Myanmore Magazine - No.22/August 2018

No. 22 /August 2018 It’s free!

magazine

TIME FOR THE WEDDING SEASON

No.22 / August 2018

magazine Managing Director Andreas Sigurdsson Managing Editor Lorcan Lovett Cover Myanmar rapper Sandy Myint Lwin and her groom Thiha Lwin. (Forever Wedding One Stop Service) Staff Writer Min Ye Kyaw Editorial Assistant Khin Hsu Mon Intern Grace Tun Swan Htet Contributors Duncan Hines Jojo Yang Jen Queen Alexander Bohusch

24 What’s On 8 Cinema 10 The Tea Shop 12 Wedding Guide special Tying the Knot 14 Objects of Desire 16 Marrying in Bagan 18 Q&A with makeup artist Ye Ye 20 Inspired by the River 22

Illustration Ben Hopkins

Travel Fragrant Harbour 36 Rangoon Rhythm 40 Tech Talk 42 Green Column /

Mixologist Column 43 Legal Column 44 Best Yangon Restaurants for Vegetarians 46 Myanmore card deals 48

Publisher MYANMORE Magazine Pyit Thiri Thaw Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited Permit No. 01588 Printer For All Printing House Sales & Advertising sales@myanmore.com 0977 900 3701 / 3702

Kachin State special Serene Beauty in Myanmar’s North 24 Weekend in Myitkyina 28 Carving Roots into Art 30 Eat & Drink Ethnic recipe 32 Mr Wok/Buthee 33 New openings 34

Art & Production Kyaw Kyaw Tun Hein Htet Ryan Tan

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

Recently, we have launched application Sarmal (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

Wedding Fair

George Gershwin through WA Mozart and Frederic Chopin. Their piano and the atmosphere will indeed be grand.

RSVP 01 526289.

Savoy Hotel - No.129, Dhammazedi Rd, Bahan Tsp | 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A Moment of Love, Wedding Showcase 2018 11th & 12th August Pan Pacific hosts “A Moment of Love” for couples who want to have an unforgettable wedding. For more information contact 019253810.

Pan Pacific Yangon - Corner of Bo Gyoke Rd and Shwe Dagon Pagoda Rd, Pabedan Tsp | 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sky Star Hotel Bridal Dreams Wedding Fair 2018 18th & 19th August A showcase of wedding services along with talk shows, lucky draws, and the latest show program for bridals. Call 09 260882266, 09 260882288, 09 449255933.

Sky Star Hotel - No.51/B-1, East Horse Race Course Rd, Tamwe Tsp | 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Art & Stage

Classical Piano Concert 25th August Enjoy a classical piano recital where artist Ko Moe Naing will take you on a journey through time and place.

Featuring all-time greatest composers starting from Jan Sebastian Bach to

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Music For Myanmar 2018

Free 3-Hour Workshop & Preview Session 18th August

Chatrium Royal Lake Hotel - 40, Nat Maut Rd, Tamwe Tsp | From 6:30 pm

Educational

Myanmar’s Economy 2018: Progress, Problems, Possibilities

Rumours: Kuma 25th August

This program promises to transform people into a confident, persuasive and powerful speakers. Designed by a group of award winning international speakers, the program will benefit people no matter where they are in their speaking journey. Contact 09 7788 6655 1 ~ 3.

For this round, Level 2 managed to sneak in a booking for Rumoursveteran Kuma before he flies off to Ibiza. Kuma has been busy producing and playing non-stop since he was last in Yangon, so they are super happy to welcome him back to the LEVEL 2 decks. Cover: 10,000 kyats with a beer.

FranklinCovey Education Myanmar Thitsar Rd, Between Waizayantar Rd and Thu Mingala Rd, South Okkalapa Tsp | 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

LEVEL 2 - Yangon International Hotel Compound ,Dagon Tsp | From 10:00

14th September “A Starry Night” is a sparkling evening of music, entertainment and fine dining to raise funds for disadvantaged deaf and orphaned children. For the fourth consecutive year they are putting their hearts into this musical evening which will star two exciting Irish concert artists, the trumpeter Niall O’Sullivan and the singer Shóna Henneberry and special Myanmar guest stars Chit Kaung and Eaint Chit. Contact 01544500.

Nightlife

Promotions

Salmon Festival until 31st August Sushi Tei is now giving 25 percent off only on salmon items. The promotion will happen from August 25-31. RSVP: 09 444 11 5662.

Happy Life with Healthy Joints

Sushi Tei - No.126, Dhamazedi Rd, Bahan Tsp | All Day

2nd September A great opportunity to get free consultations about joints and bones problems from Thai doctors. This event is free of charge and open to the public. For more information contact 02-552-8777 or line: @cghhospital.

Meliá Yangon - No.192, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp | 12:30 pm - 4:00 pm

17th August Join Professor Sean Turnell, Special Economic Consultant to the State Counsellor for a public seminar titled Myanmar’s Economy 2018: Progress, Problems, Possibilities.

The presentation will cover the transformational economic growth taking place in Myanmar. Professor Turnell will review the progress of Myanmar’s quest to deliver faster growth in infrastructure, note the obstacles, and point to the road ahead.

Novotel Yangon Max - No.459, Pyay Rd, Kamayut Tsp | 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

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EXPLORE OVER 2000+ RESTAURANTS, CAFES AND BARS

NO.

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I N M FOOD YA N A M A PP R

Find restaurants nearby, by type or check what other people recommend ------Check out the Collections, a specially curated list for various occasions ------Book a table or share your experience with a review and have chance to win prizes and discounts.

www.sarmal.com.mm

Cinema Cinemas

Now Showing The Darkest Minds Sci-Fi, Thriller When teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities, they are seen as a threat by the government and sent to detainment camps. Sixteenyear-old Ruby soon escapes from her captors and joins other runaways who are seeking a safe haven. Banded together and on the run, they soon combine their collective powers to fight the adults who tried to take away their future.

Casts: Bradley Whitford, Mandy Moore, Amandla Stenberg & more.

Coming Slender Man Horror, Supernatural Terror strikes when four teenage girls in a small town perform a ritual to debunk the lore of a tall, thin, horrifying

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Casts: Ruby Rose, Jason Statham, Rainn Wilson & more.

adventures with his band of lovable Winnie-the-Pooh and friends in the Hundred Acre Wood is now grown up and living in London but he has lost his way. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into our world and help Christopher Robin rediscover the joys of family life, the value of friendship and to appreciate the simple pleasures in life once again.

The Spy Who Dumped Me Action, Comedy

Casts: Ewan McGregor, Jim Cummings, Hayley Atwell & more.

trapping the crew at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. With time running out, rescue diver Jonas Taylor must save the crew and the ocean itself from an unimaginable threat -- a 75-footlong prehistoric shark known as the Megalodon.

figure known as the Slender Man. They soon fear that the legend is true when one of them suddenly goes missing.

The Spy Who Dumped Me tells the story of Audrey and Morgan, two best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.

Casts: Joey King, Javier Botet, Julia Goldani Telles & more.

Casts: Justin Theroux, Blanka Györfi-Tóth, Vilma Szécsi & more.

The Meg Action, Horror, Sci-Fi

Disney’s Christopher Robin Drama, Fantasy

A massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and

In the heartwarming live action adventure Disney’s Christopher Robin, the young boy who shared countless MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again Comedy, Musical

Crazy Rich Asian Drama, Comedy, Romance

In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with, but he’s also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna’s pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother’s old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.

Rachel Chu is happy to accompany her longtime boyfriend, Nick, to his best friend’s wedding in Singapore. She’s also surprised to learn that Nick’s family is extremely wealthy and he’s considered one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Thrust into the spotlight, Rachel must now contend with jealous socialites, quirky relatives and something far, far worse -Nick’s disapproving mother.

Casts: Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan & more.

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Casts: Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding & 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

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Tea Shop

THE TEA SHOP

Illustration by Ben Hopkins Idol Mania Many Yangonites—in fact, most people in Myanmar—have been hooked lately to Season 3 of Myanmar Idol, which reaches its finale on Saturday, August 11. Battling for the top spot are Phyo Myat Aung and Chan Myae Maung Cho, and the winner will be decided by online and phone-in votes. Phyo Myat Aung is the hard-working, honest type, whose backstory helping his mother with her snack stall in Ayeyarwady Division is bound to pull some heartstrings. But Yangon-native Chan Myae Maung Cho has the look and the voice—she is tipped to win, but we’ll see!

Monsoon Floods At least 11 people were killed and more than 100,000 were forced to flee their homes as monsoon floods swept parts of Myanmar at the end of July.

Heavy rain hammered southern, eastern and central parts of the country, reported Reuters, cutting off highways, destroying bridges and submerging vast swathes of land.

