MYANMORE Magazine - No.19/ May 2018 by MYANMORE

No. 19 /May 2018 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free!

magazine

KING OF THE DRIFT KYAW ZIN OO

No.19 / May 2018

magazine Managing Director Andreas Sigurdsson Managing Editor Lorcan Lovett Photography Leo Jackson Rasmus Steijner Picture Man Cover Gerhard Joren In-house Writer Min Ye Kyaw Intern Suzin Lynn Contributors Susan Bailey Loren Lee Chiesi James Fable Myat Theingi Khine Edmond Sailland Sampan Travel

20 What’s On 6 Cinema 8 The Tea Shop 10 Cover Story Need for Speed 12 Features Buddha’s Daughters 16 Bastion of Learning 18 Escape the Monsoon 20

Chef’s column 29 New openings 30 Travel Thandaunggyi: Kayin State’s Hilltop Station 32 Trekking Myanmar 34 Music Street Beats 38

Advertorial Workspace of the Future 40 Hotel 63: Make Yourself at Home 42 Tech Talk 44 Green column / Mixologist column 46 Promotions, Card Deals 48

Art & Production Kyaw Kyaw Tun Hein Htet Publisher MYANMORE Magazine Pyit Thiri Thaw Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited Permit No. 01588 Printer Shwe Htee Printing Sales & Advertising sales@myanmore.com 0977 900 3701 / 3702

Sponsored Feature Downtown Goes Upmarket 22 Q&A Face of Indawgyi 24 Eat & Drink 800 Bowls 26 Yama Rooftop Bar 27 Street snacks / Ethnic recipe 28

Illustration Ben Hopkins

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

Exhibition

After attending this training you will receive a certificate from Ford Myanmar. This is a great opportunity to test drive Ford cars. For more information contact 01 521 959.

ding Showcase - Iconic Inspirations on May 26-27. Sule Shangri-La - 223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Kyauktada Township, Yangon

The ONE Entertainment Park - Paw San Hmwe St, ThinganGyun Township, Yangon

Dining

6th Japan Expo & Automotive Show 2018 Mandalay

Mother’s Day Brunch 13th May | 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm

25th to 27th May | 10:00 am - 7:00 pm A must exhibition for all kinds of Japanese companies looking to explore entry into Myanmar’s market. Includes automotive companies, language centers, tourism companies and more.

Thiripyitsaya Sky Bistro - Hitachi Tower(Sakura Tower) 21st floor, Corner of Bogyoke Aung San Rd and Sule Pagoda Rd, Kyauktada Township, Yangon

Mandalay City Development Committee 71st St, between 26th and 27th St, Mandalay

Complicit: Maung Day 12th May | From 6:00 pm Artist Maung Day’s first ever solo exhibition in Myanmar. Join them for an opening reception at 6pm to view the works and meet the artist. Myanm/art - 98, Third Floor, Bogalay Zay St, Botahtaung Township, Yangon

Art & Stage

The Strand Singers Concert 20th May | 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Who needs Broadway or the West End....we’ve got it all here in Yangon. Join ‘The Strand Singers’ as they present a selection of full choir ensemble, small ensemble and solo pieces from musical theatre productions. A donation for entry is requested and profits raised will be donated to charity. For ticket information contact 01 378 617. River Gallery - Chindwin Chambers, 33/35, 37th & 38th St, Botahtaung Township, Yangon

Nightlife

Friday Night Wine Down Vo.5 at Sky Bistro Wedding Show 2018 Iconic Inspirations 26th & 27th May | 2:00 pm - 9:00 pm Sule Shangri-La, Yangon presents ASEAN Fashion Designers Special Wed-

11th May | 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Kizomba Afro Dance Party at Club Rizzoli 26th May | From 9:00 pm Come and join Club Rizzoli’s Kizomba Afro Dance Party at celebrate the last TGIS every month. Happy Hour until 10pm on all house-poured drinks. Promotion: All night long Kirin Draught Beer at US$2 per glass, Special cocktail: T&F Whisky Sour at $4 per glass. No entry fees. For more information, call 01544500 ext: 6243 or email clubrizzoli. chry@chatrium.com Chatrium Royal Lake Hotel - 40, Natmauk Rd, Tamwe Township, Yangon

Activities

FORD Driving Skills For Life 2018 11th - 12th May | 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Savoy Hotel Yangon will host a special Mother’s Day Boutique Brunch on Sunday, 13 May. Visitors will be able to relax while enjoying a free-flow selection of Chef Florian Eberhardt’s finest food creations accompanied by wine or exclusive champagne, fresh juices, tea and coffee. For reservation contact 01 526289. Savoy Hotel Yangon - 129, Dhammazhedi Rd, Bahan Township, Yangon

World Food Market Every Wednesday | 6:30 pm - 10:30 pm Novotel invites you for a world tour, selecting the best food (Greek salad, seafood BBQ, chicken tagine, butter rice, hummus and lamb ouzi etc..) from all around the globe. Every Wednesday at Novotel Yangon Max offers a unique experience to share with your friends. Novotel Yangon Max - 459, Pyay Rd, Kamaryut Township, Yangon

Enjoy free flow wine, cheese, cold cuts, chemical-free veggies and fruits and more, with a beautiful night view of Yangon City from the 20th floor of Sakura Tower. | RSVP: 01 255277.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Maximise Your Potential.

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Address Myanmar Financial Center (MFC) Urban Asia Center, 2nd Floor (Corner of Mahabandoola Rd. and 48th St.) Botahtaung Township Yangon, Myanmar

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The programmes outlined herein have been offered by MFC in partnership with the Retail Banking Academy in London, UK.

Cinema Cinemas

CINEMA

Now Showing

Casts: Nine Nine, Ah Moon, Zaw Zaw Aung, Naw Aung, Joe Moreira & more.

Avengers: Infinity War Action, Adventure, Comic

Coming

Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet -- the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment. Casts: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Pratt, Josh Brolin, Chris Hemsworth Karen Gillan, Chadwick Boseman, Letitia Wright & more. The Mystery of Burma Action, Adventure, Drama A strong-willed man discovers his parents were murdered, and all of their treasure is missing. He returns from Europe to Myanmar to find out who’s

Deadpool 2 Action, Adventure, Comic

neys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover. Joke, wisecracking mercenary Deadpool battles the evil and powerful Cable and other bad guys to save a boy’s life. Casts: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison & more. Solo: A Star Wars Story Fantasy, Science Fiction

behind this tragedy with the help of one police officer. The trail of clues leads them to a lost temple where he finds what he has been searching for and confronts his pursuers, a gang who could be culpable for the murder of his parents. This is another in a recent series of films that elevates the Myanmar foreign language movie industry.

After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he jour-

Through a series of daring escapades, young Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes. Casts: Thandie Newton, Emilia Clarke, Paul Bettany & more.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Mercury Fantasy, Science Fiction Maimed from mercury poisoning, five friends try to cover up for an accident which caused a man to die. But problems and terror arise when they find the man out of the grave they buried him in. Casts: Gajaraj, Ramya Nambeeshan, Prabhudheva & more. The Attachment Fantasy, Science Fiction A documentary behind the true story of the mysterious connection between a Burmese monk and a cobra from long ago. The monk discovers MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

the previous incarnation of the cobra—a woman who offered him meals daily. Casts: Khine Htoo Thar, Zar Ti, Nan Su Oo, May Thinzar Oo & more. Credits:IMDB

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

Tea Shop

THE TEA SHOP Illustration by Ben Hopkins

Monsoon Madness Monsoon season is around the corner. For many that means more power cuts, floods, dangerously hidden potholes, moldy clothes etc. In some extreme cases, people sheltering in bamboo and tarpaulin tents will be forced to weather cyclones and landslides on land mere meters above sea water. But for those lucky enough to escape the monsoon, wet season is a time of cheap prices, few tourists and fairly dry weather in some parts of Myanmar. Check the best places to visit in a special feature on page 20.

Shock Testimony The cases of Reuters journalists Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, took a dramatic turn in a Yangon court on April 20, when prosecution witness

Police Captain Moe Yan Naing took the stand. He told the court that a Myanmar police chief ordered offices to set up the reporters. Police arrested the pair on Dec. 12 on the outskirts of Yangon after they had dinner with two police officers who gave them classified documents about the

Rakhine State crisis. They face up to 14 years in prison under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act. The high-profile case has ignited fresh fears over press freedom in the country, with human rights lawyer Amal Clooney joining the defense team and the Danish Embassy urging for the reporters’ release to

“show the world that rule of law does exist in Myanmar.”

Landfill Blaze Dozens of people were hospitalized in Yangon after a fire spread across a 300-acre landfill on the edge of the MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

a Myanmar National League All-Star team in Yangon, and then against the country’s national team in Mandalay. During the tour Leeds players and coaches will also run football sessions with local children and visit cultural sites, including Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. This announcement has sparked controversy amongst human rights groups in the United Kingdom, who have criticised the tour due to the reported abuses in Rakhine State.

Straws Suck The ‘Straws Suck’ campaign is gathering stream, with several establishments recently joining the call to no longer serve non-reusable plastic straws. As part of the 2018 Green Award program, MYANMORE has made a commitment to support environmentally friendly initiatives just like this. This month, ‘Straws Suck’ creator restaurant and bar group 57-Below announces the venues in Yangon hat have declared themselves ‘straw-free’: G7 Plage Gaw Yan Gyi, 50th Street, Gekko, Locale, Mahlzeit, Nourish, Parami Pizza, Paribawga Café, Rau Ram, Rose Garden Hotel, Savoy Hotel, Sprouts, The Strand Hotel, Union Bar and Grill, Father’s Office and Bodhi Nava, Burma Bistro, Oliva, Yangon Bakehouse & the monthly Yangon Zay at the Tea Factory. city. Some 600 firefighters tackled the blaze for days since its outbreak on April 21, as putrid smoke from the burning trash billowed over Hlaing Tha Yar Township. Twenty-six people have been hospitalized at the time of reporting, many suffering smoke inhalation, according to Reuters. The MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

fire highlighted the growing waste problem in Yangon, a city of more than five million people without a longterm waste management solution. The 17-year-old landfill takes about half of the city’s daily trash of more than 2,500 tons.

