Yangon, Myanmar Report of what it's like to live there - 09/17/18
Personal Experiences from Yangon, Myanmar
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
This is our fourth overseas experience. Prior service in London, Jerusalem, and Mexico.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Travel from DC is long. The typical route is Dulles to either Seoul or Tokyo and then into Yangon. It takes about a day to get here.
3. How long have you lived here?
One year.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic assignment.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
The housing is an even mixture of serviced apartments and stand-alone residences. Most families of four or more are in the stand-alone style, but there is a high demand for the serviced apartments. Commutes can vary, but most seem to range between 15-30 minutes. Traffic is somewhat unpredictable and can be quite heavy at times.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Groceries for standard items are comparable with higher prices paid for U.S. brand items. The Embassy Association runs a small commissary that offers more U.S. brands, but the prices are still higher than what you'd pay in the U.S. Just about everything you need is available, but it's not uncommon for things to simply disappear without notice. We went through a tonic drought last fall that lasted several months. #foreignserviceproblems.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
This is a consumables post and the allowance is generous. We just re-upped on consumables during R&R. We went heavy on paper towels, marinara sauce, black bean dip, and Trader Joe's taco seasoning. We shipped mayo the first go-round and it all went bad.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Yangon is increasingly opening up to the rest of the world and it seems like new restaurants are constantly opening. They have a great local service called Yangon Door2Door that will deliver from most restaurants right to your do for a reasonable fee. If you want to go out there are a lot of restaurants to choose from for a variety of cuisines.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
It's the tropics, so we have it all: ants, roaches, mosquitoes (dengue and malaria), rats, snakes, you name it! We found it all manageable with regular spraying and liberal use of Off.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
We have DPO and pouch here. Mail service typically adds 10-14 days delivery time for DPO items.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Household help is quite affordable here. It seems like most families employ a housekeeper or nanny. Many of the stand-alone residents also employ a gardener. It's quite common for people to employ a driver, in part because parking is awful everywhere, and in part because we are currently only permitted to import one vehicle. Having a driver makes it easier to get everyone where they need to go.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There's a decent gym at the embassy. There are also several new gyms around town. Many of these gyms cater to rich locals so membership fees are more expensive than in the U.S. Families with kids at ISY are permitted to use their gym and pool for free.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Credit cards are only slowly being accepted around town. We use them at the grocery store, which is handy, but many restaurants still only take cash. ATMs are plentiful around town and fairly safe to use.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
I know there are local Catholic, Baptist, and LDS churches in the city. There's also a synagogue downtown.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You don't need much at all in Yangon. A few basic phrases is more than enough to get around.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Someone with physical disabilities would be very challenged here. The roads and sidewalks are in horrible condition and I rarely see accommodations for those with disabilities.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Taxis are cheap, mostly safe, and easy to hail. I don't think I've ever paid more than $7 to go anywhere in Yangon. We have gotten reports of taxi drivers driving drunk or high on Yaba (a meth-derivative), but it's not common. You should negotiate the price before you get in the cab, and it provides a good opportunity to evaluate if the driver is under the influence. I haven't had any issues with taxis in the year I have been here.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
The roads are not well maintained and Yangon tends to flood during monsoon season. A medium-sized SUV with decent ground clearance seems ideal. We have a lot of Toyota RAV owners at Post. I have something larger, which can be a challenge to park, but it's been fine. With taxis and shuttle services from the serviced apartments, you could easily do without a vehicle altogether. Parts for Toyotas, Nissans and the like are locally available. American manufactured cars will need parts shipped in. Carjacking is not an issue here.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
High-speed internet is available at home and we've found the service to be quite reliable. It's more common to lose power than to lose internet, although it does happen from time to time. The time to install is normally fairly quick, within a week or two of arrival.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Bring an unlocked phone and buy a local SIM card. Most people just buy data top ups for their phones, which is quite cheap here. I spend about $25 a month on data on average, and I use my phone pretty regularly.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
There is no quarantine, but the shipping process is difficult, in part because it's hot all year round. There's a vet that a number of people use who makes house calls. We haven't used her, but I haven't heard any complaints. I don't know of any reliable kennel services. We just have an informal dog sitting arrangement. Some serviced apartments won't take pets. Street dogs are common everywhere in Yangon. If your dog requires regular walks, they can be hard to avoid. Most are not aggressive, but this is not always the case.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
The embassy has a number of EFM positions, some teach at the international school, and there are a number of NGOs here that seem to always need staff. The job market here is better than a lot of other posts, but a lot of what's available depends on timing.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Many. Myanmar consistently ranks number one in the world in terms of volunteer work. There are a number of volunteer opportunities as local orphanages and animal shelters.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Suits are standard attire at the embassy. Formal dress is required on rare occasion.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Yangon is a low crime post. As long as you show the same situational awareness you would in your average U.S. city, you should be fine.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Yangon is a hardship post for a reason. Medical care is quite limited here. The embassy has a great medical unit and there are a couple of hospitals and clinics in the city that we work with, but anything non-routine will require a medevac to Bangkok or Singapore.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Air quality is normally good year round, although it can get dusty towards the end of the hot season just before the monsoon rains come. Last year, the city dump caught fire and burned for several weeks. That definitely had an impact on air quality.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
The air is normally fine. Food allergy sufferers must be careful when ordering food locally as it's not always clear if there's been cross contamination of ingredients. Our son has a tree nut allergy and has had reactions to food where tree nuts were not listed in the ingredients.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Monsoon season can get dark and great, but that normally coincides with summer transfer/R&R season, so most people get a break to go home right when the rains get bad.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
It's hot from February to June, rainy from June to October, dry and warm from October to January. It's never not warm in Yangon.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
We have a middle schooler and a high schooler at ISY and we've been very pleased with the school. The academics are rigorous and it was a challenge shifting from public school in northern Virginia to a pre-IB program, but the ISY staff have been extremely supportive. The counselors are constantly checking in with us and the kids and if a problem comes up, they bring the teachers, parents, and counselors together quickly to work through the issue. I heard similar positive reviews from the elementary school parents.
2. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
ISY has basketball, volleyball, swimming and soccer as organized activities.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
The expat community is large and growing. I would say morale is good overall. Everyone seems to enjoy it here.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
The American Club has regular events, and the other embassies seem to host social events on a fairly regular basis. There's a local hash that's well attended.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
It seems to be a good post for everyone. There's plenty to do, the cost of living is cheap, there are a ton of local and regional travel opportunities and the place is quite safe. What's not to like?
4. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Myanmar is a large and fascinating country. It is extremely ethnically diverse. You could occupy an entire tour just trying to get out to see everything within the country, much less all of the travel opportunities within the region.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Nothing really, but that I mean no show stoppers. This has been an interesting city and country to learn about.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Absolutely, the Burmese people are kind and friendly people eager to share their culture with the world after being closed off for so long. It seems like they're always smiling, everywhere you go. Yangon is not without its challenges. You earn your hardship differential from the lack of infrastructure and frequent power outages, but those challenges seem to also bring the community together. I wish we could stay longer.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Winter clothes and your desire to cash the differential check, but still be able to complain about the hardship. If you take the money, you take the pain that comes with it.
4. But don't forget your:
Flip flops (they're acceptable footwear for any and all events), sunscreen, bug spray, and adventurous spirit.
