Why Aung Sung Suu Kyi Embodies the Collective Burmese Spirit

By now, you've likely heard of Aung Sung Suu Kyi's long overdue release from detention imposed by the military junta in Burma. Her beautiful serene face has been all over the news; the same face that invokes a deep seeded hatred and fear from her oppressors. Her quest: to gain freedom for her people through democracy. Starting from this pure intention, she has become an inspirational leader loved by the Burmese and revered by world leaders.

Her propensity to lead goes back to her roots. In the 1940s, her father was a general in the Communist Party who played a leading role in the movement to free Burma from British colonial rule. Six months before he could witness the fruits of his labor, he was assassinated. He is considered a hero by the Burmese. The period following his death was filled with instability. Suu Kyi returned in the late 80s and became of the face of the National League Democracy (NLD). A democratic election was held where her party won. Shortly after, she was detained along with the majority of the party members.

In 2006, I was fortunate to visit Burma. My first impression is from the Rangoon airport which was empty, dated, and stuck in a time warp from a colonial era. There was a line of cab drivers waiting in the blistering sun for a fare and us, the two lone foreigners looking for a ride. Usually, catching a ride from the airport stresses me out in Asia because there always seems to be commotion , lively shouting matches for business, and a general feeling that we will get ripped off . To our pleasant surprise, we were politely approached by a driver who ushered us into his cab. There were no arguments amongst the drivers for our business. All of this was a far cry from its next door neighbor Thailand.

I distinctly remember the cab ride. Our driver spoke perfect English so we started exchanging some small talk. I commented on his English and learnt that it was common for Burmese over the age of 30 to be fluent. They had been very well educated by the British but the state of education declined post-colonialism. Today's Burmese youth have been brought up on old textbooks and are not permitted to learn English. At this point, we thought it would be wise not to go much deeper into politics. We had been warned in our guide books that Burmese could be detained and punished if they spoke negatively about the military junta so we just let the conversation flow at his rate. He peered in his rear view mirror and then from side to side, as though to check if the coast was clear to go on about the political state. He shared his disdain for the military; how the few with military connections prospered while the rest of the country suffered from poverty and lack of progress. He expressed his hopes that Suu Kyi would be freed soon and capped off our ride with a warm smile. This was my first glimpse at the Burmese spirit.

During my trip, I saw more of the same: old decaying infrastructure, trains that rocked from side to side like boats, cars from another era peppered with the rare luxury SUV with government plates, generators powering buildings during mandated power outages, pick-up trucks acting as transit packed with up to 20 people including 10 on the roof. Whereas Suu Kyi was detained in her 'lakeside mansion', the Burmese are trapped in their country. They cannot leave unless they escape illegally to become second rate citizens in neighboring countries. They can't even move freely in their own country. During an overnight bus ride, our bus was stopped two or three times at checkpoints where everyone had to exit the bus with bleary and weary eyes.

They have coped with this with the most admirable strength. They are proud people who do not show vulnerability in the face of adversity. One day in Mandalay, we wanted to visit a historical site that was only accessible by boat. To get to the dock, we had to take a tri-shaw which is a rickshaw with two seats motored by pedal power. Our driver Jo Suu was a skinny wiry man. We felt horrible that he had to pedal 300+ pounds of our body weight in the blazing sun for what turned out to be quite far but he wouldn't accept our offer to get off and walk. We rolled along on our journey. Suddenly, we were being pulled over by a traffic cop. He had apparently crossed the intersection illegally even though it felt like we had crossed quite safely through an unmarked intersection. As a result, he was given a fine. We found the situation totally unjust but Jo Suu just brushed it off with a dignified air. It wasn't the first time that he had been treated like this. His story is tragic. Previously, he had been a supervisor at the docks where his family lived in an idyllic lakeside community. One day, the rug was pulled out from under him. The government decreed that all residents living around the docks would have to relocate their homes to a location that was only accessible by boat with no facilities. To make matters worse, he arrived at work where he was told that he was no longer needed as his post which had now been given to the son of a military official. He told this story to us without emotion. Whatever anger he had was probably buried under the weight of a junta that would never make things right for him. Later on in the day, Jo Suu looked tired. We asked him if anything was wrong and he finally told us that he had been suffering from diarrhea all day. We couldn't bare to go on any further but we were stuck in the middle of nowhere. Rather than abandoning us as he really could have, he went out of his way to find another driver to take us home. We parted ways with the understanding that we would see him the next day where we could pay him extra for his efforts. Unfortunately, he didn't show up. We suspect that he was actually very sick. That day, I felt completely unworthy compared to the selfless way that he had carried himself.

