A good friend said to me one day – it’s harder and harder to find friends as one grows older. I didn’t quite believe her until I realised that it was getting more difficult to find friends to travel with. Reasons were aplenty – from choice of destinations and activities to different levels of expectations with respect to lodging and service on site.

According to Wikipedia, Pyin Oo Lwin or Pyin U Lwin – a previous a British hill station and military post established in 1896 – formerly and colloquially referred to as Maymyo, is a scenic hill town in Mandalay Division, Myanmar.

I have never read Burmese Days by George Orwell, but I was struck by the quote I found online. Orwell’s first novel, it describes “corruption and imperial bigotry” in a society where, “after all, natives were natives—interesting, no doubt, but finally…an inferior people”.

Most people come to Hsipaw, located in north-west Myanmar to trek for days to the neighbouring minority villages. That was what attracted me in the beginning too. But sloth got the better of me.

I started the day feeling extremely lazy, especially since I was literally woken (with a fright) from my slumber the day before by two lovely hotel staff (boys really) coming into the room for “turn down” service…in Hsipaw, Myanmar.

I have always been fascinated by train rides, especially the ones in undeveloped countries – it is only on these bumpy bargain rides will one see life unravel before your eyes.

Myanmar is a country I hold dear to my heart, where I make a trip every year, normally during Chinese New Year period. When asked why, I generally reply saying that the weather is good in Myanmar at this time, compared to monsoons in the region or the grim cold up north.

I was talking to a friend the other day and we had a lengthy discussion about the Judging(J) and the Perceiving(P) in MBTI.

At the potential opportunity of moving to China once again in the near future, I am suddenly experiencing moments of trepidation and fear. Friends to whom i have admitted this do not understand my hesitation.

When I received my Chinese employment pass in Beijing in January 2010, I did a double take when I first saw the cover. It read “Alien Employment Permit”. An alien – is that what I was going to be in Beijing?