MYANMORE Magazine - No.10/ August 2017

www.myanmore.com

Yangon, Mandalay & Beyond

No. 10 / August 2017 It’s free!

magazine

MYANMAR'S FIRST PULITZER WINNER GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND The Esther Htusan Story more action more entertainment more lifestyle

magazine

No. 10 / August 2017

ON THE COVER

Promotions 8

GOT YOUR MYANMORE CARD YET? 2000+ members!

What’s On 6

Movies 10

100+ venues

New Openings 12 Briefings 14 Cover Story 16 The pen is mightier than the sword Esther Htusan

Enjoy greater savings!

100+ places - restaurants, bars, cafes, health and well-being establishments, hotels and retail outlets, when you flash your MYANMORE card. www.myanmorecard.com New designs available - collect them all!

Art and Culture 20 Putting your best face forward

The pen is mightier than the sword: Esther Htusan Photography Gerhard Joren

MISSED OUT ON PREVIOUS ISSUE(S)? www.myanmore.com

Yangon, Mandalay & Beyond

No. 3 / Jan 2017 It’s free!

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COMING UP FOR AIR: MAYCO NAING more action more news more lifestyle

Fret not. https://issuu.com/myanmore

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Receive news, happenings and info into your inbox twice a week. www.myanmore.com/yangon/newsletter/ BE VISIBLE AND BE HEARD: For feedback and enquiries, contact us at: sales@myanmore.com editor@myanmore.com +95(0)9 779 003 701 / 702

4 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

Managing Director Andreas Sigurdsson Editors Natty Tangmeesang Ryan Sequeira Contributors Brittney Tun Dominic Horner Emily Aung Gerald Ng RJ Vogt James Fable Phone Depar Min San Zar Ni Bo Sofia Raineri Susan Bailey Sondang Grace Sirait Photography Gerhard Joren Leo Jackson Art & Production Kyaw Kyaw Tun Hein Htet Publisher MYANMORE Magazine Pyit Thiri Thaw Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited Permit No. 01588 Printer Shwe Naing Ngan Press No. 90 (C), Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Township, Yangon.

Permit No. 00296/00371

Sales & Advertising sales@myanmore.com 0977 900 3701 / 3702 About Myanmore Myanmore is a registered brand under Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited providing digital and print publishing as well as creative services. Myanmore is managing the leading online city guide www.myanmore.com and printed publications Weekly Guide, EnjoyIt, KnowIt. We also work closely with the team of DRIVE, the first and only premium car magazine in Myanmar.

Recently, we have launched applications such as MYANMORE (lifestyle app) and Sarmal (app for finding restaurant & bars in Myanmar). The mission is to provide great content and experiences for residents in Myanmar.

Disclaimer No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from Myanmore. All details are deemed correct at the time of print. The editor, employees and contributors cannot be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions that may occur. www.myanmore.com www.facebook.com/myanmore www.issuu.com/myanmore Follow us on Instagram and Viber.

Music & Entertainment 24 Bosssyxx - Where women take centre stage Travel Nyaungdone & Danubyu: Life in the delta 26 Dom's day trips: Moe Yun Gyi 28 Shopping and Dining paradise: 72 hours in Hong Kong 30 Food & Drink 36 The first cat cafe in Yangon Sydney's home baked goods, charm and taste all rolled in one Jana Mon Mon ethnic food 38 Beauty 40 Don't let the monsoon dampen your complexion Q & A 42 Marbled Black company: A cut above the rest Sports 44 Weapon of mass destruction Horoscope 46

WHAT'S ON | EVENTS

Dining

Brazilian Picanha Week

7th to 12th August | 12:30 PM 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM Experience a taste of Brazil, with Juicy Picanha, tender “Pao de Queijo” and Escandidinho Camarao to name a few.

Available for Lunch and Dinner from August 7 to 12.

The Strand Hotel - 92, Strand Rd, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon

Boutique Brunch

13th and 27th August | 12:00 PM 3:00 PM All freshly cooked creations from their kitchen team to have a relaxed Sunday – not much walking around and no stress. Their Boutique Brunch has become even better – now you can enjoy apart from the delicious food selection, PROSECCO, House white and red wine, draft beer, fresh juices and coffee and tea without limitations.

USD 36.- net per person with free flow beverages. They look forward to see you at their Kipling’s Restaurant at Savoy Hotel Yangon. RSVP: 01-526305.

Savoy Hotel Yangon - 129, Dhammazedi Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon

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Wednesday Special Dish

16th, 23th and 30th August | 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM and 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM Every Wednesday, The Strand Cafe’ proposes a special dish: on August 2 it will be “Choucroute”, August 16 “Mussels”, August 23 “Couscous” and exceptionally this month, on August 30 “Raclette”. RSVP: fbmanager@ hotelthestrand.com or (+95) 1 243 377.

The Strand Hotel - 92, Strand Rd, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon

Activities

Walkabout YGN

11th August | From 10:00 AM Walkabout YGN is a city-wide open house organized by and for the Yangon startup community. Get an inside look at Yangon's startups & other ecosystem actors - visit their offices and make valuable connections. Sign up and get more info at http://www. walkaboutygn.com/ Walkabout YGN is organized by Global Entrepreneurship Network in Myanmar.

Yangon, Myanmar

Yangon Echoes, Inside Heritage Homes

World Electronic Retail Loop Exhibition

Join them for a special evening with Kiwi, Virginia Henderson and her husband, Tim Webster, to hear the stories behind their beautiful book: Yangon Echoes, Inside Heritage Homes. | RSVP : info@nzmbg.org

They are going to do the Werloop website launching event, product show, distributor collaboration & other exciting function included after party which will serve with the snack & beer. Your participation is very value to us & hope to see you all at the event with your friends & clients. For more information, feel free to call us 09450005379.

15th August | 6:30 PM

Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon

Global Water Conference 2017 16th & 17th August | 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM

The staging of the Global Water Conference 2017 in Yangon is meant to address the issues of water supply and resources management in the SEA region. This conference is designed to facilitate the implementation of the water management policies and encouraging collaboration between those working on water resources management and water technologies, and those working on environmental, public health, economic growth and other issues. | RSVP : 01 242 828.

Sule Shangri-La - 223, Sule Pagoda Rd, Pabedan Tsp, Yangon

27th August | 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Gandamar Grand Ballroom - Corner of Waizayandar Rd and Gandamar Rd, Mayangone Tsp, Yangon

Educational

International Education Exhibition 2017 12th August | 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

AT&S (International Education Service Company) organize International Education Exhibition 2017. In the Expo, you can know about the Universities, Degrees, Rankings, Student Visa and other things. | Free admission.

Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon

WHAT'S ON | EVENTS

Study in Japan Fair 2017

26th August | 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM Many Japanese Educational Association will be there for you and Seminar and Booth will be there for one by one discussion. It is the free event, No need pre registration.

Novotel Yangon Max - 459 Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp, Yangon

Business

Britcham Social: Joint Networking Event with A-MCC

14th August | 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM The event will take place at the hotel's newly restored Mindon Lounge on the upper level of the heritage mansion, featuring canapes by Chef Ban, Belmond's new Executive Chef. All attendees can enjoy a Lucky Draw with prizes that feature Belmond's properties in Myanmar, including a "Governor's Pool Pass" at Belmond Governor's Residence and two-night luxury river cruise aboard Belmond Road to Mandalay. 17USD or 25,000MMK for Members | 25USD or 35,000MMK for Non Members. Register here: http://www. britishchambermyanmar.com/newsevents/events/item/1061-monthly-networking-event-august.html Belmond Governor's Residence - 35, Taw Win Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon

Legal and Compliance Training

Cci France Myanmar - Parkside One Building, 271-273 Bagayar St, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon

Nightlife

Live Music with Charlie & Sandy

10th August | 8:30 PM - 11:55 PM Join Charlie & Sandy for an exclusive night of Blues & Soul at Union Bar & Grill. FREE ENTRY. Extended Happy Hour 5pm-8pm. | RSVP : 09 250 355 064.

Union Bar and Grill - 42 Strand Rd, Left corner of the Myanmar Red Cross Building, Botahtaung Tsp, Yangon

Woodstock live music: 3 live bands and 7 hours of live music 12th August | 6:00 PM - 1:00 AM

The Penthouse is back with the biggest Live music party of the season.

So, Music lovers get ready. This is a treat for you all and here what’s waiting for you. Dress code: wear fashions from the late 1960’s ( prefered but not mandatory). | RSVP : 09 771 239924.

The Penthouse - 271-273 Bargayar St, Park side one building 8th floor, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon

Listings Add your own event on events. myanmore.com or contact us on events@myanmore.com

26th August, 2nd and 9th September | 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM As a local or foreign staff in Myanmar, you desire to improve the awareness of legal requirements upon establishment of a new enterprise, your understanding of general obligations for enterprises in Myanmar or simply improve the management. | RSVP : 01 523 700.

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 7

PROMOTIONS | DEALS Nightlife

Nightlife

Ladies Night @ Yangon Yangon Rooftop Bar Every Wednesday Ladies night in YangonYangon every Wednesday. DJ MR.Y at 8pm with Hip Hop, Rnb, House, etc. FREE cocktails to ladies at 7pm. 50% Off on Frozen cocktails. 20% Off on Sparkling Wine.

HAPPY HOUR 5pm – 7pm. Bucket Beers Deal (Buy4 get 2).

Yangon Yangon Rooftop Bar - 01 255 131

50 Shades of BOOZE Every Wednesday

Social Night with Latin Beats @ Club Rizzoli Every Friday Dance the night away to Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba and Tango with dance instructor Nora McGreen from 7pm till late. Happy Hour until 10pm on all house-poured drinks.

