This is Myanmar - Part 1.

Hello. My name is Katy, and I am a recovering Spoiled, American Brat. 

It's been 2 days since I've eaten a meal my stomach could keep down.  It's been 8 days since I've taken a hot shower. It's been 13 days since I've had clean clothes. It's been countless days since I've had a crisp lettuce salad with fresh vegetables, un-fried, without oil or white rice. It's been 5 days since I've worn my Bobbi Brown make up. It's been 8 days since I felt the refreshing waves of A/C. It's been however many days ago I was in Paris that I've had a good glass of wine. It's been 8 days since my legs have been free of black and blue marks and scabs from a "little" accident on a motorbike and rows of mosquito bites. And before writing this, it had been about 5 days since I had a solid wifi connection. 

Sigh, First World Problems. 

But you know what,  despite everything I listed above, which typical Americans would likely consider "tough challenges", I can honestly say I'm not sure I've been this appreciative, content and mentally present for as long as I can remember. Maybe ever. I'm pretty damn happy. And pretty damn lucky. And yes I'm hot, probably don't smell too great, my tummy is not so strong, etc., but I'm surrounded by honest, hard-working people, gorgeous, natural surroundings, and all things new and exciting - day in and day out. And to think I would go back to the States after only 2 months - ha! Being stripped of all things familiar, comfortable and modern (everything from air-conditioning to democracy) has really jolted my perspective when it comes to materialism and especially, the human spirit. 

Although I desperately want to write about certain things I've become pretty passionate about in recent weeks  despite my limited yet growing knowledge (political and human rights situations here), I've been strongly advised not to publish things of that nature until I am out of Myanmar (off their network) for reasons I shall explain in a future post.  Until then, I just want to give you all a taste of this country as I have experienced it so far. As Rudyard Kipling appropriately put it, "This is Burma and it will be quite unlike any land you know." Boy, was he right. 

First and foremost, the people...I know I said this about the Greeks and the Thai's, but the people of Myanmar truly are a distinct kind. Their kindness and hospitality goes beyond just over-feeding you like the Greek's or serving and bowing to you like the Thai's (forgive my gross over-generalization/stereotyping here...hope you understand the gist of what I am trying to convey!), the people of Myanmar I have met so far, mostly devout Buddhists,  live in accordance with the concept of "ana-deh." Unfortunately, the term cannot be directly translated into English and google searches don't really match how it is described by some of the locals I have met. My trekking guide in the village of Kalaw, a young Shan guy, explained in broken English (or at least this is how I interpreted it) that it was an innate feeling of mutual respect for those around you, that causes each person to care and ensure the other is comfortable. I know that seems kind of vague, but the way I have experienced it thus far (and what other travelers have confirmed) has been that basically these people don't know how to speak anything other than Burmese (and whatever language their ethnic group speaks) and have for the majority of their history, been isolated from the rest of the world; yet, regardless of what you look like and where you are from, they will embrace you without hesitation and go out of their way to make you feel comfortable.  It's just natural to them. 

For instance, I took the overnight bus from Yangon about 9 hours north to a town called Kalaw on Saturday night. The bus dropped me off at 3am in this foggy mountain town and I pretty much just stood there for a few minutes trying to get the map out of my bag to find a hostel with my sleepy eyes and not too sparkly of a mood. A Burmese guy from out of nowhere came over immediately and although he did not speak a word of English, did that "go to sleep" gesture with his hands and I nodded anxiously. He showed me a business card that read "Lily's Guesthouse" and I awkwardly just gave him a thumbs up. He carried my luggage about 2 kilometers down the road, where we finally arrived at the Guesthouse and I was ushered in and practically put to bed immediately. They wouldn't take money at that point, they didn't need ID or anything like that. Although I was to share a room with another guest (as one does in these types of guesthouses/hostels) the only living thing in there was a small yet plump lizard on the wall and a good amount of mosquitoes. 

After a day or two of exploring the small town, I found a local guide to take me up trekking in the hills for a couple days. Of course, I got a terrible stomach bug the night before we were to leave (I've been a bit overconfident in what my stomach can handle in terms of Burmese street food), but when I awoke to the the blinding sun cascading over the vibrant green hills and the beautiful sound of chanting monks preparing for alms offerings outside the hostel, I was inspired and refused to stay in bed. So, I went trekking. Up-hill, down-hill, through some farms, over the river and through the woods, etc...The poor guide turned into a nurse the whole day as I could only go a couple kilometers before unfortunately getting sick. Without hesitation, he splashed water on my face, rubbed my back, made little places for me to sit in the shade to rest,  etc....and did this for about 8 hours straight! Meanwhile, throughout the remote villages, a couple of families invited us in their huts for homegrown green tea (without knowing I was sick - they just waved us in;  I just put on my monster sunglasses and tried to toughen up...) and despite the language barrier, felt very welcome and almost at home as they smiled and poured more tea. I of course had to cancel the overnight stay in the monastery that night and luckily made it back to the hostel just before sundown. 

Now, I've only been here a few days but I already have plenty more stories I could tell regarding the warmth of the folk here. Why is this so intriguing to me? Try to keep  in mind this pervasive, authentic kindness and spirit of "ana-deh" that exists amongst the people of Myanmar as I write more about the difficult and often terrible situations (understatement..) that many of them have had to endure in recent history. Truly an amazing, heart-wrenching story that is still unravelling today as the country comes to a crucial crossroads.

Screw my First World Problems.