Fourth leg: Singapore

Because of my eternal desire to be thrifty (stingy?), I searched to find tickets as cheap as I could. I thought initially it would be the new startup budget airline, Tiger Airways, based in Bangkok, and at first that looked promising, but then the taxes lumped on top ended up doubling the cost!! Orbitz.com, my new travel advisor friend, had them cheaper and with a faster journey. Still, it wasn't the most direct flight. On the way, I had to go via Hong Kong, and on the way back, I stopped in Singapore. Hong Kong was barely an hour, but Singapore had 16hours!!

I arrived at 8pm and took the very convenient very clean very efficent MRT train into the city (for a whopping cost of $1.50) and stayed at a hostel for the night. Because I'm in reminsice mode, I thought a lot about my first trip there in 1992. It was bloody sticky and hot (and still is, but I just don't notice), and dusty and dirty (but I hadn't seen Manila yet!). Mum and Dad wouldn't recognize it, and of course our beloved 7th Storey Hotel is probably gone with all the glitz and glamour!! High rises are everywhere and it's so manicured and efficient. I feel guilty chewing gum and jaywalking, and where does anyone allow that kind of conscience interfere with living!?!

Off to the airport for a 1pm flight the next day--oh, I looooooooooovvvveee Changi Airport. I need to stop there more often. They just know what people need and want, and give it to them. No charges, no uncomfortable seats. Just free movies, loaned blankets, free wireless, and great shopping!! No lines, no inefficiency, just smooth, comfortable transit.

Third Leg: Australia

My dear Aunty Helen and her family live in Perth, WA, and I've been promising to visit for the last three years. Very slack that I am, I didn't get there till now. I had a lovely quiet, chatty week, there, though, and finished my assignment (late, but with extension). We even went to see the Kiev Ballet's performance of Sleeping Beauty. They do their lineups well, but the rest was just average. I'm going to the land of ballet! I wonder if I'll see some in Baku!?

Perth's climate is wonderful. Despite being winter and having a few cool, rainy days, it was warm and sunny and clear. Perfect. I know their summers have ghastly levels of heat and dryness, but right now it was gorgeous. Just to prove how cold NZ gets, its winter was just like a NZ summer, but more predictable!

Helen and Jeff's boys, Daniel and Rory are all grown up (from the last time I saw them, anyway!!), and there was lots of car talk because of accidents, car swapping, insurance, etc. I can't wait to get a car! This is Rory's new car: a 2000 Honda Civic.

I do feel a close affinity with Australia, and just like when I spent a week in Brisbane and NSW, I am seriously considering moving there one day. Ah, but when!! What would I do!?

June 12, 2008:

Just added some photos. Jeff and his brother were cleaning a wood pile and found some hibernating blue-tongued stump-tail lizards. We woke them up to move them and they hissed at us. They looked like snakes and would certainly have given me a fright if I'd seen them without knowing what they were. The Bennett dog, Banjo (from the Australian poet Banjo Patterson, whose poetry is on the $10 note!!) was very curious about them!!

These are some pictures of the Cunningham family.

Second/Fifth Leg: Farewell Bangkok

It's amazing how much I've come to really enjoy Bangkok. I'm not sure I'd want to live there, but it's a great place to visit. After three years of "visits" (more like escapes!) I've gotten to know my way around fairly well. Because this was my last trip for a while I had to do all my favorite things a last time. The yummy Nestle white chocolate with berry... mmmm.... mani-pedi, leg wax (not a favorite thing, but a necessity because of going to 1st world prices!), markets, shopping for cds and dvds. Wiling away hours on the internet!!

