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February 25th, 2015 by

Pyin Oo Lwin and beyond… part 2

The blankets

Pyin Oo Lwin,  January 31 - February 9, 2015 [caption id="attachment_1037" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The blankets[/caption] Yes, it was freezing in Pyin Oo Lwin, but we were kept warm at our guest house by massive quantities of velour blankets! Billed as the only guest house in Myanmar with mud huts and run by the very affable Patrick, we ...

February 22nd, 2015 by

Pyin Oo Lwin: Baby, it’s cold outside! part 1

February, 2015 This was the project's fourth visit to Pyin Oo Lwin (formerly the British hill station Maymyo where George Orwell served as a policeman).  And it was the fourth visit during cold season!  So out came the jackets, toques, scarves, socks. [caption id="attachment_981" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 8 am breakfast in Pyin Oo ...

January 26th, 2015 by

BHSOH: from Yawla to you

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The MY STORY photo project is very pleased to present Yawla Maran's photo portfolio from BHSOH, the migrant school where he has worked for several years.  Yawla took the MSppa teacher training course and then taught his students the joys (and frustrations) of taking photos.  He once said, 'My students are like monkeys; they are never still!'  His ...

January 26th, 2015 by

Computers don’t bite!

White & Grey

[caption id="attachment_942" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Editing their images[/caption] [caption id="attachment_970" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Mounting the exhibition with a little help from a tall friend[/caption] 6 women at the Social Action for Women Health Care House, ages 17 to 52 looking at us expectantly.  With little camera ...

September 15th, 2014 by

MY STORY’s 9th annual exhibition in Nova Scotia: sept. 21

[caption id="attachment_921" align="alignright" width="576"] September 21 -October 16[/caption] FROM THAILAND TO BURMA AND BACK: images from the border Two laughing young women jump in the air in rural Thailand; a benign older gentleman at a Burmese market; a student traces the number '3' in the roadside dirt of Myanmar. These are some of the ...

May 9th, 2014 by

On the road to Mawlamyine…and back

Having fun photo: Nyi Nyi

GETTING THERE: The road from Myawaddy, just across the River Moei from Mae Sot, is where we enter Burma, get in ancient Toyota station wagon and head south to Mawlamyine.  The road goes over a mountain, which is one-way going south on even days and one-way going north on odd days.   The paving is episodic, the trucks are loaded beyond belief, and ...

April 20th, 2014 by

Escaping Songkran, meeting an old friend & making some new ones

PENANG  april 8 - 13, 2014 Songkran is the Thai New Year celebration that happens every year around April 13, when temperatures are in the 40C range, and everything slows down.  What started out as a Buddhist celebration, with the gentle pouring of water over hands and feet has exploded into a mass frenzy of water canons, buckets of ice water, and ...

March 30th, 2014 by

MY STORY photo project 9 at Borderline

'3' photo: Ah Hsee Mee

So it's Thursday, April 3, 6 pm at Borderline Gallery in Mae Sot, Thailand.  The 9th annual MY STORY photo project exhibition is about to open, but you are in Nova Scotia, New York, England, Cambodia.  No worries, we'll bring the exhibition to you:  38 images from  38 photographers in Burma and Thailand.   Here's your invitation: [caption ...

March 20th, 2014 by

The Gang of 7 at Pun Pun Organic Farm

Mud pies? Nope, mud bricks. photo: Tongkla

Pun Pun Organic Farm is located about 50 km north of Chiang Mai; set in an idyllic green valley, it is home to a lovely community of seed savers, organic farmers, and natural builders. Plus the food is to die for! Our gang of 7, Ai, Jack, Tahn, Fay, Khem, Tonkhla, and Fairy had cameras and energy to spare.  All they needed was a little ...

February 1st, 2014 by

On the road again: To Myitkyina, Kachin State…part 1

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Over the mountains to Myitkyina Things are changing here: we now fly to Bangkok regularly ( 1 hr. 15 min ) on Nok (Bird in Thai) Air, buying our tickets through the ATM at the local 7/11 in our Mae Sot neighborhood.    After a couple of days in BKK, we flew to Mandalay for a night and then on to Myitkyina, in Kachin ...