Government officials said that among the 11 people killed were three soldiers assisting relief efforts.

Parts of Myanmar flood annually at the peak of the monsoon season, causing frequent landslides and widespread damage to farmland and infrastructure.

8888 Uprising Thirty years ago, students in Yangon (then Rangoon) held protests against

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the authoritarian government that led to a countrywide uprising. Joining the students’ call for democracy were monks, civil servants, teachers, doctors and people from other walks of life. The protests—nicknamed the 8888 Uprising to mark the date 8/888—were violently quashed.

Thousands of protesters were killed

or arrested, and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was placed under a house arrest that would last until 2010. The actions of the protestors ultimately put Myanmar on a path to democratic future that it still works to achieve.

People around the country remember the important occasion this month.

Currency Concerns The value of the kyat is at a record low at the same time as Myanmar is suffering from an unhealthy business environment for entrepreneurs, according to the Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (UMFCCI).

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At the end of July, the value of the US$1 in the local market was set at 1,462 kyats – 120 kyats higher than last month, reported Coconuts Yangon.

The previous record low was K1,366 per dollar in Jan. 2016.

To raise the value of the kyat, experts urged the government to buy up dollars in the domestic market, MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

slowly reduce interest rates, and seek technical assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Airplane Bug Facebook users were given an extra emoji to play with after a bug infiltrated the social media system last

month. The usual ‘lol,’ ‘angry,’ ‘wow,’ and ‘sad,’ emojis were joined by an airplane reaction that had people not only in Myanmar but across the world curious at the new addition.

Android users had to update the Facebook app and hold down the ‘like’ button which then revealed an ‘extra angry’ emoji. Selecting the

emoji called up a plane reaction. In a statement Facebook said, “This was created as part of an employee hackathon and wasn’t cleared for takeoff.”

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Feature

TYING THE KNOT With the end of Buddhist lent comes the beginning of another wedding season. Holding the event in Myanmar can be overwhelming so Myanmore gives the lowdown on how to prepare for the special day.

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raditionally, newly engaged couples in Myanmar would announce their wedding by informing seven houses to the left and right of their house, writes Grace Tun. These days, they tend to be celebrated on a much bigger scale, with invitations sent to relatives, neighbors, and friends of both families. Also, no weddings are held during the Buddhist lent from July to October.

In traditional weddings, the master of ceremony joins the newly-weds’ palms and ties them in a white cloth before dipping them in a silver bowl.

This practice, however, isn’t very common these days. Contemporary weddings usually consist of the couple proceeding behind a flower girl and walking toward a stage, where they will be presented with garlands and wedding rings by a long-standing marital couple who are of acquaintance. Once these wedding rituals are completed, food and refreshments, as well as musical entertainment, are offered to the guests. Afterwards, as the guests begin leaving, they shower words of congratulations and good wishes upon the couple.

On this special day, the bride will usually wear an elaborate traditional outfit, similar to those worn by royalty in the past, with a hip-length jacket and a htain-me-thein. As for the groom, he will wear a headdress known as a gaung baung and a taung shay longyi, which is an elegant, silk men’s longyi.

Typical wedding venues include a

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monastery or church, the couple’s home—especially in rural areas—or a hotel. When attending Burmese weddings, it is customary to present gifts including cash, tableware, and utensils such as rice cooker. Fun fact: as with many couples, my parents found themselves gifted with several rice cookers on their wedding day.

But feel free to get creative with gifts.

We have included the best place to buy good wedding presents, along with your guide to wedding planners, venues, jewellery, and the best places in the region to enjoy a honeymoon.

weds, try Enchant Luxury Furniture, which works with German and Italian designers to create elegant and contemporary furnishings that are sought after by top hotels, condos, offices and plush households.

Enchant’s two showrooms open from 9am-5.30pm and are located at North Dagon and Yankin townships.

In Yuzana Plaza and Ahlone Township, Sweety Home is another option.

Known for its mattresses and beds, it imports steel, aluminium and highquality plastic furniture from Thailand, Korea and Taiwan.

What to Buy

Shopping around Sule Square Mall, you will see some of the world’s best brands, including Emporio Armani, Lalique, Mont Blanc, Omega, Rolex, and Swiss Time Square. Junction City, too, has top makes such as Moschino, Versace, Hugo Boss, Coach, and Armani Exchange.

Bringing a gift for a couple’s wedding is the norm all over the world and Myanmar is no exception. Presents run from kitchenware to bedsheets, art and just plain old cash. Min Ye Kyaw lists some of the best and most convenient places to buy a gift.

Where to Propose Ocean Supercentre is your easy no-frills choice. Its three huge stores stock everything from kitchen utensils to furniture and are located at North Point Shopping Center, Pazundaung and Shwe Gone Daing.

For a wide choice of textiles, furniture, electronics, and jewelry (again, nofrills) try Sein Gay Har branches in Dagon, Hledan and Parami. Or if you know the couple loves tech, visit Wai Yang stores for big TVs, phones and appliances on Pansodan Road and in Myanmar Plaza.

If you want to splash out on something more extravagant for the newly-

It might be one of the most important moments in a person’s life: to get down on one knee and propose.

Min Ye Kyaw recommends some top locations in Yangon to make it a memorable moment, for the right reasons.

Yangon’s one and only luxury yacht hotel anchored is in Botahtaung harbour. Inside is a 1920s-style interior and mini theatre room (US$100 per hour) which could be a good place to propose. The hotel offers balloons and flowers for hire too. Or how about some of Yangon’s best restaurants?

Apart from its attractive indoor decorations, The Yangon Restaurant also has the benefit of being located in a park near a water foundation and green trees. The restaurant can provide flowers and balloons to back you up if you book in advance.

Set in a beautiful colonial mansion overlooking Inya Lake, Le Planteur has all the trappings to help your proposal come alive. Also in the mix are superb wines and some live music.

While SEEDS offers a lake view with its stunning design and dining area platform running to the lake. Plus it has a treehouse-style private dining area which could be perfect for your proposal.

Where to Honeymoon So you’ve wedded in Myanmar, but aren’t sure where to honeymoon.

Min Ye Kyaw has some regional and relatively inexpensive suggestions for you.

With its palm trees, white sands, and clear waters, Ngapali beach has become one of the best beaches on the Bay of Bengal. You can get there by plane and then take a car to your hotel.

Don’t leave the ring in Yangon though!

The hillside retreat of Kalaw has some of the most beautiful scenery in Shan State and a cool climate to boot.

Trekking and sampling the local Shan food and wine should warm you up.

Hotel prices start from 30,000 kyats and you can by there by bus, train or plane. Naturally, Bagan is a strong contender, admired worldwide for its unique heritage and breathtaking MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

pagodas. Hotel prices range from budget to luxury and a fun way of getting around is by jumping on one of Bagan’s ubiquitous e-bikes.

Neighboring Thailand has some tempting choices. Phuket is situated along the clear waters of the Andaman Sea and has many high-end seaside resorts, spas, restaurants, old shophouses and busy markets.

You can get there by plane from Yangon from US$150. An island in the Southern Thai province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, Hua Hin is popular among water sports fanatics and has a good range of hotels and restaurants.

There’s no direct flight to Hua Hin from Yangon, but you can transfer in Bangkok.

How to Plan Organizing the whole wedding by yourself can add even more stress to the occasion. Min Ye Kyaw offers some popular wedding planners that would be happy to help you out.

Signature Weddings & Events in South Okkalapa can help you out with engagement ceremonies, registering ceremonies, and wedding receptions and dinners.Their packages include allin-one services covering suggestions, presenters, Burmese traditions and entertainment, florals, stage designs, music, photography and video. The rough cost for a reception wedding is 700,000 kyats and 1,000,000 kyats for dinner. Focused on corporates, weddings and event managements, Prestige Events and Weddings in the same township offers packages that start from 15 lakhs, including indoor and outdoor events. His & Hers Events and Wedding Studio offer photography and packages from 350,000 kyats to 9,000,000 kyats. They include makeup, jewelries, master of ceremony, music and entertainment, dresses, shoes, decoration of place and wedding car, pre-wedding photography, photography at the event, lighting and planning charges. For your wedding photos, Forever Wedding Studio has cemented its name in the industry

since its establishment in 2006.

Where to Marry Most of the fanciest places to marry in Yangon are the top hotels, writes Khin Hsu Mon. Novotel Hotel has become well-known for hosting big weddings, with its largest ballroom able to accommodate up to 800 people. Another popular venue is Melia Hotel, which has a dedicated events and management team that can assist your wedding plans.

