On Our Own Path

Top 10 Experiences in Myanmar

2013-03-20T17:26:23-05:00

I told a room of travelers last night that going to Myanmar is about the experiences - from the warm, generous people you'll meet to the traditions at golden shining temples and the disparities between the haves & have-nots - it's heart-warming and eye-opening. Everything you'll see is rich in history, and it's important to go slowly, and stop to talk with locals to understand what's going on. Rather than asking questions, the trick is listening and observing: plan your travels with plenty of time to stop and have tea with locals or practice speaking English with monks. Also, read up on current events before you go. You'll be surprised how the political history contrasts what you'll see.

Glorious Bagan - Pyathada Pagoda.

Last night Kyle and I spoke at the Chicago Travel Meetup "All About Myanmar". Fellow travel enthusiasts will understand my over-the-top excitement to talk for nearly an hour - A FULL HOUR - about the culture & sights in Myanmar. It was amazingly, and I'm so grateful to have gotten to share so much of what we love with a wide-eyed crowd of travelers.

Top 10 Experiences in Myanmar

It wasn't easy, but I narrowed down last night's presentation to my favorite 10 experiences I'd tell travelers to have in Myanmar. Visiting Myanmar is not just about checking a destination off your list, it's about experiencing life there. With more than 100 diverse languages and cultures, it's an exciting place, and visiting makes you a witness to the positive changes happening there that are too important to reverse. Get comfy, and prepare for Myanmar:

#1 Dress Local

Kyle demonstrates to Jim, our very happy longyi model.

Meeting locals opens the door to great experiences, and the best conversation starter ever is wearing a longyi (for men) or a tamain (for women). On your first day in Myanmar, go to a local market or walk the center of town for a shop selling longyis and tamains. Sometimes they're hanging over a counter, but often they're folded up about the size of a book. There are endless patterns and colors, many of which are warn by specific ethnic groups, so pick one that suits you. Don't be nervous about the bold plaids & patterns - the bolder the better!

The longyi & tamain are big loops of fabric, and you tightly fold the fabric to wear them securely. Men and women tie them differently, so ask at your guesthouse or make a friend to help you tie it. No shame in wearing shorts or something while you're getting the hang of it, although once your sure it won't fall off, you'll enjoy the loose fabric.

#2 Feel Local

Thanaka lined faces at a Mandalay shop.

Freshly cut wood for thanaka & children putting on thanaka in Sagaing.

Thanaka is a traditional, local makeup with a sweet, floral scent that cools the skin and is used as a sun block. It's made from a tree grown in Myanmar's dry region. Women and children especially wear thanaka, and my friends and students in Myanmar said they used it every day on their face and arms. The key is making designs and shapes, after adding a bit of water to make a paste, people use brushes and cotton swabs to make the designs. My favorite are the kids that have thanaka shaped bunnies and animals on their cheeks.

If you have darker skin it makes your skin lighter, although if you're like me with paler skin, you might end up looking a bit jaundice, so less is best.

#3 Go for Tea

Crowded tea shop in Yangon

If there's one thing you're guaranteed to find all around Myanmar, it's tea shops crowded with people in the mid-afternoon. If you meet someone at a temple or on the street, and they invite you for tea, you'll know you're doing something right. Go along and chat. Milk tea come sweet, bitter, or mixed, "lapae yay" is "normal tea". There are often snacks like steamed buns or parata for a snack. Sip your tea slowly, and after the milk tea, continue with the pot of hot green tea on the table. It's included.

Our guide to ordering tea has language tips & tea shops etiquette.

#4 Soak in the Buddhist Temple Scene & Mingle

Just before sunset is the perfect time to photograph Shwedagon Pagoda and mingle with the locals.

Now that you're getting a feel for the local culture, go all in, and connect with Myanmar's Buddhists. Temples are places that families gather and spend a few hours or where you'll see monks or nuns meditating or chanting together. It's a nice gathering place where people might approach to practice their English and where you can observe the many temple traditions. Bring a snack and water, and wear temple appropriate clothes that cover your knees and shoulders.

Spend a few hours at Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Maha Muni in Mandalay, or another popular temple (there are many!). Leave your shoes at the entrance, and bring small bills to make donations around the temple. I suggest going mid to late afternoon as the heat wears off, and join the locals walking clockwise around the main pagoda. Extra points if you know what day of the week you were born, as there are 8 different Buddha statues for each day of the week (Wednesday is divided into morning or afternoon), and you can make an offering and pay respects to associated Buddha statue.

#5 Walk to the Top of Mandalay Hill and Practice English with the Monks

I hiked up to Mandalay Hill a few times while in Myanmar, and not only did I see many of the same young monks each time, but I started seeing more of them. Word had spread that Lonely Planet guides many English speaking tourists up there at sunset, and eager to practice their English, the monks would hang out on the steps and walk up with visitors in order to practice and ask questions. Many of them are studying at the Buddhist university just west of Mandalay Hill, and with aspirations to study in Thailand or India they're motivated to practice to improve their odds of studying abroad.

Enjoy the conversation, and don't feel inclined to give the monk any money. Generally, monks ethics are giving away money and material possessions. I've heard of some scams at temples where I believe foreigners were given a run for their money, but if you're asked for money or feel that you want to help the locals, making a donation into a box at the temple you're visiting or other organized charities is better than giving cash to a person.

#6 Watch the flow of people walking the world longest Teak Bridge

The longest teak bridge in the world, U Bein bridge joins a few small towns to nearby Mandalay, and it's common to see locals carrying goods with monks while riding bicycles. It's charming way to take in small town Myanmar at its best. Take the time to walk the full length of the 2 km bridge - you won't be disappointed! During rainy season the lake fills quite a bit, but drier times of the year you'll see more animals roaming and less fishing. Consider a boat ride and enjoy the flow of people walking in and out of town.

#7 With more than 2,000 Temples, all Roads Lead Somewhere Special

As one of southeast Asia major temple sites, you're sure to love exploring the 2,000+ temples. Although the temples are spread around a big area, there are so many to enjoy, it's easy to hop on a bicycle and go from temple to temple. Pick up a map to circle the temples you most want to see, or ditch the map and explore the many stunning temples. Remember to carry lots of water and snacks, as there are few shops around the temples.

More about the friends we made exploring Bagan and the beautiful temples we explored by bike.

