Foot and Fire

After I tasted this in Myanmar years ago, I couldn't forget how the Burmese incorporated cashew nuts in their dishes like stirfried vegetables and noodles just as much I couldn't forget how the Chinese in Beijing/Tianjin added boiled peanuts as side dish and deftly used chopsticks to pick the nuts one by one. There is surely a connectedness in the evocation of places we visited and the evolution of our palates. Today, got a chance to replicate the cashew addition to dishes. 2 bunch Bokchoy 2 bunches Pechay 2 mefium Carrots A handful of French beans Clean vegetables. Slice into serving sizes. Bring water to boil. Set the steaming pan and steam per vegetables for 4 minutes for uniform cooking. Set aside. Stirfried sauce 2T vegetarian stirfy sauce or Hoisin sauce 1T Soy sauce 1T sesame oil 1T mirin 1T rice wine 1T toasted garlic Dash of himalayan salt Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Heat pan and add the mixture then bring into a simmer. Add vegetables and stir for...

When we reached Myin Kabar Gubyaukgyi, I posed beside the marionette,  a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations, which is very popular souvenir from Bagan. Given its wide availability, I guess, there is a marionette show somewhere which we were not able to catch. *** Another Gubyaukgyi temple with the same name as the one in Wetkyi Inn is actually located in Myin Kabar, a different village. This temple is also known as the “Love Temple” following to a popular father and son story. Actually, Gubyaukgyi is also famous for a stone inscription written by four languages, where the first Burmese writing is first seen in the history. The temple featured the first transition period with curvilinear roofs often characterized as Mon architecture. There beautiful plaster carvings on the exterior walls but it is best known for colorful mural painting in the interior walls as the name comes… the great painted cave. The temple is da...

Our guide, U Bo Ni, showed us the biggest temple called Dhammayangyi Temple. We were not able to get inside because we raced for the sunset and the other girls were bargaining for something outside. While waiting, I was able to have a lone successful photo in one of the windows of the temple with ornate details on it as well as admirable brick-laying too. *** Dhammayangyi Temple is a Buddhist temple located in Bagan, Myanmar. Largest of all the temples in Bagan, the Dhammayan as it is popularly known was built during the reign of King Narathu (1167-1170). Narathu, who came to the throne by assassinating his father Alaungsithu and his elder brother, presumably built this largest temple to atone for his sins. The Dhammayangyi is the widest temple in Bagan, and is built in a plan similar to that of Ananda Temple. Burmese Chronicles state that while the construction of the temple was in the process, the king was assassinated by some Indians and thus the temple was not co...

This is where I burned my soles to numbness, literally. We went out to adore the beauty of this huge temple with wide cemented area around it at round 3 pm (Philippine Time and 4:30 Myanmar Time). Since we have to walk a short distance barefoot, we have no choice but to hop, jump, brisk walk on the pavement. Our tour guide promoted this temple as the "prettiest temple" in Bagan aside from telling us that Ananda is the wisest disciple of Buddha. ***   History of this perfectly dimensioned temple structure built in 1105 is credited to King Kyanzittha. It denotes "the stylistic end of the Early Bagan period and the beginning of the Middle period". The timing of building this temple is considered as a culmination of religious education that began during the Pahothanya temple building activity in 1080 AD. The Theravada Buddhism adopted by the King motivated him to present the teachings of Buddha to his people in an accurate and a genuine way through th...

This is a nice side trip when one is already at the Reclining Buddha (Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda) as this is located just about 10-minute walk a little across the street. The face of the Buddha is likewise charming but lacking the effeminate impression I got upon gazing at the reclining Buddha. But samely, the lips and the nails are painted. Wikipedia entry is quite short: Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda also Nga Htat Gyi Buddha Temple is a Buddhist temple in Bahan Township, Yangon, Burma, located off Shwegondine Road, A distinct five-tiered pagoda, the original 20.5 feet high Buddha image was donated by Prince Minyedeippa in 1558. A Buddha, 45.5 feet on a pedestal, 30 feet (9.1m) high and 46 feet (13.9m) wide was erected at the temple in 1900. *** http://www.renown-travel.com/ mentioned this temple in the entry for the Reclining Buddha and noted that : Just across the street from the Chauk Htat Gyi Pagoda is another temple, the Nga Htat Gyi Pagoda that contains another huge Buddha ...

This the Garuda, my animal sign. *** While visiting the Reclining buddha in Yangon, I was approached by an old man and he accompanied me in circling the area. He brought me in a sort of an altar with buddhas on top and corresponding animals below each. The pilgrims were bathing the Buddha and there were eight of them and eight animals forming a circle. While preparing for this blog, I found this helpful website in determining what animal I am in the Myanmarese's planetary post. Here is the link.  I found out here that I was born on a Sunday and that my zodiac animal sign: Garuda (mythical bird, Hindu/Buddhist bird diety) and my Ruling Planet: Sun; Ruling Direction: Northeast. And being a Garuda, my personality /Attributes are: You are kind and generous. You would give the shirt off your back to someone in need. Some think you are overly gracious. You love a challenge. The tougher the obstacle the more motivated you are to crash through the barrier to reach your goal. Y...

A vacation to Myanmar is not about food or shopping or art. It is about religion, observing Myanmarese culture and way of life, it is about walking barefoot (and eventually accepting it!) in each house of Buddha. Arriving in Yangon, one is welcomed by buildings, old and new, big and small. But being in Yangon means one can visit Mayanmar's oldest pagoda (and the world's!) called Shwedagon Pagoda.  *** English writer Rudyard Kipling who is best-known for his "Jungle Book" is said to have had set foot in this Pagoda in 1889 and exclaimed that, "Up till that sight my uninstructed eyes could not see that the land differed much in appearance from the sunderbuns, but the golden dome said: 'This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about.'" (Wikipedia) No wonder about that, because the Shwedagon's crown or umbrella is tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies. Immediately before the diamond bud is a flag-shape...