Relaxing and reading the newspaper in Vietnam. I hopefully I can return there soon!

I am finally back in Chapel Hill, North Carolina after my long trip exploring and journeying around Southeast Asia. What a trip it was! I have learned and seen so much of the land where I was born and have gained such a great respect and fascination for my culture and ancestry. However, I have also learned to really embrace and appreciate the educational opportunities that I have in America at UNC-CH. The trip exceeded my expectations and I have many stories to tell my family and friends. Thanks for following along with my adventures, I will hopefully have more to tell you in the future!

Again, please email me at lanh.mai@gmail.com or facebook me (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000964807484&v=info&ref=profile) if you have any comments or just want to talk to me about the Southeast Asian region. I would love to learn more about where I’m from and the different experiences people had while traveling in the area.

Until next time,

Lanh

To conclude my wonder trip throughout the region I will be heading to Singapore.  There I will be able to learn about the exciting economy and trade of the country.  I’ve heard it’s one of the best, so I’m very excited to find out what makes this country so great.  Singapore is a beautiful country with modern buildings.  It was founded as a British trading colony 1819 after colonial rule Singapore joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963, but separated into independence two years later.  Geographically speaking Singapore is an Island between Malaysia and Indonesia.  I can’t wait!!

Singapore, it turns out has a highly developed and successful free-market style economy that rivals developed countries.  The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector.   As of 2009 their GDP purchasing power was 234.5 billion owing to their strong economy.  Singapore generates some of its GDP from domestic sources such as Agriculture and industry.  Agriculturally speaking Singapore grows harvests: orchids, vegetables; poultry, eggs; fish, ornamental fish.  Their industry puts out:  electronics, chemicals, financial services, oil drilling equipment, petroleum refining, rubber processing and rubber products, processed food and beverages, ship repair, offshore platform construction, life sciences, entrepot trade.  Unfortunately Singapore has suffered from the global financial crisis of 2008, but is expected to make a full recovery.  In the future Singapore will be looking for more stable and less vulnerable trade paths, especially in information technologies.

Singapore has excellent relations with its close regional neighbors.  As of 2008 the trade percentages with other countries was divided as follows:  Malaysia 12.1%, Indonesia 10.5%, Hong Kong 10.3%, China 9.2%, US 7.1%, Japan 4.9%, Australia 4.1%.  Some of Singapore’s exported commodities are machinery and equipment (including electronics), consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, mineral fuels.

What an interesting and strong country Singapore is.  I have no doubts Singapore will be regional economic power in the near future.  I’ll make sure I come back soon and spend more time there.  Well this concludes my trip it was fun and interesting.

This was taken during my exciting helicopter ride, what a blast!

From my hotel room, drinking a bottle of red wine.Here is one of the many port facilities that are essential to Singapore’s strong economy; this port is name Port of Singapore.  Notice the gantry cranes for lifting heavy products for out bound exports or in bound imports.  I sat here all day watching the port in action, wow, what a site.  This port, like all others in Singapore, runs 24 hours a day.

Referances

1.  CIA World Fact Book, available at:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sn.html

2.  CountryRisk.com, available at:

http://www.countryrisk.com/editorials/archives/cat_singapore.html

Jeepney!

Upon arriving at my hotel, I decided I wanted to explore the nation’s capital of Manila as soon as possible.  I wanted to see Manila’s downtown, as my hotel is right on the edge of it, so I thought it might be nice to try out the city’s tricycles, which are very similar to the tuk-tuk I rode in Thailand.  The fare was relatively inexpensive, and it was much easier to get around the city in this than it would have in the bulky jeepney I rode in previously.  After a day of exploring the capital, I ate dinner and realized I should probably head to bed soon after a long day of traveling and touring the city.

The Filipino Tricycle I rode in around Manila

The next day I decided it would be nice to walk around a little bit and get to experience the area from close up.  I visited various parks and gardens, and entered many local shops.  I talked to a police officer about the safety around the city and he told me it has been getting safer due to the high level of urbanization, in addition to the decreasing crime rates.  He did recommend that I not ride in a jeepney at night however, as there have been reports of crime related to these and it would be smart to avoid any possibilities of something like this.  He told me that taxis would be just as easy to use, and probably more common in the city anyway.  It was reassuring to be in a foreign country and have someone look out for me like that, so that I didn’t really have to worry about my safety.

