The Theory of Love

It was during the Myanmar Human Rights Human Dignity International Film Festival that I saw the 2015 documentary called the "Swedish Theory of Love". Erik Gandini's documentary portrays the Swedish society as one of independent but lonely individuals. 

The Swedish theory of individualism is based on the conviction that individuals should be financially independent and free from each other: women from men and elderly from their family.  It developed many years ago and, as a result, nowadays 47% of households have only one resident and  people are losing their capacity to interact and socialise.  

It is also true that the Swedish Welfare State is there to help citizens in case of material difficulties in life. If I was personally somewhat surprised with some of the aspects presented in the movie the surprise from Myanmar moviegoers was all the greater. Myanmar people cherish the traditional  way of life and for them family is the centrepiece of the society? 

You should have heard the Aaahs! Wows! and Nooos! of Myanmar person in the seat next to mine. He was shocked that many Swedes die alone in their flats, sometimes undiscovered for weeks or months, that single young women deliberately choose to have children through sperm banks, etc. Maybe he believed that the movie must have been a fictional story? Truth be told, in many of the exclamations I joined him.

The documentary also presents some entertaining scenes as regards the cultural integration of migrants. A social worker taught a group of Syrian migrants that the Swedes prefer brief conversations and that short answers, like the "Yes" or the "No" often suffice. When asked if he is married, a middle-aged gentlemen replied "Obviously" which was an unacceptable answer in the opinion of the social worker who clarified that in Sweden this is not obvious at all given that many live alone, in open relationships or partnerships. The expression on the migrants' faces was one of disbelief.  Another migrant remarked that it is impossible to strike a conversation with a local because you never see them on the streets.

After watching this movie I reflected on what I had seen and learned and tried to put it into the context in which I currently live and through which lens the Myanmar public would have seen the movie.

The Myanmar Theory of Love, as much as I have learned until now, is based on inclusiveness and readiness to help each other. The Myanmar society is very united with extended families living together under one roof. In many cases there is only one bread winner and this person provides for the entire family, unconditionally. There are countless cases where young people work abroad, many times in difficult conditions, and send the entire salaries back home to help build a better house or the provide for education for sisters and brothers. You notice many times large noisy gatherings of people, especially in the monasteries. They sit and happily chatter even if they do not know each other. Often, in the market I greet the locals. Sometimes they even start a short conversation with you. True, there is no social net here but people help the ones in need as best as they can, sometimes with food, sometimes only with advice. As mentioned, the family is the centerpiece of society, not the individual. This may soon start to change as the country starts to develop more rapidly.

During the screening I often asked myself if any of the Myanmar citizens watching the documentary will ever consider settling in Sweden? At the end of the movie, I asked my young neighbour in the seat to my left if he would ever consider moving to Sweden. "Oh no, but maybe just a short visit", he replied.

I also thought of the fact that many European countries are not as perfect as the Myanmar citizens often believe them to be, and moving to a developed country does not make you necessarily happier.

Anyhow I was really pleased that Myanmar citizens could see such an informative documentary and I am sure that in many local families the subject sparked intense discussions. 

I hope I made you sufficiently curious for you to consider watching the Swedish Theory of Love.

An interview with Erik Gandini, the director and writer can be found here.

National Geographic Romania (vers. online)

De câteva zile, în ediția online a National Geographic România, a fost publicat articolul Ferestrele din Yangon pe care puteți să îl citiți mai jos.

Poze am publicat în ianuarie, aici. O selecție mai mare vă așteaptă în articolul de pe NG http://www.natgeo.ro/traveler/10414-ferestreledinyangon

Ferestrele din Yangon

Yangonul are cele mai multe clădiri coloniale din Sud-Estul Asiei, construite de britanici și negustorii chinezi sau indieni pe vremea când orașul era capitala Birmaniei. Însă trecerea anilor și clima umedă au făcut ca majoritatea să aibă nevoie urgentă de restaurare.

