10 November 15 – Tuesday – DAY FOUR Every night has been a blackout for me. I sometimes get to sleep before 10 PM (that has been my latest bedtime after dailies and general discussions) and then it’s total unconsciousness until the cruel dawn arouses us. A quick breakfast of fried rice and we’re on […]

8 November 15  – Sunday – DAY TWO I woke to the sounds of hundreds of howling stray dogs in the neighborhood. Apparently, Myanmar has legions of stray dogs – all friendly – and roughly organized into small gangs.  These packs are not very tight, and it seems that membership can be pretty fluid.  I […]

7 November 15 – Saturday  After Snore Bear’s ordeal, I was awake, no matter what time it was.  The sun began to rise at about six or so, and I watched out the window as we started up the winding mountain road towards Pyin Oo Lwin.   The bus creaked around a myriad network of hairpin turns […]

6 November 15 – Friday Somehow it became the next day, due to the International Dateline and everything.  By the time I staggered off the plane at Taipei I’d lost a day.  I felt like maybe I’d lost several.  Though I’d spent maybe a total of three hours “awake” on the plane I’d probably not slept […]

4 November 15 – Wednesday So I sat in the airport, waiting to board the plane for Taipei, my stopover on the way to Yangon. It’s an 11 hour flight, after which it would be another 4 hours from Taipei to Yangon and a 12 hour ride from Yangon to Pyin Oo Lwin. That’s over […]

This is the Prelude to the MYANMAR DIARY being not only an account of my travels to Myanmar, but also a record of the production of Gavin Wynn’s ”Magyithee La,” an independent feature film.  In between all that we shall have a few meditations on the state of micro-budget filmmaking, local customs and travels, and […]