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Not much to post today. I plan to go on a tour tomorrow of some of the old buildings, but I had a chance to walk around a bit today and was just at the tip of the downtown area. Again, I was most impacted by the contrast between new and old.

Here is a new office building:

Here is the building directly across from it:

Here is a picture that shows the two buildings:

I believe this is one of the roads that runs into downtown (I am taking the picture from the north-most point — there will be a lot to explore!):

Here is a row of buildings where you can almost see development happening in real time:

The Shangri-La Hotel (formerly called Traders, which it is still referred to as) is at the beginning of the row:

I had a great dinner tonight with some folks from Proximity, and it looks like I’ll be heading into the country late next week to speak with some customers, which should be awesome.

 

 

I visited my first Myanmar temple today. During apartment hunting with my new Burmese broker, I was surprised when she offered to show me a temple on the way back. I jumped at the opportunity.

The temple was actually still under construction (or renovation), and I think we were the only people there besides the workers. It was kind of surreal.

Here is a picture of me with the Burmese broker, Daw Sabe (pronounced “sah-bae”), on the right. The man on the left is another member of her team.

Today I had the opportunity to visit the Proximity Designs workshop in the industrial zone. I also went to visit some of the actual manufacturers/suppliers.

Going out into the field was an incredible experience. The work conditions weren’t the most modern, to put it lightly, and if I thought the fumes were bad from road vehicles, this was at another level.

I was treated to tea at the place with the blue sign by one of the manufacturers.

I don’t think I have ever been inside a machine shop in the U.S., but this place looked intense.

You can see that I’m still in one piece! (although I can’t say I didn’t stick out in the crowd)

Here are some more of the people behind the products manufactured:

The tan stuff you see on her face is a paste from tree bark that is supposed to be good for your skin and protect against the sun (wearing this is a local custom in Myanmar):

It was great to see the Proximity workshop. Here are pictures of the design studio, the wet lab, and one of the manufacturing/assembly floors:

I also saw some guys out in the driveway playing a ball game. Check out the video I took for one of the points.

 

I ended my visit with a lunch with a friend at Proiximity. We ate at a local Burmese restaurant. The food was great, particularly the tea leaf salad (the dish on the front right).

So late on the day, I had to negotiate for a taxi. There aren’t meters in the taxi cabs, so the trips are pre-negotiated. I was told what the rate should be, so I was prepared (despite my complexion).

It took a couple cabs who didn’t understand my directions until I realized to use the map on my phone as an indicator. It then took another three cabs until I found someone who was willing to accept my price. To be clear, we aren’t talking big dollars here, but it is more the principle. Two cabs stuck firm at 2,500 kyat (~$2.50) although I was asking for 2,000 kyat (~$2.00).

The driver that accepted the 2,000 kyat offer also had what looked like a sweet, custom-fabricated driver seat for ultimate airflow.

More to come!

Each day I’ve been in the city I’ve ventured out a bit further from home base. Most of my wandering happens at night when it is cooler. During the day I have been working on logistics such as setting up my cell phone and figuring out money management here (I successfully withdrew money from an ATM yesterday using my Bank of America debit card!).

Most of my walks have been along the main road, University Avenue, in the northern part of the city. The acrid taste of diesel fumes are a downer, but the sights along the road are incredible.

In an earlier post I spoke of the sidewalk issue. Here is a picture of a typical solution (walk in the road!). Walking the streets in general here requires nerves of steel. Cars always have the right of way.

You can see that the traffic can get pretty intense. Apparently there used to be very few cars here but that there has been a huge increase as the country has opened up.

Here is one of the buses. Not sure I’ll be trying these out.

People hanging out on the street:

I was shocked to see someone in the city writing by candlelight.

This is the norm — something I’ve been told I will get used to. Fortunately it dries quickly in the heat!

Although I don’t start work until next Monday, I have started to drop by the office. For example, on the housing front, I have decided to engage with a local Burmese broker, someone who others have worked with but who does not speak English, so I had the receptionist translate for me.

It’s one thing to read about it, but last night — the night of my first full day in Yangon — I experienced my first electricity blackout here. It’s weird when everything just shuts off and is consumed with darkness even though there isn’t a storm. The grid just simply can’t handle the demand.

It wasn’t long until the diesel generators were fired up — their whir seeping in through the windows of my room.

This morning came the second blackout (fortunately the shower still worked). When I went into the Proximity office after that, I experienced the third blackout, and then the fourth. The backup power is usually quick to respond, but no one seems to flinch at the sudden cut in power, the beeping of the backup batteries, and then the return of lights.

