So, I lost my phone literally just hours ago.

The sky was beautiful this evening. I stopped, then felt my phone through the cloth of the front pocket of my bag. I may have unzipped the pocket unconsciously. But I decided against snapping a photo of the sunset. It could've been a bad decision. Because of that, I might have forgotten to zip it back. And voila, I believe someone reached in and took it.

I feel extremely stupid right now. Though, I'm not afraid of information in my phone coz there's virtually nothing to steal. I guess in terms of email, I gotta change the passwords and stuff. Lucky my phone has a password on it so it's harder to break in.

What I am sad about, is all the lovely pictures I took of my time here in Myanmar and everything else. I didn't turn on iCloud. So all my pictures are on that phone. That's probably the saddest part. Treasured memories.

Yet, you know what I'm thankful for? This blog. My memories have been saved, here, on the internet in this blog. My best memories, the ones that I've shared with all of you, are here. For that, I'm thankful. But there are some, that I haven't and never got to. Gone with the wind...

I have given up all hopes of getting it back. That it'll magically reappear.

I'm kinda emotionless right now. I dunno why but when these things happen, I can't cry about it. I'm supposed to be sad  but I can't cry..... It's a bit strange I think. Have I grown to be so numb??

I remember the last time something happened to my phone was in New Zealand. Something always has to happen to my phone when I'm overseas alone sigh. Is it a test???

"Would you buy candy floss from this boy?" - Ms Ng Sian Pei, 22 going on 23.

I burst out laughing when she asked me that HAHAHA I didn't quite expect that from her but still.. omg every time I look at their programme booklet I just wanna laugh my head off.

But anyway, (the answer is yes if you are wondering) Yes!!! Freedom Film Festival. - I've 30 minutes to write this post before it's 5pm and I gotta scoot out of this office.

Check out our director, Amelia, on stage preparing for a photo hahaha. The rest of us didn't wanna go up, myself included.



It was one of the better film festivals I've attended so far. It's the best lah actually, considering it's an NGO.

And I really really enjoyed the political discourse during the festival. For example, in "Viral Sial", apparently a radio station produced a video criticising the party ruling Kelantan for enacting the Muslim Law and the lady who fronted the video received heavy backlash for it - with death and rape threats. And in this documentary, the radio station's staff themselves produced this documentary to shed more light on what happened and fight for what they felt right. They weren't condemning Islam, the main point was how officials forgot about the economic issues that were more important in Kelantan and instead, used religion as a distraction from these issues.

What was interesting was how the lady involved in the film and her father were present in the audience and they provided accounts of their harrowing experience receiving all these threats. It was emotional and everyone in the audience spoke up on their thoughts about what happened and showed their support for her. It was pretty damn amazing for me.

So all throughout the festival during Q&A sessions, people were bouncing off ideas and opinions amongst each other and I was engaged almost throughout the entire day with these documentaries. I say 'Almost' because after watching 5 documentaries, wahlau my brain started fizzing out. Info overload leh really.

I say it was a really great experience at the festival coz it has inspired me and made me wish that something like this in Singapore would be held. Omg we even watched a film that's probably never gonna be seen in the daylights of Singapore coz it was about the personal accounts of victims of the Internal Security Act (ISA). According to the film, subjected to physical abuse. Interesting eh? Something you'd definitely not read about in textbooks.

But I must say, one of the best parts was also... meeting my FYP girls~




I LOVE YALLL!!!!


The next day, we binged with Thai food and market food and dessert as well before we flew. Insane leh, such gluttons.

Yeap, that's sticky chewy chocolate (my favourite) Swensen's ice cream. Right at the heart of Yangon. And then you look at my face.

The first time I landed and saw a shopping centre, I was already quite surprised. I saw Swensen's but I abstained from it. Last Sunday however, I decided to give myself a nice, sweet treat brouhahahahaha.

It came up to about 6,500 kyats, which would be about SGD$9? Hey that's quite expensive hor come to think about it? Hahahah, but stilllll, I wanted some awesome ice creammmm yum yum yum.



