Shwe 💛
On our first night in Yangon, I took my mom to Hard Rock Cafe. It opened very recently, and I thought it would be fun to check it out. I know I should have taken her to eat street food or something more authentic, but nothing really beats a yummy burger when you have one daughter suffering from #teachertired and one mom suffering from jet lag!
Do the umbrellas count for authenticity?? (I do love this decor!)
I had so many grand plans for our time in Yangon. A week seemed like a long time, even though I had to teach during the day. I figured we would have plenty of time and energy to do things after work. Ha! Yeah, right, Stefanie.
I always seem to forget how stressful the end of the school year is. On top of the usual grades/report cards, portfolios, evaluations, and special musical events, I also had to pack up two classrooms and a house. Yep, that's right. Teachers generally have to pack up their classroom for the summer, but I get a bonus classroom since I am on two campuses! I have a very full teaching schedule (one of the heaviest at my current school), so I was worried about getting everything done. On top of that, I was moving into the apartments (my own place.... yayyyyyyyy!), which meant that I had to pack up my personal life as well.
We snuck out a few times throughout the week for bites to eat, but it was nothing compared to what I had planned for us. In addition to the stress of work, I also had a minor injury that landed me in the hospital for a few hours (a toenail ripped off when I fell into a hole in the flooded street). It turned out okay, but it was another setback for our time in Yangon. I felt like a horrible tour guide and an even worse daughter. But Mama Britton rocks (as always), and she helped me through everything. We somehow managed to pack two classrooms and a bedroom by the end of the week. She even told me that she enjoyed being a mommy again, since I needed her so very much that week. And it was true - I definitely couldn't have done it without her!
One classroom finished! Time to celebrate!
On Friday night that week, my friend and I took Mama Britton to a restaurant called House of Memories. It's one of my favorite dinner spots in the city. The colonial building is over 100 years old and has historical significance: The owners allowed the Burmese Independence Army (BIA) to open its headquarters here during the fight for independence. They still have General Aung San's desk and effects set up in various rooms, and the prayer room is even in tact (though no photos are allowed in there). On top of all that cool history stuff, the food is also absolutely DELICIOUS. It took us a ridiculous amount of time to get there (seriously, traffic in Yangon is terrible!), but I think Mama Britton enjoyed the experience once we finally arrived.
Welcome to House of Memories!
Love the architecture and the history
Yummy (virgin) drink to start
We ordered several curries and rice to share. Our spread was very colorful...
and very very TASTY!
The food menu is printed like a newspaper and is offered as a souvenir for patrons. (It now hangs on a wall in my apartment.)
General Aung San's desk
Photographs and a bit of history
Private dining (not our table)
I finally made it to the last day of school, and something very special happened with my sixth grade bunch that day. I was very close with that class and was sad to say goodbye (they have a different music teacher in Grade 7). As I was lining them up one last time, I tried telling them how much I loved teaching them this year, but they were busy talking. I got slightly annoyed - guys, I'm trying to have a moment here! - when a few of them asked me to sit down. The students presented me with flowers and then paid homage to me. This is a Buddhist tradition where they kneel before you and chant. It was so very special (and I was definitely a crying mess!). I was also very happy that Mama Britton was at school with me that day to see it happen. In nine years of teaching, this was definitely the most special thing that I have ever experienced.
I will never forget this bunch of students! #happyteacher
We came in to work on Saturday morning to finish cleaning and check out for the summer. (At my school, we do this on Saturday, rather than waiting till Monday. I'm a fan of doing it this way!) The process went very quickly, and I went home to meet the movers. The security guards helped all three of the roommates move our stuff into our respective new apartments. It was pouring down rain, super stressful (they gave me the wrong keys), and almost seemed like it would never end... but then it was over. We were so happy to be done - especially because we could finally have some real fun in Yangon!
All packed up for summer!
The road to my old house floods every time it rains...
...but Mama Britton was definitely a trooper!
Goodbye, house! Next stop: The apartments!
As soon as the move was finished, Mom and I jumped into a cab and headed downtown. I wanted to show her around Bogyoke Market and Shwedagon Pagoda, two of my favorite "must-see" spots in Yangon. We shopped around Bogyoke for almost an hour, buying t-shirts, dresses, elephant pants, jewelry, and other fun little souvenirs. It was so much fun to actually spend quality time together, and the stress slowly started to melt away.
But first, coffee at my favorite spot downtown
Bogyoke's main artery - there are many small stalls down the side aisles here
Next, we hopped a cab over to Shwedagon Pagoda, which is the most iconic structure in Yangon. I have been to Shwedagon a few times already, but I never get sick of it (and probably never will!). Every time I go, I see something new. The place is simply magical.
In the parking lot, we put on some of our new purchases so that we were dressed appropriately for the temple - knees and shoulders covered, as modesty is key! It rained lightly and steadily all day, but Mama Britton was a trooper through it all. She was amazed by Shwedagon, and I was so happy that I could finally share something special about my city with her.
Chinthes guard the entrance to Shwedagon Pagoda. These guys are quite large - notice how tiny the people on the stairs are compared to the statues!
The entrance hallway is very long and grand. There are long hallways, stairs, and vendors selling things that may be used as offerings or souvenirs.
We made it!
I love this picture of the guy taking a selfie with the monk :-)
I've read that there is a lot of Thai influence at Shwedagon Pagoda. You can really see it with this guardian here, pictured on the right.
There are so many little nooks and crannies in this place. Something that Mom and I both love is the little statues and figurines that are found amongst all the gold and grandeur. Some of them serve as guardians to entrances, while others are sitting out in the open.
When I first started planning our trip months before, I asked my mom what she wanted to see. "Buddhas... lots and lots of Buddhas!" It's what stuck with her most from her visit to Thailand all those years ago. I was happy to be able to accomplish this in one small stop (but don't worry, this wasn't our only Buddha sighting... there is MUCH more to come in our following adventures!)
Buddhas, Buddhas, everywhere!
We wandered around and admired the beauty in the rain, which made it feel even more authentic (check out this video to see what it was like to have raindrops as our soundtrack for the afternoon). I have no idea how long we were there... we just sort of got lost in all the magic. It really is a special place!
These people are gathered around a Buddha for a particular day of the week. Here, people pray and give offerings according to the day of the week that they are born. I love how the bright umbrellas pop against the shiny gold in this shot.
Mommy-daughter selfie - not my greatest angle, but Shwedagon looks
stunning, as always! 💛
We wrapped up our visit to the beautiful pagoda and headed back to the hotel. All of my stuff was in my new apartment, which was still occupied by the old tenants. We decided to stay in a hotel room nearby so that we didn't have to sleep on a bare mattress in the old house. I took Mama Britton for a (glorious) hair wash that includes a full body reflexology massage. Then we ate dinner on the rooftop restaurant of our hotel before calling it a night.
Temple dog! (Mom cracked up every time I said this during the trip)
Even the exit is beautiful and interesting
Goodbye, Shwedagon!
Our hotel - ibis Styles Yangon Stadium (near my apartment in Thingangyun)
I told you that door pictures became "our thing" 😀
Although our adventure in Yangon was pretty low key compared to our time in Bangkok, it was nice to spend time together. Because I live so far away, it is not always easy to slow down and enjoy each other's company - which is exactly what we got to do in Yangon! The following week was absolutely jam-packed with excitement, so in the end we were happy to have some down time during our week in Yangon.
On Sunday morning, we woke up early to head out on our adventure to see the rest of Myanmar... Stay tuned to see where our travels took us next!
On our way to check out the rest of the Golden Land!
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