March 27, 2013 - Balloons over Burma

Photographer: Sam Gellman

What a fabulous pic! It looks like something out of a fairy tale.

Very cool.

Burma is interesting. You can't talk about the place without choosing sides. Is it Burma and do you support the previous government from before the military coup, or is it Myanmar and you recognize the new government?

The one good thing about the horrible military government there is that tourists have abandoned the place, and historic sites like this are basically empty. Makes taking a nice picture easier when you don't have throngs of tourists to deal with.

Now there's a bright side...

Burma is easier to say, so there's my political stance.

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Originally Posted by glatt The one good thing about the horrible military government there is that tourists have abandoned the place, and historic sites like this are basically empty. Makes taking a nice picture easier when you don't have throngs of tourists to deal with.

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Originally Posted by Griff Burma is easier to say, so there's my political stance.

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Originally Posted by CaliforniaMama And they are very lucky that the beauty built by past regimes and generations haven't been destroyed. It always breaks my heart when one government destroys existing buildings and monuments. Unless, of course, it is pulling down Sadam Hussein.

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Originally Posted by infinite monkey That's my feeling about Ceylon.

*snicker*

So I went to HS with a girl whose last name was M*A*H*I*L*R*A*J*A*H (without the astericks...don't want to be a privacy ruiner) whose family's license plate read "CEYLON" and they say she was a princess in Ceylon (that was already Sri Lanka by then). Does that sound true? I don't know the history.

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Originally Posted by infinite monkey Are those buildings used? I mean, do people live in them or work in them? I would love love love to see one inside.

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Originally Posted by infinite monkey *snicker* So I went to HS with a girl whose last name was M*A*H*I*L*R*A*J*A*H (without the astericks...don't want to be a privacy ruiner) whose family's license plate read "CEYLON" and they say she was a princess in Ceylon (that was already Sri Lanka by then). Does that sound true? I don't know the history.

.. and the Queens in San Francisco!

snicker

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Originally Posted by footfootfoot They certainly don't look new. More than likely. Consider the number of Princesses in Long Island and Connecticut.

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Originally Posted by Sundae .. and the Queens in San Francisco!

From what I remember, Sri Lanka is like India. It was divided into reasonably small Kingdoms. They had their own Kings/ Maharahajas/ supreme leaders..
Obviously in each Kingdom the important thing was to have sons to secure the lineage. So many girls were born too.
Princesses, if you will.

Lots of Princesses also therefore in Pre-Norman times in England. Ditto Sri Lanka, Burma, Pakistan, Bangladesh.

There's a good chance the girl you knew did have a heriditary title. Also a reasonable chance it now means nothing. But it sounds like what she has as a person is worth far more than that anyway.
Coming from a country replete with titles they make little impression on me unless they're earned. Anyone can squirt something out and make a baby after all.

ETA - I am not implying you were immpressed by the title either. I just feel it's a common misconception about the English. We threw burgers at David Blaine, we birthed the Sex Pistols* (yeah, sorry for Johnny Rotten) and Screaming Lord Sutch. I bet Barbara Windsor's titties are pixellated in many countries - here they're teatime good fun.

Gosh I'm on a right rant today, aren't I?
I'll shut up now I think.

* Not personally, though.

I always just wondered. I think the subject came up in passing once and I thought it was really cool and interesting. Like I said, she never really said anything about it. I just remember the one conversation, and that I remember very little of. The last name was supposed to be because of that.

Anyway, like I said...nice girl, we all had a good time.

I knew a Prince.
Via his mother's line.
He acted like one too - in a nice way. Paid lip service to being Muslim but broke all the rules when he was in England. Smoked, drank, ate prawns (wouldn't touch pork though, it was Haram.) And had exy-sexy with my closest friend. But it was okay because she was white. Or not-Muslim. Or both - I admit I can't remember, but she was "dirty" anyway and it was okay to practice on her. Men and their excuses.

His Mum had no money or power, but was one of four wives of the Prime Minister of an African country, which is where his money came from.

Anyway he had a car with bulletproof glass, a HUGE allowance and living expenses, security service if he required it and paid for absolutely everything when we went out.
He liked me best out of all her friends because although I was a boozer I never looked at any other men in his presence and he considered me respectful because I always thanked him when he paid for anything or got me a lift home. Just manners in my mind - no matter if someone is loaded you can;t expect anything for free.

Oh and I know this now looks bad on my friend but she met him as a student before he came into his inheritance. She genuinely loved him as a man, not an ATM. But in the end he was just too controlling. And she was beautiful, so without wanting to sound like Radar, it's usually a trade-off.

Wait, didn't I say I was shutting up?
Look, I'm waiting for Mum to come home. It's the anniversary of Breda's death (her friend, died from cancer, I did mention it here.)
I'm a bit nervous.
Mum can go two ways when she's upset, and one is... tricky.

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Originally Posted by Sundae .. and the Queens in San Francisco!

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Originally Posted by CaliforniaMama I thought Queens was in New York.

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Originally Posted by Gravdigr My locked up buddy said one of the first inmates he encountered in the state pin* was a black guy 6 feet 6 inches tall with, and I'm quoting here, "the purtiest set of double d's you ever saw".

*thanks. I did like that.

Mountains of Burma, the road to Mandalay,
In the mountains of Burma, light years away...



I am inexorably infatuated with Midnight Oil at the moment.

I did not know that Buckaroo Banzai had a balloon fleet.

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Originally Posted by Sundae Bet he never met Sarge, who has been boasting about his for while now

moon over parma
blah blah blah blah tonight
blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah blah
we're goin' bowlin'
so don't lose her in solon
moon over parma tonight

.......
send your love to me tonight
.... ..... beneath your silvery light

I thought I'd watched enough of that show to remember...guess not.

Someone on Reddit saw some pictures of Myamar (Burma), and decided to draw one of them.

Nice.