InDepth (MYANMORE) - Volume 21, Aug Issue

No. 21, August 2016

OLYMPIC HOPEFULS CHASING TIME San Naing & Swe Li Myint

MORE ART MORE ADVENTURE MORE DRIVE

On the 10th of July this year, MFC held its official Grand Opening Ceremony at the Karaweik Palace. It was a huge success, and we were beyond thrilled.

On behalf of the entire MFC team, we wish to thank our distinguished guests, partners, clients and representatives for having graced the event and giving us their kind and generous support.

We look forward to taking MFC to greater heights and offering you the best in our training programmes and services.

Our programmes are now open for enrolment: CERTIFIED RETAIL BANKING CERTIFIED CARDS & PAYMENTS PROFESSIONAL BRANCH MANAGER CERTIFICATION CUSTOMER SERVICE CERTIFICATION

Enquire / enrol with us today: 09 257 999 601 / 602 / 603 info@mfc.com.mm www.mfc.com.mm MYANMAR FINANCIAL CENTER (MFC) Shwe Asia Tower, 2nd Floor (Corner of Mahabandoola Rd. and 48th St.) Botahtaung Township, Yangon, Myanmar

2 InDepth Magazine / August 2016 “Victor” — Gerhard Jörén

CONTENTS

TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR Andreas Sigurdsson andreas@myanmore.com

EDITOR Ben Hopkins ben@myanmore.com

CONTRIBUTORS Byron Hartzler Charles Michio Turner Cristina Maria Chiorean Elias DuBose Jessica Mudditt Jack Picone Marie Starr Sondang Grace Sandra Weller San Lin Tun Yoon Mi MI Tun

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Boothee (astrophoto)

PHOTOGRAPHY Hong Sar The Pictureman

ART & PRODUCTION Kyaw Kyaw Tun

PUBLISHER U Myo Aung (Permanent No. 00315) InDepth MYANMORE Magazine 1st Floor, Annex Building, Strand Hotel, 92 Strand Road, Yangon

PRINTER Shwe Naing Ngan Press Permit No.: 00296/00371 No. 90(C), Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd., Bahan Tsp., Yangon

SALES sales@myanmore.com 01 375 680

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ARTS

SPORT

BEYOND MYANMAR

The art of hand crafted Myanmar jewellery.

The ladies of the Lethwei ring.

Jakarta in 72 hours.

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26

44

MYANMAR PEOPLE ABROAD

COVER STORY

TRANSLATION

An interview with Olympic hopefuls Swe Li Myint and San Naing.

The Inyar Lake Murder Case.

Following the travails of Myanmar’s Sherlock Holmes.

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28

DRIVE ADVENTURE

BMX culture hits Yangon.

On the road to Mandalay.

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ENTREPRENEUR

HOROLOGY

The indomitable Hnin Yee Htun, proprietor of the bar, Father’s Office.

The spirit of the race.

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ADVENTURE TRAVEL

PORTRAIT

46

BISTRONOMY

RIDE

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Chef, Mali Papahtay in New York City.

Food trucks are the new black.

The Yangon restaurant

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HOROSCOPE Tetkatho Soe Moe Naing predicts your fortune for August.

36

Adventures around Lashio.

Interview with renowned author, Ma Thanegi.

DISCLAIMER No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the Managing Director. 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 might occur.

ABOUT MYANMORE MYANMORE® is a registered brand, produced

by Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited and the leading lifestyle platform in Yangon. In addition to InDepth®, MYANMORE® provides www. myanmore.com, city maps, a privilege card, the Weekly Guide, EnjoyIt® and KnowIt®.

The mission is to create great content and experiences for visitors and residents of Yangon.

DISTRIBUTION Find InDepth at Jasper House, Manhattan Fish Market, Chatime, Yoogane (Pearl Condo), Yangon Bakehouse, Summit Parkview Hotel, Pun Hlaing Golf Estate, Harley´s and many more places in Yangon and hotels around Myanmar.

Contact us at indepth@myanmore.com to have a copy distributed to your doorstep every month.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 3

WHAT'S ON EVENT

ACTIVITY

ART

MUSIC

11 - 14 Aug 9am – 5pm

MYANMAR INTERNATIONAL FURNITURE EXPO (MIFE) MIFE will launch their all new collection.

Tatmadaw Hall U Wissara Rd. Dagon Tsp

11 Aug, Thur 9pm – 10:30pm

LIVE MUSIC L’N’R BAND The coolest band in Yangon is back for a great live night and will play everything from folk to reggae, oldies to recent tunes. Free Entry.

MOJO 135, Inya Rd, Bahan Tsp

12 Aug, Fri 6:30pm – 9pm

SINGAPORE NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION The Singapore Embassy Yangon invites Singapore citizens and their family members to celebrate the 51st National Day and 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between Myanmar and Singapore.

Sule ShangriLa Yangon (Ballroom) - 223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Kyauktada Tsp

12 Aug, Fri 7pm – 11pm

SAY WOW If you want to know what this is all about just turn up and find out?

Pre table reservations are strongly recommended via 09778177014.

The Bar BurDubai 98(D) Inya Rd (Lane between Emerald Restaurant & Technoland), Kamayut Tsp

12 Aug, Fri 9am – 4pm

THE CLUB HOUSE GRAND OPENING The Clubhouse Grand Opening with music from Lush & Simon. Expect the biggest Party Night in Yangon.

Free Drinks will be served until 11PM. Dress code: Smart Casual.

RSVP Via - 09 513 5061, 09 97901 7064.

The Clubhouse Kandawgyi Palace Hotel, Kan Yeik Thar Rd, Mingalar Taung Nyunt Tsp

13 Aug, Sat 8:30am

BREAD BAKING WORKSHOP AND PICNIC WITH RENOWNED PASTRY CHEF STEPHAN CHAMBELANT Learn the artistry and finesse of bread making combined with aromatic Myanmar ingredients along with a trip to the market and a picnic with Schubert wine tasting.

To reserve your spot contact: events.tgr@belmond.com.

Belmond Governor’s Residence 35 Taw Win St, Dagon Tsp.

4 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

13 Aug, Sat 9am – Midday

OPEN HOUSE Enjoy an exclusive school tour to learn more about the renowned inquiry-based approach. RSVP at 01-657225, 09-259277711-22.

Eton House International Preschool Yangon 48B Kan Yeik Thar St, Bahan Tsp

13 Aug, Sat Sat – Sun from 9am – midday for four months

CISI CORPORATE FINANCE TECHNICAL FOUNDATION Train to become a qualified business analyst with Daw Aye Thant, Dy MD, Shwe Bank. Fee: 350,000Ks.

Institute of Business and Investment Management (IBIM) - 253 (A101), Mahabandoola Rd, In front of UFC, Kyauktada Tsp

13 Aug, Sat 9am – 5pm

MYANMAR COSPLAY EVENT - 023 All registered cosplayers will participate with many kinds of characters and tickets are available at Kira Kira, Swae Matt and Game Hive Video Game Shop. Pre-ticket price - 4000 kyats, entry ticket price - 5000Ks.

MICT Park Universities Hlaing Campus, Thamine College St, Hlaing Tsp

1pm – 5pm

SEEDSTARS YANGON PITCH COMPETITION Seedstars World is returning to Yangon this year to connect the best myanmar tech startups to the world! Do you have what it takes to to win USD 1 million in Investment?

The 8 best tech startups from Yangon will be invited to pitch in front of an investment panel and compete to be crowned the most promising seed-stage startup of Seedstars Yangon 2016.

Apply here: http://www. seedstarsworld.com/event/ seedstars-yangon-2016/

Strategy First Institute Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp

WHAT'S ON

EVENT

ACTIVITY

ART

MUSIC

13 Aug, Sat 6pm – 9pm

MOBSTERS NIGHT Themed on 1940s Mobsters’ Party of glamorous suits and live jazz, creating not only a costume party but also as a networking atmosphere for business connections.

Inya Lake Hotel Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Bahan Tsp

14 Aug, Sun 3pm – 9pm

FASHMOB POP UP STORE Craft Café, in collaboration with Fashmob clothing will offer discounts of up to 30% as well as giveaways and other surprises.

Craft Cafe - 33, corner of Nawaday St & Boyar Nyunt St, Yawmingyi Ward, Dagon Tsp

8:00pm – Midnight

YOUTHCONNECT: LINKING YOUTH TO BUSINESS Introducing Myanmar youth to Business through discussion, presentation and networking.

UMFCCI - Min Ye` Kyaw Swar Rd, Dagon Tsp

10:00am 11:30am

INFORMATION SESSION ABOUT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PROGRAM Parents and students are invited to attend this seminar on American Liberal Arts and Science Education in the International Studies Program. For more details, you can contact 09 77 9000 900. Program Brochure Download - http://bit. ly/29AyRBv

Sule ShangriLa, Yangon - 223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Kyauktada Tsp

CANTAMUS YANGON CHOIR CONCERT A group of dedicated hobby singers will be performing a programme of classical European choral music with works by Bach, Mozart, Monteverdi, Josquin and da Viadana along with a pianist and violinist performing works by the Russian composer Shostakovich.

St John the Baptist Armenian Church - 66 Bo Aung Kyaw St, Botahtaung Tsp

FILM - GRAND CENTRAL – DIRECTED BY REBECCA ZLOTOWSKI Gary, an unskilled young man, lands a job as a decontamination subcontractor at a nuclear power plant.

At the same time, he begins an illicit affair with Karole, the fiance of Toni.

Institut français de Birmanie 340 Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp

14 Aug, Sun 4pm – 5:30pm

15 Aug, Mon 7pm

16 Aug, Tue 6:00pm 8:30pm

OWNING A FRANCHISE IN MYANMAR – THE OWNERS PERSPECTIVE During this informal workshop, two current restaurant owners will share about their franchise experiences so far. Speakers are Myo Win Zaw who started Manhattan Fish Market from Singapore and Aye Myat Mon who started Mr Jones Orphanage Cafe from Thailand.

The Manhattan FISH MARKET Myanmar - 44/56, Ground Floor, M.M.G. Tower, Strand Rd, corner of 41st St, Botahtaung Tsp

18 Aug, Thur 7pm – 9pm

THE FEAST MOJO Lounge & Restaurant team up with Marbled Black for a mouthwatering evening with high quality products and free flow wine, beer, and sides! Book in advance, seats are going fast. 39.000 ks per person.

MOJO - 135, Inya Rd, Bahan Tsp

19 Aug, Fri 7pm

SIDE EFFECT Yangon rock band Side Effect will bring the house down.

50th Street Cafe Restaurant Bar - 9/13 50th St, Botataung Tsp

20 21 Aug 10am – 5pm

INTERNET OF THINGS WITH RASPBERRY PI, ARDUINO AND ESP8266 The internet of things (IoT) is the network of physical devices, vehicles, buildings and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data.

Kanaung Hub - 5th Floor, Block 14, MICT Park, Universities Hlaing Campus, Thamine College St, Hlaing Tsp

20 Aug, Sat 2pm – 5pm Sat/ Sun duration 6 months.

CISI INTERNATIONAL CERT IN WEALTH MANAGEMENT A Pathway to becoming a Chartered Wealth Manager. Trainer: U Aung Thein Tun (MCSI, MSTA, CFTe). Fee: 350,000Ks

Institute of Business and Investment Management (IBIM) - 253 (A101), Mahabandoola Rd, In front of UFC, Kyauktada Tsp

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 5

WHAT'S ON

EVENT

ACTIVITY

ART

MUSIC

21 Aug, Sun 5pm

FIRST MYANMAR LETHWEI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS International and Myanmar boxers compete against each other. Judges include Mr. Kevin Gordon from Austria and Mr. Crazy Hay from Japan. Tickets information via 09 420240552.

Thuwana Indoor Stadium - Wai Za Yan Tar Rd, Thingankyun Tsp

22 Aug, Mon 7pm

FILM - JOUR DE FETE - THE BIG DAY (1949) DIRECTED BY JACQUES TATI. Francois is an easily distracted postman who frequently interrupts his duties to converse with the local inhabitants and goes to hilarious lengths to speed the delivery of letters on his bicycle.

Institut français de Birmanie 340 Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp

25 Aug, Thur 7pm – 9:30pm

FISH FIESTA MOJO Lounge & restaurant team up with Poisson Yangon to prepare Myanmar’s finest local seafood, including razor clams and live lobster. 39.000Ks including sides and free flow beer and wine.

MOJO - 135, Inya Rd, Bahan Tsp

22 – 24 Aug 9am – 5pm

HOMEMADE ITALIAN ICE CREAM – 3 DAY TRAINING CLASS Become an expert in the making and marketing of ice cream.

Training Fees: 400US$. For more information contact: Tel: 09974232 888, 09440998844.

Jasmine Palace Hotel - 341, Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp

25 - 28 Aug 2pm

DREAMTRIPS YANGON Set out on a guided tour encompassing all the highlights of Yangon including Shwedagon Pagoda and so much more. Tickets via www.dreamtrips.com

Meet 2pm at Sule ShangriLa Yangon - 223 Sule Pagoda Rd, Kyauktada Tsp.

27 - 28 Aug 8:30am – 5pm

15 INVALUABLE LAWS OF GROWTH BY JOHN C. MAXWELL Certified John Maxwell Team Member, U Naing Win Aung will lead the way. Meals & refreshments will be provided. Fees before 10 Aug - 200,000kyats – after 300,000 kyats.

Zephyr Coffee and Restaurant - Sein Lan So Pyay Garden, Inya Rd, Kamayut Tsp.

29 Aug, Sun 7pm

FILM - EL METODO - THE METHOD (2012) DIRECTED BY MARCELO PINEYRO Seven people selected for an enviable, executive position for a mysterious corporation are submitted to a series of psychological tests - known as the “Gronholm Method”.

Institut français de Birmanie 340 Pyay Rd, Sanchaung Tsp

JOHNNY LONGYI AND REALITY RAT HEY DUDE, DOES THIS LONGYI MAKE ME LOOK, ER, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE?

DOES THIS ONE MAKE ME LOOK COOL?

NO

6 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

NO

DOES THIS ONE MAKE ME LOOK CRAZYYYYYYYY

YES

GREAT, I'LL TAKE ALL THREE, PLEASE

CERTAINLY SIR, WILL THAT BE CASH OR VISA?