On the surface, the Burmese are proud, amiable, and calm. Beneath the facade is a pain that they seem to have diverted to a ranging spring of hope. Suu Kyi embodies the collective Burmese spirit; their nature, pain, hopes, and dreams.

Keep a close watch on Suu Kyi in the months to come and send your positive energy to her. She will need it in the turbulent environment that she is and will be skillfully navigating.

A Contribution to Life's Recipes

The art of achievement came back to me this past Canada Day long weekend. It felt so hugely amazing that I'm inspired to want more of it in all aspects of my life.

The trigger for this wasn't very extraordinary. It happened on my mountain bike at Silver Star Mountain in Vernon. I've been mountain biking for the last 5 years at varying levels of success and mostly with an injury. Usually, I get really nervous on the day of the ride with my mind racing all over the place, mostly at the worst place of self doubt. Instead of my usual mode, I was really good! Every drop, jump, and wall ride, I hit with full gusto and landed smoothly. I am shocked to believe that I did all of that!

A few key ingredients together to work out in my favor to create the perfect recipe for my achievement that day.

My Version of a Recipe for Achievement:

1) Envision What You Want
I wanted to feel good about landing the drop. This is very different from wanting to land the jump. If I only wanted to land the jump, I would only picture myself hitting the ground with my two wheels. What I really wanted was to feel confident from start to finish so I pictured myself gripping the bars, taking the drop with speed, and then landing.

Some people dream about the end result hoping that it will bring them happiness, success, and fulfillment. It could be a house with a white picket fence, having a lot of money, marrying the Ken doll dreamboat, etc. The question is "how" are you going to get there? Spend more time envisioning the steps it will take and then act out those steps. By taking mindful steps, you might be capable of reaching your end result or even ending up with something surprisingly better.

2) Lean on Your Team
My crew of Nico, Simon, and Zidra each played equally important roles to help me succeed. Nico coached and watched me, Simon used humor and high fives to ease my nerves, and Zidra gave me inspiration to follow her lead of fearlessly doing every trick. And all together, they dished out so many positive comments that made me feel humble but so good.

We all need support crews to help us excel. These are the special people that take the form of our friends, parents, lover, children, and community. DIY (do it yourself) will only take you to your personal limit but doing it with others will stretch you beyond your capabilities. And it's a bonus that it feels so fulfilling to collectively share in an experience!

3) Focus, Focus, Focus
On the morning of my rides, my mind was quietly calm. The mental chatter of 'I can't do that, sure I can do that, maybe I'll crumple when I land, did I leave the stove on, and on and on' wasn't there. All I could think about was 'I can do it, I will do it'. Mirroring my mental focus was an equally strong physical presence instead of the Gumby-like limbs that I normally have.

I believe that I was able to focus because of some skills I have been practicing in my deepened yoga practice. At the start of class, my teacher often reminds us to leave our stresses and worries 'off the mat'; to feel our quality of breath and to honor what our bodies desire in the moment. To no surprise, off my mat, I find I take this lesson into my everyday life.

4) Let Go Of Your Brakes

Metaphorically and physically, I released my brakes and allowed myself to soar off the jump. At this point, there was not much to do except entrust that I had prepared myself well enough to land it. I didn't flop like a rag doll. Quite the opposite, I experienced an intoxicating surge of success!