The worst/best part about Bangkok are the super cheap taxis. I hate Bangkok taxi drivers though! They never know where they're going, they drive around for ages, but the airconditioning is cold! They always want to charge you more, and want a set price because the meter is so cheap. Who do they think they're dealing with, eh?? :) The worst part though, the absolute worst, is when they don't fill up their gas tanks. That is so frustrating! I've lost track of how many times I've been on my way to the airport going 120km/h (yes, they love their dangerous speeds--on the latest trip I broke my record--165km/h--insanity!) and the car jerks as the engine feels the emptiness in the tank. Jerk, jerk, jerk, as I'm thrown forward by the unhappy car! The last trip, of course, he was the lowest I've ever seen anyone (in other words, it started immediately instead of half way through the journey), so this time instead of going fast he went super slowly!! But I made it, so I suppose I shouldn't complain!

On the way back from Australia, I had 8 hours in Suvarnabhumi Airport. I hate it!!! It is stark and empty and ugly and colorless. It's freezing cold and the chairs are ugly and uncomfortable. Good riddance airport, but Bangkok, my dear friend, adieu.

First leg: Philippines

I promised that when I left the black hole of Burma that I would maintain this blog more regularly, but I'm not doing too well am I? I left two weeks ago today, and it's been a bit of a whirlwind time, I've entered/exited 6 countries, and seen 5 airports (I hate airports). I'll try and catch up. First leg of the journey: Philippines.

I didn't even know I was going until I was supposed to be at the airport already! I literally bought my ticket at 9am and was on the flight by noon. This meant that I arrived with no contact details for anyone, and so had to stay in a hotel for the night. It's funny being a tourist in Manila. There is not much infrustructure for it, and it's just so far from my Philippines experience in the past. Lots of things about this trip were! Anyway, found a nice place in Makati and then later met up with JB and Tara (from Kuwait) who then invited me to move to their place!

It was so funny being back in Manila after so long away. I was at first surprised by how little of the route to the airport that I remembered. Seeing the first jeepney was like a punch to the stomach--such a unique aspect of the Philippines!! It really hasn't changed much, though, really. I thought it would be closer to Bangkok's ultra modernity, but it's not. It's still crowded and disorganized and a jumble of places with a poor road system!!

On Friday night JB and Tara were at a birthday party mystery trail so I came along. They were assigned people and had to buy ridiculous costumes for each person--hello SM Makati (the cheapest department store in the world and one of my favorite shops)!! I can't think of a better idea for a party in Manila where stupid trinkets, etc are so cheap and easily available, although I suppose $1 shops would work too! Tara was buying along a water theme for one woman, who had to wear a pink rubber tube all evening, while the rest of us had crowns, swimming caps, sun visors that looked like welders helmets, ski caps and other ridiculous regalia. What a riot of fun! So from Makati we took the (new for me) LRT train closer to Malate and tried to take the train from there, but ended up comandeering a jeepney instead! Pollution and gas fumes on EDSA are still bad! Malate had some interesting bars and we ended up in a Cuban one-Havana's?, and enjoyed good food and drinks before heading home at a reasonable hour.

The ISM teachers all live in high rises in Makati so live a very different life from Brent teachers, most of whom are living in either Alabang or Brentville. On Saturday went to a brunch in another lady's appartment--very lovely, with painted walls and marble floors and trinkets from Shanghai! Met lots more and heard lots of teacher gossip about their school.

That afternoon, I headed down to Pasig through Fort Bonifacio -- very unrecognizable -- Pasig looks almost exactly the same, from Shaw Blvd to Mega Mall. Pasig campus was the same as well. The various alumni from several years gathered in the now quite shabby looking multi-purpose hall (I remember when that was built 10 years plus ago). It was a farewell to Brent Pasig because it's closing. It was mainly organized by Dr. Escobar and the other regulars, Kristi Pozon and Lulu Floresca were also there to see people. My year had around 10 people representing! Other years a few less. I figured since it was the 10 year reunion, it would be an appropriate time to go back. It was interesting to reminisce, and had a wander around campus and there have been a few changes, but mostly I noticed the trees had grown. Life goes on I suppose.

For anyone who's interested, from my year, Aris Cebrero (and his wife), Ystevie Ty (now married to Janee Chuachiock), Chris Garcia, Joanne Tsai (now married), Catrina Tan, Bianca Scaife (now married), Miggy Villalon, Ernesto Gala, and Gilbert Ching all showed up. We caught up on lots of gossip, babies, marriages, past secrets and other such stuff.

