myaungmya, I feel that digging into my thoughts and writing them down is one of the most fruitful ways I can use the 4 hours the journey takes. It’s been an emotional flashback to what it was my life before I became a languages teacher in a school in Yangon nearly 6 months ago. Things have kept changing at work. Some teachers left after Christmas, one of them my EAL co-teacher Sooz; others like Makpal and Glenn were sacked. New teachers were recruited; Brooks replaced Sooz, so we are still understaffed and without coordinator. I recently complained about it to the now officially appointed Director (ex Vice-director) and he offered the coordinator position to us in EAL. I volunteered (no money involved) as I think I’m the best candidate in experience and qualifications. I've heard they’ll appoint me but nothing it's offcial yet..

Lion Dance at the school

View from the rooftop bar at Myanmar Plaza, Yankin

After the rushed and sad departure of my friend Glenn from the school and Myanmar altogether a few weeks ago, I’ve been trying to go out and socialize more to beat loneliness. I’ve engaged in new activities with the school teachers: going for beers to the Sailing Club on Fridays, for walks and beers to the HASH (a drinking club with a running problem) on Saturdays, for music to some venues in town.


It’s been good. I also met some Spanish people back in December at an Embassy party and becoming closer to some of them. A couple of days ago I was invited to Antonio and Monika’s house and had a lovely time eating, drinking and the rest. It was a really enjoyable evening.

the HASH circle

Beer stop at the HASH running/drinking club

I love my new place in Yankin, the apartment is cozy, near the wet market and two shopping centres, a 10-minute walk to the school, a 20-minute walk to Kokhine swimming pool, and much quieter than Botataung. The only thing I miss is my weekend getaways to the beach when I lived only 3 hours from Ngwesaung. But it’s a different setting now, a 6-hour bus or private car ride from Yangon. Buses run at very odd times, just early morning, and cars are expensive to rent unless you share the cost. I have planned two weekends by the sea for February. One is with MIS school teachers and another one with my friends Laura and Corinne plus some of the English teachers from Myaungmya EC.  It should be fun.

One of the colonial buildings in Yangon waiting to be demolished

I’ve just watched a video made by my friend Mamen that documents part of the legacy of Federico Sopeña, a Jesuit father who’s been working with the Adevasi villagers in India for more than 40 years. I immediately fell in love with his soul, people like him are really inspiring. Some years ago, Mamen’s father donated part of his fortune to the building and running of a medical dispensary in the area. Eager to see how well the money had been spent, she travelled to India last year. One of the most impressive things that the documentary shows is the incredibly amazing enthusiasm of this 90-year old man and his belief in helping the poorest of the poor by educating them in the respect of their own beliefs and not by trying to convert them to Christianism. Chapeau!!!!

Some of you may have noticed that I took down my last post after a couple of days being out there in the digital cloud. The reason was that I considered I was exposing myself to unnecessary risks. One never knows who is going to be reading my “negative comments” about the school management. I need to protect myself and that means self- censoring myself and not speaking freely. When I first thought of writing this blog, it never crossed my mind I’d be acting this way. If I can’t talk about work or politics or religion or sex because they are either too sensitive or private issues, travelling is the only topic left.  It seems that’s what my blog will end up being: just a travel blog. So check out for my next destination: Malaysia and Sri Lanka!!!!