Trip 2019 – DAY 1
Well, folks, it’s been a long day with the need to get to the airport by 7.00 pm and getting through Australian security and border control was time-consuming. The flight was uneventful and apart from ‘how much longer?’ all is good. We have successfully landed in Kuala Lumpur and all luggage and all passengers are accounted for. It’s an 8-10 minute walk from the terminal to the hotel and despite the heat, all have made it and are now in their rooms.
Trip 2019 – DAY 2
Day 2 started with an early wake-up call 3:30 am (5:30 am according to the body clock) and then down to breakfast at the Tunes Hotel. Good breakfast and then the job of getting everyone through security airport processes. This time the process was faster and just a short 2-hour flight from KL into Yangon. Once again the flight was uneventful and upon arrival in Myanmar, we were met by DhayHtooSein (Principal of the school and one of his staff members). Some students wanted to change money into Kyat and then it was on the bus for a five hour trip to Hpa-An. The bus was air-conditioned and comfortable had signage back and front indicating that it was carrying foreigners and this means that we don’t pay any tolls on the roads! We stopped at about the halfway point for a lunch and convenience break and everyone is now getting used to rice!
So far the weather has been kind to us and after we got everyone settled in their rooms (which are basic) we were taken by local transport to the Adventist church in Hpa-An for our evening meal. A quick ride back to the hotel and it’s now time for bed – the bus will be here to pick us up at 7:00 am in the morning.
Trip 2019 – DAY 3
Good morning folks,
After a good night’s sleep at our accommodation, we boarded our bus and headed off to school where we were met with a welcome line up from all the local students and staff. As our students made their way down the line, greeting the students they rounded the corner and another group of students in national costume performed a cultural dance. Our students were quite impacted by this, with one lad clearly expressing to me how overwhelmed he felt by the spirit in which the local students expressed their warmth and hospitality to us.
The opportunity to converse with foreigners is valued by the locals and our visit has been eagerly anticipated and so the day began with introductions led by Mrs Sandra Ferry. Following this, our students were then organised into small groups they were then paired with local student groups for conversational practice. For the locals, this represents the culmination of months of English learning and practice and for some, their first opportunity to speak with a native speaker of English.
Our students have also been reminded of the importance of the regular and proper consumption of water, as one of their numbers became affected by dehydration. The student was admitted to hospital and given fluids intravenously, and his parent sent updates on his condition. As I write this (3.00 am local time) the hospital is quiet and the student has made a good recovery and readily agrees that plain old water is imperative. We are anticipating that the student will be discharged in the morning after being kept in overnight for observation.
Well a few hours have passed – the patient was finally discharged at 1:30 pm and we’re going to join the rest of the students at the school. Some pictures later this evening. Cheers.
Trip 2019 – DAY 4
This morning as I write I hear the steady sound of rain outside and earlier it was quite a heavy tropical downpour. We knew the rain was coming as last night we sat on the roof balcony for our evening worship and daily de-brief while in the background we could see the night sky lighting up behind the clouds.
Yesterday the time was spent in classes with our students leading out in various activities. For the smaller classes, our students are grouped in twos and threes. However, in the bigger classes, we go to the cafeteria where the students will do group rotations allowing the local students to repeatedly practice their introductory speaking skills.
Classes in the Kindergarten to Year 7 range are about 20 – 25 in size, however, Years 8 – 12 are between 40 and 60 and this can provide some challenges. Firstly, this set up means that the local students are very reluctant to speak before their peers and it is somewhat overwhelming for our students. With group rotations, both of these challenges are minimised and it helps to facilitate more conversations.
The local school has around 500 students of which around 350 are boarders and the remaining students live in the surrounding area. For some students who are new to the school, they will have had very limited contact with foreigners and so it can take some time for them to feel confident in engaging in conversation. The local culture is quite deferential and forms of respect are strictly adhered to. Essentially this means the shyness barrier is not easy to overcome, however, our students began with a very tentative approach, however as the afternoon progressed it was evident that our students were gaining in confidence.
Anyway, the power has just dropped out – a common occurrence in these parts of the world – so while the laptop is still going I’ll finish this email off, but it will be sent when the power is back on. All going well we should be able to get a few pictures with this edition also. Cheers.
Trip 2019 – DAY 5
Well, the day began with the sound of heavy rain and a typically enthusiastic tropical thunderstorm, however this had mostly eased by the time we decided to venture out for a morning walk. For a small, intrepid group, we made our way down to the river to look at the scenery and a short visit to a local pagoda. Then it was a 7:00 am start with everyone boarding the bus to the school. Each morning we eat at the school with food prepared and cooked by the cook with assistance from the boarding students.
Today in addition to the usual routine of class visits, we were also able to watch while Gerrard (Henderson College chaplain) assisted by local students constructed an apparatus that can be used for a game that resembles a cross between volleyball and downball. This became a popular feature later in the day and is a great example of using ideas that can be easily and effectively adapted for local use.
Also early in the day the local principal was able to show me finished construction of the toilets that we have funded for the school. These toilets are not only new and better constructed than the previously existing units, but they also have a self-contained septic system installed that allows the units to operate with far less negative impact on the local environment. When toilets are permitted to drain into local creeks and rivers the long-term result is not only the pollution of the environment but raising of significant risk to human health.
Following this a tour of the dormitory facilities and when one is able to see the conditions under which the students live it makes one appreciate how well we are all blessed with the comfortable arrangements in Australia. Later in the afternoon we were taken to a park that was a curious mixture of mazes, gardens, animals sculptures (made of concrete), pretty lights and other assorted paraphernalia. Anyway it’s 4:30am I hear the rooster crowing and while there is power we might send this off and try to get some pictures on their way too.