We all have differing degrees of risk tolerance. I straddle the line between risk adverse and risky. To grow, I believe that you have to trust that you have it in yourself to throw caution to the wind and put yourself out there. Regardless of the result, there is always a valuable lesson learnt in taking risk that has great potential to enable future growth. I have personally witnessed this growth in a number of people who normally would squeeze their brakes until their hands turned blue, and the results are truly inspirational.

There are many recipes out there so this is only one of them from my life cooking book. It's down home, hearty, basic, and worked out just deliciously for me. Maybe it's just right or it will need a special ingredient, but I won't know that until the next step along this exhilarating life journey. For now, I'll just savor in what I've got.

Note: I only took mental snapshots so for lack of a better picture, I am pretending to dive into the lake. I successfully avoided diving in.

I Wonder What Nehrwan Chering is Doing Today?

Lately I've been thinking about the contrasts in my life in the Western world and the glimmer of life that I experienced while in India.

Love it or hate it, India left an unforgettable impression. It is a place full of struggles but equally full of hope. Poverty, overpopulation, poor infrastructure and social services, caste discrimination, and droughts balanced with spirituality, happiness, entrepreneurial spirit, diversity, love, and pride.

In the West, we have all that most Indians can only dream of yet some of us are lost when it comes to human spirit. We stress about the latest pandemic, work, school, relationships, minor injustices, mortgages, money, etc. Some of this stress is legitimate and necessary but all in all we have it pretty easy. So why is it so challenging to think about the upside? If we divert some of the energy we spend on stress to harnessing the energy of our inner spirit, we could become incredibly positive forces.

In the Himilayas, we stayed in an area that had just emerged from 8 months of being snowed in. We were fortunate to stay at a guesthouse where the owners lived on the 2nd floor. They had a daunting task ahead of them: capitalize the small window of good weather to grow and gather their food and wood for the rest of the year and make a bit of money from tourists coming through on their way to a greater destination. The women toiled on the fields each morning. The elder's body was L-shaped from years of hunching over. Perhaps I was blissfully unaware of their true feelings due to the communication gap but I like to believe that they were truly grateful and happy. Their smiles could melt the coldest of hearts. In particular, the little 10 year old boy in the family Nehrwan Chering was so full of pure spirit and joy. I often wonder how he's doing.

On this beautiful Remembrance Day, it's probably pretty cold and snowy where he is. The pipes are frozen, water needs to be boiled for a quick splash bath, wood is burning in their poorly ventilated communal unit, and they're carefully conserving their food. Yet I am almost certain that there is great love in his family and community, and that Nehrwan is blazing the most uplifting and brightest light from the core of his inner spirit.

If it's so easy for this family in such an adverse situation, it should be just as easy for us to drop what we're doing, take a moment, and share our brightest within to everyone around.

Namaste.

Picture 1- Super kiddo/ master entertainer Nehrwan
Picture 2- Enjoying the beauty of fall

All Good Things Come to An End But There Are Always More Around the Corner

China pics (above), HK pics (below)





Quebec pics







This is a tough blog to write because it IS the end of this journey. It was the most interesting, eye-opening, and awesome journey I've had so far. Blissful and lasting memories of incredible landscapes, kind people, weird people, moments of heat-induced insanity, and first-times (scooters, exotic dishes, and I didn't mention this in my Indonesia entry but seeing the BIGGEST lizard EVER..swear it was 3 ft long, 200 lbs). Thailand, India, Indonesia, and China did not disappoint at all! I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do this and all the people who supported me (especially my family) and followed along on this blog. I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it (If you have any feedback, I would love to hear it).

I have been procrastinating on updating you on where I've been since mid-July partly because of internet access , denial that I am going back to my 'normal' life, and a feeling that those of you who may still be following along are probably busy enjoying the last of summer. I have certainly felt heartily embraced by the energy of our beautiful BC summer in the couple of days since returning home.

Here is one of my final on-the-road entries from our last Asian destination, China. Also a bonus entry from an unfrequented gem in Quebec, the Gaspe.