Leeds United to tour Myanmar Leeds United Football Club have announced they will play two matches in Myanmar this month as part of a post-season tour. The club will play the matches on May 9 and 11 against

And as an extra plus, the Third European Food Festival, to be held at The Rose Garden Hotel on July 28, is also confirmed to be a plastic-free event.

Cover Story

NEED FOR

SPEED

One of Myanmarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brightest car racing prospects, Kyaw Zin Oo, is making it big in Thailand, but his sights are set on the biggest drifting tournament in the world. Words by Min Ye Kyaw. Photos by Gerhard Joren.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Cover Story

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

ince he was a child, Kyaw Zin Oo has nurtured a passion for car racing, or more precisely, drift racing. This style of racing was popularized in a 2006 Fast and Furious movie instalment called Tokyo Drift and paradoxically is done best when the driver controls the car while their tires no longer grip the road. Kyaw Zin Oo will force his car to slide sideways through a turn, until the front wheels are pointing in the opposite direction to the turn. Search the stunt on YouTube: cars precariously tail-whipping over piers, or tearing through tight city corners. You’ll get the, um, drift. So the 23-yearold racer began falling for drifting six years ago when he watched racers compete on Yangon’s old go-kart racing track in Thingangyun Township. By 2013 he had won several prizes including first place in drift and ‘time attack’ races. “From hands-on learning and watching others at the track, I picked it up quickly,” he said. But in a blow to Yangon’s already microscopic racing scene, the track closed down in 2016 and any budding racers who had the means left the city; others abandoned the pursuit. The dour mood among the racing community contrasted to the previous year, when it was still common to see modified cars testing the city roads in the early hours. In fact, in 2013 I had enjoyed a late night out in Yangon, and Kyaw Zin Oo had kindly agreed to pick me up. I stepped into his upgraded Nissan Fairlady and on the way to 365 Café we spotted at least four other modified cars cruising the quiet streets, an unfamiliar sight these days, as soon after police led a crackdown on racers and speeders.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

“Myanmar is the country where I was born and raised,” said Kyaw Zin Oo, now a university student in Bangkok who spends any free time on the race track. “I would be much more excited if there were race competitions in Myanmar, but the sad truth is we still don’t have a motor racing park to practice. That’s a major hurdle for drift enthusiasts. Once such parks are developed, I believe we will see many professional racers come out.” Leaving Yangon for Bangkok in 2017 was a shrewd move for Kyaw Zin Oo, whose racing career has since been enhanced by exposure to top car models and racing talent. Getting to grips with a new country and a new language presented “a time of mixed emotions,” he says. “Excitement and anxieties were on a high level. The opponents were as skilful as one another in draft racing so I had to undergo fierce challenges.” The young racer took to the track once every two days about three weeks before a competition so he could get a feel for the turns, and last December he scored his first major achievement in Thailand, coming second place in a PTT BRIC Drift Attack race on Chang International Circuit. Before his next big race—North East Underground Drift in Thailand’s northeastern region of Isan— Kyaw Zin Oo accidentally cut his hand with a scissors, causing him tremendous pain when he applied the handbrake or gearstick. However, he endeavoured and came second place in the ‘new generation’ category of the competition in March, and fourth place in the Class C drift race. He sees the competition

as a defining moment, a conviction that passion and determination will overcome. “I am overjoyed at my achievements,” he said. “At last I have fulfilled my childhood dream—to win titles in drift racing and to hit the international racing tracks.” Kyaw Zin Oo is carving out a name for himself on the Thai circuit with the help of his steed, a Nissan 180SX with a 1JZ engine. Caring for his car makes the difference for performance, he said. Upgrades as well as practice are essential. Describing the costs, he says the body of the car is two million kyats (US$1,500), and a strong engine can cost up to 10 million kyats ($7,500). “All in all, the extent of the running cost is up to you,” he added. Ultimately Kyaw Zin Oo aims to compete in the crème de la crème of international drifting—Formula DRIFT. “For me, the attitude comes first. You must be consistent and committed in your passion,” he explained. “Whenever you have free time, you should go to the motor racing track to learn and practise and better spend your free time to become a good racer. Next, you must be able to pay the expenses as you will see the maintenance cost is high.” Coming from a well-heeled family has allowed Kyaw Zin Oo to take his dream to a level where others may have The road to success continues for Kyaw Zin Oo, a journey which he hopes will not only end in international recognition but also the ability to turn his home country into the racing mecca he has always dreamed it would be.

Racing Record Myanmar Motor Sport Association (MMSA): Motul Cup Season 2013, Yangon Drift: 2nd Time Attack: 1st MMSA: Motul Cup Season 2014-15, Yangon Drift: 1st Rear Wheel Drive Time Attack: 2nd All Wheel Drive Time Attack: 1st Streetkingz 1 Year Anniversary 2013, Yangon Time attack: 1st Drift: 1st Liqui Moly Cup 2013, Yangon Drift: 1st Time Attack: 1st Extreme Turbonos Race 2016, Mandalay Prize - 3rd PTT BRIC Drift Attack 2017, Bangkok 1st Runner Up (Class C) North East Underground Drift 2018, Bangkok 1st Runner Up (New Gen) North East Underground Drift 2018, Bangkok 4th Runner Up (Class C)

Feature

BUDDHA’S DAUGHTERS Susan Bailey spends a day visiting nunneries around Mandalay to gain an insight into the lives of Myanmar’s female monastics.

Buddhist nuns collect alms in downtown Yangon. (Leo Jackson)

very day at 10.30am, rows of perfectly aligned slippers fill a leafy courtyard in Sagaing. Inside more than 200 nuns sit in similarly symmetrical lines dining on a simple lunch. The nuns’ pink sleeves appear to move in unison as they silently eat the last meal of the day. They then quietly exit into the courtyard, put on their slippers and return to their living quarters before resuming their days’ studies.

ordained. Instead they are called thilashin, a combination of thila, meaning ethics, and shin, meaning holder. The thilashin keep 10 precepts, a far cry from the 227 obeyed by monks yet higher than the three followed by the Buddhist residents in Myanmar. Their daily life reflects a blend of religious studies, duties to the nunnery and often community work.

In an effort to learn more about this aspect of Myanmar culture, I spent a day visiting a few nunneries around Mandalay. By the end of the day, I had visited six nunneries and walked away with a better sense of their role in local culture and society. Two nunneries, in particular, stood out. And they happened to fall at the beginning and end of my excursion.

I started the day with a visit to one of the largest nunneries in the region, Sagaing’s Thet Kyar Ditar San Thin Tike. I witnessed the 220 nuns go about their morning routine, as detailed at the start of this article. The nunnery is known for its Buddhist teaching so the nuns who live there, ranging in age from 13 to 60, are dedicated to studying. I met with

These orderly visuals reflect the precision of the daily routine in Myanmar’s nunneries. There are an estimated 60,000 nuns in Myanmar, but few visitors to the ‘Golden Land’ are aware of this aspect of Buddhist life. Probably because the figure pales in comparison to the country’s nearly half million monks. And images of red-robed monks are often used in Myanmar-related media and marketing so seeing pink-robed nuns comes as a bit of a shock to some. The practice of fully ordaining female monastics, a title named bhikkhuni, has died out in Theravada Buddhism in the last century. While the daily life and routines practiced by Myanmar’s nuns in present day resemble that of the bhikkhuni, they are not actually

Nuns prepare the last meal of the day at a nunnery in Sagaing Region. (Susan Bailey)

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Nuns pray before lunch at Thet Kya Ditar Sar Thin Tike monastery. (Susan Bailey)

There are an estimated 60,000 nuns in Myanmar, but few visitors to the ‘Golden Land’ are aware of this aspect of Buddhist life. the head nun who was eager to chat and answer any questions about the nunnery. She and her daughter established Thet Kyar Ditar San Thin Tike 15 years ago, dedicating their lives to spreading the teachings of Buddha to other nuns. Although they have not yet had any foreign nuns come to study, they welcome foreign guests to visit and learn about Buddha’s teachings and the lives of nuns. I continued to other nunneries in Sagaing as well as a small one in central Mandalay before venturing eastward MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

to Pathengyi township, at the base of the Shan Hills. My destination was Thar Thana Ran Thi nunnery, a center which serves as a religious studies school as well as an orphanage of sorts. It is common for young girls whose families cannot support them to enter into the nunnery and, of the 80 nuns at Thar Thana Ran Thi, 70 percent of them come from poor families in the Shan Hills. These types of nunneries offer a safe haven, providing food, shelter and education that the girls would otherwise be unable to obtain, so their role in the

Myanmar community is vital. Than Thana Ran Thi is an oasis of calm on the outskirts of the town and the sense of community is clear. Elder nuns look after the younger ones with regards to education and discipline while the younger girls have the energy to assist in daily tasks around the compound. The nunneries rely solely on donations from the community for their every need. The nuns head out several times a week to collect offerings of uncooked food and rice, then return to prepare their daily meals. Wealthier patrons offer donations of precooked meals or, in some cases, larger items such as entire buildings or water treatment systems. Yet it is often not enough and it is not unusual for wellknown nunneries to lend support to smaller or more remote nunneries. But the nuns I met were quick to

remind me that any assistance is appreciated, whether in the vein of financial support, the donation of goods or services or simply visiting the nunnery. When I asked a local friend about the nunneries in Mandalay, she commented that “Most Buddhists think firstly to support monasteries, as it is an obvious choice. But the nunneries are also supporting and spreading Buddha’s teaching so I want to help them continue their work in any way I can. I know many of the nuns are there to obtain education and knowledge to return to their normal life as better people and I think it is important to create this opportunity for them.”

Feature

The new American Center Yangon is endowed with the largest financial investment of any American Center in the world.