PROMOTIONS

PROMOTION

13 - 18 Aug

SENSATIONAL SINGAPORE @CAAFE SULE Savour the best cuisine Singapore has to offer with guest chef from Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore. Dinner Buffet from at only US$29 nett.

RSVP: (01) 242828 Ext 6421,6422.

Sule Shangri-La 223 Sule Pagoda Road

Throughout Aug

MID-AUTUMN MOONCAKE FESTIVAL Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at Sule Shangri-La with a delectable variety of mooncake classic and new flavours. For inquiries and reservations, Please call our Food and Beverage Team at (01) 242828, Ext, 6401, 6402, 6403.

Sule Shangri-La 223 Sule Pagoda Road

Throughout Aug 11:00 AM

PIE EXTRAVAGANZA Don't let your coffee breaks become dull. Pair Sule Shangri-La's ultimate sweet & savoury pies with your favourite cup of coffee or tea at Peacock Lounge for USD 6.00 nett.

Sule Shangri-La 223 Sule Pagoda Road

Every Friday and Saturday 6pm – 10:30pm

PROMOTIONS AT CHATRIUM HOTEL Brazilian BBQ Seafood Buffet Dinner. Explore a spectacular feast of Brazilian cuisine and Brazilian live music. USD 32.00 ++ per person. Monsoon Special: Dine 5 Pay 4 on Buffet.

Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon - No 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp

Throughout Aug

MOONCAKE PROMOTION 11 flavours of Mooncake in exquisitely designed gift box and new creation of mooncake in various tastes - Durian, Lotus, Red Bean, Green Tea, Taro and Black Sesame to your favourite ranges of Baked or Snow Skin. US$ 24.00 Net per box (4 pcs)- US$ 6.00 Net per piece. Buys 10 Gift Boxes Get 1 Gift Box Free (Free Delivery for above 30 boxes). For delivery or more information, please call (95 1) 544500 ext 6221, 6287

Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon - No 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp

Throughout Aug

CHATRIUM DINE AROUND ADVENTURE Experience the diverse dining adventure at Chatrium! Start with an aperitif at Lobby Lounge. Taste the fine appetizer at Kohaku Japanese Restaurant. Savour the Western main course at The Emporia. Enjoy the Chinese delights at The Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant. You can mix and match your own dining adventure! So grab your forks and get your napkins ready to join our Dine Around! Dinner only at USD 30 nett per person (minimum order for 2 persons) Book in advance at 01544500 or fb.chry@chatrium.com

Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon - No 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp

Throughout Aug

DINE, FLY AND STAY IN BAGAN! Dine at any restaurants; Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant, Kohaku Japanese Restaurant, The Emporia Restaurant during this month and Win fabulous prizes. Prizes include Remarkable visit to Bagan *Fly with FMI Air and Stay at Hotel @ Tharabar Gate, dinner for two, A bottle of Wine, Hi-Tea for two and many more. Winner will be announced in October 2016.

Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon - No 40 Natmauk Road, Tamwe Tsp

Every Tuesday 7:00pm

MARTINI TUESDAYS Every Tuesday, starting this week, they now propose: Drink your favorite Martinis or discover new ones. Buy 1 Get 1 Free.

MOJO - 135 Inya Road, Bahan Tsp

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 7

ART

Artwork by U Hla Thaung

8 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

ART

U Aung Chay at work

Photo by Hong Sar

MYANMAR GOLD

Hand-crafted jewellery in Yangon is in danger of disappearing forever with over 98% machine made. Ben Hopkins meets the goldsmiths determined to reverse this trend with the backing of Turquoise Mountain and Suu Foundation.

M

yanmar goldsmith Aung Chay shakes his head in mock disbelief at how, in April of this year, he almost abandoned the trade he loves to embark on a washing up job in Japan. Demand for the skills he’d learnt from his uncle had all but dried up in Myanmar, replaced by machine made jewellery mimicking designs from China and Thailand.

The only other time things had gotten so bad for Aung Chay was during the Nargis Cyclone of 2008, when he was forced to leave his home on Ramree Island, Rakhine State and search for work in Yangon. “Back then, things were even more difficult in Yangon,” says the 36-year-old father of two from his small but functional workshop in Yangon’s Yaw Min Gyi Street.

Comfortably ensconced in the same workspace amidst an array of handmade tools, semi-precious

stones and pieces of gold are his brother and his brother in law U Myo Min Tun and U Thein Aung.

Aung Chay was discovered by the architect, artist and designer U Hla Thaung, and as business grew, he invited his family members that had learned the trade.

“I persuaded them to continue as jewellers here in Yangon with Turquoise Mountain,” he says in fluent English, as he motions towards his compatriots.

The loss of Aung Chay to menial work in Japan would have meant another nail in the coffin for the traditional art of the Myanmar goldsmith. Thankfully, it wasn’t to be. Today, he proclaims his life’s ambition as reinvigorating the craft of handmade jewellery in Myanmar, especially amongst the young who have all but abandoned it.

With the strong backing of the Suu Foundation and actress Michelle Yeo as brand ambassador, Turquoise Mountain, a British NGO operating in Myanmar since November 2016 aims to regenerate historic areas and traditional crafts. Turquoise Mountain’s Craft’s Programme Manager Natalie Ortiz points to the foundation’s key objects as preserving culture and traditions within traditional crafts in danger of becoming lost forever. Building livelihoods for craftspeople through education and training and promoting Myanmar’s rich craft traditions both domestically and internationally as a driver for economic growth and national pride.

Most visitors to Myanmar are probably unaware that over 98% of jewellery found in the nation’s markets and stalls are machinemade. Cutting out the craftsman

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi

“Through reinvigorating Burma’s jewellery and craft industries, we can foster the skills and creativity of new generations of women and men across our country, and create durable jobs and livelihoods for them and their families for the years to come”.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Founder, Suu Foundation

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 9

ART

means more money for the middle man and suppliers and cheaper products for the buyer. It also means less soul, less love and the death of a craft with its roots in the Buddhist Pyu period, some 200 to 900 years BCE. Intricately designed gold pieces from this period have been found in and around Ramree Island, Rakhine State – the home of Aung Chay and his brother in laws and the region still considered to be the home of the goldsmith.

“The Pyu period is key to traditional Myanmar jewellery designs,” says U Hla Thaung as he produces a large sketch book full of his own finely drawn designs inked in golden hues.

Many of the designs were created in collaboration with internationally renowned jeweller, UK’s ethical designer 2015, Pippa Small, and are inspired by traditional Burmese motifs such as bells and the Dharma Wheel as well as Pyu era designs such as the Filigree beads.

One drawing resembles a golden sphere no bigger than an eyeball,

weaved together with threads of gold. Aung Chay’s physical manifestation is no less intricate.

The golden threads reflect the flinch of an artist’s hand in the way a machine never could. Inside are five semi-precious stones: pink tourmaline, peridot, spinel, moonstone and aquamarine – beautiful stones which historically have been treated as a by-product of the process to extract more precious stones such as rubies, sapphires and jade.

These precious stones are shrouded in controversy with the vast majority traded on the international market with very little value remaining in the country. But there is a real opportunity with the semi-precious stones to keep much more of the value chain where it is needed.

Turquoise Mountain’s first line of jewellery was successfully launched at the spring fashion weeks in Paris, London and New York. Off the back of this, Turquoise Mountain has

U Aung Chay's twisted wire floral pendant

10 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

received orders from high profile international retailers from Los Angeles to Barneys New York and Tokyo.

However, back home in Myanmar there is still a long way to go. Most Myanmar people buy gold as an investment. Their concern is less about the work and design input that goes into a piece and more about the weight.

Natalie Ortiz says, “All across the country people have limited

Myanmar gold chain

banking services so they buy in gold. Goldsmiths in Yangon say they don’t really want to waste their time producing handmade goods because they doubt people will pay fairly for the amount of work that goes into intricate handmade designs. We know already there’s a market outside Myanmar, and a domestic tourist and expat market inside that values the hand crafted nature but have yet to test the nationals”.

ART

The hope is that domestic market sentiment will change. “Once we can sell it in country we are going to produce communication materials and a video to demonstrate to the craftsmanship, raise awareness about the importance of preserving these kind of traditional techniques and tell unique design stories. A very important part of this project is to generate a sense of pride for beautiful, high quality Myanmar crafts” Two of several places that will shortly see the Turquoise Mountain’s work on display will be The Governor’s Residence Hotel and The Loft, with the possibility of stand-alone shops further down the line.

Gold Fever The rare art of handmade Myanmar jewellery

Another project associated with the jewellery line and also initiated

by Turquoise Mountain is the promotion of ethical mining in the Mandalay Division. Most gold mines are family owned and worked on by villagers who lack licenses and are affected by the huge health and environmental damage caused by the use of the poisonous heavy metal mercury in the extraction process.

In addition, the gold mining community is keen to prove that the scope for change in the form of safety and accountability is greater than in the mining of gems such as rubies, sapphire and jade, which currently lacks transparency and is subject to strong international sanctions.

“Gold is much more straight forward. We are looking to a similar project with gems, but that’s much trickier”.

The specifics Natalie points to in the spectrum of gold mining are improving the skills and practices of miners to reduce harmful health and environmental impacts of small scale gold mining: Developing a model for responsible artisanal and small-scale mining in Myanmar, in line with international standards: Creating a skilled taskforce to help upscale and improve Artisinal and Small Scale Gold Mining

U Aung Chay and U Thein Aung

Photos by Hong Sar

(ASGM) practices and conditions: Establishing a transparent and responsible gold supply chain in Myanmar and lastly, drawing public attention to ASGM as a vital traditional livelihood of rural communities throughout Myanmar Back in the workshop Thein Aung continues to enthuse over the jeweller’s craft while Aung Chay smooths the edges of a piece of jewellery using his own hand made file that appears as narrow as a toothpick. Like the skills of a

violinist or painter, the methods used vary little from one generation to the next, as do the personal qualities which Aung Chay looks for in future goldsmiths.

“Number one, you must be young and interested in the fine arts, such as painting. Number two, be honest and ethical, appreciate the fact that gold is precious. Number three, be interested in handiwork – that is – the physical and technical side of how to do it, and number four, be innovative”.

These are qualities not lacking amongst Myanmar’s future generation of artists and goldsmiths. Yangon's healthy art scene certainly fosters an appreciation of aesthetic beauty and creative expression. The challenge is to generate an industry that breathes life into history and keeps alive the legacy of the centuries old Myanmar goldsmith. www.turquoisemountain.org

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 11

COVER STORY

OLYMPIC HOPEFULS CHASING TIME 5,000 metres specialist, Ko San Naing

Photo by Boothee (astrophoto)

As Olympic fever sets in, Myanmar is rooting for its seven athletes participating in Rio de Janiero across the disciplines of archery, judo, shooting, swimming, and track & field.

Yoon Mi Mi Tun went to Naypyidaw to meet professional track athletes, Swe Li Myint and San Naing, proudly representing Myanmar and striving for gold at this year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

A

t the 1936 Olympics in Germany 25-year-old U Zaw Weik, a native of Burma, was a proud competitor in weightlifting, but that sense of pride was cruelly

denied for U Zaw Weik’s native people. Burma, a minor jewel in the British colonial crown at that time, was thought too unimportant to have its own Olympic team, so U

12 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Zaw Weik was forced to compete for Team India.

After the 1936 Olympics, Weik and his mentor, U Shein, visited

England and were inspired by the freedom of speech enjoyed by the British people. They realised that colonial rule deprived the Burmese of their fundamental rights and they

COVER STORY

proud nation’s strong competitive spirit from chasing gold in Rio this month. Working harder than ever in preparation for the games this summer are Olympian track and field representatives Swe Li Myint and San Naing.

Singapore open games in May this year I won gold in the 800 metres.

So far, I have won one gold medal, four silver and five bronze. The upcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympics will be my tenth international competition.

Meeting them in the final stages of preparation before going to Brazil, Yoon Mi Mi Tun interviewed the 800 metres middle-distance runner Swe Li Myin and 5000 metres long distance runner Ko San Naing.

KSN: Starting from 2007 I also joined many local games and won many of them. In international competitions, I’ve won seven medals out of nine in the South East Asia open games, where I earned two gold medals, three silver and two bronze altogether.

First of all, tell me about your struggle as an amateur before becoming a professional athlete.

SLM: I went to the Institute of Sports and Physical Education (Mandalay) and noticed that I have a special interest in running. I started running 800 metres races in under-18 state and regional athletic competitions and also in open competitions. My competing performance in 2008-2009 showed proper progress, that's why I had the chance to continue training in the Yangon Facility.

KSN: I started going to the Institute of Sports and Physical Education (Mandalay) in 2004 and became a trainee for track and field athletics for about three years. During that time I participated in under 18 and under 20 games, winning gold and silver medals. In June 2007 I approached the youth trial representatives of Myanmar in Yangon and became a recognised athlete. I have trained hard since 2004 to become a professional runner.

Tell me about your local and international experiences. returned home with a nationalistic goal. Weik worked alongside the leaders of the independence movement to resist British Imperialism. He also established the Burma Olympic Association in 1946, and served as their director after Burmese independence was achieved in 1948.

Despite participating in the Olympics since 1948, Myanmar athletes have yet to bring home a medal. But this doesn’t deter the

SLM: I took part in many local competitions and won most of them. My first international experience was quite remarkable, I competed in the 800 metres at the 2009 Singapore Asian Youth Games and won a bronze medal.

Since then, at the Thailand games I earned bronze medals for both 800 metres and 1500 metres. I came third in both 800 and 4x400 metres relay in 2013 Myanmar SEA games and second in 28th Singapore SEA games. Most recently, at the

Tell me about the Rio de Janeiro Olympics you are going to go to.

How are you feeling as an athlete representing your country?

SLM: The event I am going to join is the 800 metres middle distance race. The opening of the Games will be on 5 August and it closes on the 22 August. Our delegation will leave on 1 August. My event will start at 10:55am on the 17th. I am very proud that my efforts are being recognised and that I was selected to represent the country. Not only for myself but also for my country and my people.

KSN: The event I will be in is the 5000 metres long distance race. I will have to run twelve and a half laps which is approximately just over three miles. The Olympic games are held only once every four years. The feeling is beyond what words can express. To take part in it, an athlete must be at his best condition ever to coincide with the Olympic dates. I am delighted that the government recognises our efforts and supports us to go to the international games.

How do you prepare for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics?