China is Impressive

Two big chinese beers and a spicy chicken meal later at a 100 percent mandarin speaking restaurant in Beijing just puts me in a great mood to write! Getting off the beaten track to do as the locals do is what makes me love to travel. We went to a back alley restaurant and struggled to order but ended up having a good meal at a fraction of the cost of mainstream restaurants (a big beer is $1.50 Cdn!) and a memorable experience.

Based on this recent attempt to order food with a purely chinese menu (no pretty pictures, no English, no Cantonese speakers around), I have concluded that:

1) My Mandarin is awful. I speak Cantonese, another dialect of Chinese. The written language is the same but tones, words, etc. of the spoken language are quite distinct. So, using my marginal Cantonese, I bumbled my way around China with Nick who was learning from me (eek). Some words I blurted were accurate but there were more times where I was just making up a mandarin sounding word. I need help. Xu, are you interested in being a mentor?

2) I did not pay attention to reading Chinese characters during Chinese lessons. I would love to learn them now. I was captivated with reading or just mostly looking at Chinese characters. This skill is buried so deep in my pre-teens that I was really excited to know some characters. It actually felt much easier to learn the characters than what I remembered from school where we had to memorize and dictate a story every week.


Beijing is a great city that I was really impressed with. I have traveled to many parts of Asia. Beijing is a place I would recommend to everyone, especially to those who have never been to Asia. It offers modern comforts, amazing site-seeing opportunities, the magnetic energy of Asia, and a glimpse of old ways of life and traditions. In the span of 3.5 days, we powered through the Forbidden City, Tian'namen Square, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Great Wall, Ming Tombs, old neighborhoods (hutongs) by bike during a flash rainstorm, ridiculously cheap shopping for fake name brand goods and quality Chinese goods, and eating at numerous tasty street stalls.

Most of the sites were very busy with a constant flow of tour groups and visitors from all over China. This was especially true at the Forbidden City which frankly had less to offer than the Summer Palace. To avoid the crowds at the Great Wall, we paired up with another couple and rented a car that got us there at 5am. Although we were tired, getting there early was worth it as you can see from the picture with no people around. On a side note, we took a bobsled ride to descend. It was so fun to race down and manoeuvre hairpin corners at full speed! Based on this whole trip, I conclude that I love speed!

There was one thing that was quite unusual with Beijing. The sky is constantly white and misty. I am not sure if it was a cloud of pollution and/or a result of the high level of humidity. Aside from feeling sticky all the time and some fuzzy photos, it didn't bother me. If it was poor air quality, we did not notice it but that might have something to do with a two month lead up of pollution.

So Beijing was cool but now onto Hong Kong which is awesome partially because it runs through my blood. I loved speaking Cantonese. It made me feel like I was part of the culture and it was a traveling advantage. I was so happy to eat HK style Chinese food (cha sui/ BBQ pork, wonton noodles, choi/ green leafed veggies, congee). HK is modern. The public transit takes you everywhere with internet access at each station and wi-fi while riding if you want.

There are some interesting sites including the world's largest seated Buddha and the nightly light show. But what HK seems to be best at is non-stop shopping. You can also shop til you puke! There's a variety to spots to go to from street markets to mega malls some cheap, others chic.

We also stopped by Macau, the Las Vegas of the East located near Hong Kong. The cheapest table started at $20 so with little money to spare, gambling was not on our agenda. What was on the agenda was seeing our 13th and final UNESCO World Heritage site (wow!) of this trip. Macau itself is a UNESCO site as it was once a Portugese colony and has retained some of this flare in its buildings and streets. Unfortunately, the Portugese culture did not have as much sticking power.

Sitting at my computer in Vancouver, it blows my mind that I even went on this trip because it feels like three months flew by so quickly. Yet while I was away, time felt like an eternity; every single minute of which I treasured. Enjoy the moment as it presents itself and you'll find happiness and creativity. That's as far as I'll go with my philosophical rant...

