Ambassadeur Everlasting
In the light
During our trek in Shan state we stayed overnight a Pa-Oo family which offered a wonderful insight into their daily life. One of the young daughters sat attentively listening to her mother speak, in the dark room which was gently lit by one small window.
Hey you, ask for...le
Just a fun street photo, captured on the streets of Thanjuvar, South India. I had seen the advertisement and the women resting beneath it, but just as I clicked she reached out and tapped the other women on the shoulder, thus giving me my title.
In the heart of Yango
In the heart of the old British capital are many old Victorian buildings, left to decay. Some old buildings look so British indeed that parts of the city look as if London had been transplanted into a tropical landscape and left to moulder for a century or two. The Strand Hotel is once again open and while afternoon tea of scones and imported jams is served to guests lounging in rattan chairs beneath whirling ceiling fans, in a side street black stains drip like ink from the rain soaked roofs, most of the windows are broken and have been replaced by corrugated iron or pieces of cardboard but provides a perfect backdrop for locals to enjoy their tea squatting on almost doll house size furniture, a custom seen in many places in Asia.
Monsoon rains and...d
The monsoon rains have arrived making the city unbearably humid and even more dirty as debris and waste gets washed up and away. But despite this, she must find her place somewhere in the busy morning market to sell her donuts, making a few extra kyat for the family.
Classic Paris
weer uit de oude doos en over nieuw bewerkt, een foto vol herinningen, in een rokerige theewinkel buiten de gebaande paden in het noorden van Myanmar.
Breakfast arrives
The public ferry from Yangon to Pathein takes 24hours and you probably only ever do the journey once. Even though we had an upper class cabin it didn't mean a lot. The door of the cabin could be open in two parts, upper and lower, unfortunately the lower part was missing. We shared the one toilet (with no water) with others cabin holders and perhaps 100 people sleeping out on the deck. I won't go into details but suffice it to say after 30 mins you didn't want to go in there again. During the next 23 hours I become quite inventive with a bottle and plastic bags. But it wasn't all grim. Waking up in the morning on the mighty Irrawaddy as the ship slowly passed sleepy villages and vendors scurried in their small boats to sell breakfast. Banana leaves stuffed with sticky rice and fresh pineapple were hoisted up on pieces of rope let down from the ship, the Kyats were tied to rope and let back down. Delicious!
Passengers
For many years now we have donated to a very small health clinic in a village across the river near Yangon. We visit as often as we can. This photo was taken on our first visit on board the public ferry back in the days when a white tourist was still a novelty in this area.
The peanut seller
Even at her age she has to sell peanuts every night on the streets of Yangon to earn a few kyat, there is no AOW in Myanmar and if you have no family...............
Papers and Parathas
There are many Indians that have settled for generations been in Burma, since the British actually, especially in Yangon. So to find street food samosas being sold on the streets is not uncommon. Parathas with pickle in the morning and samosas with chutney in the evening. Another good reason to wander the streets of Yangon.
The candlemaker
We have been supporting a small health center in a village on the outskirts of Yangon for many years and each time we are in Yangon we plan a visit. This time whilst in the village we came upon a small candle factory that we hadn't seen before. Fascinating to see rows and rows of moulds, hot wax, tapers and drying candles. The candles are sold to monasteries in Yangon bringing in a well needed extra income to the village.
Op visite
Our son worked for a few years in Chiang Rai University in Thailand, during this time he crossed the border to teach a semester at a primary school outside Yangon. of course, whilst we were there we visited him and his class.
The kaleidoscope
As I already mentioned the inside of the Depot in Rotterdam is very impressive. Wow are now looking at up the ceiling from the auditorium. The mosaic of coloured glass is also the floor of the entry to the restaurant. A kaleidoscope for the eyes.
Up on the roof
De Depot in Rotterdam, perhaps not much in the way of art to see but an impressive building from both the outside and in and certainly worth a visit.
Elham churchyard
The church that presently stands in Elham is dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin, built of ragstone and flint, dates from 1170 to 1200. The churchyard holds many graves that are still legible from the early 1700's. So much history and yet flourishes still with spring flowers.
The Bookshop
What I enjoy about Deal is that they are no big chain stores in the High Street, just many small individually owned shops and galleries. This is one of my favourite shops, the bookshop, I can spend a good hour browsing through its cavernous depths and floors. What I enjoy about Deal is that they are no big chain stores in the High Street, just many small individually owned shops, restaurants, cafes and galleries.
St. George's
We leave the Shantymen in the market and walk further through Deal, along the High Street and pause along with other shoppers by St George's Church. A chapel has stood on this site since 1706 and the present day church is listed as a monument. There are a number of interesting monuments in the churchyard, notably the tomb, a short, square column, of Captain Edward T Parker (1779-1801), a close friend of Admiral Nelson, who paid for the monument.
Kellet Gut Shantymen
In neem jullie even mee als ik wandel door Deal. Eerst ons "local band" in Deal zaterdag week markt. De Shantymen en hun zee liedjes, jammer dat jullie het niet kunnen horen.....................
Deal
One of my favourite walks when we are at our house in Kent is to Deal, along the top of the famous white cliff following the Saxon Way Walk via Kingsdown and Walmer and then down into Deal. The seafront remains the same, no high rises, a row a pastel coloured grand Victorian and Georgian houses a pebble beach and great fish and chips.
A Sunday Pint
Just as traditional as fish and chips, is a pint before the Sunday roast. While the women get the dinner ready the men take off to the pub. This is how it was when I was growing up and so to see it is a tradition that continues especially in rural areas. The sign outside the pub announces that the following Sunday will be Mothering Sunday (Moedersdag), that is a day when the wives and mothers are taken to lunch.
The life of an old...
The old wooden pier in Herne Bay was built in 1871 and during its lifetime not only saw crowds of Victorian holiday makers promenading along its walkway but also at the beginning of World War II, the army cut two gaps between the landward end of the pier and the seaward terminal as a counter-invasion measure. Although the pier's two gaps were bridged for pedestrians after the war the pier was finally destroyed by fire in 1970,
Herne Bay
Sitting on the North Kent coast Herne Bay began life as a popular holiday destination during the early 19th century and had its heyday in the Victorian era. Well-to-do holidays makers would take the train from London to enjoy the sea-air and to promenade along the pier. of course, as people started to travel and foreign holidays become the norm, Herne Bay dwindled into decline, but in my opinion remains a nice place to visit with its grand Georgian houses and nostalgic facades.
Life goes on
During our last two visits to Myanmar, the last being in 2020, we stayed in a small village in Rakhine by the coast. There is nothing special about the village, it doesn't even have a shop or pagoda, but the simplicity and calm that exudes is lovely. I am in touch with the people here and despite the coup and the violence that erupted, covid and the lack of vaccinations, everyone is doing fine. Life goes on................
Chinese New Year
It is Chinese New Year, it is not celebrated on a huge scale in Burma, but the ethnic Chinese that live there like to carry on their traditions of course. We met this young boy and his sister in Mawlamyine practising for the lion dance.
Oma in the kitchen
During our trek through the villages of the Chittagong Hill Tracts we stayed with host-families. I showed you one of the villages in my last upload. Although our accommodation was basic, the hospitality shown was humbling. The fire and floor of the kitchen is made from a mixture of clay and cow poop, (good to keep the flies away in the summer!!). A few basic utensils is all oma needs to cook the family dinner of rice, curried vegetables lentils.