BASTION OF LEARNING

An old education institution has moved to a new location in Yangon, where it hopes to continue its rich legacy. Words by Loren Lee Chiesi. Photos by Rasmus Steijner.

n March 21, 2018, the American Center Yangon moved its facilities uptown. A stone’s throw from the US Embassy, at the intersection of Inya Road and University Avenue, sits the new, state-of-theart, American Center Yangon or “the AC,” as it is affectionately known by its members. The new center is a far cry from its humble roots as the United States Information Service (USIS) Library, opened in 1949 near the original downtown American Embassy. The library was filled with reference books, novels, sheet music, and other American publications. However, when General Ne Win’s military control took over the library systems in 1966, the USIS Library adapted to a completely new role. General Ne Win’s Public Museum Law (1966) instituted a regulation that all museums and libraries needed special licenses to operate as public centers. In this climate, the privately controlled, embassy-supported USIS Library became a clandestine bastion for

learning, where locals and expats could get uncensored books and reference materials. In 1982, the library moved to a new compound in Yangon’s Dagon Township, and in 1993, the center expanded its outreach efforts as part of the global network of American centers. This center was an oasis of learning resources during the decades that Myanmar was shut off from the world. Interested Burmese locals, who could not otherwise obtain foreign learning materials, could access resources such as English language training and a vast library. They could also join clubs based on debate, democratic values, tolerance, and ethnic and religious diversity. These unique features made the American Center immensely popular with adults keen to discover the world beyond Burmese borders. In the US Embassyproduced documentary, American Center Yangon: An Oral History, American Center members recount their experiences using the center as a safe harbor to discuss politics and

democracy, and also to speak openly about current affairs in Burma. The new incarnation on University Avenue aims to continue its legacy as

a valuable information center while also expanding services, programs, and membership access. According to US Embassy statistics, the American Center Yangon (ACY) is the one of

The center library welcomed 5,192 visitors within its first 10 days of opening.

MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

the most visited out of 105 American Centers globally. In recognition of this tremendous local support, the new ACY is endowed with the largest financial investment of any AC building in the world. “This investment is a reflection of the decades of support by the Myanmar people,” said ACY director Marcy Carrel. With its spacious foyers, modern furniture and design, classrooms equipped with smart boards and audiovisual technology, and a full-service café, the new AC resembles a community center more than a school.

Before Myanmar’s democratic government transition, impassioned citizens’ only means of engaging with their public leaders was through protest. The iPACE program is designed to foster political involvement and civic action. Now that Myanmar citizens can engage with lawmakers in a new way, iPACE wants to support them through free courses to develop skills and approaches to productively collaborate in Myanmar’s nascent democratic political landscape. World Learning Myanmar representative Gretchen Kunze explained that the program is tailored to help “democratic advocates,”

such as civil society leaders, political party members, and former political prisoners, to build the skills needed for their work. Currently, iPACE has over 2,200 alumni from every state and region in Myanmar. Since its inception, the AC library has been the heartbeat of the center. The library currently has 17,000 registered members, which library director Kyaw Khaing attributes to its easy, low-cost accessibility. Prospective members gain access by paying a 5,000-kyat annual fee along with a valid, official photo ID to get a library card that’s printed instantaneously. In

its first 10 days of opening, the library welcomed 5,192 visitors and 584 new memberships. With the new ACY’s close proximity to Yangon University, Dr. John Groch, a US Embassy spokesperson, looks forward to partnership opportunities and synergy between the educational institutions. As for his future hopes for the new center, Dr. Groch says, “Activities and audiences will change as patron use and student demographics shift, but the ACY will continue to be a physical embodiment of the friendship between the people of the United States and Myanmar.”

“We wanted an immersion experience where students could move around freely, innovate, and spark conversations that create inclusion, tolerance, and creativity,” added Carrel. The ACY houses the English Language Program (ELP) and the Institute for Political and Civic Engagement (iPACE), both managed by World Learning in close cooperation with and support from the US Embassy. The outcome is academic English to prepare for university abroad or workplace skills and experience, but the conduit is experiential learning. Sandar Oo, an ELP teacher, said courses offer unique advantages outside of the traditional Myanmar education model. “Encouraging multiple perspectives is so important. We need people who can think critically and creatively for the future of our country.”

“We wanted an immersion experience where students could move around freely, innovate, and spark conversations that create inclusion, tolerance, and creativity.” American Center Yangon director Marcy Carrel MYANMORE magazine #18 April 2018

The new center is a far cry from its humble roots as a library near the old downtown American Embassy in 1949.

Feature

ESCAPE THE MONSOON Travel writer James Fable lists his favorite places to visit in Myanmar when the rains come. Photos by the writer.

Hilltop pagodas in Sagaing Region.

lthough it’s searing outside, the monsoon season is on its way—and in Yangon it’s a long one. But don’t let that dampen your spirits: not everywhere in Myanmar suffers as much as the south; escape is still possible, and places are much quieter than the dry season. The most obvious rainy season destinations are those around Bagan, while the Magway region enjoys an almost Mediterranean climate all

year round. Here are some other destinations that also remain relatively dry and which personally served me well during last year’s wet months.

Monywa Sagaing capital Monywa is Myanmar’s forgotten tourist destination. It offers little besides countless beer stations, but serves as a good base for a couple of enjoyable daytrips. The best

accommodation is Win Unity Resort in the north of town, particularly its lakeside wooden bungalows (US$80). For budget travellers, Shwe Taung Tarn Guesthouse is your safest bet; its pergola restaurant is not so bad either. For the following excursions, hire a motorbike from Shwe Taung Tarn (10,000 kyats) or arrange a taxi (roughly 30,000 kyats for the day). Hpo Win Daung Caves This complex of 492 Buddha chambers carved into a limestone hillside dates back to the 14th century. Most of these caves are small, but a few retain colorful original murals. Beyond Hpo Win village reside chambers home to larger, newer Buddha statues, though tourists will likely be more impressed by the limestone pathways than these Disneyesque structures. Package groups occasionally visit Hpo Win Daung, but your main accompaniment will be hungry monkeys. You can also employ an informal guide (5,000 kyats), though they will likely provide better company than information. A Myint Ancient Village This quaint riverside village is scattered with 336 stupas built in the Inwa period, which began in the 14th century. Stroll along the dusty, intertwining roads and you may see kids playing high jump or Hit-thePile-of-Rocks-with-a-Flip-Flop, a rural favorite. Many of the stone stupas are sprouting vegetation or are patrolled by livestock, but a few sport fabulous murals. Unless a Chindwin River cruise has timed its arrival with yours, you can be fairly certain there won’t be other tourists.

Ancient ruins in Inwa near Mandalay.

If you have a fetish for boneshuddering rides and sore bottoms, take the direct road to A Myint. Otherwise, follow the main road round to Chaung-U then turn onto the bumpy but asphalted lane leading to the village.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Entrance costs 5,000 kyats and includes a map of the site. Don’t believe the guidebooks: bicycles are permitted and highly recommended. There’s little shade nor shelter, so come prepared. Some of the structures are mere remains, and others have suffered questionable reconstruction. If you don’t want to commit the money and time, or aren’t an archaeology enthusiast, head to the east of the Pyay, where you can visit a couple of the most impressive ancient stone stupas gratis.

Maha Aungmye Bonzan monastery, Inwa.

Original murals inside of a stupa in A Myint ancient village.

Bodhi Tataung (18 kilometers southeast of Monywa) The hillside of Bodhi Tataung, or “1,000 Buddhas,” is dominated by the climbable Lay Kyun Sakkya, the world’s second tallest standing Buddha. In front of him reclines a 95-meter Buddha, and construction is underway to build a gigantic seated Buddha. The windows of the standing Buddha’s chest are grimy and afford few views—for panoramic vistas, climb the nearby Aung Setkya Paya— but his innards are decorated with intriguing murals that begin as grim condemnation scenes and finish with depictions of enlightenment as you near Buddha’s head. Entrance is free.

Pyay Follow Pyay Road far enough and you reach Pyay, a quirky city where the urban and rural sit side by side. Turn off the main road and you’ll soon be strolling past stilted wooden houses and lakes. Pyay sits just far north enough to avoid the delta deluges, though don’t expect to remain completely dry. It rained on one of the three days I spent there last July. Accommodations options are varied though not abundant. For $70 you can stay in the tranquil Mingalar Garden Resort, set in the grounds of a former MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

cheroot manufacturer while budget travellers have Myat Travel Lodge (roughly 10,000 kyats). Akauk Taung (31 kilometers downstream of Pyay) Meaning ‘Tax Mountain,’ Akauk Taung is an awe-inspiring series of Buddha images carved into cliffs overlooking the Ayeyarwady River. They are the works of talented 19th century boatmen as they waited for their vessels to be taxed. The round trip takes about four hours. Either hire a motorbike from Myat Travel Lodge (10,000 kyats) or pay 60,000 kyats for a return taxi. Head to Htonbo, where for 15,000 kyats you can enjoy a 45-minute look while cruising down the mighty Ayeyarwady. Bring waterproofs though, because a wet journey would be unpleasant. Thayekhittaya (or Sri Kestra; eight kilometers east of Pyay) Myanmar’s only UNESCO World Heritage site, Thayekhittaya is a sprawling ancient Pyu city. According to legend, King Duttabaung built it with the help of ogres and supernatural beings in 443BC, though the earliest Pali inscriptions date to the 5th or 6th centuries.

Inwa, Mingun and Sagaing These historic towns can be visited over two days from Mandalay and combined with a sunset visit to U-Bein bridge, the world’s longest teak bridge. Inwa was my personal favorite and is best visited by motorbike. Having served four times as royal capital, Inwa is dotted with the remains of beautiful 19th century buildings. Foremost among these is Maha Aungmye Bonzan, a grand, stuccoed monastery built in 1822, and a good place to hide if it rains. You will be asked to buy the 10,000-kyat Mandalay combo ticket. Mingun is home to the world’s second largest bell and to the world’s ‘largest pile of bricks’—Mingun Paya. This unfinished stupa, which would have been the world’s tallest, was built on the orders of King Bodawpaya. The price to visit Mingun and Sagaing is 5,000 kyats; you can get your money’s worth in the rainy season because the tourist numbers are low. Sagaing is everything Mandalay isn’t and therefore lovely. White and shwe pagodas crown verdant hills overlooking the Ayeywarddy River, connected by a web of rural roads. The most important pagoda is Nya Shin Paya, whose central gilded stupa was conceived in 1312, but I recommend finding your own peaceful hilltop pagoda.