Today also marked the beginning of the apartment search. I saw probably 7-8 places today, mostly around the Proximity office in the northern part of the city, but also one place in the southern part near downtown. What an experience.

FIRST, and important to note, I was unpleasantly surprised to find out that studio and one-bedroom apartments essentially do not exist in Yangon. Given the market, developers can make more money by turning a building with smaller units into a hotel. So when I walked into the palatial first place, I was immediately taken aback.

I will spare you the pictures of the kitchen and bathroom, but clearly this seemed like I was paying for the space (2 bedrooms) and not the quality.

SECOND, the pricing here seems astronomical given that this is a third world city. Granted you get more space, but most of the apartments I looked at hovered around the $1,200 per month mark.

From there we moved to a recently renovated unit in this type of building:

Gated and set back from the main road, it wasn’t a bad step up. The first place we saw used to be an office (check out the funky living room decorations), but it was being newly renovated, which gave me hope!

Later on, we looked at a huge wooden house set right beside the 90-year-old grandmother who is trying to rent it out. Here is just one of the rooms (there wasn’t actually a shower here but rather a huge tiled vat for taking bucket showers):

We saw a fifth floor unit (also huge) with a pretty sweet view (apparently the pipe in the second picture is the main water supply for the city):

Finally, we went towards downtown to what I’ll call a more “rustic” place. Living there would be a truly authentic experience (the second picture is the view from the balcony):

I’m hoping to make a decision tomorrow!

Today Jim and Debbie (who I am staying with) provided me with a whirlwind driving tour of Yangon. I was also able to do a bit of walking at night around the immediate neighborhood where I am staying (Bahan Township).

Here is what surprised me the most:

1) Chic locales peppered throughout the city. I was told that these have just started popping up over the last 6 months, fueled by the inflow of young ex-pats.

2) The contrast between decrepit, colonial-era building, and brand new high-rise buildings.

3) The lack of sidewalks (and consistent drainage!), and the crumbled mess where sidewalks do exist. People are forced to walk right beside cars buzzing by on the road.

4) The prevalence of diesel generators as a backup power source given the lack of consistent electricity.

5) The ratio between waitstaff (and other employees) and patrons. For example, at a restaurant where I went for dinner today, there were about four people intermittently waiting on me (I’ve been told that this occurs because of how cheap labor is).

6) People love hearing me try to speak Burmese, and they are quick to teach me new words.

For today, the pictures are mostly of the developing side of the city.

A chic cafe in Downtown Yangon called Easy and the delicious soybean pudding that I ordered:

A sandwich I ordered for lunch at a place in Downtown Yangon called Sprouts:

Lack of draining during a passing monsoon rain:

A walkway by Inya Lake that I explored at night. Couples sit huddled beneath umbrellas (their own private canopies) every 10 meters or so. This must be the local hangout spot!

Although Myanmar clearly appears to be a third world country, the rate of development appears to be tremendous:

I just arrived to Yangon. What a different world!

My first reaction from the plane was how few lights I saw. The landscape was gorgeous, with the evening sun shining through thickets of rain clouds.

After landing, when I got off the plane and was about halfway down the main escalator of the airport (packed with people) the whole thing screeched to a halt for no apparent reason. Everyone lurched forward before looking around awkwardly, chuckling a bit, and then walking down.

After picking up my bags, I went to exchange some money. There were about five different exchange locations right next to each other. I didn’t recognize any of the names. I was going to exchange $200 to get started, but jumped when I saw how large the stack of bills was (apparently the largest bill in circulation is 5,000 kyat, which is approximately $5). I pared back the exchange to $100 and received the same size stack (I think I got the equivalent of $1 bills instead of $5 bills). I just went with the flow, took the stack, and left.

A friend of a friend and employee at Proximity Designs was kind enough to pick me up from the airport. Stepping out of the airport, my immediate reactions were a) I have never seen such a pandemonium of people, cars, hawkers, and yelling, and b) Wow, it’s hot. It almost felt like a mix between India (from what I’ve heard) and Bangkok.

From the airport, we went to YKKO for noodle soup before I got settled into where I am staying. Tomorrow I will get to see the city in daylight, and will hopefully get a bit more oriented.

 

As I write this I am in Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok waiting for my transfer flight to Yangon, Myanmar. I haven’t been able to update in the last couple days, but I am hoping to catch up on that now.

On Thursday I spent the day on a tour of Panmunjom (aka JSA – Joint Security Area) as well as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which represent the border of North and South Korea.

We passed through security checkpoints where our passports were checked and then were provided with badges and a waiver to sign.

