Good luck pizza man

 We don't often order pizza, we usually just bike over and pick it up. But I think about the delivery guys. They ride bikes with great big green or pink backpacks and like uber get an online order from a restaurant and an address to take it to. Street addresses here must be like solving a sudoku. there are the main roads-ours is Than Lwin- and then a plethora of numbers. I think at one point the numbers were in order but as the lots were subdivided they got a little... hazy. So as  delivery guy you just get close and then start checking till you hit jackpot. I often see guys riding down our street staring at their phones hoping to find it. 

For example, if you had to deliver to us you would see the following signs in order:

(our address is 127D Than Lwin) 

Turn here

123-1

127-A (easy!)

127/C (did I miss B?)

131-F... wait

127-A again!?! or is that A2?

127-A3  huh?

127-D YES!! found it!

and back to 123.A (which obviously is right next to 123)

Truth is stranger than fiction...

 

Truth is stranger than fiction... but sometimes fiction is more fun. I went on a bike ride around the city this weekend and we stopped for sodas. Let's start with the fiction: 

We stopped for sodas and Mike got a sprite like drink. As we all do he held up 1 finger to confirm that the price was indeed 1 thousand kyat. The store clerk sets another sprite on the table. Mike holds up his finger again. The clerk sets another. Mike repeats, the clerk repeats. Mike shakes his head in the negative and says "1000 kyat?" The clerk sets out a coke. "No, how much for the sprite?" The clerk sets out another coke.  Mike sighs, pays for the lot and stays well hydrated for the remainder of the day.

The reality? Mike is just a real nice guy and bought all of us cold drinks. The thing is, when you have time on a hot day riding a bike, you have time to replay things in your head and well... make some fiction.

Thanks for the coke Mike.

Down by the river

Lisa writes a weekly update for sports and activities at school. This week she wrote about Grandma Eula and her lovely trait of always having something to look forward to. It might be part of the reason She lived to 105- Eula always put something on the calendar and looked forward to it. As we all make our way towards the finish line of this covid-a-thon there haven't seemed to be too many things to look forward to! So it was with much Eula-like excitement we had when Lindsey and Gavin found a little boat that would allow a group of people to come and cruise for a bit- they even fed us amazing food and interesting cocktails. (the ship, not L and G)

This was not our ship- but it is the main type you see coming in as the Yangon Harbor isn't built for couples to walk hand in hand along the promenade- it was built to unload shipping containers!

Most of the photos were taken by Gavin- he knows what he is doing with a camera- that is why they are all so good (thanks for letting me steal some Gavin)

The town of Dala is across the river and there is a ferry- but a quicker and cheaper (and less safe) option for many are these water taxis. It was quite beautiful to watch actually as they zipped back and forth.

So we had a lovely time. It makes you realize that being with good people and sharing an evening really is about as good as it gets. Yes I can't wait to travel and all that- but a night with friends on a boat on a river... good stuff.

 

And since it was a river themed weekend I found myself on a bridge, looking down at a river on my Sunday ride.

I think the puppies are mocking me

 

At least that is the only conclusion I can come up with as each time they sit down they suspiciously look like they are copying my style.

Where could they have learned such behavior? It couldn't have been the night we played cards... I think Jono and Wyatt were bad bad influences

Covid signs

If you didn't know, I like signs. I've had this blog post sitting in drafts just titled "covid signs". No time like the present, so lets look at what was in there.

This is a sign over at the Inya lake hotel. Lisa and I can't for the life of us think why snowshoes would be banned. Snowboards sure, but snowshoes?

These were some signs that I was ready for the October break that recently happened. Teaching in shorts and teaching from the beach. 

This was a sign I wasn't getting out much. "Lisa, come look- there is a bear in the sky!"

This is a sign I miss my AZ nephews. They used to be boys, now they are mega teens!

                                                   

 This is a sign that my sister Caryn was spending too much time online during stay at home orders, She sent this picture to me and said "you should totally get this bike jersey!"

Jokes on her- I already have one!

Saw this online, it was right around the time my neighborhood in CO was discussing a sign for our road to discourage people from driving on it. They were thinking "NO TRESPASSING" I was kind of thinking this:

Seriously, this year has been a loooong one!

Thanks Internet

I'm not sure why I put this pic in this folder. A sign of warning to the mosquitoes in the house?

A sign that some things were somewhat normal. Wilder was practicing soccer with her team in Trinidad. Megan Rapinoe was still a badass.

 

A sign of things to come? Here is the text from what I posted on facebook about this picture:

I just had an experience that seems on line with the rollercoaster of emotions that this election has provided. I needed some diapers for a science lab and figured I would pick up a pack on my run to the store instead of making the school requisition guys go out and do it.
I was noticing how expensive baby diapers are when a cheaper option presented itself. After putting them in my cart I felt fear, shame, uncontrollable giggling, and hope. Hope that I wouldn't run in to anyone I knew. Again, these were for a science lab, not personal use.

I was shocked at how many of my so called friends believed these were for personal use- shocked!

A sign I took it easy for my halloween costume this year.

I have always liked elephant in the room jokes and now have a toy elephant in my classroom just because Eddie Farrel had one. When kids would ask him about it he would say "we don't talk about that"-brilliant!

Anywhoo- I liked this room, but we don't talk about the elephant room.

Finally- I hope we get a sign that this president is done. He has wreaked so much havoc on our environment, our government, and how we treat each other. I don't even know where to start. But I did see this we the people sign (on our fridge) and it helped. He tried to make us fear. We are greater than fear, we can get past this man. I have so many inspiring friends that I look up to- we can do this. Much love to all of you. 

It's * time to get social! (*almost)

We are still in lockdown in Yangon but it seems to be on the verge of opening up (that's me, ever the optimist). When it does I want to be ready, so I have been scouting out various social clubs. This way, when its time to get social- watch out people, here I come. I just hope I remember how.

Inya Lake Hotel

Pros: Amazing burgers. Designed by Nikita Krushchev. Nice pool, tennis courts.

Cons: Not really a membership- you get a hotel room and can use the facilities. The hotel room is the same one I spent my quarantine in and might give me nightmares. If I start playing tennis again that means Nicolas will start beating me at tennis again.

Myanmar rowing/ canoeing federation

Pros: It has a restaurant literally right below it! I have canoed before- they would likely let me in.

Cons: Might be hard work- is that really what I'm looking for in a social club?

MMO liquor store

Pro: They are always super nice when I stop by. They sure have a lot of booze!

Con: I don't think this is actually a club

Yangon Sailing Club

Pro: I can't think of this place without humming Christopher Cross' song "sailing"

Con: I have only just learned "left" and "right" in burmese and have no chance of learning "port" and "starboard"

Myanmar Yachting Federation

Pro: Would look pretty darn good on my business card

Con: I do not currently own a yacht. I think it might be the same place as the sailing club as the signs are right next to each other.

Yangon Universities Boat Club

Pro: Looks way more likely to be a proper drinking club not too worried about actually getting in a boat.

Con: Pretty dodgy approach. Not sure I want to go thru that shrubbery.

The American Club

Pro: Well yes, I am an American. They have a commissary with American goodies in it. You can play baseball there.

Cons: I've heard the french fries aren't from Idaho and the burgers are not grade A.

So many tough choices. I think in the end, wherever I get to hang my hat will be just fine- as long as it is with actual people! Can you imagine?