Chatrium Hotel – 01 544500

Dining

Night

All You Can Eat Dim Sum at Summer Palace

Last chance to enjoy Summer Palace's Dim Sum Festival! A refreshed selection for only US$ 18 nett. Available daily for lunch. Date: Valid until 31st August 2017. RSVP: 01 242 828 ext.

6401, 6402, 6403

The Penthouse - 09 771 239924 Sule Shangrila Hotel - 223 Sule Pagoda Road, Yangon.

Footlong Burger & Brewski at Gallery Bar

Travel

Taste the burger to trump all burgers for USD 15 nett; get a glass of Myanmar draught beer with your long burger.

Ni

Buy 1 Get 1 FREE for draught beer; Myanmar or Tiger from 5pm - 8pm every day.

NOK Air Nok air is having special promotion again to please all at the start of the month. You may purchase Ygn-Bkk/ Bkk- Ygn route starting from 36 USD from August 1 to August 10 2017. Travel period is from August 8, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Come buy fast if you are planning to travel. You can buy online here : https://goo.gl/uR8Yxh or at nearest agency. Terms and conditions apply. http://www.NokAir.com . For more information contact to 01 255 050.

Myanmar National Airlines Grab a monsoon promotion to visit singapore. All in fare USD 170, Sales period at 25 May to 15 Sept 2017, Travel Period 25 May to 30 Sep 2017. Promo Code - SIN-PROMOTION http://www.flymna.com . For more information contact to 01 378 603

Ni

Factory Sale @ The Beer Factory Everyday

Sule Shangrila Hotel – 01 242828, Ext. 6401, 6402, 6403.

Moon Cake

Pirate Bar - 09 42029 9696

Happy Hour @ Cask 81 Everyday Buy 1 Get 1 FREE on Beer, Cocktail, Mocktail, Highball and other Spirit. Get 20% discount on Whisky and Wine.

Any order will serve with snacks. 5 pm - 8 pm.

Cask 81 - 09 254 083 981

AJ’s Happy Hour Mon - Fri AJ's bar and grill features a great selection of 3000 ks appetizers, buy 1 get one free Myanmar beer, wine by the glass 4000 ks, 3000 ks classic cocktails and more. 4 pm - 7 pm.

AJ’s - 09 785 422151

Happy Hours

August Only

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Happy Hour @ Pirate Bar Everyday

Valid until 31st August No more ladies night and no more unfairness !!! From now on every wednesday ladies and gentleman can enjoy the BUY 1 GET 1 FREE on ALL BOOZE (standard drinks) all night long.

- USD 6nett per piece - USD 24nett per box Ph: 01 544 500 Ext: 6221, 6287

5 Glasses/ 1 Tower/ 2 Towers of Carlsberg, Tuborg or Yoma with amazing price before 9 pm.

5th August - 15th August

The Beer Factory - 09 977 606888

"Early Bird offer 10+2" for pre-purchase of minimum 10 boxes from 1st to 15th August 2017 Savour our wide selection of homebaked traditional mooncakes to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival with a host of delicate flavours including snow taro with egg yolk, snow chocolate or green tea to name but a few of the delights on offer.

Special Box set presentation of four or single varities Snow selection with egg yolk (Taro, Green Tea, Black Sesame, Red Bean and Lotus)

7th Joint Bar & Grill Happy Hour Everyday Buy 1 Get 1 FREE for beverages; draught beer, cocktails, spirit/mixer & soft drinks (excluding bottles) from 5pm - 8pm every day.

7th Joint Bar - 09 260 600 552

Happy Hour @ The Basement Mon - Thu Buy 1 Get 1 FREE draft beer from 5 pm - 8 pm The Basement - 01 229 173

PROMOTIONS | BUSINESS Transportation

Hello Cabs Taxi Service No.24, Aye Yeik Mon 2nd Street, 4th Ward, Hlaing Township 01 9339111 http://www.hellocabs.com.mm

Relocation

Asian Tigers Mobility Room 504, M.M.G Tower, #44/56, Kannar Rd, bet 41st - 42nd Sts , Botataung Tsp 01 250 290, 09 541 2751 yupar@asiantigers-myanmar.com http://www.asiantigers-mobility.com

Laundry

Shine Professional Dry Cleaning & Laundry Services No. 111/A, Nga Htat Kyee Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp, Yangon 01 545700, 09 8612273, 09 260700712, 09 791799014 customerservice@shinelaundry.net http://shinelaundry.net

5àsec Myanmar Laundry Service Corner of Inya Road & Dhammazedi Road, Kamaryut Township, Yangon 09 454550945 info.mm@5asec.com http://www.5asec.com.mm

Gems & Jewellery

FRANCK MULLER BACKES & STRAUSS YANGON Sedona Hotel, No.1 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road,Yankin Township 01 860 5539 http://www.franckmuller.com

LALIQUE Sule Square, Level 1, Room 115, Sule Pagoda Rd, Pabedan Tsp 09 964046996

SP Gems No.30A, Pyay Rd, 7 Mile, Mayangone Tsp 01 660397, 01 666052, 01 666053 spgems.myanmar@gmail.com http://spgems-myanmar.com

Real Estate

Pun Hlaing Estate Sales & Marketing Main Sales Gallery & Sales Office – Pun Hlaing Golf Club House, Pun Hlaing Estate, Hlaing Tharyar Tsp 01 687 777, 01 684 013 phgerental@spa-mm.com http://www.punhlaingestate.com

Star Residence Star City (A5 Building), Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Rd, Thanlyin Tsp 056-23150 (ext. 1166, 1162, 1128) leasing@ted-starcity.com https://www.starcityyangon.com

Shangri-La Serviced Apartments, Yangon Kan Yeik Tha Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp + 95 1 394 469 servicedapartments.slry@shangri-la.com http://www.shangri-la.com/yangon

LOTTE Serviced Apartments 82 Pyay Rd, Sinphyushin Yeik Tha, Ward 11, Hlaing Tsp 09 795729962 asstmktmgr@lotte.net http://www.lottehotel.com/yangon

Your Property Finder Real Estate Agency 459A, Room 703, New University Avenue Road, Bahan Tsp 01 8605255 - 56, 09 402617094 enquiries@ypf.com.mm http://www.ypf.com.mm https://www.facebook.com/YourPropertyFinder

Car Rental

Yoma Fleet B-1, 1st Floor, Yoma Bank Building, FMI City, Hlaing Thar Yar Township, Yangon, Myanmar 09 797 005366, 09 797 005370, 09 450003 5280, 09 254 126 940, 09 795 979676 soe@yomafleet.com http://www.yomafleet.com

Europcar

Inya Day Spa

74, Lann Thit Road, Innsein Township 09 964 722884, 01 646330 http://www.europcar-myanmar.com/

Address 1 - 16/2 Inya Rd, Kamaryut Tsp | 01 537 907, 09 301 73497 Address 2 - 3rd Floor, Junction City, 354/D Bogyoke Aung San Rd, Pabaedan Tsp Address 3 - Star City, Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Rd, Thanlyin Tsp inyaspa@gmail.com http://www.inyaspa.com

Health

Evergreen Dental Care Myanmar No.6, Min Ye Kyaw Zwa Road, corner of Pyay Road, Lanmadaw Township, Yangon, Myanmar 01 395 395 http://evergreendentalmm.com

Wellbeing

Y.G.N Health Spa & Wellness Center No.20, 3rd and 4th floors, Pearl Road, Golden Valley, Bahan Tsp 09 777 3333 58

Beyond Boundaries Yoga No.28, Level 3, Boyar Nyunt St, Yaw Min Gyi, Dagon Tsp 09 776 436745 yogabeyondboundaries@gmail.com http://www.beyondboundariesyoga.com

Oasis Spa Pun Hlaing Golf Club House, Pun Hlaing Estate, Hlaing Tharyar Tsp 01 684 013 phgemarketing@gmail.com http://www.punhlainggolfestate.com Travel

Columbus Travels & Tours Ltd 586, Strand Rd, Corner of 7 St, Lanmadaw Tsp 0951 229245, 0951 2316245 ticketing.columbus@gmail.com http://www.travelmyanmar.com

Do you want to be listed?

Contact us on 09 779 003 701/702 sales@myanmore.com

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 9

CINEMA

Now Showing Munna Michael Action, Drama, Musical A young man, tries to follow the footsteps of his idol, The King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

Starring: Nidhhi Agerwal, Sahil Anand, Jiiva & more.

Dunkirk Action, Drama, History Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, Canada, and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II. Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Damien Bonnard, Aneurin Barnard & more.

Coming Soon The Dark Tower Action, Adventure, Fantasy The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, has been locked in an eternal battle with Walter O'Dim, also known as the Man in Black, determined to prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together. With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black. Starring: Katheryn Winnick, Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba & more.

10 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

CINEMA

Valerian And The City Of A Thousands Planets Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe. Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen & more.

Annabelle: Creation Horror, Mystery, Thriller Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker's possessed creation, Annabelle. Starring: Stephanie Sigman, Miranda Otto, Talitha Bateman & more.