Quebec Knows How to Play

Free Cirque show in Quebec City, friends in Riviere Du Loup (Nico's hometown), good food, hugs and double cheek kisses, and family in Capucin which is in the Gaspe Pennisula. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Salut!

Taking it Easy in Indonesia

It's 6:30am in Ubud as I'm composing this entry off-line. I can't sleep. The demented, soloist rooster has been practising his opera in a very off key squawk since about 4am - 8am for the past three days. I would like him if he was served as KFC right now (ha!). Although I despise him now, I know I'll miss these types of 'slice of life' noises after I return.

Since India, we did a full 180. We went from a crazy and hectic environment where locals outnumbered foreigners to a more mellow setting in Indonesia where there seems to be foreigners everywhere. From the spots we went to in Bali and Lombok which may be the more touristy ones, it feels like Indo is to the Europeans and Aussies what Mexico is to North Americans. It happened to be high season so everything was double the price. In these ways, it did not meet my backpacker mindset. Quickly though, with the inspiring, serene scenery and friendly people, I was quite okay with taking a vacation from my vacation. The highlights include the Gili Islands and Ubud. At the Gilis, we were so seduced by the beaches, the clear turqoise water, complete lack of motorized transport, and fresh seafood (yum..baby tuna) that we just became blobs and parked ourselves there with our books for what seemed like a blissful eternity.

When I started to get bored of tanning, I knew it was time for a change so we headed to the artisan town of Ubud. It's a busy little place with lots of interesting window shopping for hand crafted things including jewellery, textiles, paintings, and woodwork. Just a stone's throw away are rice paddies and jungles. The main highlight in Ubud was my first time driving a scooter and first time driving in Asian traffic. In most parts of Asia, there are simply no rules to driving and very few traffic lights. They follow the philosophy of flow and keep their focus in front of them (like skiing). I was so nervous the night before with visions of falling over, crashing, etc. Driving that scooter turned out to be the BEST thing ever! Within 20 minutes, I felt like a pro pinning my scooter at full throttle. There was so much freedom and so much to see. Along our way to some volcanoes (Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung), we passed by small villages, farmers, and rice paddies. It was so nice to get off the beaten path to see the real heart of the Balinese culture. I loved the pace of Ubud and would definately go again.

We stayed in Ubud right to the end which was great because we did not have to go back to Kuta. Kuta has a good surf break but it is super busy with its proximity to the airport. It is like one big college frat party. At one time, I would have liked it but now it would be like babysitting myself in my party years (horror!).
Our next stop is China as we wind down. I am so excited to go to Hong Kong to get in touch with my heritage that I so easily brushed off growing up self-defined as a Canadian.

I see that Vancouver is getting prime time sun. Hope everyone is enjoying summer!

Caving, Slapping, Meltdown, and a Parting Gift from India

For the same price of leaving Delhi for Bangkok, we could go to Mumbai and depart from there. Althought both of us were feeling fatigued by India, we decided to push on so that we could see some ancient caves south of Mumbai in Aurangabad.

On our train ride there, we witnessed our second incident of vigilante justice. A drunken guy offended a lady so her son sought justice by slapping him silly. All of this happened in broad daylight in an overcrowded train. Just as soon as the commotion started, it ended. In a way, it was quite effective to express the anger right away rather than suppress it. Imagine this happening at home or at work. It could definately get ugly!

At Aurangabad, we met a cool British couple Patty and Gary who we went with to the Ellora Caves. The World Heritage Caves were built between 600AD to 1000AD. The 30 plus caves represent the Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain religions each of which have intricately carved sculptures. The Kailasa Temple in one of the caves covers twice the area of the Parthenon in Anthens, is 1.5 times larger, and was hand built starting from the top to the bottom. The caves are definately one of the most impressive sites I have ever seen!

