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First Impressions


I have arrived and am living in Myanmar! After a few days, here are a few of my first thoughts.

  • Rules of the Road do not exist. Drivers will literally go anywhere they want, even through the middle of a street festival. And traffic is a disaster.

  • Pedestrians do NOT have the right of way. In the same vein, crossing the streets is a dangerous game. You just have to go for it and hope the cars slow down long enough to let you pass.

  • You are a celebrity. Foreigners, specifically white foreigners from what I’ve noticed so far, get a lot of attention. At the Chinese New Year celebration, we had multiple people take pictures of us eating dinner and kids will often come up to you and say hi.

  • A mix of old and new. Myanmar seems to be an interesting blend of traditional and modern ways of life. Many people wear the more traditional longyi’s while others wear jeans and t-shirts. There’s also a mix of the old and new in the buildings, the cars driven, and newer shops vs. markets.

  • No one seems to know English. I really have to pick up on some Burmese because many cab drivers and restaurant owners don’t understand you when you’re trying ask for the check or make it back to your apartment.

  • Having short hair is the bomb. And pro tip: don’t leave the toilet paper on the floor when you’re showering because there is no separate shower stall and it will get soaked.

  • You can get basically anything you need here. I probably over did it on packing toiletries and medications. They have my shampoo and toothpaste brand here and even if they didn’t, I would still be okay.

  • You (or at least I) will be constantly dirty. Even after just walking around for a few hours my feet and nails are somehow coated with dirt. But from my Bonnaroo experience, I can accept this (see instagram for pictures).

  • The food is insanely good. Everything we’ve eaten so far has been delicious and I have surprisingly not gotten sick from anything yet.

  • I love Myanmar. I’ve only been here for 4 days or so but this country is already amazing and I’m so excited to learn and explore more.

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