Overlooking Vang Vieng's gigantic karsts (limestone caves) on a hot air balloon... The clouds drifted below us and we spent a good 45 minutes hovering above, taking in the sights and enjoying the crisp morning air with the occasional hissing sound from the fire, fuelled by the propane tasks manned by the pilot.
This world is beautiful.
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I have been wanting to write about this for a while now… but I kept putting it back probably because I know that deep down, it’s going to be a feat writing about it. I am still going to try. The inspiration came after my visit to Mahagandayon Monastery when I saw throngs of tourists with their cameras and camcorders and how intrusive the whole scene and encounter between “outsiders” – me included – was. A wave of guilt surfaced from within. That feeling tugged at me.
Disclaimer: It’s a sensitive issue to write about but I am going to attempt to lend a voice to them, whether they are novice or senior monks. I am writing based on the perspective of what I see through their routines and the places I have visited in Mahagandayon Monastery in Amarapura, Mandalay. I have also talked to some of them about their lives in the monasteries and what they do every day. It is one of the largest monasteries and educational platforms for monks and nuns in Burma. I might fail to accurately represent the community of monks and nuns in Burma because they all have their own individual personalities, mindsets and perspectives of the world. In addition, there is the element of unobtrusive photography used here hoping to capture the ordinary and the candid nature of the friendships amongst the monastic community. |
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