Traveling Around Myanmar (Burma)

After several days in Yangon I headed north in the direction of Mandalay. I visited a couple of towns and used slivers of Burmese everywhere I went. I love gaining the ability to speak a little of the local language; it is like getting a peek below the surface of a culture and also gives a delicious sense of belonging.

As the days expanded into weeks my vocabulary and ability grew. I had stumbling conversations with rickshaw drivers, haggled prices, ordered beers and meals, passed off comments, all of which spiced my experience toward a far richer taste. It is true that I often ended up hanging around with Burmese or Shan people who spoke good English, that naturally stalled the learning process but that wasn't important. The system I've set up for speaking a foreign language is really a dilletantes approach. My system granted me quick, easy access to Burmese that allowed me to function and make pleasanteries. I had and still have no long term interests in learning Burmese. Before I arrived in Burma I knew that the moment I left I would be leaving behind Burmese like a piece of discarded luggage. My trip was taking me from through Thailand, Burma and Laos. I wanted to speak Thai in Thailand, Burmese in Burma and Lao in Laos. Thai had worked, now Burmese had too, though it had proved to be more difficult. As my four weeks in Burma came toward a close, I knew the next challenge was Lao.

But before we go there let me wrap up the Burmese experience.

Burma was wonderful. The country, stressed as it is, took a liking to me. I learned about Theravada Buddhism through long and involved discussions with English speaking monks (though I did in fact learn the art of meditation from one who didn't speak any English). I taught English classes on several occasions, which turned out to be an awful lot of fun. I boated on Inle Lake, trekked to and stayed in remote Shan villages. I even got to stay in a Buddhist monestary where the monks made me the best meal I had anywhere in Burma. But by far the best of all was simply making friends and linking minds. I know the simple knowledge of Burmese I gained there helped to loosen me up. It provided a bridge from me to Burmese people and from them back to me.

Off to Laos in the next post.