More on Yangon

And this post takes us back to life in Yangon!

Secondary school faculty - I'm in the back shady spot wearing my sunglasses!

One annual event in my life is traveling to Bangkok for my visa renewal. Yes, I have to visit the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok, Thailand in order to renew my Myanmar work visa... The good news about this yearly errand is that I get a trip to Bangkok! I usually shop, seek out health food stores for hard to find items, take care of doctor appointments, eat great food and sometimes sit by a pool, if time allows! This year was special because my former colleague, J, who now lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand, met me. It was so fun to catch up, do yoga and discover a great new health food store and restaurant, Lemon Farm, together. We weren't very good about taking pictures (we were having too much fun) and Bangkok isn't "new" to me anymore, so I guess I forget, but here is what captured my interest enough to pull out the camera.

My iced Americano, with a dash of rice milk, served in a pitcher! 

The cafe had cute cat art. Can you see me in the reflection?

A few days after I returned (one year visa in passport!), quarter one ended. This means grading, writing individual narrative comments for each and every one of my students and submitting everything for report cards. There is always something to do when you are a teacher. 

Playing bananagrams with my students!

Quarter one finishes with a Myanmar tradition: Homage Day. Students and teachers don traditional dress and students honor their teachers at a special assembly, featuring speeches, music, dances and singing. The culminating moment is when students' voices join in unison to thank their teachers and ask them to forgive them for any mistakes (in Myanmar language).

You already know what happens next! I book it to the airport and jet off to Bangkok to meet Y for our reunion on Koh Chang.

Upon returning to Yangon, there was a new quarter to start, parent-student-teacher conferences to have and friends to catch up with. The school community here is special. Our social committee is very active, sponsoring all kinds of events to explore the city and for us to just hang out with each other. However, a few times a year we celebrate our support staff, the cleaners and guards who help keep our school shining and safe throughout the year. These photos are from our Potluck and Bowling event at the end of October.

Right Track Bowling is a 30 minute walk from my apartment/the school.

Playing a game, yes, betting 3,000 kyats was involved!

In this winner-takes-all game the final rolls of the dice are intense!

I came upon this cute little church while wandering in downtown one weekend. Somewhere in here I also saw a great Italian movie at the international film festival, La grande bellezza. An epic story set in lovely Italy.

This coffee store is in my neighborhood, but it is never open. Can you see why it caught my eye?

Another social committee event - watching old silent films set to Radiohead.

And then came Halloween! My favorite holiday was celebrated with a Vegans Anonymous potluck and dress-up days at school.

Gluten free vegan witch finger sugar cookies

Vegan potluck spread

Alice, on her way to school. No getting distracted by white rabbits allowed!

Teachers dress up like students day! Sporting the school uniform.

Just finished reading:
Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool; a children's book recommended to me by a friend/former colleague. An entertaining story with a spirited young protagonist, historical fiction.

Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess by Inge Sargent; her autobiographical account of her marriage to a Shan Prince and her time in Burma. This one is up for discussion at book club next week! There is also a film and a quick internet search displays a lot of articles about the controversy this book has encountered.

Just finished eating:
If you knew me when I was a kid... or teenager... or, okay, okay, a young adult, then you know my favorite food is/was Macaroni and Cheese. Since going gluten and dairy free in 2009 for health reasons, there has not been a lot of carb-y, cheesy goodness in my life. Which is absolutely worthwhile because I no longer suffer from daily stomach pain. However, I am always looking for creative ways to get my old fix. This vegan gf version of my old favorite does the trick.

Oh, and the witch fingers!

What I'm Listening to:
Cat Power! I had the pleasure of seeing her live at Cruilla this July in Barcelona and she is my favorite discovery from a weekend full of amazing live music.

Interview of the Week:
Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk, Desaparecidos) and Matt Berninger (The National) get together to talk about the song-writing process and music in general! I felt like I was at a bar overhearing an intimate chat at the next table. This is also one of my new favorite podcasts. 

A Worthwhile Cause:
One of my colleagues and friends is trying to enact real change in the population of stray animals in our neighborhood with a catch, neuter and release program. It's the season of giving, so why not chip in a little to help the pups and kitties? A few US dollars goes a long way in Myanmar!

Ha ha, definitely not in Yangon! A throwback to Thanksgiving weekend last year in Ngwe Saung...
Photo credit to T and her fancy camera!

I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! I am already starting to think about the end of the quarter, finals and holidays with my family!