Full Moon festival at Inle Lake!

This year for the Full Moon festival, I snagged two lovely ladies- Candacee and Jenni- and hopped on a quick flight to Inle Lake. It is located on the eastern part of Myanmar, in the Shan State! It was a perfect trip- with fun adventures of which you can read about below!

Day One: Landed and immediately hopped in a taxi that took us to a local vineyard... beautiful scenery with weak wine (to be quite frank). It was incredible to see the blue skies and stretch of vineyard- I felt like I was in a bit of a fairy tale, to be quite honest. The best part? What you would think of as Kraft singles cheese cut in strips and placed on our salad. Oh Myanmar :)

 

After a few glasses of wine, we headed to Taunggyi, where we were able to witness the last day of the Full Moon festival. Holy toledo, was it something else. We drove through the town and thought that perhaps the driver missed where we were supposed to stop and then, BAM! We looked out into a crowd of thousands of people and paper-animal lanterns in the sky. It was something else, let me tell you. Some of the sights include: Pa Oh people with beach towels wrapped around their heads, youth gangs dancing with joy because their lantern did not have a hole burnt through it before making it the clear sky and children with Angry Bird beanies- EVERYWHERE. It was a blast! Here are just a few of the pink cows we saw float toward the heavens...

Day Two: We ventured out to the lake. 

Oh my goodness, was it incredible. We saw people living on the water in houses made out of bamboo stilts, growing tomatoes on top of the surface, rowing boats with their right leg, children hauling water out of their canoe, women weaving scarves with thread from the material of lotus flowers and so much more. Here is a picture of the fishermen we saw- who catch fish to sell in the markets or to simply take home for dinner. 

We also saw the ancient pagodas in Inthein, where we climbed old brinks and gaped at the crumbly, old temples. 

We did make a new friend, this little puppy!!! found us and decided to jump a few of our pictures. 

                                  Day Three: We woke up at too-early and went on a 10 mile trek!
As you can see, we had the cool "snow" which you would know to be fog, follow us around all day. It was gorgeous- we saw everything from a little garden snake, wild poinsettias, village kids playing with hand-made clay marbles and every crop you could imagine! We even ate coffee, which I had no idea was red when ripe and surprisingly refreshing. 

At the end of our long hike, we walked along this bridge to a  canoe that loaded us up and  brought us back to our  homely abode. I thought that this picture may give you an idea of what people on the water may wear or do at the end of a long day at work. 

 Day Four: The day of biking, pancakes and wine! We biked through town and made it a point to stop and have the better wine of our trip, after seeing how they make the wine and ship it out around the country. I think what was so cool about this company, Red Mountain Winery, was that the owner was a local guy who hired a french expert to come in and show him how to make amazing wine. If you ask me, it was one of the best I have had in Myanmar! After biking and eating pancakes all day, we got on our long bus ride home and rolled into Yangon 12 hours later. If you were to come and visit Myanmar, know that I would take you to Inle in a heartbeat- as I can easily say it is one of the most magical places I have ever been....

Can't forget to incorporate a jumping picture! See: me, Candacee and Jenni!

Obama in Yangon

President Obama came to visit Myanmar on November 19th, 2012! 

What a day it was for the Burmese... there had been weeks of preparation:

This is some street art around the corner from my flat.. and believe it or not, this is not the only welcome sign we had for Obama!

On Monday, I tutored my little french students and they greeted me with a "Teacher, Teacher! Obama is here!" After I asked them who Obama was, they responded with, "YOUR president!" 

I had no idea they had the made the connection that I was American and that he was my president...

He gave an inspiring speech at the university, of which you can listen to here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy-3659BsDA

Thanksgiving in 5L

One aspect of Grade 5's curriculum is to talk about migration. Naturally, I cannot help but bring up the fact that pilgrims migrated over to North America and ultimately established the holiday that Americans all over the world celebrate today- Thanksgiving.  After hearing about the fact that it is a time for people to gather, give thanks and eat food, my kids immediately begged me if we could have a Thanksgiving in our little classroom community. Why not?