Hotel offers reasonable ensuites from 25,000 kyats. You can visit part of his palace and view his towering gold throne rooms at Shwebon Yadana. The $5 entry ticket includes Hanlin, a nearby archaeological site. The remains are disappointing, but the village itself is enchanting: crumbling brick stupas make it vaguely resemble A Myint, as does the terrible road there (10,000 kyats return motorbike).

Bhamo Continuing up Myanmar’s mightiest river and into lower Kachin State, Bhamo is an attractive riverfront town whose sleepy charm is reminiscent of Hsipaw’s. Old teak houses are dotted here and there, and the locals are friendly. Best of all, Bhamo is lined with magnificent ‘rain trees,’ whose flowers bloom a fabulous pink in the monsoon season. There are a few nearby attractions— including a rickety bamboo bridge and Theinpa Hill, which offers panoramic views—but Bhamo’s relaxed atmosphere is the real draw. Friendship Hotel ($25+) is good value for money. Places to avoid during the monsoon season are the hill regions and the delta, but otherwise travel remains possible and rewarding. In particular, the central regions escape the worst of the rain. So don’t feel condemned to cabin fever in a damp and dreary Yangon, escape to warmer climes and continue to explore Myanmar.

Shwebo Situated west of Kyaukmyaung on the Ayeyarwady River, Shwebo is an historic town that briefly served as Myanmar’s capital in the 18th century. The area is famed for its thanaka and was the birthplace of King Alaungpaya, one of Myanmar’s most successful kings. For that reason it’s good luck to take home some of its soil. Sann Tinn

Construction of a sitting Buddha at Bodhi Tataung.

Sponsored feature

DOWNTOWN GOES UPMARKET

A plush Yangon party marks the sale of luxury homes set to become a hub for the region’s high-flying beau monde.

t was a ritzy affair by any city’s standards: magnates brushing shoulders with diplomats, celebrated restaurateurs sipping champagne amid two-meter tall elephants made of white roses; a party one year in the making. On the night Yoma Strategic Holdings, First Myanmar Investment Company Limited (FMI) and the Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) announced the launch of sales for The Peninsula Residences Yangon. But one oddity at the lakeside colonial mansion of Le Planteur nodded to a project even more ambitious in scale and luxury. Glistening amid the orchestra and diners, a polished steam locomotive. Why was it there? The answer lies with the former Myanmar Railway headquarters in downtown Yangon.

The colonial-era building on the corner of Sule Pagoda Road and Bogyoke Aung San Road will be transformed into The Peninsula Yangon, anticipated as one of Myanmar’s finest hotels on its planned opening in 2021. Located next to the hotel will be The Peninsula Residences tower. Yoma Central marketing project managers Miki May Nyo Zaw and Dora Myszko worked with event agency ID Creative to organize the party. “To celebrate luxury real estate with such pomp and attention to detail is uncommon and certainly unheard of in Yangon,” said Dora. “Similarly tough standards will be followed on The Peninsula Residences from the superstructure to the bathroom marble.” MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Executive chairman of Yoma Strategic and FMI Serge Pun said the homes were “set to redefine luxury living” in downtown Yangon. “This dynamic neighbourhood is where Myanmar celebrates its modern progress and its proud history,” he said. “It symbolises Yangon’s revitalization as an international city of culture, lifestyle and business.” This revitalization can be seen in Yangon’s burgeoning cultural scene, with festivals from photography to cinema attracting international film stars. It can be seen in multiplying contemporary art galleries. And it can be seen in a wave of beautiful restorations that utilize Yangon’s rich heritage. Peninsula Hotels, Asia’s oldest hotel brand, are an international favorite of celebrities such as Nicole Kidman and Kim Karadashian. Big names are likely to check-in at the coming Myanmar establishment, based in one of Yangon’s most cherished historic buildings—a clear sign of how the city is embracing its storied past with an exciting and cosmopolitan future. “The apartments have been designed with local references to design, art and culture and we look forward to welcoming and serving the people of Yangon who have given us our new home in this dynamic city,” said HSH managing director and CEO Clement Kwok. Yoma Strategic executive director Cyrus Pun added, “The launch of The Peninsula Residences Yangon marks the beginning of a new era in highend living in our city and along with Yoma Central, will become the benchmark for other luxury real estate developments in the country.”

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Q&A

FACE OF INDAWGYI Based on the shores of its stunning namesake, Face of Indawgyi was officially established almost one year ago to improve the lives of people living around Indawgyi Lake, Myanmar’s largest and Southeast Asia’s third largest lake. Founder and managing director Stephen Traina-Dorge, 28, from New Orleans and director Patrick Compton, 29, from the small town of Tryon in North Carolina are focused on emphasizing the cultural and biodiversity of the area in the northern hills of Kachin State. Most importantly, they want to create an ethos of sustainable tourism that benefits the local community and protects the wildlife. Using the profits of Lon Ton Social Impact Guesthouse to fund initiatives around the lake, their work has ranged from creating a village tourist map to reversing the fortunes of a beleaguered native language. Stephen and Patrick sat down with Myat Theingi Khine to discuss their projects and plans.

Q What made you establish a sustainable tourism organization on Indawgyi Lake? Stephen: It started in 2015 when I was doing a cultural preservation documentary on thanaka. We were traveling the entire country to document this oral tradition—that had not really been done before, so we were going to a lot of areas foreigners had not gone to. We were in Kachin State and there was no information on Indawgyi other than it was Myanmar’s largest lake. There was no information on how to get there so we ended up getting a train and then a 4x4 which drove through the mountains and took us to the only guesthouse in town. Knowing it was this wildlife sanctuary, you have this image in your head of it being hypersensitive to trash and being very clean, but then you arrive there and though it’s this beautiful place there’s plastic waste in all the villages. There has to be some very simple solutions to these problems, just basic infrastructure that can really start to transform and protect the place. The whole inspiration was a social impact guesthouse where people are staying in quality accommodation but through that money is going back to support community projects. Patrick: We are the first foreign company registered in the township and the third foreign company registered in Kachin State. Sometimes we don’t appreciate that ourselves, this is brand new. In 2012 there was 17 foreign visitors to Indawgyi and now we are living here and trying to start a company. It’s a slow process, but one that has been really fascinating, to work with different parts of the government, local organizations and individuals to make these projects happen. Q Tell us about your projects.

Stephen Traina-Dorge

Patrick Compton

Patrick: We focus on four pillars: cultural preservation, sustainable business development, education and environmental conservation. We have

already done projects in these four categories. For example, we launched a plastic awareness campaign last month by going to Shwe Myitzu Pagoda, the biggest tourist attraction at the lake. It has an annual pagoda festival, with over 150,000 people. After the festival it was a complete disaster, completely wrecked. We organized a team of 15 to clean up for three days in the hot sun. Not exactly fun, but we were able to clear about one kilometer of the shore line of all this plastic debris that was going float into the water over the next month or so. My favorite projects are on the cultural preservation side, learning about the Shan-ni culture and how under researched it is. Indawgyi has an amazingly diverse background with these histories and stories that have never been told before. It’s really an honor to be some of the first outsiders to ever hear them and then get to share them to a broader audience. Q How about Lon Ton Social Impact Guesthouse? Stephen: That has always been the centerpiece to the projects around the lake. There are the community projects, but the best way to make those go on is getting money from an established guesthouse. It immediately gets guests involved in the community—that’s the whole point of the guesthouse. For two years I’ve been going back and forth to check on different projects, walking around with the guesthouse manager. He has asked different people if they are interested in leasing their land. You go inside, sit down for tea and ask if they are interested in leasing their property. It was the most interesting thing to be part of because you’re used to seeing a ‘for sale’ or ‘for rent’ sign, but then we went to a handful of places and finally found one directly on the lake on the side of a hill, completely covered in trees. It’s just magical. We are going to develop it as the centerpiece of this neighborhood. It will have four standard rooms and six private bungalows, all facing the lake. It’s very communal but then we MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Face of Indawgyi has invested in locally-made trash cans and educational signs for the villages that surround the lake. (Victoria Milko)

will have a lot of areas where you can have your own space.

Kachin State, during the off-season, particularly the people of Lone Ton village.

Q What are the biggest challenges you have faced so far?

Growing drugs use, a lack of employment opportunities and the draw of the destructive jade and gold mines blight the youth in the region. What can be done to improve social mobility and alleviate this situation?

Patrick: The kind of business we are trying to do is a new idea in general: a company that is solely focused on using its revenue to make the region a better place. We are not focused on becoming millionaires, we just want to give back to the community. Even outside Myanmar, it’s a business concept that has only been around in the mainstream maybe five or 10 years. Having this as our concept and then explaining it to an area where there has never been outside business to begin with, let alone one with such unique ideas, has been hard for people to understand. ‘Wait, you guys want to come here and open an hotel, but you are not here just to make money?’ It’s an odd thing to explain to people, but the more time we have spent there doing our work, the more people have been able to see the long-term benefits. Q So local people mostly make a living out of rice farming and fishing. Roughly how much do they earn? Between US$800 and $1,200 a year is on the higher end. But it is not enough, and that’s why many go to the jade and gold mines in Hpakant, northern MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Stephen: The main thing is a lack of opportunity. At the most, kids only go up to 10th grade or do University Distance Education, but that’s not really providing any long-term opportunities for these children and these people who live around the lake. Farming or fishing does not provide enough income annually so they have to go to the gold mines, they have to go to the forest to extract teak and other kinds of lumber. Through the hotel-training school and guesthouse, we are trying to create educational opportunities in the tourism sector, but we see Indawgyi as a hub for a whole range of opportunities. Right now, we are also working on ways to bring in tech education through skills like programming that will provide other kinds of employment options for a stable income. The whole idea is that if you focus on the community needs, it will lessen the impact of the mining and lessen the number of people going to Hpakant. Patrick: So we just hired our first full-time employee and this is actually

