Sunday, 25 December
Went to teahouse with Min Zaw and Mr Hla, guides sculking around Sakura Tower/ train station.
– Yangon is better since 8 months
– Money changers on the street are cheats.
– Min Zaw works on donation
– His dream is to work in BKK and Tokyo Shinjiku.
– Went to Dalla Township by ferry
– Met Coco, rickshaw boy, a very skinny muslim of 22 years.
– Land prices have soared the last few years in Dalla. 40 square metres was $1000, now $15000.
– Japanese NGO paid for repairs to houses (after Cyclone Naga)
– House price $3000 USD for a timber shack.
– Monastery/Orphanage has 118 boys – see business card.
– They educate and pay for education of boys all way through university.
– No craft trade in Dalla except for pottery, most live there and commute to Yangon for work.
– Donghi needed to gain favour with the locals.
– You foreigner, you purdha, You donghi, you very good!
– Ferry $2 return Yangon-Dalla-Yangon.
– Only foreigners take rickshaw. locals use motorcycle, 500 Khat, very quick, the roads are new and concrete and increase the land value. Some main roads are awful.
– Purdha = very happy (man)
– Min Zaw like books about other places, 31 years of age.
– Mr Hla speaks Chinese and is a wood carving master of marionettes at Shwe Dagon Pagoda.
– Mr Hla says ‘don’t pay for train ticket in Mandalay??
— Min Zaw says Arunapura has silver working shop, wood shop.
– Min Zaw is hopeful for the future of Burma, waiting for 2015 when they can get visa to ASEAN countries.