That night I decided to heed the words of the police officer and took a taxi down to Greenbelt Park in Makati, one of the municipalities that make up Metro Manila.  Greenbelt Park is one of the most sophisticated shopping centers in the Philippines, so I felt obliged to see what it was like.  When I got there I saw a group of people step out of an electric jeepney.  I was somewhat jealous, but realized safety should probably come first, so was happy with my decision to take the taxi.  The various stores and coffee shops were very interesting, but what really captivated me was the expansive garden at the center.  It was a beautiful area and I was very glad I came to experience it all.

The beautiful gardens of Greenbelt Park

That brings us to today, the day I unfortunately have to leave this captivating country and continue on with my adventure through Southeast Asia.  Luckily my next stop is Singapore, even though it is my last, so I do have much to look forward to still even as my adventure is coming to an end.  I have a flight out of the same airport as where I came into the Philippines, and I think I may want to try to find one of the electric jeepneys, now that it’s safer during the day. I’m very glad to have been able to experience Manila, and what piqued my interest in particular was the diversity found within all modes of transportation available in the Philippines, ranging from the characteristic jeepneys to the quick and convenient tricycles.  It was nice to be practically chauffeured around the whole time, when I’ve had to walk around such less urbanized parts of other countries throughout my whole trip around this wonderful region.  Walking through the city was nice, but nothing beats the experience of barreling down a rode in a multicolor jeepney as the driver blasts music and honks his deafening horn at everything around!

Next stop Singapore,

Lanh Mai

References:

1. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/philippines/pro-transportation.htm
2. http://www.airniugini.com.pg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=376&Itemid=289
3. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g298573-Manila_National_Capital_Region_Luzon-Vacations.html
4. http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/jeepneys1.htm
5. http://www.philippines.hvu.nl/transport1.htm

Its early in the afternoon and I’ve just landed in Port Moresby, Jacksons International Airport in Papa New Guinea. I’m excited to start exploring this amazing country (since I’m only going to be here for a short three days), but first I need to check into my hotel. I’m staying in a small town in the Eastern Highlands called Kainantu. Kainantu is about an hour away from Goroka, the capital of the Eastern Highlands province. My friend Jenny from back home is also touring Southeast Asia and we’re both staying in Kainantu Lodge. We’ve decided to meet up later tonight and spend the next couple of days soaking up Papa New Guinea’s diverse culture. Well that’s all for now, I’m going to catch the shuttle, get settled into my hotel and grab a bite to eat! I promise to give you all a full update later!

Ah, what a day!

Yesterday night, Jenny and I had dinner at the local markets outside of our hotel. We wanted to try out some of the traditional cuisines of Papa New Guinea so we ventured a bit further out to escape the Western foods that seem to be really popular here. After wandering for a bit, we found a food stand that was selling mumu. Mumu is a dish combining roast pork, sweet potatoes, rice, and greens that is cooked in a stone oven in the ground. We enjoyed our generous portions of mumu at the picnic tables set up next to the food stand. It was absolutely delicious.

On the walk back to the hotel, we noticed a farmer’s market that was selling an assortment of fruits: pineapples, pawpaws, mangoes, passion fruit, and bananas… Jenny and I were both craving for something sweet so we bought some fruit to enjoy back at the hotel. After getting back, we found out that there was going to be a traditional performance in the lounge bar. We wanted to take full advantage of our hotel, so we quickly washed the fruits we bought and made our way down to watch the performance.

The performance reminded me a little bit of Hawaiian hula dancing. The dancers had painted faces, wore grass skirts, and beat drums as they swayed along to the music. Their outfits were made up of natural elements such as woven grasses, stretched animal skins, and shells. I would also like to mention that the fruit that we bought from the market was some of the best fruit I’ve ever had in my life! I guess this just goes to show the importance of having fresh, locally-grown produce to consume.

