My Second Native

Yangon, formerly known as Rangoon. That’s where I’ve spent more than half my lifetime. I have experienced both  setbacks and enthusiasm staying in Yangon for many years. In fact, it’s like my second native, and whenever I reached around the world, I could hardly forget where I started the rat race or city life back in my teenage years.

            Some people from Yangon say they’re never happy living anywhere except Yangon. Perhaps they’re right, partly because this is the center of all the sources from food and living things to latest models of computer devices, and to say the most, you can get whatever you need instantly in Yangon. More, most of the standard fashion Myanmar girls fancy are originated  (also partly from Korean TV series) from this capital, now just being regarded as the economic capital second to Naypyitaw. Business headquarters, wholesale malls, best restaurants, arts, music, periodicals, medicine, garment, and so forth all are stationed in Yangon, whatever their origins may be.

            However Yangon sometimes treated me like a stranger. There’re several couples of younger people going all along the Yangon streets and supermarkets, but the city failed to offer me a decent girl to get along with, what an unfairness!

The truth, though, is that I’m clinged to Yangon, both during hard times and good ones. Nargis gave me unexceptional fear of living in a port city, witnessing from start to end the nagging wind and rain, in the middle of the storm hitting delta region historically in early May 2008. My joyful moment was when I was just graduated from a university in Yangon, being able to accept the degree scroll from the once-impressive convocation hall inside the compound of Yangon University near Hledan.

            My pity, unfortunately, towards my adopted city was it’s dull and obsolete infrastructure. You’ll see just a few high rises, less than a dozen even in downtown business zone. The badly-damaged paved roads are not standardized, some major roads being reconstructed only a third or left unrepaired, flecks of spitting and litter abounds, etc. In fact, the prestigious image of Yangon will, as one friend noted, never fade away, along with the great Shwedagon, seemingly awaiting to catch up with other advanced regional capitals.

            Recent cool weather, a sign of climate change has also hit Yangon. A week of gloomy weather in extreme coolness reminded me the day of Nargis, but the weather reporting system was so smart to warn and give exact detail of the event and all are correct, mostly via FMs. When a public FM radio was started back in 2000, it’s a big effort to tune it for radio lovers like me; now there’s about 7 FM waves and more to put forward, although the quality of real-time reporting and public programmes require some technical expertise.

           Some critics argue the lagging behind in some aspect of Yangon and reaching advance in some will continue to overwhelm in Yangon for many years to come. As for me I will never forget Yangon and will be ever more delighted to be a permanent resident of Yangon in my future. All because it’s my only second native, that’s enough.

From Mandalay To Java

A beautiful volcano called Merapi was seen overlooking Yogyakarta, a culturally attractive Indonesian city worst hit by the Asian Tsunami in Dec 2004. Four years after that dreadful tsunami, I was heading there. It's also when I got the chance to visit the world's largest stupa—Borobudur. That's a huge Buddhist temple, although some called it a stupa. Situated in central Java, Indonesia, nearby Yogyakarta (Jogja, as locally named), Borobudur has been well listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

     In fact, it's long before I was face to face with the Indonesian culture that I'd seen some postcards from Jogja featuring Borobudur. After a nice smiling welcome for the rare visitor from Yangon at the Jakarta airport, I'd have to make an hour flight to Jogja, by a local airliner Garuda.

     Soon after a period of stay in Jogja, in one cloudy afternoon in the fall of 2008, I was led by my friend with his shabby motorbike, left the city and headed straight to Borobudur. The environment seemed not foreign as we passed through many villages and forest, along Indonesian countryside. We had to postponed lunch to reach there in hot and gloomy climate, under the hottest equatorial sunshine. Travelling towards lushing ranges for about an hour took us to one of the world's 7 most wonders, at last.

     In one book from Myanmar it's noted that Borobudur was built resembling Ta-wa-dein-tha; Mya Thein Dan pagoda from Min Gun, nearby Mandalay, was also build with the same idea, it said. I've also been to Mingun and, when I first saw Borobudur, I instantly remembered Mingun Pahto Taw Gyi, both being pictured as huge structures. Mingun Pahto Taw Gyi was just abandoned with about 160 feet (though originally intended by King Boe Daw as 500 feet, aiming for the world's highest) and you'd need a great effort to reach the top of Mingun Pahto Taw Gyi.

     Probably constructed when Buddhism availed in Indonesia around AD800, as a heritage of Buddhist tradition, Borobudur was truly amazing with systematic stone architecture. The scenery and entrance compound were like vast green velvet, all systematic, neat and clean, packed with tourists & pilgrims. The basic structure of Borobudur was like pagodas from Myanmar, somewhat influenced by Indian culture, and the main stupa at the top was encircled by 72 small stupas, each with a Buddha Image inside. The foundation was known nearly 200 feet on each side. Nine platforms were step by step ascended to the top. It's unbelievable to read that the way to the summit of Borobudur extends through some 4.8 km of passages and stairways. Amazing!

     It's also notable we didn't miss our lunch thanks to a hawker selling traditional pies near the cultural museum in the garden surrounding Borobodur. "Our hostel is a few minutes' drive from the beach. There's lots to see and do here. Many historic monuments such as Borobudur and the Prambanan temples are just nearby. It will surely be worth visiting for you," said that friend long before I left for Indonesia; actually, it's no question. More than worth visiting!