The first main stop was Panmunjom/JSA. This is the actual line between North and South Korea (or, more specifically, where their sections of the DMZ meet), and it is where the two sides meet to discuss any issues in person.

It was absolutely surreal to look across the border and see a group of tourists in North Korea staring back, as well as to see the North Korean guards within feet of the South Korean guards. (the cement block in the ground between the two building represents the actual border)

The situation was intense. There was a South Korean guard staring at us the whole time making sure we didn’t do anything that would provoke suspicion from the North. We weren’t allowed to take anything that could conceal something (not even a camera case), couldn’t wear shorts or anything that showed shoulder, couldn’t wave, scoff, or do anything that could be used as propaganda by the North (as we were told).

We had about two or three minutes to watch and take pictures. We were then rushed into the blue building to see the actual conference room that is used for discussions. Because visitors to North Korea also enter the building we had to be quick about entering and exiting.

Inside this room is a center conference table that denotes the border. Walking behind the table allowed us to physically enter North Korea. Guards were ever-present.

From here, we went to the Bridge of No Return, which is where a large prisoner-of-war exchange was conducted.

After this, the next major stop was to the last train station in North Korea. The bridge in the picture below is called the Freedom Bridge, which leads to this station. Inside the station itself, there was actually a sign foreshadowing the hope that ticket holders would one day be going to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea.

After this we visited a lookout point that points into North Korea. Although sunny, it was hazy, so visibility was not great. If you look closely at the second picture below, you can make out a black flagpole on the left (a North Korean town) and a white flag on the right (the South Korean side).

We concluded the tour by going down into one of the tunnels that the North Koreans were building to try and infiltrate the South. Four tunnels have been found, and we went into tunnel number three. Unfortunately we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside!

 

Overall, I was very surprised about the positive mindset that surrounded the entire border area (at least on the south side). Our tour guide said multiples times that he believes unification will happen soon (within the next ten years). You can see the sign below in the train station.

You can also see this guard post that reads “End of Separation, Beginning of Unification.”

There was even a segment on the environmental preservation in the DMZ and the wildlife “living in harmony.”

It was also interesting to see a t-shirt depicting North and South Korean guards, both smiling next to each other.

Unfortunately some of the playfulness of the area seemed to undercut the gravity that this is a place where two countries still at war come face to face.

I have to jump onto my next flight, so that is all for now, but I hope to post more updates soon. I’ll leave you with one last picture below.

I took this picture near the border – two flowers among a field of blossoms – which reminded me of how North and South Korea are joined at the hip but are in such different situations.

We woke up to an incredible breakfast at the Hanok (traditional Korean house). The owners, Mr. and Mrs. Joo, of the house (DahmSoJung Guesthouse) were very nice.

 

We finished off the morning walking around Bukchon. The first picture is of the tops of the traditional houses, and the second pictures is of jars used to store kimchi (Korean pickled cabbage)

 

From there we went to Gangnam (known for its upscale shopping and club life and popularized by the K-pop song by Korean artist Psy). Gangnam felt kind of a like a blend between the boutique feel of SoHo and the big-building vibe of 5th Ave in New York. We were able to meet up with my friend Joseph for some food, which was awesome.

After that we went to a board game cafe where my friend Jindallae used to work!

 

CULTURAL NOTE: The subways in Korea are taken to an entirely next level. The subway is essentially like an underground shopping mall. AND, people actually line up (for the most part) to get on the trains!

 

 

 

 

Yesterday we went to the Hanwha Building (Building 63) for some amazing views of Seoul. We also went to an aquarium and a wax museum, which were all part of the “big 3” ticket bundle.

 

After that we swung by Hyosung, which is where my friend Jindallae works, and we finished off the day at Durihana (a school that helps North Korean refugees), where we ate dinner with some of the students there.

 

Today we went to Bukshon Hanok Village to drop off our bags, as we are spending the night in a traditional Korean house. This area is the region where the wealthy used to live during the era of kings in Seoul. I was surprised by the juxtoposition between the traditional and the modern architecture.

 

From there we ate sundubu jigae (tofu stew), which is one of my favorite Korean dishes, at a restaurant in the nearby area of Samcheongro (the menu was on a spoon!). We then had Padbingsu (shaved milk ice) for dessert.

 

We finished off our tourist day by visiting the king’s summer palace Changdukgung and then going to a street with traditional handicrafts and cultural items called Insadong.

 

POP CULTURE NOTE: There is a hilarious development in Korea. People have taken a liking to what I’ll call the “selfie rod.” I was shocked by the number of people that used these. Probably won’t be long until the trend jumps the Pacific!