Trip 2019 – DAY 6
Once again the day began with an early morning run / walk down by the Thanlwin River and it has been great to see the students come along to enjoy the experience. The bus ride out to the school was followed by a delicious rice breakfast with slices of watermelon.
Today has been cooler with a little cloud cover and the rain bringing some refreshing relief from the heat. Our students are doing a great job despite the heat and their complaints have been few and infrequent. Today in amongst the classes we have spent time practising our songs and we are also incorporating a reader’s theatre and a drama in our church program.
Following our school activities today we left the College and made our way to the lake in Hpa-An that provides great reflections of Mt Zwebagin which is the symbol or icon for the Karen state in Myanmar. This time we were provided with our evening meal portable style (courtesy of the school) and it was quite pleasant to eat by the water. When we returned to the hotel we spent time practising our various contributions to the program for tomorrow.
Anyway that will do for now and we will try and get some more photos posted – the internet here is notoriously slow and we are having difficulties even with the most limited file resolution.
Trip 2019 – DAY 7
Today began with the usual early morning run / walk for a small group of folks and then it was on the bus by 7am for the ride to the school. The day began with a Sabbath school program run by the locals and the special music being provided by the Gilson / Henderson students – who incidentally sang beautifully. The Bible study / discussion ran by Chaplain Gerrard was great and this was followed by the Church service. Despite the heat we all survived and once again we were provided with a great lunch by the school staff.
With some free time after church the students socialised and chatted for a time before some practice was required for the afternoon program, The afternoon program involved a readers theatre (Lexi, Jackson, Nathan and Felix), a dramatic performance accompanied by music (Brodie, Chris, Luigi, James, Wylie, Christy, Saranya, Leticia, Alex and Tracey) and special music (Mrs Jakupec, Zildah, Gerrard and Emmanual). Each and every part was delivered in fine style and we can all be very pleased with the final results.
Following the program there was about an hour of tears and sobbing as it became evident that this was the final time that we had together. The SEAS school was begun over 100 years ago by an Australian missionary (Eric B Hare) who was well known for his great story telling and work among the Karen people.
Trip 2019 – DAY 8
Today was a long day without doing a great deal! At 8.00am we boarded the bus with all our packed gear (and some of our students have bags so large they are carrying more than many of the local’s entire possessions!). The road trip back into Yangon was largely uneventful and although we made a lunch stop we were not that hungry, and so we purchased some ‘djwegordthi’ which is similar to a grapefruit however the taste is somewhat sweeter and quite refreshing.
Upon arrival we checked in at the May Shan Hotel and I must commend our students for their very calm and patient manner in which they waited for room allocations. The foyer is small and tiled and it is easy for the sound to be amplified, however after about 15 minutes we were all organised and the staff were very appreciative of how things operated in such a confined space for such a large group.
Then we were off for tea to a local shopping centre and then back to the hotel balcony for the day’s devotional (thank you Gerrard) and announcements. During this time, two local friends, that have had a long association with Gilson and Henderson Colleges, travelled 4.5 hours to come and see us and bring gifts. We support the institutions that both Joseph and David represent and it was great to see them both.
Tomorrow we will be heading off to the Yangon school among other places but more about that later. We trust that you are all well and we’re sure that there will be many stories to share upon our return.
Trip 2019 – DAY 9
Monday started with the usual early morning run / walk this time around Mahabandoola Park a short distance from our hotel. Here one can see tai chi classes, aerobics, sword dancing, and a variety of exercise equipment being put to good use. After breakfast it was off to Yangon Adventist School (YAS) which has grown considerably since we have been working with the team. While the students have much better English than those in the country the visit was still a great success and the local students certainly appreciated practising their English language skills with our team.
YAS provided a beautiful lunch for us at the hotel dining room and then we made our way to the Commonwealth War Cemetery. It was here that the students were able to appreciate the immense sacrifice of previous generations. Some of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in war were not too many years older than our students.
We then boarded our bus and made our way to Hope Orphanage. Here Bella and Israel explained about how their orphanage began and a little bit about their day-to-day routines. The singing of the children was inspiring and reminded us of the enthusiasm with which young ones approach this activity. We left the orphanage a little late and made our way back to the hotel for well-earned rest.
Trip 2019 – DAY 10
Tuesday – what to say? It was a lazy day. Some of us still went out to the park for a walk or run and then it was back for breakfast. Most took some time to relax and slow down a little, however three boys came with me while I did some administrative work – thanks Chris, James and Luigi. They indicated that they were my body guards while I met with some local personnel and passed over thousands of US dollars for local village teacher wages. These teachers are often located in remote areas and provide education for young kids that would not normally have access to a teacher.
Back to the hotel and then with the complete group we spent time in Bogoke Aung San markets shopping and then to get some lunch. Later in the afternoon we used taxies to go to the Shwedagon Pagoda and we waited for the sun to set and the lights to come on. Then it was off for our evening meal and a brief devotional before getting an early night as tomorrow is an early start to the airport for our flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Trip 2019 – DAY 11
Today was an early start and we’ve successfully begun the journey towards home. An early start and then it was a rather perfunctory process through customs, immigration and baggage carousels. The troops and luggage filled three mini buses and then it was the hour-long journey into Kuala Lumpur from the airport.
An early dinner was had at an outdoor restaurant and then the late afternoon and evening was filled with shopping experiences in China town and no doubt you will hear of the bargains that were struck by our wheeling and dealing students who have developed their negotiating skills.
Tomorrow will be a full day and there’ll be more pictures and our last report – as our students will be back home and sharing with you directly.