Timp de două luni am colindat străduțele lungi și înguste din centrul Yangonului pentru a fotografia ferestrele și balcoanele acestor vechi clădiri coloniale, așa cum le zăresc din stradă, câteodată vizibile doar parțial, restul rămânând ascuns din cauza înălțimii imobilului, a copacilor stufoși, a hățișului firelor de electricitate și a nenumăratelor haine puse la uscat. Nu am mai fost turistul care uită să își înalțe ochii spre clădirile pe lângă care trece, distras de zarva din jur și intrigat de lucrurile neobișnuite pe care localnicii le vând, transportă, gătesc sau mănâncă direct pe stradă. M-am ferit însă de construcțiile vaste, impresionante, care adăpostesc ministere și instituții publice. Am căutat exclusiv case de locuit care dezvăluie o istorie lungă și zbuciumată și care, în același timp, emană optimism și poftă de viață. Fiecare e împodobită cu ferestre sculptate și balcoane elegante.

La o privire grăbită, ferestrele și balcoanele sunt pitorești și câteodată vesele. Însă studiindu-le mai îndeaproape observi cum trecerea anilor a dus la decolorarea vopselei și a schimbat formele conferind o înfățișare melancolică întregii clădiri. Pe multe cresc plante și uneori mici copaci cu rădăcinile bine prinse de fațadă, încercând să-și forțeze intrarea prin profilul deteriorat al ușilor și ferestrelor. Inevitabil te întrebi cât este de sănătos să locuiești în aceste imobile acoperite parțial de pete de mucegai. Stâlpii de electricitate sunt uneori foarte aproape de clădiri, iar mulțimea de cabluri legate în jurul stâlpilor prezintă un pericol pentru orice mișcare greșită făcută de pe balcon sau geam. Majoritatea caselor sau apartamentelor sunt închiriate, iar lipsa fondurilor este vizibilă cu fiecare balcon vopsit într-o altă culoare și cu improvizații la structura de rezistență. Cu tristețe încerc să îmi imaginez ce va rămâne în picioare în cazul unui cutremur. Restaurarea devine o chestiune de supraviețuire atât pentru cei ce le locuiesc, cât și pentru istoria tumultuoasă a acestui oraș unde colonialismul, comerțul, războiul, persecuția și primele sclipiri ale democrației au lăsat urme vizible și se fac simțite.

Câteodată, pe geam sau la balcoane, îi zăresc pe locatari. Deseori sunt persoane în vârstă. Bătrânelele, cu o atitudine de plăcută indiferență, sunt cele mai fermecătoare. Aceste femei, cu fața blajină, brăzdată de riduri, sunt deopotrivă martore ale trecutului colonial și spectatoare la conturarea Myanmarului de mâine.

Nu voi uita uimirea și bucuria care mă cuprindeau de fiecare dată când descopeream o nouă clădire colonială frumoasă. Uneori, câte un localnic bătrân exclama încântat și mândru, într-o engleză perfectă: „Aceasta este o clădire foarte, foarte veche!“

Doi ani în Myanmar. Un cuvânt: schimbare

Pe 11 iunie s-au împlinit doi ani de la sosirea noastră în Myanmar. Doresc să marchez acest eveniment printr-un articol dedicat schimbării din această țară. Această schimbarea nu este recentă, ea a început deja de câțiva ani, dar s-a intensificat în ultimul timp. Ea afectează locurile, dar în aceeași măsură și oamenii. Nimeni nu s-a îndoit că se va întâmpla, iar majoritatea o salută. Mulți au luptat pentru ea.

 

Acum, mai mult ca oricând schimbarea este pretutindeni.

