I went for lunch yesterday and foolishly asked my driver what the temperature was. He told me it was over 40…why count when it is that high? I did some quick calculations which weren’t really that quick because I could not believe what I was coming up with…over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. No wonder I am hot. No wonder I am bathed in sweat and cannot find a place in the school to cool down. I go into a room which seems air conditioned but find myself too hot in five minutes so I go and seek another room. Luckily, I have a number of offices I use. For some reason, when I walk into a new room it does seem cool for a few moments at least.
The driver took me to a Myanmar restaurant yesterday and everyone seemed to be there. It was the local hangout. Without having to say anything, they brought out copious amount of rice, their traditional salad and more condiments than you can imagine. They also brought out a towel which I did not understand until I saw everyone eating with their fingers as they probably have been doing for ever. The women also wear thanaka on their faces which is really a weird sight. You are sitting in the restaurant ( with a tie and shirt on in 100 degree weather) eating with a fork watching these, what appear to be ghosts because of their white powdered faces, eating with their fingers and loving every minute of it.
At school, all the staff, and I am not talking about teachers but the 60 staff members who clean the toilets, act as guards, financial officers, marketing people etc. have to bring every decision to me. For example, yesterday I had to spend 30 minutes with some woman approving her signs for each floor and a map of the school she had created. She needed my signature before she could put them up. I find that whenever I ask for something, which I am loathe to do because they stop their work immediately and tend to my needs, I get first priority. I am wondering whether it is because of my title, Dean of Schools, or the fact that I am a Caucasian male from somewhere else. Frankly, I don’t like it.
Whenever I go into classes it is also very difficult. All I really want to do is slip in, observe the class for five minutes and slip out but there is such a rigmarole when I walk in. The students have to get up to greet me and say good morning Mr. Michael etc and the same thing happens when I leave. Frankly, it is just better to hide in the office where no-one has to make a fuss, (except my three secretaries.)
When I do the after school workshops, I see teachers writing down every word I am saying and I mean every word. It is an Asian mentality I think where the teacher is held in such high esteem. Teachers come after the Buddha and parents in their hierarchy of respect.
I did find the only driving range last night. It turns out to be right behind my hotel. The caddies sit on low stools and place the ball on your mat. For this they get paid one dollar. Considering they had no left handed clubs to rent, I did quite well hitting right handed.
As I wondered around Mandalay University last night, a monk student approached me and showed me all around. When we went to the library, all the books were locked up. This huge library has about 300 books all of which were inaccessible. Perhaps it is a metaphor for Myanmar where the government of this fascist dictatorship wants to hold knowledge behind lock and key. Knowledge is king.
Some of the teachers had to go home today to prepare for the referendum on Saturday. I asked how they were going to vote and they looked at me like I was crazy. Their names are on the ballot, they said…any guesses how they will vote?
Another interesting thing I did yesterday was take part in a number of interviews. I guess taking part is a misnomer. They asked me to ask all the questions and make all of the decisions. One question I did ask four candidates who were going to work in the accounting department “ What would you do if you did not agree with the job your boss asked you to do” I wanted to find out about their conflict management skills but they all looked at me like I was from another planet.. For their 60 dollars a month they do exactly what they are told.
By this time I have heard about Yangon and the Irawaddy Delta. I am collecting money at school and tomorrow will buy food stuffs to take to Yangon. Apparently the prices there are out of this world. It will be interesting to see.
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