#8 Explore Inle Lake's Villages by Bicycle and Slow Boat

My Shan students told me Inle Lake was the most beautiful place in the world, and after seeing it I truly understand why. Never getting very deep, the lake remains still and almost like glass reflecting the nearby mountains and rice patties. Inle Lake is also know for their fishermen's tradition of holding the boat oar with their leg and arm, and the long narrow fishing boats and cone-shaped fishing nets.

It's beautiful scenery to explore on bike as it's flat, and the small neighboring towns get much less tourism than other areas. Starting on the north tip, ride southeast along the lake, and take a boat across to the western shore, and then ride back north on the western shore. The whole trip will take half day, but if you can, go slowly, and take a full day and stop into shops and temples along the way.

More about our time exploring Inle Lake's canals and reflections about my refugee students that sent me there.

#9 Hike the Buddhist Pilgrimage Site and Breath in the Fresh Air

A monk, father, and son lay gold leaf on the sacred, Golden Rock.

Getting to Kyaiktiyo is an endeavor, but it's well-worth the rewards if you're rewarded wit the stunning views from the mountain top. The Golden Rock sits upon a mountain side, not resting on the earth, but balanced on one of Buddha's hairs. Buddhists from around the country and internationally come to pay respect here. When we visited nuns chanted throughout the temple grounds and groups of visitors meditates looking out over the valley below.

To reach Kyaiktiyo, it's possible to take a pick-up truck about half-way up the mountain, but when we were there in 2012 and last we'd heard, foreigners must continue up the rest of the way hiking or some choose to get carried up on a large seat carried by 4 men. The hike to the top is worth it, and I suggest staying 2 nights at one of the hotels at the top, as sunrise and early morning provides the best views out over the mountains. Dress appropriately covering your knees and shoulders, and most likely it will be cold at the top and in the hotel, so bring layers.

#10 Eat!

Food in Myanmar as just as diverse as the 100+ languages and cultures there, so be brave, look for crowded restaurants and try many dishes! Our post on Myanmar food shows many pictures and translations of delicious foods to try.

A traditional Myanmar table is set family style with many side dishes to share and eat with rice. Soup can also be communal, but often for foreigners, you'll get your own bowl. Top left, Lephet-do (tea leaf salad) is Myanmar's most famous dish, and it's a fresh salad of tea leaves mixed with cabbage, onion, garlic, peanuts and more. Try is more than once as every place makes it a little different.

It's hard to go wrong with Shan restaurants in general, but Shan noodles have never disappointed me. Shown above has eggs and vegetables, but sometimes it's simpler with tomato sauce and meat or tofu. Again, every place makes it a bit different, but it's a good safe, easy dish!

Top right is an Indian inspired dish served at tea shops, and you'll usually see a large cook top outside of these shops. Above is a type, the photo is actually Naan bread, but parata is very similar, and both are great with beans, eggs, sugar, banana, etc.

Don't hesitate if you have any questions about Myanmar - we love to give tips and advice! Read more about why we spent 1.5 years in Myanmar, when we finally saw Aung San Suu Kyi, and the crazy human powered wooden ferris wheel that came to our Yangon neighborhood.

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On the Telecommuting Debate & Travel

2013-03-08T12:46:18-06:00

A NYTimes Editorial today brought an important point to the telecommuting debate - that innovation can happen in the unlikeliest of locales. She gives the example of 2 Cornell University staff from different fields that came up with the idea for a research study about retaining women in the sciences at of all places - while watching their kids at swim practice, the only place likely to have brought them together.

This resonated with me since these past weeks working from Mexico I've met quite a few entrepreneurs that have sparked great business ideas for me, including adopting better work processes, new PR/branding ideas, and long-term business strategies. I even got a few terrific leads for travel writers I'm hiring. Had I been back in Chicago, I wouldn't have met these people or gotten these ideas. Period. I attend great networking events with tech people and small business owners, but I don't often meet writers and risk-takers like I met here. And I didn't meet these folks at a networking event, we were hiking together in Central Mexico, and getting a bit dirty I might add.

Hiking with great thinkers in Guanajuato, Mexico. Photo by Warren Talbot, Married with Luggage.

As someone who works from home, and from various locales, the news frustrated me last week when the new Yahoo! CEO reversed their corporate policy last week that allowed staff to work from home. Best Buy also made a similar announcement that despite some 4,000 employees working from home, they're reversing their policy. These policy shifts insinuate that productivity & success are strained by allowing staff to work from home. Yahoo's CEO made the decision after studying data about her work-from-home staff, and seeing that productivity waned. What about reprimanding those that abused their policy or incentivizing better practices. To me, a lack of success in these policies are a failure in management and training rather than an employee's failure to produce. Could you imagine the shift in your organization to lose such a privilege?

As a small business owner & traveler that's run my business from different countries around the globe, I'm aggravated by the negative wrap these decisions place on business success. It's an archaic opinion that businesses can't be successfully run from home offices with employees in remote places. Sure, the social side of me feels a bit isolated working from a home office or from cafes, but I also have far fewer interruptions, and feel extremely lucky to have the higher quality of life that a flexible workspace provides, ie, having more time to exercise, eat well, and work from Mexico.

Let's not forget, the magic of the internet to merge remote "offices" around the globe - international communication is a huge industry with great innovations, or need I remind Yahoo & Best Buy. Free video chat around the world makes it possible for me to hire a graphic designer in Asia, writers in Europe, and me in North America to merge these into a great product. I can interview clients and sell my products to people in other timezones without hopping on a plane. It's utter nonsense that businesses would back-track these sorts of policies, although that's why I don't work for them.

So what do you think? What are the pros & cons of working remotely? Would you stay in a job that reversed your work from home policy?

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Our First iPhone Travel App: Launched!

2013-03-01T15:21:28-06:00

An excited hello from Guanajuato, Mexico! After months of long hours, our baby's ready to sell! Gretl Goes: Vienna is free to preview in the App Store - check it out!

Download the free version & leave us a review about your favorite feature!

Traveling is about Stories.

We learned that the best way to really explore a place is with fascinating stories from a local. Our favorite travel experiences were always when a local guide or friend could take us around sharing funny anecdotes & explaining the awesome culture around us. Like the Colombian foreign exchange student our friend had growing up who told us endless stories about the German Jews that fled to Colombia, and my dear Korean friend that took us to the Korean countryside for a royal family traditional meal and explained every dish.