going to be the first summer he is not going to Hpakant. We also know that there is only so much we will be able to do with our training school and having guides and tourism, but we see Indawgyi as a potential hub so we are trying to work with any organization that is interested in developing this area. That’s why we are trying to partner with groups like [Yangon-based tech hub] Phandeeyar and others. Why can’t this be a place where we create a model for world development? Q What cultures and peoples exist around the lake? Stephen: Three different groups live around the lake: Shan-ni, Kachin and Bamar. The Shan-ni are the majority ethnic group. Most of the village names come from Shan-ni words. Shan-ni, and then the Kachin, who were always around but in the mountains, they were never in the valleys. Then more recently the Bamar came, with the Tatmadaw fighting the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). So there has been a mix. You talk to some of these families and they are a Burmese-Shan mix. The dad was Burmese in the military, the mum was Shan. It is a Shan area. Kachin communities grew when the KIA was trying to expand as well and settle in a lot of these areas in Kachin State that weren’t previously Kachin areas. That’s when they started establishing little

neighborhoods on the edges of these villages. They are still there, in just a handful of villages around the lake. Patrick: The name Lon Ton is from the Shan-ni language: it means ‘coming down from the mountains’ and ‘gathering food.’ It was basically a meeting place between the Kachin people who would come and trade with the Shan-ni people. The Shan-ni are Buddhist and speak a different language, the Kachin are Christian. Their script is the Latin alphabet; the Shan-ni script is a variant of Shan. There is a pretty big cultural difference but they have lived sideby-side for centuries and even today, despite they conflict, they generally get along. Q What lasting impact would you like to have there? Stephen: At the end of the day, we don’t view this as our project. Rather it is a coming together of a wide range of ideas that will make this project succeed and truly make a difference. Please follow us on social media and share any ideas you might have because we know that together we can make a brighter future for Indawgyi Lake. Visit www.faceofindawgyi.org and follow the organization on Facebook @ faceofindawgyi.

Review

800 BOWLS Hand-pulled Chinese noodles in downtown Yangon

his reviewer is careful of hyperbole and cautious of overstatement but, in my opinion, 800 Bowls is the best Chinese restaurant in the city, writes Edmond Sailland. In the year since it opened it has, to my knowledge, served up reliably authentic and delicious Chinese fare in pleasant surrounds with good service for a not unreasonable price.

The two-level restaurant is located in Urban Asia Center on Maha Bandoola. The décor is simple, yet refined and the seats are well-spaced, making the restaurant seem buzzing, but not crowded. The downstairs features a large open kitchen where you can spy on chefs pulling handmade noodles or wrapping up dumplings. Upstairs (where it can get a little stuffy) is extra

seating including large banquet style tables. The menu features a number of classic dishes from Shanghai, Sichuan, and northern regions of China—expect noodles (in soups and out), dumplings, baozi, stir fried meats and vegetables and a smattering of fried rice. The restaurant’s xiao long bao (six for 4,000 kyats), those tricky Chinese soup dumplings, are certainly among the city’s finest and are routinely delicious with fragrant, succulent pork, a fragrant broth and chewy yet delicate skin. They also come in cheese and crab flavours. The handpulled noodles are the freshest I’ve tasted in Myanmar, with a beautiful wheat flavour and a good bite. On this

occasion I tried them with minced meat (4,000 kyats) and cucumber— the East’s (fragrant) version of spaghetti Bolognese. The Shanghai pork buns are (3,000 kyats) are a good blend of soft, sweet steamed bread, meaty, juicy pork with a crunchy fried bottom. The stir-fried asparagus (5,000 kyats) comes with chili and onion. Good flavours but perhaps not worth the price tag. I also tried the crispy pork chop (7,000 kyats) which was not as crispy or porky as I remember and is not as good value as the noodle and dumpling dishes. 800 Bowls offers cheapish, authentic, reliably-tasty Chinese food in the heart of downtown, I suggest you visit. Address: Asia Business Centre, Corner of Maha Bandoola and 48 th Street, Yangon Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm Phone: 09 964 588875

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Review

YAMA ROOFTOP BAR Good and inexpensive al fresco drinking

he bar atop Yama Hotel on Bo Myat Htun was, apparently, a fixture of low-cost Yangon watering holes popular among local students with a relaxed vibe, writes Edmond Sailland. Some old Burma hands had been awaiting its reopening after it closed more than two years ago, missing a rooftop bar on West of downtown. It reopened, as part of a revamp by Yama, last month with a more up-market vibe, offering a decent range of bar snacks, main meals, draft beers and even a few bottles of fancy imported ciders, beers, and wines. Yama has gone for that standard Yangon urban vibe with the décor. There’s a lot of black metal, some wood, and a substantial amount of greenery. The views are not breathtaking, looking South and West over a non-historic area of downtown with barely a pagoda in sight, but still provide pleasant environs nine floors above the city’s streets. The staff are incredibly enthusiastic and good at communicating. I took advantage of the bar’s three for two on draft beer (3,500 kyats for a half litre of Kirin) and ordered three plates of bar snacks, which were hit

and miss. The highlight was the potato wedges (3,000 kyats)—deliciously

crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and served with ketchup. The edamame (3,000 kyats) were overcooked from frozen to the point of being virtually inedible—soggy and a depressing grey colour. The meat on the satay (4,200 kyats) was dry and tough but had a good spice and heat. The satay sauce was creamy, nutty, tangy and almost did enough do elevate the skewers. The menu features other classic bar mains as well as cold cuts and cheese platters—I wasn’t brave enough to see if they were worth the 20,000 kyats investment. Overall, the Yama rooftop is a good, relatively inexpensive, option for al fresco drinking on that side of downtown and definitely somewhere to consider after eating at one of the nearby restaurants on Maha Bandoola

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

and Bo Myat Htun. Regular punters of its old iteration will be disappointed to discover that the life-size Spiderman mannequin was not retained in the makeover. Address: No.195 Bo Myat Htun Road, Botahtaung Township, Yangon Opening Hours: 5:30 pm to 11pm Phone: +95 1 203 712

MYANMORE reviews are done independently. Meals and drinks are paid for by the publication.

Street snacks / Ethnic recipe c recipe

A MYANMAR PANCAKE BREAKFAST

here Nawaday Street meets Bo Yar Nyunt Road is quite the hub for street food, writes Min Ye Kyaw. Amid the fruit stalls and fancy cafes selling overpriced macchiatos are vendors serving paratha, samosas, spring rolls, e kya kway (Burmese churros), fish curries and more. But perhaps the most popular snack in the gastromonic hotspot is the mote pyar ta lat, rice pancakes made by Daw Thandar Oo, 42, and her husband U Kyaw San, 46. The couple has been selling the pancakes every morning in the Yaw Min Gyi area for eight years; only illness or urgent business stops them from working. They wake up at 3.30am, prepare the ingredients and utensils, and then travel about 40 minutes in a cab from their home in Tharkayta Township to the spot. “I came to this place and tried some food, but it wasn’t really tasty, so I thought why not make better snacks for the people here,” said Daw Thandar Oo, who previously ran a curry stall. Her husband was formerly a construction worker but has since

The husband-and-wife team in Yaw Min Gyi area serve cheap and delicious rice pancakes. (Lorcan Lovett)

swapped his shovel for a pair of tongs, stacking and bagging the pancakes on two large plates lined with newspaper. Their mote pyar ta lat comes in two forms: thick and crispy thin. Daw Thandar Oo sits behind three stoves, which she uses to heat thin and thick mote pyar ta lat, and bane mote, a sweet pancake that has white poppy seeds, jaggery and almond shavings. It’s also delicious.

In the little pans she pours a white batter of rice and mung beans and then sprinkles ginger, peas, beans, coriander and onion to the mix before lobbing a bucket of coal over each stove. The result is a golden, airy mote pyar ta la.

think pancake cost 200 kyats and the other two cost 250 kyats. Address: Bo Yar Nyunt Street, on the road in front of Potato Break, Dagon Township Opening hours: 6am-10.30am.

“We sell almost 50,000 kyats’ worth per day but during the school season we sell a lot more,” she said, smiling at a continous stream of customers. The

SEA BASS AND MANGO CURRY

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 a Mon State classic, Maw La Myaing Ma Nwe Kyi restaurant on 5 Yan Naing Road, Yankin Township, offers the following recipe.

Recipe: - - -

Ingredients: One Sea bass, sliced in pieces Five tablespoons (tbs) of cooking oil One green mango, sliced in pieces One tbs of chilli powder One tbs of fish sauce A pinch of salt One stick of lemongrass Three onions

- - One clove of garlic Half tbs of cumin powder Ten pieces of green chilli Coriander leaves One glass of water

- - -

Pound the onions, garlic, lemon grass, and chillies, and cumin powder together until they become smooth. Heat the pot with cooking oil, then put the mixture in. Afterwards, place the sea bass into the pot, followed by the slices of mango. Mix it all together, then slowly add water, followed by fish sauce and salt. Put the lid on and cook until the water boils for about 20 minutes. Taste and add additional salt if needed. Cook until the mangos are soft. Add the chilli and coriander leaves.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Chef’s Column

MUSHROOMS AND MANGOES MYANMORE Chef of the Year 2018 award winner Chef Orng describes some of the fresh produce brought by the first rains of the year.

fter the grind of the last few months, our team welcomed the Thingyan break. It was the first time since, well, the last Thingyan that I had a few days to reflect on things, like the new restaurant, and plan for the challenges ahead. One of these challenges is figuring out a way to protect the restaurant when the monsoon blows in. Lining the terrace overlooking our private lake with a bamboo curtain is an option. But the rains don’t just bring problems—they also bring fresh, wonderful produce.

chutney and pickling the fruit, but we’ll use the ripe ones for homemade ice cream and panna cotta. You have to choose your mango carefully as the taste of a dish can be completely different depending on the variety you use. Our kitchen will have about five or six different types that will be spread across desserts and mains. In fact, as I write this one huge case of mangoes is on its way to our kitchen. This month we will have some special cocktail nights and a fantastic selection of Californian wine as well as quality locally produced steak by Marbled Black. Keep an eye on our Facebook page @OrngKitchen for updates.

