I haven't had much time and, especially energy, to post some more but can't resist now.
There has been some talk amongst the expat community here that it is now possible to get money with a credit card at some ATM's and the other day I even saw an advertisement from a bank to that effect, naming the exact ATM where that was possible. We are heading towards the 21st century.
A fellow expat did mention though that he had tried it a few times and that twice he was charged for the amount he asked for but no money was dispensed. Apparently he is still in sorting things out with his bank. He said it was good to have the option but advised only to use it in an emergency.
This morning I opened the BBC website and what catches my eye, an article on credit card friendly destinations and even Burma was mentioned (still Burma not Myanmar). On reading the article http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20130220-how-credit-card-friendly-is-your-next-destination it appears that Visa is now officially accepted in the country at one place at least. Before there were a few places that accepted credit cards but verification always went via Singapore.
More important for the locals is that it seems that KFC has opened a branch here. A colleague who loves KFC said she would check the place out and report back. If KFC opens, McD shall not be far behind I think. My colleague wrote the word 'progress' between quotes just as I do on this post. Not sure if it is such a wonderful thing now this country is officially open to all the junk food in the world...
Saturday 23 February 2013
Friday 8 February 2013
I'm a wimp
I have to fess up. I am a total and utter wimp. I never realised it I was until yesterday though.
I'm still doing my Bando lessons and of late it was just me. Having private lessons was great. The teacher made me work of course but that's good for me. The pacing was just right and I enjoyed it. My fellow Bando student has problems with her ankle and a pupil of our teacher was apparently in a meditation center for a week or so.
Yesterday I find that I'm no longer alone. The pupil was back and also another guy who on occasion drops by. He usually has lessons after us but he joined us yesterday. The guys are way ahead of me and the lesson was done most of the time around what I knew and some new stuff. It was a great workout. Lots of different movements and a lot of kicking as well. Great, I thought and loved it.
Then, all of a sudden, at the end of the lesson out come 2 stuffed pads that are used for protection when hitting and kicking. I honestly thought I wouldn't be too bad at it. As I said, I was a total wimp. It is so much harder than it looks to kick such a pad with enough force. You also have to think about flexed feet and where to kick exactly. Anyways, i realised I have a long way to go... Maybe, one day I can kick those pads the way they are supposed to be kicked.
I'm still doing my Bando lessons and of late it was just me. Having private lessons was great. The teacher made me work of course but that's good for me. The pacing was just right and I enjoyed it. My fellow Bando student has problems with her ankle and a pupil of our teacher was apparently in a meditation center for a week or so.
Yesterday I find that I'm no longer alone. The pupil was back and also another guy who on occasion drops by. He usually has lessons after us but he joined us yesterday. The guys are way ahead of me and the lesson was done most of the time around what I knew and some new stuff. It was a great workout. Lots of different movements and a lot of kicking as well. Great, I thought and loved it.
Then, all of a sudden, at the end of the lesson out come 2 stuffed pads that are used for protection when hitting and kicking. I honestly thought I wouldn't be too bad at it. As I said, I was a total wimp. It is so much harder than it looks to kick such a pad with enough force. You also have to think about flexed feet and where to kick exactly. Anyways, i realised I have a long way to go... Maybe, one day I can kick those pads the way they are supposed to be kicked.
Sunday 3 February 2013
Ridiculous or what?
A colleague of mine has found an affordable house across from our place. Last weekend, he had the key and he and his wife were starting to have a real good look around to see what they needed to do. The house is really cheap for Yangon standards but it meant that some repair work was in order.
Anyway, he is standing outside in the garden (yes, it even has a garden!) when the owner of next door's plot comes up to him. That owner told him that his plot was for sale for a mere 10 million dollars.
My colleague was still in shock half an hour later when I came back from the errand I'd been on.
Hubby told me that, contrary to what we thought, it didn't even include the whole plot and buildings there but that the land that was for sale was only a third of what we thought it was! Talking about ridiculous prices. For 10 million dollars I'd buy me a nice property somewhere in Europe like a nice chateau or a lovely mansion. I wouldn't spend it on a tiny plot of land in a small street in Yangon.
Anyway, he is standing outside in the garden (yes, it even has a garden!) when the owner of next door's plot comes up to him. That owner told him that his plot was for sale for a mere 10 million dollars.
My colleague was still in shock half an hour later when I came back from the errand I'd been on.
Hubby told me that, contrary to what we thought, it didn't even include the whole plot and buildings there but that the land that was for sale was only a third of what we thought it was! Talking about ridiculous prices. For 10 million dollars I'd buy me a nice property somewhere in Europe like a nice chateau or a lovely mansion. I wouldn't spend it on a tiny plot of land in a small street in Yangon.
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