World Refugee

On my last day in Rangoon, Burma, as I exited the Strand Hotel this man approached me, I assumed, to beg for money. To my surprise, he asked if there was anything he might do to assist me…and he queried me with the accent of a refined British gentleman. A former teacher, but now a destitute refugee from Bangladesh; his future was bleak, but his attitude belied that reality. I was to fly out that day but chose to spend my last few hours with this gracious but courageous man. I gave him very last kyat I possessed save what I needed to exit the country. The resulting painting with the haunting eyes will forever remind me of the depth of the human spirit during extreme times.