The Myanmar Connection

As I had taught for four fantastic years in Myanmar, aka Burma, I know just how kind the people from there are.  I was very lucky yesterday to meet someone from Myanmar at the right time.

So many little things go into planning a trip like this, one of them being how you’re going to get your bike and yourself to the starting point.  I had shipped my bike Fedex from Florida to a shop in Eugene, Oregon, where they were going to put it together.  I just needed to get to the shop from the airport and then myself and the bike the 60 plus more miles to the coast.  Riding it was out of the question due to the time of day.

So after the last leg of the flight from Seattle to Eugene, I walked outside the small airport, in perfect weather, to look for a cab.  In many places there is a large degree of dread in taking a taxi ride. Especially a long one. I had exhausted other options and this was the only choice, but I was in a good mood knowing I was now close to my destination.

As I walked to the taxi stand, a driver called out to me asking if I needed a ride.  I told him I did and the address of the bike shop and quickly we were off.  His name was Kuhp (pronounced Coop) and he seemed like a really nice guy. The kind of guy who honestly was trying to be helpful without looking for anything in return.

Luckily, his cab had a bike rack. I mentioned to him a plan of just wanting a ride halfway to Florence. From there I’d get some biking in and go the rest of the way. He said sure and since he was an independent driver with his own vehicle, he’d give me a good rate.

I thought he was from SE Asia, possibly even from Myanmar.

“So Kuhp, where are you from originally?”

“Actually, I am from Myanmar.”

“Really?! I worked there for four years!”

That led to a discussion of all things Myanmar. The people, the places, the politics, the food, his family there. It was great.

I picked up my bike at the shop, fortunately not harmed in the shipping process, and we put it on the rack.

Along the way, Kuhp told me more about arriving in the the US, learning English (he had an impressive vocabulary), and what he did to get to this point. He moved often, first working for a sushi company. Miami, Mississippi, Omaha, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle.  He had sound ideas of what it takes to make a business work and was talking about his ideas for expanding his own.  Not just ideas, but things he’s already done.  A true entrepreneurial spirit.

He ended up driving me all the way into Florence, offering a price that he said he still made money on and that I felt was not taking advantage of his good nature.

One of the reasons I looked forward to this trip was to meet the people along the way and to hear some of their stories. For the first person I met off the plane, it was a great start.