Credit to: http://www.imdb.com Cinemas in Yangon Mingalar Sanpya Cineplex

09 260 887 035 — 36, 01 230 3 165 Mingalar Cineplex (Gamone Pwint)

09 779 054 671 — 73 Mingalar Cinema 2 (Dagon Centre (II))

09 732 54 091 — 92 Nay Pyi Daw

01 251 277, 01 251 288 Shae Saung Cinema

01 252 113, 01 388 034 Thamada Cinema

01 246 962, 01 246 963 Thwin

01 372 594, 01 388 033 Mingalar

01 243057

Show Times Pick up our weekly guide or log on to www.myanmore.com

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 11

new openings Yangon

Bar Bondi

01

European The Bondi Group Myanmar is excited to bring Bar Bondi to Yangon. Now open, Bar Bondi offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, all available to take away or dine in. A full drinks menu including cocktails, mocktails and coffees with all the normal beverages.

01

Ground Floor, International Commercial Centre, Corner of Strand Road and Botahtaung Pagoda Road, Botahtaung Tsp | Ph: 09975531471 8 am - 10 pm

OldTown White Coffee 02

Malaysian OldTown White Coffee introduces favorite Malaysian food at an affordable price, served in a clean, comfortable and tastefully decorated environment.

Popular fare like the all time favorite Nasi Lemak, Bah Kut Teh and range of delightful noodle selection will be featured in the OldTown White Coffee Signature restaurants in Myanmar.

If you need a break and a snack, their range of coffee, teas, smoothies and famous kaya toast will swirl and delight your taste buds.

02

Shop 1 - 30/A, Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Tsp | Ph: 099799511353 7 am - 10 pm Shop 2 - Level 2 of Junction City, Pabedan Tsp | Ph: 09425099134 9 am - 10 pm

Kafe in Town 03 Asian

03

Kafe in Town brings modern decoration, combined with exotic Southeast Asian gastronomy. Strategically located in the heart of downtown Yangon, the restaurant offers a cozy and relaxing space with yellow lighting, variety of coffee with distinctive taste and fusion dishes inspired by Thai, Laos, and Vietnamese cuisine. A few European inspired menu are also available to cater both local and foreign

customers. It’s a perfect place to stop on a rainy day to enjoy a good time with friends and family.

Corner of Pansodan Street & Merchant Road, Kyauktada Tsp | Ph: 09781888838 7:30 am - 7 pm

Hard Rock Cafe 04 American Hard Rock Cafe brings its signature style to Myanmar with its newest cafe in Yangon. In-between your explorations of Myanmar’s largest metropolis, rest your feet while sampling delectable American cuisine amid an expansive collection of music memorabilia.

A few of your favorite dishes include the Legendary Burger and fresh Grilled Salmon, as well as award-winning drinks complete with collectible glassware. Live music from Tuesday to Sunday, lunch menu from 12pm daily.

4th Floor, Myanmar Plaza, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp | Ph: 09458261390 12 pm - 12 am

90's BAR 05 Bar They created a bar for 90’ borns, called 90’s bar with amazing decorations which will take you back to your amazing childhood life. The place looks nice with some burmese cartoon drawings attached to the walls and make it cozy.

Corner of Aung Mingalar Street and Dagon Thiri Street, Tamwe Tsp | Ph: 09440530490 4 pm - 11 pm

Regional Bistro Bar Bar As its name, this bar located across the Dhamazedi Road, serving signature cocktails to your table and asian fusion food from the kitchen team. And the best is, they have Myanmar’s own craft beer Burbrit beer for your craving.

456A/B, Corner of Link Street and Dhammazedi Road, Golden Link Residence, Bahan Tsp | Ph: 09420606005 11 am - 11 pm

new openings Jazz Cafe 06 Cafe Yangon’s first Ice-cream cakes are available here and a real taste of coffee, also a cozy environment around the place.

Well worth going place to visit when you are craving for a dessert.

101 Kan Street, Kamayut Tsp | Ph: 095240354 9 am - 9:30 pm

My Aura Aesthetic Skin Clinic Wellbeing My Aura clinic provides various kinds of facial and body treatment with the latest technologies, medical grade skin care products from USA, Thailand and Korea. They use Dermatologist and Aestheticians’ award winning skin care products from USA to offer the most effective treatment to our patients in a few week times. Most importantly, all patients are treated under the guidance of Dr. Hnin, Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medical Doctor who accredited in Thailand and Myanmar.

04

12 Parami Road, Near Hotel Parami, Mayangone Tsp | Ph: 09777998838, 09777998848 10 am - 7 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Thai Lin Spa Wellbeing Thai Lin focus the personal care of your beauty and cosmetic, featuring the brands from Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand.

Thai Lin has all the service you need up to your own skin type; face, makeup , hair , waxing , spa, nail art & foot care, etc.

05

24 Arthawka Street, Kyauk Myaung, Tamwe Tsp | Ph: 09421171313, 09450027661, 09253576346 9 am - 9 pm

Find out more in "Sarmal" www.sarmal.com.mm

06

BRIEFINGS Yangon Education

TWO NEW CAMPUSES OF DULWICH COLLEGE YANGON OPEN NOW IN YANGON Dulwich College Yangon is opening two new campuses with state-of-art facilities in Star City and Pun Hlaing in Yangon in partnership with local venture YOMA strategic holdings.

The campuses in Yangon are the latest addition to a network of Dulwich schools across Asia, offering an enhanced version of English National Curriculum, adapted to the needs of its international student body. The College’s enhanced curriculum, leads to IGCSE examinations in Year 10 and 11 and then, in Years 12 and 13, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP).

Dulwich College Yangon provides a range of world-class facilities across

London Dulwich College

14 / MYANMORE magazine #9 July 2017

both sites including a 500-seat performing arts centre, 350-seat black box theatre, science laboratories, art and design studios, libraries, gymnasia, 25m and 50m swimming pools, and sports fields.

The pool is not just for the students. It will be used by the wider Yangon community outside of school hours. The College intends to extend an invitation to the Myanmar swim team to make use of the facilities, too.

The 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool is one of the highlights among other world-class facilities that Dulwich hopes will attract students to the school and it will be complete later this year on the Star City campus.

The 50-metre, 10-lane outdoor pool will be the first of its kind in a school in Myanmar and will feature a touch-pad timing system used in professional swimming competitions among other olympic-standard features.

“We are honoured to be able to bring these superior facilities to Myanmar at this exciting time for the country”, said Headmaster Daryl Orchard.

‘Our swimming pool, alongside our other sporting facilities, will enable our students to flourish athletically and will complement the state-of-theart academic facilities across both of our campuses’

‘Sport is an integral part of a balanced education and with facilities such as these students will have the opportunity to develop their abilities to the highest levels,” continued Mr Orchard.

Dulwich College Yangon is a member of the Dulwich College International family of schools, a network of international school across China, Singapore and South Korea. The schools work closely with the founding school, prestigious Dulwich College in London, a school which draws on nearly 400 years of educational experience.

Dulwich College Schools have a proven track-record for placing students in the best universities world-wide.

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FEATURE | COVER

Photography by Gerhard Joren

16 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

FEATURE | COVER

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD The Esther Htusan Story

By RJ Vogt

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 17

FEATURE | COVER

18 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

FEATURE | COVER

In 2015, Esther Htusan travelled more than 3,000 miles from home to sneak around a remote Indonesian island and interview men in cages. Many of them were her countrymen, and all of them had been trafficked into a life of slavery serving Thailand's notorious fishing industry.

If that description sounds like an unusual way to spend one's time, it might help to know that the 29-yearold Htusan has a habit of entering dangerous situations. As a journalist for the Associated Press, she had already made a career covering natural disasters, drug trading and ethnic conflict when she set out for Benjina, a sparsely populated speck of landmass near Papau New Guinea.

But this investigation -- which would lead to a speedboat chase and armed stalkers -- was bigger than all the others. Over a period of nearly two years, Htusan and her colleagues Martha Mendoza, Robin McDowell and Margie Mason would publish a series of stories that exposed how slavery had infiltrated the supply chain of major international food companies.

Their reporting led to the release of more than 2,000 slaves (90% of them Myanmar nationals), the arrests of a dozen people and the introduction of legislation in the US Congress to demand more transparency from food suppliers.

For their efforts, all four women received a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, making Htusan Myanmar's first-ever Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter -- and forcing a tough conversation with her mother.

"After the Pulitzer announcement, some local journalists came to my apartment and did some interviews," she says, grinning as she remembered the immediate aftermath of her achievement. "My mom was listening from the back door, and she was like, 'um, sorry? What were you doing in Indonesia again? I thought you were in Jakarta the whole time!'"

Before she was an award-winning reporter, Htusan was just another

Kachin kid growing up in Myitkyina, the Kachin State capital. There she took judo classes and played football, competing against two brothers and refusing to fit into "girly woman" stereotypes.

opened Myanmar up to foreign journalist in 2012, she jumped at the chance to work as a fixer, someone who could help the influx of clueless foreigners access a country that had long been walled off.

"My dad always treated me the same as boys," she said. "Nobody in my family really criticized the way we grew up, so we had a chance to grow up however we wanted."

"Hundreds of foreign journalists poured into Myanmar without knowing what to do," she said. "This country was full of spies. You could walk around and sit in a tea shop and there would be two or three guys in the corner watching you."

In her case, the "be who you want to be" upbringing allowed her to pursue an interest in social justice and human rights, despite the fact that such topics were taboo under what was then a military regime. After graduating Kachin State University with a bachelor's degree in mathematics -- "social justice and human rights... those weren't [subjects] you could choose" -- she moved to Yangon and began rigorous self-education in English at the American Center.

At the same time, she started attending underground political science classes offered by the British Council, under the auspices of "programs for capacity building".

"It's not like this anymore but at that time, under Than Shwe, you could get arrested for learning political science," she said.

