Missing Myanmar

I'm back. Well, technically I got back on Jan. 1st. I felt I should post something, yet at the same time so much has happened in the short time I've been away. I'll try my best to sum up my most interesting Christmas and New Years ever. First of all, thanks to everyone for keeping me in your prayers. I almost ended up not being able to go. I was sick (stomach flu) 2 days prior to the trip. Myanmar was incredible though. Both the place and the people, but especially the people. Even my health was getting better, probably the pristine mountain air. My lungs were jumping for joy from the lack of pollution. Jokes aside, the team of people that I went with, they were amazing too. We all got along great and I was able to open up to them and share my reflections. It's hard to put it all down in words. So forgive me if I seem to be jumping all over the place. Although I went on this trip to teach the kiddies English, they actually taught me just as much, about myself and life lessons. Sounds corny, but I mean it. It all seems like a dream now, being back in HK and looking back. Kengtung was the name of the town. It reminded me of Guelph actually. Small town charm, random chats with strangers, and hospitality to boot. I got to learn some new lingo:) Mingalaba is hello in Burmese. Attempted to learn a traditional dance from the Lahu tribe. Got to try many new things. First time on a motorbike (sadly didn't get to drive one). First time eating worms, they were deep fried, not bad. First time bouncing around in the back of a pickup (the longest being 4 hours for a trip to a "nearby" village). First time bathing out of a bucket, by dousing water on myself. And many other firsts, but those were the highlights. The kiddies were so darn sweet. What a contrast to the kiddies I work with here in HK. It was interesting to work with such a wide age range (5-13yrs) and such a large group (60). Me and my mum worked with them for 2 hours everyday. And I had a blast. Lots of songs and games, followed by bible stories and English. I won't bore you with the details. At the end of it all, as were leaving, I felt the trip wasn't nearly long enough. I'm no good at goodbyes, but surprisingly I was able to hold back the tears. Overall, it was a joyful goodbye and somebody even said 'see you next year' to me. I replied with a 'maybe', but he didn't seem to understand, he just repeated 'see you next year' again with a huge grin. Who knows, maybe one day I'll see them again.