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Saying goodbye to Yangon, MYANMAR

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On September 17, 2010

In Rambling

15 August 2010 (SUNDAY)

Every good thing must come to end. So is my assignment in Yangon, MYANMAR. Dawood the packers came to my apartment to put things in boxes on Friday and Saturday and I took one-way flight to KUL from Yangon on Sunday at 12:15 noon. The company organized a farewell dinner on Friday night, the second day of Ramadan in Myanmar. Yes we started fasting on Thursday, one day later after our brothers and sisters in Malaysia did. 
Saying farewell is not my cup of tea. But I managed to maintain my cool during entire session. First my boss went up to the rostrum saying all good things I have done. Then I went up saying all good things must come to pass. It was a short stay of 22 months in Myanmar but a memorable one. I told them I valued this international exposure and cherished every single encounter in this beautiful country. I had been to almost each and every one of my staff’s home visiting their spouse and parents and children.   I have attended many weddings and funerals, Myanmar way. Except for Bagan and Moulamine, I have been to most places such as Mandalay, Pyin Oo Lwin, Pathein, Chaungtha Beach, Bago, Napyidaw, Pyinmana, Inle Lake, Kalaw, Taungyi, Aung Ban, Twente, Tanglyin, Delta area. To the south, I have taken many roads less travelled in the name of work. Dawei, Kanbauk and the dusty road leading to our metering station near Thailand border and Thai border town of Ban-i-thong itself (illegal crossing), to name a few. I have taken numerous flights on Twin Otter and choppers to sites and to our offshore gas platform off Andaman Sea. It was a colorful life indeed in Myanmar. I concluded my speech that I had done all I could in developing host country national staff and now they are ready to take over. Then one of my favorite staff went up and say all the nice things about me.  I received a lot of gifts in form of Myanmar stone paintings and cotton materials. Two of my mentees were there also. Myanmar ladies are soft-hearted and I could see they were holding tears. I knew that.  The event was rather predictable as almost every alternate month management team of this organization celebrated a departure of Malaysian expatriate back to Kuala Lumpur, in the name of nationalization plan. Except that my farewell took place in Ramadan. So everybody rushed to perform Isyak and Taraweh in one of the room, reserved by the Micasa Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar. Some muslim friends were already wearing baju melayu and kopiah and loungyis (kain pelikat), right from home, ready for prayers.

I would like to take this opportunies to apologize for all my wrong doings, be it big or small, obvious or subtle. I can’t make everyone happy, though I tried so hard. Anyway it is not my business as HR Manager to make every staff  happy. And also I would like to sincerely apologize for my wrong doings over the past 22 months in all Myanmar.

Thank you to all.  God willing I will return.

A flower girl in Yangon (Part 2)

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On July 3, 2010

In Rambling

July 2, 2010:

Met her again at the Shwegondaing intersection.

She was as innocent as ever, wearing the same sweet smile, very natural indeed. She rushed to my car knocking at the window gently, as what she did last time. She waved a string of jasmine flower for sale, as what she did last time. Unlike what I did last time, this time I rushed to get some kyats from my work pant deep inside the sport bag, as I just returned from a badminton game at the university sport complex.  But alas I could not control the traffic light. The light turned green so fast, and the car had to move. I missed her again. May be next time. I forgot her name but I could never forget her smile.

It was an interesting sight at the Shwegonedain intersection in Yangon, Myanmar. In this city, everyone has a story. Every face tells a story.

A flower girl in Yangon

By

On June 7, 2010

In Rambling

June 6th, 2010:

I scrolled down the window after she came rushing to my car, stopped by a red light.  She was so cute with a natural smile and bright teeth. In her hand I saw a string of white flower I did not know the name — something like bunga melor.  I am not a flower man though.  She waived the flower to me.  I was more interested in her and not the flower she wanted to sell.  I could not resist to ask.

“Name belu kole?”

” Tay Myat Noe.”

“Atek belau le?”

“Tse nit.”

The red light turned green and I had no time to reach for the money. I knew it was about 100 or 200 kyats only or maybe less. She threw me an unhappy smile before rushing to the roadside again, waiting for another red light.  No sale made this time.

She was just 11.  She should have been home or in bed already at 10pm.

It was an interesting sight at the Shwegonedain intersection in Yangon, Myanmar. In this city, everyone has a story. Every face tells a story.

“Book me AirAsia free ticket, please.”

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On May 22, 2010

In Rambling

May 2010:

In this country banks are owned by the Government. Banking system is traditional and primitive. Read my previous post on this.  Only 2 banks can deal with foreign currencies. Banks have no products. No credit cards.  No debit cards. No ATMS. No housing loans. No car loans. All transactions were in cash. Even my salary was paid in home currency, and when I ran out cash to buy foods here, I either borrowed from friends or waited until I went back home for meetings or holidays.

So when AirAsia.com offered free seats recently, it was an opportunity for ‘kaki jalan’ like me’. I could not get the seat to places I wanted to go to like Beijing or Taipei. After heavy “investment”  — yes I stayed up late until 1am one morning and the next day was a working day —  I managed to get seats to Makassar (airport code UPG) somewhere in Indonesia, south of Kalimantan. The name is so exotic and may be there is something special there. Travel date is in March 2011. I don’t know where I will be at that time.

Shared this experience with my local staff. The  most vocal among them said: “We cannot get the free seats ‘cos we cannot pay online. We do not have credit cards.”

Monsoon’s coming to Yangon, finally

By

On May 22, 2010

In Rambling

May 17th 2010:

It has been hot, really hot in Yangon for the last couple months. Temperature rised up to 46C in some areas. They expected rain during last Thingya n Water Festival, but God said NOT YET. A mosque near Aung San Stadium conducted special hajat prayers to call for the rain last FRiday. The doa (prayers) led by the young Imaam was so long that it took about 20 minutes.

Myanmar Times has been reporting about cases of sudden death due to heatstroke. Yesterday I read about a taxi driver, died at the busy intersection in Yangon.

Last week the paper quoted more cases in Upper Myanmar like Mandalay and Magway. Details could not be verified.

So the heavy pouring rain today — started at 10:30am when I was en route to lawyer’s office — was a sight of relief to everyone and other living things. Plants, grass and trees and even frogs, who started singing in joy.

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