No. 15 /January 2018 It’s free!
magazine
WAI THIT LWIN
MEANS BUSINESS
No. 15 / January 2018
magazine Managing Director Andreas Sigurdsson Editor Lorcan Lovett Chief photographer Leo Jackson Editorial assistant Pamela Tan Contributors Susan Bailey Iris Alonso Edmond Sailland Charles Duchemin Duncan Hines James Fable Dominic Horner Cliff Lonsdale Andrew Wood
14 What’s On 6 Cinema 8 Briefings 10 Features 2018: A Look Ahead 12 Inside the Secretariat 18 Making Magic 22 Rise of the Custom Ride 24 Myanmar's Godfather of Fashion 43
Cover Photo Gerhard Joren
The Arts Tin Maung Oo 36 Tech Talk Best apps 42 Advertorials Citymart 44 Zumba festival 45
Expat column 46
Art & Production Kyaw Kyaw Tun Hein Htet
Training Ground 47 Promotions, Card Deals & Tickets 49
Printer Myanmar Consolidated Media Ltd. MCM Printing (00876) Sales & Advertising sales@myanmore.com 0977 900 3701 / 3702
Cover Q & A Wai Thit Lwin 26 Eat & Drink Beauty in the Pot 30 The Yangon Restaurant 31 Ethnic recipe / Street snacks 32 New openings 34 Travel Welcome to Ogre Island 36 Wild Swimming in Mon State 38
Publisher MYANMORE Magazine Pyit Thiri Thaw Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited Permit No. 01588
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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.
What's on
Sports
Folk Fest
YRC at Yoma Yangon Run
Clans of the Naga gather at the foothills of the Patkai mountain range in remote northwestern Myanmar every January to celebrate the Naga New Year Festival. The revelry takes place from January 16-18 this year and traditionally marks the downtime between the reaping of the harvest and the beginning of a new farming season. During the festival people clear their debts, pray for a fruitful harvest and reunite with loved ones from near and far—all in the backdrop of singing, dancing, and spectacular scenery. Art & Stage
Mandalay Marionette Troupers Puppet Show 12th January 2018 | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
International Friendship Group (IFG Yangon) presents charity event Mandalay Marionette Troupers Puppet Show with musical arrangements by Diramore. Bring the whole family for an unforgettable night under the stars at the garden of the Inya Lake Hotel. Ticket price is 30,000 kyats which includes pre-show finger foods and soft drinks. Wine and beer is also available for sale. Free admission for children under 6 years old. And 8,000 kyats for age 6-12 (pay at the door). Inya Lake Hotel, Yangon - 37, KabarAye Pagoda Rd, MayanGone Tsp, Yangon
21st January 2018
All About Love 19th January 2018 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Grieving over a lost child; pining for a forbidden romance; lovingly gifting a musical piece to your toddler; and arranging national folk tunes for your beloved country. What is the commonality? Love binds everything together in perfect harmony. What better way to celebrate love and life than this intimate chamber concert featuring great music from the classical tradition, a young talent from Myanmar (Jason Steele, piano) as well as our favorite Burmese tunes. They are also privileged to feature cellist extraordinaire Leslie Tan of the T'ang Quartet.
Thuwanna Indoor Stadium - Waizayan Dar Rd, ThinganGyun Tsp, Yangon
French (love) Friday | Last Kiss 19th January 2018 | 7:30 PM - 12:00 AM
Time has come to give a last kiss and say farewell to the French Love Fridays. Come early to celebrate those three years of parties with them. Guests from the Myanmar music scene will mix genres, turning for one last time their garden into the hottest dancefloor in Yangon. Start the night with the funky indie tunes of Mooni. Myanmar underground Punk institution, No U Turn will then rock the garden, heating the dancefloor as we end the night on the beats of DJ Akat. Join them for the last of this beloved nightlife event. | RSVP: 01 535 428.
Party On The Train 27th January 2018 | 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM+
Myanmar’s first train party is pulling out all the stops to bring the best of house, techno and psytrance. There will be three DJ themes enroute. Normal/ walk-in: 20,000 kyats. (Tickets are limited depending on space on the train). For more information contact 09 519 9366, 09 7961 40175. Yangon Central Railway Station
Yangon Beach Beach Party #2 27th January 2018 | 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Nightlife
They are welcoming back the Yangon Beach for a tremendous night of world class music, dancing and beach games. Join the world's first floating beach for another night of exceptional DJs. For more information contact to 09 974 751111. The Barge - Botahtaung Jetty, Seikkan Tsp, Yangon
The Yangon Gallery - People's Park, Near Planetarium, Ahlone Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon
Institut Français de Birmanie - 340, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon
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As the largest running fiesta in Yangon and the city’s only marathon event, YRC aims to inspire athletes and connect communities, both local and international, through a mutual love for running. Weaving through the unique blend of modern and rustic Yangon, the runners will be treated to a visual feast for the senses. Given the involvement of hundreds of volunteers, thousands of participants and the highly-enthusiastic home crowd, the Yoma Yangon International Marathon is set to be the key highlight in the global running calendar. For more information contact 09 250763 253.
Educational
Night The Art of Sabrage in Quiz 18th January 2018 | 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM Myanmar 20th January 2018 | 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Atlas Rooftop Bar presents The Art Of Sabrage to Myanmar and introduces this Napoleonic tradition to open a bottle of champagne in style by using a sabre or a sword. Together with the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs de Birmanie and the Confrérie du Sabre d’Or, they would like to invite everyone to enjoy the evening and, of course, some champagne. Sabre your own bottle of Taittinger Nocturne, get your Sabreur certificate and enjoy a great selection of canapés for US$120 per person. | RSVP: 09 767 419413.
Bring your team or find one on the spot for the first quiz night of the year. Registration is mandatory by email with full name and passport or NRC number: raphaele.martin@fco.gov.uk British Embassy Club - 46 Gyo Byu Rd, Dagon Tsp, Yangon
Atlas Rooftop Bar & Lounge - 84, Pan Hlaing Rd, Sanchaung Tsp, Yangon MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Cinema Cinemas
CINEMA
Now Showing INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY Horror, Mystery, Thriller Brilliant parapsychologist Elise Rainier receives a disturbing phone call from a man who claims that his house is haunted. Even more disturbing is the address -- 413 Apple Tree Lane in Five Keys, N.M. -- the home where Elise grew up as a child. Accompanied by her two investigative partners, Rainier travels to Five Keys to confront and destroy her greatest fear -- the demon that she accidentally set free years earlier. Casts: Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson & more.
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A Fullmoon at Inle Drama, Mystery, Horror A Burmese monster movie that base on a story about Inle village in Shan State. Not all the fullmoon days are not fun for some! What would happen to the two lovers when the mystery hits the night. Casts: Nay Toe, Warzin, Wutt Hmone Shwe Yee & more.
Coming Soon Death Wish Action, Crime, Drama Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) is a surgeon who only sees the aftermath of his city's violence as it's rushed into his ER -until his wife (Elisabeth Shue) and college-age daughter (Camila Morrone) are viciously attacked in their suburban home. With the police overloaded with crimes, Paul, burning for revenge, hunts for his family's assailants to deliver justice. As the anonymous slayings of criminals grabs the media's attention, the city won-
ders if this deadly avenger is a guardian angel...or a grim reaper. Fury and fate collide in the intense action-thriller Death Wish.
Casts: Zenn Kyi, Aung Myint Myat, Thet Mon Myint, Kaew Korrave
Casts: Bruce Willis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue & more. 1921 Horror, Thriller 1921 is an 2018 upcoming Indian Bollywood horror film, produced by Vikram Bhatt, under his banner of LoneRanger Productions. It is the fourth film in the 1920. The film will star Zarine Khan and Karan Kundra in lead roles. Casts: Vikram Bhatt, Zareen Khan, Karan Kundra, Manjit Singh & more. Deception Drama, Suspense, Thriller A story about two families with strings attached, later come to deception about each other. Then what follows next is the revenge and the fight between two men. So who will win and who will suffer in this war !?
The Commuter Crime, Drama, Mystery Insurance salesman Michael is on his daily commute home, which quickly becomes anything but routine. After being contacted by a mysterious stranger, Michael is forced to uncover the identity of a hidden passenger on the train before the last stop. As he works against the clock to solve the puzzle, he realizes a deadly plan is unfolding, and he is unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that carries life and death stakes for everyone on the train. Casts: Liam Neeson, Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson & more.
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
12 Strong Action, Drama, History
Maze Runner: The Death Cure Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In the wake of Sept. 11, Capt. Mitch Nelson leads a U.S. Special Forces team into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. Once there, the soldiers develop an uneasy partnership with the Northern Alliance to take down the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies. Outgunned and outnumbered, Nelson and his forces face overwhelming odds in a fight against a ruthless enemy that takes no prisoners.
Thomas leads some escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary Last City, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions that the Gladers have been asking since they arrived in the maze.
Casts: Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, William Fichtner & more.
Casts: Rosa Salazar, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Dylan O'Brien & more. Credits: Rotten Tomatoes & IMDB
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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
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Briefings
STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE The Myanmore Dining and Nightlife Awards of Excellence 2018 are set to be the most exciting yet.