I went and had a look around Megamall. It's still my favorite place to shop, even if it's more crowded than it was before! I took the LRT train back to Makati (easy as pie and only 10 pesos!). If only that had existed before, my life there would have been different!

On Sunday morning, Tara took me in to see the stunning ISM campus.It's an enormous building by the same architect that built the Brent Mamplasan one. It seemed much more spread out with less cohesion because of a lack of that central courtyard with the high ceilings. They had lovely flags and such blowing in the breeze and I saw the IB art exhibition through the window.

Sunday afternoon was a trip to Greenhills which hasn't changed at all. The parking is still a nightmare as are the crowds in the stalls. The number of restaurants in Manila is enormous now, and malls seem to be everywhere, which I suppose is the same as before, but I notice just how many there are in contrast to other places!

On Sunday evening I went to Kerri and James's appartment--lovely place on the 36th floor, with stunning views, but no balcony where they ordered in yummy Indian food for dinner. Their baby, Asha, was born only a dayafter JB and Tara's Eddie.

On Monday I went into Brent Mamplasan--an ordeal in a taxi because the driver didn't want to go so far south, so I had to pay the fare back as well. It was the same!! Nellie and Janet and everyone said hello. Bumped into Jason Atkins, Joe Mock, Dick Robbins, etc, etc, etc. Everyone I saw asked after Mum and Dad and Andre and sent their very best wishes! It was such a lovely community, and I enjoyed that I could speak English everywhere!

Aurelio took me back to Alabang, and from there taxis were 500 pesos so I took a Jeepney and a bus instead!! It's funny that I only experience these things when I go back!!

All in all it was a wonderful trip filled with memories, but I remembered how I didn't really fit in there, because I was an outsider, and was glad that I've moved on in the world! Still, it was a great place to grow up.

Zorig, departure, and more

On the plane from Bangkok I sat next to the most interesting
character. He was a Siberian (Northern Mongolian) Russian who
originally came to Myanmar 20 years ago to be a monk--which he was for
16 years! He now works in some kind of joint-venture oil company (that
doesn't get any oil, he said!), and just loves Myanmar, but regrets
his drinking habits and is fascinated with religion. He spoke Thai,
Burmese, Russian, and his Mongolian dialect, among other languages,
and his English was excellent (and self-taught or so he said). Perhaps
he was a spy, and a very charming one. What a very interesting
person!!

So I have left Myanmar for good. It has been a surreal few weeks and
an even more unreal departure. Friends are gone, there are no
farewells or the slow move towards end of term to prepare us. Yangon
is still a crazy town, but at least aid is arriving (as are
journalists!), but the government still has a tight reign on
everything. The foreigners that were getting through before are now
blocked from going to even delta regions of Yangon Division. I met two
very frustrated photojournalists who are going home empty handed, but
not for lack of trying. Aid trucks were going down with local groups
every day, so aid was reaching the people, and other agencies finally
got government permission. ASEAN is supposed to be helping and now Ban
Ki Moon is in town to discuss the situation. Big Gen Than Shwe finally
made an appearance as well! Supposedly he was hiding away and shunning
the bad luck/fortune of the situation. Two boats of refugees that the
government asked to leave a monastery apparently sunk with 1300 people
aboard, but that's still unconfirmed and rumours about here and get
larger and larger with exaggeration the further they spread.

Myanmar and those hardworking long-suffering people are getting on
with their lives with the little bit of aid that gets through. How
much have you given to help?

How effective are we?

As ASEAN pledges to manage the arriving aid, and large NGOs and media
gain access to the devastated Irrawaddy delta, things are moving along
in terms of the aid in Myanmar. For a while they were complaining of
not being allowed in, but the small cracks that were always there have
now widened and aid is getting through. Better late than never.