This morning Jenny and I woke up at 5:00 AM refreshed and eager to do some sight-seeing in the capital city Goroka. However, ours plans quickly changed when we ran into an English couple at breakfast that told us about their plans for the day. They were going to hike up Mount Wilhelm and invited us to join them. Of course, there was no question; we were not going to give up this opportunity. We first had to travel to the village of Keglsugl where the trail began. When we got to the Keglsugl, we paid a local who was about our age to guide us up the mountain. The route involves climbing up through a mountain rain forest and then along an alpine grassland glacial valley to the twin lakes of Piunde and Aunde. The view from the the peak was incredible, I wish I had been better equipped, and had a camera to commemorate the moment. The entire hike took about 5 hours, and the hike down took a little less than that. And now as I sit here writing this, it’s 2:00 AM and I feel the soreness setting in. My stay in Papa New Guinea has been more than I could have ever imagined. I enjoyed everything from local cuisine and language, to scaling the highest mountain peak in the country. G’night everybody and I’ll see you all in the Phillipines!

References and Image Sources:

1. http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Papua+New+Guinea/Dining
2. http://www.pngbd.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2582
3. http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/papua.htm
4. http://www.hedon.info/Mumu-ATraditionalMethodOfSlowCookingInPapuaNewGuinea
5. http://www.aerohub.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/mt-wilhelm-png.jpg
6. http://www.chem.purdue.edu/wasserman/mangoes.jpg
7. http://www.thesalmons.org/lynn/pit6.jpg

East Timor is a country that includes half of the island of Timor, which is an eastern island in the Indonesian archipelago. It also includes a small area in the western half of Timor around the town of Oecussi and two small islands called Atauro and Jaco, which lie north of the country’s capital of Dili.

Dili is where I have been spending most of my time here, as it is one of the only two major towns you can find in the country. Other than Dili and Baucau, the entire country is rural, which is why the majority of the population depends on subsistence agriculture for food. But East Timor is not the best equipped country for farming. Due to its rocky soil, low rainfall, and generally fragile environment, many natives to East Timor suffer from malnutrition, especially during the dry season when food and water shortages are all too common. Here is a picture of the rice fields found in East Timor.

Although many people in East Timor suffer from malnutrition, I have had no trouble finding delicious food here in Dili. The most popular Timorese foods are made from mostly rice, which is the staple food here. One typical Timorese cuisine I tried is known as Tapai. Tapai is a traditional fermented cuisine made from rice and yeast, but it can be made from many staple food grains and tubers in order to give it a different taste or texture. The tapai I tried was sweet and tangy in taste, but also tasted somewhat like alcohol since it is fermented. I tried this tapai at the Golden Star restaurant in town, which by the way had fantastic service and I would definitely consider it a must for anyone coming to East Timor with a desire to try out the typical food! For dessert I had coconut pudding, which is also a tradition in East Timor. As a huge coconut fan, I highly recommend this dish to anyone who likes coconut!! Here is a picture of the delicious coconut pudding I ate!

After tasting this food, I couldn’t help but wonder what other sorts of food Timorese people usually ate, especially since there is such widespread malnutrition! So I did some research in a local book store catering to tourists. Some other traditional Timorese cuisines I encountered in my reading, besides Tapai, were Akar, Canine, and Pepes. Akar is a specific type of cuisine that is only eaten by the poor in times of desperate need. It is also known as the poor man’s cuisine and is made from the bark of a special palm tree. This bark is ground up into a fine powder and then soaked in water until it forms a jelly. This dish supposedly tastes very bad which is why it is only eaten when there are no other options, so I opted not to try and find some. Another cuisine known as Canine is made from, as you English speakers like me probably guessed, dog meat. As a dog lover, I could never bring myself to eat this type of cuisine, but I’m sure it is good to natives who grew up eating it since it sounds very flavorful! Pepes is a cuisine made from fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over steam. The fish are slice part way through many time and a mixture of spices is applied into the cuts. I tried this dish the other night at a restaurant called Atasquinha. This restaurant specialized in grilled fish, which was delicious by the way!, and also had a great sunset view on the beach. Pepes is not the only food made in East Timor with spices. Dili offers a great mix of flavors such as Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Thai, and Indonesian at a variety of restaurants. But I stuck mostly to Timorese flavors that I have not been able to experience before! But enough about food, I tend to ramble easily about that topic since I love food so much!!