Locals give us the insight to cultures and places that guidebooks skip over. These stories make a place come to life.

One of my favorite of Gretl's stories are at Vienna's Fleishmarkt (the Meat Market), above, telling how during the Bubonic Plague the drunk Lieber Augustin fell into a gutter and fell asleep. They only found the next day because he was loudly & drunkenly singing a kid's song! Photo by Thomas Ledl.

The app: awesome Audio Tours chock full of stories for the independent traveler.

Gretl Goes: Vienna has 12 audio tours leading a listener through small alleys to overlooked landmarks and the best of Vienna's attractions. There are tours for music lovers, food lovers, historians, and the curious. What I love most about these tours are Gretl's detailed stories like the 19th century bakers awake before dawn preparing croissants that stop the Turks invading the city. These tours bring the city to life!

Who the app is for travelers:

fascinated by history & don't want to follow a tour group
on a budget - hear an expert's tours without the huge price
seeking local insider tips of the best destinations

Some of Gretl's Vienna tours & the Gourmet tour winding through Vienna's streets. Offline maps & GPS navigation guide the entire tour!

And while I'm bragging, the best features:

hours of fascinating history & culture
bright photos show listeners exactly where to go
offline maps & GPS navigation show every turn on the tours -- you never use data!
detailed walking directions
map of Vienna's free WIFI locations

Our lovely tour guide for Vienna, Gretl, is an American that began her 7-year-long romance with Vienna as an undergrad studying opera and theater. She's now a tour guide, writer, singer, Masters student, and adventurer. All the tours are her original content, yep, she's one smart cookie!

The free version of the app comes with a preview of our Top 10 destinations tour, the offline maps, and the city's free WIFI locations. Our 12 tours sell for $1.99 or $2.99 each or buy all 12 for the low price of $12.99 -- less than a Schnitzel!

The list of the Musical tour's destinations & listening to the Albertinaplatz with location photo, expandable map, and directions.

Want to help spread the word about Gretl Goes: Vienna?

Share it on Facebook, email it to a friend, write a blog post, or Tweet about us -- the best marketing is word of mouth! Send them to GretlGoes.com which has a link to download & more about the app. Also, you can follow Gretl & the app on Facebook and Twitter.

Want to Review it? Our Press Kit includes sample text and photos with all the great details about our app. Have questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to contact us.

It's not just an app, it's our dreams!

To some it might just look like any old app, but to us, it's a dream in progress. We've long striven to be on our own path running a business from anywhere in the world, and while we're no longer roaming the earth with mail going to my dear mom's house (thanks mom!), Kyle and I are most definitely on the right path.

After a 1.5 years living in Myanmar with very limited internet access, we knew it could be a steep climb re-starting our tech company. This app launch is one more bit of encouragement for us that in addition to the handful of free-lance projects Kyle's working on, stone by stone, we're building our business, and we're still chasing our dreams.

With this app launch, our business really feels established. Kyle is my bonafied Code Magician who made this app from scratch aka native in Objective C++. Which means the fancy audio player, offline GPS navigation & maps, and our back-end database are built to last. It also means I've got a talented business partner. On my part, I've been re-training myself transferring my non-profit program management skills to the tech realm. Just like working non-profit, there's never a dull moment, and I'm often switching between project manager, marketer, designer, accountant, and editor all in the same day. They're exciting new hats we're both wearing.

Where next? Photo by Felipe Oliveira

Hoorary! We're hiring more Tour Guides!

The exciting news I can finally announce, we're hiring more writers to make tour apps! Hooray! We're gearing up for more cities later in 2013. Do you know a dynamic tour guide or writer who can tell great stories about their city? Please introduce us! Bessie[at]Adelante.us and there's more information here.

celebrating our app launch at dinner in Guanajuato, Mexico

Gracias, amigos!

Thank you for sharing our excitement with us! After years of following our dreams around the world, we're excited to be on this next leg of our adventure! And to think, this travel app got started over coffee with friends in Vienna after moving from Myanmar.

The world has changed our lives in many interesting ways.

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Can We Make the US Home & Still Live Like Travelers? How is it Being Home - Part 2

2013-01-15T07:30:03-06:00

Strange things have been happening lately - we have a stable apartment, we like it, and we still feel like our traveling-selves. Somehow, we've managed to circle the globe a few times, become different people, and live again in the same Chicago neighborhood I eagerly fled from with one-way tickets in 2008. Culture shock be damned, day by day we're adjusting to the US again and not losing who we want to be.

Day 1 in our new apartment, June 2012.

Re-acclamation.

After 4.5 years away, it's been interesting how many things I "forgot" or that weren't around when we left. A great many times since moving back in June I have uttered the words "Ohh yea, Americans like that." Americans like lots of space, lots of cable tv channels, lots of choices in the supermarket, and lots of other things in the quantity of lots. I followed a friend through the grocery store buying the same detergent, pasta sauces, Indian dishes - because holy crap it's hard to imagine a more overwhelming place than an American grocery store, except for a mall, which I'm proud to say I avoided until yesterday. I've relearned being nice to telephone customer service people even after waiting on hold for an annoying "22 minutes for the next customer service representative".

Don't get me started on health insurance though - after years of easy & affordable access to medical care, I still can't talk calmly about the broken state of our system. And while we're on the topic of standing out in a crowd, don't try to convince Kyle that we should own a house or car, he stands firmly in the non-commitment column and dreams of sharing more and owning less.

Wearing couples clothes is an Asian habit that still hasn't worn off. "Winning" the Chicago 10k.

Winning at America. Mostly.

Within our first month home our lovely landlords clued me I probably didn't want the AC on when it was 60 out (what is this central air thing?). Oh, and Americans are prompt for most social occasions, except showing up at people's houses for parties, you usually don't want to be the first one, unless you're coming to help. Oh, avoid most all talk about salaries, a big contrast to living in Myanmar where multiple people asked me that before they knew how to pronounce my name. Remembering how to tip sucks - 15-20% at restaurants took me long enough to remember how to do (for a few months this was anxiety-ridden), and then I left a mega-tip for a hair dresser, because in the moment I couldn't for the life of me what amount I was supposed to give. She'll wonder why I never go back there...