The 2018 Myanmore Awards are fast approaching—the deadline for nominations is on January 14 and the awards ceremony will be held on February 3 at Meliá Hotel in Yangon. This year the awards are set to be the most exciting and innovative ever, with five award categories focused specifically on the type of venue, and six new awards presented to individuals, venues or organisations that have especially contributed to the promotion of excellence in the dining and nightlife industry in 2017. Myanmar Beer will again be a major sponsor of the event and will present the award to the best local bar or beer station. They have supported every Myanmore awards ceremony since the first back in 2014. KBZ will be lending their support for the fourth year running and will be presenting the coveted Entrepreneur of the Year award. Previous award winners include Min Lann Seafood restaurant, Father’s Office Bar and Genius Shan Highlands Coffee, who used their 2015 win as a springboard to grow their fledgling company into the celebrated social enterprise that it is today. Meliá will be hosting the awards ceremony and dinner for the first year as venue sponsor. The event is set to be a lavish night of extravagance and celebration. Myanmore are also pleased to welcome back another key sponsor this year—Premium Distribution Co. They too have a long history of supporting the awards. Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd., Marbled Black Co., The Table & Chair Co., Sarmal, and our lifestyle sponsor Training Ground Myanmar are also providing vital support to the awards. There are several other sponsors that are being brought on board to
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support the awards ceremony and these will be announced nearer the date. However it is not too late to take advantage of this unique event and register your interest to become a sponsor of the Myanmore Dining and Nightlife Awards of Excellence 2018. There are several exciting advertisement opportunities still available this year including sponsoring the new and innovative individual and team awards. Winners of the Green Award, Wine and Spirits Ambassador of the Year, and Chef of the Year will all be regularly featured in Myanmore print publications and online. The Green Award will be presented to a venue or organisation that has demonstrated a strategic approach to business that prioritizes the importance of sustainable and ethical use of resources.
The Wine and Spirit Ambassador of the Year will be presented to someone who is at the top of their game and who demonstrates a creative, knowledgeable, and innovative approach to their work. Chef of the Year will be awarded to someone who exhibits an extraordinary talent that is comparable with the best in the world. Regardless of the style or type of cuisine, their food and menu will be evidence of a chef mastering their art, pushing the boundaries of excellence, and providing a unique “one of a kind experience.” Chef of the Year will be someone the dining and nightlife industry can look up to, attempt to emulate, and learn from. As always the awards ceremony will recognise and congratulate the efforts of members of the dining and
nightlife industry, but the emphasis this year will be on cultivating and driving a culture and ethos of excellence going forward. Individual and venue winners will become ‘Ambassadors of Excellence’—their standards and qualities will promoted to inspire others to aim for the same high standards of excellence. Winners will be featured in regular print and online articles and exclusive video ‘catch-ups’ throughout the year. If you are interested in sponsoring the awards or would like to contribute towards the continued growth of excellence by supporting the new and exciting individual awards of excellence then please don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at awards@ myanmore.com or call on +95 (0)9 779 003 701, +95 (0)977 6174015.
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Looking ahead
Mandalay residents showed off their city's culture with great pride in 2017. (Lorcan Lovett)
2018: A LOOK AHEAD Myanmar begins 2018 by celebrating 70 years of independence. Though the country has faced serious crises in the previous year, buzz surrounding its major sectors continues. Its commercial hub Yangon walks into the new year with improved infrastructure in the form of water taxis and new buses, an endless stream of trendy new bars and restaurants, and plans for more five-star hotels to set up shop. Perhaps the city’s most exciting project is the renovation of iconic colonial building the Secretariat (covered in this issue of Myanmore) into a cultural and commercial hub, a symbol of the new Myanmar. In an attempt to look into the crystal ball and see what is in store for 2018, we talked to experts in food, property and travel, and checked in with our writer in Mandalay. To all our readers, we wish you a happy new year!
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Mandalay: 2017/18 2017 was a big year of change for Mandalay, from physical changes in the city’s landscapes to more subtle shifts in attitudes and habits. As we enter in to 2018 it seems this trend will continue throughout the new year, writes Susan Bailey. The city’s landscapes were scarred by dramatic fires in 2017, with seven major blazes destroying property in various townships. Rebuilding will take time but the centrallylocated Mingalar Market, gutted by a blaze in March 2016, is finally under reconstruction and set to open in the first quarter of 2018. The Mandalay Convention Centre and Pullman Hotel, two modern building projects in the south of the city, are also slated to open in 2018 after months of delay. And the landmark Sedona Hotel, now under the Hilton brand, re-opened with a fancy new look at the tail end of
2017 while Mandalay Hill Resort, the city’s other iconic hotel, is slated for renovation in summer 2018. Mandalay’s passionate foodies were also treated to a host of new offerings in 2017. Hana Yakiniku and Eighteen led the way in terms of international offerings while Unique Mandalay Tea Room and Generation Tea elevated the city’s tea shop culture to a whole new level. Shisha bars also popped up like mushrooms, from the revamped rooftop Sky Bar @ Café Brolly to the opening of Jungle Bar, a reincarnation of the ever-popular Café JJ Bar on 26th Street. And 2017 was also a year when Mandalay residents showed off their city’s culture with great pride to the rest of the country. The city reaffirmed its love for two-wheel travel with several motorbike shows and bicycle races that were packed with fans, young and old. The 2017 MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Thingyan celebrations were focused on the city’s rich traditions, with a ‘walking street’ complete with free hair washes and parades included the iconic Silver Swan Float and Kyauk Se elephant dances. 2018 is off to a good start, with MCDC investing in road works and sanitation programs to improve the quality of city life. More dining and drinking venues are in the works and plans are underway for an even bigger and better Thingyan, with the return of the walking street and more. Yangon Food Forecast 2017 saw a big move toward affordable eating, according to Htet Myet Oo, co-founder of one of Yangon’s most popular eateries, Rangoon Tea House,
along with Isabella Sway-Tin and Simon Sao. “Even the traditionally more expensive restaurants in town tried to come up with ways they could attract customers more toward the middle class,” he said. “There is a lot more competition around the 10,00015,000 kyats per head mark than there was the year before.” The end of the year was marked by a flurry of concept establishments, but Htet Myet Oo believes Myanmar and ethnic concepts will take center stage in 2018. “That is great for customers and businesses both. The town is saturated already with bars and western food, so local food is where the next trend will be and long may it last. I think destination eating will also become a thing. Restaurants around the country that are a must-go
for people living in and visiting the country.” The source of the fare served in those restaurants is a topic for debate. Locally sourced ingredients are naturally better for Myanmar but do not always promise quality or even safety. It’s a “price versus quality” game, said Htet Myet Oo. “Every year, the price of imported goods decrease and the quality of locally produced goods have not gotten better. There are obvious anomalies, where farms are going towards chemical free and focusing on quality, but in the grand scheme of things this is very rare. It’s a shame because that would create jobs, empower those in the agriculture economy and also give local produce a global stage.”
More than a particular cuisine becoming popular, he said, “the culture of eating is more popular than ever, so new and improved experiences will be taking center stage, such as night markets.” In smaller brands like his group’s Mr Wok, restaurants may start offering more calorie and nutrition information to customers. And will technology influence the choices of customers in 2018? “Certainly, there is a need for better booking platforms all throughout the country,” said the restaurateur. “If someone can crack the code then this will have a profound impact. Otherwise Facebook is still king.”
Popular eatery Rangoon Tea House in downtown Yangon. (Supplied) MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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Looking ahead
TOP 5 MYANMAR DESTINATIONS FOR 2018 Had your fill of Myanmar’s most popular attractions? We asked the team from Sampan Travel to list their top five off-the-beaten-track destinations in the country to make 2018 the most adventurous year yet. to Hopin and from here a motorbike taxi or shared pick-up truck. Trains to Hopin can also be boarded from Mandalay and Katha.
Mindat and Kanpetlet, Chin State
Fables surround Myanmar's largest lake, Indawgyi. (Face of Indawgyi)
There is nowhere else in Myanmar quite like Chin State, where redbrick churches instead of shimmering pagodas sit atop the hills. From the scruffy town of Mindat, fortified with thick Chin coffee (best taken with a wedge of lime) travellers can scale Chin’s highest peak, the rhododendron-strewn Mt Victoria— Nat Ma Taung in Burmese, Khaw Nu Thone in Chin dialect. One can clamber down to the town of Kanpetlet for a plate of mithun meat in one of the wooden lodges, breaking bread with intrepid birdwatchers on the look out for black-naped woodpeckers and the Chin Hills wrenbabbler. Getting There: There are daily busses and minibuses from Pakokku near Bagan to both Mindat and Kanpetlet.
Kyaing Tong (Kengtung), Shan State Chin State is a dream for intrepid travelers. (Ben Frederick)
Indawgyi Lake, Kachin State Indawgyi is Myanmar’s largest and—in our opinion—most beautiful lake. With reflections of Noah’s Ark, its mythical origin is of a sinful village flooded by a punitive dragon. Today, over the site of the drowned village is the Shwe Myitzu Pagoda, which
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in March is accessible via two sandy causeways. Foreigners can stay in a quirky guesthouse in the village of Lonton, meet the Shan Ni (Red Shan), and kayak on the lake with the organisation Inn Chit Thu—‘Lovers of the Lake.’ Getting There: From Kachin capital Myitkyina travellers can take a train
Once a royal town of Tai kings, the palace of Kyaing Tong (‘Walled City of Tung’) was demolished by the Junta in 1991, and in its place now sits a hotel, looking over the serene Naung Tung Lake. Set in the heart of the Golden Triangle, one can hike up into the surrounding hills and visit the diverse smattering of ethnicity. Travellers can meet the Akha, the Lahu, and the Eng; one’s arrival in the villages of the latter will be heralded by the ululations
of ragamuffin children in the trees, slingshots stuck smartly into their scraggly trousers. Getting There: Besides from reaching the town via Tachileik on the Thai border, there are flights from Mandalay and Heho. The road from Taunggyi is now thought to be open once more for foreigners with a permit.
Gaw Yan Gyi, Ayeyarwaddy Region Actually not an island, Gaw Yan Gyi is perched at the end of a peninsula bent crooked into the Bay of Bengal. The beach on one side is reserved for fishing boats and beer stations, while the other offers clear bathing water, although the odd bulb from a lobster boat may be spotted lodged in the sand. Not quite barefoot luxury, there is both chic and budget accommodation available. There are no merchandise shops, and no restaurants serving pizza and frozen daiquiris, but travellers can slip into the village for laphet thoke and a bottle of Grand Royal. Getting There: Busses run from Yangon’s Hlaing Thar Yar Bus Terminal via Pathein. It is also possible to travel by motorbike down the coast from Ngwe Saung.