The languages in East Timor also caught much of my attention during my stay here. Although it shares a border with Indonesia, East Timor is very different.  East Timor began as a Portuguese trading colony in the 16^th century.  When East Timor declared independence in 1975, they were invaded by Indonesia nine days later.  Ten years ago Indonesia still occupied East Timor, and only left as recently as 2002.  Over 100,000 people died during the Indonesian occupation, and thus there is a strong feeling of resentment towards Indonesia. Here is a picture of an East Timorese demonstration against Indonesia.

My first impressions of East Timor was that the occupation had done some considerable damage.  The country is very poor, and the illiteracy rate hovers around 50%.  However, they are not at all lacking in a rich culture and an incredibly complex system of languages.

When I first arrived in East Timor, it quickly became apparent that nobody spoke a language I could understand.  I finally found someone who looked American sitting in a cafe, and asked him where I could find an English speaking hotel or someone that could help me.  As it turned out, he was actually a linguist from the United States studying the diverse languages of East Timor!  He explained to me that there are several common languages in East Timor but the national language is actually Tetum, which is an Austronesian language that also has elements of Portuguese (No wonder I didn’t understand anyone).  Portuguese has also recently been reinstated as the offical language of the government, but Tetum is much more common.  Additionally, there are a variety of other languages that are commonly spoken in different parts of the country, such as Uab Meto, Fataluku, Bekais, Bunak, Dawan, Galoli, Habun, and Kemak just to name a few.  He explained to me that East Timor was first a Portuguese colony before it was invaded by Indonesia, and a huge amount of languages have developed as a result.  A language even thought to be extinct, Rusenu, was re-discovered in 2007! Here is a picture of an East Timorese girl speaking Portuguese, Bunak, Tetum, and Fataluku. She is saying, “I am in Dili. I have some money. I do not have any money.”

All in all, I learned a lot about East Timor, a country I knew very little about.  Their history fascinated me, the food was delicious, and the diversity of their languages was incredible!  Maybe one day I will try to learn a little Tetum and try and speak to the locals here.

References:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1508119.stm

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tt.html

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/linguafranca/stories/2004/1138367.htm

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2003/10/09/independence_breeds_resentment_in_east_timor/?page=2

http://www.mapsofworld.com/timor-leste/culture/east-timor-food.html

http://www.easttimorpress.com/food/famous-cuisine-of-east-timor

http://www.discoverdili.com/restaurants.html

On my journey throughout Southeast Asia so far, I have increasingly been aware of the music of this region.  It seems that there are many differences, but also many similarities, between the musical traditions of the countries I have visited so far.  Indonesia has so far revealed itself as a highly diverse nation with over 300 ethnic groups who reside on over 6000 different islands.  While I only have a few days in Indonesia and therefore do not have the time to explore the majority of the cultural elements of Indonesia, music has gained my interest here and my goal for my time in this country is to learn more of this element of Indonesian culture (1).

Once I was settled in my hotel in Jakarta, I expressed my interest in Indonesian music to the receptionist at the hotel and she eagerly told me that her grandfather was quite knowledgeable on this subject and owned a musical instrument shop in the city.  After getting directions for her, I ate some lunch I bought from a street vender (which I could only tell was some kind of grilled meat).  Once I reached the music shop, I encountered a variety of instruments in the store window, but I had never seen many of them before.  I entered and greeted the old man sitting behind the counter, who was eating his lunch but otherwise looked quite bored.  I told him of my interest, and he said it was good that I had come during his lunch, as he was not busy and would be happy to give me some information on the music of Indonesia.  He started with an explanation of the instruments he had in his store window.   He made sure that I was aware that he was just giving me a general idea of the music of his nation because although he was an expert on the many different regional styles, of which there were dozens, he was not proficient in everything.  He related that there are several types of instruments that tend to be major components in the music of multiple regions.  These include gongs, flutes, percussion instruments, and lutes.  These instruments tend to use natural materials and bamboo and wood are popular materials (1).  He demonstrated some of them to me, and while the form of the instruments did not deviate drastically in comparison to the western instruments I was aware of, the sound they produced was quite different.

