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1032am-147pm Circle line train theatre of local life in Yangon

November 16, 2012 in Culture, Everywhere, Travel with 0 Comments

If you like watermelon, laughing or napping and have 3 hours spare then hop on the train and keep reading….

Any waste gets thrown off the train….

If you’re selling watermelons, bread, cigarettes,…you hop on, sell and then move to next carriage at the next stop….

Guys smoke cigars, friends chat, mothers and children eat snacks and look out the window.

Or if tired take a nap…

It’s a cornucopia of life…

The carriage door and windows frame the world outside the train as you pass by. Locals working, cleaning, playing, waiting…..and the stray dogs and cats abound.

Random stops, delays are just part of the fun. It’s never dead quiet – somewhere there is hammering, idle chatter, and the distant play of children.

Over the three hours peanut shells hit the ground, big baskets for transport come on, betel nuts are chewed, naps are taken, big smiles abound and it goes on…

The most chaos happens 90mins into the journey, at Mingaladon station, the furthest from central station. Baskets and bags of goods – fragrant spices, plants – it gives the carriage a food smell – are thrown on to the train – through windows, doors, it’s first in to get the floor space as it is covered in minutes. Cries, grunts, and then laughs as relief sets in as your spot on the train is secured.

Close to the end a group of young kids hop on, goofing off, posing for photos, thats cool they say as they look at my phone. And on way off at next stop they sing it’s gangum style – just like my kids are singing at home – there is no escape – the song is everywhere!

It might be the best $1 you spend in Myanmar for 3 hours of street theatre, on the move. And its the part of Yangon that is not changing!

How – leaves from Yangon central railway station several times a day in either direction for us$1, you can hop on and hop off if you want to explore some distant local suburbs. My train was scheduled to leave at 1010am.

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Sitting at the gate with your flight delayed? Think about the culture and customs of your destination

November 11, 2012 in Culture with 0 Comments

I’m sitting on an Air Asia flight out of Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur (delayed unfortunately!!).

Next to me are a mother and daughter going to Indonesia. In the inflight magazine the mother has read (and I overhear) that in Indonesia using your left hand – touching someone, pointing, eating, is a major insult.

It reminded me that customs are everywhere, and a constant challenge when travelling. As ones own culture, those customs, expectations, taboos are so embedded in who we are.

If you are aware and mindful of ones own culture and respecting of the culture of the place you travel that will take you far. Its when you ignore them that’s when we run into problems.

I’m still at the gate at Melbourne, still delayed and the mother and daughter have moved on to their magazines and sudoku puzzles, while chatting about friends, fear of flying and other things. But when in Bali they’ll hopefully remember some of the customs and try not to offend, although we all slip back to our own cultural norms – but being aware is the first step.

And they have just announced we’re ready to depart!

Bastille Day: celebrated from New Caledonia to French Guiana

July 13, 2010 in Culture, Travel with 0 Comments

Eiffel tower fireworks on July 14th Bastille D...
Image via Wikipedia

July 14 is Bastille Day, France’s national day (also called La Fête Nationale or le quatorze juillet) which marks the storming of Paris’ Bastille (a notorious French Prison) on 14 July 1789 and a key date in the creation of modern France.

It’s a great excuse to uncork some of France’s finest wine or champagne (not that you need one).  I developed a fond affection for Bastille Day while in France for the first time in 1983, enjoying the festivities and atmosphere in Paris.  

But if you can’t be in France, and you want a bit more than uncorking a bottle of French wine at home then consider a few other Francophile options.  After all French influence can be found around the world where you’ll find a celebration.

South Africa – Franschhoek (meaning French Corner) is a gourmet lovers dream and holds a week-end festival each year for Bastille Day.  Besides the food and wine, enjoy popular traditions and activities of such as boules, Franschhoek minstrel parade, a barrel-rolling contest and a waiters’ race.

USA – There are plenty of celebrations with New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and San Francisco all having sizeable events, but a favourite of mine would have to be New Orleans with its great food and atmosphere in the French Quarter.

New Caledonia – Noumea called the Paris of the Pacific has the requisite patisseries and bistros and parade for the annual celebration.  What’s not to love about spending time on an island paradise and it’s only a short flight from Australia.

French Guiana – if you’re in South America, you could make your way to this sliver of French territory in the tropics.  Best known now for the launch site of France’s Ariane rocket, if you’re lucky you’ll get some extra fireworks!

Hungary – I wouldn’t have expected you could find a big Bastille celebration in Budapest but it’s celebrated with vigour each year with food, wine and fireworks. 

And wherever you are celebrate by raising a glass, wearing the tricolore (blue, white and red) of France and enjoy the festivities however you choose to make them.