Mingala ba!

​“It’s a very powerful Eureka! moment when you’re traveling: to realize that people don’t have the American dream. They’ve got their own dream. And that’s not a bad thing. That’s a good thing.” - Rick Steves
 
If there is a country with big dreams, it is Myanmar.
 
Colonized by the British in the 1800’s, Burma fought for its independence, finally granted in 1947. In the U.S., we often think of colonialization as a problem that ended in 1776, but it continues in many parts of the world. It’s a challenge, then, to establish a stable government, and Burma was no exception. Despite becoming a democratic-socialist state, a military junta later took over from the 1960’s until 2011. That’s when the country changed its name to Myanmar, because the Burmese are only 1 ethnic group, and there are actually 135! Can we imagine trying to be a democratic society with dozens of languages and cultures? They elected a democratic government in 2015 but there is still so much conflict that we westerners often only hear about that – the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingyas and brutal treatment of minorities.
 
We spent many hours learning about and reflecting on the situation, and recognize that visiting the country does not indicate support of the turmoil in any way. Our Semester at Sea voyage feels far removed from that; we docked close to Yangon and had the opportunity to meet locals, learn about their many traditions, and experience the other side of Myanmar.
 
I’m late in posting this blog because I somehow thought it was a good idea to give all of my midterms in a 2-day period: 90 papers, 360 essay questions. Plus each student’s reflection of the port. It’s been a treat reading them, but now on to blogging.