Dawei, Tanintharyi Region Lonely Planet describes Nyaung Shwe on the edge of Inle as Myanmar’s only proper backpacker hub. Dawei looks to become the country’s second. For a few years, for travellers the town has served purely as a means to get to MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Ket-Wan Seng village near Kyaing Tong (Kengtung) in Shan State. (Susan Bailey)
either the nearby beaches, however it is time that Dawei is regarded as worthwhile destination in itself. In addition to the colonial architecture and Shwe Thal Taung Daw Mu (the country’s second largest Reclining Buddha) one can take traditional cookery classes and aromatherapy treatment at the newly opened Ayinsa Gardens. After swimming in nearby watering holes and jumping down waterfalls, weary travellers can enjoy sunset on ‘Health Road’ sipping on local toddy wine. Getting There: There are daily flights to Dawei from Yangon. Busses can be picked up from Yangon, Mawlamyine, and Ye.
Sampan Travel is a tour operator based in Yangon, creating tailor-made journeys through Myanmar.
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
A beach in Gaw Yan Gyi. (Mona Konrad)
Dawei looks to become a backpacker hub. (Thein Htalk aka Sam the Man)
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Looking ahead
PROPERTY FOCUS “The year 2017 elicited mixed market opinions,” said Antony Picon, founder and director of Colliers International Myanmar. Yangon is in a nascent stage of property development, he explained, and fluctuation in rates is a commonplace occurrence. “In fact, despite headwinds, we have seen continuous growth in the office market as rental levels become competitive.” Last year ended with “healthy” occupancy rates for the retail and serviced apartment sectors, he added, forecasting this trend to continue, especially for the industrial market. Though he stressed quicker reforms and further economic liberalisation will be “fundamental” for the real estate sector. Here are Colliers top 10 predictions for 2018:
A view of downtown Yangon. (Leo Jackson)
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
1. Retail recreational and entertainment features will become more prominent The success of modern retail establishments will drive competitors to adopt more unique offerings. Besides the integration of entertainment features and family-oriented recreational activities, Colliers recommends mall owners to capture a wider consumer base through tenancy mix differentiation. One way is to integrate health and wellness tenants such as fitness centres, spas, outpatient clinics, and other medical services in their mall offerings. 2. Banks more confident with housing mortgages More condominium developers will secure bank partnerships this year. Protective measures such as buyer’s legal security under the new condominium rules will in fact entice banks to expand their housing mortgage programs. Colliers suggests that banks should offer more reasonable mortgage terms which should also trickle down to lower-tier developments besides just high-end projects. 3. Industrial sector as a star performer The increasing labour costs in competing countries such as China and Vietnam along with the lifting of US sanctions will prompt a return of the garment industry in Myanmar. Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry and logistics companies will take a fresh look at the country banking on its geographic and demographic potential. While we understand that infrastructure may remain inadequate in the near to medium term, we continually urge industrial developers to focus on improving land development as well as provisions for generators for redundancy purposes. 4. The emergence of smallerscale serviced apartments and dedicated apartments for lease With rents considered relatively reasonable along with basic but MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
functional features, limited and lower-tier serviced apartments, despite smaller in scale will gain further traction. We are also likely to see growth in apartments dedicated purely for lease but perhaps will be found in peripheral addresses to justify the low rental offering. The limited supply in the medium term also provides a window of opportunity for many developers. 5. Downward correction on residential rental yields We see residential rents to continually correct downwards driving capital rates to settle within the high single digit range from what used to be 18 – 22% in the past three to four years. The yields will however remain competitive regionally. We advise investors to be cautious with their selection process and aim for product and location that reflect high rental potential. 6. Interest in Mandalay City will resurface With the mixed-use development concept proven to be a success in Mandalay City, other developers are likely to jump on the bandwagon. Big-ticket projects may soon be revealed. Colliers advises developers to design satellite communities that offer an upgrade in terms of living quality. Products should be geared towards exclusive landed residences. This should be reinforced with a destination retail to create critical mass. 7. Competitive office rental environment to persist More tenants will upgrade and relocation towards better office spaces will become more evident. We predict rents to remain competitive amid the decline in new supply this year. Further clarity in economic policies and quicker reforms will create an impetus for new market entrants as well as for business expansion. We advise landlords to keep lease terms favourable and to appropriate rental offerings in line with their building quality.
8. Preference towards basic grade apartments and condominiums Lower-tier but modern apartments and condominiums are likely to witness better sales performance. While construction delay for larger scale projects is problematic, buyers are likely to gain more confidence towards basic but modern developments, typically smaller in size and priced more reasonably. The full enactment of the condominium law may elicit demand this year but affordability will remain an issue. We urge developers to be crucial with their site selection ideally in alternative and accessible development sites in the immediate outskirts of Yangon. With these areas of appropriately priced land, devising offerings for mid-tier satellite communities ought to be a viable strategy. 9. Hotel staycation packages gaining popularity Modern upper-scale hotels will continually adopt creative solutions to help buoy occupancy. Besides relying from business and leisure foreign travelers, these hotels will start tapping the domestic market. Staycation packages would be an ideal strategy given Myanmar’s long list of holidays. It is important that these hotels highlight features that enhances experiential value. This may come in form of unique amenities and facilities creating an overall destination itself. 10. More developers eye south of Myanmar for resort destinations More developers will head to Mergui/Myeik islands and explore commercial possibilities for resort and leisure developments. With more than 800 undeveloped pristine islands, the region is in fact a strong draw for luxury travelers. Infrastructure may initially be a challenge, and generators although costly will be necessary. Kawthaung will similarly be an attractive jump off point with hotels offering excursion trips to the nearby islands.
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Feature
The Bandula stairs in the Southern Wing of the Secretariat will be revamped and regularly used again for the first time in more than a decade.
INSIDE THE SECRETARIAT Iris Alonso takes a tour of the Secretariat, an iconic structure set for transformation into a cultural hub. Photos by Lorcan Lovett.
The public can tour the complex through Asia Tours Myanmar until the site's completion in 2019.
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
A
t 4.20am on January 4, 1948, a time astrologers judged to be auspicious, the last Governor of British Burma and the first president of the Union of Burma watched as the Union Jack was solemnly lowered down the flagpole, and the first Burmese national flag was raised.
Until its anticipated completion in 2019, the Secretariat is open to the public through one-hour tours by Asia Tours Myanmar. The tour includes the Parliament House and Southern, Western, and Northern wings, and the guide who escorted this writer had basic English.
General Aung San in London. Two more videos, narrated in Myanmar language, showed the funeral of leaders of the pre-independence interim government who were gunned down in the complex in 1947, and President U Nu grappling with the country’s fated democracy.
The setting could not have been more fitting: a grand, sprawling Victorian building that served as the British seat of power for a chunk of its 124 years in Burma, then to become the nucleus of the new independent government.
The first stop was Parliament House, where the power was officially transferred in 1948. It included a 10-minute sit-down to watch grainy Pathé videos showing the flag ceremony and independence hero
Parliament House will become a museum, according to the guide, keeping the same decades-old furnishings. Outside is the ‘Martyrs’ Monument’—a seven-stone tablet monument erected just after the 1947
Seventy years on and the names of places have changed but feelings of uncertainty and optimism have returned. The building itself is once again the focus of those feelings, a derelict relic set for transformation into a cultural and commercial hub. Singapore based sustainable design firm Pomeroy Studio has been appointed to restore the 16 acres of former government offices and gardens into a complex containing museums, galleries, lounges, offices and restaurants. Many of the rooms will be converted into exhibition spaces and museums.
Original furniture remains inside Parliament House, where the press once sat (top right balcony) to report on debates between Burma's independence leaders. MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
assassinations. It stands amid the vast greenery as a prominent fixture in what will become a public park. Across Parliament House is the Southern Wing—like much of the building, a red-and-yellow-bricked sun-beaten façade of colonnades fronted by traveler’s palms. The tour really became worth its US$6 inside here when we climbed the three-storey, double-helix cast iron staircase, called the Bandula stairs. Its green worn-down balustrades spiral up the rows of carved arches, sun-lit by the glass pyramid above. This will be repainted, retiled, and carpeted later on, for its first regular use since the government left for Naypyitaw in 2005. This is the last chance to see it in its current faded glory. The ground slopes in a room off the stairs, a reminder of the 1930 earthquake that destroyed some of the Secretariat’s turrets and central dome. The wooden beams have been pecked and perched on by pigeons, the floor tiles are cracked and a wooden staircase is deteriorating (hard hats were provided on the tour). We followed the assassins’ path, from where they entered through the Bo Aung Kyaw Gate, to the dark narrow fire escape on the southwest corner, and finally the room where Aung San and his cabinet were killed. The guide revealed plans to turn the room into a diorama of the assassination. Many rooms in the Southern and Eastern wings will become offices, while the Western Wing will house an exhibition gallery and museum in highceiling rooms bathed in natural light. The Northern Wing, formerly stables, will become a row of food stalls and tea houses. The North Wing, formerly a stable for the town horses, will become a row of food stalls and traditional tea houses. Overall, the building is stable enough for a tour, so much so that some have even inhabited it. One room on the northwest corner has become a temporary police station and living quarters, filled with a web of washing lines, under which
Martyrs' Monument outside Parliament House at the Secretariat.
men were chatting and strumming guitars. Outside was a woman carrying century-old roof tiles on her head, to be replaced atop Parliament House.
History of the Secretariat -
Word of restoration began in 2013, with many players coming and going, but little was finalized or publicized until now. As part of the restoration announcement, heritage and conservation experts from Studio Architetti Croce will help Pomeroy Studio complete the sensitive project.
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Once a prosaic yet grand expression of Yangon’s past, the 19th century structure will soon become a projection of the city’s future, where colonial structures are seen as assets to be utilized as houses for Myanmar’s culture, heritage, arts and business.
