Part 3: Burma

Hello all!

* Sorry it's taken so long to get Part 3 out. My computer's hard drive crashed taking with it all of my files and my ability to do anything at home. OTL

Anyway...

From Bangkok --> Israel/Palestine --> Egypt --> Bangkok --> Burma/Myanmar

I first went to Burma in January of '08. The year before my first year of Fulbright, two Fulbrighters began a small non profit organization (Opening Possibilities Asia) that I am now working with. My first year was led by one of the founders of the organization. Our main focus of last year was to create and teach a workshop to teach teaching methodology to teachers at a free education monastic school in Mandalay, Burma. Confusing enough? Haha

PDO (Phaung Daw Oo) is the school we volunteer at. It is a school that literally started under a tree and has grown to over 7000 students. There is also a monastery within its walls. The principal's newest project was to take children affected by Cyclone Nargis into the school as residents and students. Many students graduate at the age of 15 or 16. Some want to give back in anyway they can, so they become teachers. The teachers who participate in our workshop consist of new teachers who have never had any training before and veteran teachers who want to continue education as well as help train new teachers.

Our leader from last year, Margaret, is now living in Burma. With her away from Korea, I led 3 Fulbrighters in creating a similar workshop to teach in January of this year. We spent 3 months writing and revising the workshop and planning our visit to the school in Burma. Margaret met my group in Yangon/Rangoon to take them to Mandalay on a 12 hour bus ride. I flew to Mandalay to prevent missing the first day of the workshop after leaving Israel.

It was great to be back. So many familiar, friendly faces. It took me a few days to adjust to being back, but I soon fell in love with the country and the school all over again.

Three of the four of us from the first year were back together (Margaret, Rebecca, and me) and three new workshop leaders (Anna, Raisa, and Josh)! It was a great group this year. My group focused on teaching the workshop, while Margaret and Rebecca taught a children's English camp.

The workshop went very well, and we definitely see where we can make positive changes for next year. Beyond the workshop, we also observed the teachers from our workshop to better understand where they need help, I helped with the English camp from time to time, we led a nightly debate for whomever wished to participate, we visited the Golden House where the chidren affected by Cyclone Nargis live, we visited Mingon and Ubein Bridge with friends (teachers, novices, and office workers) from the school, we visited the Mandalay zoo with children from the school's orphanage and Golden House, and watched Wa monks play with a pinata that they helped us make.

For some reason or another only part of the pictures made it onto my photobucket site. I'll have the link for the rest of the pictures next time I email.

Hope everyone is doing well! Miss each and everyone of you!

Peace and Love,
Stacey