Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Second Day in Naypyidaw Clinic 04/07/14
Monday morning in the clinic was not productive for me because I didn’t have too many patients to see. It turned out that many of them had heard of our arrival the day before and wanted to come to the clinic on the first day. We saw similar problems to those we had seen the…
Myanmar Beauty is More than Skin Deep
Myanmar women, like wise women elsewhere in the world, make effort to protect their skin from the sun damaging effects. In Myanmar, women (and children) wear a yellow chalky “thanaka” paste made from a fragrant tree balk…spread in a circular, square or more sophisticated pattern on their cheeks, nose and forehead for sun protection. Many…
April 29th — A Remembrance of Leaving South Vietnam
Today marks the 39th year when South Vietnam fell to communism. As usual, I called my father who lives in northern Virginia to make sure he is feeling okay. He was cheerful and reminded me how it was rainy that afternoon 39 years ago, when our family was fortunate and lucky as we were allowed…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — First Day in Naypyidaw Clinic 04/06/14
After a wonderful breakfast in the Amara hotel, where I thought I had the sweetest papaya since I had come to Myanmar, the bus took us to the Naypyidaw Hospital. We were told it was the best hospital in Myanmar. After all, Naypyidaw is Myanmar’s new capital since 2005. According to an article in the…
The ‘Great Eight’ Stretches for Runners, Hikers and Walkers
I believe in the 1/3-1/3-1/3 principle of fitness! Cardiovascular activities, muscular strengthening exercise and flexibility should each get one-third of your workout time. This rarely holds true, with the area of flexibility getting short-changed. For some, the rationale behind stretching isn’t strong enough to make it a priority. For others, exercise time is so limited…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — A Day On Inle Lake 04/05/14
Early in the morning, we woke up to a sumptuous breakfast on a terrace overlooking the beautiful grounds of the Pristine Lotus Hotel. I could see a glimpse of the Inle Lake from a distance. This is where we will take a boat ride to see the town and the area around Inle Lake. The…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Clinic in the Nyaung Shwe area 04/04/14
Today we went to the clinic in Naung Shwe, Shan State. As with the other clinics, we arrived with the entourage of women from the Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association (MMCWA), a powerful organization in Myanmar, an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization). The members of this group were almost all women and were mostly physicians themselves. …
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Ho-Pone Clinic, 04/03/14
We arrived at the Ho-Pone clinic on a very hot sunny day. The roads leading to the clinic were narrow and the clinic was located at the crossing of three roads. The driver had to park quite far from the entrance. From a distance, we could see hundreds of villagers lining up near the entrance. …
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Day 2, Taunggyi Township Clinic, the Women’s Hospital,04/02/14
Our team visited the town market in the morning, a colorful street market full of flowers and vegetables. Some of the vegetables and roots were too exotic for me to recognize. I remember walking with my housekeeper through similar markets in Vietnam as a little girl. My stomach was much stronger then, as I could…
Trekking to Myanmar’s Clinics: Diary of a Medical Missionary — Taunggyi Township Clinic, the First Patients 04/01/14
I had been awake since 5 a.m. and could no longer fall asleep. I put on my running pants (as women in Myanmar do not wear shorts) and headed out of the hotel for a run. I was advised not to run alone, but I had to do something to build up my energy. The…