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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Designed by British architect Henry Hoyne-Fox, work started on the central building in 1890. The complex was fully completed in 1905 and became the center of British colonial administration in Burma. The diarchy (Legislative Council) was formed at The Secretariat in 1923, giving Burma a limited measure of self-rule. Burma formally separated from India here in 1937. The following year it became the focus of the largest anti-colonial student demonstration at the time. On 19 July 1947, Gen Aung San and eight other cabinet members were assassinated in the west range of The Secretariat. The tragic killings are now remembered as ‘Martyrs’ Day’ Burma officially became independent from the United Kingdom in a ceremony in front of Parliament House in the complex’s courtyard in January, 1948. The Secretariat was used as the center of post-independence governmental administration until the capital was relocated from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005.
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AFH
Feature
MAKING MAGIC
A community of young magicians is aiming to popularize the performance art in Myanmar. Words by Lorcan Lovett. Photos by Leo Jackson.
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party atmosphere exudes from a bare office on the eight floor of a building in downtown Yangon. The 15 young men inside are Buddhists, Christians, Muslims—“even Chinese,” one says—but that’s not important.
But now “if you say magic, most people get excited,” adds the 25-yearold. He first embraced the word as a student in Singapore, practicing every day until, aged 19, he was invited to star in a TV show with the well-known Myanmar magician Sakkawma.
What is key is wowing and being wowed. Ways to achieve this are set out on a table near the door: tubs of fanning power to reduce friction between cards, a fake thumb for vanishing red cloth, flash paper that burns instantly with no smoke or ash.
The two wrote a book on card tricks together, but then Zwe traveled to Tasmania to study maritime logistics, a choice that only reaffirmed his love of magic. He returned to star in a second TV show on Skynet called MYM (Myanmar Young Magicians) and his next one will be a solo show called Deceptions and Emotions, aired on MNTV in February.
Myanmar’s new young magicians are gathering; some have already scored TV shows, others are still learning how to shuffle a deck of cards. But all are striving to shake off old stereotypes of magicians in the country and, well, to bedazzle anyone they meet with tricks salvaged from YouTube, books, TV and each other.
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Thurein Wintun (middle) trials a trick on fellow fledgling magicians.
“Many magicians used tricks to con money from people,” explains Zwe Htet Aung, a natural showman who organized the almost secret meetup. “There’s a gimmick where you can change money from a 1,000 to a
10,000 kyat note. They would go to these rural places and say ‘I’m going to multiple your money by 10. You just have to give me your money for one or two days.’ They used that kind of thing to manipulate and deceive people.”
Zwe will often take to the streets, showcasing his sleight-of-hand to strangers. His main goal is to tear youngsters from their phones and video games, and give them “a purpose to live,” that purpose being MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
expressed in his shop Magic Market in downtown bazaar Urban 86. “From video games you get highblood pressure from getting angry and frustrated,” he says. “Magic is fun.” Dangerous Magic Smoking out on the balcony is Thurein Wintun, who won the Golden Buzzer Audition on 2016 Myanmar’s Got Talent for swallowing a piece of thread and pulling it back out from his eye. He also swallows swords, eats plates, and plays Russian roulette with a stapler gun: “Not luck, it’s magic,” he says. Thurein is the wild card of the group. “I do dangerous, interesting magic,” declares the towering 21-year-old. “I like people concentrating on me, to watch people’s jaws drop when they watch.” Thurein brings his brand of squeamish conjuring to children’s hospitals under his one-man enterprise the Kingsman Magic Entertainment. Back inside, the young magicians take turns to perform their tricks, a confidencebuilding exercise done before an eager audience. Thurein puts out his cigarette on his tongue and then brazenly strides back into the office, to get some water. The Magic Circle Most of the young magicians favor honing subtle tricks of subterfuge— ‘street magic’—and steer away from aspirations of the grand theatrics of somebody like David Copperfield. They huddle together in a corner, jeering and cheering at the efforts of fellow enthusiasts, making for a fraternal atmosphere.
(Above) Zwe Htet Aung teaches the group a new trick. (Below) The young magicians huddle together at the monthly meeting.
One of their number, Aung Khaing Min, 16, is sporting a turquoise shirt, top button done, and a slick comb over. He’s seven months into the art.
“Magic makes people happy,” he says, gleefully. Next to him is 20-year-old Wai Lin, a rangy electrical engineering student who shares the same sentiments. This is part of Zwe’s larger plan: bringing them all out of their homes
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
and tea shops and in to the magic circle, a growing community in Yangon. A member enlists the help of another to teleport 1,000 and 500 kyat notes across the room. The crowd gasps
with astonishment, and even the newbie stops coyly flicking a card at the back to appreciate the moment. Myanmar arguable needs more magic than ever, and, it seems, these are the guys to bring it.
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Feature
RISE OF THE
CUSTOM RIDE Motorbike lovers are fueling a trend for bespoke bikes in Mandalay. Words and photos by Susan Bailey.
Phoe Lone (pictured) has been customizing bikes in Mandalay for nearly 15 years.
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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ny fashion-savvy person will tell you that accessories are not limited to clothes and jewelry. In Los Angeles, pets are often toted around for style while in China luxury handbags are the ultimate status symbol. But in Mandalay an entirely different type of accessory is growing in popularity: custom motorbikes.
Mandalay’s eastern edges, is filled with parts, engines and tools. In one corner lies a skeleton frame with a scattering of pieces around it and in another corner sit three beautiful Café Racerstyle bikes. It is hard to imagine the transformation, but he says that once he has the parts, it only takes a week or two of work.
The concept of customizing motorbikes dates back to the early 1900s when Harold ‘Oily’ Karslake built a bike from scratch. The process became more popular as motorbike racing developed, with riders kitting out their bikes with better engines and more ergonomic bodies. These days the term custom can range from adding small accessories or special paint colors to completely redesigning a bike from scratch. In Mandalay, the most common styles are Café Racer, with low handlebars and long fuel tanks, and Easy Riders, chopper-style bikes.
“There are probably only five or six workshops around town specializing in building custom bikes. I am getting more customers, especially men in their 30s and 40s who want to have a bike that is both fun to ride and shows their style,” Phoe Lone said. Business is certainly good—he just sold a bike for over 30 lakh (US$2,200).
Phoe Lone has been customizing bikes for nearly 15 years. His workshop, located down a dusty laneway in MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
One of his customers is Kyaw Swar, a young Mandalay resident with a real passion for motorbikes. He regularly drives down to Myawaddy, purchases Japanese motorbikes and brings them back to Mandalay to customize with Kyaw Swar. “Once I have the body, I find sample designs online and explain the style I wish to create to the mechanics. Each time I try a different
model and style, drive it around town for a while and then someone offers to buy it. So I sell it and start the process again,” he said with a smile. “I have found a way for my hobby to pay for itself.” Another custom motorbike fan, Ko Win Naing, has also found a way to turn his hobby into a business. In 2012 he opened Kuso, a shop selling motorbike parts and accessories. “I was working in Taiwan and fell in love with the custom motorbikes there. I started reading more about the custom community and studying how they are made. When I moved back to Mandalay, I took the risk to open the city’s first custom parts store,” he explained. Business is good, with even some mechanics from other cities coming to purchase hard-to-find parts. With the growing interest in custom bikes in Mandalay, the number of motorbike-related events has also increased. For the last three years, Kuso and other businesses have sponsored a custom motorbike show.
Although awards are presented, the weekend is designed more as a gathering to show off bikes and meet other enthusiasts. There are also an increasing number of other motorbike events in Mandalay including the country’s first enduro competition—a long-distance off-road time trial—that took place in November. Motorcylists had complained about a dearth of racing circuits to practice off-road, with many risking their own and other lives to pull stunts and race on the streets. The competition, then, was welcomed by most. In December was the first ever Mandalay Bike Week and an international stunt show is planned for the start of this year. One Mandalay resident said, “Mandalay people want others to know that our city is a bike city. Customizing bikes reflects the pride we feel for our hometown.” If that feeling holds true with other Mandalay residents, it is safe to say that the custom bike industry is here to stay.
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Cover Q & A
WAI THIT LWIN The managing director of the ABC convenience store chain, Wai Thit Lwin has been a force in Myanmar business since the age of 18. Among her roles are founder of Bella Cosmetics and executive director of TMW Group of Companies, whose portfolio includes hotels and marketing for brands such as Sony and LG. She talks to Pamela Tan about her idea of success and her approach to business. Photos by Gerhard Joren. Q Which of your businesses are you most proud of and why? The businesses that I build with my hands, which are construction material manufacturing and distribution, the convenience store chain and Myanmar’s first national cosmetic brand, which became the market leader within six months of launching. Everything else is built by my husband and father and I do the operations mainly with our more than 20 CEOs and our teams. It’s never a 'person work' but a teamwork. Everything is possible because of my family, my partners and my team support. Q You became a businesswoman at the age of 18. Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur? In childhood everyone has the right to have a dream of what they want to become when they grow up. I didn’t have that right. At the age of 4 and half I was told what to become when I grew up through a TV commercial. I came from a political family doing national politics for many generations thus I had been brain washed with the philosophy that it is my duty to serve Burmese citizens in anyway I can add value. I am not doing business, I am doing politics, and I don’t have any pattern or formula, I look at where I can add the most value and I go ahead and implement it. Before starting any business I look at three things: if I do this, how much value can I add for the nation? How many jobs can I create? How much value can I create for the direct and indirect stakeholders? I
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believe that no one should start any business for money but only to add value and to serve and to give needed solutions to the community. It should be about adding value not money. Q Being extremely successful from such a young age, how has being an entrepreneur affected your family life? I am not successful, I am just a mother of two girls who wants to make everyone confident so that they can reach their full potential. I am fortunate to have a father who didn’t spoil me but brought me up in a family business and nurtured me through hard work, a relentless mother who set an example with her life to contribute to the Burmese people with passion and confidence. Also a husband who mentored me to keep on adding value to our people instead of keeping me to himself. I came from a generation of working women: sixth generation to run my own business actually, so it’s nothing new in my family. My mom and my aunts grew up under socialism thus they became a lawyer and a doctor (neurologist) to serve our people. My grandmother had run her own business so as my great grandmother so as my great great grandmother. We came from a family of having just girls in the family thus our fathers trained us to be girls who can do everything boys do and give birth as well. I am also blessed with a team who is with me throughout my career and who put up with all my dreams and demand to add value. I can do nothing without my family's and my team's support. It is never a person's success, it’s always the team who works together to make a common
dream of value creation come true. Q As someone who was juggling student life while running an electronic business, what three pieces of advice would you give to college students who want to become entrepreneurs? Well I guess I was blessed to be able to implement what I learned right away and had free Berkeley professors as my business consultants. Thinking of it now, it was more of doing an executive MBA than an undergraduate business degree. So I guess my advice is: Take advantage of the professors—they have decades of experience, make them your free consultants. Apply what you learn through your own innovation by twisting it to how it would create the most value for your business. Actually reading Financial Times and Wall Street Journal really helps and being at the base of all new innovation (I went to Berkeley thus it’s where all the Silicon Valley happens) is the best opportunity for anyone to innovate and create value that no one else can access yet.
