TEASHOP CULTURE – MYANMAR

My visits to the teashops in Myanmar always left me with the same impression. The stools and tables were unnecessarily miniature, the little tea cups always left me wanting more and the snacks were all profusely greasy. I more than often felt like an unwanted, foreign giant trying awkwardly to find comfort on a child’s stool as I would tuck my knees under my chin. In order to not draw more attention to myself than necessary, I learned how to order le phet. The milk tea never failed to present itself in a timely manner but with just a few sips it disappeared as quickly as it came. The novelty of the treats in supply subsided quickly as my tolerance for greasy rolls and patties stuffed with other fried ingredients started to wear thin. Yet, as my days in Myanmar started to run out I knew that my daily visit to the teashops is what I would miss the most. More than anything else, these trips were a symbolic representation of my brevity and curiosity of finding comfort and normalcy in something that I practiced so naturally at home but proved itself so foreign in this place. However, finding pleasure from these visits didn’t happen so easily and initially proved to be quite a challenge.

Entering the teashop was always an intimidating affair as heads turned, voices softened and eyes immediately casted on the stranger who had just appeared. If I wasn’t lucky enough to find an empty table, I would have to pull up a chair among a group of still gawking locals and awkwardly flash a smile in the form of a greeting. The owner would usually take pity and not waste time in coming over to see what I wanted. “Le phet” I would anxiously recite, with as much confidence as I could muster. By the time I drained my first cup, the place would return to its normal buzz and as the second was ordered and finished, I would have settled in nicely to the atmosphere wondering why on earth I was so unnerved just minutes before. I knew what to expect with each visit and although I had grown accustomed to this routine, every time I stepped in to a teashop it was as if I was doing so for the first time. It was only after countless of visits and cups of tea that I finally adjusted and gained the emotional security to finally relax and savour the moment, taking full ownership of the experience.  As part of the many revelations made on my trip, I started to realize that my journeys and experiences did not carry me far unless while it extended around me it also went an equal distance within my own world. I never would have imagined that the daily ritual of visiting a teashop would be a practice in strengthening my character, opening my heart and widening my perspectives. I didn’t have to go too far. I just had to learn how to sit down, enjoy every cup and watch the world go by.