Best Language School on the Yadanarbon Market 4th floor was burnt down at approximately 11am in the fire of 25th March 2008  .

 All the students and staff  were evacuated safely.Nothing really left to salvage.

I thank all who e-mailed me , called me in support  and offered and gave help.   We are getting new premises ready ASAP.

We will re-start classes next week Monday !

I have been here in Mandalay since 2000 January , 8 years now. And I do notice the changes here. And are these changes for the better or worse ? You decide for yourself.

The population:

There has definitely been an influx of people from all over Upper Burma especially Northern Shan State, people of Shan , Tai Shan and ethnic Chinese extraction.  The new residential suburbs for both the poor and the well-off seem to have filled up quickly enough. My guess is that we’re up to over a million people here now and if you include the Myitnge,Amarapura and Sagaing areas possibly 1.3 million.The number of resident foreigners, I mean people of countries other than our neighbouring countries is less than 200 probably and that includes a lot of Filipinos working at some schools. Where did I get that number ? Guessed it , I did…. but so would anyone else !

The buildings:

This is where I will say my mind. Most new buildings in this period have been awful, total eye-sores. devoid of character or charm ,just boxy lumps of concrete. 

Shopping :

8 years ago there were no modernish shopping centres / malls, now we have a few. The cult of consumerism and hanging out at the mall at arrived at these fair shores. The denizens of Upper Myanmar are taking to it like fish to water but whether they buy enough or can afford enough knick-knacks, greasy burgers and fake designer clothes  to keep these places afloat is another question.  

Utilities ( electricity / water / roads etc … )

I see no improvement whatsoever  !

Education :

Now this is tricky one …..Could I say that there has been improvement ?  I’d have to say I don’t know . It seems that there have been more so-called “international ” schools set up here . I don’t have to send my daughters there cos I home school  them and have them go to a local school for friends etc , so I really don’t know  if their being here constitutes an improvement in educational standards or not.  A smattering of private computer schools and accounting /book-keeping schools are here too. But I could say that the number of kids a the government colleges and universities has risen and a lot of kids are thinking of going studying abroad but for the majority of them, it would be outside of their family budget.

Communications

Lots more mobile phones that cost your left foot are seen nowadays whereas there were only a few in 2000 owned by big-shots and millionaires but they still cost around 2 grand in bucks. There are little phone stalls set up at some places called PCO’s where you can make calls too. Calling overseas still costs a lot. About 5 bucks and more a minute. Around 25 Internet cafes in the downtown area have opened since around 2004  too. So you could say a fair amount of improvement in the communications department. 

……..     to be continued    

If you drive in Mandalay :

Beware of the swarms of reckless riders of bicycles and motorcycles, drivers of cars and buses, trishaw pullers,tractor drivers ,horse carts and what not of this place.

Everyone is in a mad rush to get somewhere as fast as possible by disregarding the rules of the road and society.

Bicycles and motorcycles will suddenly stop in front of you without a glance sideways or to the back , swerve out of the side streets in front of you , helmets will fall off heads and  in front of you, 4 to 6  bicycles will go side by side,chatting away ,  leaving you a minimum of or no space to overtake them and they will ride on the wrong side of the road without a care in the world. Overloaded tractors and horse carts will challenge you head-on to games of ” Chicken “.

Accidents are a plenty but the mad rush goes on especially 7-10 am and 3-7pm everyday.  

My wife never has the kids ride a motorbike with me, she has me transport them in the car, I think she feels it’s safer with the metal sheet of the car body  between the kids and the madding crowd on wheels of all sorts.   

  I have at many times felt the urge to swear at offenders of traffic rules and safety but resisted  that urge. but it wouldn’t change anything at all…. just a waste of time…. their response is just a blank look or mumbling…

And that is just on  normal, everyday days. you can x 20 times on festival days….

 So I have learnt to drive ….. how should I put it…….   at full alert… like in a war zone …..   reckless traffic incoming at 10 o’clock…… activate  evasive measures …….   and drive with  your sixth sense……..  if you feel the guy or girl on the bicycle is gonna do something stupid soon ….. and most times he/she does ….you slow down or avoid the bugger like the plague . I do !

And one last fact…  drunk-driving between 5  to 11pm is becoming very much more common.

So next time you’re here, keep your eyes skinned for everything on wheels……or you’ll get run off the road by…….

 the Reckless Riders of Mandalay

Here in Mandalay and most of Upper Burma/Myanmar ,Saturdays and Sundays, official holidays and holidays of other religions other than Buddhism are not given much thought of by most people. The important days of rest /play are the once-a -week “U-boak ” or Buddist Sabbath day when most markets and businesses take the day off. The Full moon days of each month are holidays even more so when coinciding with dates of note on the Buddhist calendar .

Christmas and New Year ( of the Gregorian  calendar )  it seems to me  are utilized for the marketing blitzes of companies but most people here don’t go to those kind of parties.

