Travel Book Review ~ A LAND OF A THOUSAND EYES The Subtle Pleasures of Everyday Life in Myanmar by Peter Olszewski

A Land of a Thousand Eyes by Peter Olszewski. Published 2005 by Sue Hines \ Allen & Unwin Australia. ISBN 1741145074. This book is quite rare, click here to see if we currently have a copy in stock.

Of the thousands of books in our house, A Land of A Thousand Eyes popped to the top of my reading list when I discovered the author, Peter Olszewski, is fact the legendary J.J. McRoach. J.J. McRoach was best known for running for parliament in the 1970's as leader of the Australian Marijuana Party. He has also been a rock magazine editor, editor of Australian Playboy and the official 'minder' to Hunter S Thompson. What could somebody with such and eccentric resume have to say about Myanmar?

A Land of a Thousand Eyes was published in 2005, thirty odd years after Olszewski was dubbed 'the modern prince of paranoia' - so the book is far from a Cheech and Chong romp through the Golden Triangle.  This book is a personal account of Peter Olszewski's time living in Yangon working for the Myanmar times, and focuses on people of Myanmar, rather than the military junta, which is all we hear about Myanmar in the west. 

Rather than blabber on endlessly about the book, here are some of my favourite passages...

A curious observation on Myannmar dope:

He passes me the joint and I inhale, rather futilely because, sadly, Myanmar marijuana is very second rate. Considering that this country is one of the world's most notorious narco states - if not the most notorious - it seems unjust that they haven't figured out how to grow primo pot. But such are the vagaries of life.

The subtitle of this book sums it up well - "the subtle pleasures of everyday life in Myanmar": 

The most pleasing critique of this book came from a Myanmar journalist who, after reading the manuscript, said, 'You are the first foreign writer to get under the skin of my people'.

So this book isn't about revealing or documenting atrocities or abuse; others such as Bertil Lintner, Shelby Tucker and Andrew Marshall have already done this.

This book is about understanding; understanding a people who have been hidden from our gaze for more than half a century, and it is intensely personal because life is, after all, rather personal.

I particularly enjoyed the stories about his pal Lasheeda, a streetwise little girl who sells postcards to survive...

From that day on we became good friends and she fulfills all sorts of minor functions for me, for which I pay here K200 or twenty cents. She carries my briefcase to the office, she lets the newspaper boys know I am looking for them, she makes herself useful in lots of ways.

Having her accompany me on shopping expeditions is a great delight. She is like a tiny princess who proudly patrols her dominion, turning what many Westerners would regard as a wasteland into her own wonderland. When I see the streets of Yangon through her eyes, it is if I am wandering through a slightly dotty auntie's version of a magical kingdom.

Lasheeda knows every nook and cranny, and she knows where anything can be found. I show her a particular type of electric plug and she steers me this way and that, further and further into the maze of downtown Yangon until I am sure she is leading me a merry dance. But then she stops, points, and there on the footpath is a little old lady sitting behind a plastic sheet containing small mounds of electronic esoterica and salvage, including a neat little pile of the exact plugs I've been seeking.

Another favourite piece is about a traffic cop:

Some of these traffic policemen attain legendary status in Yangon. Only recently the well-known writer Ma Thanegi related the story of the retired traffic cop, Inspector Let Kaut (Inspector Stiff Arm) who used to administer his own idiosyncratic justice system on the spot. If motorists hit and injured a tree, he'd make them physically kiss it until he was satisfied the tree had forgiven the motorist. Unruly and inconsiderate motorists were ordered to do push-ups on the side of the road, or hold their earlobes, squat in the dust and jump like frogs. Careless women drivers had to run around the nearest post several times. His legend grew when a rich kid was ordered to lick the tarmac. The kid threatened to call his influential dad and Let Kaut told him to do it so they could both like the road.

I love this great piece about a rural dance....

The dancing also becomes a curious but practical courting ritual. The district's young studs buy tickets that permit them a two minute dance with the girl of their choice. The girl must always accept the first ticket, but can then do as she likes. An old , turbaned Shan lady doubles as ticket-seller and time-keeper. Every two minutes she vigorously blows her whistle and the line-up on the dirt floor changes. Young Shan village girls congregate at these dances and earn a little pocket money while assessing the merits of the district's young men. Talking and flirting is permitted, but touch the girl and the dance stops immediately. Kiss the girl, and the consequences are serious.

Sai Zoom and his mates buy a was of tickets for me and push me into the dancing circle. I thrust a ticket at the first girl who makes eye contact and, luckily, she is a college student who can speak English. Chinese liquor and opium have made me loquacious, and I launch into the flowery, poetic coversation the Myanmar love so much. I regard the Myanmar as the Irish of Asia because both countries have been locked in a long, bitter civil war, both countries are deeply religous, and both peoples will wax lyrical at the drop of a turban. The overriding ethos seems to be: why use ten words when a thousand will do?

Mayanmar and astrology:

Astrology dominates day-to-day life in Myanmar, although the onset of modernity is slowly eroding the practice. Most of the military strongmen consult astrologers - Prime Minister Khin Nyunt's personal astrologer is famous and many of Ne Win's maddest decisions, such as the overnight switches to a currency divisible by nine and to driving on the right-hand side of the road instead of the left, are reported to have been suggested by astrologers.

Official government pamphlet with instructions on how girls should behave during the Thinguan water festival:

The boys can choose the girls they like and chat teasingly but politely. When the boys invite the girls to join them for water festival, they pour water on the girl's backs and ask for more water saying 'Please give me some more water, sister.' The Thingyan girls have to enjoy the water festival with the boys whether they like it or not.

The author explains that the Thingyan Festival is similar to the Songkran Festival in neighbouring Thailand, but the Thai version is tame by comparison. In Thailand there's lots of gentle splashing and throwing of powder, but in Yangon it's an all-out assault by water. Expatriates advise wearing protective clothing due to the use of high pressure water hoses...

Burma is a bummer...

On this 1978 trip I explored Rangoon. The city was  grey, depressing and moribund. Nothing seemed to work, there was nothing to buy, no life, no joy. The Minister for Tourism was right. No tourist would want to stay in Rangoon. Ironically the locals pronounced their country as 'Bummer', popular hippy slang for a bad time. 'Excuse me, sir how are you liking Bummer?' 'Oh man I'm having a bummer'. 'Very good sir.'

A Land of a Thousand Eyes almost made me leap off the couch and buy a ticket on the first plane to Myanmar.

I have fallen in love with Yangon and with Myanmar. It's such a beautiful country and the people are so gracious, so warm and welcoming, so fundamentally kind. This country, which has such a grim, grey reputation, is alive, colourful and vibrant.

Details: A Land of a Thousand Eyes by Peter Olszewski. Published 2005 by Sue Hines \ Allen & Unwin Australia. ISBN 1741145074. This book is quite rare, click here to see if we currently have a copy in stock.