My Last Day in Myanmar

Hey everyone! I hope your week went well. I wish I could have blogged a bit more this week, but things have been quite hectic. As promised though, I have made today, my usual transition day, my last in Myanmar. This week has been very positive, I must say, and I have enjoyed "travelling" to this great country. Wearing the clothing of this culture (as best as I could still being in the U.S) has given me more respect for the culture than I went in believing that it could. The pawas I wore each day (the world of this country for a shawl) made me feel, well, pretty and for someone who does not always take their appearance as much into consideration as they should, I felt like the clothes that I wore this week showed me that it is possible to show that you care about how you look without feeling materialistic or too focused on looks. I got many comments this week in regards to the pawas that I wore. The comments ranged from "You look nice today" to "I enjoy your old lady shawl" to "I like your shawl" (which gave me the perfect opportunity to share why I was wearing it). I guess these traditional ways of dressing for the women of Myanmar is just normal dress. From what I have observed this week though, to us, this dress can be formal and very feminine (and maybe to some overly so). Sure we wear shawls here- I see people wear them all of the time, and sure the dress of the women of Myanmar includes a bit more than I was able to include in my daily life,  but an eighteen year-old high school senior wearing one to school is not exactly the norm for many people. Because of this fact, to be honest, I was a bit nervous about wearing a shawl to school at the beginning of the week (one because it isn't the "norm" and two, because I can be considered a "plain Jane" when it comes to my appearance). By the week's middle though, I found myself loving the pawas and blouses more and more. I am usually not too "girly", but this week, I was able to embrace my womanhood more than I usually and through that, I was able to see the beauty of the roles of women in this country. They wear clothes that make them look beautiful without a ton of makeup, hair dye, high heels, expensive purses and so on. I hope that the women of Myanmar feel as "pretty" and feminine as I did this week, not in a submissive woman kind of way, but more as a woman whose stunning inner beauty is as flowing, wispy and colorful and comforting as the pawas they wear as part of their culture. Thank you Myanmar for reinforcing for me the very deep meaning that clothing can bring when it is worn because of tradition, heritage and as an expression of the beauty of womanhood and the inner spirit. I feel close to this country, though I had heard very little about it before my "travels" this week. Thank you Myanmar for allowing me to embrace and live out your spectacular and irreplaceable culture!

Day 3 In Myanmar!

 Hey everyone! Here are the pictures I promised from yesterday. I know that the shirt under the blouse isn't exactly traditional, but the temperatures around here are COLD right now :) I am a bit upset because today I had a snow day, so I won't get to show my "travelling" to many people today. Because of this, I have decided to extend my "stay" in Myanmar all through Saturday, instead of what I usually do, which is make Saturday my transition day. So far I have really enjoyed dressing as the women in Myanmar traditionally do. I feel very feminine, but in a really good way. I have gotten a lot of compliments on my pawas, and they keep me warm. It's a new style, especially in my school where the same fashions are worn by many people. I feel unique, as well as really connected to a country that before now, I really didn't know much about. I am excited about what the rest of the week will bring. More pictures will come through the week along with more posts towards the end. Talk to you soon!

Week 2... Off to Myanmar!

Off we go to Myanmar!!

 Hello everyone! Sorry for the late post. Though I have not written about this week until now, I did start my week on time. This week, I am in Myanmar, formerly called Burma, which is in the south of Asia. I found it a bit tricky to find a cultural aspect that I could follow in my own life, but I did find something! This week, each day I will be wearing a shawl and a blouse as is traditional in this country. Women as well as men also wear a a cloth that wraps around their bottom half called a longyi (worn in different ways for each gender), but I felt like I would not accurately be able to portray this part of their dress because I do not have access to the specific kind of fabric patterns that they wear. The shawls that these women where are called pawas. Though my shawls may not be exactly like theirs, I did my best to find those that are not Americanized and that cover my arms as those of these women do. I am excited to tell you of the comments that people have given me thus far this week and those that they will when I post pictures soon (within the next few days). Thanks goes out to CultureGrams for this week's information. Thank you CultureGrams! Talk to you all soon!