SLM: Mine is the 800metres middle distance race and I will have to run two laps of the track. So I cannot be carelessly using up all my stamina on the first lap. I need to adjust my pace and race tactics of how I should run and how I can run in each lap.

Moreover, as I will be facing many outstanding athletes from all over the world, I should be more careful about reining my own record.

KSN: I am trying very hard every day and night, preparing for my best by precisely following the instructions of the coaches.

What is your current record?

SNM: For 800 metres, I’m running just over one minute for the first lap. The world’s leading female runners tend to be just outside the minute for the first lap. For the second lap, we use all the strength remaining to win. If you use up all of your strength in the first lap, there might be unforeseen circumstances in the second one. For that reason, around one minute is a standard time for the first lap of 800 metres.

KSN: For the 5000 metres race, my current record is 15 minutes and 11 seconds. I am working hard on improving on this time.

What challenge does a runner face in that split second when you are running side-by-side with the other competitors and the finishing line is just before your eyes?

SLM: In such an occurrence, it is true that the finishing line seems to be within your reach. But at those times, all athletes are suffering exhaustion. We are trying to squeeze out every remaining strength in our bodies to get to that line. But before that line, no one is likely to give up. They might collapse from exhaustion but only after they successfully finished the race.

KSN: I agree. , the last lap is the lap where every athlete uses all of the strength that is left in the body to win the race. The strong desire to finish the race makes every athlete run till the finishing line without giving up, regardless of exhaustion and fatigue.

What attitude do you think a runner must have?

SLM: In a race, even when you are losing, if your record is still better than your normal one, it is not losing at all. Winning or losing doesn't matter in a competition but the spirit of the competition does.

If you can break your own record, then that is the best investment

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 13

COVER STORY

"everyone can run, but not everyone can be crazy for sports" San Naing

I do power practice in the field for the rest of the week. Normally, the practice takes three hours a day.

KSN: I train seven days a week in the morning and four days in the evening. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday evenings are for rest.

The total time I spend for trainings (including both morning and evening training) is at least three hours a day. Sometimes, depending on the miles I have to run (5 miles, 15 miles, etc), it can be up to four or five hours a day.

What is so special about track athletics? What is the specialty of middle and long distance running?

SLM: Running is the foundation of all types of sport. It doesn't matter which type of sport one plays.

Everyone will have to practice running for stamina. So running is essential for all types of sport. In middle distance, the pace is faster than the long distance and slower than the sprint.

Ko San Naing and Swe Li Myint training in Naypyidaw

you can make in winning your next competition. Every athlete should have that sort of attitude.

KSN: For long distance runners, attitude is everything. Intense

KSN: It is true that everyone can run, but not everyone can be crazy for sports. Running may be normal, but success is not, and to run as a representative of your country is extremely hard. Endurance comes first in long distance races compared to sprints and middle distance. Moreover, it is more about maintaining the pace. So a long distance runner must be someone with much stamina.

Photo by Boothee (astrophoto)

training with a strong will and the mindset that it can be done and it can happen to me. I want every athlete to keep in mind that even if you don't win the race, you will not go lower than your own record.

14 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Tell me about your daily training routine.

What moments stand out in your memory during competition?

SLM: I undergo training six days a week. Sunday is my rest day. I go to the gym on Tuesday and Thursday.

SLM: At the 27th SEA games I was racing against gold medal winner Yin Yin Khine in the 800 metres.

COVER STORY

I had lost to her at every meeting.

But in the SEA games, I was able overtake her on the last lap.

KSN: In 2015 at the 28th Singapore SEA games, I brought home a bronze medal to our country, surpassing athletes from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and other countries who are normally better than me. I will never forget that moment.

What are your plans for the future?

SLM: In the 29th Malaysia SEA games, I am aiming to win the gold medal in the 800 metres.

KSN: Until I retire from being my country's representative, I will keep giving my best to earn gold medals in South East Asian Games.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 15

RIDE

BEGINNINGS OF BMX CULTURE IN MYANMAR Introduced as an Olympic sport in the Beijing 2008 Games, BMX riding has finally arrived in Myanmar and deserves respect. Marie Starr tracks down the riders enjoying the freedom of two wheels while experiencing a life affirming alternative to video games and Facebook.

The BMX has arrived.

T

hirty-three BMX riders came together on Saturday morning, July 23rd for Myanmar’s first ever organized BMX event. Street Series Yangon was the inaugural event held by the group Myanmar BMX Riders.

The event had been promoted as allinclusive with promotional posters reading, ‘Come ride with MBR (Myanmar BMX Riders).’

stopping at 8 Mile Bridge, Peoples’ Park and Sule to perform tricks, show their skills and promote the group.

Participants were aged upwards of 13 years old and three riders came all the way from Mandalay for the event, riding the train to Yangon alongside their bikes.

They began their ride starting from under the Hledan Bridge, biking around the city in convoy and

16 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Bunny hop.

“Most kids spend their time on videogames, so I respect these guys.”

Kabyar Oo

RIDE

Riders can practice in People's Park before the police come.

“Fifteen years ago there was a small unofficial group of [BMX] enthusiasts. Then we got internet, Facebook and Youtube. [The riders] began to teach themselves streetstyle BMX,” says Kabyar Oo, one of the main organisers of the event.

He understands that many youths in Myanmar today waste their time on social media and internet games or adopt unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. BMX however gives them a focus and keeps them fit and strong.

The event was sponsored by BMX Shop Myanmar which has their shop in Hlaing Township. They import bikes from abroad to fuel the surge of BMX riders here in Myanmar.

“Most kids spend their time on videogames, so I respect these guys.”

“Second-hand bikes can be bought from Thailand for about 150,000 Kyat. New bikes are imported from Taiwan and cost around 450,000 Kyat,” says Htet Wai Yan, one of the dedicated riders who travelled from Mandalay for the event.

“There are two styles of BMX riding - flat land and street style,” explains organiser Kabyar Oo. “Flat-land is artistic while street-style is more aggressive.”

BMX riders in Yangon struggle to find a suitable place to ride and practice their techniques. They can sometimes be found practicing at People’s Park where there is plenty of space and stairs for them to improve their moves. However, security guards often don’t allow them to stay there, telling them to leave the park.

Families of the BMX riders are often confused about the sport which is unconventional amongst Myanmar youth and requires a

An acrobat on two wheels.

relatively costly bike. They initially tend to think that it’s bad and that the riders should spend their time more meaningfully. However, when they gain an understanding of the sport and realise that it’s keeping them active, they are inclined to accept it – after all, BMX racing as introduced as an Olympic sport

in the 2008 Beijing Games and deserves to be taken seriously.

When asked about the future of BMX in Myanmar, Kabyar Oo says MBR hopes to have more events like this one and eventually hold competitions with participants from across the country.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 17

ENTREPRENEUR

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY Hnin Yee Htun opened up Father’s Office bar in downtown Yangon a little over six months ago and has already had her fair share of ups and downs in starting a new business. However, the 27-year-old is no stranger to drama. Jessica Mudditt meets one of Yangon’s youngest female proprietors to hear about a life less ordinary.

Hnin Yee Htun is Father's Office

H

nin was born in Mawlamyine, Mon State, two days before the 1988 Uprising, the series of nationwide demonstrations and civil unrest against Myanmar’s military dictatorship. When she was 48 days old, her father fled the country to escape imprisonment; he was a prominent member of the opposition group the All Burma Students' Democratic Front ABSDF. Her mother left Myanmar a year later

in search of her husband, leaving Hnin in the care of her maternal grandmother. She wouldn’t see her parents again until she was a teenager.

“It didn’t occur to me that I was in a strange situation. My grandma took care of me as if she were my mother and father. I had a great time as a kid but obviously now when I look back I think, ‘My god.’”

18 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Her parents lived in Thailand, both in Bangkok and a refugee camp, where Hnin’s younger sister was born. Extremely protective of her granddaughter, Hnin’s grandmother refused permission for her to be reunited with her parents; they were engaged in the dangerous pursuit of achieving democracy in Myanmar from the other side of the border. She was 12 when her grandmother died and only then

could arrangements begin for Hnin’s journey overland to Thailand.

Meeting Her Parents Hnin travelled with her uncle, who knew part of the route and had local contacts to help them stay safe along the way. “I had to cut my hair short and dress like a boy because there was a chance that I could have been raped. It was scary.”

ENTREPRENEUR

They spent one night sleeping at a stranger’s house, and another two nights on a floating bamboo raft. She was then transferred into the custody of a detective who had been paid to assist in the final part of the journey. Excited about being reunited with her family, but also apprehensive as they were virtual strangers, Hnin explains “I’d only spoken to my mother about three times on the phone. I saw my parents’ wedding photo. That was it.”

Arriving at the refugee camp and hearing her father’s name being called, Hnin remembers “My father had long hair but I recognised him from the wedding photos. Mum rushed towards me and a little girl came along with them – that was my sister. There was a spiky security fence between us. My dad simply lent over and picked me up and put me on their side. Mum told me not to feel weird, that we’re family, and she started crying.”

The next six months were spent in a relatively comfortable refugee camp, until it was shut down by the government of Thailand because there were too few people. The family were relocated to a refugee camp closer to the Myanmar border, “The conditions there were really bad. At least in the first camp we had electricity, our own family room and concrete walls. The shelter in the second camp was made of bamboo and palm leaves. We got a certain amount of rice, oil and salt and that was it,” Hnin recalls.

They were able to buy clean water and food with money sent from Hnin’s aunt, who was living in the United States. Hnin and her sister did not go to school and she couldn’t speak Thai. “At the time I was just focused on what I would eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said.

stopped accepting refugees.

Australia would be their alternative destination.

By the time Hnin’s family arrived in Melbourne in 2002, she had missed two years of schooling and didn’t speak a word of English.

Grateful for the fully furnished house provided by the Australian government, the ever-adaptable Hnin said she didn’t experience culture shock. “I just remember that it was cold and that my mum made Burmese curry with kangaroo meat!”

The area had a large Burmese community and they began attending six months of English language classes. “I listened to a lot of music and watched the news and movies to help me learn as well.

When I started going to school I was the only Burmese student there, so I had to just suck it up.”

Hnin’s new school was multicultural: “Half of my girlfriends were Asian.

I couldn’t speak English properly but I’d just sit with a group of girls at lunchtime and listen to them talking. I think I shut my Burmese side down during that time so that I could absorb everything.”

The Journey Home Fast-forward to 2011, Hnin’s first visit back to her homeland saw a return to the home in Mawlamyine, where she grew up, but found herself too overwhelmed with emotion to even go up the stairs.

It took two more trips back to Myanmar before deciding to return permanently.

Travelling Abroad Again

“My aunt and uncle had just come back from a holiday in Europe and had fallen in love with the small cafes in laneways in Paris. They said they wanted to invest in a bar – there weren’t many in Yangon back then. I saw it as an opportunity for me to run my own business but said I’d go home and think about it.”

In 2001 government officials informed Hnin’s father that he had to leave Thailand. The family elected to go to the United States as refugees, but their plans were scuppered by the 9/11 terrorist attack and the US temporarily

Hnin was nervous about telling her parents that she wanted to move back to Myanmar. “I thought they wouldn’t support me but it turned out to be the opposite. They told me to go for it.” Leaving her job as a retail store manager in Melbourne,

"The culture of not going out at night if you’re a woman is changing, and I like that. But meeting new people is a different story – people are still too shy."

Hnin returned to Yangon in August 2015 and spent the next two months converting a former mobile phone store on Bo Aung Kyaw Street into her bar, ‘Father’s Office’.

Becoming A Proprietor “The father of the nation Bogyoke Aung San used to work in the secretariat opposite – that’s how I came up with the name,” Hnin explains. Her vision is to create a neighbourhood pub with a community vibe – the bar hosts bimonthly trivia nights and the monthly Myanmar Foreign Correspondents’ Club drinks. She prides herself on knowing the preferred drinks of her regular customers. “We don’t have a lot on the menu – it’s just one A4 page. It’s about quality not quantity.”

Her experiences and background in customer service from Australia shine through in her friendly approach to both patrons and staff, although in the case of the latter, this can be somewhat problematic.

“Burmese people work as either the employee or employer – that’s the only relationship they’re accustomed to. But here we are

all equal. That I also clean the toilets is quite shocking to my staff.

They can’t accept that everyone is working towards the same goal.

Some of my staff quit because they couldn’t accept that system of working – they wanted the hierarchy. In Australia, people work side by side. It’s a good system and I don’t see why it can’t work here.

But what you typically see at tea shops is one guy sitting in a chair giving orders.”

Observing how Yangon’s nightlife scene has evolved, Hnin comments, “When I first came back in 2011 there was only 50th Street Bar, but when I came back in 2015 I could see things were starting to build up. I can’t believe how many bars and restaurants have popped up,” she said. When Father’s Office first opened, 90% of its clientele were expats. The ratio is now 70/30 and Hnin hopes that it will eventually be a 50:50 split. She’s also noticed that young women are frequenting bars, but that a certain reservation still exists among local patrons.

Looking to the Future “The culture of not going out at night if you’re a woman is changing, and I like that. But meeting new people is a different story – people are still too shy. It’s not like in Melbourne where you just start talking to people you haven’t met before.”

Regardless of the hurdles and hazards she’s faced in opening a new bar, including complex drinking laws and coming very close to being electrocuted when Father’s Office flooded on the first day of the monsoon season, Hnin wouldn’t change a thing. “It’s like solving a maths puzzle every day.

It’s rewarding because I learn a lot by having to deal with so many different situations.”

As well as continuing to grow her business, Hnin’s dream is to eventually bring her mother back to Myanmar and for them to open a restaurant together. For a family torn apart by the events of 1988, there could surely be no happier ending.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 19

PORTRAIT

MA THANEGI

Cristina Maria Chiorean interviews renowned Myanmar author Ma Thanegi.

I

n 1988, during the countrywide uprising, author and artist Ma Thanegi was a volunteer assistant to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. In July 1989, together with many of her colleagues, she was detained in prison for nearly three years. In 2010 Things Asian Press published her book Nor Iron Bars A Cage, a surprisingly hilarious account from within the prison of her experiences and the lasting friendships forged between a wildly diverse group of women, from political prisoners to prostitutes and pickpockets.

With a deep knowledge and love for her country, Ma Thanegi has often found inspiration for her books in the country's traditions and culture, presenting Myanmar's customs, describing Buddhism, depicting the touristic sights, the architecture, or detailing recipes for those keen to try their hand at Myanmar food.