Through the secret classes, she fell in with a group of like-minded individuals and helped launch a voter education campaign during the lead-up to 2012's by-election. Back then, she considered herself an activist, but she'd also picked up work editing an English-language learning magazine for children and writing at the Myanmar-language Politics Journal.

When the TheinSein administration

Within a year she had worked with 15-20 journalists and organizations, honing her chops and earning a reputation as one of the country's most reliable resources for foreign news organizations. The Associated Press hired her in 2013.

"For the first time, I thought not as an activist but as a journalist," she said.

In just a few years, the ambitious reporter has risen to the top of the AP's Myanmar office.

When you enter the bureau's high-rise newsroom in Yangon's Sakura Tower, you find a small operation humming along under Htusan's guidance. She puts together story proposals and coordinates trips for herself and the AP's in-country photographers and reporters, factoring in costs and safety concerns as well as managing the day-to-day reporting on stories from around the country.

"I wouldn't call myself a 'bureau chief,'" she says, humbly. "But I get to run this bureau by myself."

money than their male counterparts and face rampant discrimination and sexism, Htusan says that her gender has never stopped her from pursuing her own reporting goals.

"In the AP [Myanmar bureau], I am the only woman journalist," she says, gesturing at the staff around her. "And yet I'm the only person who goes to the front line -- none of these guys go.

So... women should just go and do and prove that we can do it. Otherwise there's no way the change the mentality of the men leading this society."

When I bring up State Councilor Aung San SuuKyi, she clarifies her point.

"Oh this country is run by women," she says. "Without women this country would be, I don't know, twenty years behind? When I say men lead the society... all the credit is taken by men."

All the credit -- aside from Htusan's Pulitzer, tangible proof that the ageold power dynamic may be shifting.

The award is also a status symbol that has completely altered Htusan's life, landing her speaking opportunities at the International Office of Migration and the United Nations, as well as with the Myanmar Foreign Correspondent's Club.

"Before that [Pulitzer], I was seen a little bit more as a kid," she says, adding that she's struggled with confidence issues in the past. "But then all these things happen... and it makes me a bit more mature and gives me self-confidence. It really helps me to believe in myself."

Not that anyone else has any doubts.

It's a remarkably swift ascension in a male-dominated industry. Though the overall female labour force in Myanmar makes, on average, 40% less MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 19

ART & CULTURE

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ART & CULTURE

PUTTING YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD Thanakha: Ancient Pastime Turned Modern Indulgence

By Brittney Tun My love affair with thanakha began nearly ten years ago. It was first introduced to me in the US by my husband, who bought me a kyaukpyin (stone slab used for grinding) and two thin cuttings of thanaka wood that he ordered from an online store in New York.

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ART & CULTURE

We unboxed it together. He ground the bark into a paste with water, demonstrating the proper consistency, then tenderly applied it on my face- the same way he did for his two younger brothers when they were school-aged boys. “There, that will make your skin feel nice. Doesn’t it smell good?” he cooed.

into and the two-thousand-year-old tradition of gussying up with groundup tree bark.

The memory still warms my heart.

Wearing thanakha was one of the few ways I could feel a physical connection to a culture I thought I’d never know intimately.

Burmese make-up artists now have their own YouTube channels and make-up tutorials on Facebook. Bella Cosmetics is owning it right now, with their nationally-recognized slogan, “Bella, be a star.”

Sitting barefoot in my Yangon office this morning, clad in a comfy Karen-made htamain and reminiscing over a cup of Kyout Pa Dong-style tea, I contemplate this culture I’ve melded 22 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

Ten years ago, a lady wearing heavy thanakha on the city streets was as common as gentleman chewing betel quids. The realization is that times, they are a-changin’.

“The popularity of modern western-style make-up is changing habits of people across SEA countries, affecting old-style traditional skin

treatment or make -up,” said Supachai Jupanish,GM of De Leaf Thanaka. “[Companies] not able to evolve will be slowly becoming obsolete and out of trend.”

Nowadays, urban youth think wearing heavy thanakha is synonymous with looking like a villager. “However,” said U Khine Lin, the R&D and International Relations Manager for Shwe Pyi Nann,“they still use thanakha at home because thanakha naturally has good benefits of anti-wrinkles, oil-absorption, and skin brightening.”

Mr. Jupanish added,“There will be more and more innovative companies, like ours, for example, who come up with great ideas to create new products which are invented from essenc-

es of traditional/natural ingredients and make it a new trend for young consumers.”

His company, based in Thailand, offers five categories of products: Facial & Body Powder, Foundation Powder, Facial Moisturizing Cream, Body Moisturizing Serum, and Moisturizing Soap.

Consumer favorites are the soap and powder.

Shwe Pyi Nann, the leading thanakha producer in Myanmar, employees more than 1,000 locals. They are evolving with the industry, with ISO- certified, TUV-tested products.

Their premium line, the Gold Series, features facial soap, compact powder, face mask, and sunscreen lotion enriched with natural thanakha.

ART & CULTURE

''they still use thanakha at home because thanakha naturally has good benefits of anti-wrinkles, oil-absorption, and skin brightening'' U Khine Lin

Thanakha has even found its way in perfume- like Shwe Thondary’s Myat Noe Wadi, a blend of thanakha, sandalwood, and fragrant blossoms. Kenzo Amour boasts traces of Thanaka wood in its “olfactory voyage evoking Asia.”

International cosmetics companies are taking note. “Now westerners are more exposed and excited [about] Eastern natural ingredients,” Mr. Jupanish said, adding that thanakha was among the most highly praised.

According to U Khine Lin, Shwe Pyi Nannhas garnered interest from companies from the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, and Russia. “As our country's economy is booming quite rapidly, our national and natural treasure thanakha is also getting more and more known to other countries,” he informed.

These companies are constantly gauging the market to suit the modern tastes of contemporary consumersand not just the Burmese. De Leaf Thanaka is available in Southeast Asia,Vietnam,and China. Shwe Pyi Nann ships to Thailand and can be found in Malaysia, the Philippines, eBay, and Amazon.

“I like natural thanakha best,” says Wah Thone, a teenager from a small village near Bago. Her cousin, Wah Lay, agreed. “But, if I’m in a hurry,” she added, “I like to use Shwe Pyi Nann with the lime scent.” Like U Khine Lin said, “It makes us feel "homey" by using it, so Thanakha tradition will still be going strong in Myanmar.”

Another contender is Taunggyi Mauk Mai, whose products are also tested

by TUV Singapore and ISO -certified.

Along with thanakha powder, their other thanakha-based products are botanical-infused lotions, moisturizer, and sun block in their Caroline L series.

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MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

BOSSYXX – WHERE WOMEN TAKE CENTRE STAGE

By Brittney Tun What’s in a name? Everything, if you ask Heraid Castillo and her business partner, Kelsey Atwood.

Castillo, a well-spoken and sprightly Venezuelan-born American, has been in Myanmar for less than a year, but she’s already making waves with her roles at Impact Hub Yangon and Myanmar International Radio. Kelsey, who’s been in Myanmar for three years, is an Ecuadorian-American who grew up in India and Bangkok and is now Deputy Director of Equality Myanmar.

Their start-up initiative, BOSSYxx, has a name that evokes ferocity and a call to action. “From a marketing standpoint,” Heraid says, “‘Boss’ is a well-known word, even to non-native speakers (especially in Myanmar), and it has hip hop connotations.” Indeed, Castillo and Atwood love BOSSYxx as much as Myanmar loves hip hop, but the meaning goes even deeper.

“One time, Beyoncé started a campaign to ban the word ‘bossy’for legitimate reasons. The word is used only when referring to women and young girls in the playground to silence them, and it teaches them not to be assertive,” Heraid said. “Some thought as we do, that instead of banning the word, women should own it.”

XX doesn’t just stand for kisses, either.

“XX is for the female chromosome and to expose everyone’s acceptance of certain gender stereotypes,” Castillo asserts. Inclusiveness is tantamount to the BOSSYxx mission: to organize “world class concerts with the most exciting female, female-identifying, and other gender stereotype-defying artists in South East Asia.”

The idea occurred to Castillo when she began spending time with the organizers of Youk$hi and attending 24 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

“It’s not a proven model… we’re trying new things. We’re trying to help develop the music scene, to grow it, and [some people] don’t want to support it. So, finances have been tough,”

their events. Heraid detected a huge imbalance of representation on stage.

“I noticed that’s a thing in the west, too. Coachella had 15% female acts in 2015. I thought an easy fix was just to flip the male to female act ratio.” So, she vowed to plan live events featuring at least 70% female representation.

Joined in May by Kelsey Atwood, the women have faced some opposition in their mission. “Sometimes,” Heraid said, “men don’t get it. They ask, ‘Why are you promoting only girls?’ They don’t see the nuance in the issue. The fact that many women sing pop tunes is not the same as a woman who owns a record label (the percentage of that is super low); it’s not the same as a woman that produces those tunes, as a woman working as a sound engineer.

It’s not the same because the singer has less of a say in the process of music-making compared to the latter examples. All those jobs are usually done by men.”

She has her own explanation for that.

“For a long time,” she noted,“women were confined to the domestic sphere, which led to them pursuing arts less

than men did.” This, she attests, created the imbalance we see now. “Young men had so many role models in the music industry, so more boys grew up to be musicians. We have to break that cycle,” she urged.

Another complication, she reveals, is securing solid sponsorship. “It’s not a proven model… we’re trying new things. We’re trying to help develop the music scene, to grow it, and [some people] don’t want to support it.

So, finances have been tough,” she confessed.

