Mission #2

We live next to the Princess Inn. Hard to get the accurate story on its history but there have been murmers that it was a house of ill repute! These days only a few guys stay there as far as we can tell and Lisa thinks that it was on purpose that one of the s' fell off the sign. She is dying to go over with a sharpie and turn Princes  Inn into Prince's Inn.

I have been dying to get up on that roof and have a look around, so what better time than during the holiday of missions to give it a try. I loaded the following on my phone and crossed the road.

Here is the view of said roof from our driveway. It kind of looks like rapunzel's tower.

My google translate worked. Also, I did some top notch pointing to my camera and up and then at me. 

That little red spot you see is our patio chairs and table.

Totally nailed the sunset. Was way too early to see Saturn and Jupiter.

Unexpected bonus (and really isn't this why we go on missions?): It has a pool! Completely green water and no diving board. But now I have another mission- put on some swim trunks and grab a chili bin (cooler) and try to talk my way into an afternoon of pure relaxation in the sun! Will keep you posted.

 

Holiday missions

Oh I sure love a winter break. The possibilities are all there in front of you. Even this year, this rascal of messed up plans that is 2020. Being stuck in Yangon might not be our first choice for the holiday but we are making it our mission to have a wonderful life *cue christmas music here*

Speaking of missions, on a past one to a downtown bookshop I came across this gem. It turned out be all cover and no content (just a list of people who worked at embassies here in 1984). But that cover! I immediately started thinking of how to insert little secret missions that I've been meaning to do. And that will be my mission for this Christmas break- find missions large and small to entertain myself and my family (and hopefully you)

MISSION #1- bike ride to Seikgyikhanaungtoe.

This is not a made up place, but it is really hard to say. Teachers Dan and Laura found a local bike company that was offering some tours. There were 10 of us split into 2 groups, and off we went.

Our groups itinerary was to board the Dala ferry, cruise the streets of Dala on our way to the fields beyond, return and board a small boat to the island of Seikgyikhanaungtoe, then board a slightly larger boat for the return to Yangon. It was most enjoyable.

I took my gopro but most of the shots didn't really pan out. Mounted on my handlebars makes it bounce a little and (rookie move) there was a smudge on the lens. This is a shot of us on one of the great roads thru Dala.

We took a short break on a bridge where the water taxis depart for Yangon. This is how many people get across the river every day to go to work. Its quicker and cheaper than the big ferry, but way more tippy! Here is a husband and wife heading out for a day of fishing.

and here are the taxis queuing up for customers. Mind the gap.

A bit later we took a break and had a nice time saying hello to these kids- I tried to tell her that my daughter was a chelsea fan as well- pretty sure she got my drift. Kids (and adults) love saying "Mingalarbar" as you pass. Gregory asked if it was a common way of saying hello- it isn't. It is way more formal than you would use with friends. It would be like saying "auspicious salutations". But it works for me (as I haven't memorized the other greetings yet) and the kids love to practice their formal greetings.

In a classic 'back in my day' moment, our guide San, said that when he was a young monk and had to go out asking for alms he had to shout it. This guy is clearly using 21st century solutions.

We stopped for a bowl (of amazing) coconut noodle soup and samosas. And fancy that- some premier league happened to be on!

I was thinking of adding 'stealing Gregory's last samosa' to my list of missions, but that look quickly shut down any further plans.

Next it was off to the small boat for a quick crossing to Seikgyikhanaungtoe. The dock featured people boat to the left, bike boat to the right, and cow in the middle.

I was smiling, but I was not leaning.

So the whole reason for Seikgyikhanaungtoe island is that the british wanted a straighter shot to Twantay and therefore dredged one. Luckily water kept flowing in the old channel... why lucky? Because islands are cool. Pedaling around this one was quite pleasant.

This is the point of Seikgyikhanaungtoe on the left in the picture above. You have to pay a toll to use this canal to Twantay. As this boat came by it started to slow, then a man jumped out with a fish and took it to the house on the left. He came back, jumped on the boat, and off they went. Our guide Aung said -sometimes you pay with kyat (money) sometimes you pay with fish. I love it.

the bandits

At one point we could see across the river back to Yangon and the Shwe dagon pagoda near our house. 2 worlds- so close, so far apart.

Pretty good first mission!

some thoughts on expectoration

Warning: this may be unsettling content for some. 

Up until this point in my life I have been well served by the word spit. If I have something in my mouth that I need out, I spit. If I'm eating watermelon or cherries and have an unwanted seed, I spit. And if I (as my good friend Rob Rude and I used to say) "hawk a loogie", then to get rid of it, I would merely spit.

Here, it is different. Here, one does not merely spit. One needs a better word.

Expectorate  (verb)

1 : to discharge matter from the throat or lungs by coughing or hawking and spitting. 2 : spit.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/

I don't want you to be grossed out by the following, mostly I want you to be in awe. Like when you watch a master craftsman ply their trade, or an artist create. 

Here, men don't merely spit, they expectorate. And they do so mightily. I have yet to see any of the products of these expectorations as I'm usually on my bike and not that interested in the "loogie" itself. It's more the sound that amazes. 

I think wisely, this post has no photos. I do apologize for the lack of audio but I think you can use your imagination and be just fine. Here follows the 3 best expectorations I have heard:

1. AWAHHHCKGHAKTGHYA *spit*

2 HWAAAAAAAUGHAHWAAAAAAAUGH *spit*

3 KGHEUAUGHAHIWHAUGHGHA *spit*

I'll keep practicing if you will.

12/12

Was quite fortunate to be invited on a photo walk this weekend with Dan and Nicolas, two teachers at school and skilled photographers. I'm not a skilled photographer, but like dancing I enjoy doing it and would like to get better. I still let my camera focus for me and I don't know what an fstop is, but will keep practicing because I am so intrigued by the stories that images can tell. They may be imagined stories, they may be real- but they are fun to tell.

Here are a few shots I took.
 

We ended up at the river, and I have shared pictures of this building before. It used to be where they printed money, but now just carries the title "government office". Hands down one of my favorite buildings.

A couple of fishing shots: the floating bottles are attached to the net. A few minutes before this an enormous container ship went by. Didn't seem to phase these two.

This gentlemen stayed a bit closer to shore. Walked by us and said hello, then lit a smoke and dropped in a hook. You can see his reel next to him- much like kite string. We would have loved to see him catch something.

Some chinlone on the dock.

Evening water taxi.

Every street you go down contains possibilities of really cool sights. Everything is in some state of decay but it lends it such character!

Plants like to grow everywhere!

Dan took us to a couple of bookstores where the volume of books packed in was unreal.

Hanuman coffee. Where they still grind the beans in the old school orange grinders and then put a 1pound weight on the scale and balance your order. Nicolas told us that Hanuman is the Hindu god of single men and children and is a bit of a trickster.

I wanted to get some trishaw pics. They are so intriguing to me. 

Serendipity. Just as I was taking this the guy dumped out some water. Really glad I wasn't trying to get some artsy right below the spiral stairs point of view.

We followed the train tracks for a bit. Always great colors. No trains at present though.

See what I did here? picture of a guy taking a picture of a guy taking a picture.

Yeah, so I have a lot to work on, and I'm excited about that. Its the practicing that makes the process so enjoyable. Thanks Nicolas and Dan, was a well spent day

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.