With its lakeside setting, Chatrium Hotel has re-emerged as a coveted wedding venue as well as a great place to spend a romantic evening, and the Shangri-La Yangon has long been a favorite for weddings, with its lacquer-panelled doors opening to an impressive ballroom. Perhaps the best choice for a vintage Myanmar wedding is The Strand Hall, based in its historical namesake. The new kid on the block, Lotte Hotels, has the ‘Crystal Ballroom’ and ‘Sapphire Ballroom’—two big spaces that their events management team will prepare

for your special day. Alternatively, if you are looking for a smaller sized wedding try the classy Belmond Governor’s Residence, a romantic hotel that can accommodate up to 150 guests and that has a lotus pond, garden and spa. SEEDS Restaurant is also another stylish venue to consider, with its celebrated dishes served on the shores of Inya Lake.

One of the most alluring destinations for a wedding outside Yangon is the ancient kingdom of Bagan, where guests can watch the beautiful sunsets and hot air balloons scale above the abundant pagodas. Slightly away from the center at the The Hotel @ Tharabar Gate or the Aureum Palace.

Or for some of Myanmar’s finest coastal nature try Ngwe Saung. The Ngwe Saung Yacht Club Hotel hosts beach weddings. Further on up the coast are the clear waters and pristine sands of Ngapali, where guests at a wedding in the Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa would enjoy a dreamy view of the Bay of Bengal.

Famous rapper Sandy Myint Lwin and her groom Thiha Lwin married in Yangon in March. (Forever One Stop Wedding Service & Planning)

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Feature

OBJECTS OF DESIRE The right bridal jewellery can cast a spell over the wedding guests as the bride walks down the aisle. Khin Hsu Mon picks some of the most marvellous pieces from Myanmar companies, most of whom declined to give their prices to Myanmore.

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his purple and golden pendant makes an elegant statement, with its two golden flowers set amid amethyst stone. The almost melting quality blends perfectly with a flowing evening dress, while the wearer’s skin seems to radiate beneath its tones.

The pendant comes from Rich Gems, which launched in downtown Yangon in 1996. See more of their designs at therichgems.com.

A sparkling bracelet. (Rich Gems)

A mix of modern and classic, this Rich Gems ocean blue and silver bracelet is a luxurious piece that oozes wealth, while the blend of textures, stones, and colors are eye-catching.

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Bridal jewelry can complete the look of a bride. (Freepik) MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

A silver bracelet. (M-Collections)

Discreet yet glamorous, this silver criss cross bracelet (US$5,800) works harmoniously with a classic Westernstyle wedding gown. Different sized stones in the piece show a modern and delicate design from M-Collections.

Explore more of their collection at their shop in Sule Square.

A glamorous pendant sold in Myanmar. (She Shines Gems)

The tear-shaped ring on the ring finger.

(M-Collections)

Those thinking of proposing may also want to visit M.Collections for their wedding rings. My pick is the teardrop-shaped Round Cross which is held by two bands of small, intricate diamonds. It usually costs US$3,430 but will be discounted to $2,380 until the end of August.

She Shines Gems This diamond pendant pinned with emerald rubies is an alluring item for any bride. Other diamond designers are available at sheshinesgems.com.

A diamond rose-shaped necklace. (Sein Nan Daw)

Sein Nan Daw This diamond rose-shaped necklace is but one of many attractive pieces from the Rose Diamond Collection by Sein Nan Daw. You can also customize the necklace to make it further match your outfit and buy matching earrings. See more of their collection at branches in City Mall, Taw Win Center, Gamone Pwint (Kabar Aye), Myanmar Plaza, Junction City, 19th Latha Street, and Junction Square.

Find the finishing touch for your dress with a stunning piece of jewelry. (Freepik) MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Feature

MARRYING IN BAGAN Groom Andreas Sigurdsson gives a first-hand account of his wedding in Myanmar’s ancient kingdom.

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t’s cold, much colder than you would expect for a February in central Myanmar. Despite the clock not yet reaching 5am, everyone has arrived—well, everyone except the bride. Chairs are lined up on the grass in front of an old pagoda somewhere out in the countryside, where there are pagodas in all directions. It is a small miracle that all the buses found their way in the dark on the small oxcart roads, and a marvel that the bride arrives as the first sun rays spread out across the sky. Wearing traditional acheik htamein, she slowly walks past the rows of friends and family toward me. The morning sky dotted with balloons, horse carriages trundling on narrow roads, a breakfast at Sharky’s that followed the ceremony; the whole experience was uniquely Bagan and incredibly special.

Reflecting on the occasion a few months later only affirmed how exceptional the wedding was for everybody who came—everything from the scenery and the sunrises and sunsets to being together with family and friends for two days was perfect. But organizing a wedding off the beaten track posed us with a completely different set of challenges from what you usually might expect. Some of these challenges involved food catering, permits, transportation, and many smaller logistical hurdles.

The hotels are expensive and the quality of services is below expectations. Having a trusted person on the ground is a necessity. Weddings are stressful to arrange, but holding one in an alternative destination requires a different set of nerves.

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Guests shower Andreas Sigurdsson and Pyit Thiri Thaw with petals at their wedding in Bagan. (Myanmore)

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Q&A

YE YE Since entering the industry nearly a decade ago, Ye Ye has become one of Myanmar’s top makeup artists. Originally from Kalay township in Sagaing Region, Ye Ye learned his craft from celebrity fashion designer Mogok Pauk Pauk before moving to Paris, where he studied at Makeup Forever Academy. Two years later, in May 2018, he traveled to London in order to study at the London Makeup School. Ye Ye sat down with Khin Hsu Mon to talk about his career and tips on makeup for weddings.

Photo by Shane (Aung Ye Lin).

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MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

“Caring for the skin is one of the most important things to do daily. Know what skin type you have, such as oily skin, dry skin, combination skin or sensitive skin, and use the appropriate skin care.”

Q Why did you decide to enter the makeup industry?

I was into makeup since I was young. It was already my hobby and passion, so I chose this because I believe it would be better for my life.

Q Do you have a mentor or someone you look up to?

Aunty Pauk [Mogok Pauk Pauk]. I was her pupil for around 10 years and I got a chance to learn everything about business, social skills and educational things.

Q Which fashion designer have you enjoyed working with the most?

It is Aunty Pauk again. Her ever modern designs allowed me to try a new kind of makeup every time.

Q What do you usually do for a bride on her wedding day?

For a bride, the wedding day is the most important day of her life, so my wish is to make everything perfect for her makeup.

Before the wedding, I meet with the bride to suggest everything that is necessary for the makeup, and we do the full rehearsal before the event.

When it’s come to the actual day, I stay with bride to make sure she does not get worried about anything.

Q What tips do you have to help the makeup last longer on a bride throughout her special day?

The main thing is caring for the skin. And when it’s close to the event, I always suggest the bride try not to stress and get

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enough sleep. At the wedding, I do everything step-by-step, from skin care, makeup primer, and makeup base to make the bride the most beautiful. Of course, while using the best luxury cosmetic brands.

Q What are the current and upcoming trends for bridal makeup?

I don’t go with the trends for bridal makeup. I choose the best look for the bride, simply the one that makes her most beautiful.

So everytime she looks back at herself, her look stays beautiful forever.

Q What is your most favorite makeup look?

I prefer the natural makeup bridal look.

Q What is the best makeup brand to work with?

I use a lot of makeup brands. I love cosmetics so I always buy a lot of them. My favorite brand would be Charlotte Tilbury. It’s a product from a makeup artist that I am crazy about and it’s really good not just as a brand but also for its quality.

Q Can you suggest any good skin care routines?

Caring for the skin is one of the most important things to do daily. Know what skin type you have, such as oily skin, dry skin, combination skin or sensitive skin, and use the appropriate skin care. You need four steps for daily skin care. After cleansing the face with facial foam, you need toner, emulsion, moisturizer and serum. And don’t forget to deep cleanse and do the skin care if you are going to bed after wearing makeup.

Q What general makeup tips do you have for our readers?

Beauty is important for every girl. Wearing makeup will not only make girls more beautiful but also give them confidence. I want all of my customers to be the best, so I am always learning new things with a passion to make the best things.

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Feature

INSPIRED BY THE RIVER

Celebrated fashion designer Mogok Pauk Pauk visits a village in central Myanmar which produces her famous acheik longyi. Words by Grace Tun. Photos by Myanmore.

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ongyi is a gender-neutral term for the long piece of fabric that is worn in abundance in Myanmar.

It starts from the waist and reaches down to the feet, and though it is made out of various types of material, the most common is cotton. Silk is used for formal occasions, such as weddings and feasts.

Htamein is the term used for women’s longyi, while paso describes men’s.

The patterns for htamein and paso also differ: while fabric used to make paso are usually dark checkerboard patterns, women’s htamein make use of a variety of designs, from stripes and flowers, to elegant, interwoven wave patterns, known as acheik. Often, the different patterns and designs reflect the different ethnicities who made it.

