Food For Thought 1 [Graduation - 6 July 2012]

Since we were about 4 years old till our university graduation, we were students, hating schools and counting down the days to graduation (most of us anyway).  We thought we would be free from exams, assignments, classes and we would be able to enjoy more freedom with the money we earned.  Whenever our seniors who were already working told us to treasure our student life, we were quick to argue with them.  Up till that point, our goals (again, most of us) were to fit in with the crowd, do well in exams, get a high CAP score, and secure a well-paying job, preferably in banks. With our first class honor or second upper honor, we fantasize about working in an important role which can make a difference to the corporation.  

Myanmar Day 9 & 10 - Yangon - 27 & 28 May 2012

This day was just for relaxing, packing, Mister learning to ride a motorcycle and going to a supermarket to buy snacks to bring back to Singapore. We could not afford to wait until tomorrow to pack as our flight would be departing at 8am and we were required to be at the airport by 6am. 

Our driver was Mister's motorcycle teacher! 

Man, he was a quick learner! In a few minutes, he was driving around my neighborhood - FMI City. That was what he was doing for most of the afternoon anyway :D

Myanmar Day 8 - Yangon - 26 May 2012

My mom prepared See-Kyat-Kout-Swae (Myanmar minced pork noodles) for breakfast.

Myanmar Day 7 - Yangon - 25 May 2012

We reached Yangon around 6am and I didn't want to trouble my mom to fetch us so early in the morning. So I arranged for the taxi pick-up service even before we left Kyaukse.  It was 6am, the car was air-conditioned, it was a pre-arranged pick-up/ on-call service. So I thought 8000 Kyats (around USD 10) for a 30-min trip to my parents' place was worth it! Besides, the taxi driver had worked in Malaysia and Singapore in the past, so he could speak English. If you are interested, I have included a picture of his name card (:

Myanmar Day 6 - Kyaukse - 24 May 2012

After non-stop travelling, we decided to relax! So we slept in, did some sight-seeing around Kyaukse, played with my niece and packed our bags since we would be leaving for Yangon with an overnight JJ Express bus.

The only highlights of the day were
1) sightseeing around Kyaukse on Dual-Sport motorcycles which were driven by my daredevil male cousins
2) picking mangoes at the mango plantation!

Myanmar Day 5 - Bagan & Popa - 23 May 2012

We woke up around 7am and tried to finish eating breakfast by 8am.  The restaurant owner where we had our dinner the day before had arranged a horse carriage to pick us up at our hotel at 8am. It was just 5000 Kyats / USD 6 for a one hour ride! We were pretty excited about it as it was a truly interesting way of sightseeing all the noteworthy pagodas and relics in Bagan. However, my aunt and cousins did not find it very interesting since horse carriages are one of the common methods of transportation in their hometown - Kyaukse.  So they just decided to rest at the hotel while we explored. The horse carriage guy was very punctual! He actually waited for us at the front of the hotel even before 8am!

Myanmar Day 4 - Bagan - 22 May 2012

As the drive from Mandalay to Bagan is about 4 hours, it is best to set out early in the morning so you can avoid the hot afternoon heat. Otherwise, trying to sightsee hundreds of pagodas in 40C heat can be frustrating. So we left Kyaukse around 5am and stopped at Meik-Hti-Lar Pit Stop for breakfast.  The food was slightly more expensive compared to other places BUT that pit stop opens 24 hours, it was really clean, the service was efficient and there was free Wi-Fi. So I guess its worth it yea.

Myanmar Day 3 - Mandalay - 21 May 2012

After we got ready for the day, our driver had not arrived yet.  So we decided to walk from my aunt's place to my grandma's place.  It was just a 5 min walk.  But hey, it was still a chance for Mister to see the bustling town in broad daylight! haha

Kyaukse Clock Tower

Myanmar Day 2 - Pyin Oo Lwin - 20 May 2012

We had no complaint with with bus ride except that one of the passengers snored sooooooo loudly! Being a heavy sleeper, the sound didn't really bother me but Mister is a light sleeper and he couldn't sleep at all!!!  Although I tend to miss my alarms, being a heavy sleep has its own benefits. Not bad at all :D

Anyway, enough of me digressing. My relatives picked us up around 6am and we went straight to Pyin Oo Lwin, or more commonly know as May Myo among the locals. It is a scenic hill town 42 miles east of the city of Mandalay. What began as a military outpost over a century ago is now a thriving resort town for locals and tourists alike as the weather is slightly cooler. As soon as we reached Pyin Oo Lwin, we stopped for breakfast. Gotta take care of our tummies first!

Myanmar Day 1 - Yangon - 19 May 2012

The flight landed in Yangon just before 12 noon. Mister said a very clean and pristine airport environment even reminded him of Singapore’s Changi Airport :D But rumor has it that the company designing Yangon International Airport is also the one which designs Changi International Airport. Contrary to his expectations of some hiccups, immigration was fast and efficient as was luggage retrieval. 

Mister's First Trip to Myanmar (May 2012)

Although we have started dating since 2008, Mister has not been to Myanmar, not even once. Of course, that is not acceptable yea :D So we planned! 

Since I was already planning to go home for a short visit after my final exams in the NUS (National University of Singapore), I asked him to go with me.  As we were planning his trip, he had doubts like "would he be granted a tourist visa because he held a US passport".  [Nope, I am not dating an Ang Moh. He is just an ABC - American Born Chinese :D] I had to repeatedly reassure him that he would be given a visa and there is nothing to fear at the immigration. Of course, as I told him, he easily obtained a visa.  By the way, Myanmar Embassy (Singapore) is located near Orchard Road. The address is 15 St Martin's Drive, Singapore 257996. 

Start of Something New

I have never thought I would be writing blogs some day. I mean even as a teenager (at a age when it is very common for girls to keep diaries), I didn't have any diary or journal at all.  I am just lazy. BUT now I realize that my memory is not as good as I expected.  I forget things easily. AND I certainly do not want to forget great memories.  So here I am!!! 

Plus, I have come to appreciate blogs, especially whenever I am planning for my overseas trips. I like to google about tips and directions and really, blogs are helpful! After spending so much time and money and effort to go to another country, of course I would want to make full use of my trips and would not want to miss out on anything because I was busy getting lost in a foreign land yea? Besides, being from Myanmar, I was asked about travelling to Myanmar quite often recently.  So I thought "it's time for me to give back & contribute". I shall be sharing about my experiences with travelling, dining, using beauty products and just anything which is on my mind!

Read on!