Born in 1946 in Shwebo, growing up in Yangon Ma Thanegi attended the Methodist English High School and later studied at the State School of Fine Arts. All her books are written in English for the benefit of readers interested in gaining a deeper insight on Myanmar. In Yangon her books are available at the street sellers' stalls on Pansodan Road, at the Bagan Bookstore or at Myanmar Book Centre. Many are also available on amazon.com.

Reading her two travelogues, The Native Tourist and Defiled on the Ayeyarwaddy, what really struck me was the ease at which the reader is taken along on her travel experiences and the unconventional, witty style through which Ma Thanegi reveals her thoughts and describes her adventures. The reader is left with a deeper appreciation through the genuine presentation of a local's behaviour and the description of their beliefs and traditions. For foreigners, it is not always easy to understand what people in Myanmar really think and why they act in a certain way.

Ma Thanegi

Though widely known for her writing, Ma Thanegi started out as a painter. She exhibited in Myanmar from 1967 until 1998 in collective shows, as well as in seven solo exhibitions. In her travel book The Native Tourist her own sketches complement the writing to depict her pilgrimage through the country.

20 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

I met with her earlier this month, and her answers to my questions reveal Ma Thanegi's unique personality.

Please describe yourself in three words.

Tough old bitch.

Your biggest achievement so far?

Rather not say, don't like to brag unless absolutely necessary.

What don't you like about yourself?

Too much impatience with people who: a. Don't think b. Can't think as have no brains c. Don't know how to think

PORTRAIT

Not really their fault, is it?

Who do you admire most?

Too many to say. Those I love and admire have pure souls and smart minds, young or old.

What do you do when you are not writing?

Nothing worth mentioning.

We are curious about your biggest fear?

Being trapped somewhere for long with chatty idiots.

Which is your favourite place in Myanmar and why?

Any place that I can be alone. I love, love, love Myanmar and I love being alone.

In which restaurant or bar in Yangon do you love to hang out with friends?

My ex political prisoner friends from the same time, same jail.

There’s about 30 of us from the ''Insein Mafia'' and we meet at someone's house. Restaurants would probably kick us out and I am not willing to meet them in a bar, no thank you very much.

What is your favourite Myanmar dish?

Too many to name. I love to eat.

Mum wanted a princess daughter and got a pig.

A book about Myanmar you would recommend?

The Burman by Shwe Yoe. I think we confuse others with our strange beliefs and behaviour and this ancient book is still spot on about it. Almost like a ''how to make sense of people from Myanmar''. Western friends have told me only halfjokingly that we must be aliens.

Where do you think you will be in 10 years’ time?

Not dead yet, hopefully. However, if dead I am determined to be reincarnated as pampered female cat because then I don't need to go to school and study Math.

Where did your interest of writing come from?

I loved to read since I was ten but at 15 I saw an art exhibition at the Goethe Institute. Then and there I

decided I would be a painter. I never had any ambitions about being a writer. My co-member at Peacock Gallery, the modern sculptor Sonny Nyein, who is deeply interested in as well as very knowledgeable of Burmese culture and history suggested in 1985 that I write a book in English on our marionette tradition and that he would help with research. He still does. Anyway I completed the manuscript in one year with necessary transparencies but White Orchid Press from Bangkok could publish it only in 1994 as "The Illusion of Life: Burmese marionettes". To earn my living after my divorce in 1986 I was teaching art privately and writing some commissioned stuff and somehow got too busy with it.

However it was only after my fourth or so book came out that I realised to my surprise that I had found another profession. I enjoy writing on our people and traditions but one day I will go back to painting.

Nowadays what is the biggest difficulty for a Myanmar writer who wants to publish a book in Myanmar?

I have no idea because I have only two publishers: Asia House in Myanmar and ThingsAsianPress from Hong Kong and both are amazing and great to work with.

That said, it is easy to self-publish in Myanmar.

What messages are you trying to project through your work?

People outside of Myanmar know about our political issues past and present but nothing much about the people. In spite of the hardships they are not cowed or holding out hands to beg. I want my readers to know about their strength of character, humour, resilience, generosity, timidity, friendliness, honesty, simplicity, rashness, overflowing emotions, love of gossip and rumours plus their easygoing natures that often spills over into total lack of discipline. It is mostly rural people that fit most of the above descriptions. https://sites.google.com/site/ mathanegibooks/ https://sites.google.com/site/ thingsmyanmar/home/

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 21

SPORT

22 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

SPORT

THE LADIES OF THE LETHWEI RING Carvings on the temples of Bagan suggest the Myanmar sport of Lethwei is over a thousand years old. Kept active in the eastern border states of Karen and Mon, the first official Lethwei championship tournament in Myanmar was held in 2000. Sandra Weller meets the ladies taking up Myanmar`s traditional bare-knuckle martial art.

B

ehind a hidden red gate in a quiet neighbourhood of Yangon lies the Thut Ti Lethwei Club.

Its doors are open to dedicated students who focus their energy on a local martial art known as Lethwei. The club is nothing like an air-conditioned modern fitness studio; this is a raw and candid space. Corrugated iron and plastic canvas sheets protect the wooden boxing ring from wind and rain.

Stacked car tyres are visible on the side and punching bags that hang from the ceiling comprise just some of the boxing equipment used in the training area.

Mr. Win Zin Oo, a former fighter himself, founded Thut Ti Lethwei 30 years ago. “Anyone who is interested can experience Lethwei here,“ he explains. “Doing Lethwei isn’t only about having a strong body and learning tough techniques, but also about having a gentle mind and a kind heart.“ The ring is surrounded by photos boasting some of the biggest stars of the club, including one of Myanmar’s most renowned fighters -- Lone Chaw -- who also trained in this very ring. Myanmar`s traditional bare-knuckle martial art is considered to be even more hard-core than Thailand`s Muay Thai boxing. It incorporates all body

parts - fists, elbows, knees, legs and the head.

With a friendly, warm, almost toothless smile, the great Lone Chaw welcomes his students. A colourful mix of locals and expats from Japan, the Netherlands, France, men and women of all ages wrap their hands ready to get the training started. Students are divided into groups according to their training level. The youngest are the lucky ones, who get to exercise with Lone Chaw in the ring.

Each training session promotes endurance, power and technique.

For the warm up, students jump around on car tyres and the first beads of sweat start dropping.

Muscle training on the floor is next, then the exhausting punching exercises with the punching bag.

Only the brave students show their real pain.

The key differentiators from Muay Thai are the head butts. With no gloves and only a wrapping of the hands in hemp or gauze cloth, Lethwei is considered the boldest and most extreme art of kickboxing.

Slower yet stronger techniques include leg kicks, knees, elbows, head butts, raking knuckle strikes and take downs.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 23

SPORT

While some Lethwei boxers travel to Thailand to compete in Muay Thai contests, many have difficulties competing in international full contact martial art stages, as their extreme style and techniques are often banned from the ring “Only in recent years, have women started to show interest in this traditional sport,” says Mr Win Zin Oo. “The first woman here was an expat, but now also local women and young girls are joining classes.“

Meet the fighters Sandy (Ei Myat Sandy) is 26 years old and from Yangon. She joins the class with her daughter Thaw Tar, 9 years and her sister-in-law Pan Pan, 13 years. Thaw Tar`s nanny is watching from the side and assists the girls with water and their boxing gloves.

When did you start doing Lethwei?

I’ve been doing Lethwei since 2012. I took a long break because I was busy studying for an MBA at Assumption University, Thailand.

For the past three or four months I’ve returned to training. My daughter and sister in law have also joined me.

Does your husband think it’s a good idea?

At first he thought it was just a waste of time and told me to just go to the gym like other women, but when he saw that I really love the sport and that it has become one of my passions, he doesn't complain anymore.

How often do you train in the Lethwei Ring?

I go there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

What do your friends think? Are they also interested?

They are interested and have asked what I do during training time.

When I tell them, most them think it’s too extreme and that it's a man’s thing. They don't want to hurt their hands or their legs but as you know in every sport: no pain - no gain.

Some of my friends just go one time and disappear forever.

How did you hear about this sport?

I heard about this from one of my friends. At that time, I just wanted to go there for weight loss and to get in shape, but when I actually went there, after two or three training sessions I felt like I knew how to use my strength properly and how to protect myself. Not really like a professional, but at least now I have confidence in myself, and I love that feeling so much.

Lethwei tests competitors agility to the extreme.

24 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Have you encouraged or asked friends and family to come along?

Yes, I ask lots of my friends and family to join the class. I also encourage my aunt and my little

sister (Pan Pan) to join the class and now they really love doing it. They also go three days in every week.

What do your daughter’s classmates think?

I heard some of the boys also join Karate or Tae Kwon Do class. My daughter said that when her best friend knew she is doing Lethwei, she asked her: „Woah do you really go there?“ And she said: „Yes!“ But I told my daughter that going to boxing class is not for bullying or hurting others, it’s just for your self confidence and just to know how to use your strength in some situations.

What is your regular job?

I help with my husband's family business, which is a cold storage and seafood processing plant. I work as quality assurance.

Have you seen the professional Lethwei boxers in action?

SPORT

Getting prepared for the fight.

I’ve never had the chance to see a real fight, because in the big fights it's really crowded and not easy to get in, so I've only watched them on TV.

Phyu Phyu is 39 years old and was born in Taunggyi, Shan State. She grew up in Yangon and is married to a Scotsman. She came with her two daughters Kayla, 7 years old and Kay Thi 8 years old, both are half-Scottish and are joined by their nanny who watches them from the side of the ring.

When did you start doing Lethwei?

I started Lethwei about 18 months ago.

How did you hear about the sport?

A Japanese girl took me.

four months ago. They had been interested in what I’m doing and asked me if they could come too.

Has it had a positive effect on them?

Yes, both of their fitness level went up. Kalya gained more confidence in every aspect.

What do you like about the sport?

It’s good for overall fitness, useful for self-defence and a good way to de-stress.

Have you lived abroad?

I lived in Thailand for only two to three months and travelled to the UK for one month.

What is your regular job?

I work as an operations manager

How often do you go now?

We go twice a week, Saturday morning and Sunday evening.

Cicily (Ei The`) is 28 years old and from Yangon. She works as a CEO in a company.

Did your girls start at the same time?

No, Kay Thi and Kalya started

Did you grow up in Yangon?

No, I grew up in San Francisco, California. I moved back 1½ years

ago, because my family lives in Myanmar.

How old were you when you moved to California?

I was thirteen years old. I finished 6th grade in Yangon and moved to the states to begin 7th grade.

Do you like living in Yangon now?

When I first moved back to Myanmar I had a difficult time transitioning, since my friends and relatives are back in the states.

But after a few months, and after making new friends I've become accustom to living back in Yangon.

When did you start doing Lethwei?

I started only three months after I moved back to Myanmar.

How did you hear about this training opportunity?

Some of my friends had been training there for quite a while and I was getting bored of working out in the regular gym. All the friends training there loved it, so I thought I'll give it a chance and I love it too.

Have you encouraged friends and family to join the class?

Yes, I've encouraged my sister, brother in law and my friends and some of them became addicted to the training too.

How often do you go now?

I try my best to go almost every day if I'm not busy. It depends on my work schedule but I go at least three to five times a week.

What do you like most about the sport?

It is good to relieve aggressions and de-stress, especially after work.

Thut Ti Lethwei Club 893, WonThaRekKiTa Street, Ward (8), KaBaAye, Mayangone Township, Yangon (Near KaBaAye Pagoda) Open: 9:00am to 9:00pm Tel: 09255863344 Email: thuttilethwei@gmail.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ thuttilethwei

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 25

TRANSLATION

THE INYA LAKE MURDER CASE

U SAN SHAR - THE BURMESE SHERLOCK HOLMES Written by Pan So Tan Lu That Hmu. Translated by San Lin Tun. EPISODE TWO

U San Shar

The story so far:

Ko Ohn Pe: "How do we know that she'd been to the optical shop twice?"

Overlooking Inya Lake, the 'Cosy Corner' house of Babu Chat Thar Gyi becomes a crime scene. A tiny stab-wound to the neck sees his clerk fall victim, and his final words to the household staff claiming, "It was that woman" shroud the case in mystery. With no footprints, sightings or witnesses to go on, Inspector Ko Ohn Pe calls on U San Shar to solve the mystery of "that woman" and the clerks death.

U San Shar: “Look at the spectacles.

There are silicone pads for comfort.

Look at one side, which is worn out. It must be at least one month old. Look at the other one, it is the same style from the same shop but brand new.

It must be around ten days ago that they fitted it in. Therefore, we can conclude that she visited the same shop twice. I must find this shop."

Ko Ohn Pe: “Are we closer to knowing why the murder took place?”

Ko Ohn Pe: "What if he fell onto the spike?"

U San Shar: ''I had thought of that.

But, if he fell, we would find him with a spike stuck in his neck, Sayar.

However, the spike and corpse are quite separate. Also, we must consider his final words before death."

Upon hearing this, Ko Ohn Pe took out a single golden spectacle from his pocket, and showed it to U San Shar. ''The young clerk wasn't dim eyed, Sayar. So, these must be the spectacles of the murderer."

Taking the spectacles, and inspecting them thoroughly, U San Shar put them on, walked towards the window, and looked into the street. He then studied them with his magnifying glass, sat down at the table, and wrote a short letter which was handed to Ko Ohn Pe. The letter read as follows: “The murderer is a Bengali woman, with a big nose bridge and a lined forehead. She dresses in the finest attire and her eyes are set close to one other. Recently, she'd been to the optical shop twice”.

U San Shar: “No, at this stage you know everything I know. Why the murder took place is above my head. What are your thoughts?”

"These must be the spectacles of the murderer"

On seeing the letter, Ko Ohn Pe and I were amazed. U San Shar merely smiled at our facial expressions that spoke of befuddlement.

"It's really quite easy” he said.

“Didn’t you pick up any hints? Have you ever seen Burmese people wearing spectacles like these?

When we wear spectacles, we prefer them with nose bridge."

"Only those who have got a distinct nose bridge would use such spectacles. So, the wearer must be Bengali or English. In addition, we already know it was a woman who took his life. However, any association between a babu and an English woman is rare indeed.

Wouldn’t you agree?"

"That's why I say, it must be a Bengali woman. Look at the wide nose bridge rest. I am a man of

26 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

distinct nose bridge. Look at me, where are my eyes? They are to the side of the glass."