As I mentioned before, there are three types of aid: big agencies,
small NGOs and independent aid groups. The most aid I've heard about
has been from the third group--those average people like myself that
just want to help out and can't see an effective way of working
through the agencies, so hire a truck, buy aid, and do it themselves.
It's great to see everyone having such a helping spirit, but having
been part of several groups doing this, and observing others, it's
frustrating to see that so many willing and intelligent people cannot
do as much as they want to to help. We are all here, we do not need
visas, we are available and very willing to help. But how much can we
do, honestly? I've said before that one of the best things we can do
is raise money, but it's really hard to direct that to places that
will ensure the amount is spent in the best possible way, stretched
the furthest, and benefiting the most number of people for the longest
period of time.

Each an every group involved has had troubles and challenges, and
there is an enormous learning curve as we all figure out the best way
to organize, purchase, distribute and help. We are amateurs and we
aren't trained, but we want to help. The divide between the three
types of aid is frustrating, but even more is that we cannot be more
effective.

It's frustrating that the government of this country is not doing more
to help it's own people, and is also harming it's own people. I have
no doubt that the people of the delta will bounce back onto their
feet, but how much struggle and time will it take. How much should we
give that is not too much?

Aid agencies are saying the best thing we can do is stimulate the
local economies, particuarly the supply and demand lines. Instead of
buying fishing nets in Yangon, we should buy them in the village,
stimulating the supply line that was naturally there. So we're working
on this! I learned more about fishing nets today than I think I ever
did. Did you know a finished net costs around $30? Of is that the
foreigner price? That's another one of our challenges!

I am pleased to report, however, that the aid is definately getting
through in large quantities and in the two weeks since the cyclone the
people are now in a better situation than they were after it hit. How
much better could they be if more had been done sooner? Who knows? I
guess the only relief is that aid is happening!

Aid in Myanmar

In Myanmar, aid is not as simple as it is portrayed in the media. Nor
is the situation, the government, the needs or the wants. I will not
deny that the government is as corrupt as any can be. Indonesia under
Suharto would not be a bad comparison. The scalping and gouging that
has occurred with the price of everything since the cyclone is typical
of this. As my landlady said, once the price of things goes up, it
stays up, and will never come back down. Sellers realise that they can
charge a higher price so greed sets in. There have been lots of
stories about the government collecting the aid for themselves, either
stockpiling it to sell (which I have seen--on the street near my
house, there have been trucks with aid sitting there for the past
week, going nowhere, except the warehouse in the compound next door),
or changing the aid agency's name to their own name (also something I
can verify has happened).

In the past week or so, I've heard of many aid trips that have made it
down to the delta areas, so if you heard that none is getting through,
that is absolutely false and exaggerated. However, not enough is
getting through that could due to the restrictions of road blocks and
government requirements, permits, restrictions, etc. Some of the tales
are horrific. The stories of dead carcasses contaminating water
supplies are true, although many townships, especially those closer to
Yangon, this has been remedied. The furthest away, such as in Labutta
township, are much worse off. The trauma of the people returning is
also really severe--enormous stress and guilt, mainly because of being
able to do so little, and losing workers in their agencies. The
problem is still the communication and aid organizing. There's still
no center coordinating it all. Big aid organizations (like the UN,
WFP, Red Cross, etc) only talk to the big aid organizations. NGOs only
talk to the NGOs. Small independent groups just keep on doing their
small independent projects. White plate vehicles are getting through,
as are smaller aid agencies' trips, but some are overloading certain
areas and ignoring others. Every single agency has gone through a
learning period where they just had no idea what they were doing, to
where they are now, acknowledging that they need to speak to each
township to find out the worst affected areas and find out their needs
and talk with other organizations. The monasteries have been amazing.
They are basically a civil order emergency system, and are functioning
as the refugee camps for all the villagers that have no homes. It's
interesting, though, just what the monasteries say about aid. They do
not want to be inundated with it, very wisely saying that they, (the
monasteries) don't really want people to stay there, so just a small
amount of aid is the right initiative--too much they would sell it,
after all. Most townships are saying they have sufficient food and
water (for the moment), but what they really want are building
materials and their livelihoods restored (boats in many communities
were destroyed). The large tank water storage facilities need to be
cleared and refilled, and the rice for this season needs to be planted
immediately (it will be harvested in October).