My Last Day "in" Congo-Kinshasa

Hello everyone! It's Saturday- and that means it's my last day "in" Congo-Kinshasa. It has been a challenging but very rewarding week- believe it or not. I never would have suspected that changing my diet to that of another culture would have such an impact on my lifestyle but it really has! I have had to make time amidst the hectic nature of my very American and life to slow down and prepare the foods of this country. While I was missing the foods that I am used to eating, like cheese, gum, tofu and chocolate, I really did enjoy what I was eating and loved to share the origin of it with all who asked about my meals. I will admit that I grew weary in the middle of the week and wanted so badly to go back to my normal foods, but I stuck to it and in the end, felt great both mentally and physically. The staples of Congo-Kinshasa are simple and represent at the core what nature has to give us. I ate normal portions of food and felt full, yet I still lost two and a half pounds by the end of this week. I guess I have never really realized the complexity of the American diet and how it can really become such a mindless task to eat. I know I have the tendency to eat things just because they are in front of me, sometimes failing to think of where they came from and if that place is even in my country. If there is anything that I have learned this week, it is that food should be representative of the kind of life you live and the culture in which you are immersed in everyday. Changing food choices is not easy, one of the reasons that sticking to the foods of one's culture and lifestyle is so important. While we like hamburgers, french fries and pizza here in the U.S and it is more than ok that we do, those foods do not fit with what the people of the Congo stand for or live by. Each day, I was responsible for preparing my meals. I really feel like I have met someone from this place even though I did not once leave my small town. I can tell by the way the food made me feel inside that these people are simple, in a good way. They have picked foods to be their staples that are nutritious and quite filling, and that come from where they come from. Some Americans, myself included, worry so much about what we will eat day to day. We ask ourselves, are we in the mood for this or that, will this make me loose weight, can I pick this up ready-made at the store, should I make something that will give us leftovers because I don't like eating the same thing day to day. I think there is great importance in these questions but only in this culture where food is not simply to eat, but is also a concern, a comfort, a means of good health and so on. From what I have learned this week, those questions don't often come up in the minds of the Congolese people. While they are human beings and have recipes so that they may enjoy their food, their food is simple and they have staples, things that they will give their bodies because their bodies need it. When it comes to nourishing themselves, these people know what they are doing and now more than ever I see that no one has the right to change what is so important to this culture because I have learned that a change in one's eating can change one's life. Our way is not better. Bringing McDonald's and pizza parlors to the Congo is not anyone's place. There is a reason these people eat this way- it is part of who they are and is representative of where they come from and it nourishes. We don't have staples in the United States, at least not that I can think of. I am not saying that these people eat the same foods all of  the time, but often enough to make them staples of their diets. Some would say that we don't have staples because many of us are lucky enough to pick and choose what we want when we want it and that those poor people in Africa are forced to have staples. For many, it is an excuse to call us wiser and better and wealthier and food becomes a means of control. We bring our food to them, they no longer have staples because they become just like us. Then, we can feel good about ourselves that we have given them real food and have made food for them what it is for us. This week has taught me and affirmed for me that that mindset is wrong and dangerous- dangerous to culture and dangerous to these people. These are not people to be pitied. No culture that can make food that makes an American amazed at how good the food makes their body feel should instead be exulted. Again, they know what they are doing. These people may not always have the quantities that they need of their food, but they sure know what will give their body what it needs if there is enough of it. There is that saying, "you are what you eat." There is much truth to that, especially when it comes to culture. I will treat the Congo-Kinshasa culture always with the utmost respect and amazement because it has made me full and healthier, and has given me a reason to keep this culture alive. Never stand for Africa. Stand with it.

Thank you Congo-Kinshasa!