Acheik is a traditional pattern inspired by the Ayeyarwady River, and has been produced by weavers in Mandalay for centuries. One type of traditional fabric on which acheik patterns can be seen is Lun Yar Kyaw. Around three months is taken to weave two meters of this fabric, rendering it one of the most expensive Burmese silk. There are many more patterns available for longyi, but nearly everyone wears acheik in the event of festivities.

Burmese silk is made with the use of wooden looms that are operated by both hand and feet in a very lengthy process. First of all, threads that have been extracted from the cocoons

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of silkworm larva are spun to make silk thread. Next, three or four of these raw silk threads are twisted and tightened using a loom. After washing them thoroughly in boiled soap-nut liquid, the desired dye color is added to the boiled water and left for around 30 minutes. Any excessive dye is rinsed, after which the colored threads are washed repeatedly and left to dry in the sun. These threads are then wounded onto bobbins, which are attached on to looms and used to weave the desired acheik pattern. Up to 300 bobbins are used to weave intricate patterns of acheik.

For Lun Yar Kyaw, over 100 shuttles of multi-colored silk thread are used, and depending on the design, more than 100 looms are needed.

Traditional acheik made out of Burmese silk is very pricey, each piece costing over more than 100,000 kyats, but Mogok Pauk Pauk, one designer seeking to make acheik affordable for all, has launched Fairy God Mother (FGM), a fashion line consisting of elegant, affordable acheik outfits, that also has an online store.

We caught up with her as she inspected the production process for her line in a village outside Mandalay.

Liked for her humble and down-toearth attitude, Mogok Pauk Pauk is arguably Myanmar’s most successful fashion designer ever. Her couture has leapt from the catwalk to wedding aisles across the country, though you are also likely to see her designs just walking down the streets of Yangon.

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Travel

SERENE BEAUTY IN MYANMAR’S NORTH Remote and spectacular, Indawgyi Lake is home to charming villages and rare wildlife in an area untainted by mass tourism. Words and photos by Min Ye Kyaw and Lorcan Lovett.

The shore of Indawgyi Lake, one of the biggest lakes in Southeast Asia.

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MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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bout 10 minutes after our plane landed, we were haggling with taxi drivers outside Myitkyina Airport for a ride to one of the most underrated and mysterious destinations in Myanmar.

Settling on 90,000 kyats, the driver took us past the waterways snaking through lush green paddies that we had seen from above.

We turned at a town called Hopin for the final 40-minutes of a four-hour drive, crossing mountains that offered a vista of the valley and a large expanse of water below—in fact, the largest lake in the country: Indawgyi Lake.

The next two days would be full of the lake’s magic. Deep blue water flanked by mountains is part of the magic, but the old fables spoken in the villages, the fresh, homely mix of Kachin and Shan food, the boat trips and the bicycle rides, that is all part of the magic, too.

Exciting new initiatives are also taking place on the banks of the lake, such as the opening of an education center. Our first action, though, was to sling down our bags in a homestay at Lone Ton, the only village in the area allowed to host foreigners.

It was a simple guesthouse: four rooms, each with a fan, lamp, and desk, and a bookshelf at the reception hinting at the home’s other use as a library and reading club called ‘Pyin Nyar Gon Yi,’ meaning ‘Light of Knowledge’ in Burmese. Out back timber slats bridged over the lakeshore to a toilet set under the shade of a mango tree.

About a 10-minute drive away is Nunmun village, where a longyi shop is making a name for itself. The owner, Malar Aung, won an award at a 2017 national weaving competition in the former capital of Amarapura for her men’s longyi design, which was inspired by an old silver Burmese coin. The sound of tapping shuttles rang from her tin-roofed workshop, as nine young women and four teenage boys used fabric from Myitkyina to weave paso (men’s longyis) and women’s acheik-patterned htamein on wooden looms. They cost from 6,000-13,000 kyats and orders come from as far as Mandalay, Naypyidaw, and Yangon.

At dusk, shrimp catchers stack their wooden canoes with traps, using grounded beans for bait and soda bottles floats. Some let a visitor or two squeeze in the boat to join them, but we ventured out onto the lake the following morning in a larger craft rented for 50,000 kyats from Lone Ton. The young driver steered toward Shwe Myintzu, an extraordinary pagoda connected to the mainland by a concrete path which floods in the wet season. We waded through the water around the pagoda, our feet against ceramic tiles that were dry a couple of months before.

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Travel

The lake was vast and quiet on our way to the fishing village of Hepa, which some say was stripped of forest decades ago to make way for the current, pastoral lands. Cows grazed idly on the shore, but, all due respect to the cows, there are more exciting and endangered species in the area, such as the hog deer, easter hoolock gibbon, and even the clouded leopard. Locals say there was once so many tigers here that people feared traveling from village to village; now it would be a surprise to spot tiger dung.

In Hepa, fishermen used tree sap to seal cracks in their boats. A dog mustered up the energy to bark, and a man dozed outside a thatched house on a writing desk. Like all the lakeside villages, life here has a languid pace.

Many of the residents moved from a town near Mandalay in the 1970s, and had counted on the skills of Inle Lake boat makers who would visit seasonally. Our boat was anchored amid tree roots, where I saw a freshlyshed snake skin. As we returned to Lone Ton, the rain poured down, and, eager to get home, the driver accidentally ploughed the bow into a duck enclosure, giving its inhabitants full run of Southeast Asia’s third biggest lake and a taste of freedom they had never experienced before.

Perhaps it was the rain, but after reversing the boat the young man literally ran away.

We swam twice during our visit. Once was next to a small pagoda on a rocky outlet, which led up to a naga shrine where a pagoda builder and a deeptanned monk chewed betel. They told us about how there was a tunnel running from underneath the pagoda to Lake Indaw, nearly 150 kilometers south. Legend goes the tunnel was used by an ancient dragon, and that Indawgyi was once a city inhabited by people who could morph into tigers. Then one day a widow had a premonition that the place would be flooded. As she fled with her children, the waters came, turning the erstwhile people-tigers into strange fish that can still be seen to this day.

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A young boat driver on the return journey from Shwe Myintzu Pagoda.

A longyi maker at a workshop in Nunmun village.

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

Another time, my friend took a dip outside the new Indawgyi Wetland Education Centre, managed jointly by NGO Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and community-based ecotourism organization Inn Chit Thu, which rents bicycles and kayaks and organizes trips, with all revenue going back into the community. The center is a perfect place to learn about and watch birds on the grassland of the lake, some of which migrate from Siberia and China.

Sustainable tourism outfit Face of Indawgyi is also helping to protect the environment and improve the lives of people in the area. It promotes the language and culture of the Shan-ni, a minority in Kachin State which has been suppressed by conflict, and it has plans for a social impact guesthouse and hotel training school on the shore.

Shwe Myintzu Pagoda during the rainy season.

invited to a one-year-old’s birthday party for plates of ochre, bamboo shoots, noodle salads, and fish.

Monsoon season may not be the best time to travel, but a visit to the lake in Kachin State is rewarding at any time of the year.

Community is so strong on the lake that about an hour before we left, the whole street—including us—were

Getting there: Air Mandalay flies from Yangon to Myitkyina and back every morning for 113,000 kyats (about US$77) for locals and $128 for foreigners. From Myitkyina, take a taxi to the lake for about 90,000 kyats. Alternatively, take a train from Myitkyina to Hopin and then take a taxi or motorbike the rest of the way.

Staying: A handful of homestays and motels at Lone Ton village each charge about 10,000 kyats per guest per night.

A freshwater shrimp catcher on Indawgyi Lake.

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Feature

The ‘manau shadung’ in Myitkyina Park.

WEEKEND IN MYITKYINA

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Often overlooked, Kachin State capital Myitkyina is a small jewel of a city with beautiful countryside to explore. Words and photos by Lorcan Lovett.

raffic jams are common in Myitkyina. Held up are usually goats, a market vendor carrying a basket of flip-flops on her head, a motorcyclist, perhaps a cow, and causing the standstill, a dog chowing down on its backside. Once the dog is sated, a local tells me, it retreats to a bush and life trundles on once more in the Kachin State capital.

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The closest I came to such an obstruction during my two-night stay was walloping into a big ol’ billy on a rusted Chinese motorbike.