So after teaching my students how to set the table, politely pass the bread and use a fork and knife, they were able to enjoy a feast. Only this feast included fried chicken, not turkey :)

Kathein Visit

What is Kathein, you may ask? It is the time of the year where Burmese people collect robes, fans, umbrellas and other necessities for the monks. 

This week the Student Council and I dressed up and went to the local monastery  where we delivered donations from our students and shared a meal with the monks. It was an amazing opportunity for the kids to  get together with all of ISM's student council (ES, MS and HS) and see where the donations they had been collecting for the monks were going. 

Here are some classroom reps heading out!

We paraded about 10 minutes through the neighborhood, following an obnoxious truck with music blaring (typical of any parading in Myanmar) and all of our donations!

One of the Kathein trees with donations attached to it

This monk spoke for 40 minutes straight, pausing every once in a while to spit in a jar :)

Elementary Stu Co!

Showing up at PLU!

One of my most favorite people in the world, Allison Stephens, was speaking at PLU's Chapel service a few weeks ago and wanted to talk about her experience in southeast Asia. She visited Myanmar this last summer, along with Thailand, and rediscovered her zest and excitement for service. It was fun to have had the chance to talk to her about her experience and to see the spark that was lit, causing Allison to want to continue to travel abroad and serve in the world. As Allison was telling me about this opportunity for her to share at chapel, she asked me if I was interested in participating. All I would need to do is make a video based off the passions that developed from my experiences and post it on youtube, where Allison would then tie into her incredible message about her vocation.

I had a blast being able to share with PLU and want to thank Allison for involving me in her talk about her passions.  Here is the video that I made:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEfgfXEEBYM&feature=g-upl


Cheers, my dear friends!


xo Lyns

Buddy-ing up

The sun was out, the was temperature rising and we were rushing down the 100 stairs to catch the bus. 5L pulled a typical "late Tveit" and arrived to our destination: The local library.


What were we doing? Meeting up with other Myanmar kids from the local government school, who happened to play and eat breakfast in the same neighborhood as our school was located. No big. We brought with us a pile of English books and our excited smiles, ready to see what the next hour had in store for us.

Not only did we discover the usefulness of using our hands, knowledge of Burmese and slow down how fast we read, but my students realized how similar they were to the kids that they read to. Similarities? Lets start with the fact that most are Burmese. Therefore, they speak the same language. Color of skin, favorite actresses and even love of durian are just a few of the many things the kids had a common, It was if the differences were swept away for the hour and all the kids were able to be kids. After reading for a bit, my students joined their new friends on the playground and played games,which was so cool to see!

Acting out in 5L

They talked me into it. Three weeks after school started, we were wrapping Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar and my 25 fifth graders begged if we could put on a play. Since I have little experience with drama productions and am always taking bites bigger than I can chew, I caved and decided to see if the 5th graders could pull it off.

I found the script online- and it was only 12 minutes long. Too short. So I challenged my kids to write a few scenes and a couple songs and BAM! 5L weaved together a little production.

Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think... All I know is that I could not be more proud of my acting, hospitality, music and design teams- they know how to put together a show :)

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn63vvpuYF0

My life today

The sky opened up and the rain is not just coming down. Nope, it is rushing from the heavens, soaking anything in it's path. The sight to see is not plastered clothes on the bodies running around, trying to find shelter, but the rapidly growing river that is rushing down the street. The river is the color of chai tea, with a bit of milk. It is monsoon season here in Myanmar and I experience this scenario on a daily basis, now at the point where sunshine could not be more welcomed and my skin craves the feel of the delicious rays, browning my epidermis.

Yangon has changed. It is amazing at how every day, I spot something new: a car dealership, street art, stretch limo or perhaps the American coffee shop on the corner. Rumor is that 7-11 is arriving this fall and we are expecting McDonalds in 2013. I am excited to think about the opportunities that being given to the people of Myanmar, but sad that it has to be run over by the franchises of the western world. What I love most about this country is the innocence of a developed nation, where people still wear tanaka on their face as make-up and listen to poorly arranged pop music. Now I have noticed shops selling short shorts (gasp!) for young women and less men are wearing the traditional longi, opting for jean pants instead. What the world is saying about Myanmar being the "sexy" place to go is true- you can see the change happen before your very eyes- on a regular basis. The bittersweet attitude I have that goes along with this change is frustrating, yet also exhilarating, for I cannot help but have pride for the people that are (for some) seeing the world for the first time.

