Travel Report 18: Sister L of FM

On the 13th of October my uncle Volker arrived in Yangon. This is three days after I arrived, which was accidental  (if you can call a rotten upper left jaw that) bad timing, which as usual turned into good rhythm.

The next day we went to see Sister L. She is the brains behind a Catholic Order's Social Projects and seems to run their finances like Al Capone's accountant. Yes, my rather to the heathen heavens sprinting, not to say paganistic tendencies displaying, family does business with the devil - from our perspective of course, you understand. My dear uncle collects humblest amounts of monies (please ask here if you desire to throw down - as in I WANT YOUR MONEY) to support various good causes in Myanmar. Most of which fall into the category of training young minority generations to become self sufficient, employeable or just educated. Schools are hard to come by in these remote mountain locations right next to China (San Fernando Valley Girl: How cool is THAT?!). Especially the very young and female of our species suffer disadvantages from this situation.

I could tell you where excactly these projects are and how the money gets there, but then I'd have to kill you. No, really. No, I won't tell you...

Ok, there is this Portoguese sailor, he knows this whore in Laohre, she can reliably transfer, I think she calls it, your moneys via Punani in Trinidad to a Burmese Pirate of the coast of Somalia... You get the picture.

What is however amazing, is the Sisters' vivacity, energy and management skill. No, I will not make up any more balderash just so that you may satisfy your cloak and dagger desires. Of course this was new to me, and makes me revise (paradigm shift) my previous estimate of women's available, more or less desirable, roles in early and  late christian societies: To Mother and Whore we must add Nun. Is this where all the pre-enlightenment female management consultants, accountants and government pukes went? Talents such as the ones suited to the modern mundane business world dealings were, for women, rather limited in those days. And it seems only here in this order they could apply those talents in the name of a good name. May I add that this Order has as its Motto - I guess one can't say this about a church - to surf (that is such a Freudian Slip) those that are the remotest. Those so far from all and sunder, from any benefit of society and thereby in direst need of social work. Yes, you need horses and mules to get to these jungle valleys next to the Chinese Border (Valley Girl: NO WAY!). Yes way. The sisters appear not only to be talented, smart and hard working women but also tough and hardnosed to boot. And for some reason they all seem frozen at age 35 or younger, I know its a miracle! and they laugh all the time at whatever us big lumbering white ghosts did most recently to insult all and sundry local sensibilities. They feed us lovely lunches and present us with raw eggs (if you ask why, I will not answer). They are nothing if not welcoming, and completely obstinate in their desire to achieve their goals.

Our route up country is subsequently cleared up. Most of the sisters are currently in Yangon, attending a conference of some sort. As a layman I reject demands of clearer definition of above, and we have the pleasure to visit with most of the ones responsible for one or another of Volker's projects. I am constantly reminded  how amazingly lucky I am to be able to witness and I look forward to seeing these projects and sisters in action.