All things considered, we're pretty darn good at being full-fledged Americans again. Making baked macaroni and cheese from scratch last week put me over some imaginary hump of being a full fledged American. People ask us a lot about culture shock & remind me that less than a year home isn't really that long. I guess that's true. The truth of it is, Living in 4 countries & traveling to 20+ others has made us exceptionally good at adapting.

Coming back and acknowledging a new set of norms hasn't been that bad. There's a mega-caveat there though:

Our Lifestyle Hasn't Changed.

Now granted, I've 100% neglected my passport since June, however, we're still the same explorers & we're still living like travelers. I've gone on 3 different trips since being back, I've crossed the city limits of Chicago on bike and train a ridiculous amount, I'm my own boss (take that cubicle!), and the biggest thing: we're still taking risks.

Long-time readers will remember our excitement announcing our website back in 2010, when we'd saved enough money teaching in Korea to work full-time from Bali, Thailand, & Malaysia. Since July, we've recommitted to that same mindset - to live our dreams. Our lives are much too precious to waste it doing anything else. Our first project is an iPhone travel app for Vienna (launching soon!). I pick on Kyle a bit that I'm a bigger risk taker than him, but when it comes down to it, we're taking risks lots of people are uncomfortable with. I've been a bit hushed about it on the blog, but:

we're leaving town a number of weeks this winter
we've re-started our tech business
we don't have steady income insight

We're lucky/clever/stupid (depending on your own adversity to risk) that over the past years of travel, we defined our ideal lifestyle, and we're still living it despite renting an apartment and now owning comfy couches in America.

Our lifestyle requirements:

doing work that makes us proud
living healthy - running, yoga, cooking whole foods, eating gobs of rice
constant learning - exploring Chicago, listening to NPR, and reading books
quality time w/ family & friends
spending lots of time together
spending our money on meaningful things (the list above)

Fast internet & a proper home office has spoiled us rotten, and also ensures we spend PLENTY of time together.

Can we really have our "traveler lifestyle" while living back in the US?

In short, we're not sure, but we've gone all building our business. It's not always easy to keep up our priorities while living in America. We regularly have conversations if $40 + bus fare is too much to spend on a date night out, and if our finances could realistically keep up with travel dreams & someday having a mini-traveler. We're taking risks right now that's for sure. We've set out to build a totally new skill set - making iPhone apps - to diversify ourselves, but along with that, we don't have a steady paycheck anywhere insight.

The good thing is I love the risk (and Kyle gets to pretend he does), and living in the US is actually to our advantage in at least one way: we're living in the land of self-starting risk takers. I learned one thing traveling the world, Americans have a unique mind-set of possibility thinking. Americans see molds and strive to go beyond them to create what we really want. In that way I can say resolutely, I'm back home with people just like me.

Read: How is it Being Home - Part 1

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A Changing Myanmar: Obama & the Empowered Change Makers

2012-11-20T17:37:36-06:00

No doubt you've been hearing a lot about Myanmar/Burma in the news lately, and I'm grateful. Reports of new economic policies, legal imports of Coca Cola, and political leaders visiting, keep a nation like Myanmar in the headlines, and it's exactly where it needs to be. I'll admit, headlines about distant lands are always a bit bewildering, how could a country NOT have ATMs (actually they just got 1 ATM)? Is there really a war still going on there? Although it may seem like a strange and different land, please absorb it is true. The people of Myanmar need us thinking about them if there's any chance of them coming out ahead.

Train cutting through a market in Mandalay.

When the train passes, the bustle continues. Market on the train tracks in Mandalay

Why did President Obama go to Myanmar?

The news about President Obama speaking in Yangon this week delighted many of my friends in Yangon, and I followed their Facebook feeds showing their tickets to his speech and photos of the big events. As part of a tour to Thailand & Cambodia, President Obama was the first sitting US president to visit Myanmar. Speculation aside about whether this is too soon for the US to engage so closely with the country, Myanmar is a nation in the middle of a major democratic shift.

As Obama points out in his speech, Myanmar borders the most populated nations in the world, India and China. I see him alluding to a clear US motive: China and India both have major interest in Myanmar and its resources, and the US needs to be strengthen relations before it's too late. This partly explains Secretary Hillary Clinton's and Senators John McCain's and Joe Lieberman's 2011-2012 visits to Myanmar, as well as major leaders from England, Australia, and many other nations.

The guaranteed place to see a visiting dignitary? Shwedagon Pagoda where we nearly bumped into

Senator John McCain (above) and Senator Joe Lieberman (below). Jan 2012 (Points if you can pick out Shannon & J of the Got Passports)

How often do you get to see a powerful Westerner's pale feet?

President Obama going where few foreigners had gone before.

I've been delighted that President Obama went to a city I love dearly, but oddly, what stuck out most to me was a small detail: that he spoke at the University of Yangon - a place foreigners are not allowed. Let that sink in for a moment - it's a public university where foreigners or the general public are not allowed. Imagine most university campuses you've visited with snack shops and students running to class or hanging out under a tree. Oh yea, and the fiery debate going on in classrooms. You or most anyone could walk onto a campus freely picking up a flying or listening to a guest speaker. The opposite is true in Myanmar - the general public is prevented from entering. Centrally located in Yangon, not far from Shwedagon Pagoda or Inya Lake with Daw Suu's home and many foreign Embassies, is this sort of eerie university campus, primarily empty.

I tried to enter once, knowing I wouldn't be allowed. Liking to push boundaries, though I had to try. Unlike most days, I actually saw a few students walking a path through campus, and I thought heck, "changes" are happening, maybe they'll let us in. My smile and request to enter was met by incredulous looks and generous laughs of the university guards. Kyle spoke Burmese to them and requested again. It was like they'd never heard him a funnier joke.

Why are people banned from entering?

President Obama alluded to it during his speech there: the history moments of students "demanding basic human rights" during rallies at the University make this a place that's typically kept under lock and key. Around the country, university students are discouraged from visiting and usually go only 3-4 times a year, studying instead by "distance education" programs that keep students at home instead of gathering together for knowledge, sharing ideas, or worse, repeats of past student rallies for justice. It's a far cry a productive Indian education system inherited from the British, that Myanmar also once benefited from.

Rather than formal education, hundreds of grassroots education programs exist around Myanmar allowing Myanmar students to get a deeper education. Above, a group of Shan students from a community based school I worked with at the annual Education Carnival at the Alliance Francais, Yangon.