Interestingly enough, life in Yangon has resumed a semblance of
normalcy. I got electricity back at my house this week, and with it,
access to a water pump to get water as well. Being Yangon, the
electricity is still sporadic, but after none, any is appreciated!!
Ironically, oil rigs kept on pumping, life as usual, all through the
storm. The ports still lack jetties, but the port is clear. Some
poorer areas are still suffering, but businesses have reopened, and
the city is now just a shabbier, uglier version of it's old
ramshackle, dysfunctional self.

Saw a lot of maps today, most produced by the UN agencies. The eye of
the cyclone really did go right through the middle of Yangon!! Because
of it being high tide, and a full moon tide, the destruction in the
delta was due to the tide surge more than the waves, but as far east
as Mawlawmyine and Hpa-an had 1 in 7 trees down. There are some great
poliltical cartoons out there as well. I'll try and find the one that
we all like the best... a very subtle one about a wave that kills
millions.

Anyway, must go to sleep now as am headed out early to a relief agency
tomorrow, then to finalize things with my landlady. I'm out of my
house permanently now, so everything is coming together!!

Trader's Hotel Bar

I felt like I had entered a war movie. In all those hot shot, star
journalist, CIA agent, war correspondent, NGO/UN worker movies, they
always have a bar they go to for relaxing and resuming the normal,
albeit usually alcoholic party-animal,
we-live-hard-lives-so-we-need-to-socialise life. This is what Trader's
felt like tonight. Normally it's mostly empty and the clientele are
Chinese businessmen and the odd sad, dirty old man. Tonight it was
hopping and busy, and this time it wasn't just YIEC staff! Sure, the
dirty old men were still there, but this time they had jobs to do that
made them feel super important! The NGO/UN/journalist crowd are all
put up in Trader's hotel (and don't even get me started on the
disgusting logic that's putting all the aid into the most expensive
hotel in town), and it becomes a who's who list at the happy hour (for
us, it's more like looking over a the nearest table and whispering to
seat mates and taking bets, "I wonder who THAT one is...".

I've never felt so ordinary and unimportant (yet shoulder-to-shoulder
with the big guys) in my life. So close and yet so far! In Cambodia,
it happens at the Foreign Press Correspondent's Club, in Beirut, it
must've been one of the clubs or hotels, in Casablanca the entire
movie set is the bar, in Vietnam, no doubt Saigon had a fancy club,
and every crime novel has one. In Blood Diamond the bar was on the
beach, and James Bond always goes to an exotic locale. Ours is a bit
ordinary--certainly no ambiance! It was truly bizzare to have them
mixing in the same place us ordinary teachers hang out in for a Friday
night margarita.

Can't help

Most of the staff from school have left now, and all the business
regarding the end of the year has been concluded, which leaves us free
to volunteer our services to anyone needing assistance. The problem
here, is that many organizations don't want it!! It's not exactly as
cut and dried as that, however. They would love to use us, but
foreigners are a liability in terms of what we can achieve. If we're
buying supplies, we pay higher prices. If we're on a trip, they stop
the bus. If we try to help, it's hard finding meaningful things for us
to do where we won't be arrested or deported. European foreigners are
simply not welcome (Asians are, but more on that later). It's so
frustrating to feel so ineffective. We had a school trip to an
orphanage go out (it was stopped at the checkpoint because of the
foreigners--we negotiated and begged and were finally allowed
through), and that felt like a contribution, but other than that it's
so hard to do meaningful work. The best thing we're good for is our
wallets (and our friends wallets). Raising money is the best way we
can help. The government wants to put their name on all the aid, but
of course aid agencies are all competing to have their name on the
goods. Every group is buying up the soon to be scarce supplies. I've
never seen so much tarp or so many sacks of rice.

