Joe Louis gets a Burmese girlfriend

 

We finally found an electrical outlet.
We had been hiking for two days in the hills of Myanmar, with scenic landscapes, traditional villages, and no power sockets. But this small thatch room, which we would call home for the night, had one.
To celebrate I plugged in my iPod and put on Shuffle.
Michael Jackson started entreating us to remember the time. Soi, our joyful nineteen year old guide, began hopping side to side waving his arms. Not much wiggle, not much swagger, but a very playful dance.
“You like MJ?” We asked, surprised that he recognized the King of Pop.
“Yes. I like Michael Jackson.”
“It’s sad that he died,” I mentioned.
“He what?!” Soi paused midhop.
Oops. I guess news travels slowly on this side of the world.
“Uummm. He passed away a couple of years ago. Um, but his music lives on . . .”
Soi had a devastated look on his face. I hate being the bearer of bad news.
Shuffle came to the rescue, changing the subject to the unknown Billy Joel.
“I like your dance moves. The girls must love getting down with you on the dance floor.”
“Oh no. We don’t dance with girls.”
“Oh. So how do you court a Burmese woman??”

Kalaw, Myanmar

 

In your eyes
It is very romantic to play music for the lady of your desire. You should go to her house and serenade her with a guitar, playing emotional songs. Think of yourself as a Burmese John Cusack in Say Anything.

Match made for heaven
A typical date involves going to Buddhist temple together and praying. I was actually fortunate enough to witness dates like these in Myanmar and in China. A young boy and girl would sit side by side in front of Buddha whispering and bowing over and over. One of the couple would finish first and sit awkwardly waiting for the other to finish. How cute, I thought.

Let’s talk about love, baby
After a few successful dates, things may begin to get more serious. At this point the boy may visit the girl at her house. They then talk about things like love. If the parents are approving of the match, they will leave the room, allowing the conversation and the relationship to flourish.