President Obama Continuing a Wave of Empowerment.

On Monday Nov 19, President Obama took the podium at this ordinarily quiet university and spoke boldy and with vision to Myanmar (full speech). A few sounds bites:

"A dictatorship of 5 decades loosened its grip"..."and now you can see it. You can taste freedom."

"Fear does not have to the be the natural state of life in this country. That's why I'm here. That's why I came to Rangoon"

"This nation that has been so isolated can show the world the power of a new beginning"

"No process of reform will succeed without national reconciliation"

"The future of this country will be determined by the education of its youth." Photo from the lovely Camille McDorman

Secretary Clinton and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at Pres Obama's speech in Yangon. Photo from the lovely Camille McDorman

What I sense from my friends in Myanmar already is empowerment from President Obama's visit. He chose to visit and he chose now. And I believe that resonates to the core of so many of the community leaders and change makers I worked alongside. After decades and decades of extreme actions hindering the work of civil society, finally now does momentum seem so great to no longer squash community efforts to educate, give medical care, provide dignified funerals, prevent human trafficking, prevent HIV/AIDS, unify ethnic groups that historically clash, etc. It's complex to explain why these efforts for years were a struggle, but what's easier to accept is that it has begun to shift, and so significantly that it can't easily be retracted.

Using words like "dictatorship", "democratic elections", and "remembering the poor" Obama was pushing the boundaries of acceptable speech in Myanmar, and these statements were likely very calculated by the Administration and the State Department. These phrases aren't heard openly in Myanmar, and they are extremely significant in a nation like Myanmar, where criticisms of the government are vast, but seldom tolerated. A nation of 50 million where 2% of GDP is spent on health (only North Korea is lower), a similar 2% spent on education, GDP per capita is $379 - a little more than $1/day, and less than 1/100 use the internet, cited here, here, and here.

While I stayed far from these sorts of controversies while in Myanmar, it's exciting to see the tolerance of bold speak tolerated. President Obama isn't the first to push the envelope on issues, I was delighted when Jackie Chan came with the UN for human trafficing, a formerly forbidden topic & significant problem for Myanmar's poor. This trend will continue next month, when singer Jason Mraz will perform with MTV Exit raising awareness about human trafficking, in the People's Park, ironically named since it's Yangon's largest green space that was closed to the public for decades.

The Real Empowerment Starters.

These big names are just the publicly recognizable figures. I've worked with hundreds in Myanmar that helped start this wave of empowerment, many of them going unnoticed. To mention a few:

Nuns that despite risking severe church condemnation give birth control and treatment to young women caught up in the former HIV/AIDS hot bed in the Golden Triangle.
20 year old Kachin youth who took it upon themselves to create schools in refugee/internally displaced people (IDP) camps in Kachin State while fighting still goes on.
Muslim community leaders with firm beliefs in education and inter-faith cooperation risk consequences gathering youth for conferences with Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim leaders.
Teens turned environmental activists documenting of land disputes and pollution, write Burmese children books about taking care of their environment.
The dedicated staff providing food and education at the HIV/AIDS drop in center catering to women and men alike.
And many of my close friends that commit themselves so fully to the education of young adults.

Traditional ceremony of Myanmar students thanking their teachers at the end of term. Was a tremendously humbling experience to watch these young community change makers on their knees praying for and thanking their teachers.

Each of these leaders is worthy of a book to tell the story of the dedication, love and change they bring to their community. And instead of even so much as a mention in a news article, let alone in this blog, they work somewhat anonymously. For so long, it was the only way they could work.

However, if today in 2012 is any indicator for the future, I envision many of those unsung heroes will be acknowledged. Someday, that sort of change will come.

--

Feeling inspired to help? Support two of my amazing friends in starting a study abroad for university aged students to travel to Sri Lanka: Fundraising for Burmese Student Volunteer Program

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Eating my way through New York City with Friends

2012-11-15T12:01:49-06:00

One of the things I like most about being back in the US is the food. Now don't get me wrong, my mouth waters regularly for my favorite Asian dishes (Myanmar's tea leaf salad, tohu nwe, and Thailand's Kow Soi to name a few), but for years being abroad I'd crave good desserts, a good sandwich not on white bread with sugar, and pretty much anything with cheese or milk. So when a friend told me to come to NY to see her in mid-October, I immediately started planning my food. And suddenly an entire food itinerary came to fruition. Lucky for me, I had friends to help me eat New York & point me to their favorite places.

I'll pass on the unicorn meat - where's the good stuff?!

Allow me to take you on my tour. Drooling is encouraged.

Burmese at Cafe Mingala

Ok, ok, so the first thing I ate in New York City was Myanmar/Burmese food. I told you I missed it! Here's why - there are NO Burmese restaurants in Chicago. NONE. I cry myself to sleep at night and have to settle with making my own. And central NYC has ONE Burmese restaurant (someone tell me if I'm wrong), called Mingala Cafe. And it was the perfect place since I was reconnecting with 3 of my old amazing volunteers from Myanmar, Hannah, Amy, and Matt that started the non-profit Burma Education.

And as tends to happen in the Myanmar community, my friends recognized 2 monks eating in the restaurant, and after talking a while, we realized we had friends in common. These monks in NYC knew one of my students in Yangon.

Burmese/Myanmar green tea leaf salad at Cafe Mingala. Of course, not quite as good as at my favorite tea shops in Yangon, but it certainly fit the part. I recommend it for Burmese food fans new or old!

Pastries at Veniero's

Next up, a NYC family-run institution since 1894, Veniero's claims to be the oldest Italian Pastry Shop in the US.

Veniero's is the sort of place that you won't ask to be passed a canoli, you'll run off with it so you don't have to share! And probably their fruit tart too.

Ukranian at Ukranian East Village Restaurant

I topped this first day of touring off with dinner with my old colleague from Thailand, Gretchen, who was a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine for 2+ years. And since I'd never really tried it, I couldn't pass up dinner at the Ukranian East Village Restaurant.

Gretchen's favorite is the very traditional Borsht with dollops of sour cream of course. It's a staple of Ukraine's diet, and beets give it the beautiful red color.

More food than I could possibly eat (thanks American portion sizes!), a potato pancake, cheese blintz, and pierogis (with cheese, spinach, and potato) all smile for the camera.

