Getting the low down

Things have been busy recently, since Matt left. I've been placed in command of the editing ship, and have been spending 8 am to 8pm at the office. My evenings have been filled with sitting and talking (to those who want to practice their English), with the 10 guys who are crashing at the house I live at (which also serves as an office for one of the ethnic groups).

It has been an educational series of nightly discussions, which generally focus on the topics the Burmese government's oppression of democracy movements and the varied ethnic nationalist groups that have long fought for some autonomy within the Burmese union.

I was recently informed that when working online, I should be careful about the names and locations I use. There is no physical threat, but the Burmese government runs a very very mean and fast surveillance and counter-intelligence campaign against the ethnic groups - even the ones based in Thailand. That means the website is often hit by viruses and e-mail accounts are hacked. Plus they regularly fish for any information regarding what nationalist group activity on web sites and blogs.

That being said, I will be posting photos so long as the people involved are alright with it.

Am giving photography lesson to a new friend. In exchange I get motorbike lessons.

Local monastery.

A market that, as far as I was told, primarily caters to Koreans. It also sits 15 above the ground.

This is a view of the rest of the reservoir. There's not much to see now, but before the reservoir arrived, this is where the town sat. In the distance, which you probably cannot see, the water is low enough to reveal the old monastery. It has since been rebuilt (see above images).