..odia....Hello......

Hawaii of The Orients - Ngapali Beach

4 years ago, when I made the decision to move to Cambodia, MOH uprooted himself and came along with me on this crazee journey. Now, I suppose, it is only fair that I do the same for him. So, to answer your question of "Why are you moving?"..... it is because of love. Hahaha. MOH's been granted an offer and it'll be evil on my part to tell him to give it up.  

Now, to answer your million-dollar question - "WHERE TO??!!!"...... In a lot of their tourism campaigns, it says 'Why travel so far to the beaches of Hawaii when you can find them here?' Well, folks, Welcome to the Hawaii of the Orients. Welcome to Myanmar (and it is NOT Burma, mind you!). That's right, our next port of call is Yangon, Myanmar. Truly unchartered territories for many, but especially so for me! And whaddaya know? Myanmar is HUGE! Like 65million population huge! So, just imagine going from Phnom Penh to that!

Before MOH accepted the offer, we were invited to go have a look and see if we'd like living in Yangon. (hahaha. Some of you would've seen my photos on FB!). No doubt, it was a very, very short trip - but I was basically sold on relocating based on 3 things :

1) The Shwedagon Pagoda - where I had my really long chats with Mr. B and the serene peacefulness I felt while here

2) The galore of street food at Chinatown and the Night Market - I'm a street food junkie. I saw the night market and I said "Ok. When's the move?" LOL! (if I ever have bad days in Myanmar, just remind me of this remark!!)

3)  A taxi driver. Say who?? Haha. Well, let me explain about this taxi driver - he was a young man, maybe late 20s, early 30s. I got into his dilapidated taxi and he charged me USD1 for the ride. At a traffic light stop, there was a beggar. This taxi man, without hesitation, without a blink of an eye, just gave the beggar USD0.50 = half the taxi fare gone, ya. Later, when I offered to pay for that as well, he said no need and returned my money. Now, THAT certainly put a lot of things into perspective for me. Sometimes, when we want to help others, we are so worried that we don't have enough for ourselves. But apparently, the strongly religious Myanmarese believe in helping others. They live by a simple philosophy : "that even if I am poor, there are others who are poorer who may need help more than me." I saw this as yet another 'sign' from the universe :) Therefore, completely sold on the idea of relocating.

The move is both daunting and exciting at the same time for the both of us. Myanmar is huge and let's put it this way, it cannot remain closed forever. So, it's exciting to be almost at the forefront of it. Exciting too cos I'd like to meet ASSK for a cup of tea. Hahaha! Daunting because the city is really huge. I could get lost in it forever! (For those who knows my bad sense of direction would believe this is a great possibility and there's no GPS here!) Daunting because it's learning a whole new language - although I know how to ask for chilli - that is like SO important and of course to say 'Thank You', learning a whole new culture, learning a whole new world actually! I know so very little about Myanmar (and am now only starting to read up on books about this country...) Exciting because ... it's a big city and because of all the daunting learnings and experiences to go through. Daunting because communication is not just slow like the tortoise, it is also very expensive. In fact, this is not daunting. This is..... going to be a major frustration, I think. Oh dear. And here I am, complaining that internet was s-l-o-w in Cambodia. Well, it is that AND patchy in Myanmar !! Please, please I beg you guys, not to send me any large files otherwise, there'll be lots of *slap forehead ten thousand times* moments for me. And for those of you who get so pressurized with my 'quick-turnaround-time-of response', you may now breathe with ease :P It'll be your turn to chase me for a response instead :P But then again, you know what? Things can only improve. Can't stay "slow" forever. Before you know it, Eileen will be back to haunt you and hunt you :) And maybe, just maybe, Maxis might one day roam in Myanmar too. Oh-oh-oh - Myanmar is also notoriously known for its electricity black-outs. Uh-oh.