Japanese festival food at Otafuku

Day 2 started off with a 5 mile run through Prospect Park in Brooklyn - I had extra calories to burn! I met up with great friends Kate & Dennis who came up from DC to see me, and I took them to a Japanese I'd loved from my last trip to NY for TBEX in 2010. The return to Otafuku did not disappoint!

"It's Japanese festival food!" Kate immediately got excited that the closet sized restaurant was filled with some of her favorite foods form her 2 years as a JET teacher in rural Japan.

Okonomiyaki with dried squid flakes & Takoyaki octopus balls at Otafuku restaurant in NYC - SO GOOD!!!

Kate & I eating Japanese festival style

Look at that sweet little red bean filled Taiyaki waiting to be scarfed.

Coffee at Porto Rico Importing

Next up was the 100+ year old coffee importing shop that Kate & Dennis on every visit to NYC. You get in there, and it's easy to understand why, the place is so stuffed with delicious fresh beans from all corners of the world it's hard to walk.

Porto Rico Importing is a sight & delightful coffee scent to behold.

Ukranian Pierogies & Cookies at Veselka restaurant in NYC

When asking for food suggestions, one of my readers pointed to these black & white cookies. My thought? boooooring. Then you eat one and your life changes! It's the most delicious shortbread cookie with vanilla & dark chocolate fondant. Uhhhhh! Want!

Hearing from my friends Matt that Veselka sold the best pierogis in NYC, I couldn't pass it up. Unlike the "World's Best Cup of Coffee", these pierogis did not disappoint. Soft, melted cheese, fresh ingredients, I'd allow them the title Best in NYC.

Pizza at Lombardi's

Hearing from multiple sources that Lombardi's is the best pizza in NYC, I had to try it out. Started in 1905, they claim to be America's first pizzeria & known popularly as NYC best pizza. I'm no NY pizza connoisseur, but light on cheese and with fluffy thin crusty, I was a huge fan.

Cheesecake at Junior's Most Fabulous Cheesecake & Desserts

Going to eat inside the beautiful Grand Central Station, felt like stepping back in time. They're famous NY eateries I'm so glad I didn't miss.

Grand Central Station's reflection at night. It's slightly grainy since I took it with my iPhone 4S, but even in low light, it's a decent camera!

Main terminal in Grand Central Station feels like walking back in time.

Pumpkin Cheesecake from Junior's in Grand Central Station was definitely fabulous. I like my cheesecake not overly cheese tasting, and this one was creamy and wonderful.

Oysters & Crabcakes at Grand Central Oyster Bar, NYC

Coming from middle America, far from salt water, I typically don't put salty sea creatures in my mouth. However, my east coast friends were determined I change this. As scrutinized and savored as a fine wine, these little creatures are a delicacy I don't quite understand. To me they're slimy sea-dwellers, but I try everything at least 3 times.

Freaked out by their slime, I learned I liked oysters on a halfshell with a bit of cocktail sauce, vinegar, saur kraut, and probably anything else they would have given me. I think this was the equivalent of a child drinking coffee with heaps of coffee & milk, but I thought it was pretty great.

I made Dennis, a loyal Marylander, shudder slightly ordering a Maryland Crabcake in NY, but there was no denying it was fantastic.

So, now you're thinking, what can she eat from there? How can you top oysters & pizza & canolis & octopus balls?! One Word: Chocolate!

Chocolate at Serendipity 3

A long time fan of the movie Serendipity, on my previous 2 trips to NY, I was quite disappointed not to make it there. But Dennis & Kate are my new travel eating soulmates, and were very willing to indulge in all the right ways.

Finally making it to Serendipity! - with Kate & Dennis

Serendipity's Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate (their spelling, not mine), is divine. And I don't say that lightly. It's pure liquified chocolate iced, covered with whipped cream, and topped with chocolate flakes. We each got multiple brain freezes from this concoction, that although painful were worth powering through.

Hello Chocolate! The clever owners of Serendipity have a bill minimum, so we were *ahem* forced to order this lovely number: the Forbidden Broadway Sundae with blackout chocolate cake, ice cream, hot fudge and whipped cream. Almost enough to make a girl forget how much she misses Asian food.

More than eating?

So if you're wondering what I was doing in New York, besides eating amazing food, the answer is making some work connections & reconnecting with great friends.

The big event was Jodi & Shannon launching their books - my friends are authors! Jodi's Food Traveler's Handbook and Shannon's Volunteer Traveler's Handbook are great tools for travelers looking to add depth to their experiences. I've known these ladies for a few years, mainly seeing them in SE Asia, and it's so exciting to see where life takes us.

And one of the best things that can happen for a traveler is to have their friends from totally different spheres meeting in one place. Clockwise is Matt, Gretchen, Amy, Kate, and I, gathering with a joined passion for travel. Matt & Amy are 2 of the 3 awesome volunteers that I know from Myanmar, Gretchen is my former wonderful colleague that managed the Burma Volunteer Program, and Kate is one of my dearest friends since 2001 that I met through studying in London.

We had a little travel friends from Chiang Mai Asian bubble tea rendezvous with Drew Meyers, Shannon from A Little Adrift, me, Jodi from Legal Nomads, and Mike from Life with Lindy. I also reconnected with a number of travel bloggy friends including the lovely Sherry from Otts World & Matt of Nomadic Matt, and finally met Can Can from Mom Most Traveled.

I can say resoundingly, New York was wonderful. And as a dear friend in Korea once told me, a meal is always more delicious when shared with a great friend.

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A Change in Travel Tradition: Our 5th Wedding Anniversary

2012-11-08T12:49:03-06:00

Kyle and I have had a wedding anniversary tradition to celebrate every year in a new place, that is until this year. Our long time readers, might remembers a lot of these anniversary celebrations as we hopped our way around the world. (Honk if you're an exploration junkie too!)

And since it all hinges, on getting hitched, here's a wedding photo from September 2, 2007.

Our honeymoon mountain biking in Whistler, B.C., Canada

1st Anniversary: Nicaragua, 2008

The tradition started with our 1st Anniversary in Granada, Nicaragua where despite Kyle's intense allergy to horses, he indulged me in an old-fashioned horse carriage ride.

1st Anniversary carriage ride through Granada, Nicaragua

8 months into our trip in 2008 - We looked so young!