“I look at where I can add the most value and I go ahead and implement it.”
Q When did you begin to consider yourself a success? I will consider myself successful when no more Burmese women use fake cosmetic products. Q How long do you stick with an idea before giving up? Until I can find an innovation to make successful and implement it to add value. Q Is entrepreneurialism something that can be learned or is it in the blood? I think it is both. Mainly it’s the character to have the passion to do something value adding for the society. Usually most entrepreneurs have an inspiration to do what they do. For me, since I was young, I had been brainwashed to add value to my fellow Burmese citizen, to create jobs and to work in empowerment and development. But I had been nurtured by my father, my husband and my teams to actually implement my passions. Q How much has your school and university education helped in your success? A lot. I value education of all sorts, whether it comes from school or from other areas. Before I do anything, I try to read and learn as much as I can from the theory and books. I tend to only do the job after I feel like I have learned enough from books to do practical or learn in real life. I am very obsessed with everything I do and I tend to read MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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Cover Q & A
everything and anything I can find about the subject in any forms, from business school cases to translated video files to blog posts. I believe in continuous education and the day we stop learning is the day we stop growing. I have done a few graduate programs and I am doing an executive education Harvard business school as well. I go back every year to Harvard and that’s when I get my yearly updates about what’s happening in the world and an upgrade for my brain, I guess, and a ‘to do’ plan for the year. Q With high interest on loans in Myanmar, you have highlighted in previous interviews the difficulty of competing with foreign convenience stores such as 7/11. How are you planning to deal with this? At this point in time the government has been very kind to us by limiting liquors license issue by not having any new license issue since 2011. Therefore even if there’s cheaper capital to expand business, it is very impossible to do even for the Burmese ourselves. This is the key bottleneck that has caused an expansion of CVS chains. We had pointed this out uncountable times yet no action has been taken. I think international chains will have a second thought before they decide to come into the market that doesn’t have liquor licenses available, rent control or quality electricity with skilled human resources. We are still fortunate to have this luxury as a Burmese opportunity. With the changes of Myanmar company laws' implementation it will be an interesting challenge as well as an opportunity. Q What’s are all of your businesses together worth? And separately? Haha, good question! I have never thought of the worth. I have only thought of what can I do for my people and how much more value can I add and where. Q What expansion plans do you have for your businesses? I will try my best to add value for my people in the places I can to the best of my ability.
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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Review
'IT WON MY HEART WITH ITS DIPPING STATION'
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Communal eating is taken to new heights at one of the best hotpots in town. Words and photos by Edmond Sailland.
ot pot—a bubbling broth in which you cook various meats vegetables, noodles, dumplings etc—is an important fixture of Chinese cuisine. Gathering family, friends and loved ones around the steaming hot pot is one of my favourite forms of communal eating. I was pleased to have the chance, therefore, to sample Beauty in the Pot on Yangon’s Sayar San Road. Beauty in the Pot has all the staples of a good quality Chinese hot pot chain (which is to be expected as its from Singapore’s Paradise Group). The restaurant was buzzing but not raucous (in Mandarin we would say ‘renao’) with pleasant chatter and scented steam emanating from each table. As I sat down, I ticked off my mental hot pot check list. Large hot pot in the middle, which can be split into two small hot pots. (I am not a fan of the personal hot pot which seem in vogue in Yangon). Good quality crockery. Large chopsticks for dipping and plucking, a spoon for soup, a slotted spoon for tricky extractions and an elongated sieve for noodles. Beauty in the Pot charmed me almost immediately by supplying paper bibs and little plastic bags for your phone—both necessary precautions for an enthusiastic hotpotter like me.
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The restaurant won my heart with its dipping station. (For the uninitiated, part of the hot pot experience is to create your own dipping sauce which you can coat items in between being cooked in the hot pot and entering your mouth). This station was well-stocked with soy, vinegar, oils, coriander, chilli, sha cha, sesame and well-maintained (read: Clean). I opted for two soups. The slightly bizarrely-named collagen-rich pot was rich from pork cartilage and featured delicious pieces of silky tofu. The ‘mala’ spicy broth was packed with Sichuan peppercorn, chili, red dates, wolfberries, ginseng, dang gui, dang shen. You can choose the spiciness on a scale from one to three chilis. In diligence to you, dear reader, I ordered as broad a selection as possible of items to dunk in my pot. The vegetables were packed with flavor, the meat (I had Australian beef and pork) was fresh and needed only minimal cooking, the restaurant’s signature meat paste was lightly flavored with white pepper and once cooked it took on just the right amount of the broth’s flavor. The dumplings were very good as well, a light tang from the garlic shoots with the pork and a delightfully slippery skin. The hand-pulled la mian noodles
were also exceptional. The meatballs were all fresh and very tasty—in particular the squid. The taro should also be mentioned as a must-order item. Everything, therefore, was pretty much perfect until, dramatic pause, I found out there was no dessert option. Not even a fruit plate. Though we were handed a refreshing crushed ice lime beverage. This would not stop me from coming back, when I get that hot pot yearning, however. It remains my favorite hot pot experience so far. The food was good across the board. The service was diligent (offering demonstrations and advice on cooking times), at times
to the point of being a little overenthusiastic. You can expect to pay a little more than you might anticipate for the privilege, however, and should allocate around 20,000-30,000 kyats per head. If you think it’s a little pricey and are flexible with when you hot pot, take advantage of their lunch menu and late-night deal (20 percent off between 10 pm and 1 am). Address: 42(A), SayarSan Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Myanmar 09 252 221 188 Opening Hours: 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Review
'NOT QUITE A MICHELIN STAR, BUT NOT FAR OFF' Understated opulence and quality food in a leafy corner of People’s Park. Words and photos by Charles Duchemin.
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ith the Michelin guide finally discovering the Bangkok dining scene it is only a matter of time before they venture into Yangon. When the inspectors from the red guide eventually arrive here, they will definitely be making a beeline for The Yangon Restaurant. Situated in a quiet leafy corner of People’s Park, The Yangon oozes understated opulence with a relaxed semi-formal vibe. Artwork adorns the walls and the floor to ceiling windows offer splendid views of the goings-on outside. At lunchtime the restaurant feels spacious, airy and light, and certainly the kind of place you could enjoy an extended business lunch without too much trouble. We go for the set lunchtime menu; there is a good selection of exciting sounding dishes though we are drawn towards the two starters that require supplementary payments. The
service is swift and attentive, although perhaps a little timid at times. First up is a generous portion of three scallops served with a perfectly cooked quail egg. It looks delightful, but after a bit of digging around things get complicated. The wasabi-minted peas are a little overpowering, the Parmesan an unnecessary flourish. The addition of jamon iberico is a nice touch but perhaps a little excessive, and the tapenade on top just swamps everything. This feels like a dish that the chef just couldn’t decide what to leave out, which was a shame because it would have been magical with half the ingredients. The fois gras provides a similar experience. Visually the dish has a lot of potential with a decent sized piece of liver and light foam, but again the flavors are fighting with each other to grab your attention. The delicate sweet apple jelly is overpowered by
the floral grittiness of the pear and pineapple compote, which is battered by the cinnamon that is then beaten into submission by the surprise layer of chocolate sauce at the bottom. It is a great dish but comes across as needlessly confusing. Both main courses are much simpler, and better-executed all round. The
sea bass is cooked to perfection, and the tangy anchovy ragout works really well. The pork rack is tasty and married well with a rich pepper sauce. It’s easy to be overly critical when reviewing a fine dining place, as your expectations are so high. And although The Yangon isn’t quite at the standard of a Michelin star just yet, it is not far away. As lunchtime spots go this is definitely one of, if not the best in the city and with two courses at 20,000 kyats or three courses for 25,000 kyats you’d be hard pushed to find a nicer place to enjoy a luxurious lunchtime rendezvous. My advice would be to get there now, while you can still get a table, because that will change when the Michelin men find out about it! Address: People's Park Compound, Ahlone Road, Near Planetarium Museum, Dagon Township, Yangon Hours: Weekdays: 12-5pm, 6-11pm / Weekends: 10.30am-4pm, 6-11pm Phone: 01 370 177
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Ethnic recipe / Street snacks
TIN TIN AYE
They sell one thing and one thing only: mohingya.
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bout 200-300 bowls of the breakfast favorite are dished out to customers every morning from 5-9am at the popular joint in Sanchaung. The rich fishy broth poured over rice noodles costs a mere 500 kyats—or 900 kyats with split bean fritter and quail egg. But the real steal is the unique, flavorful taste, a gathering of fried gourd, onion, crushed peanuts, coconut milk, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and more coupled with diced snake beans and coriander.
scattered across the city. Her eldest son has run the Sanchaung spot for 30 years, while her other three children each run their own Tin Tin Aye. Her daughter-in-law, Daw Khin Than Win, 58, told Myanmore that Daw Tin Tin Aye “tried her best to make the mohingya taste different from others,” adding, “she is very smart.” Khin Than Win has run the place with her husband on the bustling Sanchaung Street for 30 years. They have two daughters and a son—the generation to continue Tin Tin Aye.
Tin Tin Aye was named after the woman who started the operation from a street cart on Tamwe junction about 50 years ago. From there she moved to a market shop in Lanmadaw, eventually closing that to open in Sanchaung.
