After an additional 90-minute journey by ferry from Laputta, we finally reached Myit Pauk, the first of the 3 villages that we were to visit. The first impressions gathered did not really suggest the devastation that the area had went through. We got into a 2-storey house (think this was the only concrete building here) and made preparation on distributing the aid items. What really surprised me was how orderly everybody was. To be frank, I expected chaos where villagers will rush up to us for the aid items. This did not happen; all of them queued up and waited patiently for their names to be called. Most of them came up, gave a faint smile, took the items and left. I did not see anyone opening their envelopes containing 10,000kyats or S$12 (enough to provide 2 weeks of food for a family of 4) during the entire process.

We also made stops at 2 nearby villages; Poe Thint and Ton Ngar Se San Set (the visit was not planned but we made a stop anyway after they were waving at us). Although these villages were smaller in size, they provided a better reflection on the condition of what most villages in the delta are currently. Roofless huts littered along the delta stood out like a grim reminder of what happened when the cyclone came. Some had a makeshift roof mounted over a corner of the hut and some were simply covered by tarpaulin. When the distribution was finally completed, a sense of relief was felt among our team. Although there were alot of work left to be done, I hoped we had at least made someone happy; even if the happiness would not last.

While the boat was heading back to Laputta, I saw a solitary hut that was just beside the riverbank. Without a roof and any sign of inhabitants, I wondered what had happened to this family that might had resided here before the cyclone. Did anyone die because of Nargis? Maybe they could have survived and staying in those Red Cross tents in Laputta. Or perhaps they were just figures that contributed to the statistics. My mind just felt bleak; it did not help when the skies seems so cloudy. More aid needs to be provided sooner rather than later, somehow...

Ironically, if it was not for Nargis, I wondered if I would ever return to Myanmar again. I remember this other trip where I went back to an Akha village in Chiang Rai (Thailand) as I was there 9 years ago. My expectations were high; afterall this was the location where I did my first backpacking trip. So many things had changed after I left and I was brought crushing down to the ground, badly bruised and never to recover again. It was then that I discover that nothing stops changing. Yangon (with its cleaner streets, more shopping centers and almost no potholes) was no different, even when there was such tight control. But somehow inside me, I know I am just not done with Myanmar yet. This amazing country still captivates; simply by reminding people simple lessons of truth which are often forgotten while one goes through the banalities of conventional life.

Disclaimer: Comments expressed here are personal and doesn't necessary reflect the group's view.