2nd Anniversary: Korea 2009

Korean fall was in full color by the time we celebrated our slightly belated anniversary in the chiseled mountainscapes of Seoraksan National Park in northeastern South Korea. It was by far one of the most beautiful places & hikes we experienced in Korea!

Colorful leaves leading to our hike.

True to Korean style, we're wearing orange couples polos underneath. :)

3rd Anniversary: Thailand, 2010

Our 3rd Anniversary we spent in the beautiful rice fields & caves of Chiang Dao, but the real love story here is Kyle's tale of me nursing him back to health after his scary bout of dengue fever.

A quiet hike up a mountain takes you to the beautiful Samnak Song Tham Pha Plong, Buddhist Monk Monastery.

Kyle post-dengue fever with the rice fields & mountains of Chiang Dao

Anniversary hammock love (not in a creepy way) at Malee's Nature Lovers Resort in Chiang Dao

4th Anniversary: Myanmar, 2011

For our 4th anniversary we were ready for a work break & headed through rain clouds to the beautiful Kyaiktiyo pagoda, the golden pagoda balancing on Buddha's hair on a mountain cliff in Mon State. We stayed in a mountain top lodge hoping for a sunrise view, and we were rewarded with wonderful sunshine through the clouds!

A monk and friends pray at Kyaiktiyo, golden rock pagoda.

Kyle wearing longyi & me in a towel (forgot my tamain!)

5th Anniversary: USA, 2012

After that journey, did we top it off with some exotic site for our 5th anniversary? In some ways - yes! We spent it somewhere totally unique, where we'd never celebrated before - at home in Chicago. We had a few urges to fly or drive a car somewhere we'd never been (Detroit is romantic, no?), but in the end, no where felt better to us than being home.

Beautiful, Sweet Home Chicago.

We cuddled up looking through our newly unpacked wedding album.

We biked to the place we met, Griffin's Public House which was next to the fire station at Halsted & Diversey.

We biked to where we first kissed - at the Wiener Circle on Clark Ave. (We're that classy.)

And we rode our bikes to the place we took our wedding photos (Compare to our 1st photo!)

Last stop - our neighborhood Dala Horse. Andersonville is full of Swedish charm.

A somewhat foreign sentiment floated in the air -- "doesn't being home feel great?" And it does. We're finding adventure in our great city.

Our night came to en end in true backpacker style, we sat on a street corner 2 blocks from home, next to the dala house, drinking champagne and eating strawberries and chocolate. (Insert laugh track.) Because even though we're home, we're travelers to our core. And we've started an exciting, new chapter together.

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Thank you, again, Internet.

2012-10-19T10:27:19-05:00

Why hello happy tears. Once again the internet has just made me crazy excited because I've yet again discovered something amazing that most people have been doing for months/years (ie my new 4sq addiction). Our friends & readers know that 1.5 years in Myanmar put us into a lack of communication bubble. So much so that we lived there 1 year before the internet & my crazed work schedule allowed me to Skype. 1 year! And during the Arab Spring I struggled to load my Gmail in html our internet was so restricted - indeed fledgling democracies don't want people starting Twitter revolutions. Our first months living there we rarely could access our email, let alone read major headlines, open Facebook, or check in on 4sq.

No internet? How about a roof top art exhibit instead with dear friends.

And I hope that doesn't sound like complaining, just sharing. Backtracking to living without internet was an eye-opening experience and allowed us to focus on friends, work, and riding human-operated ferris wheels.

But the uphill climb to use slow internet, resulted in my amazing partner stepping up to run our blog. Every 10 weeks on our visa run in Thailand Kyle would upload our photos, and picked up my slack writing blog posts. Our site has always been a labor of love, but sharing our story was even more of a challenge then.

So, I'll spill it already, Kyle just found that people like us on Pinterest. I hardly understand what that means. People with bigger internet followings might be unimpressed, but fact that 40-50 or so random people have stuck our photos up on Pinterest makes me really happy. Now I have to figure out how to interact with people on Pinterest - tell me if you can explain it!

Seriously happy tears. People are sharing our photos - our memories - on Pinterest.

One of the things I've been trying to work out lately, is what direction to head in next. I love that Kyle and I have this blog. I love that we have readers, fans and friends all over the world, that have followed our years of travel. And I love talking about travel.

I don't know how all of that will combine into making something even cooler, but if you have ideas, please let me know. And I've been neglecting writing about what we're working on lately, but more to come about our travel iPhone app work soon!

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Waiting for The Lady: Finally Seeing Aung San Suu Kyi speak in Yangon

2012-09-19T17:59:42-05:00

With Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visiting the US this week I'm compelled so much to write about her that I can no longer put off posting about Myanmar. (Currently, it's pretty hard for me to look back at my pictures from Myanmar.)

The powerful Shwedagon Pagoda at dusk.

She's a personal hero of mine, a woman who has exhibited unrelenting and almost stronger than human resilience as an icon for democracy for her country and around the world. She's an image of elegance and beauty and has maintained her lifelong commitment to progress in her country despite decades of house arrest, separation from her loved ones, and isolation from the outside world.

When we arrived in Myanmar in January 2011, it was less than 2 months after Daw Suu (Auntie Suu) was released from house arrest. President Thein Sein took over as president and Myanmar started on this unprecedented journey of change by reconvening Parliament after decades and by giving minority groups a role in government that few could believe. Daw Suu slowly emerged from her years of imprisonment in her home, and I sat on the edge of seats in quite a few closed rooms speaking in hushed tones and understood code words with local friends about her first meetings with the new President and her start at making public appearances.

Candles lit at Shwedagon.

In early 2011, locals still would not display photos of the Lady in public nor speak her name fully in a tea shop. She was an off limits topic. I once had a man on a bus across the aisle from me reach for his necklace under his shirt and making eye contact with me, show me her photo. He quickly replaced it back under his shirt, and I sat stone faced, delighted and in awe, not wanting to react. Always, I had to maintain an appearance of neutrality.

Riding one of the older buses in Yangon.

I would never show or express in public my disapproval or shock or opinion related to any sensitive issues, including politics amongst many topics. Hiding emotion or opinion is common in many Asian countries, but no where was it as prevalent as living in Myanmar, a transitioning democratic nation. And I'd have lengthy conversations with my volunteers about the risks these conversations could have for locals or for themselves while teaching in the country. There were plenty of examples of foreigners getting deported and locals facing negative consequences for saying or doing the wrong thing.

