InDepth MYANMORE - Volume 7 - May 2015

InDepth No 7, May 2015

News

Un-Limited

thaung su nyein

more more more more

art fashion travel lifestyle

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

TEAM MANAGING DIRECTOR Andreas Sigurdsson

EDITOR

CONTENTS 3

6

24

streets of yangon

Yangon Bakehouse, tackling social inequity one cookie at a time - Mimi Wu reports

28th Street - prayer mats, a fifties barber shop, and no C.J Richards

26 chef's profile

Bob Percival

Aimee Lawrence talks with gourmet chef Zin Maw Win, now cooking up great food in the newest restaraunt on the block, Hummingbird

CONTRIBUTORS

San Lin Tun Tet Ka Tho Soe Moe Naing Mimi Wu Borbรกlรก Kรกlmรกn Bob Percival Aimee Lawrence Keith Lyons Virginia Henderson Heinz Willems Manny Maung Max Toomey Zara Dang

COVER PHOTO Gerhard Joren www.gerhardjoren.com

PHOTOGRAPHY The Pictureman Gerhard Joren Keith Lyons Tim Webster Bob Percival Heinz Willems

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: 05745 No.90(C), Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd., Bahan Tsp., Yangon.

SALES sales@myanmore.com 01 375 680 Contact us on indepth@myanmore.com

ABOUT MYANMORE

business

8

art

The artistivc vision of San Minn, and his not so beautiful paintings

10 photo essay Wonderful stories and images of Yangon heritage homes

12 cover story

16

translation

18

travel

Keith Lyons talkes us overland, from Myanmar, through Thailand and Laos, to China

20 adventure

Manny Maung speaks to the producer of 7Day News Journal, Thaung Su Nyein

14

22

Yangon underground hip-hop legend, J-Me gets down and talks to Aime Lawrence

MYANMORE is a registered brand under Lychee Ventures (Myanmar) Limited that manage the leading lifestyle and entertainment website www.myanmore.com. On top of InDepth, MYANMORE also provides city maps, a privilege card, a weekly guide and two quarterly guides - EnjoyIt and KnowIt. The mission is to give visitors and residents of Yangon more to enjoy and explore.

DISTRIBUTION

bistronomy

30

in focus

32

health

34

horoscope

Eating Iike a king at the Bawarchi Indian, aflutter at the Hummingbird, and hiding away at the Windermere Hill Cafe

The famous (Sherlock Holmes) detective, San Shar, in the mysterious A Strange Murder Case, translated by San Lin Tun

The Mergui Islands and Kawthaung, as encounterd by Heinz Willems - Sea Gypsies, turtles, and coral reefs

music

28

sports

The greatness of Manny Pacquiao and his rise from poverty to world boxing champion

InDepth can be found in hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, business centres and embassies etc in Yangon. It is also distributed locally inside International New York Times, Nikkei, Bangkok Post, Nation, Straits Times, Business Times and Zaobao. Subscribe to any of these and get InDepth delivered every month. For more info contact indepth@myanmore.com

A half-century of exhibiting from Lokanat Galleries, and a new Burma travel book

Thet Ka Tho Soe Moe Naing shares some advice on the health properties of the lemon

Our very own astrologer on the fortunes that lay ahead in May 2015

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 can not be held responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or omissions that might occur.

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

4 WHAT’S ON events

art of stone and metal sculpture with the best teachers in his field. in 1976, he returned to Myanmar where where in 1983 he was appointed director of the state school of the Fine Arts in Yangon. For the following 20 years he was instructor, teacher and model for a whole generation of young artists in the country.

The Yangon Gallery - Pyay Road, People's Park & People's Square 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Goethe-Villa - No 8, Ko Min Ko Chin Road, Bahan Township 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Welcome to Yangon’s Hollywood!

Gather to MOJO where all dreams come true : be a Idol and party like a rock star! Come and shake your booty on the beats of the one and only DJ Fisewook. Supported by David Ghetto.