BOSSYxx’s maiden show, held at the Sky Bistro in July, was a fundraising success, raising slightly more than $1,200 USD,with proceeds going towards a scholarship for a female student of Gitameit Music Center. The center, a renowned Yangon-based non-profit music school, provides scholars with their own instrument, as well transportation costs to and from the music center, a food allowance, and pocket money. “A day in the music center consists of a strict schedule of music theory, study, and practice,” Heraid informed.

Encouraged by the success of their opening event,Heraid and Kelsey have another project in the works, scheduled for August 19th. “It’s a hip hop show,” Castillo said. Artists who want to take part are invited to contact her on the BOSSYxx Facebook page, as did one of the acts from the July show. “We were so excited when they reached out to us and even more excited to hear that they were great!”

Heraid said.

The entire line-up of thatshowthrilled her. Bangkok’s own indie sensation, Jelly Rocket, headlined the event, with performances from local artists such as Inappropriate Thoughts (a musician collective), Platform, Gabriel, Tu, ITÖ, and Vicky and Juzz.

To the women and girls in Myanmar who want to break into the music industry or any male-dominated field, Heraid offers some advice: “Remember [you] have every right to be there as the men have and that the music industry needs [your] voice and perspective.”

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TRAVEL | LOCAL

INBOUND

NYAUNGDONE & DANUBYU: LIFE IN THE DELTA

By James Fable

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TRAVEL | LOCAL

Travelling through the Ayeyarwady Region

NaingganayePaya, MogokPaya and MahadediPaya

Off the tourist trail, Nyaungdone and Danubyu harbour the charm of delta life and make for a pleasant weekend escape from Yangon. Stilted wooden houses and plush rice fields offer snapshots of local life, while monastic complexes of dilapidated colonial buildings promise an intriguing insight into British imperial history and Buddhist tradition.

There are three main pagodas in downtown Nyaungdone and all are worth visiting. NaingganayePaya, is decorated with shiny mosaic columns and houses a 48-foot seated Buddha built in 1913. The scene at sunrise is especially pleasing, as worshippers sit round low wooden tables and ladle out rice over cups of plain tea.

Nyaungdone Locals may know Nyaungdone as the birth place of prominent Burmese poet, Pho Thaukkya, but few tourists and expats have heard of this quaint rural town 50km north-west of Yangon. It’s easily reached from the big city – just hop on a 1,000-2,000ks bus at Dagon Ayar Bus Station and you’ll be there within the hour – but expect protracted passport and visa checks upon arrival because of the lack of tourists. Fortunately, the locals are welcoming and keen to help however they can.

Accommodation options are twofold: Osaka Guesthouse in the centre of town and Kay KhaingOo Guesthouse on the verdant outskirts, about a five-minute drive from Nyaungdone’s downtown area. The latter is run by the friendly Peter Lwin, who kindly let me use his moped for the day and later treated me to dinner and Myanmar’s favourite spirit, Scotch whisky. For 8,000ks you can stay in a double room with a shared bathroom, or for 20,000ks you can upgrade to a double bed with an ensuite.

The Riverside Nyaungdone sits at the point where the Irrawaddy River, the largest of Myanmar’s many rivers, diverges into one of its tributaries, the Pun Hlaing River. The riverside walkway may not extend far, but a stroll along it nevertheless offers an insight into life on the river’s edge: whether it’s to transport the principal local crops of rice and corn, go fishing or simply as a soothing spot to squat down for a chat, the Irrawaddy is the essential provider.

MogokPaya is scattered with buildings of red, gold and green and features an elegant pagoda flanked on either side by towering palms. A narrow path through a swampy garden leads to its southern entrance, and outside its northern entrance stands one of the country’s ubiquitous, weather-worn statues of General Aung San. MahadediPaya is Nyaungdone’s most striking pagoda, and walking round its photogenic complex is a rewarding experience that shouldn’t be missed – no matter how many pagodas you’ve seen. Commanding chinthes (lion-like creatures) guard the western entrance, but its true allure resides in the delicate yet profound contrast of intricate golden trelliswork and modest red-edged buildings.

Rice The Ayeyardwady Region is at the forefront of Myanmar’s rice production, and just outside Nyaungdone lie many flourishing rice fields which are best viewed by bicycle or moped.

If you’re lucky, you may even be able to visit a local rice mill.I was invited into one by a friend of Peter Lwin’s, whose business exports rice to China. Lying just off the road between Kay KhaingOo and downtown Nyaungdone, this dusty, atmospheric warehouse provides a wonderful opportunity to see men and machinery at work, sorting, sifting and packing thecountry’s chief export.

attractive paya-kyi and as the place where King MahaBandula was finally defeated in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824-1826). Catching a bus from Yangon or Nyaungdone is the easiest way to get there, bicycle or trishaw the favoured ways of navigating its small streets (though tourists may prefer their own two feet). Besides its bustling market, Danubyu moves at a pleasantly slow pace – even the enormous fruit bats that emerge around sunset flap their wings languidly.

Like Nyaungdone, there are only two guesthouses – but this time both are to be found in the town centre. Again, expect to pay around 8,000-10,000ks for a double room with a shared bathroom, and anticipate more stringent passport and visa checks. Once you’re finished with the legal formalities, though, Danubyu has plenty to offer.

MahaBandula Memorial The grave of MahaBandula lies in a remarkable monastery mainly comprised of neo-colonial buildings. This may seem a cruel irony – considering he was defeated by the British in 1825 after an unsuccessful attack on Yangon the year before –but MahaBandula is believed to have died in the exact spot he’s now buried. MahaBandula Park sits just down the road and features a raised statue of the eponymous kingon horseback.

Danubyu Situated on the Ayeyardwardy River about 30km north of Nyaungdone, Danubyu is best known for its

Opposite the monastic complex once stood an old fort, supposedly built in the Mon period. Sadly, all that remains is a crumbling red-brick walkway

extending from the roadside to the riverside, lined by rows of wooden huts.

KyaikkalunbonPaya Danubyu’s most venerated pagoda is a spectacular sight: the gold leaf zedi (stupa) and jewelled hti (umbrella) are resplendent, the old buildings magnificent – especially the red and grey church-likestructure built in 1512. The array of Buddha images and Buddhist statues is also impressive, but perhaps kyaikkalunbon’s main point of intrigue is its mini pagoda curiously contained within a glass room half filled with grimy water.

The Market Danubyu’s vibrant market is a hive of activity that you’ll likely hear before you see. It’s the living heart of this delightful town, and the abundance of flowers, fruit and colourful characters make it a pleasure to walk round.

A newly painted beige and green mosque with an elegant interior awaits you down the road, and around the corner a golden statue of General Aung San. Nyaungdone and Danubyu are charming country towns that provide the perfect opportunity for experiencing life in the delta. Their striking pagodas, friendly residents and quirky traditions ensure an engaging, enjoyable visit and awelcome getaway from city life.

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TRAVEL | DAY TRIP

BAGO

A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER Dom’s Day Trips: Moe Yun Gyi

By Dominic Horner

This one’s more of a weekend trip as it’s a bit out of the way. Still, if you have time for a day trip then you’ve probably got time for a weekend trip at some point and this is a good one.

Well, quite a good one. Moe Yun Gyi is around 2.5-3 hours drive from Yangon on the Mandalay highway and is a very chilled out way to spend the weekend.

It’s true that there’s not a massive amount to actually do there but it’s

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undeniably scenic and the amenities are solid enough.

a little fridge…the room’s shaped like a boat. Yeah, it’s fine.

1. Get on the beers.

2. Do the boat tour.

Once you arrive you need to follow the walkway till you arrive at the hotel where you can stay in one of the “house-boats” (the rooms are designed from the outside to look like boats). The rooms are pretty bog-standard run of the mill midrange digs. There’s hot water, air con

I arrived at the height of summer when it was aggressively hot and the waters had receded quite a bit. This meant the area around the hotel was a bit barren so walking around was out.

That left me with two options:

I decided to have my cake and eat it by doing them both in that order. This way I’d manage to stay cool, lubricated, and most important of all occupied till the boat tour. Then, when I finally did the tour I’d enjoy it all the more because of the beers. My plan worked like a dream and the boat trip was wonderful. I didn’t see too many

TRAVEL | DAY TRIP

birds and even in late afternoon the heat was pretty intense but the views more than made up for it. At some point they let you off the boat and you can stroll pointlessly around for a bit.

There’s not much to see and even less to do but hey, why not eh?

On the way back to the hotel as the sun was setting, the crew (two local guys) and I, went for a lovely swim in the lake. While no one’s about to confuse Moe Yun Gyi with the Blue Lagoon, the water in the lake is clean, super shallow, and the mud underfoot feels great. One of our guys dived about for a while and re-emerged with handfuls of shellfish which we (they) later cooked and used in a spicy salad - delicious!

After the boat trip there wasn’t a whole lot to do except have dinner and wash it down with another couple of Myanmars. I’ve read a couple of very sniffy reviews of the restaurant online but it’s really not that bad. Sure, it’s not Michelin star or anything but they do the standard rice–noodle-salad dishes quite well and the prices are reasonable enough. I will say the breakfast’s a bit pants though.

I’m not sure I’ve got much more to add. After dinner I listened to music for a couple of hours then went to bed.

You could do the same if you wanted I suppose. The next morning I woke up and had a leisurely breakfast which mutated into a boozy lunch then I left. That’s about it. Like I said, there’s not a lot going on (I mean c’mon, it is a bird sanctuary), and If you’re not a bird lover or if you just dislike doing nothing in general then give it a miss.