But there is more to Myitkyina than crashing into livestock. Bucolic trails winding through ethnic villages in the countryside make for w0nderful bike rides. Between the rolling hills is an urban diversity meshing happily in

a big village setting. All the while, the yawning Ayeyarwady River lulls past stilted cafes on the beginning of its journey more than 2,000 kilometers south to the Andaman Sea. Myitkyina, which means “by the big river” in Burmese, is not an obvious getaway. Media coverage of Kachin State rightly focuses on the thousands

forced to flee their homes because of conflict between the Myanmar Army and Kachin rebels, whereas Myitkyina is relatively safe, a refuge for some who are escaping the violence in the mountains. Perhaps deterring visitors more is its remoteness: the train from Mandalay takes roughly 24 hours and bussing it from Yangon takes at least two nights. Domestic airline Air MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

All the while, the yawning Ayeyarwady River lulls past stilted cafes on the beginning of its journey more than 2,000 kilometers south to the Andaman Sea. Mandalay cuts this time to a mere one and a half hours from Yangon. It is also comfortable and you get coffee and pastries en route.

After taking a morning flight, my friend and I headed downtown—about 20 minutes from the airport—where worshippers in a local mosque allowed us to climb the minaret. From this vantage point we scanned the central market, the monasteries, a church, a Hindu temple, and a garish new hotel.

In the evening, as the sun slid beneath the lush riverbanks opposite the town, teenagers laid down a speaker on the promenade and body-popped to a remix of Kiesza’s Hideaway. A stroll away was a young man strumming a guitar and locals practicing a traditional dance underneath a big tree, while somewhere else downtown, we were told, Sikhs were handing out free food. Instead we opted for the butter chicken at Namaste, an Indian restaurant nearby Hotel Madira. Settling into one of their spacious rooms, we plotted our plan for the following day.

After the hotel’s breakfast buffet of Myanmar traditional fare, we rented a motorbike from a local and visited Kiss Me, a riverside café proudly decorated with photos of Kachin State’s notorious jade mines. Like most places in Myitkyina, it is not hard to imagine some military intrigue brewing beneath the surface. One hundred meters from the café is a reclining Buddha donated by Japan in 2001 to mark the soldiers lost by both countries here during the Second World War. A plaque in both English and Japanese laments the conditions endured by the Japanese soldiers who faced Allied forces in Myitkyina. “A battle fought between human hands against steel clad warship,” read the plaque.

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Exactly 74 years ago Myitkyina was “consumed by combat and artillery fire,” said a medic quoted in Donovan Webster’s The Burma Road who was at the two-month Allied siege. Chinese and American troops moved in on the town, as the Japanese’s desperate yet valiant defense culminated on August 1, 1944 with the suicide of Myitkyina’s commander Major General Mizukami, who ensured his uniformed corpse would face northeast toward Japan.

Lately one of the biggest outside influences on the town is Chinese investment. Amid an influx of developments, including golf courses, hotels, a cinema, and trendy bars, Myitkyina is slowly resembling more of a modern hub than the low-rise village of timber houses that the guide books paint it as. But one constant is the proud Kachin identity, symbolized by 12 large posts decorated with patterns and emblems in Myitkyina Park. This structure is called manau shadung and is the centerpiece of an annual Kachin festival that has animist roots but is still celebrated by the mostly Christian Kachin population.

Conveniently, it is on the way to Myitsone (or ‘Confluence’ in Burmese), about 45 kilometers north of Myitkyina, where the Mayhka (N’Mai) and Malikha rivers meet to create the Ayeyarwady River. Prepare for a rough stretch of road before the confluence, which has a few eateries and a pagoda on the bank. The languid vibe and pleasant scenery may not be enough to justify a visit, but the fact that it is the start point of such an iconic river makes it worthwhile, as does the journey there.

Underneath the misty mountains clad with forest are bamboo pylons and a few abandoned mines, some of which have been turned into cafes. It was

Breakfast at the Hotel Madira.

Air Mandalay flies to Kachin State capital Myitkyina every day.

near one that I crashed into the goat.

Stop at Jaw Bum, a tower built in 1977 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Kachin Baptist Church. It commands a sweeping view of the region, but the caged macaques and toucan—the Kachin national symbol—by the entrance make for a depressing sight.

We spent the rest of the evening sampling local chicken curries and salsa at Jingpaw 2 (Jingpaw is the Kachin language), which offers the best of Kachin’s renowned and fiery cuisine. On the final evening we happily sipped beer at new fancy cocktail joint Ledo Bar, in no rush to return to Yangon: the friendliness of Myitkyina, and the sheer amount left to explore, meant we were sure to be visiting again soon.

Getting there: Air Mandalay flies from Yangon to Myitkyina and back every morning for 113,000 kyats (about US$77) for locals and $128 for foreigners.

From Myitkyina, take a taxi to the lake for about 90,000 kyats.

Alternatively, take a train from Myitkyina to Hopin and then take a taxi or motorbike the rest of the way.

Staying: Hotel Madira is one of the most comfortable properties in the city, with large rooms, helpful staff and a good breakfast buffet.

Visit hotelmadira.com.

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Feature

CARVING ROOTS INTO ART A sculptor produces stunning furniture from reclaimed roots in Myitkyina.

Words and photos by Lorcan Lovett.

Translation by Khin Hsu Mon and Swan Htet.

U Thaung Hlaing has been carving wood for four decades.

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hree sets of striking tables and chairs sit unassumingly outside a restaurant on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River. Each set is raised about a foot from the ground and carved from a huge root of a felled tree. Look closely and wild

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animals emerge from the tawny wood; scaled fish, birds proudly sporting ornate plumes; a procession of lions.

The intricate furniture could fit snugly into a scene of Tolkien characters quarreling over a ring. It is intricate,

delicate, an expression of the forest itself. But far from being moved by his own creations, the carver has almost had enough of his craft. He is tired and all the dust from the wood has given his health grief. He is far from home, here in Myitkyina, and he has been

here for six years.

“It’s not that I necessarily enjoy my work, but I keep doing it because I am good at it and it provides for my family,” says U Thaung Hlaing. Forty years of carving and he has dwindled MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

A look at the wild creations that emerge from the roots.

the time it takes to complete a piece of furniture to four months of working eight hours every day. The result is a touch of master craftsmanship that sells for US$400-$500.

The carver works next to the Ayeyarwady River in Kachin State.

“It’s not that I necessarily enjoy my work, but I keep doing it because I am good at it and it provides for my family.”

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

“My design will vary according to the root because this is the way I was taught,” he says. U Thaung Hlaing was taught in Yangon, although he is originally from Paw, a town between Thaton and Mawlamyine in Mon State.

He moved his family to Myitkyina Park on request of the restaurant owner, who employed him full-time to make furniture.

His two daughters now live in Mandalay, where one studies and the other works in a hotel. His two sons have stayed with him and his wife. One is in school and the other helps out his father. “I don’t think I will become a carver,” says this son. “I am not as good as my father.”

U Thaung Hlaing, who is pushing 60, described his process, starting with sourcing the roots on the highway “after the government cuts down trees to make the roads bigger.” He uses a chainsaw to form a rough shape in the root, but he says the excess dust made during this apart is why he has allergies. Eventually he employs small chisels for the minutiae of the design.

“Since this is an art, I have to put a lot of thought into it. But it can be difficult because I have to do everything by myself,” he says. His next project is on the other side of the river and more orders are coming from locals in the area, meaning U Thaung Hlaing will be busy for some time.

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Ethnic recipe c recipe

MANDALAY MONT DI

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yanmar classic dish mont di is cooked in a variety of ways across the country using different ingredients and methods. In Yangon’s Taing Yin Thar Restaurant, which serves most ethnic cuisines, the rice noodle meal is made the following way.

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Ingredients Rice noodles Duck egg (half) Deep fried beans 10g Coriander leaf 10g Onion 10g Chicken 80g Fish sauce 5g Burmese bean powder 10g Chilli powder 5g Lemon (half) Tomato 80g

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- - - -

First create the gravy by stirring together the tomatoes, fish sauce, and chopped onions in a frying pan.

Add in the chicken and fried in the pan.

Once this is cooked, mix in the noodles with chili powder and bean powder.

Finally, garnish the dish with the duck egg and coriander leaf.

Squeeze in a tinge of the lemon for a fresh taste.

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New Opening

MR WOK / BUTHEE One lunch, two concepts

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he group behind Rangoon Tea House has brought a welcome addition to downtown’s lunch scene, with possibly Yangon’s only two-in-one restaurant, writes Duncan Hines. Launched at the start of July, Buthee and Mr Wok are sandwiched together in an airy space on Bogalay Zay—the same property once occupied by globetrotting culinary concept Tin Tin. Buthee is the Myanmar traditional fare part, where you can slide a tray across metal bars and opposite bowls of braised mutton, basa fish with tamarind, fried corn, butterbeans and the like, all placed behind screened glass. A leg stretch away is the counter for Mr Wok, touted as “the number one flaming noodle and rice concept in the country.” Pick your noodle type, your sauce, your toppings, and thrust your chopsticks into the noodle box.

