SISTER MARY

A woman and a dog walk past low tables set up for late afternoon snacking in Myitkyina, in Kachin State.

“IF YOU’RE GOING TO Myitkyina, be sure to talk to Sister Mary,” a foreigner in Rangoon told me. “She’s been working with HIV/AIDS patients for years up there.”

Sister Mary is a Columban nun from Ireland who is well into her sixties. The Columban order ran a large school in Myitkyina for decades, until the government closed all foreign-run institutions in the 1960s. Now the Columbans are back, in a quiet way. A small group of nuns from several countries (Korea and the Philippines, as well as Ireland) is working to help with AIDS and other public health issues in Myitkyina.

This nun is so amazing, I thought when I met her. I’d pedaled out to the hospice/shelter she helped set up on the outskirts of town. All the residents are HIV-positive—some there temporarily while their medications get figured out, others there to die. All cooking, cleaning, and maintenance is done by the residents. The vibe is open and friendly rather than glum. People live day to day in their situation and come to find community and purpose there.

Sister Mary fundraises in Ireland, and she also accepts donations. As I gave her mine, I looked into her wide clear face, ageless in its intelligence, determination, and good humor, and I wondered at her stamina. Perhaps it comes from religious faith, but I actually think it’s an attitude, an innate toughness of spirit and a confidence in other people. Sister Mary believes that people can come through for themselves and one another if they’re given positive encouragement, and a bit of a push from time to time.

pungent essence of burma
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
Pungent and mildly hot, ngapi yei is a must-have for Burmese and an acquired taste for foreigners. I have come to find it delicious. It’s served in a bowl with a small spoon so diners can add it as they please. Used as a dip for steamed vegetables or drizzled on rice, it has a distinctive earthy taste.
Store in the refrigerator in a well-sealed glass jar. It becomes more yellow-green in color over time, as the turmeric is absorbed, and even more delicious to those who love it.
4 to 5 garlic cloves, not peeled
3 green cayenne chiles or 2 bird (Thai) chiles, or substitute 3 dried red chiles
2 tablespoons fermented fish paste (see Note)
1 cup water
¼ teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons Dried Shrimp Powder
Preheat a charcoal or gas grill or place a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Grill or heat the garlic and chiles, turning them to expose all sides to the heat. Let the garlic and fresh chiles scorch and blacken a little; however, if using dried chiles, just heat them to soften and be careful not to scorch them. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, place the fish paste and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the turmeric, return to the boil, stirring occasionally, and cook down to about ½ cup liquid. Place a sieve over a bowl and strain the liquid through it; discard the solids.
Peel the garlic and pound it to a paste in a mortar, or mince it, then add to the liquid. Discard the chile stems and any very scorched patches, coarsely chop the chiles, and pound to a coarse paste in the mortar, or mince. Add to the liquid. Stir in the shrimp powder.
Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

NOTE: There are a number of preserved fish paste products sold in jars in Asian groceries. I use boneless pickled fish bottled in Vietnam; if necessary, you can substitute shrimp paste (ngapi; see Glossary), which will give a less earthy taste.

Whether Buddhist nuns are walking along a track in rural Karen State or a Rangoon street, their pink habits are a bright spot in the landscape.