5L's classroom is a totally different chapter in the tale of Yangon. I have 24 children that not only have the contagious excitement to learn anything and everything I can offer to them, but are also wise beyond their years. From hand holding to Sideways Stories from Wayside School to Shwedagon Pagoda being a perfect illustration of a heart to the most in depth over-population discussion to math karate to solving community problems, my kids  have stolen the majority of my heart. Here I was thinking that after "figuring out" teaching and getting into a rhythm from last year, I could have a little more time on my hands... psh, was I wrong. Most of you know me better than I know myself and lets just say that I pulled a typical Lynsey and have kept my plate filled. My most exciting activity is the reading buddy program we are setting up between our elementary school and a local government school! The kids all get to play and read together- building relationships and understanding that no matter what class they are in, they are capable of having an inclusive community. It's thrilling to think that after thinking about doing these kind of projects for the last year, I am able to see them come to life! If there is anything that I have learned about dreams, it is that after a lot of hard work and sorting out the ridiculous details, they can become a reality. :)

" We need to be the change we wish to see in the world." -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

Dinoback

I look up and see the ribbed back clothed in a tattered t-shirt, attached to what appeared to be a pointed, bamboo hat. The shirt is gathered and then tucked into a antique-brown plaid longi that is seated on an old bicycle. milliseconds tick by as I wonder what creature would have the ability to ride a bicycle when my eyes rest on the tiny, writhered ankles of the mysterious form in front of me. My brakes are not stopping and the form is quickly taking the shape of a frail old gentleman, when all of a sudden- SCREEEECH!!!! I mustle up all I can to halt the dreadful piece of aluminum that I am hoisted on and jolt forward as I barely kiss the tire of the bike in front of me. The sweat drips down my forehead as I try to figure out if the distinct vertabae has been effected by the stress of the last 4 seconds. He has not moved and still seems to be waiting for the cars to pass by, in order for him to cross the street, so I jump to the conclusion that all is alright and move on past him.

For some reason, I cannot get over the dinosaur back....

Famous in Myanmar!

SEA Games: SouthEast Asian mini-Olympics that are held every other year.

In September 2013, Myanmar is going to be the hosts for the games and naturally, they are going to need some publication. I happened to have a friend whose cousin is a director here in Yangon and one night over some fried rice and cola, I told him that if he ever needs a white person for his commercials, to call me up- I would do it free cost. Who wouldn't want to be on TV? A few weeks later, I get an email asking if I want to participate in a commercial. The rest is history!

The day consisted of waving a little flag for a bit and then waiting for 2 hours, then wandering around, acting like we think Myanmar is the place to go (which it TOTALLY IS). After watching Myanmar models never break a sweat (and yes, it was well over 100 degrees F outside) and learning some new kung fu moves, we struck a pose with Ah Za Knee- a pop singer here in Myanmar. My few words to him? 

"We have same same hair." 

What a champ.

Recording to come later!

Courtney visits Asia: Thai and Myanmar Adventures

Spring Break 2012

It is that time of year, where the water is thrown and the toys are dug out. The largest water fight in the world takes place and all people take part in the celebration of New Year in Southeast Asia! I was blessed with having a two week holiday, where I met up with my dear friend, Courtney, who traveled all the way from Buffalo, NY! We ventured out to Phuket, Thailand, where she was able to meet some of my friends from Yangon and then we had a quick stop in Bangkok before heading to Yangon for a week. It was a BLAST! where Courtney was able to see many different colors of Asia and we could all celebrate such a fun holiday! 

(Photo below: ISM kids celebrating water festival by throwing water anywhere it will land)

Court and I headed to Phuket- awaiting our fantastic adventures that lay ahead!

Bella, my friend- Toon's daughter, is a lovely little lady to hang out with! She loves to draw and sing Taylor Swift, which we were lucky enough to listen to for a week straight :) "Love Story" never sounded so good...