But it gets tentative thumbs up from me. It’s very quiet, the lake is pretty and you can swim if you really want, they have cold beer, and the rooms are shaped like boats. If all of those things put together sound like fun then you’ll probably enjoy Moe Yun Gyi. Fast Facts: Distance from Yangon: 2.5-3 hours Price for return taxi: 60-70000k Boat trip: 7am & 4pm (20USD) Accommodation: 50 USD for a “houseboat.”

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 29

TRAVEL | ABROAD

OUTBOUND

SHOPPING AND DINING PARADISE: 72 HOURS IN HONG KONG Hong Kong is a no-nonsense city positioned at an intersection of cultures. It’s blunt but beautiful, loud yet strangely pleasing.

In Hong Kong, there’s something for every visitor, whatever you intend to do – shop, dine, sightsee, relax, anything.

Run as a special administrative region of China, Hong Kong is made up of four parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and the outlying islands. Sondang Grace Sirait travelled to one of the hottest travel destinations in Asia to check out what it has to offer.

Day 1 Ease your way into Hong Kong by making a stop at its iconic landmark on Lantau Island, Hong Kong Disneyland. Only 20 minutes away from the Hong Kong International Airport, on the same island, the place proves to be a major attraction (and the first stop) for families traveling with little children. Even for adults, the theme park can provide the chance to indulge in great fun. It takes a full day to really explore the theme park, so take your time. Besides, the parades usually take place either in the afternoon or in the evening.

There are MTR trains that operate daily every few minutes from early morning until late night between Sunny Bay Station and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, taking you right to the entrance gate of the theme park.

There are also hotels available in the area, should you decide to spend the night there.

For those opting to return to the city, why not end the day with a pleasant Hong Kong-style dinner? As a centre of gastronomy, it’s only natural that many Hong Kong restaurants have been bestowed with Michelin stars, more than a third of which are Cantonese.

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Day 2 Begin the day the local way by eating yum cha. In Cantonese, the term literally means “drink tea” and it refers to a wide range of small dishes usually consumed in the morning along with fragrant tea. From places offering the most Instagram-worthy items to holein-the-wall joints, the choice is yours.

For one, there’s the world-famous Tim Ho Wan, which has expanded from a humble joint in Mong Kok to six larger locations around Hong Kong. Another favourite is Lin Heung Teahouse in Central.

The best view of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, Victoria Harbour and the outlying islands – some say –is the panorama from Victoria Peak. The quickest and most scenic way to get there would be by hitching a ride on the fifth-generation Peak Tram. Save time and avoid the long queue for tickets by purchasing them online. You might even get good bargains on entrance fees to some other attractions, such as Madame Tussauds and the Trick Eye Museum,which are located at the Peak.

To experience Hong Kong’s world-famous Victoria Harbour from another perspective, hop on the iconic cross-harbour ferry, which has been transferring passengers between

TRAVEL | DAY TRIP

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TRAVEL | ABROAD

Hong Kong Island and Kowloon since 1898. The Star Ferry Company runs 12 double-deck ferries on two routes: between Wanchai and TsimShaTsui and between TsimShaTsui and Central. The ride takes about 10 minutes each way.

Reward yourself with a wholesome seafood dinner at one of the open-air street stalls (dai pa dong) on Woo Sung Street, just parallel to the ever-bustling Temple Street night market. Clogged with stalls and people, you’ll find everything here from fake designer labels to Chinese herbs and fortunetellers.

Day 3 They say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In Hong Kong, a traditional breakfast usually includes 32 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

instant noodles or macaroni with luncheon meat or satay beef, served with milk tea and bread. One thing I would highly recommend is to order pineapple bun, which despite the name, doesn’t have any pineapple in it. The name quirkily comes from the bun’s resemblance to a pineapple. As we do here in Myanmar, the people of Hong Kong like to down their breakfast with a cup of strong milk tea.

In a city with countless shops, markets and malls, shopping is a unique experience. Located just minutes away from each other, connected through the highly efficient MTR train system, there are many shopping areas to choose from depending on your budget. In Hong Kong Island there are Admiralty, Central and SoHo for those

without a limit on their credit cards.

For others, Causeway Bay and Sheung Wan are equally promising. Over in Kowloon, shoppers often spend hours, if not days, perusing the endless rows of malls in TsimShaTsui, Kowloon East and West as well as Mong Kok. Everywhere you go in Hong Kong, it’s almost impossible to escape the sight of barbecued meat hanging inside restaurant windows and visible on the street – goose, duck, chicken, and pork – you name it – Hong Kong does it best.

Typical “roast meat over rice” dishes would cost you HKD 65 (MMK 11,360).

In some joints, meal packages usually come with soup and a beverage.

As we do here in Myanmar, the people of Hong Kong like to down their breakfast with a cup of strong milk tea.

TRAVEL | ABROAD

Travel tip: Prior to your departure, purchase an Octopus card onlinefor convenient pickup at the airport upon your arrival. It’s an electronic payment system that can be used on Hong Kong’s transport networks – bus, train or tram – in convenience stores, fast food restaurants or supermarkets. You’ll find it super handy!

Getting there: Myanmar National Airlines, Dragonair and Hong Kong Express offer direct flights from Yangon to Hong Kong. Check their respective schedules for details. Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways have daily connecting flights via Bangkok.

Currency rate: HKD 1 = MMK 173

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ADVERTORIAL

Award Winning Black Angus Tenderloin from Marbled Black with Basili Potato Mousseline, Goat Cheese Prepared by Chef Felix Eppisser from SEEDS Restaurant and Lounge

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ADVERTORIAL

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 35

FOOD & DRINK

YANGON

IT’S ENOUGH TO MAKE ONE PURR The First Cat Café in Yangon

By Sofia Raineri Cat Cafés have been appearing all over the world, now it’s Yangon’s turn to have its first one.

There is an entrance fee of 5,000MMK per person which, until the 31st of July, includes a free glass of sparkling wine.

Freedom Café in Sanchaung has an interesting new addition. The lovely café downstairs continues as usual, but with the opening of the Catpuchino Café, there’s a real treat for cat lovers upstairs. The café currently hosts 12 kittens and is planning to add another 15.

All the cats are friendly and love to play, some climb onto your lap and fall asleep there. The café is small and cozy, perfect for some cat therapy after a long day.

Each kitten is pure bred, super soft and cuddly. There are set kitty play times so make sure you go at the right time - the first session is from 1 pm to 3 pm, the second session is from 4 pm to 6 pm, and the third session is from 7 pm to 9 pm.

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Freedom Café aims to promote health through its drinks. Each drink is carefully prepared to provide specific health benefits. A drink tailored to your personal needs is also available.

The coffee served at the café is Bio Reishi coffee, a healthy alternative to coffee, made by mixing special mushrooms and coffee, which have

been said to improve health. You can also order smoothies which contain matcha or probiotics. Besides being good for you, the smoothies also taste great. I had the Incredible matcha (3,000MMK) with fresh pineapple and passion fruit it, it was tangy and refreshing, while my friend tried their Go Nuts Soya (3,000MMK), a delicious peanut butter, banana smoothie.

The food menu is not extensive, consisting mostly of stir fry’s, sandwiches and other snacks. We tried the Fried noodles (with a choice of chicken 2,500MMK or shrimp 3,000MMK) and the Fried Chicken and vegetable stir fry (3,000MMK). It was simple but not special, and the waiting time was quite long.

However, I had a lovely evening among the kittens and I can’t wait to meet the new ones!

To reserve call: 09967767263 or 09794776191 Address: No.81, Pan Hlaing Rd., San Chaung Township Yangon Phone: 09 967 767263 Opening Hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

FOOD & DRINK YANGON

SWEET NOTHINGS: DELICIOUS AND AFFORDABLE Sydney’s Home Baked Goods, charm and taste all rolled in one

By Phone Depar Min

Give yourself a sweet treat at Sydney’s Home Baked Goods also known as Sydney’s Cupcakes. The shop is hugely popular with native Yangonites mainly because of its affordable prices and delicious goodies.

The outlet is small but cozy, with warm yellow lighting and a modern décor.

The vast majority of customers, however, choose to order in either having their parcels delivered or coming by to pick them up on their way home.

I decided to splurge a bit and ordered no less than 3 muffins, 3 cupcakes and what looked like a brownie accom-

panied by a pretty sizeable cookie. I started off with the Banana, Chocolate and Blueberry muffins which for their size and delicious taste were a steal at 1,700 kyats each. The Blueberry muffin in particular stood out with a very refreshing aftertaste. The Chocolate and Banana tasted much as you would expect, the chocolate having a sharp tang and the banana being somewhat bland.

Next I tried the Vanilla Cupcake for 1,200 kyats. While this was delicious, what was even more delectable was the Carrot Cupcake. I highly recommend it. I also had one of the more

popular cupcakes, the Red Velvet (1,200 kyats) which was also very nice.

I ended this delicious sweet feast with a cookie and brownie which were downed with gusto. I would recommend these for the brownie’s delicious soft texture and the cookie’s crunchiness.

Address: MWEA Tower 1-06, 288-290 Shwedagon Pagoda Road, corner of U Wisara Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar Contact Info: http://www.sydneyshbg. com/, 01 381607, Opening Hours: 9 am - 5:30 pm

As I was leaving, I bought some delicious treats for my friends which came packaged in a beautiful light blue box. The shop also offers specialized custom orders, events, and catering.