În primul rând, după alegerile din noiembrie anul trecut am fost martori la schimbarea Guvernului, Myanmarul trecând de la un regim susținut de armată la unul democratic. Tranziția pașnică spre democrație s-a aflat pe prima pagină a ziarelor din întreaga lume. Aici oamenii sărbătoreau un nou început chiar dacă cuvântul democrație nu este încă prezent în dicționarul myanmarez. "Toate aceste noțiuni: democrație, instituții, chiar libertate. Nu cred că oamenii știu ce înseamnă libertatea adevărată sau ce să facă cu ea" a spus U Thaung Su Nyein, redactorul șef al ziarului birmanez 7 Day Daily. "Pentru ei a fi liber înseamnă: "Atâta timp cât nimeni nu îmi bate la ușă, sunt liber." (Thomas Fuller, 19.07.2015, pentru New York Times: Aceia care vor reface Myanmarul vor descoperi că le lipsesc cuvintele). Acum oamenii se obișnuiesc treptat cu  libertățile nou câștigate. Acest lucru nu înseamnă că toate drepturile le sunt respectate. Departe acest gând. Dar, după cum știm, pentru anumite lucruri schimbarea necesită un timp mai îndelungat. Cu toate acestea se conturează treptat noi moduri de a face lucrurile și de a gândi. 

Apoi, țara și-a deschis granițele companiilor internaționale care au intrat pe piața locală. SUA și UE au ridicat anumite sancțiuni, creditând noul Guvern, altele au fost menținute. În Yangon se remarcă o agitație febrilă oriunde te-ai duce. De menționat că nu mică mi-a fost mirarea când, acum câteva zile, am auzit o discuție de afaceri între un mic grup de români și reprezentantul unui hotel în încercarea de a introduce vinuri românești și apă minerală în meniul restaurantului. 

Clădirile sunt recondiționate, spațiile comerciale sunt renovate rapid pentru a adăposti noi magazine, restaurante noi apar lunar, iar numărul mașinilor s-a dublat. Dar ce le întrece pe toate este numărul construcțiilor și ritmul impresionant în care acestea sunt terminate. Se remarcă, în cei doi ani de când ne aflăm aici, clădirile înalte, moderne care sunt destinate birourilor și magazinelor, podurile, trecerile pietonale suspendate și noul aeroport internațional.

Schimbarea se observă peste tot și îi va afecta pe toți. Un exemplu ar fi localnicii care au obiceiul încă foarte popular în Myanmar de a mesteca frunze de betel. Acum câtceva zile, la începutul lunii iunie, se anunța în presă că Guvernul intenționează să înlăture din locurile turistice standurile în care se vând frunze de betel. Vor fi luate și alte măsuri suplimentare prin care se speră descurajarea acestui obicei, care nu numai că nu este frumos, dar este și periculos pentru sănătate.

La rândul nostru, ne-am schimbat și noi trăind aici. Trebuie să recunosc că primul an a fost greu în ceea ce privește șocul cultural pe care l-am avut și mai puțin în ceea ce privește adaptarea la viața într-o țară în curs de dezvoltare. Cel de-al doilea an care s-a încheiat astăzi a fost unul în care am înțeles mai bine țara. A fost anul în care am început să mă atașez de localnici. Să le recunosc și să le anticipez reacțiile, să le înțeleg nevoile. Și ei se schimbă. Unii mai rapid decât alții, tinerii sunt mai curioși și mai deschiși decât cei în vârstă. Ca și oriunde în lume. Dar ce mare a fost surpriza acum o săptămână când zborul AirAsia a fost plin de myanmarezi, cei mai mulți tineri, care probabil se întorceau acasă după un sfârșit de săptămână petrecut în Bangkok. Thailanda și mai recent Singapore și-au deschis granițele, simplificând obținerea de vize pentru cetățenii myanmarezi. Acum stau cu ei la coadă în aeroportul din Bangkok pentru a primi viza la sosire printr-o procedură ce durează aproximativ o jumătate de oră. România, împreună cu încă o mână de țări din Uniunea Europeană, mai are nevoie de viză fie chiar și doar pentru o vizită turistică de câteva zile în Thailanda. 

Singura fotografie care va îmbogăți acest articol este cea a unei tinere fete, la modă,  pe care am surprins-o în Yangon, în vara anului 2014, arătând semnul păcii unei prietene. Recent această fotografie a fost expusă la Clubul Britanic împreună cu altele pentru un eveniment caritabil intitulat Femeile dintr-un Myanmar în schimbare. Toate fotografiile, sub forma unor cărți poștale, au fost puse în vânzare, iar veniturile obținute din vânzare urmând a fi oferite ONG-ului local Girl Determined.