After an "ace" (awesome in Brit slang) day at the caves, we went back to Mumbai for our final 2 days. I was hoping to finish on a high note but that wasn't on in our destiny. I had a major heat stress meltdown walking around the city. I was in near tears as I grappled with the heat, a disgusting feeling of stickiness, and a sense that my brain was cooking in my head. I could not have survived the day without Nico who put up with my craziness and escorted me to the nearest a/c restaurant where we had one of our best Indian thalis (meals)!

Just as we were back on a high, we had dinner at a kebab stand that we had eaten at before. Either it was the kebab or water from our breakfast chai teas that put us flat on our backs with traveller's diarrhea. I was not as sick as my first bout in the Himilayas but Nico was violently ill all night. We spent the next day in bed within a stone's throw from the toilet. So that was the lovely kick ass parting gift that India surprised us with. Merci et tabernac from the Chungs!

Now that I am at the end of this leg of the trip, you may wonder whether India is a place that you should go to. Despite the lows, I would still recommend it. But just as I was excited to arrive, I was even more excited to depart. I felt that it was a really tough trip. Mentally, there was the constant action and sheer volume of people (mostly men) to deal with. Physically, I got sick a few times but met some traveller's who did not get sick once. The heat and the frequent sight and smell of human shit, piss, and garbage are also barriers to overcome. On the flip side, I saw some of the most amazing things and met some of the happiest, helpful, and soulful people.

If you decide to visit, I am sure that your experience will be interesting at the very least and uniquely different from mine.

So that's a wrap India. Now it's back to the creature comforts of Thailand before we head to Indonesia.

Pic 1-4 Ellora Caves

Pic 5 Killer Kebabs

Pic 6 Thali Meal Post-Meltdown. I think I've lost about 5-10 pounds...not good!

From Buddhism to Sikhism

Many people are drawn to Dharamsala to immerse themselves in Buddhism and other forms of spiritual practise. It is the home of the exhiled Tibetan government, its people, and arguably one of the most influential spiritual leaders the Dalai Lama. I found the Tibetan people to be very hospitable, friendly, and soothingly mellow. Getting to eat their regional food was a treat since it's a lot closer to mom's home cooking than Indian food. For about $0.25, you can get 4 freshly steamed 'momos' which are bit sized rice buns stuffed with asian green leaf vegetables, onions, and sometimes mutton or chicken.

With the zen aura of the Buddhist monks, the misty surrounding mountains, and my hope that the Dalai Lama was in town (in this case, it was his aura since physically he was out west) and snippets of philosophical discussions about 'ego' at the cafes, it seemed a very fitting place for me to conclude my first read of 'A New Earth' by Eckhart Tolle. My buddy Jo and I have been using his simple teachings to break down our life issues in the past 8 months. Referring to pieces of different religions including Buddhism and Christianity, he advocates the need to be present in our everyday actions to live more fulfilling and creative lives. A simple example from his book is when you walk, your focus should only be on that rather than the destination. This is not an easy thing for my wee little overactive mind! In so many ways, it has started to rewire me. I've probably already recommended the book to you but if not, think about getting a copy or download one of his podcasts.

Shifting gears, we went from Buddhism to Sikhism with a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It is the holiest temple in the Sikh religion. The religion was founded by Guru Nanak Devi who could not find fulfillment in Hinduism, particularly the caste system. The religion welcomes all castes to worship together and it emphasizes rebirth and karma. The temple is guilded with let's say lots of gold and a constant live chant echoes throughout the temple from 8 to 8. The whole experience was really pleasant and uplifting.

I'm on the train to Delhi now. I'm quite unsure of where this journey will take me next. 'Today is what matters now with tomorrow being the next today' as told to me by a very random encounter with a body reader in Shimla.

Shallow side notes:
-There were some extreme new age hippies in Dharamsala, one who was dressed like a hobbit with the haircut of Gollum.
-We stayed in our worstguest house in Amritsar. It smelled and tasted like fart.
-I've been wearing the same hammer pants for the 4th day in a row because I've been too lazy to get my other pants from the bottom of my pack. Cleanliness has disappeared from my vocabulary. At a public toilet, my feet feel dirty even though I am wearing shoes!