This is Ei Ei, one of our star guides from Myanmar. From the Pa’O people, Ei Ei helps our guests enjoy the culture, people and beauty of Inle Lake. Here she writes about her life as a guide…
My full name is Nang Aye Nyein Ei but people call me Ei Ei. I am 34 years old and single. I am a Pa’Oh girl from Taunggyi, Southern Shan State , Myanmar. I have been working as a guide since 2006.
Before I finished my university, I saw some senior Kakku conductors in their Pa’Oh traditional costumes with tourists. A little bit about the Kakku: Kakku is the name of the Pagoda which is in the Pa’Oh territory. Any groups, even if they already have their own guides, have to get a Pa’Oh conductor to visit there.
I must say that I envied those seniors a lot. I have been interested in English since I was very young. I felt that it would be great to show and tell tourists about our Pa’Oh traditions so that people from different parts of the world would know about one of the minorities from Myanmar. That’s why I made up my mind to be a conductor. Then I tried to be a guide.
Being a guide, I like to take my guests to the house of the villagers and chat with them. The villagers can also learn something about a different part of the world and so do the guests.
I also like taking the guests around Inle Lake to see the unique method of rowing the boat by legs and their own style of fishing. Touring around the floating gardens and villages by boats is sensational.
Some guests do want to talk about the changes of the country.
I have most memorable group who were from America. While they were at Inle Lake, there was a political rally of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for by election at Heho. When I gave the information to them, they just cancelled the sightseeing and decided they wanted to go there. It was the first time for me to see the most famous opposition leader of our country in the flesh. It was awesome. Not only for me but also the guests really enjoyed it.
I am sure everybody will like Inle Lake as I do. So I warmly welcome them to Inle Lake.