Another Sort of Celebration, Part 1: World Refugee Day
Thang’s Dilemana: a Karenni refugee in Thailand tells his story. Q: Why do we leave home? Because office cubicles cause claustrophobia; because life is too short to stand still; because […]
Tag Archives: Myanmar
Speaking Karenni
Burma is a Jackson Pollack painting of peoples and languages. The country has over 135 distinct and recognized ethnic groups, divided into eight over-arching “ethnic states”. These states have made […]
Angkor or Bagan?
Some 900 years ago, King Suryavarman II created the Khmer empire’s largest stone tribute to the Hindu religion – modern Cambodia’s Angkor Wat. His predecessors promptly converted to Buddhism and […]
Visiting the Markets of Southeast Asia
In Southeast Asia, the daily market is like a garage sale + grocery store + auction house on too many cups of coffee. From unusual meat items to untasted fruits, […]
Language Lesson #2: Burmese
“Ana” – the Burmese term for embarrassment; awkwardness; an inability to present negative information or cause concern. This is the reason why my students do not correct me in class. […]
Flavor of the Week: Burmese Sweet Tea
Pronounced (like a French word): le pay-yeay le pay– tea yeay– sweetened with a generous dollop of condensed milk Burmese take their tea very seriously; the language reflects multiple words […]
Betelnut, Onions, Babies and Me
“Is it true that you’re stuffed into public transport with too many people, chickens and babies in your lap? Just like you see in the movies?” my Dad asked. No, […]
