Messages From Myanmar #09
20 January 2016
Photo Update Alert:
“Yangon Zoo”
Hello there… Rodger French
here.
The Happy Holidaze having
finally passed, I thought I’d check in and update you on the happenings in
Yangon, where everything happens a half-day earlier.
Wedding Bells - As noted in the previous posting, Anne received an invitation,
expensive and quite elaborate, to the wedding of a very well off Burmese couple.
The nuptials took place in the grand ballroom of a fancy hotel, spilling out
into the lobby, where tables and large video monitors were set up to
accommodate the overflow of guests. Now, I haven’t been to a wedding in years,
but this seemed to me to be quite the spectacle. (I apologize for the lack of
photoz; the light was impossible for my camera.)
[Cultural Sidebar - A traditional Burmese wedding conducted in a Buddhist
temple is another matter entirely. We hope to have an opportunity to attend one
of those before we leave Myanmar.]
Presumably due to our
status as members of the diplomatic community, we were seated in the ballroom
at a table with several other couples from Myanmar and Singapore. There was a
video crew covering the whole affair and everyone was dressed to impress,
especially the ladies. Most of them sported some truly impressive bling, with
rubies and diamonds predominant. There was also a pretty decent band, featuring
an eclectic assortment of traditional Burmese and Western instruments and seemingly
a different singer for each song.
The ceremony itself was quiet,
lovely, and very Buddhist.
It’s All Happening at the Zoo - The Yangon Zoo is a very popular local
attraction and a short walk from The Shang (home), so we took advantage of the
MLK holiday this past Monday to go visit, thus avoiding the weekend crush. The
grounds are very pleasant and the animals appear well tended to, although the
habitats seem achingly small for the larger beasties. Like the tigers. Which
are awesome.
But it just breaks my
heart to see large, beautiful birds confined in cages too small to fly about
in. I think the local pigeons and crows are better off, even if they do have to
scrounge for food. That said, it is what it is, and the groups of school
children in attendance were clearly having a fine, fun experience.
Music News
- “Che, Acordeón - Tangos from Buenos Aires” CDs have arrived. Oh, boy. That
means the whole world - including you - can now (a) listen for free on SoundCloud,
(b) download the album or individual tracks at cdBaby, and/or (c) order an
actual CD from me. (You have my email.) The reviews are trickling in and so
far, so good:
“Beautifully
performed.”
“… like being in a Wes Anderson Movie… or
Paris.”
Incidentally, if you find
yourself near The Shang on 28 February, plan on stopping by for the Album
Release Concert. No need to RSVP.
Onward.
Rodger