"So, the one who has got eyes which are close together should be well suited to these spectacles. And, look at the thickness of the glass.

Only the dim eyed will wear these."

"Now, imagine the expression of the dim sighted one? When they look at things, they look at them with a creased forehead. Because of that, the forehead of our murder suspect will most likely reveal a permanent crease."

"Now look at the rim. It is made of real gold, not fake gold. So, the woman who bought these expensive spectacles will most likely dress in the finest attire. Well, is there anything left?"

Ko Ohn Pe: The come with us tomorrow, Sayar, we’ll go in the car”.

"Yes, in this case there are one or two facts I want to know. I'll come with you tomorrow. Alas, it's one o'clock nowl, you'd better sleep here. Early in the morning, we’ll go there."

New day As soon as morning broke, after coffee and bread, we took the car to Innya Lake.

At the gate, Ko Ohn Pe met a sentry and asked him, "Anything new?"

"Nothing, sir."

"Have you seen any strangers? Did you detect anything?"

"I asked if anyone had seen any strangers loitering, Sayar, but the response was negative."

TRANSLATION

Ko Ohn Pe turns to U San Shar, "This is the back alley which I told you about, Sayar."

U San Shar: "Can you see which side the grass is beaten down?"

Ko Ohn Pe: "I remember it was that side, Sayar. The grass between the lane and the plot which is prepared for flowering. But I can't see it right now. Yesterday, I saw it clearly."

Looking at the grass, U San Shar said: "Ahem, it's strange because she can walk between the flower bed and the lane. If she steps on the lane, the footprints will be left. If stepping on the grass, more distinctive the footprints will be left."

Ko Ohn Pe: "Certainly, Sayar. She is a very scrupulous woman."

U San Shar: You think that she stepped on the grass and walked back."

Ko Ohn Pe: "Yes, Sayar."

U San Shar: “This is quite unusual, but there’s nothing left to look for in the lane so let’s move on. This entrance door is loosely locked with a bar. I believe the woman lifted the bar and walked on the grass to the rear door. The corridor was laid out with coconut fibre so no footprints were left."

"When she arrived, she had no intent of murder. If she had she would have brought a weapon. It seems like she grasped a weapon at hand in the heat of the moment. We don't know how long she spent in the working room."

Ko Ohn Pe: "Ah, I forgot to tell you one thing. The errand woman went upstairs soon after cleaning the room, Sayar. She says she was upstairs for least 15 minutes."

"Ah, really? Well, the murderer, what would she look at first? She would look at the bureau because there is nothing else of interest in the room. On looking at the bureau, there appears to be no fancy or expensive items worth stealing."

As soon as morning broke, after coffee and bread we took the car Inya Lake

"So what does she want? I believe she wants something locked away in te main drawer in the main drawer.

And alas, it would seem there is a scratch. Light it up, Ko Thein Maung. Well, here it is, clearly a scratch. Why didn't you mention this to me, Ko Ohn Pe?" That scratch was about four inches, and it was a scratch on wood near the lock hole.

Then, Ko Ohn Pe said, "I did see it, Sayar. But, it is quite regular to find scratches next to the lock."

U San Shar: "Indeed, but this is a recent one. Don't you see paint dust on each side of it? Look at it with my magnifying glass."

With the magnifying glass, we could see paint dust rolled up on each side like the soil cake on furrows.

"Is it an ordinary key?"

"It's a special key."

"Ah, really? Well you can go now."

When she left, U San Shar said: "Well, we are much closer to solving this case. What did she do after entering the room? She opened the bureau. While she was opening it, the clerk came in. When the clerk saw her she hurriedly took out the key, leaving a scratch on the bureau."

"So, it seems the clerk grasped her. Then, she saw the spike on the table, and she picked it up, and stabbed him with it, hitting a major artery that proved fatal. When the clerk died, she ran away. We don't know whether she got what she wants or not. Call back the errand woman."

When the errand woman returned U San Shar asked her, "Do you think the murderer ran away from this door?"

"No, it can't be. If the murderer came this way would have seen them. If going that way, murderer would meet Babu Gyi. Only the rear lane can be the exit."

U San Shar: "Then, it is for sure.

Entry and exit are the same, through the corridor laid down with coconut fibre."

Ko Ohn Pe: "What does this mean?"

U San Shar: "I can't tell it exactly, but I have my theories. Come, let's go to the Babu Gyi's room."

To be continued…

Then, U San Shar said: "Where is the errand woman? Call here up."

U San Shar addressed the errand woman in Hindustani.

"Did you brush this table and bureau this morning?"

"No, I didn't."

"I thought so. If you had brushed this table, we wouldn’t see the paint dust power. It would be gone. Who has got the key to this bureau?"

"Then she saw the spike on the table, and she picked it up, and she stabbed him with it,

"Babu Gyi has the key."

hitting a major artery"

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 27

DRIVE ADVENTURE

ON THE ROAD TO MANDALAY

By Jack Picone

Jack Picone and 1998 Nissan Cedric Brougham VIP

M

andalay. Even the word is enigmatic. Melodic and sweet sounding as it rolls off the tongue igniting the imagination and inviting wonder. I cast my memory back trawling to find answers to the questions ‘Mandalay’ asks me. My earliest associations with the word began in my formative years as a boy in junior high school in Australia.

My English teacher introduced the class to the English poet Rudyard Kipling. In 1890, Kipling had penned a poem titled ‘Mandalay’. I recall at the time not fully understanding the poem fully. Regardless, as a teenage boy I was stirred by the lines I read, including ‘There's a Burma girl

a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me’, and the dramatic description, ‘An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay”!

‘Mandalay’ (The poem) is largely the reflections of a British soldier (back in England) but still longing for the exoticism of Asia, he experienced while in Burma. Burma contrasted favorably to the dank, cold, and foggy climates and to the banality and social disciplines of the UK. Four of the six stanzas in Kipling’s poem end with the line, ‘On the road to Mandalay’. Fast forward to 2015 and given the lasting impression Kipling’s poem left on me a road trip from Rangoon to Mandalay was imminent.

28 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Photographer and filmmaker Gerhard Joren (back to camera) and Yani Clarke (right) load the 1998 Nissan Cedric Brougham for the journey from Yangon to Mandalay. Central Yangon, Myanmar (Burma).

DRIVE ADVENTURE

Road trips are exciting. Breaking away and escaping the grinding banalities of everyday life. A putting your foot down on the accelerator and propelling into new territories.

The choice of car chosen to escape in is as important as who you decide to drive off into the distance with.

The selected car was a jet black 1998 Nissan Cedric Brougham VIP. More of a statement than a car. A long black ominous looking limousine it cuts an imposing figure on the streets of Yangon which is populated mostly with compact contemporary Japanese cars.

Metaphorically, it tends to ask more questions than it answers. It cannot be just anyone you choose to make a road trip with. Saying that it was a fait accompli who my traveling companions would be. I would be taking to the road with a friend and fellow photographer Gerhard Joren and my photography assistant Yani Clarke.

The soft directional dawn light bathes everything in a pale shade of yellow; our driver hurried us into the Brougham so we could exit Yangon before the streets turned into the world’s biggest parking

lot. Rangoon receded behind us as we passed the mornings commuters sounding their horns in frustration and crawling bumper to bumper into Rangoon to work for the day. The open road unfolded in front of us. Windows wound down and the wind in our hair the impossible felt possible, the notion of freedom filled the spacious cabin of the Brougham - the atmosphere was electric. Heading northwest Gerhard estimated it was approximately 390 miles to Mandalay and Yani now sporting a pair of retro Blues Brothers Raybands states the driving time was about 7 to 8 hours, but we all agreed to - it takes - as long as it takes. Our group mantra becomes ‘slow is fast’. We all want to soak up the sense of space and stop for anything or anyone that engages us along the road. I consider Kipling’s poem ‘Mandalay’ and know that things have changed exponentially since he penned it. It is probably the romantic in me, but I secretly hoped that we would still see some visual traces of what Kipling saw in the late 19th century. Even, perhaps find a few traces of the poet himself.

115 miles into the journey a stop for lunch at the incongruously named Pioneer Food Centre on the Yangon-Mandalay expressway en route to Mandalay.

A local rural well along the Yangon-Mandalay expressway en route to Mandalay.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 29

DRIVE ADVENTURE

Cruising along the concrete covered Yangon-Mandalay Expressway appears to be a brand new state of the art travel experience. Our driver with a knowing smile suggests that it is not. The expressway built to connect Yangon with the nation's new capital Naypyidaw, and its second largest city Mandalay did not meet international design and construction standards. He adds that there has been a spate of fatalities on it since it opened in 2010. Consequently, the locals have dubbed it the “Death Highway”. Oh, how reassuring. The landscape neatly framed by the car windows and windscreen appears, unremarkable, flat, baked by the humidity and heat is unforgiving.

Supersized green traffic signs with large white arrows point to Naypyidaw and Mandalay. The monotony and regularity of these signs are occasionally punctuated by a sign that broadcasts, ‘Life is

a journey’ then below this line in letters capitalized, and twice the size is ordered ‘COMPLETE IT’!

Perhaps confirming why the locals call it the “Death Highway.”

Babs Hoffman the American writers carefree words, “Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey” dissolve the drivers disparaging description of the road we are traveling along. I decide the journey is about who you share it with, that you meet on the way and the experiences you have. 115 miles into the journey, we make a stop at the incongruously named Pioneer Food Centre at Ah Myan Lan. I was expecting something else, something more traditional. It was a ubiquitous, formulaic roadside complex that could be found almost anywhere in the world. Constructed of glass and iron, clean and bright, on offer was a mix of basic European dishes and

traditional Burmese fare. Given its simplicity, the soup was memorable perhaps the most memorable meal I had the whole time I was in Burma.

Odd, to find such great soup in the most ordinary of places. It was one of those meals when an intersection of travel, time and sheer great

Workers frantically shovel sand into waiting sampans and lorries on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, Mandalay

30 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

taste elevated the experience from ordinary to extraordinary.

An everyday soup in Burma but the mix of noodles, garlic, tofu, tomatoes, mustard leaves and mint was exotic - to me - and culminated in a culinary climax. I would have given the uninspiring Pioneer Rest

DRIVE ADVENTURE

A father with a cheroot in his mouth holds his son aloft at the end of another day. On the Ayeyarwady River, Mandalay

Stop at least One Michelin Star just because of the soup!

Back on the road and up ahead a vignette comes into view that could have easily walked off the pages of Kipling’s 19th Century prose and poetry. Farmers wearing their longyis sitting atop of their payload steer a convoy of oxen carts across the highway. Languidly they join a dirt track on the other side trailed by a cloud of dust disappearing into the distance as ethereally as they appeared. In sharp contrast to the time capsule ox carts is the frequency and diversity of Burma’s new petrol stations. Every station representing a different international oil company and different brand. Unlike the west, were a few major oil companies dominate the landscape. In some way, I thought that they probably reflected Burma’s new period of openness to foreign investment.

Not confined to big international gas stations there were also smaller local entrepreneurs who had set up their businesses anything from traditional pump stands to roadside stalls, selling petrol in plastic bottles. Even at the plastic bottle level it is a barometer that Burma is changing. Not long ago the oil business was strictly regulated

now regulation has loosened thus liberating its people to engage in private enterprise.

The outskirts of Mandalay, come into sight, the landscape is greener than along the way. The small hills dotted with inverted symmetrical cones of pagodas and unlike Rangoon, they are white, rather than gold. White is the predominant color of the Mandalay temples,

and the contrast with the green hillsides is stunning and magical. In Mandalay, down at the riverside, a massive red and purple sun sinks slowly into the horizon signaling the end of the day. Walking along the banks weaving between scores of workers as they frantically shovel sand into waiting lorries and sampans, I side - step people boarding and disembarking a hive of commuter boats coming and

prestigious Visa d’Or Reportage Festival in France, Australian War Memorial, State Library of N.S.W and National Portrait Gallery in Australia.

Jack Picone

Jack Picone is the recipient of several of photography’s most prestigious international awards.

These include the World Press Awards, the U.S. Photographer of The Year Awards (POY) and the Mother Jones/IFDP Grant for Social Documentary Photography.

His work has been exhibited and is held in major galleries and venues worldwide, including the

For the past 30 years Picone has covered wars and major social issues in Asia, Africa and Europe. He is a co-founder of Australia’s REPORTAGE photography festival, the founder of Reportage http://reportage. xyz (a series of documentary photography workshops in Asia) and a member of the collective SOUTH. He completed a Masters degree in Visual Arts and a PhD in Documentary Photography at Griffith University in Queensland Australia, and is a Visiting Professor

going on the majestic Ayeyarwady River. In amongst the noise and chaos, there is a beautiful ‘Burma girl a-settin'. She is perched on a stone wall gazing out to the river. I wondered how she would find her way in the brave new Burma that is now more a memory trace of the Burma Kipling experienced in the late 19th century when he wrote, ‘Mandalay.'

in photography at universities in Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Picone’s training in photography was in using black and white film and mastering traditional darkroom print-making. It is a passion that has never faded thanks to the medium’s unrivalled capacity for both subtlety and drama. As legendary photographer Robert Frank expressed it in 1951: “Black and white are the colours of photography. To me they symbolise the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.”

Born in Australia, Picone is currently based in Bangkok and works globally.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 31

HOROLOGY

THE SPIRIT OF THE RACE

By Elias Dubose Blaring down the straightaway and pulling a hairpin turn, the driver takes a quick peek at his wrist in the split second it takes him to apex the turn. He shifts into a higher gear, feeling another driver at his back.

Seeing the next turn coming up, his eyes dart again at his wrist as he confirms just how little remains before he reaches pay-dirt. As his opponent inches ever closer in his side-mirror, the driver realises that he has the win. On the podium, his trophy held high, all can see his silent partner there on his wrist.

In the spirit of racing, here we present some of the finest raceinspired watches to keep you in the fight for the finish line.

32 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Chopard Mille Migilla XL Race Edition A throwback to the cars that ran the Mille back in the 1920’s, only 1,000 of these were crafted. This wonder has larger than usual numerals, making it easier to quickly eyeball as you speed toward the next turn. At 46mm, the stainless steel case is waterproof to 50 meters, while also incorporating stainless steel pushers. Also, enjoy the 60-hour power reserve. Add to that the XL's glareresistant sapphire crystal casing, and this rarity is a wearable work of art.