Now that he had my interest, the old man said that he wanted to explain some of the origins of Indonesian music.  He told me that it was very important to realize that music in Indonesia tended to have close connections with religion and spiritual practice.  While the primary religion of Indonesia is Islam, elements of other religions and animist belief systems also had major impacts of the development of music (1).

An assortment of gamelan instruments.

I was curious to hear about the influence of western music on Indonesian music and so also asked the old man about this subject.  He says that while younger people are increasingly drawn to the popular music of the United States and other western countries, for old people the influence of western music is most apparent in the “national” area.  He explained by this he meant patriotic songs and the national anthem, which utilize western instruments and organizational style (1).

Indonesians playing in the traditional gamelan style.

After this, the old man said that his lunch break was almost done and the he was expecting a few customers soon, but also wanted to tell me about a particular type of Indonesian music called gamelan.  He told me there were multiple variations of this music form, including those from Bali and Java, which are the best known.  However, he stressed that the gamelan style has many similarities despite the regional variations.  The gamelan style is organized almost like a western orchestra, with different sets of instruments having specific functions in the composition.  For example, in the gamelan, there are sets of gongs, gong-chimes, metallophones, drums, flutes, bowed and plucked stringed instruments, and often singers, depending on the style (2, 3).  The old man further emphasized the religious/spiritual aspect of this form of Indonesian music.  For many who view or participate in the gamelan, the process is sacred and often viewed as supernatural.  There are many guidelines associated with the gamelan, and these are often associated with showing respect for spirits instead of offending them (3). Otherwise, gamelan emphasizes community effort and is reserved for special occasions, although it is also used more frequently for entertainment purposes in the modern day (3).

Finished with his short explanation of Indonesian music, the old man tells me of a gamelan performance being conducted the next day in one of the parks in the city.  He said it would be a great show and encouraged me to attend it.  Thanking him for his time, I departed from the old man to do some more sightseeing in the city.

The next day, I did get the chance to attend the gamelan performance and enjoyed it a lot.  It was an interesting show, and was quite similar to this:

My time in Indonesia was very short, but I am very happy I had the opportunity to learn so much in so little time.  Indonesia is home to many different cultures, and I will definitely have to come back in the future to learn more about other aspects, as I have just scraped the surface of new, interesting things to learn here.

References

1. National Geographic Music, available at http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/view/page.basic/country/content.country/indonesia_10
2. Indonesian Music, Part 1 by Lewis E. Peterman Jr., available at http://trumpet.sdsu.edu/M345/Indonesian_Music1.html
3. Indonesian Gamelan, available at http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Indonesian/budaya_bangsa/Gamelan/Main_Page/main_page.htm#Introduction

I arrived in Brunei today, and I am so excited to be here.  However, all of this traveling is starting to take a toll on me so I decided to take the day to relax, get some sleep and catch up on the news.

After checking into my hotel, I took a nice long nap and then headed out to grab a bite to eat.  On my way out I picked up a copy of the Borneo Bulletin, a daily English-language newspaper, from the front desk. This was a very interesting publication that reminded me of UNC’s campus newspaper, The Daily Tar Heel. It was a simple, yet highly informative publication that contained seven major sections: Local News, Borneo News, Regional News, World News, Financial, Classified, and Sports. I really enjoyed reading all the different articles about the news and happenings in Brunei and Borneo, and I even decided to eat dinner at one of the local eateries it featured for its divine local cuisine.

A copy of the Borneo Bulletin

At dinner I enjoyed a delicious meal known as Daging Masak Lada Hitam.  It is very popular among the locals and is very similar to what American’s know as chili, only it wasn’t as soupy.  With my belly full, I decided to spend the evening strolling the streets of Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei.  I noticed a vendor on the sidewalk that was selling all sorts of newspapers and magazines, so I decided to drop by. I was still eager to catch up on the national news and events that I had missed over the past few weeks, but there were four different newspapers and a handful of magazines scattered across the vendor’s shelf and I had no clue as to which one I should choose.  The gentleman working there was very friendly and explained that there are four local newspapers published in Brunei: the Pelita Brunei, a free bi-weekly newspaper written in the Malay language and published by the government’s Information Department; the Borneo Bulletin, a daily newspaper published by the Brunei Press in both English and Malay; the Media Permata, the sole Malay-language daily; and The Brunei Times, an English-language paper that features primarily international news.  The gentleman went on to explain that the press in Brunei is neither diverse nor free.  Every publication, television station and radio station is either owned or controlled by the royal family of Brunei, or exercises self-censorship on political and religious matters. He said that criticism of the government is not tolerated on any level and there are strict laws to enforce this. I was surprised to hear this considering that there are essentially no topics that are off limits to the media in America.