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 37

FOOD & DRINK

WORLD CLASS LOCAL CUISINE Jana Mon Mon Ethnic Food

By Emily Aung I wasn’t very impressed when I arrived at the Jana Mon (Mon Ethnic Cuisine Restaurant) located in a small lane of Yay Tar Shay Street in Bahan. But then, first impressions can often be misleading. The restaurant doesn’t look very special from the outside, but it serves the most delicious ethnic cuisine in Yangon.

Open since mid-2016, Jana Mon was conceptualized with the purpose of promoting ethnic Mon food. Everything about the restaurant has an authentic local charm to it. From the charming owner who greets you with a warm welcoming smile to the ancient cooking methods employed to ensure healthier and happier living.

Prepare to tantalize your taste buds as Jana Mon wows you with their authentic Mon flavors and style. The menu includes seasonal dishes prepared with organic and indigenous ingredients available only in the Mon State.

The staff comprises of members from the Mon Community skilled in the art of traditional Mon-style cooking techniques. You can choose from a wide array of a appetizers, salads, vegetable wraps, tasty dipping sauces, country style cuisine, homemade pot dishes, featured specials and desserts made fresh every day. All of Jana Mon’s dishes rely on distinct and fragrant flavors and never too much oil. It is vegetarian friendly and never uses any MSG. The first dish we ordered was the country style duck cooked with galangal, garlic, chili, onion and black pepper. The duck was tender and deliciously appetizing as I dipped it into the special Mon style sauce. This was followed by Squid with Steamed 38 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

Sticky Rice which was equally delightful. The owner, Ma Shan Mu, got the idea of this dish from a family recipe. The freshness of the squid and the enticing dipping sauce – made with a combination of lemongrass, lime and soy sauce, make this a must-try dish.

Another dish worth a special mention was the Wild Mangosteen With Prawn which was similar to a Thai-style curry. Made of a long bean salad consisting of raw long bean, garlic and cucumber, this dish cannot be found anywhere in Yangon except at Jana Mon. Lastly, the Minced Pork dipped with Marian was also delicious especially when enhanced with lemongrass.

Service plays a key role in choosing a restaurant. While the waitresses were all originally from the Mon area, they were courteous and attentive and spoke English very well. One could choose to dine either indoors in air-conditioned comfort, or al fresco at the shaded tables outside. All in all, I would highly recommend the Jana Mon restaurant because it is truly one of the few places you can experience authentic Mon cuisine in this urban city.

Address: No.114, Nandawoun St, Yae Thar Shae Quarter, Bahan Township, Yangon Phone: 09250825442 Opening hours: 8.30 AM-8.30 PM

MYANMORE magazine #9 July 2017 / 39

BEAUTY

DON’T LET THE MONSOON DAMPEN YOUR COMPLEXION Rainy Season in Yangon- A Face-Saving Survival Guide to Local Beauty Clinics

By Brittney Tun It’s another rainy morning in Yangon.

By noon, the shimmery-shadows and creamy foundations I’ve applied will have melted like a smorgasbord of ice cream down my face, as the make-up settles into creases that I am not quite prepared to acknowledge having.

Hello, thirty.

During the deluge, I’d like the option to use less product, but I’m going to have to take better care of my skin. Who better to consult than the pros, right?

Beauty and skin care clinics are popping up all over the city. With a full range of menus, the teams have little indulgences to accommodate any pocket book or wish list. I visited three leading clinics to consult with their specialists and uncover their 40 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

tips. They each have their own niche in the market and freely chatted about the most popular procedures in their offices.

Le Clinique De Skin “Your Skin, Reborn” This UK-trained dermatologist team has two well-appointed offices in Hlaing Township and Lanmadaw Township. Not just an aesthetic clinic, Le Clinique de Skin is a distinguished medical clinic of international standards, treating such serious conditions as psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo.

A full array of beauty treatments such as tattoo removal, chemical peeling, periorbital rejuvenation (for tired eyes), and leg shaping are also available.

“It’s rainy season-the weather is very humid and wet, so our skin is more prone to infection,” Dr. Su cautioned.

“Our oil glands secrete more oil and we have acne breakouts.” Her advice: stay clean, stay dry.

The staff sees a lot of skin care missteps during this overcast time, namely, not wearing sunscreen. Another biggie is using harsh toners with alcohol, as pores are more open and prone to damage during the downpour. The doctors have produced two lines of products, one pharmaceutical and one cosmeceutical, all lab-tested in South Korea. These must be applied in the right order, though. “Thinner consistency before thicker consistency,” Dr. Su advises.

Der Celebrity Clinic “Safety First” Dr. Khant, a former doctor at Yankin Children’s Hospital with Thai training, offers a wide range of facial treatments at his location in Bahan Township, from non-invasive facial rejuvenation treatments to derma rollers that heal old scars, contouring fillers, and Botox, the “lunch time face lift”.

An expert on thread lifting, Dr. Khant offers long and short thread pieces, at 15,000 kyats and 150,000 kyats per piece, respectively.

I underwent the Aloe Rejuvenation, a non-invasive procedure of medical gels that brightened my skin and repaired past sun damage. My skin was toned and noticeably dewier

BEAUTY

afterwards, and I glowed confidently enough to attend an appointment later that day sans makeup. The price is right at 50,000 kyats, perfect for a regular splurge.

Dr. Khant is most concerned with the safety of clients. He gave some sound advice for anyone seeking aesthetic treatment in Yangon: “Ask about the origin of the products, experience of the doctor, and ask about customer feedback/checkup programs.” He continues, “I want everybody to be happy, not only with aesthetics, but with their daily life. I want to help people in general.”

hair growth, Laser Face Clinic has a laser treatment plan for it. Other aesthetic offerings include dimple creation surgery, whitening treatments, Botox, augmentations & fillers, and weight loss programs.

Oracle Clinic Myanmar, Dr. Rejuvè “A One-Stop Total Solution” Oracle Clinic is the #1 Dermatology Franchise in Korea,with branches in China, Hong Kong, Japan, The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and just

recently, on Bogyoke St. in Yangon.

They offer the popular “Aladdin Peel,” a chemical and laser free pore cleansing procedure for just 50,000 kyats per treatment. Along with the popular V-Lift and Botox, Oracle Clinic also offers tattoo removal.

Dr. Parinya Clinic “Best service, Best Results, Zero Complaints” With clinics in Dubai, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, as well as 30 years in the industry, Dr. Parinya is a wellknown authority in the weight loss and aesthetic clinic sector. Everything’s on offer, from weight loss treatments, skin whitening, fillers, mole removal, Botox, hair growth programs, and pore reduction. To continue care at home, Dr. Parinya has created his own line of daily products, from cleansing and whitening products to collagen boosters. Here, non-invasive treatments start at 30,000 kyats and treatments such as lip fillers start at 500,000 kyats per cc.

Dr. Parinya consulted me on my new creases, suggesting a quick filling treatment every three months for my newly-formed smile lines, brow line, and crow’s feet. A longer-lasting option would be Botox, which would last about six months per treatment.

Besides the three clinics I dropped in on, here are two more clinics in Yangon worth mentioning: Laser Face Clinic “The First Laser Clinic in Myanmar” Located in Myangone Township, this clinic specializes in laser treatments for the whole body. Be it acne scars, stretchmarks, tattoos, or unwanted

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 41

Q&A

Q&A

MARBLED BLACK COMPANY: A CUT ABOVE THE REST

Htoo Moung, Managing Director, Marbled Black Company

By Natty Tangmeesang

Back in 2012, the number of high-end restaurants or hotels was limited. How did you survive back then?

“This is sexy.” He shows us a photo after we meet. It’s not a photograph of a lady or a car, but of a beautifully defined piece of meat. MYANMORE sits down with HtooMoung, Managing Director of Marbled Black Company to discover his passion for high-quality meat.

That time people were saying, "HtooMoung, if you were thinking of selling quality meat, you wouldn't sell, you would have to go for cheap". That's why I always told them that even if they don't buy, even if they won't go for quality product - we would eat it ourselves and get the market educated and convince the market about the quality product, quality ingredient meat and high quality concept, which we managed to do. It was a success.

We managed to provide a consistent quality product. Our first shipment was from the U.S. in January 2015. We managed to import a big slice of beef, and American Wagyu. That was our very first shipment after we received the very first import permit. Of course in the past, people used to bring in through hand carry or from the back door. We managed to open the meat import in the market for everyone.

Nowadays, it's easier to bring in meat from all over the world such as US, Switzerland, Brazil, Australia.

What inspires you to import high quality beef to Myanmar?

It began with my mom. When I was young, I wanted to stand next to my mom when she was cooking and that was how my passion started. After I finished my high school, I wanted to become a chef. So, I went to Singapore and Italy to study culinary skills. Having been trained and having worked abroad, I realized how important quality beefs are. I have discovered that there are many different types of graded meat available such as normal cattle, cow, Angus, Black Angus, Wagyu beef from Japan, Australia, U.S. and so as the various types of pork.

When did you come back to Myanmar?

I worked in the food business for 6 years in Singapore and came back to Myanmar in 2012, and founded 42 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

What kept you going despite a few years of no business?

Marbled Black Company. We initially worked with the government and convinced them to understand the differences between Myanmar and

U.S beef products, and between Japan and U.S. and many different types of beef products because all the meats are not the same.

I kept studying the market and read the research. We communicated and discussed with government authorities. We also worked with overseason policies and trying to understand food hygiene standards and grading system especially international protocol and the international requirements.

Q&A

There will be so many different types and levels of restaurants coming up. When a country is growing and developing, the first thing people do is head to a good lifestyle and try good food.

