Mission Gay-A-Tize

When in Burma, you can never tell when you get fatter because we wear sarongs. Sarongs, unlike pants, have no waistline. It's just some blankety material (a big skirt) of waist size 40+. So, you tie around your waist until it fits you, which means you can adjust your waistline whenever you want to whichever size you want unless your waist is forty plus or something. So, you know when you get fat ONLY if your waistline starts exerting over a value of forty inches.

When in Australia, you can never tell when you get older, well, unless you have friends like Ali, Jen or Robby, who would KEEP reminding you how old you are. BUT apart from that you never know. I was jogging yesterday in the evening and I saw this little kid and two girls walking with him. In non-asian countries, you call people by name , Hein. Anyone calls me Hein there no matter how old or young they are. In Burma, there are three types.

Maung - this is usually for formal speech and especially to those guys you don't know yet.

Ko - this is friendlier and this is addressed to elder people. Like, my brother in law calls me this. It means big bro btw.

Nyi - this means small bro. I call my brother in law this.

U - this is short for 'uncle'.

Ok, so I was jogging and the girl with the kid went 'hey look at U running. Why don't you run with U?'. There, at that time and place, I notice how old I've become. I wasn't offended or anything but god, I felt so old.

I had a really good time with my grandparents at night. I had some oldies songs downloaded cos I DO listen to oldies radio in Sydney when I sleep. Connie Francis , Doris Day.. Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole... the list goes on. Grandma and I sang along and she even danced along to some of them. Who would have thought she fell in her bathroom once and injured her leg before!!! She came and gave me a hug and told me I've made her feel sixteen again. Then, my grandad sang along. It's funny how they still know the lyrics.

I told them to come to Sydney at least once a year, given I pay for the return air ticket. Then, my grandma asked me what if my wife does not approve of it. I told them that I don't wanna get married and that I have enough friends and I just want a kid. Then, they went 'so what if you end up lonely'. I told her I won't cos I have gay friends who's bound to end up lonely themselves and we could stay in touch and be friends. She didn't react. Then, I went on saying how gay people are actually cool and those in Burma are just loud and extra violat-y. She laughed at that and I told her how my gay friends would teach me how to look good and how to cook and clean my place and all that. She then joked at how convenient it is to have fun. Judging from her reactions, my grandma seems cool with gay people. Come to think of it, she DOES work around them. Make up artists, hair people or photo-designers and such.

I think I'll miss my grandparents a lot if/when I get outta here.