In the end I decided to purchase a copy of The Brunei Times, and I also grabbed a Travel Guide for Tourists that he happened to be selling so that I could find some fun things to do for the remainder of my stay.  Back at the hotel, I read through The Brunei Times and noticed the selective and strictly factual focus of the articles it contained; a result of the government’s censorship.  Thanks to the Travel Guide I purchased, I now have a few fun activities lined up for my remaining days here. I want to take in all that Brunei has to offer, but I also want to stay energized for my upcoming travels.  Tomorrow I plan to visit Jerudong Park & Playground, an amusement park that is one of Brunei’s best-known attractions.  I wonder how it will compare to Carowinds?

Until next time,

Lahn

References:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1298607.stm

http://www.tourismbrunei.com/welcome.html#

http://www.bt.com.bn/en/

Muzim Negar - Malaysia's Nation Museum

Since I didn’t know much about Malaysia’s history I decided to start in the nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. As soon as I arrived in Kuala Lumpar I felt a sense of culture and tradition. I checked into a hostel and immediately began to explore the city. The first place I went to was the Muzim Negara. The Muzim Negar is Malaysia’s national museum which reveals the culture and history of the country. At the Museum, I learned that Malaysia is comprised of Penisular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Broneo. I was happy to find that although Malay is the national language, English is the most widely spoken. After leaving the Museum I went to the Lake Gardens. The Lake Gardens is known for being the oldest and most popular park in Kuala Lumpur. Within the garden you can find the Deer, Bird, and Butterfly Parks. Later that night I went to the Istana Budaya National Theatre to watch a ballet performance to relax after my exciting day.

Gunung Mulu National Park

The next day I checked out of my hostel room and boarded a small plane that took me to Mulu. Mulu is on the east island of Malaysia. I was so excited to see Mulu because it is home to Gunung Mulu National Park, which has one of the longest networks of caves in the world! I went on the tour as soon as I arrived because the tour guide said I wouldn’t be able to see as much at night. The most amazing part of the tour was going through Deer Cave which is large enough to fit five cathedrals the size of Saint Pauls Cathedral in London! While I was in the caves I saw a lot of bats and fascinating wildlife. That evening I took an overnight train to take me to Sabah for my last day in Malaysia.

I was thrilled to be ending my time in Malaysia in Sabah. Sabah is one of the thirteen states and is known for its beautiful islands. On the boat ride there I made friends with an old man who had lived in Sabah his whole life. He told me that Sabah used to be called “The Land Below the Wind” because it lies below the typhoon belt. He also told me that people come from all over the world just to go diving in the sea surrounding Sabah because of the crystal clear waters. That really made be happy because I had taken a diving course my junior at Chapel Hill and I wanted to put the skills I learnt to use. The boat took me to Pulau Tiga Marine Park which is known for its beautiful landscape and natural environment. Pulau Tiga has also been used as a location for the filming of Survivor, a popular TV show. I arrived there early in the morning and immediately signed up with a diving group. My group went diving and exploring the coral reefs that surrounded the island. I saw hundreds of exotic fish and marine life.

Turtle Island Park

After diving for a few hours I got on another boat which took me to Turtle Island Park. The park was actually a cluster of three small uninhabited islands lining the Sulu Sea. The island that I went to was called Selingan. Selingan is home to two species of turtles called the Greens and Hawksbill. Since most of the turtle landings occur at night I rested along the beach until it was evening. I started the tour around 7pm and I saw three different turtle hatchings! It was one of the most surreal things I had ever seen.

I had so much time exploring the country of Malaysia. And although I am sad to leave Malaysia, I can not wait to visit Brunei which is my next stop!

