Leaving Ngwe Saung

An afternoon friendly football game on the beach

Leaving Ngwe Saung was difficult.  For some weird reason, even though I had only been there for a short time and couldn’t even communicate with the local people – I knew my way around town and knew familiar faces from the local villagers we had interviewed.  I saw their day-to-day lives, and understood the “routine” of the town.  Hosana and I had fallen into a routine of our own – interviewing and exploring town all day, walking along the beach in the evening, and going to the one restaurant in town that was open only to order the same exact meal every night (and it was delicious!).  

And although we were working ten to twelve hour days and it was exhausting – it was exciting, addicting even – and I didn’t want to stop!  By the end, I am not sure there was any kind of occupation, family or individual we didn’t interview, but I still felt that I could have stayed there for months and gotten to know the people and the town more.

Enjoying the afternoon sun!

But the clock was ticking on my definitive deadline on submitting my thesis – and I knew I had to get back and start writing!

To Khin Mg Swe – I will never forget your selfless support in these past few weeks in Myanmar.  From the moment you arrived at the bus station (without my knowledge!) I was incredibly grateful for your help and care, which only greatened over my stay in Ngwe Saung.

To Hosana – Words cannot describe how thankful and indebted I am to your help,  guidance and support throughout my research project and time in Myanmar.  I had such a good time with you and this research in those several weeks that it was hard to get on a plane and leave!  From sharing music to culture to delicious fish dinners, we managed to largely surpass our research expectations and generated an incredibly unique project with monumental results.  Thank you so much for your help and guidance and for making this project the level and caliber that it is today.

To the local people of Ngwe Saung – I cannot thank you enough for your willingness to help, and your dedication to share.  We would come home at the end of a ten to twelve hour day, only to find people lined up at our hotel waiting to share their stories.  I could not have asked for a better first field research project  – it is not a goodbye, just a “See you soon!”

Afternoon Tide in Ngwe Saung, Myanmar