The teashop can be a great cultural experience for an expat, although the attention can be a little daunting. Pic: Lwin Maung Maung

AS SOON as a foreigner steps onto the tarmac in Myanmar, it’s glaringly obvious that something is amiss. You stick out like a sore thumb, and locals don’t let you forget it.

“Where you go?” is the most common question you hear from people on a busy street. “Uh, home?” “Yankin Centre?” “Work?” These answers are usually sufficient and met with a slow nod of the head, “Ok, ok”.

But no matter where you go in Myanmar, one thing is for certain — a thousand eyes will watch your every move.

“The strangest thing about this place is that people stare at you, like seriously stare at you,” says teacher Kristy Withrow, 30, who has lived in Yangon for almost a year.

“And they laugh! I remember thinking, ‘Why is everyone laughing at me? Do I really look that funny?”

Kristy said it took her around six months to become oblivious to being watched.
“I don’t notice it so much anymore. I finally feel like a normal person.”

Katie Travers, 24, has been in Myanmar for a year and agrees with Kristy.
“I felt uncomfortable for a long time after I arrived,” she said. “I was always doubting myself and felt as if I wasn’t dressed properly. Now that my neighbours don’t stare as much, I feel more at home.”

Katie moved here from Missouri, USA, for a teaching job and to be close to her parents, who also live in Yangon.

For Katie and Kristy, however, despite the staring they consider Myanmar a country full of big hearts and big smiles.

“I think Myanmar children are the cutest in the world,” says Kristy. “They have these great big smiles and Thanakha all over their faces.”

Says Katie, “I find Myanmar people are always nice, friendly and helpful.”
Rebekka Jensen, 23, arrived in Myanmar one year ago to work as a music teacher at Yangon International Educare Centre (YIEC). Her reason for coming was to experience another culture and to prove to herself that she could do something this big on her own.

“Myanmar people are the nicest and most giving people I have ever met,” says Rebekka. “I love my job. I love working with the children at my school.”
When asked how the kids compare to those at home, all three agree that they are much easier to deal with.

“They are more respectful, friendly, attentive and they work harder,” says Katie.
“Kids back home are constantly complaining,” says Kristy.

This is Michael Dass’ fifth year in Yangon as the marketing manager for Summit Parkview Hotel. As a Singaporean, he didn’t have to travel far, but he says he feels a world away from home.

“Life in Myanmar for an expat offers great adventure and energy for the soul,” he says. “When I arrived, I would wake up each day with renewed zest to overcome the cultural and language barriers and found that I was teaching and learning at the same time. I have found humility and compassion in the unpretentious lifestyle of the people of Myanmar.”

The most startling change he has noticed during his time, he says, is the expansion of technology here.

“I have experienced the rise of the internet and mobile phones all over again, which has only swept the country in the past three years. I have also noticed a change in the way people dress. I see more locals in jeans now.”

Homesickness is a condition that strikes expatriates the world over, but Michael says it hasn’t been a problem for him.

“I thought the time would crawl by slowly but to my surprise, I haven’t been homesick or bored once. Even during monsoon season, there is never a dull moment.

“But stepping out of Myanmar every once in a while is vital to an expatriate’s sanity. I escape to Bangkok for something different.”

It’s not homesickness that has been a problem, says Rebekka; it’s sickness in general.

“The food gives us Westerners a lot of trouble,” she says.
To avoid this, many foreigners take advantage of the few Western restaurants around Yangon such as Peppers, Onyx, 50th Street Bar and Grill, J’s Irrawaddy and the many hotel cafes.

Eating out often turns into a major social engagement. As an expat entering an expat hangout in Yangon, it’s not uncommon to find that you know most of the people dining inside.

But that’s not to say Myanmar food is off the menu altogether.
“I love Myanmar cuisine,” says Michael. “Particularly mohingha, even though it took me two years to acquire a taste for it. Now it’s my favourite dish.”
So, any words of advice for future expats?

“You need to keep an open mind, be patient and flexible, and remember that things will always be done differently,” says Katie.

Kristy agrees: “Daily life can be frustrating and it can seem like things are not going to work out, but in the end they just work out differently.”