Then last week was a whole week of Myanmar's one and only film festival:




Once again, didn't think Myanmar would host such events~~~

Went every night with my friend and it's in a really lok kok theatre but that's what I liked about it. This whole vintage feels~

The films weren't good at all I have to say. I think Myanmar's quality of films can be improved. Nevertheless, I'm glad to see the festival introduced here.. It encourages the local people to watch as well since it's free. (and of coz as aunty as I can get, FOC means h-a-p-p-y for u and me hahaha)

I also think that the films curated for this film festival can be improved because the international films weren't great either? Ok, maybe I was just unlucky coz I watched the Japanese avant garde films and I swear to god I can't understand abstract films. What's more, the films were damn perverse???? And I hate that kinda nudity/sexual references kinda films like what are you trying to say??? Is it supposed to be artsy? Are you intentionally making it sexual? I'm sorry I just can't.

So yeah~~~

Speaking of film festivals...

What I haven't told you guys about, is this....



I'M HEADING TO SELANGOR (MALAYSIA) this Friday to attend the Freedom Film Festival KOMAS 2015 with Amelia, Sianpei and Zhuoda coz our FYP film got selected wheeee hoooooo!!! And we're all gonna travel there together. Freakin excites lah????

Our film is also in the running for Best ASEAN Film baahhaa, a bit hard ah, coz I saw the plot summary of the other films and they seem pretty dang good~

Yes, I'm gonna fly from Myanmar and I'll meet the rest there. We all took a day off from work for this haha.

And yes, it's also a way for me to renew my visa coz I always have to re-enter Myanmar after 70 days. (that's how long a biz visa lasts)

Can't wait to see me friends again~~ and I'll have something to look forward to over the weekends yay.


I think it's films period in SEA. Coz when I come back from Malaysia (just 3 days) to Myanmar, a European Films Festival will be held in Yangon and I'mma go watch em too. Coz yes, it's free once again HAHAHA. Lucky lucky me. I think this time the films are better curated and produced.


As for life in general, I have officially completed the documentary film I was supposed to produce for my company. Will show you guys when it's uploaded on YouTube or something.

But I am a gone case now. I will have absolutely nothing to do. I dunno whether to enjoy or........... sigh I dunno.

Well I guess I'll have time to plan for me and Sianpei's EPIC SOUTHEAST ASIA WORLD TOUR. Hahahaha 'world' does not go together with 'SEA' but who cares!!!!! It's bloody epic. We're gonna tour around Myanmar for quite a bit coz I seriously think there's so much to see in Myanmar!!!! I want to climb mountains too!!! And soak in her beautiful scenery.

After that, onwards to
Thailand,
Laos,
Vietnam &
Cambodia.

So yeah it's not really the entire SEA lah, coz there's Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and East Timor. But hey, one step at a time alright before I can conquer the whole damn SEA.

And I'm happy to be able to travel with Sianpei!!!! I think she and I will be great travel buddies. I believe our friendship won't fall out on this trip hahahaha coz we've been through so much shit together - OCIP to Laos twice, FYP - our friendship is tight yo. And just two of us, it's easier to make decisions. Big groups are nastay.

She's flying in on October 28th, which is a public holiday in Myanmar when they'll celebrate with lights and all - so lucky she is - and it is also YUANYUN'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Yuanyun is also coming to visit me on October 2nd and I'll be taking a day off plus the weekends to go to Inle Lake with her hehehehehe. I'm excited woman!!!!!! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE. Everyone's gonna think you're Korean here!!!

So Sianpei and Yuanyun's birthdays fall in the same birth month as me - October babies so let's celebrate when you guys come ok!!!! I'm so excited already. My two bestest friends in the world coming over :')

Also.. another October baby (lol not really) is my Mom. She's having her big one this year hahaha 60 years old. We can't be with each other on our birthdays but that's alright coz.. my dad and her are COMING TO VISIT ME ON SEPT 26th!!!! My brother can't join coz of work commitments.

All these beautiful people coming to see me... I'm so excited leh. I think my mom and I can celebrate our birthdays together too.... : ) Even though a month earlier haha.


I guess, even though work is mundane, I have people to look forward to haha.

Sadly, I have gotten myself into another emotional turmoil in Myanmar. This time it's Cultural Miscommunication. And I seriously hate being emotional but all these things are affecting me and I get angsty about it. I hardly get emotional in SG but whyyy hereeee. I think culture plays a huge part as well coz I remember getting into a fight with my German friend when I was in New Zealand coz of cultural differences. Twice. But we got over it pretty fast after talking about it. And I think same over here, I will get over this with my local friends. We will tide this through.

Stuff like that seem to happen each time before I fly out of Myanmar eh? Hahaha. Well I guess it's the ebb and flow of life. It peaks at certain points of time. I get comfortable, then I get confused, and then I get angry, and then it's back to comfort, and then the cycle goes on...