8TH MAY THE SKY PARTY | NIGHTLIFE

7TH to 10TH MAY “BEAUTIES OF EAST AND WEST” ART EXHIBITION | ART Gallery 65 presents a new Exhibition “BEAUTIES OF EAST AND WEST” opening on the 7th of May and continuing until the 10th of May, 2015. This Exhibition will feature the paintings of two artist friends, Ye Min (New York) and Than Soe. The Exhibit will feature over 40 paintings of the most recent works by these two artists and will feature paintings on the subject of Buddhist culture, Myanmar customs, ethnic nationalities of Myanmar. The exhibit will also feature artist Ye Min’s works featuring western landscapes, native American subjects, abstracts and nude art.

The most stunning party experience has always been the rooftop party. Up above Yangon’s roofline, an impressive, panoramic scene, a sprawling city running into the jungle horizon.The Sky Party will bring together swelling beats from House Music to Gypsy, Breaks to Hip Hop and Electro, for a nostalgic Yangon night out. 10,000 Ks per person.

Thiripyitsaya Sky Bistro - 20th Floor Sakura Tower, Bogyoke Aung San Rd 10:00 PM - 2:00 AM

9TH to 13TH MAY KOOEY DIARY- 1ST CONTEMPORARY ART EXHIBITION | ART You are cordially invited to “Kooe Diary,” art exhibition of nine talented contemporary artists, at The Yangon Gallery from 9-13th May. The reception is from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, 9th May.

Gallery 65 - 65 Yaw Min Gyi Rd (Behind Parkroyal Hotel) 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

FAKE ME I’M FAMOUS | NIGHTLIFE

Dress code: your trashy idol. 7000 Ks, one drink included. Free Entrance for all peeps disguised in Celebrity.

MOJO, 135 Inya road, Bahan Tsp (Opposite Savoy Hotel), from 10:00 PM

24TH MAY GARNIER MEN YANGON HIP HOP | ART & STAGE Artists : J-Me, Ya Tha, G Tone, Jouk Jack, Hlwan Paing, Yair Yint Aung, ArT, Shwe Htoo, X Box, Lil Z, Htet Yan, G-Fatt, Wyne Su Khaing Thein, Ni Ni Khin Zaw. DJ Concert by DJ Wine.

Tickets available at Bo Bo Film Production (36th St), City Mart & Ocean Supermarket, Orange Supermarket and via 095108634. Ticket price is 7500 Ks. Kandawgyi Myaw Sin Island, Nat Mauk Rd (Inside Kandawgyi Park) 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

A WORLD OF CAKES | ACTIVITIES The Clandestine Cake Club enables people to get together over tea and cake.

Members will bake their own cake at home and bring it along to a planned Secret Location. CCC is not like any other club. You can share a cake, you cannot share a cupcake, muffin or a brownie. There is interaction and conversation as soon as you begin to slice a cake, that you don’t seem to get when you pick up a cupcake etc You may be from another country or have travelled further afield, take inspiration from your surroundings and the places you have been. Maybe you can use locally sourced jaggery or fresh fruits grown in Myanmar? Take inspiration from the Middle Eastern use of cardamom or recreate a British classic!

Please contact Sam Sin wangsamsin@ gmail.com for more info of the venue.

Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township, Yangon, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

14th to 16th May MediPharm Expo Myanmar 2015 I BUSINESS The 2nd International Medical, Hospital, and Pharmaceutical Exhibition is a platform for enterprises who want to catch the opportunities of emerging Myanmar market with a population of about 60 millions in medical and pharmaceutical industry from the early stage. The exhibition promises great chances for business cooperation, networking, potential market entry, as well as for exchanging useful information and innovative ideas.

Tatmadaw Exhibition Centre, Min Dhamma Rd, Yangon

8TH to 17TH MAY

15TH MAY

EXHIBITION OF THE SCULPTOR SOE TINT (1944 – 2005) – A RETROSPECTIVE OF HIS WORK | ART Artists of his ilk are surely difficult to find in today’s Myanmar. Born in 1944, U Soe Tint was awarded government scholarship to study at the Art Academy in Dresden in 1966. For more than 10 years he studied and practiced in the the former East Germany, learning the

9TH MAY

15TH MAY

The Economist Myanmar Summit I BUSINESS

Sculptor Soe Tint

Who will the key power players be after the election, and how will the results affect stability, prosperity and attitudes to foreign business in Myanmar? Join the inaugural Myanmar Summit as they examine the “state of play” for the country’s economy and political system and its implication for business

