Dianne's adventure

Some time ago I watched a documentary on the ABC called Dancing with Dictators and recognised one of the interviewees as Geoffrey Goddard, a journalist with whom I shared a house about  35 years ago in Bendigo.
It was my first job as an OT at the Bendigo Psychiatric Centre and I was all of 20 years old. We had lost touch when we both went overseas after a couple of years and I had no idea of his whereabouts.

I contacted him by mail as any emaill addresses I could find didn't seem to connect ( or was it that he ahd no idea who the hell I was?). Anyway we exchanged emails and organised to meet for lunch after we arrived on Monday.

So while I asked him endless questions about his life, all of the places in Asia that he had worked, his experiences in Myanmar and, most importantly: what have you been doing for the last 35 years? we:

1. Had lunch in a tiny cafe that he frequents regularly with the locals ( I'd requested that he take me where the locals eat). The food was simple, delicious and had different spices to other asian food.Cost about $4 for both of us!

2. Wandered through the CBD and looked at some of the magnificent colonial buildings including the one where Aung San (Aung San Sui Kyi's father) and his colleagues were assassinated six months before Burma became a socialist republic.

3. Drove past the NLD headquarters ( National League for Democracy) - Aung San Sui Ky's party - and admired the secret services building directly opposite: the times might be changing but not without some serious surveillance.

4. Had coffee at a superb cafe called Sharky's run by a Burmese guy who worked in Switzerland and on his return to Burma made the first cheese in Burma. 

5. Caught a number of taxis between all of these places: lots of haggling over fares, very old and barely rattling along.

6. Visited his office at the Myanmar Times which publishes a weekly English and Burmese newspaper. The censorship processes depicted in the TV documentary have been changed: now they are required to keep in line with some post-publication guidelines with the threat of fines or bans if they violate them. Apparently much easier than previously!

After a couple of hours I must have finally looked exhausted and almost run out of questions! It was back to the hotel in time for the Shwedagon pagoda visit.

In a country where the politics and social structure is so complicated it was great to spend time with someone who has lived here for the last decade and to get his views about the changes.

And of course all of the gossip about marriages (2) countries lived in (lots !) was fascinating as well.

He kindly offered to come to dinner with the mob (there's a brave man!) so we can ply him with all of our unanswered questions.

Your (I'm sure I still look 20 years old) correspondent  
 
Dianne