Songkran- water festival in Thailand- was fairly mellow in comparison to the crazies in Myanmar. We walked through the streets and had colored clay smeared on our faces while being asked if we were happy and having a good time. Who would say no to that? 

A few days into the trip, Riff, my trusty travel partner and Ben, our new French friend, met us at Toon's house in Phuket. We ate our way through the city! I swear, I have never had more seafood in my entire life- but man, was it amazing and totally worth it! This would be the moment that Court found out that she will be attending Duke's PA school in the fall! Yay!!! Behind Riff in this incredible photo of his appreciation for delicious food, is apparently a Thai actor! Toon was going a little nutty with having him so close by, but all we noticed was that he has a  blackberry and likes to eat fried fish... :) 

Here is just an idea of what kind of beaches exist in Thailand. Only pretty ones.

As you can see here, Riff and I really love momma Toon! Can! Is phrase that I have managed to pick up from her and I can't help but think "cannnnn" when I see this picture of our love.

We had heat. We had beaches. We have storms. In fact. before we set foot in Phuket, there had been a 8.9  magnitutude earthquake in the Andaman sea and there was a large fear that a tsunami was on the horizon. Thankfully though, we were graced without having any tragic events and all countries surrounding the sea were spared! Talk about a scary moment though, to WAIT and not know what kind of disaster lay ahead. Not a fan.

We went to Toon's homeland! It was so much fun! There, we had a wonderful time meeting her friends and family, as well and attempt to karaoke, but quickly discovered that there were no English songs... oh well! Courtney and I entertained ourselves with a "hotel room workout." If you ever are feeling the need to exercise in a hotel that has no gym- have no fear- we are here! It was pretty funny until I smacked my elbow on the wall and then a random foreigner walked out his door as we were doing a grapevine down the hallway.

Next stop: a resort! We spent a few days at a beautiful resort right on the water and a great deal, due to Toon's fantastic connections! One day Court and I rented motor bikes and went on a hike to discover this beautiful waterfall! No more than 7 min of hopping on our bikes and heading to the sea, I look down and found a LEECH on my foot and about had a heart attack. Good thing Court was EMT trained and also just awesome- for she saved the day!

After finding an incredible cove, playing checkers with Thai and American currency (guess who won that!) and rescuing 5 fly-infested puppies, we headed back to our hotel in time to catch this gorgeous sunset. Life doesn't get better than this :)

The next day we headed out and after a pit stop in Bangkok, we flew to Yangon, where the pace of life was quite different than Thailand had been. We hopped on a train with my friend Kate and rode around Yangon- where one could really get a vibe for the culture of Myanmar. 

The next day we took a bus and headed out to my Myanmar teacher, Winma's village. We then proceeded to go to a floating pagoda! It was quite the trip, where We hopped on a boat and snapped a few shots of the temple before going back to shore all in the matter of 30 mere minutes! My favorite part? Probably seeing that not Christians fall asleep in church... people were passed out at these temples and had absolutely no shame!

We did venture out to a few other places, one of which was Shwedagon, the infamous temple of Yangon. Here, we managed to catch a parade of people sweep the entire temple... it was more interesting than you could ever imagine. It was like scene from Snow White!

Overall, it was definitely a successful trip and I had wonderful time hanging out with Courtney! She is a great friend and I am honored to have had her as my first visitor to Yangon! Now that she has paved the way, I will wait for you to email me when you will be visiting and I can be sure to pencil you in :)

Balcony People

I just got back from a conference in Bangkok where over 1500 international teachers got together and shared some fantastic ideas, learned how to be a better teacher and heard some incredible teachers about people that have been encouraged by their teachers. The concept of "balcony people" came up and it definitely struck a chord with me.

Balcony people are those that sit along the sidelines of your life and cheer you on- telling you that you are capable of anything that you put your mind to. They watch from above and let you know that they are there for you, to encourage you to be whoever you want to be and not let anything get in your way. Who are your balcony people? Maybe they are your family, best friend, soul mate, partner in crime, mailman, 78 year old babysitter or local barista. I will put money on the fact that there is definitely a teacher somewhere in your balcony. Maybe you have a whole row of them... maybe you didn't even know that they were there because they were hiding behind the curtain or they have stepped out to grab some popcorn. Regardless, it made me think about how teachers effect their students. 