Surprisingly, the mohingya is not made on site but instead all cooked at Tin Tin Aye’s home in Mayangone every morning and delivered to each eatery. Unsurprisingly, they usually sell every last bowl.
Now at the age of 76, she has built a legacy of four Tin Tin Aye diners
Address: Corner of Pandonmar and Sanchaung streets.
RAKHINE RICE SALAD F rom the herby fare of the north to the fresh and spicy seafood along the western coastline, Myanmar has an endless choice of tasty ethnic cuisine. To try your hand at cooking these dishes yourself, Myanmore and the Myanmar Ethnic Restaurateurs Group (MERG) offer the following recipe from Rakhine restaurant chain Min Lann:
Ingredients:
In Rakhine, we usually tend to make rice vermicelli salad or even rice salad to satiate our hunger in the afternoons. Using with chilli, salt, fish paste, MSG, shrimp powder, and sesame seeds, we sell this dish as Rakhine Hta Min Thote (Rakhine rice salad).
The dish is one of the easiest and most popular in Rakhine State. (Min Lann)
The dish is extremely delicious and healthy, as one does not need to use oil. The inclusion of Saba fish makes it
even more delicious—great for your heart, bones, teeth, and even memory. To make the salad, simply take a
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moderate amount of each ingredient and mix them all together before serving with the grilled fish.
Rice Salad: - Rice - Salt - Lemon - Shrimp powder - Crushed chili - Sesame seeds (white/ black) - Rosemary - Onion - Cabbage - Carrot - Cucumber - Tomato - Fried Commerson’s anchovy - Fried peanuts - Dried shrimps Grilled Saba Fish: - Saba fish
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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New Openings
New Openings This Month
NYX Rooftop and Club • Bar New rooftop bar and nightclub NYX opened last month on the top floor of The One Entertainment building in West Shwegondine in Yangon. The nightclub—previously the inside area of The One Bar—is named after the Greek goddess who represents power, beauty and the night. It plans to host regional and international DJs from Europe and will play mainly EDM, trance, trap and deep house, but will also organize parties of other music genres. 117 West Shwegondine Road, Bahan Tsp 09 796 741400 5 pm till late
The Burma Bistro • Burmese Burma is often referred to as a land that time forgot. Despite its proximity to China, India and Thailand, most are rarely aware of its whereabouts, let alone its culinary roots. Burma Bistro is born out of the desire to expand current perception of Burmese food on the international front. It is a natural evolution of traditional Burmese cuisines infused with global culinary influences that represent modern day Burma. 644 Corner of Merchant Road & Shwe Bon Thar Road, Pabedan Tsp 09 40118 3838 7 am - 12 am
Find out more in sarmal.com.mm
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Garbo Bar • American Five-star hotel Meliá Yangon in Bahan Township has opened Garbo Bar, it’s new establishment themed on Hollywood’s Golden Age and named after the famous actress Greta Garbo. Inspired by the glamour of the 50s’ Hollywood stars, the bar is a mixture of dark wood and marble, with weak and golden lights adding to the ambiance. It boasts wide and comfortable sofas along with elegant stools placed around the bar. The extensive drink list contains timeless favorites, sophisticated cocktails, and international fusion dishes. Jazz tunes are performed by a live band on every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7pm to 10pm. Buy one get one free on drinks is available from 5pm to 7pm daily. Ground floor, Meliá Yangon, 192 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp 01 934 5000 4 pm - 1 am
Century Bar & Cafe • Asian A cafe furnished with a Burmese vintage theme. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has a set menu. Also coffee, smoothies, drinks, snacks, grills, BBQ, cocktail, beer, liquor and so on. Sagawa Street, corner of Myo Ma Kyaung Street, Dagon Tsp 09 796 621000 7 am - 11 pm
TG Bar • Bar TG Bar is the one and only bar in town that play hits, house, and hip-hop. Renaming each day of the week, TG bar has daily events hosting and early birds specials too. On the last Saturday of each month, they host a Performers and Entertainers Week. 30 Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp 09 260043924 9 pm - 2 am
Tum Laii @ Mandalay • Thai Tum Laii offers Thai cuisine with an uncompromising commitment to authenticity. The dishes themselves explode with the sweet, sour, salty and bitter flavours that give Thai cuisine its character. 731, 28th Street, between 71st Street & 72nd Street, Mandalay 09 761 001011 11 am - 9 pm
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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Travel
WELCOME TO
OGRE ISLAND
With a new bridge linking Mawlamyine to Bilu Kyun, James Fable compares the old tour to the new possibility of independently exploring the island. Photos by the writer.
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cross the Thanlwin River from Mawlamyine lies Ogre Island, or Bilu Kyun in the Mon language. Some stories suggest the island earned its name long ago because of its fierce inhabitants’ inclination toward devouring raw meat with their sharpened teeth. But the reality these days is that of a tranquil island, roughly the size of Singapore, dappled with hilltop pagodas and famous for its cottage industry—wooden smoking pipes and slates made, of course, by friendly locals.
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Breeze Guesthouse based on Mawlamyine’s Strand Road has been running boat tours to the island for years, but on May 9 a bridge connecting Bilu Kyun to the Mon State capital was opened—and travel restrictions were lifted. Tourists can now drive over independently and view the islands 78 villages set amid vivid paddies. So is it still worth doing the tour? For 18,000 kyats per person, the slightly pushy yet endearing owner of Breeze Guesthouse, Mr Khaing, will
take you to see women making slate tablets and styli for schools, ropes and doormats from coconut fibers, bamboo farmers hats, and traditional Mon longyis. Lunch, drinks, a swim at a waterfall swimming pool, a trip to a rubber plantation, and a final boat ride back to the city are also thrown in. It’s a 9am-5pm day that’s worth its price tag, but unless you buy the handicrafts, none of your money will go to the local community (Mr Khaing pays the working women in sweets).
The completion of the new bridge, however, means tourists can rent motorbikes (manuals from 10,000 kyats, Breeze Guesthouse) and explore freely. Men lean out of tractors to shout “hello” as you pass, while children run onto the road and cry “mingalabar.” Bilu Kyun harbors all the charm of rural life yet to be tainted by tourism. Rows of rubber trees dripping white sap into black cups line the roads, and brown rubber sheets resembling small cowhides hang from wooden beams in front gardens. MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
In Ywalut village is a roundabout topped with an absurdly large pipe, surrounded by shops selling wooden watches the size of WWE belts. Made by local craftsman Mann Ngwe Win in 2014, the sculpture is a nod to a strong heritage of pipe making. Beyond the culture is also a beautiful landscape. Climbing up to the elevated pagodas and enjoying sweeping views of the palm-studded paddies can break up the pleasant and intriguing drive around the island. Unfortunately overnight trips are not possible, as there is currently no accommodation for visitors on Bilu Kyun. Should you opt for the motorbike option, however, you will miss out on a few things. One of these is local knowledge: the English-speaking Mr Khaing was able to field questions on local life; without him we would have not known about the waterfall pool where we cooled off just before lunch. He also took us to a monastery hosting a novitiation ceremony: that morning of food and forced dancing also saw 200 locals taking photos of embarrassed French girls, the highlight of my day. Then there’s the handicrafts production: riding past rubber trees is enjoyable, but the oozing white sap is just the start of the story—you need a guide to educate you about the entire process of making rubber. Without a guide, we probably also wouldn’t have seen the old lady cutting circles out of condensed milk cans to put on top of bamboo farmers hats, the incongruous finishing touch to an age-old tradition. Then again, much of the handicraft production you see on
the tour is allegedly geared to tourists anyway. So, tour or no tour? It depends on your travelling preferences, but I recommend doing both: take the tour one day and spend the next driving round by yourself. When we hired motorbikes the day after doing the tour, we saw no other tourists on Bilu Kyun; most locals welcomed us with warm smiles, a few even invited us MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
into their homes. The experience was enriched, though, by our knowledge of where to go: had we just driven round aimlessly, our day wouldn’t have been so rewarding. Those mulling a visit to the island, then, should take two days out to do so. But if you don’t have the time for both, either one is still worth your time and money.
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Travel
WILD SWIMMING IN MON STATE
Dominic Horner forgoes the iconic attraction of Kyaiktiyo to visit the area’s waterfall. Photos by the writer.
View from the water in Saung Hlaing Gyi
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Sein Lae Tin Adventure Park
I
t’s fair to say that when most people go to Kyaiktiyo their primary motivation is to visit Kyaiktiyo Pagoda. But did you know that you can have a totally brilliant weekend in Kyaiktiyo without even visiting the golden rock?
Food options are limited to say the least. Pack a picnic or—if you get really desperate—visit the stalls selling tea leaf salad and mystery meat along the river. Beers, on the other hand, are readily available. Phew!
Saung Hlaing Gyi waterfall located just a few miles out of town is one of the best outdoor swimming experiences in Myanmar. En route you’ll cross a bridge with a bunch of tea shops lining the river—a scene worth a photo stop, as some of the tables are actually in the river. The water is a bit skanky though, so save the swimming for the waterfall.
About half an hour outside Kyaiktiyo in the direction of Yangon you’ll find the adventure park/zoo/hotel Sane Let Tin. Though not as impressive as Saung Hlaing Gyi, it is still good fun, with zip lining, rock climbing, assault courses, paintball and two swimming pools. Hotel rooms start from US$40. Most of the activities cost about 15,000 kyats for foreigners so your bill can tot up pretty quickly if you’re not careful.
Wild river, actually, would be better suited to describe the waterfall. The rapids and currents are strong here, meaning most of the swimming involves floating around in rock pools or pulling yourself along with a rope. This isn’t the place to work on your butterfly, but it is perfect for those who love soaking in sweet Mother Nature.
We gave most of what was on offer a go except for the paintball, which was out of action, and everything seemed pretty solid. The zoo’s got bears, tigers, orangutans, otters, elephants; you name it. It’s just a shame that they’re kept in such appallingly cramped conditions.