Months later, in July, the Lady made one of her first big public appearances to mark the anniversary of her father's assassination by visiting his memorial site. I stayed away, despite my inclination to see her. Friends that attended were photographed repeatedly and intimidated by people "in charge of watching". I avoided every event where I could see Daw Suu and went about my work. I did my best to blend in, sometimes tough as one of the foreigners living in my neighborhood.

Delivery men folding newspapers on a rainy day in downtown Yangon.

Later that year, I watched stunned as Daw Suu's photos appeared on the cover of newspapers. They'd quickly sell out. Internet censorship lifted quickly, allowing the use of YouTube and non-government run news sources. Daw Suu began her political campaign and after much concern over her safety traveling around the country (based on historical incidents), she did in fact travel, and every where she went, she drew crowds of hundreds and tens of thousands of loyal followers. Emotions ran high. An excitement buzzed through Yangon and all of Myanmar. They were no longer whispers, people yelled her name, wore her photo, followed her every move, and hugged her every chance they had.

Campaigning for Parliament, the energy for Daw Suu was palpable. Her party's red flag with a yellow fighting peacock appeared in more places than I could have imagined. A people formerly intimidated to speak her name in public were now brave enough to display flags on their cars, from apartment windows, and unbelievably on their shirts. Despite the shifts, I still feared for them, and I still walked by t-shirt and key chain stands not wanting to be seen buying anything myself.

Once she was elected, and actually took office, a calm settled over the people. There had been victory. Their leader was allowed to lead. The cities I frequented for work suddenly felt different. People seemed to stand taller, speak a bit more openly, and certainly hoped a bit more for the future. Myanmar was a different place now. The international media was allowed in to watch. The world as their witness, Myanmar had changed.

A new sight in Myanmar, people proudly wearing the flag of the democratic party.

As Kyle and I neared the end of our time in Myanmar in mid 2012, I still avoided political events but finally bought a few key chains of Daw Suu to give to friends in Thailand. Even on April 1st as hundreds celebrated outside her campaign headquarters in Yangon, Kyle and I stayed low key and away from the events. I'd assumed I'd leave Myanmar without seeing her.

Our Last Chance to See Her

Just one week before we left Yangon, May 25, we heard rumors that her Party the National League for Democracy was opening a new office down the street from our apartment, and that Daw Suu would come to speak. There were often rumors of her coming to events where she didn't show up, so we weren't holding our breath, but as we walked out of my office in downtown Yangon, we thought we'd try our luck. As we walked over, people filled the streets waving the party's flag and wearing head scarves and stickers.

Waiting for Daw Suu to arrive - cars still trying to pass through the crowds.

Faces and NLD flags in the crowd.

A boy sitting atop a tree to get a better view.

Don't you just want to pinch his cute little thanaka covered cheeks?

We waited a few hours as the sun set, the crowd growing more and more excited anticipating her arrival. People cheered, waved flags, and bounced their babies. Grateful, it seemed to me, that they could be in the streets this way. Excited that they too, along with their loyal countrymen, would have the chance to hear her speak.

Father and sun waving the flag of the National League for Democracy (NLD).

Cameras go up as the Lady arrives standing through the sun roof of a car.

As the motorcade pulled up, I wasn't the only one with tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. Petite, and yet larger than life, Daw Suu, was a person people looked to and depended on for hope. Cameras went up in the air, and arms waved to the Daw Suu in royal blue, with white flowers in her hair. Dozens of balloons flew up into the air, signaling she'd arrived. Confetti fluttered into the crowd.

Watching the balloons fly as Daw Suu arrives.

As she spoke from the 3rd floor balcony, the crowd looked on sometimes laughing, sometimes serious, and sometimes echoing her words with excitement. Kyle would lean over, and say " she said newspaper... election... father..." Despite our lack of comprehension, her presence and the energy of the crowd is a memory I'll hold with me a long time.

As she began to speak, she realized some people couldn't see her around the fabric, and enthusiastically got it out of people's view.

Speaking to her eager crowd, most of whom it's their first time seeing her.

An attentive audience listening to Daw Suu and offering two fingers for peace.

Surrounded by images of her self and a family portrait with her father at the new NLD office on Mahabandoola Rd in downtown Yangon. A simple "stage" for a Nobel Peace Prize winner that's greeted warmly by heads of state around the world.

This is one of my many vivid memories from Yangon. It's one of hundreds that at least when I share them, it makes it seem less far away, that I was there, and a it's a place I can and will return to.

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Missing Asia

2012-07-23T19:45:02-05:00

I cried today in yoga class. Can I say anything more hippie-sounding than that? Only if I told you it was while waving my arms and summoning my inner animal spirit. Ok, that last part's a lie.

I lost it when I suddenly I felt like I was back in Asia. I was in a chilled out yellow room, the sunlight flowing in with framed pictures of yoga gurus adorned with flowers in one corner. We were doing these really intense breathing exercises where you breath in and out quickly in one second repeatedly and then hold your breath for 40-60 seconds after. It released something for me. Tears started uncontrollably rolling down my face. At least I didn't start wailing or something.

I was teleported suddenly from Chicago to another continent where I learned that breathing technique in Korea, then to Bali to the studio I felt like I was back in, and then to Chiang Mai where I'd learned to really appreciate these breathing exercises.

Before class at the Yoga Barn in Ubud, Bali.

The feelings overwhelmed me. Tears streamed down my face. "I miss Asia," I thought to myself. I found a tissue and took a few deep breaths to think.

At home, I recalled it all for Kyle, and I think it slightly panicked him. He's so happy having a home back in Chicago. As soon as I said it, I realized it's not the sort of missing that makes me want to book the next flight out. It's the sort of missing that makes me realize how much of my life was wrapped up in things I could access easily in Asia, and I haven't done it here.

Hopefully I can here.

I suppose I just have to approach it the right way. I need to keep the same zest and vigor seeking out interesting sights and sounds like I did traveling the world while I'm resettling back home in Chicago. But with Kyle working regularly and scheduling stuff weeks in advance to make it happen, how do I keep things interesting?

I suppose it's finding fresh food markets that I love, trying neighborhood walking tours, and museum visits. Hopefully I'll get started on all that, after I write another cover letter.

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Any advice for keeping a "travel mindset" once resettled back home again? I'm all ears!!

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