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

and investors. http://www.economist. com/events-conferences/asia/myanmar-summit-2015

promotions

The Strand Hotel, Yangon

19TH MAY to 20TH MYANMAR OIL & GAS I BUSINESS Join leading experts and operators at the 2nd Myanmar Oil and Gas Conference who will deliberate upon the critical issues, opportunities and difficulties facing Myanmar and its oil and gas industry, as it embarks on this exciting new phase of growth. Register on http://www.myanmar-oilgas.com/ Sule Shangri-La Hotel, Yangon

27TH to 29TH MAY BuildTech Yangon 2015 I BUSINESS BuildTech Yangon is fast becoming the most preferred trade event in Myanmar serving the building and construction development industry with a focus on infrastructure, residential and commercial buildings, transportation, manufacturing and trading. Register at http:// www.btyangon.com/en Myanmar Convention Center - Min Dhamma Rd (Close by Victoria Hospital)

Business Lunch Menu THAI 47 Business Lunch Menu is a great choice for those with a busy lifestyle. Enjoy our tasty menu with colleagues and business associates.

2 course @ 7000 Ks ++ (Soup + One Main Course) including steamed rice, ice-cream or hot coffee & homemadedessert.

3 course @ 9000 Ks ++ (Soup + Two Main Course) including steamed rice, ice-cream or hot coffee & homemade dessert.

Add 1500 Ks to get your first bottle of Myanmar Beer or a glass of Thai Iced Tea. Available Monday through Friday. (11:00 – 2:30pm). Not Available in conjunction with other offers or promotions.

No.(153) Corner of 47th Street & Anawyahtar Road, Botahtaung T/S. Ph: 01-8610556~557

27th to 31st May Literature, translation and publishing workshop | ART & STAGE Link the Wor(l)ds will bring together writers and translators for an intensive programme of hands-on translation practice alongside wide-ranging discussions about writing, publishing and editing.

The five-day programme comprises: • Literary translation workshops for emerging translators • working between Burmese and English • Discussion series on writing, translating and publishing in Southeast Asia • Public events showcasing Burmese writing and translation For more info and apply, contact penmyanmarcenter@gmail.com

WHAT’S ON 5

Bespoke pampering.

Wellness refined.

Indulge your beauty and Relax at Luxurious Heavenly Spa This multi-concept luxury spa includes full services under one um-

new openings PARAMI PIZZASHWE GONE DAING Parami Pizza new location serves wood fired pizzas made by their expert chef from Napoli in Italy, antipasti, and daily specials in buzzing, modern surroundings. Taste their new Chicchetti (Italian tapas) menu.

brella as a One-Stop Beauty Centre: * Over 80 spa treatments including hair, nail, face and body, slimming and weight management, and relaxing body scrubs * High-tech & modernised equipment and techniques * All natural 100% organic ingredients * Using eco-friendly sauna to soothe and smooth your body * First in Myanmar & one of a kind services * "Jamu" pre and post-natal yoga and tummy wrap especially designed for new mothers and mother to-be * Slimming and body weight management program with high-tech machine for immediate results * Free skin and hair scan service

Open daily from 9.00am to 9.00pm No. 17-19, Thamardi Street, KyaukMyaung, Tamwe Tel: 09-2520 74062, 09-967 226 906, 09-7959 55300 www.trulyspaelements.com

MOM’S BIG DAY (10/5) Spoil her with a glamorous buffet meal and free flow drinks at Cafe Sule! They will celebrate with: a flower arranging competition for the moms, a Mother’s Day cake decorating competition for kids, caricature painting and more exciting kids activities (balloon twisting, face painting, playground etc). US$45 per person.