One guy I know was working down in the delta and just happened to be
in Yangon when the cyclone hit. He's spent the past week down there,
and while he can't do much, the people say they feel comforted just
knowing that he's there. His agency sent him back to Yangon for a bit
of well-deserved rest. He is wiped out and stressed, and changed for
life. He talked about the stench of the dead bodies (animals and
humans) piled up there, the helplessness he felt, the complete and
utter devastation of the towns down south, where not a building is
left standing and no aid is arriving. His boat drivers did not
survive. Few boats remain because they were destroyed, and no aid is
getting in. In the places closer to Yangon that most people would see
if they got to the delta, things are recovering, just like they are
here, but down there, they really need air lifts of supplies. In one
village, a headman went to the nearest town to get supplies, and when
he returned empty handed, his village decapitated him.

For a brief while, I was confused with being a stellar journalist who
was able to record all this in several amazing photographs and submit
them to agencies and the media, but sadly, I don't really have that
kind of access. It's rumored that cameras will be completely banned in
the delta if ever the aid gets through.

For the last while, the government has been isolating itself further
and further. Europeans are too abrupt and demanding and challenging,
so the government wants them out. They prefer ASEAN countries which
they perceive to better understand them, and be less likely to
challenge them due to the culture of saving face. It is unfair, of
course, but Japanese, Indians, Indonesians, etc that apply for visas
are far more likely to get visas and permits than the likes of us.
Even the new Australian ambassador is rumored to be of Asian
ethnicity. The time for appearing Asian is now.

The long-suffering Myanmar people are getting frustrated. Simple city
mechanisms and facilities have not returned to many areas, and the
government troops presence has completely disappeared. Everyone's
power will only be returned at a price (corruption at it's most
basic), and the scalping, gouging, overpricing and other nastiness is
widespread by all sellers of all commodities. They said change would
happen in September, but it didn't. They say change will happen now.
Who knows if it will? The people are aggravated, but will they be able
to bring change when even an alternative government would be
challenged to solve these problems.

A few people from outside are filtering in on tourist visas.
Journalists, advisors, and other helpers. It's pretty chaotic but
things are happening--even if they're not happening in the places
where they're most needed.

As for me, the volunteer project I was hoping would materialize to
change the course of my life from teaching towards relief work hasn't
materialised. I am feeling at a lost to effect change, so I think I
will probably leave. I am not sure how my shipping will work out, but
I think I'm going to head to Perth after this! So many new things to
work out!

Latest: competition

Things have quieted down here in Yangon as most businesses reopened
today and repairs continue. Debris (mostly fallen trees and stray
branches) still line the streets everywhere, although major roads have
been clear for most of the weekend. The military held up traffic on
Parami Road this week, clearing the debris, but it's puzzling as to
what effect it would have exactly, as there were 4 men on the truck
working and another 50 sitting around on a tea break on the fallen
trees every time I went past!

The big question is about getting aid to the people in the delta. The
NGOs are feeling frustrated with permits tying their hands, and
foreigners being unwelcome on trips out due to conspicuousness.
Apparently the UN has gotten some aid in and is taking many volunteer
workers across the city to deal with the crisis, but not enough is
getting out. Both NGOs and the UN are frustrated by the lack of
communication about aid that has gone out (where to, in what capacity,
what the future needs were). The embassies have sent out aid,
particularly the American Embassy, but it's hard to tell how effective
it was.

The military government are still refusing assistance and aid, but
money in the form of donations is pouring in, to the point where those
of us with cash are running out of currency to leave with
organizations here. Horrible stories of the government exporting the
much needed rice instead of distributing it are not helping! Many are
concerned that Yangon will run out of rice, but others report that
rice is there, but will run out in the next few days. No doubt the media competition from the Chinese earthquake will mean that Myanmar is forgotten once again! Hope not.

Still no idea what's happening with me. Will hope to know in the next few days.

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