Danger Dog Blog

Spirit houses of Myanmar.

Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon) is chock full of lovely and diverse spirit houses meant to appease the many nats that populate Myanmar.

 

Nat spirit house in downtown Yangon

 

The nat houses vary from elaborate to simple.   All included fresh flowers.

A more modest version of a spirit house can be found above, just behind the two ladies. The lady in white with the fabulous smile made my delicious breakfast of two masala dosas with a spicy dahl and tomato chutney, and the other (in orange, slathered in the traditional Myanmar thanaka paste) who bought us that same breakfast.   400 Khait (at 870 to the dollar) for the both of us.   We had spent some time talking with the lady's son, who enjoyed practicing his English.

This Burmese nat house was in the center of Kalaw, a cool and inviting hill town in Myanmar where trekking from village to village is the attraction.   We liked it for the slow pace, lack of traffic and evening chill.

This nat house was high in the hills above Kalaw in a Palaung village about 3 hours walk from town.

 

Nat House under Bodhi tree in Myanmar

 

This little beauty was under a Bodhi tree near one of many monasteries near Kalaw, Myanmar.

More on my adventures in Burma later. 

Snoop the Dachshund is a handsome dog.   These hand painted portraits on metal are by Sagar, Megh Raj and Nara (clockwise from top left).   Only the one with the landscape behind is still available.

How to commission YOUR pet's portrait on metal:

Now is the time to order:   Be ahead of the Pack!   I am in Nepal right now giving photos to the artists.

1. Please send me a photo of your pet.  I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work.   Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint.   These can be hung indoors or out.

2. Let me know what you would like it to say.

3. Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer:   naive, realistic, colorful, etc.

4. Tell me your pet's name and breed.   

5. Send your photo to me at:   [email protected] 
That's it !

Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front.   If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case.   Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!

 

The cost is $250 plus shipping.   Shipping is around $18 per sign (to and from the US).   And 9.75% California sales tax for California residents.  
Pay after choosing your portrait. 
Multiple pets on one sign cost more ($325 for Double, $400 for Triple).

 

Let's keep these artists painting.

 

This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world.   I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living.   Everybody is happy.   Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!

 

Latest News from Myanmar

Some of you may have heard that there was some trouble here in Myanmar over the last week or two.   It is very difficult to find out what is really happening here, and believe me, some of the rumors are so wild, they most likely are not true.  

In the sleepy town of Kalaw, the local monastery is collecting goods, food and money for the neighboring town of Meiktila where rioting and fire has displaced over 200 people.   The little pink dress and girl's shoes are from our very good neighbor, Billie Valentina, whose pretty pink dress will make a newly homeless girl in Myanmar very happy.   We also donated a number of pairs of reading glasses that I carry to distribute as part of the Reading Glasses Project.   (Find out more at ReadingGlassProject.org)   Also some toothbrushes and toothpaste that we had on hand and never used.

Locals were ready to donate, including 50 kilo sacks of rice, 8 plywood panels, baskets, clothing, fire-fighting equipment and money. 

As luck would have it, just after donating, we went to a favorite restaurant in town, the Everest, which is run by a Nepali family that arrived here soon after World War Two.   The family was having a puja ceremony honoring the memory of the family matriarch who had died on this date a year previous.   All this delicious Nepali vegetarian food was on the house.   We would never eat this much ordinarily, but who could refuse such tasty largess?   It is also nice to be able to talk to the locals, as the tonal Burmese language is tricky to pick up on the fly in a mere three weeks.    And I do need to practice my Nepali for next week.

We spent our time in the hills of Kalaw in Myanmar wandering looking at the mouldering and still graceful colonial architecture of this old hill station.   At approximately 4000' above sea level, it was a cool and refreshing change from the swelter that is much of this very hot country.    It was downright cold when we arrived on our bus at 3:30 am!

The mountainside here near Kalaw looks much like this.   The people grow cabbage, corn, camellias (tea), mandarin oranges.   There are large burned sections during this time of year, and on our nighttime bus rides, the hills are often ablaze.   I'm not sure how they control these fires and keep them from becoming wildfires, but they seem to.   There are pretty wildflowers along the roadside, some familiar and  others exotic.  

Orchids of Burma

Orchids run rampant in Myanmar.   This was taken on the main road in Kalaw (aka Union Highway) and was only one of many, many exotic beauties.

More later.   The best part of Myanmar is by far their charming and gracious people.   Please visit if you can.

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You can have your pet's portrait hand painted on metal in Nepal.   Here are Smudge the Cat's recent choices by Sagar, Dilip and Megh Raj (clockwise from top left).    There are so many cats here in Burma, I will dedicate a post just to them soon.

How to commission YOUR pet's portrait on metal:

Now is the time to order:   Be ahead of the Pack!   Orders now being accepted for the Spring 2013 trip.  

1. Please send me a photo of your pet.  I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work.   Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint.   These can be hung indoors or out.

2. Let me know what you would like it to say.

3. Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer:   naive, realistic, colorful, etc.

4. Tell me your pet's name and breed.   

5. Send your photo to me at:   [email protected] 
That's it !

Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front.   If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case.   Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!

 

The cost is $250 plus shipping.   Shipping is around $18 per sign (to and from the US).   And 9.75% California sales tax for California residents.  
Pay after choosing your portrait. 
Multiple pets on one sign cost more ($325 for Double, $400 for Triple).

 

Let's keep these artists painting.

 

This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world.   I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living.   Everybody is happy.   Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!