Schimbarea va face bine țării dacă are la bază cele mai bune intenții și respectă drepturile omului. Să bem un pahar de șampanie pentru acest lucru și pentru cei doi ani extraordinari petrecuți de mine și de soțul meu în Myanmar!

2 years in Myanmar. One word: CHANGE

Two years ago today we landed in Myanmar. I mark this anniversary with an article about the change one can see taking place all over the country. The change is not recent. It started already several years ago but it intensified recently. It affects places to the same extent as people. Nobody doubted it and the majority was welcoming it. Many fought for it.

Now, more than ever change is everywhere.

Firstly, after the elections which took place in November last year, we witnessed a change in Government, from a military backed regime to a democratically elected one. The peaceful transition to democracy was in the news all over the world. The people here were cheering the new beginning even if the word democracy is literally absent from the Myanmar lexicon.  “All these things — democracy, institutions, even freedom — I don’t think Myanmar people know what true freedom is or what to do with it,” said U Thaung Su Nyein, the editor in chief of 7Day Daily, a Burmese-language newspaper. “For them being free might mean, "As long as no one is knocking on my door in the middle of the night, I’m free." (Thomas Fuller, 19.07.2015, for New York Times: ThoseWho Would Remake Myanmar Find That Words Fail Them). Now people get slowly used to the new freedoms. This does not mean that all human and social rights are today respected. Far from this. But, as we know, for some things change takes time. Nevertheless new ways of acting and thinking are slowly taking shape. 

And then, the country opened its borders for international businesses to arrive. Some US and EU sanctions were lifted, crediting the reforms of the previous and new Government, some are still in place. In Yangon there is this febrile buzz everywhere you go. Buildings are being restored, spaces are quickly renovated to make place for new stores, restaurants pop-up on a monthly basis, the number of cars doubled. But what tops everything is the number of constructions sites and the fast pace in which these buildings are completed. One notices modern high-rise buildings which will host office spaces and shopping malls, flyovers and sky-walks, and a new international airport in Yangon. 

Change is everywhere and will affect everybody. Like, for example, the betel leaf chewing people which is still a very popular custom in Myanmar. A few days ago in June 2016 the press announced that the Government is planning to remove betel stands from tourist spots. There will be additional measures taken which, hopefully, will convince more locals to discontinue this rather tasteless habit which also poses a health threat to its consumers.       

We also changed while living here. I must admit that the first year was a difficult one in terms of the cultural shock and less in what regards the adjustment to the life in a developing country. The second year which just came to an end today was one during which I started to better understand the country as a whole. It was the year I started to become attached to the locals. To recognise and anticipate their reactions. To understand their needs. They also change. Some faster than others, the young ones are usually more curious and open than the older ones. As is the case everywhere. Our surprise was big one week ago when upon  boarding the AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Yangon we realised that it was full with Myanmar nationals, most of them youth, who had spent a weekend in Bangkok. Thailand and Singapore more recently opened their borders to and simplified their visa procedures for Myanmar citizens. 

The only picture which will enrich this article is that of a fashionable young lady I photographed in Yangon, in the summer of 2014, showing the peace sign to a friend. Recently this and other photographs were exhibited by the British Club for a charity event called Women of a Changing Myanmar. All the photographs were sold as postcards and the funds went to the "Girl Determined" NGO. 

Change is welcomed in this country both by locals and expats. Change will do good to Myanmar if pursued with the best intentions and is respectful of people's rights. Let us raise a glass of champagne to this and to celebrate our two amazing years in Myanmar! 

Back in Yangon

I am back in Yangon since Sunday. I was away from the country for more than one month. The evening when we were landing at night I was struck by the relatively few lights illuminating the city. My absence was apparently already too long. It crossed my mind that poverty, in some countries, is measured by the number of households connected to electricity.