Don’t go about asking ” What time is the bus going to get to……… ? ” when you’re already on it off to somewhere either, especially in the Northern Shan State. It’s said the Nats or spirits don’t like it and penalize you and your mode of transport by causing niggling delays of all sorts. Anyways, when the roads are in the conditions that they are , and with nearly 99% of all vehicles being second-hand imports, already been used for years, timetables and such, don’t really mean anything. Ask the forbidden question and you will be at least be met by a gruff ” We’ll get there when we get there “.  Enjoy the scenery and atmosphere etc. instead of thinking about such un-holiday like thoughts as getting there on time . LOL .

Night-life in Mandalay is nearly non-existant. Everyone visits the restaurants ,gets their full of toddy and grub and hits beddy-bye . That’s it. Better to get up early and go about your holiday or business. Have fun in Bangkok instead.. Come here for a good nights sleep , battery recharging and what not…. ( not much electricity either )

The  months, May to October are HOT ! 36 - 40+ C.  Let this be a warning to all those with weak constitutions and those susceptible to heat stroke.

When it rains here , it comes in two varieties , the light drizzle lasting 3-4 hours and the 45-minute hammering downpour accompanied by strong gusts but both making it muddy and dreary.  

The dust … the fine itch-causing powder…….. what should I say ?  Keep some baby wet-wipes ready.

Hi everyone , I have been busy lately and been around too.

Well to keep you informed of what goes on here in MDY , the environs and with us ….

The whole family was off to Bagan for a few days , pretty devoid of tourists that place was… pizza was good though…

I went to Monywa .. was nearly run off the street by a truck.. a friend Georg from Germany went up the Chindwin River by boat..

We also went to Lashio last week , idyllic valleys , cold weather , misty mornings , tiny hamlets and buffaloes and kids lolling in the midday sun….it’s orange season and had a few pints with me friends….

The school get-together was on the 24th and 300 people came , songs ,dance, refreshments, a general knowledge competition and a singing contest……

My wife is ping-ponging back and forth between MDY and Spore….My personal holiday has started ( 25 dec to Jan 4 )and that means I am preparing for teacher training and the summer English classes for young learners….watching football games and playing games on my computer ….

The weather here in MDY is perfect at the moment….

Nothing has changed much here in this country but a very Merry X’mas and a smashing New Year to you all !

Pics of my travels coming soon !

Well, you could say that I have been neglecting the blog for some time. And you would be right. But……anyway

Here goes with ……

What went on in Mandalay recently !

 a summary…… of what I remember……

Not much happening, last  month that includes activities at the school, general events in this town, mellow I’d say .

Except for the Kyauk Taw Gyi  Pagoda Festival which was in full swing. Totally crowded. Seems that people, especially younger people haven’t had some good fun in a while and I’m glad that they looked like they were enjoying themselves on the full-moon night of Thadingyut at the above-mentioned festival .

The weather has changed just yesterday from an unbearably hot state to real nice and cool breezy situation.

I took a short trip again to Maymyo with the kids. Always as relaxing and refreshing as usual . My friend, Chris was building boarding school quarters when we popped in to his place.

 I have been urging the students to join libraries and learn some practical / marketable skills, I’m happy that some have done so too.

I wonder what most people think of the economic future of this region ? any ideas ?   I , for one, do not think that tourism, although and easy way of bringing in  foreign exchange, is  that important to the long-term economic future of a country, given the minuses that it has .

Your thoughts on this please….

Another thing that I noticed about Myanmar students who go abroad ( especially those from upper Myanmar ) is that they never write emails to me ? What might be the reason (s) for this ? I will try to find out in the comings weeks.

That’s all for now . See you everyone

The sun hot and hazy

still over Mandalay way

The winds of the change of season

that would cool my heart

are blowing

only in the skies

Yoda

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Above are my sentiments for yours truly !

We are extant in the midst of angst

Mon Ami from all over the world

Outside sunny, inside not so

No football matches or TOEFL classes

will wait for smiles at school again

Yoda 

Sorry guys that I have not been able to write or post as much as I would like to.

The things that are keeping me away from the blog :

1. 5 kinds of different classes

It’s like waiting in the dead of the nights for screams

2. Lots of homework marking

Dark skies blowing looming our way

3. Exams/ tests

A test of the greatest kind

4, Welcoming and Farewell parties

more like farewells and anguish mixed with steely looks

5.Receptions and what not

the kind of reception to be met is quite clear

6. Teacher-training and supervising them as they start to teach their own classes.

Preparing myself for the news or wailing

I haven’t even had time or the energy to tell my kids bedtime stories. My younger daughter says that I am ” shirking my fatherly duties”. LOL LOL

I wish them success in their endeavours

But I hope things will simmer down by late November. Oh I can’t wait for those cool crystal clear nights, and of course : Bedtime stories !

Praise beyond words

……………………….

the next morn

The wait has ended

But the tears have not !

yoda

I feel a bit dizzy and sad with all the going ons here .
The general uncertainty and head in the ground mentality of you know who is getting on the nerves.
What is should be more though can’t say which way fate will take us