I vaguely recall fond memories of my past trips to Yangon, Myanmar
when I was a child. We’ll always tag
along with my mother to the uncountable
number of houses and be fed like royalty since we do not always get to see our
relatives. Briyani, chicken tied up like a pretzel, coconut gravy noodles,
mango salad, and the food never seems to stop coming.
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| Rice Dishes |
We’ll take a beat-down
car and drive down the winding streets with numerous potholes and once you peer
out of the window to take in the smog-covered air, you’ll see numerous betel-leaf
stalls surrounded by men with blood-red lips, you’ll see women balancing trays
of food on top of their heads, you’ll see teenagers rolling up their sarongs up
to their thighs and playing Chinlone which is something like Sepak Takraw, you’ll see children playing by the streets without a
care in the world.
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| Roadside Betel Leaf stall
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| Game of Chinlone (Sepak Takraw)
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During my most recent trip, I went to visit my grandmother
in the village. I sat at the back of a van and it was a long bumpy ride. We
stopped near a railway station and you can see that the place is sprawling with
commuters perhaps trying to get to work in the downtown area. There is also a
market and my brother and I witnessed a chicken seller haggling with a woman
holding a chopper in his hand. It was a new experience for me but everyone
seemed to carry on without even a single concern. I guess that happens regularly.
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| Myanmar roadside Market
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Myanmar, though it seems very inaccessible and isolated from
the rest of the world, is actually rather travel-friendly. Of course it will be
better if you had a Burmese speaker with you but many people can actually get
by with basic English in the city area. Always remember to pack light because
you can buy anything from the Scotts Market and it beats having to lug a heavy
luggage around. Most shops allow haggling so go ahead and ask for discounts.
Just remember to be polite. Visit the Shwe Dagon Pagoda and the most important
thing is to have an open mind. Be humble and take in as much culture and
heritage as you want. Learn to appreciate the simple things in life and you too
will be able to enjoy your trip to Myanmar as much as I did.
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| Shwe Dagon Pagoda
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