Non-tailored boxes such as wok-fried wonton (3,500 kyats), fried rice with egg (1,500 kyats), and creamy pork (3,600 kyats)—a gathering of rice noodles, pork, pakchoi and penang sauce—are also available. Mr Wok has a few branches dotted around town, but Buthee is a first, inspired by old recipes of the founder’s aunt, who grew up in Pyinmana in central Myanmar.

Buthee/Mr Wok has a pleasant, industrial aesthetic, with exposed piping and concrete floor. There are some thoughtful touches, too, like the enamel cutlery, the Ngapi Yay Station (help yourself to mango, bamboo shoots, cucumber and pickled tea leaf), and the English and Burmese labels for Buthee’s dishes. This last touch helps connects the dots for those who have tried plenty of local food without knowing the names of the meals. It also makes this an attractive place for foreigners and locals to come together—especially for speedy lunches.

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Including one of the refreshing sodas (1,500 kyats), a large lunch should not cost more than 5,000 kyats per person. Seating is available downstairs or on a raised platform, while at the door is a coffee and tea stand to add to the local vibe.

Address: No.116/118, Bogalayzay Road, Botahtaung Township.

Contact: 09 894 120277 Hours: 10am-10pm

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

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New Openings

What’s new this month?

Bonchon Myanmar • Korean A well-known Korean crispy fried chicken joint now arrives in Yangon on the fifth floor of Junction City. With its handcrafted fried chicken, japchae, tteokbokki and bibimbap and other traditional Korean dishes, Bonchon is all around the world.

Junction City, 5th floor, Bogyoke Aung San Road, Pabedan Township Opens 9am to 9pm

Canton Paradise Myanmar • Chinese Canton Paradise is a restaurant chain from Paradise Group which offers oriental chic with vibrant and chirpy interiors akin to the bustling activity present in Cantonese eateries. With an extensive all-day menu offering a range of Hong Kong classics from roast specialties and piping-hot dim sum to delectable congee, noodles and wok-fried dishes, the essence of Hong Kong cuisine is fully captured in their plentiful selection of dishes.

61 Sayar San Road, Bahan Township 09 2522 21212 Opens 7am to 11pm

Find out more at sarmal.com.mm

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MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

Innwa Books & Cafe @ Sanchaung • Cafe

Fratello Rooftop Bar & Dining • Italian, Mediterranean Boasting a view of Shwedagon Pagoda and Judson Church, restaurant and rooftop bar Fratello offers customers a mostly Italian menu, with some Mediterranean fare. A rare Argentinian meat is available in the menu with a great wine selection and its signature cocktails.

587 Pyay Road, The Regency Offices, Kamayut Township 09 952 011666 Opens 11am to 11pm

This new book cafe is now open in Sanchaung and offers a peaceful environment on a comfy couch with a favorite book of yours in one hand and your coffee in the other. They provide a wide range of books for you to browse through, read and buy.

56, Ground Floor, Kyun Taw Road, Sanchaung Township 09 4414 41311 Opens 9am to 9pm

Kelvin’s Pool Bar • Bar, Nightclub For those who get bored of the usual Yangon nightlife, Kelvin’s Pool Bar is now open and aims to deliver an “exclusive” feeling. It is a mixture of club, bar with swimming pool, DJs and dancers. The food is made with passion from the chefs from their brother bar called BIIO. Corner of Pho Sein Street & Nat Mouk Road, Beside of Chatrium Hotel, Bahan Township 09 515 8797 Opens 5pm till late

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Travel

FRAGRANT HARBOUR Hong Kong literally means ‘Fragrant Harbour’ in Chinese, which is fitting for an island teeming with glorious food stalls that waft heavenly scents down its streets. Lining these streets are gleaming skyscrapers sitting side-by-side with grand colonial buildings, rattling through them is a tram system more than a century old. Hong Kong is where concrete jungle meets real jungle; it’s golden beaches, ancient villages, and world-class nightlife. The hotels are internationally renowned too, and the latest, luxury property does not disappoint.

A view over Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline from Kerry Hotel. (Supplied)

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MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Travel

Rock, which stands at 1,600 feet and offers a sweeping view of Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. At ground level is the knick-knack labyrinth of Mong Kok, where you can find Ladies’ Market, a one-kilometer stretch of 100 stalls selling—you guessed it—ladies’ garments, along with other clothes and accessories. The night market Temple Street and the Goldfish Market are also worth visiting.

Night Fever Start your night out in Hong Kong with a 45-minute evening harbor cruise aboard the Aqua Luna, a Chinese junk that slices through the waters to the rhythm of house beats. Guests sit back and sip on cocktails, enjoying the famed skyline from a different angle.

The cruise departs from Central Pier 9 or Tsim Sha Tsui Pier 2. Once it docks, head to Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), a square of streets packed with bars and happy hours that are garish and loud but too well-known to ignore. Within walking distance is another nightlife hotspot, Wan Chai, the old red light district that has sleazy bars and strip joints.

Next to LKF is the classier Soho where the food is a little overpriced. But there are plenty of good bars to visit: Wooloomooloo rooftop bar in Wan Chai and the sunset spectacle of TST are among them.

A premier sea view room at Kerry Hotel. (Supplied)

Super Tram

Hong Kong is known as one of Asia’s culinary hubs. (Myanmore)

K

erry Hotel is a grand 16-story urban resort set on the bustling waterfront of Kowloon, a slice of ‘real life’ in Hong Kong with its wet markets and beer stalls. Natural daylight spills into the marble-laden lobby through a stunning floor-to-ceiling glass façade, a creation of interior designer Andre Fu. The 545 rooms are decorated with eucalyptus timber and glossy lacquered panels, while over 60 percent of them have exceptional views of Victoria Harbor and the Hong Kong Island skyline. There is so much to explore here, but guests will be forgiven for sprawling out on the bed and simply gaping at this view. Another

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great place to enjoy the vista is from the hotel’s Red Sugar bar, which has a red-bricked interior that harks back to a bygone Hung Hom Bay where it is based. The four Kerry restaurants take inspiration from around the world, but especially fun are the Big Bay Café with its interactive cooking stations and the Dockyard, a nine-kitchen layout serving regional and international dishes. More than 1,000 intriguing and probably quite expensive pieces of art adorn Kerry Hotel, which belongs to the Shangri-La Group. Also memorable are the outdoor heated pool and the impressive spa and sauna.

Exploring Kowloon Outside Kerry Hotel are walkways snaking through gardens and a few steps beyond that Tsim Sha Tsui East shopping district which boasts high street retailers, luxury brands, and the famous shopping street Nathan Road. The nearby Whampoa MTR Station nicely connects the hotel to the rest of Hong Kong though visitors have other transport options such as the ferry. On Kowloon’s public pier next to the Star Ferry terminal is the place to watch a nightly lights show which sees the skyline showered in rays of futuristic lights at 8pm. In the daytime take the classic hike up Lion

One of the best ways to explore Hong Kong is by grabbing a seat at the front of a tram and just looking at everything that goes by in each neighborhood. Stop off at Sheung Wan for some dim sum from a traditional place outside Western Market, or Dim Sum Square for ease, or Lin Heung for excitement (prepare to battle Cantonese families and chase carts when they leave the kitchen).

Bring a pal though, because there are lots of dishes to try. Of course, The Peak Tram is the touristiest, but it is still a good experience. The queue can be extreme so get there as early as you can, and take the Circle Walk while up there to see much of the island.

Hike back down to Kennedy Town or Central, or even to the other side, to Aberdeen.

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

Slice through the waters on a Chinese junk in the Aqua Luna cruise. (Supplied) MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Music

RANGOON RHYTHM:

THE REASONABILISTS

An antidote to the EDM epidemic sweeping across Myanmar is a nascent indie scene, a small bunch of bands penning original tracks for a growing audience, writes Duncan Hines.

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ne of the bands, The Reasonabilists, takes their name from a doomsday cult on US sitcom Parks and Recreation.

Lead vocalist Paing Lynn Aung, 23, his brother and bass guitarist Kyaw Lynn

Aung, 17, and lead guitarist Okka Kyaw, 26, formed last October.

usual suspects: 7th Joint, Basement Bar, French Institute.

Three months later they enrolled local drummer Ye Khine Oo, 27, who plays lively tunes with them at Yangon’s

Counting among his influences The Smiths, Kings of Leon, and The National, Paing writes most of the

lyrics, laying them over his guitar riffs.

Most of his writing is in English though the band also plays in Burmese.

“I can express myself more freely in English,” he says. “I find Burmese a

The Reasonabilists perform at a Yangon bar. (Myint Myat Tun Wai)

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A

I’m a Myanmar pop singer and songwriter who is known for winning the 2008 Melody World contest. I performed at the 27th Southeast Asia Games.