I'm curious, who are your "balcony people?" Have you let them know that you appreciate them? I can promise you this, they would be PUMPED to know that they have effected you and I encourage you to thank them!

What's next? Thoughts on the future

Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Life has been wonderful here, as it has always been. I am thoroughly enjoying what I am doing In Yangon and the role that I play as "Miss Lynsey." It has been a very thought-provoking last few weeks though, as I am already trying to decide what step I should take next. I know that you may be thinking why is that I am thinking about what to do next, when I have still another year and a half to go, but decisions are already coming up fast and I am trying to decide how to best handle them! I have the opportunity to get a Masters in teaching here and it would allow me to stay an extra year in Myanmar, which I have no problem doing, but  I am not sure if I want to continue with teaching. I love my job, my kids and purpose right now in life, but have always wondered (for years now) if teaching was what I wanted to make as a career. I keep thinking about going back to school to pursue a counseling degree, where I can take it in a million directions and help people figure out what they want to do with their one wild and precious life. Perhaps I am being called to work at an NGO (non-profit) and learn some skills that will help better the organization that I decide to invest my time into. To think that I am always wondering what else is out there is exciting, but also exhausting, I wish that I just knew what to do and what path to go down, without having to think about the millions of alternatives that are in the way. 


What is going through my head:
-Do I stay in Myanmar an extra year and walk away with a masters degree in Education?
-Do I finish up my two years here and venture to another part of the world for another two years and "get my fill" of teaching?
-Do I take a gap year after Myanmar and work at a volunteer corp. such as LVC or Americorp and spend a year in service work?
-Do I go back to grad school right away and get a degree in counseling, where I can use it at a university or perhaps even take it back to the International Schools and mentor the kids going in to college?
-Do I try to find a job at a non-profit that involves education and get my foot in the door to where I can attempt to try the development line of work?


These are questions that are swimming in my head and constantly causing me to wonder what is that the I am crafted to do?

Indo Adventure

Hello! This is the first picture that I would like for you to see in regards to how our trip in Indonesia started off. We had just gotten off a long train ride, that had  followed a crazy bus ride (where one of the passengers had a bunch of live parrots in water bottles- who were very unhappy) which had actually followed an extended flight to Jakarta. I was quite dazed and confused as to where I was and probably in the middle of trying to figure out the exchange rate, which took approximately three days for us to figure out. Anyways, as you can see- we made it to our first stop, Bandung, Indonesia!

Day one of Bandung involved a beautiful hike to a waterfall!  We were so excited to go and see it, but once we were closer, we realized how dirty the fall was... what you don't see is the trash and junk floating down stream. We found the little red house to be funny too, as it is where the king of Thailand came and signed a boulder. Then he came back a few years later and had the Indonesians put a house over it. Strange, if you ask me. 

This is the first ever crater that I have lay eyes on: the Kawah Puitah Crater! It smells of sweet sulfur and clouds. I almost wanted to fry an egg in honor of the scents! Yum! Betsy and I met a guy who was trying to get us to go on a tour with him and he introduced himself as "Risky, but not like your American English kind of risky." Exactly why we didn't go on a tour.

Following the tour, we went to some hot springs! Now for a second, I would like for you imagine hot springs. Are they in nature? Where you throw the towel and jump into the warm bubbly springs of the earth? Well, that is what Betsy and I had anticipated before stepping foot into a makeshift amusement park. Yes, this picture below is exactly what the hot springs of Bandung were, a place for families to dive in, fully clothed and  surrounded with street vendors and students on a field trips! We sat down and put our feet into some lovely warm water and within a few minutes, people came by and asked to take photos with us! WE were the main attraction! Just kidding! It was very fascinating to do some people watching though,I have to admit!

As many of you know, I am sort of borderline obsessed with TEA. Well, on December 19, 2011, I was able to visit the very place where tea is grown, processed and packaged to fit into your very own teacup. Yes, I went to a tea plantation! It was AMAZING! Due to the fact that it was a holiday and we were not supposed  to go on a tour, we lucked out and had a gentleman that didn't speak a lick of English take us around. All of the crazy studying and reading that I have done with tea paid off, as I was able to explain how it was made to Betsy! As you can see, there are just  Camellia sinensis bushes planted for miles... and the view was quite spectacular.

