Crazy faces in Myanmar

We laugh when we wave each other goodbye, these kids I met along the way during a busstop in Myanmar.

When I travel, food is not my priority. I'm too curious about what else there is to discover and with whom I can hang out with. I soon came across these three girls, their faces made beautiful with thanaka, a natural kind of sunscreen and very common here in Myanmar. We soon noticed each other, but then the dissapointment kicked in. Obviously we didn't have a similar language and so having a chat became very difficult. It often turns into smiling at each other and soon the magic is gone. This time, however, I didn't leave it at that.

This time I decided to make it work.

I briefly thought about what would work best. Something about a difference in my worldview and theirs, I guess. So I tried to imagine what it is like to be in their shoes.

They're a lot smaller than I am, so the first thing I do is to get at eye level with them. Three pair of eyes light up for a moment. What is that Western lady going to do? She would know that the toilet is further away, right? Confusion also breaks the ice.

Well.. at least I have their attention, I'm face to face with them now. Then I do something that works in any language: a funny face. They start laughing and answer with their own craziest faces.

My traveling companion snorts a little; is that necessary? An adult woman? Please, act a little like your age. The kids don't seem to care and we laugh and make the strangest faces. They will probably be able to see less of the world than I will, but they will still see strangers passing by every now and then. Then it's best to make those encounters a little memorable, right?