Along the river

On the ferry to Bhamo, a guy asked me if I was a billionaire. I tried to explain that I had no job and limited money, but it didn't help. To the people of Myanmar I'm inconceivably rich, since the average salary is $5 a month. I realize this, and would prefer not to rub it in by discussing it. Unfortunately, when you meet someone, "How much money?" is the third thing they ask, right after "Where you come from?" and "How old?" It's a question I can't adequately answer, since I'm not going to say $x,000 a month.

People also like to ask how much my camera costs. At first I divided the price in two, but even that was a tremendous amount of money to them, so now I just say it was a present. This works wonderfully, since the giving of presents is so ingrained in their culture. That's one of the most wonderful things about the people of Myanmar. They have so little, but they will always find a present to give you.

I hope that seeing billionaire tourists such as myself will have a positive effect on people. I hope it makes them wonder why they can't have more. If enough people think like this, change will have to happen.