That mysterious, uneradicable smile. We should be glad for it. In all of the places of hard and unforgiving societies one can see the tracks that a surveilled life leaves in people's faces. But here in Myanmar - which the Brits called Burma because as usual they were too thick-tongued to pronounce the thing right; you have the choice of calling this country by its Brit-Overlord name, or by the name the current Junta has picked: Burma and Myanmar, and isn't it typical that we are not afforded a choice that does not reflect one or another dictator - people just smile, go about their skinny lives, listen to Radio America, and talk to every white face they can find. To practice their English, to improve their knowledge of the world, to check if what they hear on foreign radio news channels about atrocities committed in their own backyards is truly true. To find out if the monks are coming back, and if 2010 is really the day of change. To see if you like Longis and have tried Mohinga. To give you some Betel Nuts to chew and gag on, and to share a Cheroot.
One of the things I noticed with my intercultural eagle eye when walking around Yangon on my first day was how organized the traffic seemed. And how open couples were with their affections. The traffic I soon realized was a product of no mopeds. That single missing link leads to sedate driving by all, apparently. Could also be that most of the cars only have one gear, usually 4th. makes getting going slow going. And when I walked along Inya Lake I saw these funny little park benches, with an umbrella on top for noon shade. And every one of them was, every time I walked past, occupied by a couple of lovebirds more or less knotted into those dear little shapes we all fondly (oops, sorry, my adjectives tend to abjectly slave themselves to whatever I am currently reading. This time it is Moorcock. No. Really. I know it must be a nome de plume. But then again, why? For a Sci-Fi, throwback kinda guy, that he is, a name like that?) know from springs past time. As I said those fondly remembered positions, I mean shapes, really are in contrast to other south east asian cultures which frown upon public displays of affections. So while in Thailand this sort of openness is just not done, here it seems quite alright. How did Thailand then come to selling its young and nubile to hordes of Asian Sextourists (majority) who seem to not get any at home? Are economics overriding cultural norms?
I promised no more than one incultural boredom inducing nerddom per post. So let me tell you how my car was pulled over right after we, the driver and I, get out of the airport. So here is little old silly Peter, learning the customs of the land by way of Driver, when suddenly this uniformed man is standing at the side of the road, waving at us with a notebook. My driver dutyfully pulls over. Right after I wonder which western driver would stop for a waving cop, I am amazed at the alacrity with which the Burmese authorities have identified their newest persona none grata – me. Why else would they pull this car over, other than that they think that some anarchic or at least asocial element is trying to enter their paradise. Driver gets out, mumbles something of tags expired, kowtows to waving cop, I sneak to side to pretend I am having a smoke, and to check escape routes, take the following picture.
As pictures of unsuspecting locals go, this is not so remarkable. Here is a nicer one.
Monks in Angkor Wat. And yes, they are tourists.In any case, it wasn’t about me. The car thing. Although if they would only know. The tags really were expired, but I still kinda think they were just playing mess-with-the-white-boy. This is why I told them I am staying with a Portuguese Lady and her entourage of time traveling specimen. Sigh; more Moorcock. Honestly, I picked those books up at a store on Maui for 1 dollar for three books. I had no idea the guys name was that. What? He thinks he is sneaky about the Morlock thing? Pshh.
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