Your next question : "What am I going to do here?" I'm going to be an expat housewife :) No, no, no. Don't get me wrong. It's not going to be like one of those hi-so expat wives with their bridge games and hi-teas. For me, in fact, for both MOH and myself, whilst this is an exciting opportunity, I'm not glassy-eyed about it. It is still what we'll call a "hardship" posting. There'll be no maids, no cars, no drivers, nothing luxurious about it. Soooo.... I would be dressed down everyday and I'll be cycling my bike to places - err provided it is legal to do so, otherwise, I'll have to learn the local public bus system (daunting!!). I foresee lots of time at the Shwedagon Paya, maybe looking for enlightenment.... While waiting for my emails to download as I still need to run my businesses albeit remotely, I could do some writing - maybe that novel can finally see the light of the day! I could train 5 hours a day (hahahahha!) but most likely, I'd attach myself to an NGO or an orphanage and help people who are less privileged. The universe had aligned itself nicely for me, I see :) I could also try my hands at being a supermarket cashier. Who knows what might take place from there, right? (I'm actually not kidding about this!) Basically - "how you respond to the life that has been granted to you is what makes you." So - I'm all for it. Besides - the next Asian Bridal Summit will be hosted by Myanmar (cos they won the bid in China last year) - and maybe I'll see all my wedding industry friends here in Myanmar - if the Summit does take place! (Culture & Heritage weddings anyone? JFT for sure! LOL!)

And really, it's not like I would be stuck in some jungle, you know. There's still FB! Hahaha! I would still be contactable - maybe slower. Whatever it may be, we'll all keep in touch, surely. I'd keep you all posted about our adventures (or misadventures) in Mystical Myanmar - whether on FB or my blog (whichever is faster. *laugh again*) I'm going to relocate with an open-mind and again, who knows what or where things might lead to, yes? I'm going to stay positive and have unwavering faith and when that faith dwindles, I'll rock up to the Shwedagon Paya and pay Mr. B a visit. Whatever it is, MOH & I are thankful for this opportunity, this experience, this new journey.

Of course, you guys are all welcomed to come visit. We're still working on sorting out our accommodations in Yangon (not just daunting. Very daunting!), but rest assured, you guys are welcomed to stay with us for sure - if you don't mind the "budget accommodation". I'd gladly take you out and about in town and definitely take you out for food (House of Memories is a must-stop), shopping and getting down with them locals, etc....  but, hahaha - be prepared, you may have to bring your own bedsheets or sleeping bags :P Let's put it this way - I'm hosting you, as my friend, my pal. I'm not hosting the Queen of England :P Hahaha! (plus demand of hotel rooms exceeds supply. So you do your math! :P)

Now I've to get back to ironing the dollar notes to make sure they are crisp enough for and fight MOH tooth and nail for what needs to be thrown out and what needs to be brought along with us.
 ......So with that, see you guys in Yangon soon !

At the Shwedagon Paya, Yangon - for peace, serenity and enlightenment :)

Goodbye Cambodia... Hello....

After 4 years of living in the Kingdom, it is finally time to move on. Ok, admittedly, whilst we always knew a day would come for us to leave this place, this move was a rather unexpected one - and happening very soon at that!

So, therefore, in the middle of rushing projects, there's also the harrowing rush of planning - yes, making plans for future days ahead, the rush of tying up lose ends, handovers and not to mention the nightmare of packing and moving.... our junk. It doesn't look to me like there would be time to unwind in the Kingdom and say bye-bye to all my favourite things here. Cambodia had been a pot of bittersweet memories, I believe rightly so for both MOH and myself. But I can't write on MOH's behalf. This is all about me, me and me. There had been real hell and then, there's been all these hidden gems too. So what would I miss the most when I leave? Hmmm...

Business-wise, since day 1, I've always been prepared for a day where I will need to leave and therefore my local team had always been trained (Hell's Kitchen-like) to run the business without me. Just that, I'll probably have to up the ante over the next couple of months! I suppose with businesses running here in da Penh, this isn't really a "goodbye" Cambodia. I foresee that I will be in and out pretty often - at least for the remainder of the year. If you asked me, I believe my team can do it without me now. My only worry is that without 'Gordon Ramsey' pushing them,.... they might slack. Well, we'll cross this bridge when we get there!

