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Lost in Translation in Yangon

Recently I often go to Yangon for the work of ICEVI Higher Education Initiative. This time, I stayed at Hotel Glory near the blind school under Ministry of Social Welfare.

For lunch today, I ordered pork salad for lunch. They brought a big plate of salad, and I found some shrimps in it. I ate more, and I found more shrimps. Pork was never to be found. I was wondering if my tongue also went blind as well.

So after I finished the meal, I asked the waiter that I didn’t find pork. We had some communication trial, and after involving a few more spectators around, we finally found out that he thought I said “prawn salad” instead of “pork salad”. This is a little and typical challenge I face in a country where I cannot speak their language. I cannot just point at the dish that my neighboring customer is eating and say “I want THIS one,” you know :p

Oh, well, it was quite tasty, so no problem, and I’m glad that I found the answer for the mystery of pork salad without pork. And I’m even more happy that my tongue was not totally blind after all.

Beauty of Bangkok People

This evening, I flew back from Yangon, and took a taxi at the airport. As I got off in front of my street, the rain started to pour like the sky turned the bucket upside down. I waited and waited for the rain to stop by the roadside, but it didn’t stop at all.

Finally, the lady who sells papaya salad across the street came over, and asked her brother to fetch me on his motorbike. I was almost soaked wet, but my inside is so warm with this act of kindness.

Moments like this really refresh my love for Bangkok. Within the caotic city full of ugly things, I have found countless people like this, going way beyond their way to help me. Yes, this is why I fell in love with this country, as Bangkok consists of people who come from all over Thailand.