Danger Dogs from Burma

It has been surprisingly difficult to order a signboard here in Myanmar. 

But I have been perservering!

 

Artist John Gyo with his completed portrait of Rocky - the very first Danger Dog from Burma

 

This young artist named John Gyo hand painted Rocky in watercolor on paper.   It was his first commission of a dog (Kwee in the Myanmar language) and he was pleased enough to photograph it for his files.

As in Nepal, the artist does not do the lettering on the painting.   John passed that task to the tattoo artist that shares his studio space.   Young men in Myanmar sport an amazing array of hairstyles.  John did sign his own signature on the painting.

Myo Naing - signboard artist

Through friends, I was able to connect with a true Burmese signboard artist.   Hopefully, he is hard at work painting Rocky!

This is an adorable and friendly dog that we met in the Southern Myanmar town of Hpa An.   The dogs are everywhere here.   More even than in Nepal!

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This adorable Shitzu is a fine example of what you can expect when you order a Danger Dog of your own pet.   These are by Megh Raj Thapa, Sufraj Khadka and Hari Timisina (clockwise from top left).  

How to commission YOUR pet's portrait on metal:

Now is the time to order:   Be ahead of the Pack!   Orders now being accepted for the Spring 2013 trip.  

1. Please send me a photo of your pet.  I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work.   Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint.   These can be hung indoors or out.

2. Let me know what you would like it to say.

3. Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer:   naive, realistic, colorful, etc.

4. Tell me your pet's name and breed.   

5. Send your photo to me at:   [email protected] 
That's it !

Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front.   If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case.   Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!

 

The cost is $250 plus shipping.   Shipping is around $18 per sign (to and from the US).   And 9.75% California sales tax for California residents.  
Pay after choosing your portrait. 
Multiple pets on one sign cost more ($325 for Double, $400 for Triple).

 

Let's keep these artists painting.

 

This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world.   I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living.   Everybody is happy.   Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!

 

Live from Myanmar - Animal Edition.

I have been here in Myanmar a week and have only seen one Beware of Dog sign!   The Burmese seem to have a very different form of signboard art.   They use cut stickers on plastic.  

Look closesly to see the method they use.   This is a rare sign on metal.  

The street dogs in Myanmar are everywhere.   They all look alike - like tall thin Basenjis with a hyper-awareness of their surroundings.   They do not sound like Basenjis however, as they bark.   But not often.  

The biggest surprise for me is that cats (and kittens) are everywhere here in Myanmar.   While I am yet to see a cat that is specifiacally the Burmese breed, the cats here are not as shy as the dogs.   One even jumped on Dan's lap at the dinner table.  

I have a Nepali photo series that I call 'Butcher Shop Dogs'.   But here we have the 'Butcher Shop Cats of Burma'!

This goat with the curls on his forehead came up to me and tried to eat the fringe from my scarf.   Then tried to eat my skirt!   It was a very tame goat and followed his owners commands to cease and desist.  

This Great Dane puppy is one of a pair that hangs out by the pier in Mawlamyine.  He is at the stage where he is like rubber and moves in leaps and bounds.   This is a very soft and friendly dog.

Here is his bigger companion.  This black Great Dane is prone to lunging at people and also chases the horse carriages that pass along the street.   She is also a bounder in the best sense of the world.

This rooster arrived and left on a motor scooter - sitting on the seat just ahead of the driver.   His name is Ike the Rooster and he obeys his caretaker's commands.   

This as Assan, the young waiter at our favorite restaurant in Mawlamyine.   He is cheerful and quick, with a beautiful smile.   This restaurant is typical of the teashops in Myanmar.   Each plate is 100K each (there are about 870K to the dollar) so we enjoy a great, tasty and filling breakfast of roti, paratha, dahl, samosa and tea in any combination for a grand total of less than a dollar for the both of us.

We are currently in Mawlamyine, the southern capitol of the Mon Province, formerly known as Moulmein, and the former British capitol from 1832 to 1856 or so.   It is full of old colonial buildings and this lovely temple high on the hill overlooks the town and river.  

Myanmar is known as the Golden Land, and has many golden temples.

More later.   The best part of Myanmar is by far their charming and gracious people.   Please visit if you can.

 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You can have your pet's portrait hand painted on metal in Nepal.   Here are Paco's recent choices by Dilip, Sagar and Megh Raj (clockwise from top left).  

How to commission YOUR pet's portrait on metal:

Now is the time to order:   Be ahead of the Pack!   Orders now being accepted for the Spring 2013 trip.  

1. Please send me a photo of your pet.  I will give it to three different artists, giving you a choice of 3 paintings and three people will get work.   Each painting is about one square foot and is on metal with synthetic enamel paint.   These can be hung indoors or out.

2. Let me know what you would like it to say.

3. Let me know what style of portrait you would prefer:   naive, realistic, colorful, etc.

4. Tell me your pet's name and breed.   

5. Send your photo to me at:   [email protected] 
That's it !

Satisfaction is guaranteed as I accept no money up front.   If you do not like one of the three, you pay nothing, and the 3 artists are paid in full in any case.   Let me know what you want it to say and that's it!

 

The cost is $250 plus shipping.   Shipping is around $18 per sign (to and from the US).   And 9.75% California sales tax for California residents.  
Pay after choosing your portrait. 
Multiple pets on one sign cost more ($325 for Double, $400 for Triple).

 

Let's keep these artists painting.

 

This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world.   I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living.   Everybody is happy.   Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!