Sule Shangri-La, Yangon 223 Sule Pagoda Road, Yangon (951) 242828 Starts from noon, competition at 1pm

​http://myanmore.com/yangon/restaurant-directory/listing/parami-pizzashwe-gone-daing​

THE PRESS OFFICE CAFE

Cakes and coffee – that’s what they’re about. Using locally sourced ingredients in their bakes and beverages, they fuse western baking and barista techniques with local produce to serve up

Mother’s Day (10/5)

Treat your mom to lunch or dinner: Tiger Hill Chinese Restaurant Dim Sum Lunch or A La Carte Buffet Dinner - USD 30 nett per person Kohaku Japanese Restaurant Set lunch, USD 25 nett per person The Emporia Restaurant Barbeque Buffet Dinner, USD 35 nett per person All meals include: One glas of healthy drink for mother, Happy Mother’s Day Card, Complimentary Mother’s Day Cake, Memorable Instant Photo

For bookings: +95 (0)1 544500 ext 6287 Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon, 40 Natmauk rd, Tamwe Tsp, Yangon

Summer Cooler Promotion at Vintage Luxury Yacht Hotel Victoria Bar, 30% discount on bar menu, daily 5pm to 10pm 1920 Industrial Restaurant, Newly Launch World Cuisine Menu Pirate Restaurant, Myanmar Food Festival Special Menu Sunset & Sunrise Open Deck, Unlimited Beer Package for 7.99 USD nett 5pm to 11pm

cakes and coffee that showcase the best of what Myanmar’s local producers have to offer.

Add that to a space for showcasing art, music, literature or simply intellectual discussion, and you get the beginnings of an institution for engaging the mind. ​http://myanmore.com/yangon/restaurant-directory/listing/the-press-officecafe

6 STREETS OF YANGON

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

28 Street th

Bob Percival walks 28th Street in downtown Yangon, uncovers Pakistani prayes mats, a fifties-style barber shop, wedding dresses, but not the elusive C.J.Richards.

I

t’s 8.30am and the sun is just rising above the taller buildings. The cool of the early morning is gently being swept away. I am with my friend San Lin Tun, the writer. We have survived Thingyan and now want to just relax and walk the streets of Yangon.

San Lin Tun is also looking out to buy an old C. J Richards book if possible. He is on a mission to make this little known English poet well-known again, if he ever was. It’s hard to know.

At the bottom of 28th and Merchant Street the Burmese-Indian drivers and workers wait with their pickups ready to take anybody or anything, anywhere; how

Photos by Bob Percival

about twenty people to Bagan for 200,000Ks, deal done. Not far away is the dosa stall, one pot boiling with rice, the other simmering with hard-boiled eggs; all this with potato and eggplant curry for 600Ks. Scattered along the bottom block are mobile stores, old colonial buildings, water sellers, family groceries and numerous suppliers of bathroom fittings. This is the place to buy your new toilet, sit-down or stand-up.

The pick of the lower block is the aptly named Pak Store, selling all things Pakistani. Here you can find spices, rice, clothes, soaps, and high quality prayer mats (janamas) imported all the way from Turkey

(8000Ks). The owner’s father moved from India to Myanmar in 1959 when things felt a bit safer.

Across to the middle block between Mahabandoola and Anawrahta Roads, and the street becomes a shopping area for chemical supplies and detergents. Shops like One Three Five overflow with test tubes, beakers, glass flasks and pipettes, as well as chemical reagents and thermometers. If you are in to some modern decor on your shelves at home, this is the store. Out in the street the sweet smell of stores selling fragrance and flavours wafts through the air. The aroma is truly

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

eclectic. Nearby is KoTharHla Hair Style, a single line of white porcelain barber chairs that take you back to the fifties. Here also is one of my favourite betel nut stalls, run by a Indian lady who seems to be always entertaining her women friends, smiling and laughing, some in traditional dress.

The upper block, heading towards Bogyoke Market, is mainly taken up by white-tiled seven-story apartments, all built in the last decade, plus numerous stores selling second-hand audio speakers and electricity regulators. There are nice old colonial buildings here as well. There are some interesting shop signs in the streets of Yangon, but the Myanmar As-