Lay Phyu

Okka, who grew up listening to his father’s heavy metal albums, “never imagined” himself to be in a band despite habitually practicing the guitar as a teenager. And then Paing “dragged me in,” he says, adding that he is thoroughly enjoying the experience.

For Paing, doing a business diploma was enough for him to realize that music was the way forward. But not the ‘copy-track’ genre that has come to dominate Myanmar’s music industry, where artists modify popular Western songs with Burmese lyrics and pass them off as their own. “They can do what they want,” he says. “If it was me, I would be ashamed.”

The local indie scene is a friendly one, with Paing and his band mates often making appearances in the performances of other bands, such as The Peacists and Mooni.

“I want people to go to more gigs,” he says. “I want them to support the local bands that are doing original music.”

The Reasonabilists’ debut four-song EP Amour will be produced by Big Bag and released under Bipolarbear Records within the coming months.

B

Wai La

C

As a rock singer/songwriter, I have composed four albums since 2005 and in 2016 I won six music awards. I am known for my style and the diversity of my lyrics, which highlight the living conditions that some Myanmar people endure.

(A/C) (B/A) (C/B)

bit constricting.” His song Flowerbed is a good example of their offerings: a post-punk, upbeat track with catchy rhythms and a melancholy undercurrent, supported by the backing vocals of the other Reasonabilists.

I am a 53-year old rock vocalist and guitarist from Inle Lake. My album Desert Moon was a huge success. I recently recorded a video clip in the US and I am also part of the band Iron Cross.

Ni Ni Khin Zaw

In the Charts Top Myanmar Albums

Top Worldwide Albums

Toon Arr Nyan Lin Aung

Scorpion Drake

Neon Dream Bunny Phyo

Beerbongs & Bentleys Post Malone

Nga Yelt A Yar Yar Phyo Gyi

KOD J.Cole

“Grunge and mod rock is still strong here,” adds Paing. “Indie rock hasn’t really taken hold yet, but I think it will.

What’s there not to like?”

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Apps

TECH TALK Tech Talk Swan Htet rounds up some of the best tech to enhance your life in Myanmar.

Swan Htet rounds up some of the best tech to enhance your life in Myanmar.

Tantan

Available for both iOS and Android phones, this new Tinder-like dating app is focused on the

Asian dating scene. Sync with your Facebook account and swipe right if you find someone you like. If the other person has also swiped right, you can start talking to each other!

Tantan

couples to find their dream home! Browse between condos, apartments, and house, and filter for price range, location, and size of your desired property.

Adobe to introduce Photoshop into Ipad Adobe has nearly three dozen of its apps Available for both iOS and Android phones, available on App Store, though a notable this new Tinder-like dating app is focused absence is Photoshop. With the iPad Pro This well-known travel website has scene. created anSync app that helps your you plan your journey. canto run more complicated image on the Asian dating with nowYou able book Facebook flights, hotel rooms and even book a ride.

For newlyweds, this app is a perfect tool for account and swipe right if you editing software, news website Tech honeymoon planning. find someone you like. If the other person Crunch reports that creative designers will has also swiped right, you can start talking soon be able to use Photoshop through to each other! their mobile tablets. In addition, users will be able to effortlessly sync between their Kayak personal computer and mobile tablets so they can create on the go. This new feature would also allow artists to create high quality sketches without the need to be at their workplace.

Kayak

YouTube testing new ‘explore’ feature Youtube has recently begun the beta testing of its explore feature to allow its well-known travel website has created audiences a broader scope of content.

ShweThis Property an app that helps you plan your journey.

While it already recommends channels and Popular realcan estate website Shwe Property created and an appeven for newlyweds and couples to You book flights, hotelhasrooms videos through its home screen, this new Shwe Property find their dream home!

Browse between condos, apartments, and house, and filter for price book a ride. For newlyweds, this app is a feature would allow the user to explore range,perfect location, and sizefor of your desired property. tool honeymoon planning. specific topics with the content remaining Popular real estate website Shwe Property has created an app for newlyweds and couples to personalized. It will be interesting to see find their dream home! Browse between condos, apartments, and house, and filter for price Shwe Property how this new feature will affect content range, location, and size of your desired property. creators and viewers in the future.

Adobe to introduce Photoshop into Ipad Adobe has nearly three dozen of its apps available on App Store, though a notable absence is Photoshop.

With the iPad Pro nowinto ableIpad to run more complicated image editing software, news Adobe to introduce Photoshop

Popular real estate website Shwe Property has created an app for newlyweds and

Adobe has nearly three dozen of its apps available on App Store, though a notable absence is Photoshop. With the iPad Pro now able to run more complicated image editing software, news

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MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

Green Column / Mixologist Column

THE UGLY SIDE OF BEAUTY RITUALS

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hat do those blue PVC pipes under your sink and most nail polishes have in common?

They both contain an industrial chemical compound known as DBP that has been linked to birth defects and, in large quantities, destruction of aquatic ecosystems. While the environmental and personal health risks of growing crops with chemicals is widely known, we often overlook the scientificsounding ingredients used in beauty and hygiene products that are both polluting the environment and our own bodies.

The truth is, I love cosmetics and was happily oblivious to the toxins found in my bathroom drawer until I started developing painful sores around my cuticles from repeated gel manicures at a local salon. A Google search led me down a rabbit hole into the beauty industry’s destructive practices to the environment. As chemicals are washed down our sinks, they are recycled into our public water systems, lakes and rivers, leading to contamination of ecosystems in these bodies of water. Sourcing and producing cosmetics is also tied to mass deforestation for palm oil, coral reef destruction, cruel animal testing practices, and of course, accumulated plastic waste.

It gets worse. Nearly every personal care product I owned contained ingredients suspected of causing cancer—a harsh reminder that our skin is our largest organ and absorbs everything we put on it.

Products claiming to be natural often just add a few additional ingredients without removing the synthetic, potentially harmful ones. I made a brief foray into do-it-yourself bath products, hunting for Epsom salts and citric acid in local chemistry shops filled with glass beakers and unlabeled bags of

odorless white powder. After several failed experiments, I decided to leave it to the experts and started researching brands with a reputation for clean products.

Returning to what led me down this path in the first place, I discovered an array of nail polishes brands dubbed “7-free” for eliminating the seven most common toxins—including DPB and formaldehyde— found in most polishes. Sadly, not a single local salon I visited carried these brands.

Unwavering in my commitment to colorfully manicured nails, Bliss Beauty Bar was born. From nail care to facials to waxing, I designed this salon with an emphasis on cleanliness—both a hygienic space and equally importantly, a selection of non-toxic products that won’t destroy your body or the planet.

In next month’s column, I will share some fantastic local brands focused on putting the natural back into personal care. In the meantime, Myanmore readers who visit Bliss Beauty Bar in August should mention this article for 10 percent off all services! Visit www.yangonyogahouse.com/bliss-bar for information.

Jojo Yang is the co-founder of MYANMORE Green Award winner Nourish Café and Yangon Yoga House, where she is also the main yoga instructor.

Address: 36/38 Alan Pya Pagoda Road (Down a small sptooky alley, opposite Park Royal Hotel), Dagon Township Phone: 09 973 802714 Website: yangonyogahouse.com/nourish Email: nourishyangon@gmail.com Opening hours: Mon-Thurs (10am-9pm), Fri-Sat (10am-3pm), Sun (10am-7pm)

COCKTAIL SHOWDOWN

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his month our bar team is focused on the Monin Cup, and Wild Turkey Behind the Barrel. What’s at stake? International flights and the chance to represent Myanmar in a global cocktail tournament.

We turned up en masse this week at the Penthouse to watch Nay Htet Linn and Kaung Zaw Han present as Monin Cup top 20 finalists. Both made us proud with outstanding submissions, articulate presentations, and tasty cocktails.

Kaung Zaw Han of team Gekko made the top five in round two, finishing as the first runner up. Respect to all those who participated, and congratulations to our friends Yi Ji Kim, second runner up, and to the champion Mr. Mg Nyan Min who will go on to Malaysia to compete in the regional finals.

It was a fantastic day, and I was so impressed with the level of skill and professionalism of our growing community.

We are excited to see more events, seminars, and tournaments becoming available to bartenders in Yangon who are keen to learn and develop their careers (awesome for the drinking crowd as well: not only are bartenders and cocktails getting better, but we have fun events popping up in the city). It’s fantastic to see a number of spirit brands recognizing the talent here, supporting them with training, educational materials, and sponsored events aimed at introducing their products, to those of us who drink them, via the hands of our local bar keeps. Attendance was great and we appreciate the support of the Yangon Drinkers.

