So the weekend was here, and all of us were so excited for a day off...we had been working since we landed pretty much. We were excited to adventure out and go exploring around the town.
I woke up in the AM and went for a run with my new running shoes - it was about a 30 min run/walk and boy did my legs need that! I felt GREAT afterwards!!!
Then, Kerry and I had made plans to meet up with my assistant teacher, Teacher Yoon - so we met her at the school around 1pm. She took us out to the mall and the market and we heard about her life. It was VERY different that what we expected:
- Her schedule is go to school, then go home. Go to school, then go home.
- She lives with her parents, and had to ask for permission to come out with us on Saturday.
- Her dad doesn't let her wear trousers.
- She has never in her life (she's 29) been to the3 cinema! (we have made plans to take her)
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| Avocado Shake!! |
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During the day, we finally got our Avocado shakes, and they were DE.LISH.OUS!!!! I also got to practice my Burmese, and Teacher Yoon helped me out on some of the pronunciation. We also all got Longyi's (the sarongs they wear as skirts here), and bought one for Teacher Yoon to say thank you. She was excited :) Then we had lunch, and headed back to the house.
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| My hand painted Longyi |
On Sunday, Kerry and I headed to brunch by the River, and our housemate Jess came and joined us. We then took the ferry across the river to the town called Dalah - and on the ferry I practiced my Burmese with a local, and he we chatted the whole ride (which was about 10 minutes). Once off the ferry, he (Koko) started pointing things out in the town, and then before we knew it, he was our tour guide for the day! He took us to the Pagoda and we made friends with a volunteer there (he was 19) and he showed me the animal for the day I was born (Tuesday = Red Lion!). Then we left the Pagoda and we kept walking us around town - and then the young man from the Pagoda came and found us on his bicycle! He let us ride it a little, and spent the afternoon with us. Once he left us, Koko introduced us to his Dad, one of his little brothers, and one of his little sisters. He also took us to his mom's shop and she made us Ginger Salad (AMAZING!) and put Tanaca on our faces (a gold looking lotion made from tree bark and water) and we felt super Burmese! Then he took us to the orphange, and they sang us songs and we played with them for a while. On our way out of the town, it was "Water Hour" and we saw everyone getting their daily allowance of water - the wells are only open for 1 hour each day. None of the houses (which look like huts) have running water, so they use their water buckets for everything from bathing and drinking to cooking and laundry.
As we left, we all were practicing our hello's and how are you's, and everyone loved that we had Tanaca on our faces. We all plan on going back, so we will make sure to let Koko know when we do (he gave us his phone number).
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| Tuesday - Red Lion! |
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| Jess, Kerry, and Apes |
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| Ring the bell 3 times: 1) health 2) finances 3) luck |
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| Biking in Burma! |
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| Getting painted like a local! |
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| Koko's little brother was not impressed with me. |
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| The kids at the Orphanage, singing to us |
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| A totally awesome picture: Pagoda, Cow, and a Burmese man on a motorbike. |
The experience was what I thought Burma would be like, not like the mansion and spoils we have been lucky enough to have. It was an AMAZING adventure to have on our first weekend with free time.
Minglabar!!
- Apes :)
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