STREETS OF YANGON 7

tro Research Bureau is probably one of the best. The place never seems to be open. Maybe there is no need for research anymore; across the road is a small and friendly Buddhist temple. Small tea and food stalls line the footpaths, full of customers on their way to work. Amongst the drab colour of its surroundings a bridal shop displays wedding dresses, in pink, blue, purple and aquamarine; a jewel protruding from bare rock. A cool breeze picks up, the cold air rushing down the narrow streets to the rising heated air of Rangoon River. Flags wave and banners ripple. At the end of the street on the corner is Than Aung’s bookshop. He has been selling books here for forty years. We ask for the elusive C.J. Richards and any of his even more

elusive poetry books. Than Aung smiles, gold teeth gleaming in the morning light. He looks very young for sixty-eight. He is very interested in the poet but unfortunately cannot help. He will keep a look out for us in the future, just in case. Come and talk to Than Aung about books. All are welcome.  g

Bob Percival is a travel writer and historian now living in Yangon for over a year, after spending four years in Yunnan doing research for a novel. He is presently completing his PhD in Creative Writing. He loves Yangon and regularly does walking tours. Bob can be reached on projectsdada@mac.com

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

8 ART

My Paintings Are Not Beautiful Born in 1951, San Minn emerged as a mature artist in the seventies, going on to become a pillar of the Myanmar and Yangon modern art movement. San Minn, who studied art not only through his masters degree but also through road-side bookstores, experienced first-hand the evolution of the most exciting period of the country’s artistic essence in the past decades. Borbála Kálmán unravels the bumpy path of a senior contemporary artist still loyal to his original vision.

I

n early March 2015, at Yangon’s Think Gallery, San Minn’s final artistic vision was assembled- a selection of his ‘banned works’. It was his 12th solo exhibition, the first opened in 1980 where he did not sell one work. Amongst the thirty pieces displayed in the latest exhibition, there were some prints that replaced the original works. The labels underneath read, ‘Collection of National Gallery, Singapore’, ‘Collection of Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan’; these paintings could not be transported to the show.

These are almost the only works that have left San Minn’s studio.

The reasons leading to the organisation of this unusual 12th individual exhibition were multiple: besides the will to display works never seen together before, San Minn had the intention to reveal to the ‘free to create’ younger Myanmar artist generation, how forty years ago a ‘different kind of art’ was possible, even under the toughest censorship. All the selected works

displayed in March 2015 were at one time banned from the public, there were many others as well.

Becoming a pillar San Minn had an interest in art since a very young age. He was lucky enough to attend a Yangon school that had regular art courses, even in the summer holidays. Kids today get very little education related to the visual arts – it is no wonder that the contemporary scene struggles to draw attention to its own significance. Following the will of his parents, San Minn started Yangon University in 1969. Eventually, he became a member of the Art Centre, created the same year he was born, and later on its Secretary. Even then he co-organised shows, like the groundbreaking ‘Wild Eye’ exhibition. Then came 1974, where the Art Centre contributed to the poster campaign during the U Thant crisis and several of the University students got arrested during the riots. San Minn was put in jail for three years and one month. This experience has

The print version of 'Age of Full Bloom' today in the collection of National Gallery, Singpore as exhibited at Think Gallery in March 2015.

haunted him since: from time to time, a work might suggest an atmosphere of confinement, revisiting the notions of solitude and injustice. These topics, hand in hand with other subtle allusions to current issues, economic and social, reflect the artist’s approach stating the power and relevance of art within society.

San Minn had his first solo show in 1980 - in 2015, it was the twelfth to open at Think Gallery.

In 1979, wanting to create an exhibition uniting a new wave of artists outside the university, San Minn coorganized the first Gangaw Village Group show. Out of this innovative climate grew a series of group exhibitions that became milestones in recent Myanmar art history - ‘Period’ (1984), followed by ‘Rectangular Lantern’ Part 1 (1985) and 2 (1994) to just mention a few. These exhibitions gathered together the most progressive artists in the country at that time. Mean-

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

ART 9

A double page of the folder guarding the 80s works from San Minn's personal archives, Yangon - March 2015.

while, San Minn also focused on his personal oeuvre.

Working during the day, and painting at night, it took him sometimes six months to finish an art piece.

Sealing the paintings’ fate Long years ago, San Minn decided to reorganise his archives. Using his background as an engineer and a botanist (classifying), he photographed each of his works, developed the films, then chronologically sorted the prints into different folders. A red-star sticker marked those that had been banned. ‘The Age of Full Bloom’ was first exhibited in 1979. Before the opening, the censorship board, as usual, arrived on the spot and demanded one of the paintings be brought to their office. They returned it two months later: by then, the artwork had suffered badly. A stamp had been impressed on the painting’s surface several times, stating that the work was not allowed to be shown in public.

