Pig intestines and the blonde in the zoo

I've learned a couple interesting life lessons in the past 24 hours.

Turns out that if you smother pig intestines in a sauce made of chili, garlic, coriander, peanuts, mysterious powders, fish sauce and lime juice, they really aren't that bad. The trick is not to chew them too long. I also learned that when you discover this trick you should pace yourself, rather than trying to get rid of all the intestines on your plate, otherwise someone will give you another skewer and you'll have to repeat the whole process.

This is not at all a criticism of Shan food--just the opposite. The intestines were the only questionable thing that was cooked in the most phenomenal  hot pot I've ever had, by far. It was absolutely delicious, as are most of the other Shan foods I've tried so far. I mean, hell, I ate pig intestines and wasn't disgusted. Shan food managed to make offal less awful.

I've also developed a whole lot more empathy for animals at the zoo. This is partially because of the way everyone stares at the entirely different species that they've never seen in real life before. It's also because I can sense that the onlookers are talking about me, but I can't make out what they're saying. Many of the students, and even some of the staff, remind me of patrons at a zoo who are quite comfortable gazing at me from a distance, but then when they finally get up close, they get all nervous and don't know how to behave. Some of the students actually squeal and run away.

Unfortunately, I'm learning to relate to zoo animals in terms of captivity as well.

For those who don't know, Burma has been ruled by a military dictatorship for over 50 years. The country is supposed to be transitioning to a democracy, but it remains to be seen how much, if any, power the military will concede after the upcoming elections. If their behavior prior to the election, including increased  numbers of political prisoners, violent interruptions of peaceful protests, and even genocide, is any indication of their commitment to democracy and all the ideals that go along with it, it should be an interesting election indeed.  No one knows what the future holds for Myanmar, or how the ruling military will act in the run up to, or aftermath of, the elections.. People are nervous. Which, apparently, means that I can't leave my school unaccompanied for the next couple weeks.

I know the management of my school mean well. I know they have my best interests at heart, and will do whatever they can to make me as comfortable as possible. And I appreciate all of that.

The thing is, knowing I can't go for a walk to explore my new neighborhood just makes all the other aspects of being a specimen at the zoo that much more frustrating. I came here to discover a part of Burma that not many other people get to. I didn't sign up for life on a compound. I already feel like one of those animals that paces back and forth along the fence. Sure, they'll let me out, but only on a figurative leash with a chaperone who doesn't really speak English and doesn't understand the cultural idiosyncrasies that fascinate me, the things I want to take photos of, or the silence I crave after a day of talking and listening, but not really being understood, or comprehending.

In comparison to the hundreds of thousands of people whose lives have been ruined by the military's regime, I hardly have any room to complain. I'm not a malnourished and abused animal in a tiny cage. I'm very well looked after by people who really do want to keep me happy, but I still feel like I need to get out.