I spent the holidays on my family’s farm, about 15 kilometers from Mawlamyine in Mon State, where we grow durian, jackfruit, mangosteen and other tropical fruits. Some of the seasonal produce such as mangoes are already growing, while others are on their way. Wild mushrooms will be popping up in the forests of Mon and Karen states by the time this goes to print. I can’t wait to get my hands on these mushrooms, and start cooking with them. We can make creamy risotto, or chicken and mushroom sauce. We can use them in starters. You can do so much with a nice mushroom. During the colder months of November and December in Kachin and Shan states, you get a lot of good vegetables, but for Lower Burma, just after Thingyan is a great time. When the rain comes you get good shrimp, clam and snails. This time of the year you’ll see mangoes everywhere. Expect to see them in some of our dishes, too. There are hundreds of types of mango, varying in color, taste, shape and size. When they’re unripe and green, you want to use them for salads, salsa, chutney, pickles; things like that. We’ll be making mango MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Orng Kitchen Green Acres Residence Compound, 1 U Sein Maung Lane, Kone Myint Yeik That Street, (Off Highland Avenue) 7 miles, Mayangone Township 09771195020 12pm-3pm / 6pm–10pm (Closed Monday)

Just after Thingyan is a bountiful time for produce in Lower Burma. (Leo Jackson)

New Openings

What’s new this month?

Gangnam Buffet @ Urban Asia Centre • Korean Gangnam Korean Buffet welcomes you with traditional cuisine using ingredients imported from Korea and local chefs trained by Korean chefs. The buffet includes budaejiikae, Korean pork BBQ, Korean kimbap, egg roll, topokki, Korean salads and other Korean dishes along with free flow of fresh juices. Ground floor, Urban Asia Tower, 48th Street, Corner of Maha Bandula Road, Botahtaung Township 09957001775 11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Palm Wine Bar • Burmese, Western This palm wine bar mixes Myanmar tropical vibes and fusion dishes along with palm tree wine—also known as toddy. The place is decorated within in a vintage Myanmar style and has cultural picture galleries. Also available are the palm tree’s edible and delicious endocarp, traditional Burmese cheroots, and tasty vege fries. Wing B, A-4, Star City, Kyaik Waing Pagoda Road, Thanlyin

Find out more at sarmal.com.mm

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Pump Room Coffee Myanmar • Cafe

Hot Pot City @ Ahlone • Chinese A buffet hotpot restaurant with over 50 items including desserts, fruits, drinks and fries. You can dine in for 90 minutes and choose from beef, pork, chicken, fish, crab, prawn, etc. Big party rooms for 20, 40, 50 people including non-smoking rooms are available. And don’t worry if you’re driving there; they have a large car park.

A new experience opens in Pearl Condo Pump Room Coffee Myanmar that offers fresh food and drinks like pasta, salad, sandwich, juice, ice cream and hand-crafted coffee. With a decent amount of seating space, this is good place for meeting up with friends. Ground Floor, Building C, Pearl Condo, Bahan Township 10:00 am - 8:30 pm

No(71/A), Corner of Thit Taw street and Min Ye Kyaw Swar Street, Ahlone Township 09780888866, 09780888877 11:00 am - 2:00 am

Yama Rooftop Bar • Asian Fusion The bar atop Yama Hotel on Bo Myat Htun was previously a favorite low-cost Yangon watering holes among local students. Some old Burma hands had been awaiting its reopening after it closed more than two years ago, leaving this part of downtown without a rooftop bar. As part of a revamp of Yama, it has re-opened with a more upmarket vibe, offering a decent range of bar snacks, main meals, draft beers and even a few bottles of fancy imported ciders, beers, and wines. 195 Bo Myat Htun Road, Botataung Township 01 203 712 5:30 pm - 11pm

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Travel

THANDAUNGGYI: KAYIN STATE’S HILLTOP STATION James Fable visits an old summer getaway in northern Kayin State that is fast reclaiming its erstwhile popularity. Photos by the writer.

ff-limits to overnight visitors until late 2015, the former colonial settlement of Thandaunggyi is gradually making a name for itself as a charming countryside town. The region is renowned for its coffee, tea and honey, but Thandaunggyi’s real draw is its spectacular location 1,400 meters up in the Kayin hills. Thandaunggyi is best accessed from Taungoo, a small city located 30 kilometers to the west in Bago Region. Pick-ups leave from Taungoo bus station at 11am Monday-Saturday (2,000 kyats); but I had arrived on the Sabbath, and didn’t fancy hiring a motorbike from Beauty Guesthouse II for 15,000 kyats.

So I opted for Option 3: hitchhike. A multilingual Shan educated in Russia took me 7 kilometers, then for 5,000 kyats I arranged a lift with a truck driver headed for the hills. It’s considerably cooler in Thandaunggyi, and of the traditional dress only the tasselled Karen bags remain popular. Christianity predominates, the legacy of American and British missionaries, but in recent years a handful of pagodas have sprouted on nearby hilltops. As beneficiaries of an hotel licensing experiment, several local families were able to convert their residences into bed-and-breakfasts. These B&Bs are

far superior to most rural Myanmar guesthouses and the lodging revenue goes straight to the Karen community. I stayed at Kaing’s Villa, a comfortable B&B home to three generations of Kaings. Nancy, the villa’s 96 year-old

matriarch, cherishes visits from guests and is a keen storyteller. “There used to be lots of tigers here,” she recalled over a cup of Kayin coffee. “Sometimes we saw them from our classroom window, eating calves right

“There used to be lots of tigers here,” 96-year-old Nancy recalled over a cup of Kayin coffee.

A view of Naw Bu Baw mountain.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

The rolling Dawparkho mountain range.

in the middle of the street.”

“Where are you from?”

Nancy holds fond memories of colonial rule, even though the British were “very proud” and often kept themselves separate from the Karen. She dismissed the days of military rule with an impatient swat of the hand, but was optimistic about the new government.

“Are you a virgin?”

“Things are much better today, even the Tatmadaw soldiers here in Thandaunggyi respect me. You’ve never met Burmans like them.”

Local Waterfall

have ever experienced. It wound down through the jungle, treacherously steep, stony and dusty. At one point it looked as though we had come across the remnants of a landslide; but no, this was the way down. Ya Zar crashed on a tight corner; we were lucky to escape unscathed.

For our subsequent trip to a nearby waterfall, Ya Zar insisted on changing motorbike. He reappeared riding a

Hiking to the waterfall takes two hours but is a better option. The slippery descent is not for the faint-

I don’t believe virginity is a prerequisite for climbing the mountain.

Sonia, Nancy’s daughter, was equally personable and happily adjusted the room fee to suit my budget.

The Tourism Information Centre at Star of the East guesthouse was able to provide some basic information on local sightseeing, but their project is still in its infancy. So I hired a guide, Ya Zar, who drove me around for 20,000 kyats.

Our first point of call was Naw Bu Baw Mountain, the highest peak in the Dawparkho Range. This local Christian pilgrimage site towers over the town and is topped with an LED-edged crucifix. The 374 steps leading to its summit are not demanding, but my ascent was dogged by cheeky young Karen girls shouting out odd English phrases: “How are you?” MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

The Old Fort and the Tatmadaw Tea Factory The next morning I walked to the old fort and the tea factory, which occupy opposing hilltops. The former is an impressive, mossy grey structure that allegedly served the British well during the war. Ya Zar claimed you could overnight in it, but its haunted aura did not appeal. The tea factory is a stately red building that was founded over a century ago by the British. It has since been commandeered by the Tatmadaw, also tea enthusiasts. The military compound looked uninviting, but the officers were happy to give me a tour. Inside, civilians and soldiers laboured away, persisting with dated machines mostly imported from India.

Attractions

Naw Bu Baw Mountain

overhanging trees cast it in cool shade. We stopped by some hot springs on the way, but they were nothing special.

Pathi Chaung creek.

beaten-up hunk of junk with exposed wires, no wing mirrors and a smashed display panel. It’s one redeeming factor was a thick wire frame on the back—passenger support.

hearted and sturdy shoes are a must. I later learnt that this excursion can be turned into a full-day trek by combining it with a trip to the reputedly beautiful Taw Pyar Gyi hot springs.

The lush jungle surrounding Thandaunggyi harbours prosperous tourism potential, but ongoing conflict between the Karen National Union and the Tatmadaw hinders development. Nonetheless, Thandaunggyi is a safe and rewarding destination that’s attracting more and more tourists each year—visit now while it’s still a mere blip on the radar.

“Are you sure?” I asked. Pathi Chaung “Yes, this is much better.” I soon found out why. The track leading to the waterfall was the worst I

Lastly, Ya Zar took me to Pathi Chaung, a verdant, rocky creek in Thandaung. Its water was refreshing and the

James Fable is a freelance travel journalist based in Myanmar. Follow him on

fabletravelmyanmar.

Travel

TREKKING

MYANMAR

Intrepid trekkers are diverging from the well-trodden trails between Inle and Kalaw in search of Myanmar’s best routes. Sampan Travel offers four alternative places in Myanmar to explore the great outdoors on two feet. With the Pa’O The Inthar are most commonly associated with Inle, however a score of ethnic groups live on the banks of the lake, one of the largest being the Pa’O, famous for the fiery orange headdresses that some of the women wear. The Pa’O Self Administered Zone extends over the southern part of Inle. From the Magyigone Jetty trek into the heart of Pa’O territory (not so long

ago a no-go ‘black’ region) and stay the night at one of three villages now hosting international visitors. When staying with the Pa’O visit the large monasteries that each village boasts. The Pa’O are renowned for being particularly devout and some of these humungous monasteries are inhabited by only a couple of monks and a handful of novices during the monsoon season, often to be found crowded around a small television placed in the corner of the ordination

hall. If visiting in Autumn, an earthy smell crackles in the air, emitted from roasting of the tha-nat-phat leaf, used to make the iconic cheroot. The food is most commonly vegetarian, and accommodation is simple but homely. Peace descends over the villages as the sunsets, unbroken by the barking of dogs, as is the case in other Myanmar villages. The Pa’O are known to regard dogs as a noisy nuisance that are best done without. Indeed, when Sampan

was last staying with the Pa’O, upon hearing about the money and affection spent on canines in the West our host sniffed disapprovingly: “Why get a dog? Better to have a baby.” With the Danu In the other direction from Inle Lake, Pindaya town offers hikes through the land of the Danu. Trekking usually commences from the town’s ‘Shwe Umin,’ Myanmar’s Aladdin’s cave, where thousands of shimmering MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

The small sheds that pepper the tea fields serve as shelter from the frequent downpours, as well as cozy spots for picnics.

Paâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;O Self Administered Zone extends over the southern part of Inle Lake. (Sampan Travel)

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Travel

‘Shwe Umin,’ Myanmar’s Aladdin’s cave in the town of Pindaya. (Aung Thu Myint)

Buddha statues sit among sweating boulders and stalactites. A giant model spider—the supposed former inhabitant of the cave, and from which the town takes its name—grimaces from outside the cavern, and adds to the kitschy atmosphere. Over the tea-fields of the Danu, embark upon one to three night treks. The land is at its most verdant during the monsoon. The small sheds that pepper the tea fields serve as shelter from the frequent downpours, as well as cozy spots for picnics. When taking shelter from a particularly ferocious rain shower last year, with great panache Sampan’s spry Pindaya guide presented cans of Myanmar Beer that he had stashed away in his rucksack, and proceeded to lead us in resounding choruses of local love ballads until the clouds past. Such lunchtime activities can be not guaranteed, but seem to us indicative of Pindaya’s rambunctious approach to trekking. If hiking in the summer, cool off after your trek by leaping into the Phone Tanoke Lake at the center of Pindaya. It is said to turn those who bathe in it beautiful. Consequently, you are likely to be one of many splashing about at dusk.

popular destination for hiking, but the lengthy trip to the town (either along the traffic jam-prone Burma Road or upon the lumbering ‘Lashio Mail’ railway line) has deterred many travellers short on time. We believe the charming villages make it worth the journey. Although the sight of a foreign face is not as huge a novelty as it was three years ago, in contrast to the children on the Kalaw-Inle route who can commonly ask after your health in a handful of languages, the bairn of the Hsipaw hills display their inexperience in such matters, mixing up their ‘hellos’ and ‘goodbyes.’ Kyauk Me is just to the west of Hsipaw and is favored by those who consider Hsipaw too mainstream. Though treks between the two towns are no longer possible, two or three day treks in the hills of Kyauk Me are an option, and likely bring the opportunity of sipping tea with local militia.

landscape coupled with the hardy natives and thick, grainy coffee differentiates it from other parts of the country. The government also sees tourism as part of the solutions to solve Chin State’s poverty and stem its brain-drain, meaning that considerable investment is being put into the state in the form of guesthouses, improved roads, and Community Based Tourism (CBT) projects. All welcome news for travellers. Traditionally, walking up the State’s highest peak, Mount Victoria, was the most popular activity in Chin. However the prevalence of motorbike taxis has wrecked the tranquility and scared off many of the indigenous birds. Even the resident rhododendrons appear

startled. The longer route through the national park commences in Mindat, a three-day trek through Kyardoe and Madat villages. (The villagers of both are quiet poor. It is best to liaise with your trekking guide, but from our experience, sturdy shoes for the local children are a welcome gift.) The final day of the hike involves a steep climb, but is rewarded with stunning views over southern Chin State. On clear days, you may even be able to see Mt Popa. Sampan Travel is a boutique and green tour operator based in Yangon, curating tailor-made journeys around Myanmar.

Skirmishes between the Myanmar Army and ethnic armed groups continue to take place around both Hsipaw and Kyauk Me. Although it is still permitted to go trekking around both towns, ensure that you are travelling with a professional tour operator who can connect you with experienced local guides. Chin State

Hsipaw & Kyauk Me Hsipaw in northern Shan State has for a few years been an increasingly

Chin State is fast becoming a favorite among adventurous Yangon residents, and for good reason. Its fissured

A goat herder in Chin State. (Ben Frederick)

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Music

STREET BEATS

About three years ago Myanmar fell in love with the thump thump of electronic dance music (EDM). In the first of a new series diving into the country’s music pockets, Suzin Lynn looks at the way EDM has shaped young Myanmar society.

DJ Right D BeatZ From village fun fairs to huge stages, 27-year-old DJ Right D BeatZ has soared in the Myanmar EDM scene. First he fell for hip-hop—rappers such as Dr. Dre and Lil’ John—and then began creating his own songs and beats. Born and raised in Yangon’s Botahtaung Township, BeatZ’s move to the decks just after he finished high school “gave me more opportunities to be in front of a crowd,” he said. But DJing in Myanmar is not all fame and glamor. BeatZ spends his free time trawling YouTube for artists and lessons, just like he’s been doing since he was a teenager, when he was still known as Aung Myo Hein. On the playlist right now are EDM artists W&W and Hardwell along with piano and orchestral beats, and covers by Croatian-Slovenian cellist duo 2Cellos. Local artists have more access to quality instruments and equipment than before, which is a “huge benefit,” he explains, glancing at his slick sound system and keyboard. One drawback of the local scene though is copyright issues. “There really should be copyright laws in this country, so that songs, and most importantly, someone’s creativity and hard work, doesn’t get taken for granted,” he said. “Deadlines…clients…I don’t have a lot of personal time, so the creative part is very hard to maintain. I don’t want to just think about money, so having that kind of time on my own is important.” Some people encouraged BeatZ to focus on more conventional jobs, plus, growing up in Myanmar, he also had to contend with bad Internet connection, but despite having no industry contacts he worked his way up. His oeuvre includes collaborations with Sai Sai Kham Leng, He’ Lay, J Me, G-Fatt, and other popular Myanmar musicians. His studio has become a creative hub, where he jams with other artists. “I enjoy bouncing ideas off others, it is definitely a great way to gain inspiration,” he added. Reflecting on the new generation’s embrace of EDM, he said, “The music I create is not deemed traditional, but at the same time it’s not really rebelling against anything. I’ve heard people playing EDM during traditional ceremonies. It’s endearing really.” Any budding EDM producers and DJs out there should believe in themselves and practice hard, he advised. “Most importantly, keep going and don’t ever give up.” DJ Right D BeatZ has worked with some of Myanmar’s top artists. (Picture Man)

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Ivy Hnin, 21

Zin Shwe Wah, 22

Kenny Aung Aung, 20

Why DJ/EDM festivals? I really love the upbeat crowd and the music. Also, it’s a great way to get together with friends.

Why DJ/EDM festivals? You can get a comforting, chill vibe from EDM music. Some musicians take traditional music to another level by adding some electronic sound effects.

Why EDM? EDM provides us with a sort of youthful escape. I enjoy listening to EDM, mostly at music festivals, simply because I’m still young and wild. I say enjoy EDM while you can!

Favorite DJ? Kygo. His tropical EDM genre gives me a soothing feeling.

Why do you like DJ festivals? I don’t enjoy them that much. I’m more of a Coachella kind of guy. You might say Coachella has some DJs involved, but I think that Coachella has a variety of music.

Favorite DJ? Calvin Harris. First DJ festival? I don’t remember the name of the festival, but it was in Bangkok in 2014. Listening to? The Middle by Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, Crush On You by Sophia Everest, and No Hero by Sai Sai Kham Leng.

Listening to? I have an unnamed dance/chill playlist which has various DJs and artists like Kygo, David Guetta, Diplo, and the Chainsmokers.

On repeat? Your Song by Rita Ora.

On repeat? I See Fire by Ed Sheeran (Kygo remix)

Fashion choice at a music festival? Lots of face paint, a crop top and jeans, just anything that I can feel comfortable in because there’s a lot of crazy jumping.

Music genre? I love the tropical EDM genre more, even though I love all types of music, but I lean slightly toward that genre.

First DJ/EDM festival? Bumbershoot! I used to live right next to Seattle Center in Seattle, USA, where Bumbershoot Festival takes place. Favorite DJ? Calvin Harris and Zedd. Listening to? Here’s my current playlist on Spotify: Old School by Urban Cone, ChunLi by Niki Minaj, About You by Trey Songz. Follow my Spotify playlist on hottunes770!

In the Charts Top Myanmar Albums

Top Worldwide Albums

Sai Sai is Sai Sai Sai Sai Kham Hlaing

My Dear Melancholy The Weekend

The Risen Soul Billy La Min Aye

The World is Yours Rich the Kid

Fake City Wai La

? XXXTentacion

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

On repeat? New single Barbie Thingz by Nicki Minaj. Music genre? Overall, I like all kinds of music. As long as the songs attract my ears and my soul.

#Trending Fashion: Nichii Nichii, a fashion store from Malaysia, has gained recognition and popularity in Yangon. The store offers discounts every month and its clothing line includes formal and smart/casual wear that varies from dresses, styled jeans, and a-line skirts, to flower-embroidered blouses. Film: Mudra’s Calling Hailed across Myanmar as the movie of the year, Mudra’s Calling has a unique and cinematic style capturing the essence of Myanmar through a foreign perspective. This film has love, loss, tradition, and culture. Catch it at a theater near you now. Nightlife: Myanmar Plaza by Night With nightclub FUSE, Hard Rock cafe, and various chic bars, Myanmar Plaza’s rooftop is the new place to relax and enjoy some drinks and live music after a long, hectic week. The view of Inya Lake and the city also scores highly on Instagram opportunities.

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Combining the benefits of serviced offices and co-working spaces, KLOUD Junction City Tower offers 274 workstations and is targeted at corporates, start-up companies as

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

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well as entrepreneurs. This flexible shared office space has fully furnished office suites of various sizes as well as hot desks, which are available for short-or long-term leases. As the icing on the cake, the centre offers panoramic views of the city’s historical downtown, Yangon River, Bogyoke Market, Holy Trinity Anglican Church and the famous Shwedagon Pagoda. KLOUD Junction City Tower is managed by Singapore’s Keppel Land, which is one of Asia’s premier property companies. There are two other KLOUD centres in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, and the company has plans to operate at least one KLOUD centre in each of the markets where it operates. KLOUD users can leverage this network to scale their businesses regionally.