References:

1. “Destinations.” Tourism Malaysia. Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. Web. <http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/destinations/item.asp?item=pulautiga>.
2. http://www.eco-paradise.com/PulauTiga.jpg
3. http://images.hostelworld.com/images/tours/37769_7585_1.jpg
4. http://www.malaysiasite.nl/images/natmuseum5.jpg

Burmese political poster that I saw in the trash outside the boarding house.

The main reason I wanted to come to Burma was to learn more about the government and its history – it’s a pretty brutal one. Unlike my other stops in Southeast Asia, I’ve chosen to stay at a boarding house for the duration of my visit. I’m a guest at the house belonging to a Mister Chuk Song – his father was a minister in the British colonial government until independence in 1948. Chuk was able to escape persecution after agreeing to abide by the party lines. Posters from the State Peace and Development Council cover literally every inch of the walls. It makes me consider how free he really is.

Button that was being given out at a protest.

One night I was able to sit down with Chuk and enjoy some potent green tea. He explained the regime to me using wild gesticulations and some humorous impersonations of the latest dictators. His story began with British colonization in 1824 and then fast-forwarded to 1948 when Burma gained independence from the Commonwealth of Nations – Britain’s post-colonial structure. I found it ironic that a dictatorial regime could come from such democratic origins. I asked if there were any colonial influences in the government. Chuk just chuckled. The Burmese government is based on the idea of a constitution, parliament, and voting rights, but they are not exercised. The People’s Assembly, aka parliament, was elected in 1990 but never convened. According to the newest constitution, part of a series, elections for a new parliament will be held in 2010. Sounds great right? The catch is that twenty-five percent of seats must be reserved for the military. Got to love “democracy.” Similarly, the court system is influenced by British structure, but free trials are the dreams of fools.

Desire to be free: children protesting their government.

But I’ve saved the best for last – the executive branch. One ruling body. Total domination. Repression. All of these words and phrases are associated with the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Through Burma’s seven divisions and states, the SPDC rules with an iron fist over Burma. The SPDC appoints the chief of state, the prime minister, and the cabinet. Essentially, the Burmese government is a stage and the ruling junta are the puppet masters. Who are these men? At this point, Chuk jerks one thumb towards the wall in a sign of disgust. Apparently it used to be a group of three, but like all love triangles, this one wasn’t meant to last. Two feared the third was getting too popular with some of his agrarian reforms and had him executed. The current chief of state is Senior General Than Shwe and he has been in power since 1992. The one shining beacon of opposition has been Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of General Aung San who was assassinated in 1948 after indepence was granted. She represents the National League for Democracy which won the majority in parliament in 1990, but never came into power. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for since 1991 and probably isn’t going to be released any time soon. Under the militant regime, human rights abuses run rampant, the capital has been relocated, and the military is like a dinosaur that crushes everything in its path. Not quite exactly a tropical paradise.

One of the images on Chuk's wall. The Big Man: General Thein Shein

My last day in Burma was without a doubt the most eventful. Chuk had mentioned that the streets were getting restless. Elections were coming and the people wanted their voices to be heard. Protestors began lining the streets later that morning. Monks, grandmothers, fathers, doctors, teachers, and every other kind of person you can imagine packed Burma’s streets waving flags and banners. They were lining the streets demanding democracy. It was a moving sight for someone who experiences it every day. Oh the things we take for granted. Now I can truly appreciate what it means for my parents to vote. We like to think that everyone has that unique right, but it isn’t true. I managed to take some pictures of the protest that I hope will make you consider what it means to exercise the right to choose your leaders.

Burmese monks protesting. They have a long-standing tradition of protesting against this government and are often the most brutally repressed.

People from all walks of life joining together.

References:

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bm.html

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35910.html

http://www.ncgub.net/

Photo Credits:

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/09/24/svWBURMA_wideweb__470x331,0.jpg

http://www.popandpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/kids.jpg

http://rlv.zcache.com/free_burma_sticker-p217077047702162438qjcl_400.jpg

http://viss.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/thabapatitheinsein.jpg

http://www.vueweekly.com/uploads/front-karen.jpg

Bangkok, Thailand



While I found many interesting things to do, I encountered a mishap that required me to receive medical attention. I knew that healthcare was different from that of the United States but I  did not know it was so different until I actually needed it.

