Throwback: Prinsesa ng Yangon

"Is your passport ready?'

When I got called in a meeting and heard this question, I, more or less, already had an idea what will happen next.  What I did not expect was how culturally and personally satisfying the experience will be despite it being a mission travel. 

For my personal trips, I conduct extensive researches about my destinations.  They're so thorough that I could probably put up my own travel agency. But this case was different. Aside from being an official travel with short notice, my destination was only starting to open up to outsiders during the time of my visit. Other than what I've read in the news ( memories of Current Events Digest - CED came flashing-in) and feedback from colleagues who have been there before me, Myanmar was a mystery to me. It was a beautiful mystery that unraveled before my eyes. 

Two things that usually concern me during travel (or in just about any aspect of my life): what to wear and what to eat.  

Tip No. 1:  If you are not sure what you should wear, always bring some clothes that are on the conservative side. In my case, I always bring a pair of pants and a skirt or dress that goes at least below the knees especially if the trip will include a possible visit to temples. This tip worked well for me because ladies in Myanmar still wear their traditional garb, the longyi which is a long skirt. And we also visited the Shwedagon Pagoda where visitors are advised to dress on the conservative side so as not to offend anybody. 

Tip No. 2:  If you are unsure of the local food, bring some comfort food. Me, my "de latas" and Skyflakes!  As I have experienced over the years, they're not only lifesavers, they also help you lower your onsite travel expenses. Right, Senyorito Lakwatsero?!

The Food

No blog of mine will be complete without detailing my food experiences.  As mentioned above, I brought "de lata" and Skyflakes.  You'll read more about them later.

We flew to Yangon via Bangkok with Thai Airways as our carrier. Note to self:  expect food on the spicy side.  Sometimes, stuff that are bland-tasting to you are already spicy for me.

Tip No. 3:  Airline food is usually based on the food of  the country where your flight departed. So if your fare comes with meals but you have "diet restrictions", contact your airlines. In the case of Thai Airways, you can pre-order your meals at no extra cost.  The best part? Aside from having something that you can actually eat, pre-ordered meals are served first. 

Upon arriving at the hotel, we asked one of our colleagues who have previously stayed there to help us order.  We had their version of Chopsuey except that theirs come with bamboo shoots.  Me and bamboo shoots are like oil and water. Good thing I ordered something grilled which turned out to be hotdog, ham, some meat and fries.  The child in me was so happy! I also tried to be adventurous and ordered their house-specialty shake.  I almost fell out of my chair when it was served.  The special shake was just Cookies and Cream Milkshake with one side of Oreo as garnish. That night, I did not realize that what we had for dinner was one of the signs that Myanmar will be a memorable discovery for me. 

My first dinner in Myanmar.  Yes, this is that grilled dish.

The first day at the duty station was the real test when it came to food. I actually found the food a bit spicy to my liking but the company and atmosphere during lunchtime made up for it. Food was bought from a nearby eatery and served in the pantry, family-style. Now here comes the story of the de latas and Skyflakes.

Our first lunch in Myanmar

Tip No. 4:  Time difference between your country and your destination especially when it concerns meal time should not be ignored.  It takes a while before your body gets used to the time difference. Yangon's time is an hour and a half later than the Philippines. In Yangon, they eat near 1pm. We on the other hand eat before 12nn in the Philippines. Do the math.  To make the long story short, our lunchtime was much later than what we were used to. That was where Skyflakes saved the day and the days ahead. While waiting for the Yangon lunchtime, we usually ate Skyflakes - satisfied the hunger pangs but not heavy enough to make us forego lunch.   

Tip No. 5:  If you want to break the monotony of your daily menu of local food (and seek comfort), bring your ever dependable de latas.  In my case they are canned tuna and corned beef.  One of the Senior staff in the office, who also happens to be Filipino, was surprised that we ate our tuna and corned beef straight out of the can, not even bothering to heat them. The following day, he brought as food.  Still canned goods but he cooked them. Even if we were away from home, our kababayans still took care of us. We even had Filipino-style dinner at the place of our, then, Country Rep who's also Filipino. We had Sinaing na Tulingan in Myanmar! Yehey! 

Set meal at Hello Japanese Food

Our food exploration was usually reserved for dinner when we were out on our own.  I was quite impressed with the selection offered by Myanmar. With the influx of Koreans and Japanese in the country, you are sure to find their cuisine.  And being near Thailand, there's a wide-array of Thai restos. Among my favorites is Hello Japanese Food.  I did not expect much since it was just in a mall's food court but I was surprised with their set meals. I've always favored Japanese food but it was only in Myanmar where I had my first taste of Saba Sushi. And from then on, I've been hooked with this mackerel sushi.  Our other go-to resto was Dailycious, a Thai resto.  Even if we tend to order on the budget side, their presentation was of fine dining quality. Sadly, the resto has already closed down as of this writing. 

