Homebound, we saw what looked like a prayer meeting, with people facing in, on both sides of the road.
They weren't facing a Buddha, as I expected, but a beautiful young woman in a gorgeous blue beaded ensemble.
It was a village gathering for the opening of the new local branch office of NLD - National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi's party. The young woman was performing a traditional Myanmarese dance to end the proceedings.
We were stared at then offered seats (most people sitting on the dirt), and the face of the young woman lit up when I smiled and put my hands in greeting through the throng. I felt we were detracting from her as all eyes turned to me. One old lady had a terrible goitre on her neck it came out further than her chin.
We sat and smiled for cameras, and it was interesting how the men took me in hand as if I was to connect at their level, the children looked but wouldn't smile. They knew their place.
Next thing I am up on the bamboo stage, ludicrous me, very ungainly, and to the cheers and hoots of the crowd we had an impromptu dance where I was to mimic the moves of the beautiful girl, in a mirror image. Of course, my fingers don't go backwards at all and she could make any single finger bend in reverse. Also I don't have a trunk as elastic as hers, and even her eyes, ever so subtly would change expression quick as a flash. She was a very pretty doll, with gymnastic subtlely. I just played for the laughs.
Well I hope that's what it looked like.
I was actually getting rather nauseous, with the heat, and the blaring music.
She did another dance, I gave her koha - it was being pinned to her costume, and gave a koha also to the NLD men and was given a party badge and chance to pose with them. It was all very friendly and as 107 people have viewed my blogs so far, that's all I will say.
