Living with the locals in rural Myanmar
21.07.2023 - 07:52
/ roughguides.com
As tourists start flooding into Myanmar (Burma), Melanie Kramers dives into the deep countryside to live like a local and discovers a beguiling mix of past and present.
Hand-rolled cheroot clamped between her teeth, the elderly woman stares hard at us and issues a guttural grunt. While it sounds like the kind of grumpy growl you’d expect from a monosyllabic adolescent, this is belied by the wide grin her weather-worn face creases into. It’s a noise we’ll hear frequently during our three-day trek through the countryside in Myanmar’s eastern Shan State. As our guide Do’h later explains, low-pitched grunts are how people express agreement in the local Pa'o dialect.
Before arriving in Myanmar I’d wondered what kind of reception we’d get. It was difficult to build up a picture of a country and people largely isolated from the world for the past 50 years. I’d seen pictures of flower-wearing opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi released from house arrest to participate in the first democratic elections in decades and read about foreign investment flooding in. Now I wanted to see what life was like in a nation apparently poised on the cusp of dramatic change.
Here in the fertile farmland between Kalaw and Inle Lake, the peasants manually working the fields appear stuck in a time warp. A group of four labouring women, wearing chequered orange headscarves that stand out vividly against the drab mud, pause to wave before returning to swinging their hoes in unison. It looks like backbreaking work in the fierce sun. Traditional gender roles are clearly defined in these rural communities; women sow seeds and weed while it's down to men to lead docile water buffaloes in heavy wooden ploughs – then take the afternoon off.
But back in the villages there are hints of modern influence, from a flash of neon green nail polish on a teenage girl’s toes to trendy bleached hairstyles you might see in a hipster bar. Although agricultural work seems completely unmechanised, roadside stalls sell pale yellow gasoline in recycled whisky bottles to those lucky enough to own shiny, new imported Korean motorbikes.
Atop a house made of woven bamboo in contrasting shades, Do’h points out a single solar tile gleaming on the corrugated iron roof. He says it generates enough power for an electric bulb or two at night and to watch the occasional DVD. Inside, a calendar bearing Aung San Suu Kyi’s face — until recently illegal — is now proudly pinned up.
Despite these signs, it’s hard to judge the pace of change among rural communities who we’re told have long preferred to keep to themselves to avoid government interference. Officially, March 2nd is a public holiday to celebrate Peasants Day, but the villagers continue working obliviously, taking