HOROLOGY

Chopard Mille Migila GTS Power Control Ushering in the Mille Migila Collection by Chopard, the Power Control is the perfect companion for those looking for that masculine touch in their timepieces. This Swiss Official Chronometer (COSC) certified watch is mounted on a 43mm case, the Power Control also sports a rubber strap that will hold your stainless steel watch close as you fly through the streets.

Water resistant to100 meters, the case is also anti-reflective and scratch resistant.

Breitling for Bentley GT3 Chronograph Made to commemorate the recent success of the Bentley team, this chronograph shows how exceptional partnerships between premium brands can bring magnificence to light. Beautifully constructed in a black titanium case, this durable watch includes a carbon fibre dial that ticks over a face that includes 60-minute and 12-hour counters.

Water resistant to 100 meters, this selfwinder also has the “Continental GT3” logo printed on the strap.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 33

HOROLOGY

Breitling Chronomat 44 Airborne For the 30th Anniversary of the Chronomat series, Breitling has brought together this COSC certified chronograph that is available in both 41 and 44 mm styles. Though sporting a larger face, this allows the wearer greater time-check visibility. Available with a military strap or pilot bracelet. The movement also has a 70-hour power reserve. Dials are available in Onyx Black and Sierra Silver.

34 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

HOROLOGY

TAG Heuer Monza Chronograph The original version the Monza was released back in 1976. This reissue now includes a titanium case along with steel pushers that create a light and sturdy feel to this wearable. Along with its calfskin strap, the chronograph has a vintage feel, despite some of its updates. Rounding out its essentials are a 42-hour power reserve and a matte black case.

TAG Heuer Red Bull Racing Team Watch In partnership with the F1 racing team, the colour scheme on this steel bad boy comes with either a steel wristband or a blue technical textile strap with red stitching akin to the team's seat belts.

Furthering the colour scheme, the tachymeter scale sports a matte blue finish as well. To further the Formula 1 sponsorship, the back is engraved with the sports’ logo along with the two sponsors.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 35

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

ADVENTURES AROUND LASHIO Euphoria overwhelmed Byron Hartzler as he slipped behind the veil of a 30-metre-long waterfall to the unforeseen world behind; bright green ferns dangling from the roof above reflecting onto the turquoise waters below, hemmed in by a cave of rocks behind and a wall of cascading water in front. He shares his three-day epic adventure as an emotion resembling the revelation of a secret, and the only word to describe it is the intense elation of euphoria.

W

e arrived in Lashio, a large, bustling and ethnically diverse market city tucked into the Northern Shan State mountains with very little exposure to foreign travellers; set to embark on an adventure unlike any other into communities that have been hidden because of decades of civil war which isolated the region.

DAY 1 – paddle boards, peddle power and waterfalls Our group of three, led by a guide, launched off in a pickup truck from the office of Myanmar Adventure Outfitters (MAO) in downtown Lashio to the edge of a nearby lake.

From here we clipped our bags to the top of our paddle boards and explored the placid jade waters. The majestic, untouched forests were reflected on the water’s surface as we paddled our way to the back of the lake where we docked the boards.

Continuing our journey on foot we wound our way through a stairway of terraced rice fields with tall stalks nearly ready to harvest.

Upon ascending out of the valley,

we were met along the jungle trail with our bamboo mountain bikes, built by the Myitkyina-based Burma Bike Partnership. We pedalled the small trail to a community of mostly Christian Wa people, where we stopped for lunch at the home of a Wa pastor.

With bellies full we rode several kilometres down a winding dirt road to a Lisu village of 50 bamboo homes. Children were running wild with pet monkeys as we parked the bikes and set out on foot into a plunging canyon enlivened with the sound of cascading water.

We made our way to our natural shower, a towering jungle waterfall rising 50 plus metres above our heads. When we arrived back in the village, our homestay family fed us a Lisu meal as we capped off an epic first day with a bottle of wine at sunset over the harvest fields.

DAY 2 – caves, caverns and rice liqueur Awakening the village way…with the rooster alarm calls beckoning the sun to rise, we stumbled out early to a pot full of freshly grown and roasted Shan coffee, the perfect

36 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 37

ADVENTURE

start to an adventure-filled day. We aggressively cruised down small dirt tracks through fields of corn, small rivers, and past villages until we arrived in a small Shan community to eat a vegetarian Shan lunch. The Shan (or Tai, as they call themselves) are the majority in the area and are typically valley dwellers who farm large rice paddy fields.

After lunch, we left our bikes and bags, grabbed the headlamps, and followed a local Shan villager up into the mountains. Here we found a cave with a small entrance that opened up into narrow 20-metrehigh cavern that inspired us to keep exploring for another two hours until we completed the loop back to the entrance. Heading back, we navigated to a small waterfall to rinse off before returning to the village, where the village leader’s wife had cooked a Shan meal and served a taste of the potent locallymade rice liquor. The family was so sincere as we learned about their culture, their village, their family, and their dreams for their own community. We realised that despite our obvious differences, we are not all that much different.

Behind the veil

DAY 3 – motorcycles, a bridge…and saving the best to last In the morning, we pedalled out on our last few kilometres of mountain biking past villagers headed to their harvest fields, and then across a small river that we later explored up to a great swimming hole and waterfall tucked into a cove of cliffs, perfect for jumping. Upon returning, the MAO team had replaced our mountain bikes with

Another stunning waterfall in Lashio, Shan State.

38 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

motorcycles, a welcome relief for our weary legs, and we rode an hour down small roads to a larger village community set along the banks of the larger Nam Yao river.

We crossed the 150-year-old British-built bridge and into the ethnically diverse community and to a Kachin family home where they served us some of their traditional food for lunch.

Satisfied and exhausted, we lazily walked down a trail a few minutes

to discover a multitude of waterfalls from the ridge, and realised that they were saving the best for last.

This gave us the boost of energy we needed, and we raced down the narrow path to the bottom of what they call Dark Horse Falls.

Our guide explained all that we were going to do at the falls, and I thought to myself, “impossible!”, but I was wrong…he knew everything!

We did it all… we ran through rapids, climbed carefully up rocks as water gushed under foot and

ADVENTURE

Village leader and his wife.

Myanmar Adventure Outfitters This startup social impact adventure travel company based in Lashio, works alongside the communities they engage with on their adventures.

Their goal is not only to create epic customised adventures, but to have a positive impact on their travel destinations, which they do by investing profits and energies into these communities and households.

Byron mountain-bikes across the ridge.

• WEB — www. myanmaradventureoutfitters.com • EMAIL — info@ myanmaradventureoutfitters.com • PH — +95 9795366426 • Getting there: Regular scheduled journeys from Yangon to Lashio entail 15 hours by bus or two hours by plane.

Photography by Dewi Natalia

overhead, swam in coves, jumped off waterfalls and cliffs, explored a hidden cave behind the falls, and relaxed in a natural whirlpool.

Satisfaction They truly saved the best for last, as our guide showed us how the rock shelf we were standing on was hollow beneath our feet, and led us down and around to the base of the

30-metre-long falls, and we slipped behind the cascading wall into a state of euphoria. We climbed up and out of the canyon and rode our motorbikes back through Palaung communities to Lashio, where the MAO team had made chicken and fish tacos, chips, and served local beer and margaritas …something familiar after days of expanding our palate with varied and new cultural tastes.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 39

BEYOND MYANMAR

40 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

BEYOND MYANMAR

JAKARTA IN 72 HOURS Sondang Grace Sirait gets the measure of Indonesia’s cultural and political hub.

T

hrough all its complexity, the bustling mega city called Jakarta lives up to Ms. Jacobs’s ascertainment.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, derived from an old Javanese phrase, envisions a nation built on the concept of unity in diversity.

Its official metropolitan area, known as Jabodetabek—comprising Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi—is the second largest in the world. Its metro area doubles the size of Bangkok and its population more than twice Los Angeles, London or Paris.

In each and every corner of the sprawling Indonesian capital await guaranteed space, independence and identity for everybody.

Owner of a long history of international trading, and home to the ASEAN secretariat, the city formerly called Batavia has always been where it all happens.

Migrants from Asia and Europe have called it home, adding a multicultural twist to what’s already a rich melting pot. Uniquely, the national motto of Indonesia,

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961)

Seventy-two hours may not be enough to fully absorb the soul of any city, but given the right itinerary, it may suffice to lend a good look into the lives of its people. In Jakarta, one shall focus on the city’s favorite pastimes: dining, shopping and sightseeing.

Day One 8 AM – Food is a big deal here.

Jakartans are picky about what they eat, always comparing notes and tend to get hyperventilated about new, promising places. Despite its multicultural background, Jakarta today remains fond and proud of its own culinary heritage, which as you may discover, is an amalgamation of regional delicacies.

A favorite breakfast item is none other than Bubur Ayam, rice congee served with shredded chicken, chicken broth and lavished with various condiments on top. Bubur Jalan Tanjung in Central Jakarta and Bubur Barito in South Jakarta are among the most popular in town. Get bowled over and prepare to be addicted.

9 AM – Hop on a double-decker for a glance around Jakarta’s main thoroughfares, beginning from the Hotel Indonesia roundabout. Check out the routes and schedules on the Twitter account @CityTourJakarta.

12 PM - Jakartans plan their schedules around its infamous

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 41

BEYOND MYANMAR

traffic and spend a lot of time at shopping malls, not necessarily to shop, but to run errands. All malls provide prayer rooms and gyms or banking services are aplenty. You could even renew your driver’s license at appointed shopping malls, where the Police have set up shop.

So, while in town, do check out what makes the mall experience in Jakarta different from that in other big cities.

Gran Indonesia in Central Jakarta is a good place to start. Divided into the West and East Wing, it could take up to one full day to fully peruse through the massive shopping mall.

Down South, Gandaria City or Pondok Indah Mall 1 and 2 are great options. All three are popular and, guaranteed, there’s always an attraction going on. Up North, one can’t go wrong with either Baywalk Mall Pluit or Mal Kelapa Gading.

7 PM – For a fun night out and great food, try Tugu Kuntskring Paleis in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Housed in a heritage building, the restaurant’s culinary delight is the rijsttafel Betawi, a grand meal created by the colonial Dutch that offers a sampling of dishes in various spices, color and flavors.

Day Two 8 AM – The must-try breakfast item today is Mie Ayam, a dish that’s similar to Shan egg noodle with chicken, but on a sweeter note.

Bakmi GM, Bakmi Permata, Bakmi Naga are some favorites, though

A shopper's paradise in Jakarta.

the street vendor versions might taste just as good.

10 AM – One of the major attractions to the city, as many would admit, is cheap shopping.

Today, discover the other side of Jakarta as you hone your bargaining skills. Common guides would take tourists to the flea market in Menteng, Central Jakarta. I say skip the common and head to the real place.

For furniture, head to Kemang Timur in South Jakarta, for affordable, tailor-made items. For everything else, Mangga Dua is a one-stop shopping experience that’s not to be missed. Winter wear, rugs, baby products, tech

gadgets—they’re all here. Clothing items and fashion wear are aplenty, from super fake to amazingly real.

and join a private tour to understand more about the country and its history.

3 PM – Ever heard of the wax resist fabric dyeing called batik?

Indonesians are believed to have been doing it since the sixth century and today is home to a wide range of batik patterns, each equally, if not more, unique and beautiful. Many of these patterns are symbolic, some reserved for royalties, others only used for ritual purposes. This afternoon, get cultural by learning more about this cultural pride of Indonesia and, better yet, making your own batik at the Textile Museum in Central Jakarta.

The Old Batavia Trail is a popular tour that ventures into Glodok, Indonesia’s oldest Chinatown, and the Fatahillah Square, a compound that plays home to several museums, including the Jakarta History Museum. The building was built in 1710 as the city hall of Batavia and served as the administrative headquarters of the Dutch East India Company and later of the Dutch colonial government, which ruled Indonesia for three centuries. Also on the itinerary is a brief stop at the old Sunda Kelapa Harbor.

7 PM – This evening, continue your exploration of local food by enjoying classic Padang cuisine, and naturally, breaking a sweat while at it. Nasi Padang comes with a variety of meats, fish, vegetables and spicy sambal (chili paste). Hailing from West Sumatra, this cuisine has been embraced worldwide. Some local favorite joints include Sari Bundo, Sari Ratu, Pagi Sore and Sederhana.

4 PM – Peek into the Pasar Santa, a traditional market in South Jakarta, which has been revamped into a hip culinary and art hangout spot. The market also houses some excellent coffee shops that boast homegrown coffee beans.

Day Three

Walking past Kota Tua Jakarta building in the pedestrianized old city of Jakarta

42 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

10 AM - Now that you’ve got a glimpse of the city and its people, why not put things in perspective

7 PM – Still in the same area, wind down along Jalan Senopati, a burgeoning neighborhood in South Jakarta that plays host to some of the city’s best restaurants, lounges and bars. From authentic French to original Javanese, the choice is all yours. Cheers to a fruitful three-day trip!

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August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 43

MYANMAR PEOPLE ABROAD

MALI PAPAHTAY IN NEW YORK CITY

M

ali Papahtay is from a small town in southern Myanmar called Palaw, a medium sized town punctuated with temples and fringed by mountains. The region is known for its sweet and chewy pork sausage and fried rice noodles.

Currently, Mali is Chef de Partie at Craft Restaurant in New York City, recently ranked the Big Apple’s 17th best restaurant.

What circumstances led to you leaving Myanmar?

I came to New York to be with my husband, who I met while working as a chef in Thailand.

When and where did you first travel abroad?

Around August of 2000, I traveled to Thailand, where I stayed for 13 years. I originally worked for World Vision Thailand as a translator and office assistant.

people obey laws and generally things are very organized, which I feel is different from home. I enjoy shopping for fashion and cosmetics very much here.

What were your first impressions?

I thought Thailand was very comfortable, I was able to earn money because I had a nice job, and I was able to buy what I wanted. None of which I could do in Myanmar.

How do people react when you tell them you are from Myanmar?

They seem surprised that I was able to come here as they believe it is difficult to emmigrate to the USA.

What is it like living and working in New York?

I like it here in New York very much, so much that I don’t want to return home. What I like most is that there are so many opportunities to learn and advance here. I like how

44 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Have you met many other Myanmar people in New York, and what do they do?

I have met a few people from Myanmar, most of them are in the sushi industry here in New York. One of them is a cashier at a Japanese market here in New York.