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
How to get there Take the bus or train. Or perhaps better for a weekend trip is a personal car. Expect to pay about 150-200,000 kyats for a driver. The journey takes between 3-3.5 hours. Where to stay Sane Let Tin has rooms but there is a wide range of options in Kyaiktiyo. Our personal pick goes to Pepper Garden Resort. It’s pretty, close to the waterfall and good value for money. We’ve also heard good things about Shwe Hinn Thar (of Ngwe Saung beach fame), a few minutes down the road from Pepper Garden. What to do Saung Hlaing Gyi Waterfall: swim, take beautiful photos, jump off rocks, try not to drown. Sein Lae Tin: rock climbing, paintball, zip-lining and various other adventure park-y activities. Suppress tears while walking round the zoo.
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The Arts
Village well, an acrylic painting by Tin Maung Oo (Trish Gallery)
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
TIN MAUNG OO By Cliff Lonsdale. Photo by Leo Jackson.
M
yanmar artist Tin Maung Oo has been interested in art all of his life. Born in Yangon in 1949 he developed drawing skills at an early age, but he was inspired to take an interest in painting by a neighbour who happened to be a leading artist at the time. As a young man he spent hours standing by the easel of Dr San Myint wanting to replicate his style, but was never quite satisfied with his efforts to produce the traditional style of realistic paintings. It wasn’t until 1972 when he had the opportunity to attend the Fine Art School of Yangon that he was first exposed to modern art. Only a few artists were using such techniques and not many places were displaying this style at the time. He was excited by the works of leading artists such as U Khin Maung (Bank), U Win Pe, U Paw Oo Thet, and some young modern artists from Mandalay. It was here that Tin Maung Oo realized that in his heart he wanted to follow their example, and to demonstrate ‘freedom’ in his art. “I didn’t choose to paint in the style of cubism, cubism chose me.” As with all the other young artists at the time in Myanmar he was starved of access to art from overseas. He remembers they used to scour the stalls along Pansodan road looking for books on international art often left behind by foreigners. At the side of the road he and his peers would pour over images of the works of Picasso and other modern artists. Inspired by his dream to represent reality in this newly discovered revolutionary modern cubism style he looked to other local artists to learn from and emulate. He became friends and a ‘younger brother’ of artists such as U Myint Hsan and U Bogie. Over time he developed his own unique style and way of expression. MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
“When I was young I had more energy, I wanted to focus on the details, and now I see things differently I want to express that energy in broader strokes, in more contrasting colours.” Tin Maung Oo's art is available to view at Trish Gallery 46A, G/F, Flat C, Excellent Condominium, Min Kyaung Street X Pantra Street, Dagon Township, Yangon. Phone: 09-31371974, 09-501-0657, 09-254-074-869. The Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm (closed on Mondays). Regular exhibitions are held on the first Saturday of every month. Contact the gallery for more details.
“Find an artist that inspires you and learn from them, emulate them and practice their style. When you are ready, you must then find your own way.” His first art show was in 1973 although at this time he was still predominantly painting in a realism style, though with very modern brushstrokes. It wasn’t until 1986 that he really established himself as a modern cubism artist. His favourite place in Myanmar to paint is Shan State, he enjoys the serenity and beauty of the area. Tin Maung Oo explains that he only paints when he is feeling peaceful, and when someone looks at his paintings he wants them to feel and experience that peace and share in it. His use of cool and calm colours in paintings of pagodas not only represents the tranquillity of the scene that he is translating onto canvas but also the weather and the temperature that he experiences at the time. “Paint with your heart. Whoever looks at my paintings has something they can to take home and look at, at night, not on the wall but in his heart.”
His paintings of Inya Lake have a different feel, his use of bold contrasting colours demonstrate the uniqueness of the stilted houses and the energy of the boats and people working along the edges of the lake. Tin Maung Oo has displayed his work all over the world, including Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, China, and Malaysia, even in Italy. His work sells well overseas, in fact people travel to Chiang Mai simply to buy his art. His unique style is famous in Myanmar and his paintings are widely sought after. “Sometimes I like to visit my paintings, to remember what I was painting when I was younger.” He has never stopped learning or developing his skills, he has recently introduced texture into his art, carving the paint with smashed plastic, and is moving towards a much more abstract conceptualisation of his message. When you view his paintings side by side from over the years you can really see the journey he has taken with his art, you can see the evolution of his talent.
Patricia Pun the founder and owner of Trish Gallery bought her first painting at 17 and she has been an avid collector of Myanmar art ever since. The Gallery opened in 2010 and is filled with her unique collection of artwork and sculptural pieces from some of the greatest Myanmar artists. Patricia is particularly keen to also provide a space and platform to exhibit the work of young and talented Myanmar artists and she has a long history of supporting them and helping them to achieve their potential.
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App
TECH TALK
Our roundup of some of the best apps to enhance your life in Myanmar.
Pali Dictionary From a young age, Buddhists are required to recite mantras that initially sound like an alien language to them. But fear not—this app gives you access to all the definitions of Pali words that you can think of. And best of all, it’s free!
ers can use it to plan lessons. Works on your laptop as well as smart phone.
Free Myanmar Clipboard Dictionary Free e-School Playing truant won’t be so easy with this application from PNPT Private School in Naypyitaw. It gives parents access to their children’s attendance rates, application forms, grading and reports: anywhere, anytime. e-School informs parents about their children’s progress, including teachers’ comments. What a perfect way to connect with your children’s teachers! Parents: 3,000 kyats per year School: 850,000 kyats per year http://e-school.asia/
This clever app from MM Software Development is a helpful dictionary for both locals and expats in Myanmar. It provides Myanmar-English translation and English-Myanmar translation. Improve your level of Myanmar/English language now! Free iflix Getting bored in your free time? Get this app right now! With iflix you can watch awards - winning shows and movies, popular TV series, and even toons for kids. English, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Burmese, Vietnamese and Sinhala subtitles are available.
One Note Free This app helps you organize your ideas—perfect for team meetings, brainstorming projects and tracking key resources, keeping all the information in one place. You can scan handwritten notes, sort web clippings, draw mind maps, and more. Students can use it for note taking while teach-
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
MYANMAR’S GODFATHER OF FASHION Words by Duncan Hines. Photos by Leo Jackson.
T
he end of last year saw the fifth Myanmar International Fashion Week, hailed as a success by the thousands in attendance. Behind the event was John Lwin, 51, founder of leading modeling agency Stars and Models International. John, who is a force in Myanmar’s fashion and entertainment industry, became a model in Singapore in 1989 while he was cutting plastic in a factory for $25 per night. After being scouted, he soon became a top choice for brands in Southeast Asia and rode the wave of model life for six years. One day, designer Bobby Chin warned him of the consequences of having an accident and damaging his good looks. He shrugged it off but ended up having a fall and injuring his chin.
MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
It was the early 90s—Photoshop didn’t exist—and he lost work. But the lull drew him into the business side of fashion. He decided to return to Myanmar with Bobby Chin to design clothes and eventually train models, which led to him setting up Myanmar’s first modeling agency in 1995. Later he became involved in event organizing and creating uniforms for companies—all of which come under his Star business group. He plans 300-400 events per year, including Myanmar Academy Awards, and 2018 is set to be as busy as any year yet. As for his fashion predictions: silver and gold trending for autumn and winter, and a flowery color like green for spring and summer.
John Lwin (left) gifts a flower bouquet at the Myanmar International Fashion Show.
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Advertorial
GET FIT, GET FAB WITH AUSTRALIAN FOOD
L
ike Myanmar, Australia is a country of breathtaking landscapes and warm climates. Many parts of the vast “Down Under” enjoy the type of balmy weather conducive to an outdoor lifestyle. That might be why, then, sports are so popular in the country. Australians will often spend time at the beach, park or some sporting ground, making the most of the sunshine. This has helped the nation excel on the world stage in cricket, hockey, cycling, rugby, tennis and in the Olympics. Sporty activities fuel sound bites commonly heard among the younger generation—“Get Fit, Get Fab,” for example. It springs connotations of hours-long hatha yoga classes, of swinging kettle bells in fancy gyms and sweating buckets on mini-marathon jogs. But of course, all this means nothing without a healthy diet, and Australian produce is some of the healthiest around. Their culture infuses Asian, Mediterranean and British tendencies, including food. Their love for sport is matched by their appetite for fresh, healthy and seasonal fare. Aside from the classic Sunday roasts, pies and puddings, the country is abundant with nutritious,
lean meats (kangaroo, anyone?), fish and organically grown vegetables.
marketplace by City Mart is hosting Australian Food Fair.
All of these foods are vital for supporting an active lifestyle and building a strong body, which is why Myanmar’s premium supermarket
Customers at marketplace by City Mart branches in Yangon can experience a taste of Australia, with special discounts and promotions on all Australian food products from 16-31 January. Tuck into Australian lamb and beef and wash it down with Australian wine. Most importantly, start the day off like any healthy Australian with a breakfast guaranteed to energize you. At marketplace by City Mart, there will be an array of Australian cheeses, yoghurts, almond and avocado oils, milks, porridges, cereals, oats pastas and fruits.
Then serve that with Greek-style yoghurt and berries: the perfect breakfast granola, a daily dish that will have you embracing the Australian lifestyle in no time. Or for a protein-packed snack, drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and, while they are cooking in the oven, mash avocado with red onion, chili, salt and pepper. Then spread the spicy avocado paste over toasted bread, top with fried eggs and serve with roasted tomatoes. With the help of Australian Fair at marketplace, healthy dishes can be easily delivered. Come down to marketplace, revamp your kitchen with healthier choices and start this year on the healthiest note possible.
How about mixing oats, cashews, pumpkin and chia seeds together? Pour on some maple syrup and vanilla extract before popping it in the oven.
