September 6, 2002
Page 9
In Pursuit of a Dream: To Myanmar and
Charlie Counselman
Staff Writer
Visit a place not on any map.
Discover a new species. Stay with
the last surviving family of a near
extinct race of pygmy people.
Establish the boundaries for a
new national park.
These were the goals of Pro
fessor Alan Rabinowitz when he
set out on his expedition into the
northernmost tip of Myanmar
(officially called Burma until
1990), near the borders with
China, Tibet, and India. It is a
place where alchemy has not yet
evolved into modern chemistry.
Forest spirits are worshipped.
Every ten miles hosts a different
tribal group. The microclimates
of the eastern Himalayas pro
duce micro cultures of tribal
people and species of animals
little known to science.
The book chronicles of the
five separate journeys Rabinowitz
made to northern Myanmar over
Your Tummy Will Thank You, So Will Your Date
Jeremy Ball
Greensboro Life Editor
The appearance of parental
figures on campus usually calls for
a nicer dinner out than a student
could afford alone. When my own
came to town last weekend, I de
cided to hit them up for Market
Street West. I'd never been, but
had heard rave reviews. They
weren't unfounded.
One step inside and it became
obvious that Market Street West is
a far cry from family-oriented chain
steak houses. The dim dining room
is done in shades of maroon and
mahogany, furnished with comfy
(jfLCjCJ±AJrwj*iJtr- ~££jfT£-
the course of the 19905. Most of
the story deals with his experi-
ences during the
two-month expe
dition that he
conducted with
over 40 officjals
from- the
Myanmar Forest
Department and
military.
Having vis
ited Myanmar
myself, just the
fact that the au
thor was able to
get all the per
mits from the gov
ernment re
quired for such
an expedition
made me want to
read the book
simply to see how
he did it.
Myanmar gov
ernment bureau-
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chairs and linen-topped tables.
The staff was courteous and effi
cient, and didn't even frown at our
blue jeans and t-shirts - although
I'll dress more smartly for my next
trip.
We decided against appetizers,
but the server still provided us with
massive hot rolls and a vegetable
tray with berry cream cheese
sauce for dipping. Soon after, sal
ads were delivered; several entrees
require salad to be ordered a la
carte at a cost of $4-$5, but those
chosen by my party included either
salad or an "accompaniment." House
and Caesar salads both proved ex
cracy makes a morning at the
DMV seem like a quick trip to a
cellent choices. A Beefsteak Tomato
salad and Iceberg Wedge are also of
fered.
Three diners opted for the
Choice Boneless Ribeye, eleven
ounces of beef for $17.75. Steaks
were juicy and tasty - the natural
flavor of the meat wasn't hidden
under unnecessary sauces. The
six-ounce Filet Mignon, at $17.50,
was just as palatable. As one diner
put it, "Cooked to perfection. A little
pricey for the portion size, but ex
cellent." My steak was served with
Au Gratin Potato Casserole, a large
helping of rich, cheesy potato
chunks that made me glad I had
it# ff/fi#
fast food drive-through.
The two month expedition
takes Rabinowitz to
Tahundan, the northern
most village in Myanmar
at the edge of the
Himalayas. With the coop
eration of local villagers,
Rabinowitz is able to jour
ney and share the bond
that they feel with the
mountains. His descrip
tions of the stories that
they told him about hunt
ing in the mountains are
hilarious. "They described
feelings of 'love' that tor
mented them when they
were away from the area,"
Rabinowitz writes. "One
hunter said he asked his
wife not to wash his clothes
for at least a week after
he returned, so that he
would still be able to smell
the mountains. She was
convinced that he had
decided on a side rather than
salad!
A friend's Breast of Chicken
Cordon Bleu (sl6) was cooked
perfectly and presented well in a
baking dish, but was almost too
laden with cheese. To quote him
directly, "Cheese. Cheese on top
of cheese. Then some
chicken...its still good, though!"
Dishes less "meat dependent"
were also excellent. The sauce on
the Pasta Primavera (sl4) was prop
erly light and creamy. "The veg
etables," quoth the lucky recipient of
this dish, "are crisp and fresh."
The only true disappointment
fallen in love with another
woman. Another hunter told me
of seeing 'snow people' covered
in white hair. The snow women
were beautiful, he said, but their
legs were ugly. He too quarreled
with his wife, who was convinced
that he had made love to these
women."
While the story takes 280
pages to tell, the writing style is
kept simple providing for a quick,
entertaining read. The author
kept his scientific findings abbre
viated to keep the attention of
the readers" not pursuing Mas
ters degrees in wildlife biology
or conservation.
Most of all, Beyond the Last
Village offers a glimpse at the
thoughts of someone who has
pushed himself to the limit in the
pursuit of his goal. As such, he
accomplished what some
Guilford College students might
someday pursue, and what even
more are capable of.
of the evening was the dessert.
The Creme Brulee ($5) was a bit
too runny, the crust a little too easy
to crack. No other desserts were
sampled; perhaps it was just a bad
choice. At least the coffee was ex
cellent, as Market Street West
serves and sells their own blend.
Market Street West certainly
isn't the place to go when you're
down to pocket change. But if you
can fork out the green (or get
someone else to), you'll be re
warded with top-notch food in a
classy atmosphere. Keep it in mind
for family visits and impressive
dates