When you return to Myanmar, what are some of the changes you see?

I see a lot of new roads, and so many cars. Many new restaurants, hotels, banks, and ATM machines.

What are your hopes / fears for the future of Myanmar?

I’m hoping people will listen to the law, stop fighting, and that everyone will help each other.

Do you see yourself returning one day?

I don’t think so. I don’t think Myanmar will ever become like New York. I really like how everyone listens to the law here in New York.

REAL ESTATE

SNAPSHOT YANGON RETAIL FIRST QUARTER 2016 Supply Yangon’s total retail stock was unchanged QoQ and should remain the same in Q2 2016 with no new supply anticipated.

However, the stock will increase substantially in H2 2016 with seven new retail developments slated for completion. This collectively translates to almost 70,000 sq m of gross leasable area, leading to an estimated growth of 32% YoY. While the new supply appears to be substantial, the majority are classified as supporting components

anchored in condominiums and other integrated developments. To date, the city consists of 10 shopping malls but lacks regional- sized or destination malls which are likely to be in demand given the difficulties in moving around in the city.

Demand After the temporary decline witnessed in Q4 2015 following the completion of HAGL Myanmar Plaza, the occupancy rate improved to 87% in Q1 2016. The rate is expected to rebound to over 90% in the succeeding quarter as new

Rent

tenants are set to open up and existing ones expand.

Yangonite’s growing affinity to modernism suggest that the demand for foreign brands, particularly F&B and apparel, will continually increase. However, the restriction on international trading limits the surge of global brands in the market, while the number of capable franchisees is limited.

In the meantime, some consumers resort to both local and regional e-commerce platforms for online purchases of foreign clothing brands.

The average rental rate remained generally stable QoQ being in the USD27-range per sq m per month.

The rate is however up by 10% YoY mainly resulting from the introduction of HAGL Myanmar Centre which offered rates as high as USD 50 per sq m per month. The average rent is projected to further increase by between 7 and 9% towards the end of the year.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 45

BISTRONOMY

FOOD TRUCKS ARE THE NEW BLACK Elias DuBose meets the owners of local restaurants putting their cuisine on the road.

Espressonite: Bringing coffee to the people.

F

rom Mayangone to Daw Pone, it’s an easy observation that Yangon has a thriving street food industry. Sidewalks in every township are lined with locals buying food cooked on portable carts by local entrepreneurs on a daily basis. Traveling the length of the city, they quietly service the wellto-do looking for a quick snack or refreshing drink.

Feeling the same hunger as their local compatriots, foreign food lovers, in fear of questionable food quality, have been patiently waiting to see if food trucks, mobile restaurants popular in nearby countries, would finally grab a foothold in Myanmar. Indeed, it has been an abundant success in nearby

countries, especially in Thailand, where their sidewalk cuisine is continually featured on travel documentaries.

Not to be left behind, a handful of food trucks have been regularly circling the streets of Yangon to varying levels of success.

Furthermore, full-fledged restaurants are seeking their own footholds in the food truck game.

Fabian Lagendorf, business partner of Sprouts owner, Andrew Cashin, has created Wrap City, a food truck focused on creating simplistic, handheld meals using locally grown ingredients and ingenuity to bring a more health-conscious effort to the casual food market.

46 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

“We produce and cook everyday fresh, with healthy ingredients and low fat. All our dishes are a good combination of carbs, protein and vitamins,” says Langendorf. “We only have five to seven dishes on our menu to provide a perfect food consistency.”

Coming off of a month-long hiatus, Wrap City’s retrofitted van will be back on the streets this summer to expand its business with the lunch crowd. But they aren’t the only ones getting in on the action.

Espressonite will be rolling out their own crimson and black coffee van, emblazoned with their signature logo and “Coffee On the Go” branding on its sides. Running a

"We expect our coffee to be good and we expect it to be good every time" Espressonite spokesman two-man team, the company looks to deliver their premium products starting this July.

With several offerings including espresso, coffee, and tea, as well

BISTRONOMY

events and places without a lot of food options,” says Langendorf.

“There are already a few trucks in the streets and, actually, lunch time is not that easy because a lot of people bring their lunch from home or go to a tea shop. It needs time, but I think food trucks will help to improve the quality and efficiency of life and food culture in Yangon.”

Instead of creating a landscape where everyone is out for themselves, they are looking to build a cooperative relationship with other food trucks to eventually create instances where lines of food trucks can come together, like a mobile food court, where workers no longer have to order out or dash far away for that special something.

Fabian Lagendorf tucks into a delicious wrap prepared and served by mobile chef, Arkar Oo.

as pastries and other snacks, the coffee van looks to capitalize on the company’s early success.

Open since January, Espressonite serves a unique blend of coffee, mixing Arabica and Myanmar coffee beans that have found a receptive audience in the Hledan Center. Speaking to an Espressonite spokesman, the company looks to exceed the locals’ expectations when it comes to their offerings.

“We expect power. We expect internet. We expect our food to be delivered on time. We expect it to taste good,” says the spokesman.

“We expect our coffee to be good and we expect it to be good every time. If I’m going to pay you 3000 kyat for coffee, I expect it to be good. It’s not a complaining culture.

It's not about a litigious society and complaining for the sake of complaining. We expect to have the life that everyone else has and that’s a good thing.”

To be able to move the food truck conversation forward for the consuming audience, both organizations will try to include the community.

In order for customers to be able to find the truck, Wrap City will be transparent with their schedule on their Facebook page. While they are still developing their website, “There will be a Food Truck Tracker or Truck Locator,” said Langendorf in an email.

"People who want to go to a restaurant don't go on the street and change their plans because there's a food truck" Langendorf Espressonite also looks to meet their customers at regular intervals, first arriving at set locations and later returning to popular spots, depending on demand.

“We would like to get to a stage where we have a regular route.

Customers are expecting us at the same time. The expectation is that, ‘Okay, the Espressonite truck is here, I’m going to have a cappuccino, I’m going to have a croissant and then at lunch time, maybe I’ll have my second cup of the day.’”

That kind of regularity, they believe, will allow them to utilize their fervent install base to supplement any early struggles.

“People get used to things very quickly. My point is they come here, they pay 3000 kyat for a cup of coffee, they get a good experience, they walk away happy, but that’s their expectation. Why should they not expect that?”

With trucks at the ready and routes planned, customers only reservation lies in how safe any food would be in a landscape where, often, the welcoming food tradition tends to be food poisoning.

“I think there’s a bit of a fallacy here because it’s a developing market that you can just come here and do it cheaply, but you can’t,” the spokesman said. “Your standards have to be global standards. It’s just training good habits. What comes naturally to people from more advanced F and B [food and beverage] environments is second nature, but it wasn’t here. The beautiful thing is because the heart and spirit is so good, it doesn’t come across as a chastisement.”

So in raising the populace’s expectations as well as quelling the fears of prospective foreign customers, the companies are trying to evolve the food culture in Yangon. Not only when it comes to customers, but for other food trucks, as well.

“People who want to go to a restaurant don't go on the street and change their plans because there's a food truck. It is good for

“I think we should be parking at two or three or four locations, or maybe just one location and we just stay there all day. Turn up at ten and we leave at six. And we have a coffee truck, have a taco truck, a donut truck, and whatever else,” says Espressonite’s spokesperson. “We pull our resources, buy mobile wifi, buy some nice furniture, maybe we buy access to a shared generator, we sell there for eight hours Saturday and eight on Sunday and we make it a destination place.”

So with the many possibilities out there for potential customers to choose from, one community may facilitate the other, bringing office workers from adjacent streets and buildings together creating a new, Yangon-style pop-up cafeteria.

“I want there to be that expectation that I’m going to meet my colleagues there. That sort of aspect of the water cooler life. I’d like to get to the stage to have a portable 4G wifi device for people to just come around and check the internet or even just come and talk to their friends for half an hour,” says Espressonite.

So when you’re traveling the streets of Yangon during the week, keep your eyes peeled for local crowds of office workers lined up in front of trucks; smiling workers handing out wraps, coffee, and treats; and commute neighbors laughing it up all under the open sky.

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 47

BISTRONOMY

THE YANGON RESTAURANT OPENS IN PEOPLE'S PARK

By Charlie Michio Turner

O

ne of the best restaurants in Yangon has finally opened, and it’s named after the city itself. This new high-end restaurant in People’s park is finally open with a modernEuropean menu that prioritizes locally sourced food.They will be introducing brunch and lunch in the coming weeks, but for now, their large dinner menu is seasonal and sensational.

What It Is - In the vein of Tavern on Green in New York City, or Garden by the Bay in Singapore, Yangon Restaurant sits a dozen meters away from the pearl elephant fountain in People’s Park. In fact, the three-week old restaurant is the first brick & mortar restaurant ever allowed to open within the park.

My Garden and Myanmar Culture Valley technically have addresses on main roads, the eateries in the amusement park are kiosks, not restaurants. Indeed, Yangon Restaurant is the first restaurant to have successfully navigating through the bureaucracy of opening a business in the holy green space, and they have the battle scars to show it.

Construction of the one-storey building took roughly three years, a fun fact that adds to the aristocratic mystique that comes with any restaurant hidden in a park that was closed to the public less than a decade ago. The 7pm closing time is still in effect, something that Yangon Restaurant had to work around with considerable finesse.

After all, many dinner patrons prefer to sit on the beautiful outdoor patio which is a few steps from an unobstructed view of Shwedagon. Thanks to some skillful negotiations, which involves Yangon Restaurant paying more for park maintenance, the guard at the Ahlone Road entrance is ready to allow customers to enter, and do some roaming, in People’s Park,

the best barbecue sauce I’ve ever had. Alternatively, there is a creamy bernaise sauce for those who prefer blu cheese salad dressing over a vinaigrette. If you aren’t shy about gristle, Chef Rollinson is happy to slice some from prime rib bone, what he considers some of the best cut from the entire animal. Let it be known, it’s heavy.

Chef Rollinson confesses to not have much of a sweet-tooth and recommends the Yogurt Pannacotta for those that serve apathetic views towards sugar. For the vast majority, you can’t go wrong with the apple and pear crumble cake, a perfect execution of a popular dessert. The final course menu is perhaps less innovative than the previous dishes but still fantastic and everything is priced at 10,000 Ks.

the 7pm closing time applies to everyone else.

Atmosphere - You won’t mistaken this place for anything other than upscale. The chandelier snaking over the dining area, vibrant art work and windows for walls establish a tone of modernity over the gaudy victorian that defines the old guard of fine dining. The decor is simple and tasteful, classy but not ritzy, qualities reflected in the food, according to Chef Rollinson.

Food & Drink - Chef Rollinson tries his best to use local ingredients, only importing niche items like Oysters or Chilled Beef, which means that the menu is seasonal.

That said, expect the general theme to be Mediterranean. I recommend starting off with the Rabbit Terrine sourced in Shan State, served with a nashi pear chutney, pickled shallots and lentils which can be mopped up

48 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

with a piece of toasted sourdough.

The Raw Oysters (4,000 Ks a piece), plucked from the ocean on Friday, shucked and served by Tuesday, are salty gems that could be served in any oyster bar.

There are several entrees, but there are two must tries. The Mushroom Risotto (26,000 Ks) and the Australian Wagyu Ribeye Prime Rib (90,000 Ks). The mushroom risotto is vegetarian, using mushroom stock instead of chicken stock, also using barley instead of rice. The latter doesn’t affect it being vegetarian, but a far more flavorful starch. This is the best risotto I’ve ever had and the best dish of the night.

The Ribeye is a massive cut of meat that could easily feed three, four if you’re in polite company. The meat is rare and chilled, served with a red wine jus sauce with a earthy vinegary flavorful that I deem as

Final Thoughts - Business is steady but small at the moment, good for the staff to practice the highstandard of service that this place demands. So far, they have been able to recruit and train a team of servers who speak English well, and communicate with the majority foreign customer base. Surely, reservations will be a necessity once Yangon Restaurant ends the obligatory soft-opening phase.

Be sure to wear slacks and closed toe shoes whenever you decide to come. It’s not at the level of Le Planteur but easily the next notch below in terms of fanciness. Their private rooms are a different story though. Each with a different theme, from more artistic to more classic, these are perfect places for small business meetings or a birthday parties with considerable budgets.

People's Park Compound, Ahlone Road, Dagon Township.

RECIPE

Preparation time less than 30 mins Cooking time 30 minutes Serves Serves 4

BURMESE CUISINE – TRADITIONAL CHICKEN CURRY E very month, Daw Thein Myint the head chef of Yangon’s popular Padonmar Restaurant offers a step by step guide to cooking Burmese dishes in the comfort of your own home.

Bringing 35 years of experience to the table Daw Thein Myint insists, “the secret is in the spoon”, meaning keep dipping your spoon into the broth, adjust the ingredients and feel free to veer away from exact recipe specifications.

Strongly influenced by neighboring India, China and Thai cuisine Burmese food also reflects the myriad of ethnic minorities throughout the land.

This month’s dish, Traditional Chicken Curry knows no barriers and can be found almost every market and home throughout Burma.

INGREDIENTS - - - - - - - - - - -

-

2-3 bay leaf 6 -7 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 Potato, diced 1 ½ t-spoons of mushroom seasoning ½ t-spoon of turmeric 1 t-spoon of masala 4 t-spoons of minced ginger 2 t-spoons of chili powder 2 red onions, chopped 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil 8 pieces of raw chicken, cut into 4 inch chunks 2 t-spoons of fish sauce

METHOD 1. Rub chicken thighs with chili powder, masala and salt. Cover and set aside.

2. Place onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric and mushroom seasoning in a blender with 2 tablespoons of water and blend into a smooth paste.

3. Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion mixture until darkened, about 7 minutes.

4. Stir in chicken thighs and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, 5. Add bay leaf, potato and fish sauce. Cook for 2 minutes.

6. Stir in 1 cup of water and bring the curry to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook until the chicken begins to fall apart, stirring occasionally, 25 to 35 minutes.

7. Remove lid and increase heat.

Cook until the sauce is reduced, about 5 minutes. Skim off any excess oil from the top. http://www.myanmarrestaurantpadonmar.com/

August 2016 / InDepth Magazine 49

HOROSCOPE

MYANMAR HOROSCOPE Tetkatho Soe Moe Naing has a Science Degree Major in Mathematics from Yangon University. Currently, he is writing articles and horoscopes for monthly magazines and weekly journals in Myanmar. In Myanmar astrology, star signs are determined by which day you were born.