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
Sponsor
DANCE FOR CHARITY AT ZUMBA FESTIVAL
Y
angon is bracing itself for a huge dance extravaganza in February, as the Zumba Festival returns for the second year. But the event is not just a day of fun exercise; it’s a chance to raise money for people in Myanmar living with HIV. Local and international Zumba instructors, Myanmar celebrities and make-up artists will join the party— along with the DJs who will spin some Latin, reggaeton and house tunes to maintain the high energy and keep the people dancing. On the ground, there will be counseling booths and free HIV blood tests, with 100 percent of the ticket sales going to combat HIV and help people who have the disease. Organizer and certified yoga and Zumba instructor Zack Tu Nan Zing Hang from Kachin State used last year’s festival to donate money to internally displaced people (IDPs) in his home state. “There are so many things to do in Myanmar: health, education, environment, and basic human needs,” he said. “I chose health this year because I have known that people need help since I was 12, laying in the hospital bed.” “The medical requirements and facilities were so poor. I suffered from dengue fever and I saw many patients dying and suffering beside me. I was so sorry but I couldn't do anything except watch and endure my own pain. Since then, I decided for myself that I am going to do everything possible to help them. That was the moment when the fire inside of me started to burn and I was determined to make it happen.” Over 1,200 people of all ages and fitness levels attended last year’s event, with famous faces in the crowd
including supermodels, artists and Miss Charity Myanmar. A number of artists such as pop star Ah Moon will be present this year. As well as Myanmar, instructors will be from Vietnam, UK, Malaysia, Hungary, Korea, and Austria. And for all that moving, a food market will also be on site. “In the 2019 event we will be supporting the education for children
in Myanmar,” added Zack Tu Nan Zing Hang. “This is not just a one-time plan. My ambition is to promote better lives. I have a dream to build a foundation, social enterprise, and NGO of my own.” Zumba Festival by Zumba Passion Myanmar takes place at Kandaw Gyi Myaw Sin island on Sunday, February 4 (subject to change, check events at Myanmore.com). The food market runs from 12pm-5pm, the Zumba
dance from 5-7.30pm and DJ Ana Red from 7.30-9pm. Tickets cost 6,000 kyats with all proceeds going to myanmarpositivegroup.org. Walk in also available on the event day but spaces cannot be guaranteed. Get your tickets via myanmore.com / flymya.com / flexiblepass.com / shop. com.mm.
Expat Column
PITFALLS AND CURVEBALLS: COMMON ERRORS EXPATS MAKE
Ignorance and inertia are often the biggest hurdles for expats to overcome in their business of living life in Asia. Here are some common and costly errors we make when moving abroad. Andrew Wood enabling you to conduct offshore transactions to deal with matters outside your country of residence.
High Living Costs The most common error is underestimating living costs. Many expats talk about the cheap cost of local food. Some get used to this but many revert to their favourite imported brands. Eating cost can then escalate and be significantly more than provisionally projected. Others start to think in the local currency thereby losing the feel for their true costs. If you relocate from a western society you will probably have a different idea from the local Myanmar landlords as to exactly what is included in furnished accommodation. This will normally necessitate shopping for a substantial number of items which becomes rather expensive. There will be rental deposits and, in Myanmar, rental payments a year in advance.
Sometimes local banking is difficult. Remote areas and often entire countries, such as Myanmar, are a long way behind the expectations of expats. Taxes
charges. These types of cost are often overlooked and can be a drain on resources.
public medical facilities in Myanmar.
Many expats assume they are exempt from local taxes where they live. They can end up with a shock when they are contacted by the local tax department and pay fines as well as interest on the tax they owe. Make sure you understand the differences between the way things are taxed in your new environment and the situation back home. In some circumstances taxes are mixed and you may end up paying tax in both jurisdictions unnecessarily.
Pension Provisions
Will and Succession Provisions
Exchange Rates
Many expats take the attitude that they will deal with pension arrangements later but never get round to it. This is a grave error. The longer you defer the decision the more difficult it is to make up for the delay.
Some expats have a will which is valid in their home country. This may be insufficient for their new situation. When they pass away their beneficiaries will need to secure probate in each country where there are assets.
In making a long term plan for your golden years it will be necessary to include the pension entitlements you have already accrued back home and amalgamate these into a future overall strategy.
Getting probate issued by multi jurisdictions can often be tricky and extremely time consuming. If you are wise you will use the services of a professional in arranging your affairs. It will save your heirs time and expense, not to mention the long period they will not have access to any of the money you leave them until probate is resolved in all locations.
Inflated Start-up Costs When you first arrive it is easy to feel that you are on vacation and splash out on local activities, travel adventures and cuisine. These “holiday� activities can extend far longer than you originally intended, severely depleting reserves you had earmarked to assist you in establishing yourself. High Moving Costs Most expats look at moving costs as the actual amount required for the relocation company. They all too often forget that there will be a requirement for hotel accommodation in the place where you are coming from and relocating to. Then there will be the cash deposits required for telephone and utilities as well as the connection
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When the exchange rate changes you start to participate in the discussion, often sharing how this has positively affected you. Many never realise that rates oscillate over long periods. Expats are often aggrieved at just how much rates change later on. They tend to make their budgets based on continually improving rates and when things change they are surprised. Personal Protection Insurance Many expats forget risks they would cover back home. It is wise that you secure at least the same level of personal effects insurance and cover yourself personally in the event of accident or illness. It is sometimes easy to forget that there are no free
Banking It is usually the norm to have a bank account where you live to take care of your everyday living expenses. It is also important to ensure you have international banking facilities
Questions to the author can be directed to Business Class Asia at: myanmar@businessclassasia.com MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
CORE PROGRAM
W
hat is the CORE program? What are the benefits? Why is it important? Where can it be done?
The only thing you need to remember is not to have a full stomach.
(B) Extend left leg about 45 degrees from the floor while bringing right knee toward chest. Lift head, neck, and shoulders, rotating left shoulder toward right knee. Switch sides, bringing right shoulder toward left knee, and extend right leg.
Here are six easy exercises to strengthen your core for the beginner:
The core is the mid-section area of the body that involves muscles all around that area; the front, back and sides. Core muscles help in breathing, stabilize the joints and provide mobilization. They also involve postural control and balance, making you look taller, thinner and delaying the aging process.
Side Balance Crunch (A) Begin with left knee and left hand on the floor, right arm straight up. Extend right leg so your body forms a straight line. (As shown in the picture)
There are many types of exercises that strengthen your core muscles. Both static and dynamic exercises are good for your core, according to your situation. For instance, for those who have had surgery, static exercises are more suitable.
(B) Pull right knee toward torso and right elbow toward knee. Straighten arm and leg. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides. Repeat it 12 times for each side.
Physical strength starts in the core. However, the idea of core can be differed individually.
Crunches
Strengthening of core muscles is very important not only to athletes but also to normal people as it plays major roles in assisting your performing daily function.
(A) Lie flat on back with feet flat on the ground knees bent at a 45 degrees toward and feet flat on the floor as in the picture shown. Place hands lightly on each side of head, keeping elbows in and keep your palm and fingers on the side of your forehead.
Dancers in particular often perform a variety of challenging movements involving various muscle groups, and can benefit from techniques for building a strong core, which can help prevent injuries, increase levels of stability and strength, and improve performance. Even if you work in an office, it’s important to have strong core to prevent back pain.
(B) Push down as hard as you can with lower back, contract abdominals and exhale while shoulders coming off from floor about four inches. Remain keeping your lower back on the floor. At the top part of your body movement, contract abdominals hard and keep the contraction for a second. Focus on slow, controlled movement—do not cheat yourself by using momentum.
Forearm Plank (Low Plank) (A) Place elbows directly beneath shoulders, legs extended. (B) Press through heels so calves are lengthened. Draw navel toward spine and engage glutes. Hold in this position as long as you can. Eg. 1min x 3 times
Ballerina Twist (A) Sit on mat, with legs extends straight, toes pointed, thighs together and abs engaged. Lean back, placing forearms on mat, palms flat, fingers forward.
Reach Up
(B) Leaving left forearm on mat, lift right arm overhead and twist torso to left. Return to center. Switch arms and twist right.
(A) Lie faceup on the floor, with legs extended and arms at sides, ankles crossed. Keeping shoulders down and lower body still. (B) Engage abs and reach right hand up and across the center of body. Hold for a few seconds, then lower. Repeat with left arm. Repeat it 12 times for each side.
How do you perform CORE exercises…. There are many good things about practicing CORE exercises: Core exercises can be performed with or without equipment. Crisscross You don’t need to have wide space which you can do it anywhere, anytime. MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
(A) Lie faceup, knees bent 90 degrees with feet lifted and hands behind head.
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MYANMORE magazine #15 January 2018
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Promotions | Business Listing
Life & Style
SONDER Living Yangon 2 Kan Yeik Tha Avenue, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, Bahan Tsp 09 4241 4444 1 10am - 6pm (Closed on Mondays) https://sonderliving.com Real Estate
Mercure Hotels Yangon Kaba Aye 17 Kaba Aye Pagoda Road, Yankin Township 951 650933 Ext:154, Fax: 951 650960 resvn@micasayangon.com www.accorhotels.com
YPF Your Property Finder 459A, Room703, New University Avenue Road, Bahan Township 01 8605255-56, 09 402617094 www.ypf.com.mm www.facebook.com/yourpropertyfinder
Pun Hlaing Leasing Department Pun Hlaing Estate Avenue, Hlaing Tharyar Township 01 3687 777, 3684 246 punhlaingleasing@yomastrategic. com http://www.punhlaingestate.com
Star City Leasing Department Building A1, Star City, Kyaik Khauk Pagoda Road, Thanlyin Township leasing@yomastrategic.com http://www.starcityyangon.com Wellbeing
Oasis Spa at Pun Hlaing Estate Pun Hlaing Estate, Pun Hlaing Estate Avenue, Hlaing Tharyar Township 01 3687 660, 368 7662, 3684026 (ext. 1514) countryclub@spa-mm.com Activities
Flexible Pass Flexible Pass is a fitness pass that you can use from our Android mobile application or Flexible Pass website to see the locations, prices and class schedules of our partner gyms/fitness centers in Yangon and access them with suitable prices. Unit 11 E, 178 Upper Pansodan Road, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp 09 966 854000 http://www.flexiblepass.com