After the first shipment, we delivered our products and we did food tasting with customers. We got a lot of good feedback and response. The customers wanted to use our product for the longest time.

You also mentioned that people don't really have the culture of eating beef here.

It's the old generation. There was also a belief that, in Myanmar, according to Myanmar rules and regulation, we can't slaughter before the cattle is 20 years old. After 20 years, the meat is not good anymore—no tenderness, no proper amount of protein inside the meat. So, it's not really good for the human consumption. That is why the older generation preferred not to eat beef.

How many products do you currently import?

We import from major four countries.

We work with the very few family farm and not industrialized meat. We are very focused on a few brands and products. The brand is called Jack’s Creek, which is one of the world best fillet steak producers in the world.

They won the title three years in a row.

will get consistent, and number two is quality. This is very important. We try to be more than selling the product but educating about the meat/product at the same time. We need to educate more in this market for the old generation and the new generation.

Recently, we started doing seafood as well about half year ago. We also import he quality premium seafood like the Blue Fin Tuna.

What's your favorite piece of meat? How you like your meat? And what's your favorite dish?

What do you think will be the future of F&B businesses in Myanmar?

My favorite dish would be American Angus. If I have to choose, it would be boney rib eye. I like it medium rare with very fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, fresh vegetables, very simple sauce and you can get the ripe meat taste. It compliments very well together with these fresh vegetable and very light sauces.

There will be so many different types and levels of restaurants coming up.

When a country is growing and developing, the first thing people do is head to a good lifestyle and try good food.

So that's something that's changing in Myanmar slowly.

There will also be more competitors. I sincerely hope that number 1, people

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 43

SPORTS

WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION

By Gerald Ng

If World Lethwei Championship fighter Phoe Thaw had adhered to his parents’ wishes, he would have been an engineer today. Phoe Thaw’s parents encouraged him to pursue engineering and he followed that path all the way to university. He graduated with a degree in engineering from Dagon University, but did not want to apply that degree in his career. Instead, he spent five years working as a security guard in the Japanese embassy while trying out multiple businesses.

However, upon rediscovering his love for martial arts which he briefly practiced as a child, he gave all that up to chase his dream of becoming a champion. After trying karate as a 44 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

child, it was football that he played competitively growing up. However, he was never that interested in it.

“When I went to football training, I was not really motivated and only did the minimum of what the coach asked and I was very lazy. But martial arts is not like that. I am excited every time I go to training.”

to the audience, who clamoured for more action from him. “When I went to the fight, I didn’t expect any success or anything in the future, but the audience and the media embraced me.

I was so surprised about all the interviews and attention and they created this desire in me to forge this career as a professional.”

He began training in martial arts again in 2015 and got thrown into the deep end, making his debut in ONE Championship with no amateur or professional experience and only 6 months of training. Initially, he only did it for the experience and did not intend for it to be a career. He won that fight and his looks and fighting style appealed

Since then, he has gone on to win all four of his professional mixed martial arts fights while simultaneously fighting in lethwei. While fighters in mixed martial arts generally start at a later age, lethwei fighters usually begin fighting competitively as pubescents.

As a result, there were many critics who vocally derided the 32-year old’s

attempt at a professional lethwei career. Phoe Thaw refused to listen to them.

“Everyone said that I’m too old to train in lethwei and it’s not possible. I didn’t accept that. It’s not a formula that you have to start during childhood.

I see other examples where fighters only start fighting at 36 years old and fight all the way to 40 plus years. I am very confident in my abilities. Maybe I have five years more, maybe I have two years more, but I don’t care. I only care about putting on a show for the audience.”

After going undefeated in five professional lethwei bouts in smaller shows,

SPORTS

“Everyone said that I’m too old to train in lethwei and it’s not possible.

I didn’t accept that. It’s not a formula that you have to start during childhood. I see other examples where fighters only start fighting at 36 years old and fight all the way to 40 plus years.

I am very confident in my abilities.

Phoe Thaw signed up with World Lethwei Championship, the largest bareknuckle fighting organisation in the world. He has impressed, with two back-to-back knockout wins over tough foreign opposition this year, earning him a Light Middleweight World Lethwei Championship opportunity against a top local fighter, Thway Thit Win Hlaing, at WLC3: LEGENDARY CHAMPIONS on September 8. Thway Thit Win Hlaing is 10 years his junior but with significantly more ex-

perience with 60 fights compared to Phoe Thaw’s 9. However, Phoe Thaw is not deterred.

“I don’t care about his record. I only care about his weakness I know he is human like everyone else. All I can do is control my own performance and one fight is only fifteen minutes. So I will leave everything in there for fifteen minutes.”

With 6000 people in attendance and millions watching at home, Phoe Thaw believes winning a title at the biggest lethwei event in history will silence the critics. “This fight will be my turning point I will prove to all the critics that they are wrong and I can do it.”

When that happens, his father will be in attendance to witness it. His family, including his father, brothers and wife are now a staple at his fights, attending every single one. His mother though,

is still squeamish about the idea but Phoe Thaw is convinced she will be delighted when he returns home with a title.

WLC3: LEGENDARY CHAMPIONS takes place on September 8 in Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon.

Tickets are available from 14 August at shop.com.mm and at all City Mart outlets.

MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017 / 45

HOROSCOPE San Zar Ni Bo, a former political prisoner-turned-fortuneteller, is a highly respected name in Myanmar. He’s known for his palm reading technique, birthdate and naming. His well-known prediction, before the November 2015 elections, was that against all odds, Aung San Suu Kyi would assume a leading position in the government. Read on to find out what he says is in store for the month of August.

Sunday

Tuesday

There will be temporary travels.

Contacts will be made with longlost friends. What is unfeasible to others will be successful with you.

During this month, you will feel the need to expose skills and efficiency to a certain extent due to both unfinished matters and matters that are out of your control. Non-personal extra work and extra matters will have to be conducted. Good name will be earned. Income will be greater than before. However, great income will also find its way out. Other races and nationalities will benefit. Improvement and change for the good will be made.

A long-associated business friend will be separated from you.

Although pride and always telling the truth have hurt you in the past, they will now be beneficial to you.

Intentions in life will be achieved.

Rising opportunities should not be missed and if used thoroughly, will improve your life. Overdue loans can be asked for. Money and properties lost will be regained.

Staff intending to transfer to a better position should do so without fear. Those intending to travel will be able to do so. Expenses will be heavy. Expenses will be to your advantage.

Lucky Colors: Red,Crimson, Velvet Lucky Numbers: 3,7,9,2

Lucky Colors: Red, Pink, Maroon Lucky Numbers: 1,3,5,7

Rahul

(Wednesday night before dawn on Thursday) Things will run smoothly only after meeting obstacles, caused because of rashness. There will be emotional upsets in love matters for young people. Improvements will be had by taking opposing views to others. Change of places for staff will occur. You will have to go to an unwanted place. There, you will have emotional upsets.

Then, things will run smooth. Everything will be better than the previous place. Everything will go very well. Seething emotions within the family will end. Other races and nationalities will benefit.

Dealings abroad will be successful.

Joint ventures will be advantageous.

Friday Desires regarding work and business will be completely fulfilled.

Previous problems due to others can be resolved. Improvements will be made due to thoroughness in work. Changes and reorganizations of accommodation and business will occur. Attacks will be encountered in every direction taken. Success will happen due to perseverance. Two opportunities difficult to choose will arise. Decisions must be made personally.

Lucky Colors: Brown, Violet, Pink Lucky Numbers: 2,6,3,9

Lucky Colors: Gold, Black, Red Lucky Numbers: 8,2,4,6

Monday

Wednesday

Thursday

Saturday

After having well-settled in a new environment, improvement will be made. Educational matters will be good. New intentions will be systematically made and improved. Parents and family can expand new businesses. Letters, people, parcels, and good news will arrive from far-off places. Other races and nationalities will benefit. Family business will prosper.

Staff will have to deal with newcomers. Private business people will conduct different business.

Success will be experienced.

Believing in fair-weather friends while keeping genuine friends at arm’s length will cause trouble.

Beware of giving priority to first speaker and of not considering pros and cons. An important improvement in life can be made.

Responsibilities for others will have to be taken. Accommodation and family problems of family members will have to be looked at closely. Money and properties dispersed or lost will be regained.

Ill health will occur due to careless living.

Lucky Colors: White,Green,Grey Lucky Numbers: 2,4,7,9

Plans will go by fits and starts before running smoothly. You will prosper. Unexpressed wishes will be fulfilled by others as if they knew what you wanted. Those running private enterprises will have to be careful in signing documents and taking responsibility of money matters. This will lead to possible money loss. There will be frequent emotion upsets due to your truthfulness in speech. There will be exceptional improvement due to educational qualifications.

Those opportunities difficult to choose will arise.

Lucky Colors: Cream, Grey,Ivory Lucky Numbers: 1,3,5,7

Housing and family problems of family members will have to be attended to. Dispersed money or losses will be regained. Talks in matters concerning constructions will have to be made. Speech will go far. More time will have to be given to extra work, extra duties and others’ affairs. Motivational and decisive nature will be clearly evident. A difficulty will be overcome. Beware of ill health. Slight illness will occur due to careless living. There are excellent courses towards good fortune. There is danger in business and money matters. Unexpected accidents may occur.

46 / MYANMORE magazine #10 August 2017

Lucky Colors: Green, Rose Color, Indigo Lucky Numbers: 1,3,7,9

Lucky Colors: Dark Blue, Dark Grey, Black Lucky Numbers: 2,8,9,6

MYANMORE magazine #9 July 2017 / 47