SUNDAY ▪▪ Anxiety Time The first day of the month may bring some anxiety about a dependant or close relative. Better not take risks that could affect your own health. Valuable time may be lost if you are over-energetic, or over- daring in the first week.

Love – You will experience true love. You will sing merry songs with your lover. You will possess a beautiful lover.

Business – There is a chance of gains through new investments.

Don't waste in speculation. You might have a little ''luck" at the beginning of the month but you will lose more than you gained by the end of the month. You will carry out a vital project.

Lucky number – 1, 4, 7, 2 Lucky colour – Khaki, Yellow

MONDAY ▪▪ Serious Time You will forget serious matters this month. Avoid anger and focus on health and wealth. You will gain local and international knowledge and either move to a new home or decorate your own.

Love – Your love life will be strange. Your lover will be an adventurous and well-dressed person.

Business – You will prepare a new business project and become aware of new opportunities. You will be confident in your actions and master of your work.

Lucky number - 2, 5, 8, 0 Lucky colours - Purple, Green

TUESDAY ▪▪ Pleasant Time Your life style will be pleasant as you focus on your goal in life. You will wait for a chance to visit foreign countries. You should respect and take good care of your parents. You will have many duties to perform for family and relatives. You will hear wonderful news. You will follow modern fashion styles.

Love – You will fall in love with a perfect lover and marriage partner. Your lover will be warm and kind. Your love story will be innocent.

Business – During this month, you will be interested in the handicraft business. You will travel to meet some clients and you will listen what they say.

You will apply scientific methods to modernise business practice, especially in the handicraft business.

Lucky numbers – 1, 4, 9, 6 Lucky colours – White, Orange

WEDNESDAY ▪▪ Brave Time You will complain and fear difficult problems. As soon as the fear approaches, you should attack, destroy it. You should face fear and difficult problems head on. If you are brave, you will be successful. To be wealthy and healthy, you should donate medicine to an older person.

50 InDepth Magazine / August 2016

Love – You will be sad in your love-affairs. Your lover can be selfish and cunning. You will not find true love.

Business – You will get experience and new idea from partners. You will try a new product. Success or failure will depend on your action. During this month, you will purchase a motor-vehicle or machine for business use.

Lucky numbers – 3, 6, 9, 1 Lucky colour – Violet

THURSDAY ▪▪ Wonderful Time During this month, if you have a wonderful dream you will win lottery. You should aim to relax through travel with family or friends. This kind of relaxation will bring you new ideas. You will find interest in sport, especially football.

You will receive a fashionable present from friends.

Love – You will fall in love with a good looking lover. Your lover will have straight hair. Your sweet-heart will not only be very attractive but also charming.

Business – You are used to getting what you want. You will find success with effort. You will do everything systematically and carefully.

Lucky numbers – 2, 1, 4, 7 Lucky colours – Dark, Grey

FRIDAY ▪▪ Unforgettable Time During this month, you will be excited about good and you will

enjoy time with your family. You will get international knowledge from travelling. You will be interested in literature. To be healthy, you will eat fresh vegetables and fruits.

Love – You will meet an unforgettable lover. You will laugh, cry, smile and be happy because of love. Love will change you.

Business – You will recieve information and data to improve your business. You will discuss with your consumers and customers your new ideas and opinions.

Lucky number – 3, 6, 7 Lucky colour – Brown

SATURDAY ▪▪ Dream Time Nothing is impossible for a willing mind. You will possess your dream.

You will be proud of your poverty.

You will be persistent. Every person in your environment will greatly impressed with your demeanour.

You will share your every feeling with your family.

Love – You will be uninterested in love affairs. Love will disappear in your heart. Your heart beat will be very quiet.

Business – You will get a chance to meet important people in business.

Lucky numbers – 2, 5, 4, 8 Lucky colour – Blue

Tetkatho Soe Moe Naing has practiced astrology and Burmese traditional medicine for 40 years.

Contact: 09 501 2 767

Organisations in Partnership with the MYANMORE Card:

MYANMORE CARD 00000001

Restaurants 999 Shan Noodle House - 10% off total bill - Valid on weekends only, 1 pax per card Bulgogi Brothers - 10% off total bill - Free-flow coke, sprite & max orange - No room charge and no corkage fee - Valid everyday The Corriander Leaf - 15% off total bill - Valid everyday Cousins Bar & Grill - 20% off total bill - Valid everyday, 10 pax per card DiVINO - 10% off total bill for lunch and dinner - Valid everyday, max. 4 pax per card, advanced booking required - Not valid for set menu, business lunch and promotions Edo Zushi Japanese Restaurant - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday, 1 group per card, advanced booking required Eliq Restaurant - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card, advanced booking required Green Elephant Restaurant (Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan) - 5% off total bill - Valid everyday Gringo Chilangos - 5% off total bill (excluding any happy hour 2-for-1 purchase) - Valid for individual or group bill (max. 10 pax) - Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other pre-existing discount arrangements the cardholder may have with Gringo Chilangos - Valid everyday, max. 10 pax per card Harley’s - Buy a regular set meal menu and upsize for free - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card L’Opera Italian Restaurant and Bar - 10% off a la carte bill (not valid for set menu, business lunch and promotions) - 10% off “Romantic Packages” (for couples) - Valid everyday, for up to 8 pax, cash payment only La Carovana - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday (closed on Mondays), 6 pm - 11 pm MOJO - Free glass of house wine, beer or soft drink with dinner - Valid from Sundays to Thursdays, min. order of 1 main course per pax, for max. 2 pax per card Monsoon Restaurant and Bar - 10% off a la carte bill - Valid everyday, 4 pax per card

Orchid Hotel - 10% off restaurant charges - Free fruit tray upon arrival - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card

Vintage Luxury Yacht Hotel - 15% off food and drinks - Valid everyday, for 10 pax

Padonmar Restaurant - 10% off total food bill for a min. order of 2 dishes per pax - Not valid for set menus - Valid everyday, 4 pax per card

Club 5 @ PARKROYAL Hotel - 15% off bottles of wine and hard liquor - Valid from Mondays to Fridays, not valid for loose drinks

PARKROYAL Hotel - Lobby Bar - 15% off food and drinks, except happy hours - Valid from Mondays to Fridays Spice Brasserie - 15% off food and drinks - Valid Mondays to Fridays, advaced booking required Si Chuan Dou Hua - 15% off food and drinks - Valid from Mondays to Fridays, advanced booking required Shiki Tei - 15% off food and drinks - Valid from Mondays to Fridays, advanced booking required Chatrium Hotel The Emporia Restaurant - 10% savings on daily rate - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card, advanced booking is required Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant - 15% savings on dim sum lunch (min. order for 2 pax) - Valid everyday, 4 pax per card, advanced booking is required Kohaku Japanese Restaurant - 15% savings on a la carte menu or set menu for lunch - Valid everyday, 4 pax per card, advanced booking is required Port Autonomy - 10% off total bill except happy hour - Valid everyday (closed on Mondays) Rose Garden Hotel The Portico Cafe & Lounge - 10% off daily business lunch - Valid on food items only, on weekdays, 1 pax per card Taing Yin Thar - 10% off total food bill - Valid everyday, 15 pax per card The Manhattan Fish Market - 30% off desserts for any main dish purchased - 50% off desserts for hot or cold drink purchased between 2 pm and 6 pm - Valid everyday, up to 12 pax per card The Myths Bar & Restaurant - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday The Pizza Company - 10% discount everyday (cannot be used with other promotions) - Valid for 1 [ax per card - Deals applicable to the following outlets: Dagon Centre 1Myaynigone Ocean Shwe Gon Daing- Tamwe Junction Junction Maw Tin Myanmar Plaza

Bars & Clubs

Club Rizzoli @ Chatrium Hotel - 20% savings on total bill - Valid from Saturdays and Sundays, 10 pm onwards, up to 6 pax per card Space Bar - 10 % off total bill - Valid from Mondays to Thursdays The New Boris - 10% off all drinks - Valid everyday, 4 pm till late Veranda Bar @ Rose Garden Hotel - Buy one cocktail-of-the-day, get one free (from 4 pm to 6:30 pm) - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card Retro Bar @ Hotel 63 - Last tequila every Friday and Saturday - Gets a round of Carvino tequila shot - 10% discount on food - Valid only on Fridays and Saturdays - Valid for 1-5 pax per card

Cafes D Bistro - 15% off on all types of coffee before 12 pm (weekdays only) - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card Gusto Cafe - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card Nervin Cafe and Bistro - 15% off on all beverages - Valid on weekdays, 1 bill per card (cannot be combined with other discounts and promotions) WTC - World Training Center - 10% off entire selection of coffees - Valid everyday, for 2 pax Meringue Cafe - 30% off total bill from 2 pm to 5 pm, every Monday - Promotion is for dine-in customers only - Terms & conditions apply Cafe @ Residence 26 - 10% discount on food & beverage - Not valid for promotions - Valid everyday, 5 pm - 9 pm, max. 2 pax per card

Desserts Snow Factory - 10% off Snow Flake menu - 10% off Coffee menu - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card Swensen’s - 10% discount everyday (cannot be used with other promotions) - Valid for 1 pax per card - Deals are applicable to the following outlets:

Dagon Centre 1 Myaynigone Ocean Shwe Gon Daing - Tamwe Junction Junction Maw Tin Myanmar Plaza

Wellbeing California Skin Spa - 20% off selected facial and full body treatments - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card, advanced booking required D Spa - 15% off total bill for 1 pax, 20% off total bill for 2 pax - Valid from Mondays to Thursdays, 11 am 3 pm, advanced booking recommended - 10% off total bill for 1 pax,15% off total bill for 2 pax - Valid on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, advanced booking recommended

DEALS Gyms Balance Fitness - 15% off 6-months or 1-year membership contract - Discount cannot be used with other promotions - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card Chatrium Health Club - 10% savings rate - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card, advance booking required

Shopping Daily Mart - Free delivery for orders up to 30,000 Ks - 5% off total bill for orders above 30,000 Ks - Min. delivery: 10,000 Ks - Valid everyday, 9 am 5 pm,1 pax per card

First Thai Spa - 10% off total bill for 1 pax, 20% off total bill for 2 pax - Valid from Mondays to Fridays, 2 pax per card

Monument Books - A bookstore known for its wide selection of English language books - 15% off on weekdays, 10% off on weekends - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card

Inya Day Spa - 15% discount on all spa services - 10% discount on Thai body massage - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card, ad- vanced booking recommended

Patrick Robert The Gallery - 10% discount for all showroom items - Export orders and credit card payments not included - Valid everyday (closed Sundays), 1 pax per card

PARKROYAL Fitness & Spa - 15% off spa treatments, except happy hours - Valid from Mondays to Fridays, advanced booking required

Select Boutique the Thiripyitsaya - 10% off all jewellery - Valid everyday (closed on Tuesdays)

Reveal - Eminence Hair Removal - 20% off one waxing service per bill - 10% off 1 I2PL (SHR IPL) service per bill - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card, advanced booking required Spa Elements - 15% off JAMU pre- and postnatal care packages - 10% off Face, Body and Foot Spa / Mani-Pedis / Hair / Waxing and scrub - Valid on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1 pax per card The Bodyguard - A hair salon and massage parlour designed by men, for men only - 15% off from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card Vintage Luxury Yacht Hotel - 10% off all spa treatments - Valid everyday, up to 10 pax, advanced booking recommended Yangon Hair & Beauty Center - 20% off any single treatment - 10% off packages - Valid weekdays, 1 pax per card Yves Rocher Spa - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday, one pax per card Sapel Spa @ Hotel 63 - 2 beers or cocktails after spa treatment - Valid for all days - Valid for 1-5 pax per card

The Warehouse - 15% off total bill - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card Vestige Mercantile & Relics - 10% off total bill - Valid everyday at the following stores: Vestige Flagship Store, Yangon Vestige Kiosk, Avenue 64 Hotel. Vestige Flagship Store, Nay Pyi Taw - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card Yves Rocher - 10% off all products - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card

Activities WTC - World Training Center - 5% off barista & bakery classes - Valid everyday, 1 pax per class

Hotels Amata Hotels My Bagan Residence - 5% off room - 10% off food - 10% off spa treatments at Nibbana Spa - 2 pax per card, advanced booking required Amata Hotels Riverside Hsipaw Resort - 5% off room - 10% off food - 10% off spa treatments at Nibbana Spa - 2 pax per card, advanced booking required Grand Laurel Hotel - 10% off on published room rates for all room types

- Free welcome drink - Free use of hotel gym during stay Hotel 51 - 15% off on all room types - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card Hotel Red Canal - 10% off spa treatments (ladies only) - 10% off total bill at the Garden Restaurant - 2 pax per card, advanced booking required Inle Lotus Hotel - 20% off total bill, including ticketing, rentals, trekking - Valid everyday, 3 rooms per card, advanced booking required Orchid Hotel - 10% off on all published room rates - 10% off restaurant charges - Free fruit tray upon arrival - Valid from Sundays to Thursdays, 1 pax per card, advanced booking required Platinum Hotel (4 outlets in Yangon) - 20% off on published room rates - Valid everyday, 1 room per card, at Hotel Platinum Tamwe Mini Platinum Guesthouse Bahan Platinum Riverview Hotel Dagon Royal Platinum Hotel Bahan Thahara (www. thahara.com) - 5% off published rates for all package bookings from October to April - 10% off published rates for all package bookings from May to September - Valid everyday, 2 pax per card, advanced booking required Vintage Luxury Yacht Hotel - 10% off all room rates - Valid everyday Golden Silk Road Hotel - 5% discount on room charges, Mondays to Fridays - 2 pax per card Hotel 63 - Be local, 39,000 Ks compulsory rooms without breakfast (Check-in 12 pm / Check-out 12 pm) - Valid from Mondays to Thursdays, valid for 1-5 pax per card, email reservation required Summit Parkview Hotel - 10% discount on food and beverage at Cafe, Dagon Bar & Pastry Counter - Valid everyday, 5 pax per card, advanced booking required

Services Hintha Business Centers - One hour free wifi + a cup of gourmet coffee once a month - 10% off meeting room rentals - 10% off hot-desking packages (daily, weekly, monthly) - 2-for-1 on hourly hot-desking rental - Valid everyday, 1 pax per card, advanced booking recommended