This unfortunate ‘administrative act’, while ruining the painting, also contributed to its inclusion in a museum collection 35 years later. Ironically, the ‘verdict’ was based on a misinterpretation. The board considered the dress of the depicted woman too much in cor-

relation with the national flag in use before 1974. San Minn in fact had no intention to this allusion. It was not the only time that one of his works was banned for the same reason. The converse was also true: some works managed to make it through the official check although they carried ambiguous messages.

A Surrealist in Yangon San Minn mostly refers to his art as Surrealist. He chooses personal concerns and ideas, and mixes them with references to current political, social, economic or cultural concepts. But, most importantly, he escapes Realism, an ‘abject notion’ in the eyes of the Moderns. His use of direct colours and mixed media, paired with a hint of irony and with compositions interweaving reality and fiction, makes his art multilayered. Even in his early period (1970s-80s), in certain pieces one might unravel unconventional elements that indicate a second reading.

“Back then, it was rare to find art books in Myanmar.

So I went to hunt the roadside bookshops in Pansodan

Interior of San Minn's exhibition at Think Gallery, Yangon (March 2015).

Street. I was looking for Newsweek and Time magazines. They had articles on art,” remembers San Minn.

These issues were usually the ones foreign embassies would randomly throw out, hence they were two years old or more. However, they were ‘treasures’ to the artists who would pay attention to their specific information. San Minn also encountered some of the international art movements through these articles, and often decided thereon to experiment in new ways of creating. If he happened to find his temporary enterprises unrealised, he moved on. ‘Pony-cart’ and ‘Food-Stall’ were attempts to immerse himself in Hyperrealism. In the early ‘70s, he would experiment with the shapes of Cubism, and later the dynamism of Futurism. These observations were merely formal, as access to the theoretical side of these movements was quite impossible. These personal ‘studies’ resulted in completely singular interpretations and visual conclusions.

San Minn is an artist from a generation in Myanmar whose art was for too long only appreciated by a handful of people, but who kept alive an approach to art very different to the conventional one. This was a contesting, inner-driven art, searching beyond its capacity to depict the visible world because it has a meaning to convey. “My paintings are not beautiful.

Most collectors are not interested in buying paintings that are not beautiful,” said San Minn, referencing the Myanmar art market’s recent tendency. But for a few years now, thanks to slowly elaborated contacts with the international art scene, the substance and weight of these artists working in the shade for so long has started to surface; through museum exhibitions, and participation in festivals and biennales. Without any infrastructure in this country for the arts, recognition from the public materialises only gradually, and the lack of researchers, critics or experts does not speed thing up. Even so, the art of San Minn proves that the will of creation and going against the mainstream might eventually become a fruitful artistic attitude in the long term. g

10 PHOTO ESSAY

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

U Khin Sein in his second floor lounge with his protégé, Aung San. The former tailor has lived here six decades.

Listening for Echoes Virginia Henderson & Tim Webster capture the wonderful stories and images belonging to heritage homes of Yangon.

Photos by Tim Webster

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

“

PHOTO ESSAY 11

S

ixty-five years ago, when I first arrived in Yangon as a student, all along this road were wooden houses with compounds and gardens, just like this. Then people started to do it up, meaning they’d build a new brick house. That spread over the next forty or fifty years. Slowly the properties would change hands, and then these high rises came within the last twenty years. The first ones were three or four stories high and that was considered high during those times.”

Eighty-one year old Peggy, one of more than fifty storytellers in Yangon Echoes, reflects on the changes to her neighbourhood during her lifetime.

“This is now the only old wooden house left on this road. These days, developers often come to ask about this property, as it is a prime location. We are offered a lot of money but refuse it. We don’t want or need that. These old buildings are important. It’s heritage.

I don’t know much about history and I’m not a politician, but this is what I feel.”

In her foreword to Yangon Echoes, Ma Thida (Sanchaung) shares how the book amplifies previously unheard voices, inviting readers on an adventure beyond the mute facades of antique buildings into the intimacy of homes. “Here we can begin to understand the lives and nature of this city, truly and deeply,” she urges.

