Wrapping Up My Time at the ROLCs
Well, I am down to my last few weeks in Myanmar. My last day at work was Friday and while I honestly cannot wait to get home, it will be pretty strange not coming to work at the ROLC every day. Definitely won't miss having to use those bathrooms though!
In the past month, Evelyn and I have been trying to check a few last things off our "Burma Bucket List." When we first got here, Evelyn had heard of this massive dog sanctuary and since we both love dogs, it quickly got added to the list. However, early on we realized it would be very difficult to visit since it is about 1.5 hours north of the city and we do not have a car! Luckily, a couple of weekends ago a Canadian family we have become friends with were going to visit since their daughter often volunteers there - so we were able to tag along! It worked out especially well for Evelyn because she and her husband Mark are going to be coming back from Yangon with a new addition to their family!
You may recall from my last post that I encountered some gravel in my scones during our spa day at a nice hotel in Yangon. As a result, the hotel gave Evelyn and I a free second visit and this time a few of our friends decided to join us. So we spent another Sunday soaking up the sun at the Strand, enjoying high tea and relaxing massages, topping it all off with a drink by the pool. It was such a lovely day.
What started out as plans to go see Captain Marvel with my friends at work, somehow turned into a night out and ending with karaoke. While I don't usually spend time outside of work with these guys, I wish I had done it a little more often. I laughed so much this night and had a blast singing Shania Twain with them.
As I try to check off a few last things and see the people here who have been so lovely to me a few last times, I was happy to organize sundowners at SEEDS with Catherine, a French Canadian woman who works for the ILO and is just the best, and Tara. SEEDS is a rather faaaancy restaurant on Inya Lake that does a lovely lakeside free-flow drink and appetizers on Sunday evenings for a very reasonable amount of money. You can thank the air pollution for the beautiful sunset. Also, I was sweating bullets (summer has started here - it's back up to 43 every day), so I have no idea how Tara was surviving in jeans and a tunic.
Evelyn's husband arrived last week and so while we were still working, he was hanging out in Yangon. On Tuesday we took him to 19th Street for a beer, which worked out well for our friends because Wednesday was a holiday in Myanmar. However, for those of us working with international organizations, we still had to head to work on Wednesday morning and, quite frankly, I am just too old for that these days.
For our last week at work, Evelyn and I brought a cake to share with the office to say thank you. Turns out standing against walls and silently eating cake with your colleagues is not just a Western thing to do. Everyone was grateful for the cake though. Friday was my last day, and Ugo surprised me with Krispy Kreme Donuts for the office. A lot of my colleagues said thank you and a few nice words. I was even given an illustrated History of Buddhism, which is sooo typical of Myanmar. It was very touching.
Comments
Post a Comment