Our Education Project Manager Chaung Khu is working with Help without Frontiers since 2007. She is Karen from Burma and for the first time she got the chance to come to Europe from November to December 2011. In this Interview she shares her thouhgts on cultural differences and new experiences.

Hi Chaung Khu, you've been working with people from abroad since many years and now you were able to visit Europe for the first time. How did you like Europe?

Most of the places I went where in Italy, it looks very different where I come from and the weather is cold. There was a lot of ice, which I never saw before, only in the fridge.

What did you do? Why did you come to Europe?

I went to Europe to do fundraising together with my boss Benno Röggla and Lena Weller. The first two weeks we mainly were with the Movie BURMA DISPLACED in different villages in South Tyrol. We met many donors, former volunteers and friends and for the first time I met my boyfriends family from Taisten. I had many interviews for Newspapers and TV.

After that we went to Rome meeting one of our School adopters and former volunteers. They organized a BURMA SWING fundraising evening, but we also took some time for sightseeing in Rome.

After we came back to Bozen to join the Event “Ohne Frauen keinen Frieden und keine Entwicklung” and we went to Vienna. We joined the AKTION SONNENSCHEIN in the Volkstheater in Vienna and I saw the city.

I had two more presentations afterwards but most of the time I had free time to spent with my boyfriend and his family.

How was your first Christmas in South Tyrol?

I never celebrated Christmas in my life. The family was very busy during the day with cooking and decorating and I always asked questions like, when do we put the presents under the tree?, when will we decorate the house? etc. I was very curious. In the evening we eat good food and drink wine and exchanged presents….and I was wearing a dirndl for the first time.

Was it snowing? Did you see snow? Did you like it?

It was only snowing the last week. I like it so much; I was waiting to see the snow for a long time. Always when I saw the frozen ice I asked, is that snow? Finally in the end I saw the real snow falling on my head.

What is the biggest impression you bring back from your trip to Europe?

I have learned so many things in Europe. To see our boss working in Europe was interesting, as we never know how hard he is working there. I could see how the fundraising process is working. Also the women event was interesting, as there were other woman from Ruanda and Germany and we were able to share our experiences working in different countries. We all shared similar problems caused by wars and human rights abuses.

I was also impressed by the South Tyrolean people living in Italy, being an ethnic minority like the Karen people. Seeing how they improved their lives and area to what it is today can be a good example for our people.

One morning we had a presentation in a school and there were some disabled children in the class, accompanied by a special teacher. I really liked how good they were integrated in the class. My nephew is also disabled and I wish to see the same for him.

Impressive was also that everything was done by machines. You could also drink water from the tab.

What did you like most?

We got invited by a former volunteer to fly helicopter in the Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Sightseeing in Rome was also nice and I learned about history. Before I only saw this on TV and now I could see the real remains of the Roman Empire.

What did you like least?

I don’t like the Vatican museum, sorry. Many people were smoking on the street, I didn’t like that. Especially the food I didn’t like.

Why?

Because all my life I eat rice, fish paste, vegetable and some meat. In Europe it is the opposite, people eating bread all the time, noodles, not cooking the rice properly, it’s upside down. Finally I found Zucchini and I really liked it. 

Would you like to add something?

Some Photos