Getting Ready for Yangon

Yangon was that elusive, distant place, fascinatingly alien, and very much off the beaten track. Opting to work in a country opening up gradually, was a decision that posed the toughest challenges for me, something I was ill prepared for, after two decades in developed, highly modern cities. All that was a given in my life, was going to be out of bounds for me now, and everything that had offered comfort and solace, was slipping out of my hands. Accessibility and connectivity are modern age mantras, both of which were no longer guaranteed, bringing a feeling of being cut off and far far away, in an age where physical proximity is unnecessary when virtual distances have reduced.

As I awoke on my first morning in the city, I was unable to get my bearings right. A peep out of the window showed the sun lazily crawling up over the horizon bringing a mild light into a grey sleepy city stirring to life. Was it a dream, that I was in a place right out of my history book, or did a place such as this actually exist, in the twenty-first century? Was living here going to be a journey ahead, or a journey back in time for me? It struck me then, that my Myanmar experience was going to be different from any other in my life.

For the outside world, Myanmar is so much in the news, that like many others, we expected to see a place abuzz with action, change, innovation and improvement. But the ground reality was different, the slow pace, limited availability and very low standards of quality of products and services, had us baffled. Accustomed to a decent standard of living, enjoying the good things of life, getting comfort out of spending on the latest in clothes and gadgets, I knew that now, what I had already, would have to suffice, since Yangon and Myanmar offered little beyond teak, jade and rubies. Not that the elite did not live a luxurious life, but their homes were adorned by their acquisitions overseas.

Yet there was peace and contentment, tranquility and a serene ambience that gradually crept into the innermost core of my being. This is when it dawned on me, that materialistic attitudes are irrelevant when the mind is calm. I just had to change my mindset and think of nurturing my mind now, after having spent most of my life nurturing my body and home, with physical comforts and attributes. I needed to inculcate finer human values like patience and tolerance, forget that I had a right on anything or anyone, stop being judgmental, and develop an empathetic attitude towards the locals who needed much more than I ever would.

Thus began the battle of the mind to prepare for living well and happily in Yangon. No one was punctual, so I must wait. Hardly anyone spoke English, so I had to accept that an assistant condensed a ten minute conversation in Burmese language, in just a couple of sentences. Irrespective of who calls on the phone and how urgent it might, the locals may not answer the call nor reply to messages, so instead of being upset, it was best to accept the siuation. We were foreigners with more money, so had to pay multiple times for things we bought, and conceded that their need for money was more than mine. If rain water seeped into my apartment, I must quietly place towels to prevent it from flooding the place, rather than disturb the landlord. The list was endless, and we all learned, and grew wiser.

Soon, we were better off, not losing our temper, raising our blood pressure or ending up shouting. So much the better, since the common advice was, just pray that you never fall sick, since medical facilities leave a lot to be desired…more on this later.