Myanmar CIP Trip
There was a gathering for the Myanmar CIP participants this afternoon at Jackie's place. Well this presents me a good opportunity to blog about my trip to Myanmar which takes place from 5-12 Dec '07.
Side-tracking a bit here, Jackie's place is really very nice; it looks like a high-class Balinese resort. The decor are really tastefully done and wonderfully reflects the owners' class. If I got the chance, my house in the future will look something like that too.
Yado, our team leader, has done a brilliant job in summarizing the whole trip in this entry. I will just summarize my own feelings for the trip.
Firstly, Myanmar is not as bad as I thought to be. It turned to be more developed than Cambodia and there are less beggars and hawkers on the street. We only hear about the negative news from the media; visiting there is really a different experience.
Burmese people are generally gentle and non-confrontational; Yangon seemed to be still stuck in the 60s. Our team has the wonderful opportunity to speak to Mr Robert Chua, Singapore's ambassador to Myanmar. He and the embassy staff shared their insights with us and it was really an eye-opener for me. Hopefully there would be changes and improvements for the Burmese people in the near future.
Secondly I am glad to be able to work with this wonderful team. Everyone did their part and tried their best to fulfill the trip's mission. To put it simply, this is one of the best teams I've ever worked with. I won't mind working with the team again.
Lastly, I believed that our work with the orphanages is just the beginning. Deep down I know that our efforts this time round is not going to improve the orphans' lives significantly. They need more than newly-painted buildings or tooth-brushes. There are many things that we can do for them: helping to be self-sufficient, more books etc. However, I don't know whether I can find the strength and determination to carry it through.
If I have a chance, I will go back and help them again. I will talk more about my feelings in the next entry.
Side-tracking a bit here, Jackie's place is really very nice; it looks like a high-class Balinese resort. The decor are really tastefully done and wonderfully reflects the owners' class. If I got the chance, my house in the future will look something like that too.
Yado, our team leader, has done a brilliant job in summarizing the whole trip in this entry. I will just summarize my own feelings for the trip.
Firstly, Myanmar is not as bad as I thought to be. It turned to be more developed than Cambodia and there are less beggars and hawkers on the street. We only hear about the negative news from the media; visiting there is really a different experience.
Burmese people are generally gentle and non-confrontational; Yangon seemed to be still stuck in the 60s. Our team has the wonderful opportunity to speak to Mr Robert Chua, Singapore's ambassador to Myanmar. He and the embassy staff shared their insights with us and it was really an eye-opener for me. Hopefully there would be changes and improvements for the Burmese people in the near future.
Secondly I am glad to be able to work with this wonderful team. Everyone did their part and tried their best to fulfill the trip's mission. To put it simply, this is one of the best teams I've ever worked with. I won't mind working with the team again.
Lastly, I believed that our work with the orphanages is just the beginning. Deep down I know that our efforts this time round is not going to improve the orphans' lives significantly. They need more than newly-painted buildings or tooth-brushes. There are many things that we can do for them: helping to be self-sufficient, more books etc. However, I don't know whether I can find the strength and determination to carry it through.
If I have a chance, I will go back and help them again. I will talk more about my feelings in the next entry.
posted by shyh jie at 11:20 PM
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