My second day here I realized that I have not been taking as many pictures as I should be. So, I set out from my hotel around 7:00 to do some sightseeing. I began on the busy streets of Bangkok. At 7:00, downtown Bangkok was already filled with people and honking cars throughout the streets. I was reminded of the impatient drivers in Raleigh! I saw a flee market across the street from where I was with tons unique and brightly-colored things so immediately started to walk over there. Not even thinking of the dangerous oncoming traffic, I got hit by a car. It sounds A LOT worse than it was, well at least for me. The car barely hit me but in attempts to avoid me the car hit another pedestrian near the sidewalk. From here, I began to learn how different Thailand’s healthcare distribution was from the United States.

I was slightly bruised from the hit but nothing serious although I thought I should still go the hospital just in case. The other pedestrian that was hit was a woman of about 35-years old. When the driver and I walked over to her, she complained that her knee was hurting. My immediate response to this car accident was to call 911 but I was quickly corrected. In Thailand, the emergency number was 1699. I was also informed that is very rare for a emergency response team from the hospital to attend to car accidents due to the heavy traffic on the streets. It is very hard for emergency vehicles to tend to emergency calls because of the cities population. In addition to this, it is not tradition or the law for vehicles on the street to yield to emergency vehicles making things even more difficult. Approximately 15-20 minutes a volunteer response vehicle, which is equivalent to our HERO team, arrived on the scene of the accident. This crew of four people tended to our basic medical needs but suggested that we both seek more help at the general hospital 25 miles away. The driver of the car offered to drive the both of us. Once we arrived there were many people in the emergency room waiting for assistance. We were told by the woman at the desk to fill out some papers she handed us then to return them as soon as possible. The woman and I sat down next to a family of three: a husband, a wife, and their child. I filled out my papers then returned them to the lady at the desk. She reviewed them and saw that I did not have residency as apart of this country. She then explained the health care policy in Thailand.  For starters, there is no established primary health care plan in Thailand per say. Most doctors are not primary care doctors; they work in a specialty field.  This is one of the reasons for the overpopulated emergency room. Hospitals lack doctors fro general care such as the care that the woman and I would receive. Often, specialty doctors must take the job of general practitioners so that patients can have their medical needs tended to. She also described something uncommon in the United States. Doctors make their daily rounds at different hospitals each day so that a group of doctors rotate in and out. This ensures that most everywhere is supplied with doctors but it cause another problem: consistency. Patients are rarely seen by the same doctor on a consistent basis. This can cause problems when a patient is dealing a terminal illness or has undergone surgery.

From what the nurse behind the counter explained and what I had encountered at the sight if the car accident, Thailand’s health care plan is not efficient enough for its many inhabitants and visitors. The nurse also informed me that because I was “internationally insured” I would have to pay out-of-pocket before I could receive medical attention. The price of my medical visit in the emergency room was incredibly high. My visit was about 10x what a normal emergency room visit would have been in the United States. After I paid my fee, the nurse told to have a seat and I would be seen by a doctor shortly. I waited for the woman I was with to be attended to also. As I sat and waited I began to speak again with the family beside me. They eventually began to tell to me how treatment for their sick child has been far and few. Because they do not have insurance, their child cannot be seen without payment up front as I had experienced.  It was sad to see how a child must suffer due to the inactivity towards healthcare in Thailand. Luckily, the woman I came with was able to afford health care. We were both able to be seen by general doctors who told us that if we needed further assistance for our bruises and cuts we could attend their private clinic. Private clinics are common in Thailand but not commonly used by lower and middle class people due to the price.

Hospital in Thailand

Luckily, I escaped the car accident with insignificant injuries and was prepared to pay for the medical fees. While most may have seen this incident as unfortunate, I saw it as a chance to learn about a part such as health care in another culture. If I had not experienced it personally, the negative aspects may have very well been left out.

Aside from my mishap, I was able to enjoy many fascinating aspects of Thailand. It is always great to see such a different place than what you are used. I saw the good and the bad of Thailand which made me appreciate the United States but also made me begin to appreciate the ways of other cultures and how beautiful they can be. To fully experience other countries you must be open-minded towards new ways and traditions and I did just that in Thailand! I plan to the next thing for my next stop which makes me even more excited!

Temple in Thailand

The Rivers by The Fresh Market