After spending time in Bandung, we headed out to Jogjakarta, where our friend Riff, is from. He took us all over the place... showing us the Buddhist temple, Borobuder. In order to climb to the top, you had to walk around each level before ascending to the next level. It took a while, but it was quite incredible once we were at the top! Here is where we started (Sabrina- french teacher, Betsy and I were talked into posing for a pic while Riff snapped away).

Riff's family lives very close to the beach, so they took us to the coast to experience a true seafood feast. I took in the black sands, violent waves and warm sunshine with a smile on my face, all before eating the amazing food. It is kind of a neat ordeal as far as eating goes: you pick out the fresh seafood and then pick out a spot along the beach. Then you take your food to some chefs who cook it up for you and bring it to your on platters... where you then dig in! Best part? No silverware!

To end our feast, we drove up to a beautiful view of the coast, where we saw hang gliders! It was  lovely, to say the very least. 

December 24- Christmas Eve. We took a 14 hour bus ride (that was supposed to be only 7 hours!) and headed to Mt. Bromo. Here is just a shot of what we looked like on the bus... tired, sweaty and wondering if we were going to pick up Russian and Indonesian since we were in the car with other foreigners as well. It was a great way to get to know each other! 

Merry Christmas! This was the gorgeous sunrise that I was able to see after getting up at 3:30am on Christmas Day. Was it worth it? You tell me. God is an artist, blowing all of the Picasos out of the water.

Nothing. Just the center of a volcano that had apparently erupted 4 months prior. No one bothered to tell us. Ha! It was fun though! As I was hopping off the bike though, I received my first Southeast Asian tattoo... a motorbike burn. Its healing nicely now, but I learned quickly and will always be aware of where the muffler is on a motorbike!

After taking another 14 hour commute, Betsy and I said our goodbyes to Sabrina and Riff and went to Lovina, BALI! It was a quaint little town, where there is a black sand beach and lots of opportunity to sunbathe. Unfortunately though, it was the rainy season! So we decided to go and take a cooking class instead, It was delicious! All of you vegetarians out there, I can now make some mean tahu (tofu) and Tempe!  

View of Lovina beach

Betsy and I took a taxi from Lovina to Ubud, Bali. Along the way, we stopped and saw some waterfalls, temples and botanical gardens. We did meet some pretty awesome kids too- who were willing to climb up trees to get us durian/jackfruit/cacao if we so requested. Then they asked if we wanted to go swimming and I said "Sure!" Well little did I know that it meant stripping down and splashing in the freezing water... so my answer quickly changed to a "No, thanks" and I watched at how innocent and shameless these kids were. I was also inspired by the little boy on the far right... should I cut my hair like his? (his inspiration was the rooster in his front yard)

This is Ubud. Or our home in Ubud. As you can see, we had our own little porch, with a dog that would come and hang out with us, as well as a bird that woke us up every day and fish that would stare at us as we ate our breakfast. The people we stayed with were incredible, it was like living with a family. If I were to go back to any place in Bali, Ubud would be my number one stop!

While we were in Ubud, we went to the monkey sacred forest! All you need to do is buy some bananas and ta-da! you have a new furry friend! It was cool to see all of the monkeys chasing people around and playing with each other! 

On my 23rd birthday, we went and saw some Balinese Art at the Akam Art Museum. It was beautiful! Destination wedding anyone? Mix talented art work and a beautiful resort and do I have the place for you!

The last stop on our trip was Sanur, Bali. We were within a few min walk to the beach! It was a beautiful area and very relaxing! I was quite surprised by all of the tourism though, as I had not expected to see so many Aussies!

Alright friends, that is going to be the end of my post for today. If you would like to see more pictures, feel free and check out my facebook! I highly recommend that you all come and see Indonesia and give yourself at least three weeks. We traveled for less than that and were busy, running around and seeing as much as we could! There are so many incredible cultures and aspects of the Indonesian lifestyle... its hard to explain unless you come yourself! I will definitely be going back, so let me know when you have your flights booked :)