One of the lessons I get from travel I suppose. And being bloody alone!!! It's torturous sometimes, even though it sets your mind free and lets you learn about yourself. I have to suffer quite a bit mentally for life to teach me something.

I thought of trying to de-register myself from the registrar but I couldn't.


Saw this instead.
Oooof, I want to vote so bad. I'm a first-time voterrrr, excited to be able to have a say in politics.

But I am here. Bored.
I even drooled at my office table. I need to think of something to do otherwise my brain will rot before coming home I swear.

I took a selfie with some of them for my memories~
The girl on the far left, she's 24 and has the sweeeeeetest smile. She looks younger than me please and also has a damn traditional typical Burmese girl look. She held my hand and took me around the old folks place. It was her first time there too and she was saying how she's so sad seeing all these old people living in bad conditions in the village. Didn't take any pictures but yeah, it's like a hospital but of course, minimal facilities and sub-par conditions.

I talked to all of them and listened to what they had to say like where their hometown is, what their ambitions are. Most want to be teachers haha quite typical.



This was lunch!
The girl on the left told me she wanted to take a picture so I had to whip out my phone for this lol.
p/s the monks here can eat meat. which was surprising to me because i thought they're all supposed to be vegetarians. apparently they can't refuse what people give to them. convenient eh haahha. oh they gave me bak gua, i can't refuse. oh they gave me bird's nest, i want to say no, but hey, i can't refuse. hahaha.



Lil monks shaving each others' heads.
So cute... I actually said aloud "So cute" and I was told I'm not actually allowed to call monks cute. BUT THEY ARE CUTEEEE :')

Anyway, I told my friend who was leading the volunteer group that he is awesome for starting this charity group and that what they're doing is fantastic. In Myanmar, the young people are always active and involved with helping others like getting donations for flood victims and doing voluntary work at children's homes~ I told him, "In Singapore, we don't have a culture like that" and he said, "It's because you don't have to. Your system takes care of you."

Quite true. Over here in Myanmar, the people have to take care of themselves and each other because there aren't proper infrastructure or facilities available to seek help from. Even this old folks' home isn't a proper home, it's a monastery.

So I am always in awe by the young over here. Always so involved, always taking matters into their own hands otherwise nobody would help them. Definitely not their government.

And what do we have? Proper infrastructure, and top-notch facilites and pretty damn good governance... We don't have to take matters into our own hands because we can rely on our leaders. At least most of the time. Yet, we complain a heck load.

Speaking of Singapore, I have been keeping up with the election rallies hahaha. Wish I were there to soak up the atmosphere. Feels electric from all the pictures I've seen. The turn out is insane, I wanna be part of the action. And yes, I am unable to vote in this year's elections. I'm quite upset lah, first time voter leh, I want to have a say in politics and how my country is run. I heard Chee Soon Juan has been making waves in this year's rallies.

I'll be taken out of the election registrar but have to re-register myself again in the next elections.

It really seems like I'm missing out a lot while I'm here in Myanmar hurr??

But that's alright, I caught a concert by a famous Burmese band hahaha.


It was pretty damn awesome just being amongst the crowd coz I had never seen the Burmese so enthusiastic and crazy. Not a fan of rock but yeah, it was quite fun to be a part of the mood~


Just some daily life shananigans 2 days ago,


Celebrated NZ intern's birthday on Monday so I went to buy a cake at this shop.
Look at those cute cakes!! These are so huge but only cost maybe USD20?
And these bakers were putting on the icing hehe macam oompa loompas.


In the evening,


Caught one of the most mesmerising sunsets at a jetty near my place.
So colourful and... capturing it on my camera wasn't enough at all...
When I looked at my phone screen and the actual thing I was like, eh, not the same leh.
But now when I look at it on my phone I'm just like waaaaah.
Why do sunsets shine differently in different countries?





Also, yesterday, some tauhueyyyy woohoo I"M OBSESSED WITH TAUHUEY HERE ARGH. Plus they're so cheap. Costs only 50 cents for a bowl and I found another which costs even cheaper at 37 cents roundabout. I lovvit so much :') Tauhuey every day for me.


Alrightey, I'mma head to the jetty again. Wanna take a timelapse to complete the video and I should be more or less done with it. Can't wait to finish it. But am not sure either because that would mean I'd have absolutely nothing to do in the office. Womg.