For the rest of the month we will cheer on Khaing Htun of Union and Puia of Gekko as they battle for a chance to win a trip to the USA to visit the Wild Turkey Bourbon Distillery in Kentucky. There are some great submissions all over the city, so drink Wild Turkey this month and help your favorite bartender win!

MYANMORE Awards Winner 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.

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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Legal

MYANMAR INTRODUCES NEW COMPANIES LAW

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n 1 August 2018, the new Companies Law 2017 will come into force, repealing and replacing the century old Companies Act 1914.

relating to the capacity, rights, powers, or privileges of the company if these are restricted, but does otherwise not have to stipulate these items.

A Limited Company had to have a minimum of two shareholders, whether natural persons or corporate entities. Further, a minimum of two directors was necessary. Pursuant to the new Companies Law (2017), companies may now be incorporated with a minimum of one shareholder and one director only (at least one director needs to be an ordinary resident of Myanmar).

Any company or other entity registered under the Companies Act 1914 or the Special Company Act 1950 will be required to re-register on or before 31 January 2019. Reregistration can be completed online or in person at the government’s Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA). If a company fails to re-register, its name may be struck off the register and the company may be dissolved.

The old Companies Act 1914 distinguished between Myanmarowned companies and foreign-owned companies, which also affected ownership, leasing and use of land and immovable property. The new Companies Law 2017 maintains the distinction between a Myanmarowned company and foreign-owned company. In future, a company would, however, only be considered “foreign” if 35 percent or more of the ownership interest is controlled directly or indirectly by foreign shareholder(s).

Previously, any foreign investor conducting business in Myanmar was required to obtain Form-1, the so called “Trade Permit,” which stipulated the approved business activities of the registered foreign enterprise. Approval of the application for such Trade Permit was subject to certain conditions imposed by law or ministerial policy. The new Companies Law (2017) removes the requirement to apply for a Trade Permit.

In the past, most companies were incorporated using the template “Memorandum and Articles of

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If a company fails to re-register, its name may be struck off the register and the company may be dissolved.

Association” issued by DICA. The requirement to have a Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association is replaced under the Companies Law (2017) with a constitution. At the time of reregistration, existing companies may re-adopt the model constitution issued by DICA, or a customized constitution.

Under the old Companies Act (1914), the business objectives of a company had to be specified in the company’s Memorandum of Association, as well as the aforementioned Trade Permit.

Under the new law, this requirement is abolished. A company has full legal capacity to carry out any business or activity within the confines of the law.

A company may contain a provision

Under the previous law, no foreign corporation was allowed to carry out its business in Myanmar unless it had obtained a Trade Permit. Consequently, any foreign organization that intended to do business in Myanmar on a longterm basis was required to register a branch office with the corporate authorities in Myanmar. As “carrying out business” was not clearly defined, this requirement resulted in some ambiguity. The new Companies Law (2017) provides for additional certainty and states that an overseas corporation shall not carry out any business in Myanmar unless it is properly registered (exemptions may apply, for example for corporations conducting an isolated transaction that is completed within a period of 30 days).

Alexander Bohusch is an attorney-at-law at Luther Law Firm Limited Myanmar.

Contact him at alex.bohusch@ luther-lawfirm.com.

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

#vegetarian #healthy #yangon

SEEDS Restaurant & Lounge This restaurant provides a world-class dining experience respecting European roots combined with an innovative techniques and Asian products.

But their creations have a strong focus on health that’s why you can find a la carte different vegetarian mains and a menu with no meat and no fish named the lotus menu.

Pansodan branch: 81 Upper Pansodan Road, Kyauktada Township Ph: 02 645 89615 Opens 11:30am to 10pm Bagan branch: Aungminglar, No. 5 Ward, Sephintharyar Quarter, Bagan Ph: 09 45486 2928 Opens 8am to 10pm

vegan version of traditional Myanmar’s dishes.

Address: 36B Alan Pya Pagoda Road, Dagon Township Ph: 09 973 802714 Opens 10am to 9pm

If you’re looking for a vegetarian-only restaurant Lanmadaw is for you. You’ll find a variety and delicious vegetarian food including Chinese vegetarian food. The environment is clean and quiet, but be aware, the staff don’t always speak English.

Address: 451 Pyay Road, Next to a Chinese temple and Novotel Hotel, 8 Ward, Kamayut Township Ph: 09 2505 67239 Opens 8am to 10pm

Address: 63A U Htun Nyein Street, Ward 10, Mayangone Township Ph: 09 972 784841 Opens 12pm to 2pm, 6pm to 11pm, Tea Time: 2pm to 5:30pm

Sharky’s Sharky’s started artisan food in Myanmar since long time ago. Yet its name and logo don’t describe vegetarian symbol. But Sharky’s offer a wide choice of vegetarian option such as its well-known delicious vegetarian burger, salads, vegetarian gluten free pizza using its own organic farm products.

Address: 117 Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Township Ph: 09 253 511032 Opens 8am to 10pm

Lanmadaw Vegetarian Restaurant

Nourish Cafe Come feed your body and soul—as mantra, this vegan restaurant is one of the most famous of Yangon with simply and healthy dishes in a perspective close to the environment. They propose animal-free menu with mindful ingredient and the novelty of this year is that, they develop

Healthy Me Salad & Coffee Bar Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food—is one of the mottos of the Healthy Me Salad & Coffee Bar. This high quality restaurant offers a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. Here, try fresh, seasonal ingredients and a tempting selection of vegan dishes or create your own wrap or rice bowl.

Address: 86 Bogyoke Aung San Road, Kyauktada Township Ph: 09 258 688 891 Opens 10am to 10pm

Wai Wai’s Place Fused with a hostel for expats in Yangon, won Tripadvisor’s award winning place which offers a Burmese cuisines on its rooftop with a small garden and cooking place. Many options for vegetarians as they use organic vegetables and cooking supplies, plus its friendly stuff, there’s no such an amazing place like Wai Wai’s in Yangon.

Sanchaung branch: 27 Padonmar Street, Sanchaung Township Ph: 09 40488 3882 Opens: 11am to 9pm

Green Gallery Nestled in a discreet street, a cozy and friendly atmosphere is present at the Green Gallery where the owner and her team always make sure you feel at home. There are many Thai dishes inspired by the owner’s travels with an emphasis on seasonal and fresh ingredients.

Address: 4A Thukha Street, Myaynigone, Sanchaung Township Ph: 09 42115 0524 Opens 11am to 10pm

Address: No.58, 52nd Street (lower block), Botahtaung Township Ph: 09 2572 59779 Opens 12pm to 3pm, 6pm to 9pm

LinkAge Training Restaurant & Arts In addition to being an art gallery and a restaurant that serves Chinese and Burmese food, it’s also a vocational training school.

“Great food, great cause”, here is an easy way to summarize this restaurant hidden on the first floor of a traditional Burmese building.

The price is a bit higher than local Burmese restaurants but it’s a way to help support local kids.

Address: 141 Seikkantha Street (middle block), 1st floor, Kyauktada Township Ph: 09 45193 3034 Opens 6pm

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Locale Café Myanmar Locale offers a classic organic food within Star City Thanlyin, serving vegetarian wraps, soups, salads, plates using organic vegetables menu and chicken, tuna are options. Like cauliflower fried rice, vegetarian burger along with organic smoothies drinks are best choices for those who love to eat healthy.

Address: Building A1, Wing A, Star City, Thanlyin Township Ph: 056 23 150 Ext 1214 Opens 7am to 11pm

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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MYANMORE Card

BEST DEALS OF THE MONTH Food & Wellbeing Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon The Emporia Restaurant - 15% off on food only for lunch or dinner.

Upto 4 persons per card.

- Valid everyday. Advance booking required.

Health Club - 10% off for daily walk-in rate, upto 2 persons per card.

- Valid everyday.

Orng Kitchen - 5% off total bill - Valid everyday

Lobby Lounge - 15% off on food and hot drinks only. Upto 4 persons per card.

- Valid everyday.

Club Rizzoli - 15% off on food only. Upto 6 people per card.

- Valid everyday.

Kohaku Japanese Restaurant - 15% saving on a la carte menu or set menu for lunch only. Upto 4 persons per card.

- Valid everyday.

Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant - 15% off on food only for dinner. Upto 4 persons per card.

- Valid everyday. Advance booking required.

Royal Jasmine Authentic Thai Restaurant - 10% discount (excluding drinks) - Valid everyday Hotels Hotel 63 - Day use rooms at 15$ - Valid everyday Activities Flexible Pass - 25% additional points for Myanmore card users. Only valid on top up of 50 points or more.

Services 5 a sec - 5% off all services - cannot be used in addition to any other loyalty card offer - Valid everyday

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MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

MYANMORE magazine #22 August 2018

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