Me and My Mango Rain Boys...

So, what would I miss in Cambodia? To be honest, I can't say I had the great experience of falling in love with this country. There was a lot of love-and-hate going on. It can be very trying at times. But Cambodia also happens to be the place where I realized "where I belong" and "what I want to do with my life". Ok, yes, this realization could happen anywhere, just that I was in Cambodia. Haha.

I guess I would miss the convenience of being in such a tiny city! Even sitting in traffic meant that you get anywhere within 15 minutes. I would miss the kind and gentle coffee man at the Russian Market. Most of you who've come visited us here would also have had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Bonnareth - the best ice coffee in Phnom Penh :) If I were to describe what a true Cambodian is like - Mr. Bonnareth would be it. His sincerity, his generosity (you order an iced coffee for USD0.75 and you get an extra espresso shot!) and his warm and friendly smiles. On days where Cambodia gets a bit much, it's nice to go pay him a visit. Besides, his coffee really gives you a buzz. A strong buzz.

The Best Iced Coffee in Da Penh!

I would miss my current landlady. We moved in here September 2010 - having had really bad luck with our previous 2 landladies, Madame was truly a kind soul. In fact, it was around this time that I had wanted to call it quits in Cambodia but Madame showed us kindness and hospitality like no one had here. I don't know if it was the feng shui of this place or simply because I had embraced and embarked on my spiritual journey, or perhaps, both... but since Madame welcomed us into her building, things have gone from zero to hero (ok, a bit far-fetched, but you get my drift). Every other day, she would pop by the apartment and come bearing fruits and vegetables from her orchard. On days where she sees me looking stressed and tired, she would insist I went into her house and she would make me eat. In fact, just a couple of days ago, she came armed with cushions! She said she noticed our cushions were... how shall I say, "not cushions anymore" so she brought some for us as replacements. I don't think I have ever, ever met a landlady as kind, as warm and as generous as she is. She also always praise MOH and myself for keeping our place so spotlessly clean without a maid. She says, "You all very good. No need maid. But your house is very clean. I like it." Oh, Madame, you have no idea how much I like it too! Hahaha! Now, I have the burden of sorting out our rental with her. I am going to hate doing that.

Madame and Uncle

But I think over and above all else, the one thing that I would miss the most in Cambodia would be all the children at Happy Tree. For the past 4 years, I had seen them grow and just when I began to get more involved with them..... I have to leave! I think this would be the most heart-breaking part of the move :( I don't know what to tell the children. As it were, when I don't show up for a week, the children asks the staff about my whereabouts. How do I tell them that I would be gone for a long time before I see them again? I haven't finished teaching them all the art stuff I learnt in school (and I just bought new stuff for them too!). I haven't finished with the ABCs. Basically, I HAVEN'T FINISHED. Honestly, I don't know how to deal with this part of the leaving. I can almost here them say "Oh, it's so easy for you to just leave!" OMG. I want to tell them that it's not. It's not easy at all for me to leave. I want to tell them that they are all always in my prayers, every single day. I want to tell them that I will be back for visits. I want to tell them so many things. But the one most important thing I want to tell them is, I want to tell them that I promise them that I will stay true to my commitment to them, one way or other. I realized that even though I may not be physically available, there are other ways and means in which I can help them to help themselves. That is a promise. (again, have to thank all my friends and loved ones back home who have supported me with these kids. Their days are made better by your kindness!). But still, it does not make the separation any harder. I'd cry buckets on my last visit. :(

(taking a moment to regain my composure....)

The Happy Tree Children - I will miss them dearly :~(

In any case,.... thank you Cambodia for the experience - both good and bad. MOH and I are truly blessed to have had this opportunity and also the opportunity of experiencing it together. In fact, our marriage started here in da Penh. So thank you, thank you, thank you for a blast!

MOH and I at one of our Friday Date Nights :)

As to where I am headed to next....... well, looks like you'll just have to stay tuned to my next blogpost, wouldn't you? ;)