 

June marks the beginning of the long rainy season. Especially this year people look forward to the rain. It was a long and hot dry season with rivers which slowly dried and people in need of drinking water. Due to the drought the rice fields gave a poor harvest. Thus, the price of rice increased. The first heavy rain of the year, which arrived mid-May flooded our house. Again. During the past two years the roof was repaired five or six times. We gave up finding a reason why the water still manages to infiltrate. This is Myanmar. Some things cannot be explained.

Nothing changed in our street. The old lady beggar who, long time ago refused my take-away food I bought for her, is still in front of our gate. She prefers money; she can go then to order food at a tea-shop with clear indications on what spices she wants in her food. There are less street dogs. We think that the local authorities got rid of them by poisoning them. This method of diminishing the number of stray dogs is still used in Myanmar. The dog catchers drive in the evening and throw poisoned food to the animals. During the night they collect the dead bodies. Some locals manage to bring some of the dogs inside their courtyard for that evening. The frogs are as vocal as last year. We do not mind them anymore. Noise is something which we slowly got used to. It is still disturbing but we do not complain anymore. This is Myanmar. 

The sky is grey. It rains sometimes. Yesterday I could still see the sun. Not for much longer. While away from Myanmar I still read some of the news about Myanmar. One in particular scared me. It was about the high number of people electrocuted by the power cables which fell in rain puddles. I am worried. It has become a habit for me to head downtown once a week. The first case they presented in the news was about a young boy who died on the Bogyoke market street, downtown.

Nevertheless this week I headed downtown for two reasons. I finally wished to visit the British Club Photography Exhibition "Women of a Changing Myanmar" where I also had one of my photographs exhibited. 

It was a charity exhibition with the photographs transformed into postcards which were sold with all the proceeds going to the Girls Determined NGO.

The second venue I visited was the newly restored building on Merchant street, after ten months of works. Renovation was started at the over 100-year-old heritage building in July last year by Yangon Heritage Trust and an international NGO Turquoise Mountain in partnership with the Prince of Wales’ Foundation, and funded by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, and Alphawood Foundation through Global Heritage Fund.

In one of the rooms on the first floor, the newly founded Hla Day shop was presenting some of its products. Craft workshops for children were held during the weekend. The not for profit social enterprise was created after two of the founding members of Pomelo (of which I wrote on my blog) were excluded from the initial team due to some misunderstandings with their local partner. I believe that, even in the case of a non-for-profit and social organisation, when the business becomes very successful as it was in the case of Pomelo,  misunderstandings and different views on the future of the enterprise will, at some moment, split even the best team. It looks like in the near future we will have two shops in which underprivileged groups will be trained and able to sell their products. I am content with the situation as far as these entrepreneurs will be able to develop their skills and will manage to increase their income to support their families. Competition is always good and from now on it will be a challenge for both shops to come up with unique new designs as I understood that most of the artisans will still produce for both shops.

But I went there to see the jewellery collection created by ethical designer Pippa Small in collaboration with Turquoise Mountain and Suu (ASSK) Foundation. This is a project which intends to help several groups from women in Mogok (Shan State) to artisans from the Ramree Island (Rakine State). Beautiful pieces of hand made jewellery showing traditional patterns with a modern twist. The 22 karat gold pieces with semi-precious stones have quite high prices (which is why, in the near future, they will be sold in five stars hotels in Yangon and abroad).

I could not end this piece without mentioning two more things. First, the new BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) buses of Yangon. Actually they are not new anymore but I have been late in mentioning them. I passed by one of the bus stops today. With indications in English, a ticket vending booth and new and air-conditioned buses, they will probably become, once the routes will expand,  very popular.  For the ones new to the topic the current buses of Yangon are antique, overloaded, with no English numbers or bus stops indications, without air-conditioning, with drivers speeding from one bus stop to another to the detriment of street and passenger safety, and with spare parts (the name given to the bus controller) sometimes rude to the travellers. Second, the Sule Shangri-La extension is almost ready, after two years since they started on its foundation.  This, and other high buildings together with the bridges for pedestrians will totally change the landscape of the city around Sule pagoda. Once impressive colonial buildings will lose their imposing presence amongst these modern structures.