OSI Newsletter_SADC

After the one-week course, where I managed to see more than 50 young journalists in the training and around 250 young activists from the civil society, I was amazed by their hospitality and mood. As there will be elections in 2010 especially young people prepare for that “window of opportunity” and realise at the moment that the administration is opening up channels for cooperation. Therefore I was more than happy to train journalists, which had never before any formal training – as the last journalism faculty closed thirty years ago. And I realised that you can read a lot about the country in our foreign media, scientific books and talks with people outside the country but it is very worth to experience the country before you finally make up your mind and paint all black and white. I realised that there is much grey and opportunities inside the country although the country is still a military junta with no democratic elements. But I was happy to assist with journalism experiences and skills and believes that such cooperation can assist their people. Attached you find an article, that I wrote in German for the journalism-magazine “M”, which explaines my experiences and introduces in the media landscape of Myanmar. I hope to be back soon to experience again the people and their country, which was an amazing adventure for me.

Article: Myanmar Challenges in journalism

After spending some days on the road and in minibusses we finally arrived in Hanoi and relaxed two more days on boat in the Halong Bay, which is pretty touristic but an amazing adventure – life can be so easy with sunset, rocks out of the water and U2 in the ears… And we learned during the tour, that the vietnamese Slogan: “Same, Same but Different” is always right.

But Vietnam is not only good history but a great country for backpacking. Together with Jörg I started from Saigon and had already great experiences in this crazy city with its millions of moto-bikes, as I visited a sauna and found out by aa German-speaking guy only after an hour, that this is the only gay-meeting place in the whole town… that explained a lot… After rescued myselfes from these experiences I had great food, was looking at poor dogs that would end soon in the soup and was snorckeling today in Nha Trang with amazing fishes and sights under water. And as temperature is same like Singapore but not as humid I enjoy life very much with great seafood and amazing low prices. Hopefully I can tell much more great stories after arriving in Hanoi but I am sure, that this country will be one of my favourite travel-destination.

Additionally like to work as a journalist from here, as you see with this article about a “well-known Bavarian woman in Singapore” and have fun with colleagues, that publish the view out of my window in their media. And the time until ´real work´ starts won´t be wasted as well: I booked flights to Vietnam in two weeks and afterwards Australia and enjoy this freedom of freetime a lot.

Tow days of snorkeling in the corals with fishes and sea urchin, canoeing around the island and sunbathing in the sun with 30 degrees and more followed and were crowned by barbecue on the sea while watching the sunset. Relaxed and tanned we went back home to Singapore and will for sure visit Malaysia a next time – with its amazing landscape, friendly people and great seaside!

After experiencing this nature adventure we went back to the capital, enjoyed a typical Brunei cinema-night and had next day a drive to the oil-field in Seria some hours away. We also visited the six-star-hotel Empire and had some great italian food in a absolut crazy athmosphere with strong rain and wind outside and a fancy italian restaurant inside on the ´end of the world´. After having a look to the water-villages on the riverside Susi and me flight back and I am very much exited about Singapore being the hub to the region and hope for a lot of more trips coming to experience more of great Asia.