Forgot how it's called but it's the equivalent of our Bagoong Rice (Dailycious)

There were also some local food that I wish we could have here.  One best example is the Mohinga, a rice noodle and fish soup. It is considered as the national dish of Myanmar. I remember we needed to work overtime, so one of the local staff volunteered to order dinner for us so we need not go out anymore.  I had reservations about Mohinga because it has ingredients I've never had before like banana tree stem, chickpea fritters and super small catfish.  Just one taste and I fell in love with it. Like us Filipinos when we have foreign visitors, our local counterparts also wanted us to try their food. One time, they served us with a sticky rice dessert (failed to catch what it's called).  I suddenly felt at home. The dessert was their version of our espasol. But it was really the gesture that made me feel at home, despite the difference in nationality and language barrier, they treated us as if we were one of them.  Whatever they were having, they shared them with us no matter how simple the food was. 

Speaking of language barrier.  Not only does our languages differ, but Myanmar also has their own way of writing. It was a challenge for us when it comes to choosing what to eat. Most of the time, we had discussions with the wait staff so we will have an idea of what we can order. There's actually this restaurant near our hotel where the only words we can read were "Chinese Food" so we baptized the resto, "Chinese Food".  True enough, their selection was on the Chinese cuisine side.  I also loved that they served us Durian Ice Cream. 

This photo clearly shows why we decided to call it "Chinese Food".

Tip No. 6:  If you are partial to Filipino food but there's none where you're at, go for Chinese. It's the closest you can get. It was something our local counterparts learned about us. So when we need to have food delivered, they ordered Chinese for us. 

Looks familiar enough to eat

By the way, because of the previous US embargoes in Myanmar, you're most likely to encounter European brands especially when it comes to food.  If not mistaken, the first US franchise store in Myanmar only opened in 2015.  Good ol' Col. Sanders! But with the easing of sanctions, US products are expected to enter the market.  And lest I forget, they have the best teas! Not the teabag kind but the loose-leaf variety. It's now always part of our bilins for pasalubongs together with cashew nuts.

The Country, The People

Whenever I visit a new place, I try to make as much memory as I can.  

Tip No. 7:  Be a traveler not a tourist.  Taking pictures are necessary.  But it is not the same as making memories.  I always try to understand why things are the way they are and straighten-out my preconceived notions about a place.

The majestic Shwedagon Pagoda

Given the country's history (Google it), I was very fortunate to be there during the period when it was starting to open to the world.  It was the year when visa was no longer required for citizens of ASEAN countries.  It was in the process of catching up with its more progressive neighbors but at the same time still trying to stay in touch with its rich traditions and cultural heritage.  While most us are already wearing westernized corporate attires, they on the other hand, have upgraded their national attire to suit occasions calling for business attires. For our final presentation/training, I actually wore the Longyi.  Even the men wear this skirt.  Proudly, at that.  Inside the office, they leave their footwear by the door and walk around barefoot. There are still people who walk barefoot even on the streets. In a world of full of commercial cosmetics, the use of Thanaka is still prevalent. Almost everyone has their own way of showcasing this cosmetic paste.  Move over, contouring! Aside from the aesthetics, it also has cooling properties and acts as sunscreen as well. Then there were the monks. All the while, I thought monks were the equivalent of our priests. I learned from one of our local colleagues that it was also a right of passage. It's even a bonding phase in the lives of fathers and sons.  Everyday, being with the locals offered opportunities to have new discoveries.

No visit to Myanmar will be complete without visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda.  The majestic pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and its stupa is encrusted with 4,532 diamonds with the largest being a 72 carat diamond.  'Thing is, we almost did not make it because it was monsoon season when we were there and the pagoda is a big open air complex where you need to walk around barefoot. But on our second to the last night in the country, the rain magically stopped. We took this as a sign. So even if we did not have any local guide, we ventured from our hotel to the pagoda. Not only did the rain stop but the lights, the moon and the diamonds of the stupa showed us an amazing view. The following night, it rained again and there were even threats of flooding.  Fate was kind to us. 

The lights, the moon and the diamonds created the shadow of the stupa in the sky. You don't see that every night.

To wrap it up, I went to Myanmar with the question, "why can't our counterparts do things the way we do here in HQ" and returned with the learning that in order to understand them, I need to see things from their point of view and their country-setting. Moving forward, equipped with new knowledge and better understanding of onsite country office operations, we were able to come up with better and workable plans of action.  But all these would not have been possible without the help of our local colleagues who are among the kindest people I've met. 

Tip No. 8:  Don't expect the people and the country to adjust to you.  That task is yours. You may have different beliefs but that does not mean that one is right and the other is wrong. Context is important.  Remember me, the specialty shake and Oreo? If you keep an open mind, you open yourself to a world of wonders. Who knows maybe someday, like myself, you will also discover your own  "Magical Myanmar". 

The Umbrella

Remember when I said that it was always raining in Myanmar when we were there and the only time it did not rain was that one night we visited the Shwedagon Pagoda?  It was a clear night and the moon was shining brightly so you can just imagine the shocked look (with a mix of panic) on the faces of the other visitors of the pagoda when I opened my umbrella! They all looked up the sky to check for signs of rain. The stunt probably earned me the title, "That Crazy Tourist!"

That Crazy Tourist

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