An appropriate title now that I have been in Myanmar (Burma) for a bit, and also a great book by George Orwell.
As I am find myself getting settled in to my new surroundings, housing, and neighborhood, it’s hard not to compare the country and assignment to Mauritania. Obviously they are two different places on opposite corners of the globe, but since this is all I know in my Foreign Service life, it’s hard not to compare.
Myanmar is a near 100% contrast to Mauritania. Where Mauritania is a dry desert landscape with not much in the way of pleasing aesthetics in the capital Nouakchott, Yangon is a humid, tropical city, with lush vegetation, colonial buildings, and gorgeous gold plated pagodas everywhere you look. Where Mauritania is politically stable, having just completed another free presidential election last month, Yangon has a strict curfew in place, military checkpoints dot the city, and the country is run by a military government.
Perhaps what is more striking to me is just how much more developed Yangon is compared to Nouakchott. Myanmar has a per capita income of about $1300, half of Mauritania, and by all accounts is one of the very poorest countries on earth. Despite this, Yangon is a bustling capital with public transportation like buses, trains, and Grab (Uber in SE Asia). Far more paved roads. Large grocery stores peddling local, regional, Asian, and Western goods at pretty reasonable prices. Amazing local produce. Large shopping malls. Fine dining. Pubs. Restaurant. World class hotels. Skyscrapers (the tallest building in Mauritania is probably 8 floors). Delivery drivers peddling familiar brands like Pizza Hut. Where Mauritania had aggressive beggars on every corner and outside every shop, they are rarely seen in Yangon.
Both countries are rich in natural resources. Both have a tumultuous colonial history plagued with coups in the post-colonial period. Myanmar is even in the middle of a civil war right now. Are businesses just afraid of Africa? Does the Mauritanian government not really care about infrastructure development? Is Yangon a special case where all the resources flow here and nowhere else? It isn’t even the capital of Myanmar so that doesn’t really add up. With Myanmar’s population of 60 million versus Mauritania’s 4 million, it helps explain why business investment is so robust here comparatively, but I wasn’t expecting to see such a stark contrast in development.
I think the biggest irony for me in all this is just how much there is to do in Yangon on the economy. My social calendar in Mauritania was very robust thanks to the active community at the Embassy, but other than going to the beach or or playing padel, there wasn’t much to do in town. No great restaurants. No movie theatres. No retail shopping. No significant fine arts community. Gatherings and social events were largely in each other’s homes or the Embassy. The best meals I ate in Mauritania are those I made myself.
In contrast, during my first couple of weeks in Myanmar, I have enjoyed an all you can eat fresh seafood dinner that included free flowing drinks and a view of a beautiful Pagoda. I went to a food tasting at a French cafe. I ate some killer Korean BBQ, and after, watched a movie in a real movie theatre. From there I went to a startup brewery close to my apartment that was fantastic. A colleague at the Embassy was nice enough to show me around these places, but it was 100% fun and entertainment on the local economy without having to depend on the Embassy for support. MIND BLOWING and again, all this in a country in the middle of a civil war. Below is the view from the bar at my apartment.
At the end of thew day I know comparing these two places doesn’t make much since, and there’s a good chance I am the only person that woke up today to write about the observed differences between Myanmar and Mauritania. I guess going from one impoverished country to another, I wasn’t expecting Myanmar to have so much to offer. It has been a very pleasant surprise, and I am really enjoying being here so far. -Nick