On the northern edge of downtown, it is also just a 40-minute drive to Yangon’s international airport. The office tower is directly connected to Junction City Shopping Mall, which has some of the city’s best retail, dining and lifestyle offerings. Pan Pacific hotel is right next door and the newly-opened five-star hotel offers discounts for KLOUD users. For those looking to soak up some local color, Bogyoke Market is across the road.

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This centre is fully fitted with modern amenities to enable users to get work done efficiently—high-speed WiFi, photocopiers, phone booths, as well as a well-stocked pantry. There is also guaranteed power from back-up generators in case of power outages. For solopreneurs, open plan heightadjustable hot desks can be booked by the day, month, or year. For inspiration, there are conducive settings next to the windows to take in the city skyline. Or, one can share ideas and dreams and collaborate with co-occupiers at the cozy lounge or breakout areas. When you need privacy, the private study provides just the place for that million-dollar pitch or proposal. For bigger teams and more established setups, KLOUD Junction City Tower has office suites for two to 10 persons. Many come with floor-toceiling views, the best of which offer a majestic view of golden pagodas. This is a smart serviced co-office, too. A custom smart mobile application, which incorporates a state-of-the-art bank-grade security system, allows KLOUD users to access the centre and individual office suites round-theclock, book facilities, as well as manage their guest lists. Its location in one of the largest development projects in downtown Yangon—Junction City—makes it an ideal office choice. It is close to government offices, international banks, legal firms, and hospitals.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Advertorial

HOTEL 63: MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

otel 63 is somewhat of a Yangon institution, having been established back in 2010. It’s 100 rooms start for the very reasonable price of just US$35 per night and it was named Traveller’s Choice for 2018 on Trip Advisor. Depending on your choice, these rooms offer views of the Yangon River or the city, and come in a range of sizes and styles—even including Japanese style. Its location, in the east of Yangon’s historical downtown, make it’s a great location from which to explore the city without being too near the busiest parts of the city. Within walking distance are

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

tastes with Chinese, Thai and Western classics available. The restaurant can cater as a perfect venue for events or weddings. The Retro Bar, open 24 hours, is a popular after-party destination. It serves up an impressive range of wines, beers, cider, cocktails, Lavazza coffee and shisha. Those looking for something special should try the Sri Lankan Arrack—a Sri Lanka specialty made from coconut sap. Botataung Pagoda, Sule Pagoda, and Ocean Supermarket. The hotel’s helpful staff can assist in advising on Myanmar travel and booking city entertainment and travel tickets. Launched 2014, the restaurant serves up a range of dishes, specializing in Sri Lankan cuisine under the watch of Sri Lankan manager Prabhath Wickramasinghe. Highlights of the menu include Parippu Curry—a Sri Lankan staple made of lentils and coconut milk—and Gotukola sambol—a refreshing and healthy salad of pennywort. The venue suits all

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

The hotel, which is owned by two doctors, boasts an impressive and well-maintained spa, where friendly and well-trained staff can introduce you to a range of treatments, including the only fish spa therapy in Yangon. Its consistently high-standard services mean the spa was named in the top 10 on Trip Advisor. Its probably the only hotel in Yangon to offer a free head massage for every room stay, too. With the addition of a readers lounge containing interesting reads and a movie library with over 300 movies in different languages, it makes a onestop smart option for travellers.

Apps

TECH TALK Our roundup of some of the best tech to enhance your life in Myanmar. App in the Air (iOs/Android) Free

Tech News Grab expands its horizons

Keep track of your flights with live flight status updates, tips, maps and more. This app also works offline— flight updates can come via SMS—and it can be used in airports across the world. Over 1,000 airlines worldwide are included, and it tracks loyalty points for airlines, hotels, and cars. But if you’re still not convinced, go for the trial period. PackPoint Travel Packing List(iOs/Android) Free One for travel fanatics, this internationally-hailed app informs you on what to pack by analyzing the length of travel, weather at the place of travel, and what you’ll be doing there. The only information needed is the destination’s city, the departure date, and the number of booked nights. Whether going solo or on group adventures, your packing lists gets its own website link and allows you to open it wherever and share it with whoever. L-Lingo Learn Burmese(iOs/ Android) Free This app makes it easy for first-time learners to grasp the Myanmar language through images of words, recordings of native speeches, and pictures. All the basics such as shopping, time, greetings, and the weather are included. There are even free quizzes to test your skills and knowledge overtime. This multilearning platform creates an easy, clear, and fast approach to picking up new languages.

After buying Uber’s Southeast Asia operations in April, Grab shows no signs of slowing. The Singaporebased company plans to expand into more services, including food and package delivery and digital payments. “The more that our consumers use ride-sharing, the more they use food delivery,” Grab President Ming Maa told CNNMoney. The firm sees its loyalty-point scheme as a crucial element of its success. The scheme allows users to build up points from their purchases and then spend them on Grab services. Dating app targets Southeast Asia New York-based matchmaking service East Meet East made its name connecting Asian daters in the US, but now that focus is spreading to Southeast Asia after it raised a US$4 million. Unlike similar apps out there, men have to pay while women are able to use it for free. Also, unlike its app in the US which primarily focuses on Asian men and women, this app will be a platform for people of all races, Tech Crunch reported. East Meet East also hopes to enhance its matchmaking tools through AI engineering, in partnership with DG Lab, a Japanese digital-technology firm. The company is currently doing a test-run in the Philippines and is anticipating its expansion to Southeast Asia in the near future.

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Green Column / Mixologist Column

MYANMAR JOINS THE NO-PLASTICS REVOLUTION

hile everyone else was getting drenched over Thingyan, I visited the laid-back island of Koh Lipe in southern Thailand and didn’t use a plastic water bottle the whole week. When I checked into my bungalow, I was handed a stainless steel bottle and pointed to a water-refill station. Imprinted with LOVE KOH LIPE, the bottle was my ticket to free water refills at dozens of restaurants, shops and hotels across the island. A similar initiative to reduce plastic use is under way in Myanmar with a recently launched campaign called Thant Myanmar. Meaning “Clean Myanmar,” this grassroots movement seeks to raise awareness on the impact of plastic pollution in Myanmar and initiate efforts to lower consumption of single-use plastic items. “We want to get us all thinking about the amount of plastic we use, how we use it, which items we can refuse or replace with non-plastic options, to ultimately move towards a cleaner Myanmar,” said Hanna Helsingen, one of the founding members. The campaign is initially focusing on three ubiquitous single-use plastics: straws, bottles and bags. The first milestone for the Thant Myanmar campaign will be World Environment Day on June 5, themed this year around plastic pollution, but many plastic-reducing efforts are already under way. Dozens of restaurants around Yangon have already joined the “Straws Suck” campaign and you can now find locally produced bamboo straws by Palü. Nourish Café is working with others in the hospitality and travel industry to introduce a refillable water bottle system like the one on Koh Lipe. A temporary donation scheme of 50 kyats per plastic bag will be implemented in supermarkets, malls and markets. The group is encouraged by the fact that many eco-friendly traditions already exist in Myanmar, such as bringing reusable baskets to the market and drinking from refillable clay urns that are still scattered around Yangon. “We need to revive these sustainable practices and introduce new alternatives because plastic pollution affects everyone. All of us in Myanmar can play our part, starting with reducing our own consumption of the plastic items that we only use once and then throw away,” added Hanna. To learn more about Thant Myanmar, visit: Facebook.com/ThantMM/ To buy bamboo straws, visit facebook.com/PaluMyanmar/ or Nourish Café If you run a local establishment and are interested in setting up a water refill station, please contact nourishyangon@gmail.com Jojo Yang is the co-founder of MYANMORE Green Award winner 2018 Nourish Café and Yangon Yoga House, where she is also the main yoga instructor.

Gekko bar manager Lal Mon Puia and Jen Queen. (Tun Lynn)

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

or me, May 1 marks my first year in Yangon: one year working with the team at 57Below, one year overseeing the bar programs at Union, Gekko, and Parami, one year growing and learning with our team. One fabulous year, and in this time I have seen our ‘Gentlemen’ make tremendous growth. They have learned so many techniques and classic recipes, in addition to a new found appreciation for the beautiful seasonal bounty that grows around them. I was interested to see what would come of asking them to create a cocktail that showcases their skills, and individual styles. As a celebration/assessment we tasked each of the bartenders at Union & Gekko (stay tuned, both Parami houses will be next) with creating two recipes utilizing local ingredients that inspire them. We agreed that they would taste each one as a team, discuss how to adjust the recipe, and decide what to use for garnish, glassware, name, etc. This time I would remain “hands off” and allow Gekko’s bar manager Puia and Union’s assistant bar manager Khaing Tun to take the lead, mentoring their teams. On the day of the tasting, I was blown away by the cocktails these fellas put up. Gone are the days of overly sweet, often blue, syrupy concoctions. I was instead indulging in complex, well thought-out, and balanced drinks that I could imagine sipping in any great bar. Among the offerings were a pandan-infused mix with a touch of house-made amaro (with local spices and bitter roots found in Myanmar), a savory, celery gin and salted egg white sour, a Tiki-style cocktail with Japanese flair served in a ceramic bamboo mug, and several other stunners. I was none short of impressed! So impressed that I’ve decided to include them in this season’s menu to be launched at each house in the first week of May. Get yourselves to Union and Gekko this month to enjoy these drinks, and delight in the difference a year can make. MYANMORE Awards Winer and Spirits Ambassador of the Year 2018 Jen Queen is the bar manager for restaurant and bar group 57-BELOW, and mixes the cocktails at Union Bar and Grill. She is an expert in her field and the only Master Mescalier in Yangon and quite possibly the only one in Southeast Asia.

A boy searches for usable items from a trash pile in a village on the outskirts of Yangon. (Minzayar Oo)

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

Business Listing / Promotion

Real Estate

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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

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Pun Hlaing Leasing Department Pun Hlaing Estate Avenue, Hlaing Tharyar Township 01 3687 777, 3684 246 punhlaingleasing@yomastrategic. com www.punhlaingestate.com

MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018

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MYANMORE magazine #19 May 2018