An anthology of oral histories, Yangon Echoes – Inside heritage homes records everyday life through domestic connections to old places. As a popular history of buildings, the book charts social space and urban folklore, linking past to present via living memories. Storytellers speak of joy and tragedy, simple pleasures and aching issues. They share thoughts and feelings of living through Yangon’s emergence from decades of isolation to engagement with a rapidly spinning world. Told with courage and charm, these informal stories of home offer insight into what has happened and is now happening to the city.

Daw Shwe Yin keeps track of family memories in 50th Street

While growing international attention focuses on Yangon’s legacy of built form and its famous colonial-era structures, the city’s wealth of personal memories has been largely overlooked.

What meanings do heritage places retain for the people residing inside? Oral history values personal interpretation, the subjective over the objective. Folkloric, it speaks of events as remembered and told to us by our elders. Often couched in the intangible, it is difficult to grasp and quantify, yet full of meaning.

From scattered archives, sage advice pointed us toward the wisdom of Yangon’s older hearts and minds.

Aware of an uncertain window of opportunity, we commenced this listening and documentation project two years ago, seeking to understand how Yangon is experienced by residents. Success of the work depended on people feeling confident that sharing their often deeply personal stories would serve a common good.

The gathering of these histories began through the age-old process of knocking on doors and having a chat over a cup of tea. Sites more hidden away were suggested by word of mouth. Growing in breadth, the book embarked on plumbing the depth of Yangon’s character. Conversations were recorded over eighteen months, yielding more than a hundred and forty interviews. Over repeated visits, familiarity was built and friendships have been forged.

While many older folk were keen to have their histories heard and retained for posterity, some remained reticent, conscious of disturbing authorities or even fearful that exposure might lose them their homes.

Occasionally, the camera tripod was mistaken for a developer’s surveying tool, something that caused only slightly less anxiety than when it was confused with a weapon. Yet for every wary occupant, still others relaxed their guard to share often surprisingly intimate details.

In conversations, senses of place and notions of identity resonated. Some stories link strongly to particular eras in Yangon’s contemporary history. Invitations to abodes in repurposed spaces disputed conventional notions of home. Understanding the complexities of ‘Dangerous Buildings’ was meanwhile stretched by insight into the mechanics of local governance and property development.

We also became privy to the challenges borne by those whose antique homes persist. What choices do owners of heritage homes have at this time of unprecedented urban change? What drives their decision-making?

Several homes have disappeared since our first visits to them. It’s sobering to stand in front of a vacant block and struggle to recreate an image of what recently seemed familiar. People who told us that they had nowhere else to go have now gone. Along with the construction boom and advent of traffic gridlock, Yangon is undergoing profound sociological change.

Daw Tin Tin Nwe and U Aung Htoo have lived on Lower Pazundaung Road for more than thirty years.

Their three-room shack accommodates six

For more information, visit: www.timwebster.com.au FB: Yangon-Echoes-Inside-Heritage-Homes T: 09-250 156 750

12 COVER STORY

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

News

Un-Limited

How does a person go from being a computer science dropout to a media mogul, during one of the most tightly controlled censorship periods in Myanmar? Manny Maung speaks to Thaung Su Nyein, CEO of Information Matrix, the parent company that produces the 7Day News Journal.

H

e has been hailed as a champion of digital technology and interviewed by international media outlets such as the BBC and CNBC for his entrepreneurial nous, but Thaung Su Nyein insists, “I’m a just college drop out!” His Facebook page (which has a following of more than 2000) says he ‘graduated’ in 1998 from City College in New York. But Thaung Su Nyein explains it as the year where he did what every good computer science student does – drop out.

It was shortly after leaving college that he was inspired to consider returning to his home country.

“I was at a newsstand, and from the corner of my eye I saw a magazine with the image of Shwedagon Pagoda on it,” he recalls. “I knew instantly I wanted to go back there.”

Thaung Su Nyein, had left Myanmar when he was 11.

His father, Win Aung, was a military officer who had risen through the ranks to become an ambassador to Germany and the UK, before taking the post as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1998. At 23, Thaung Su Nyein’s return would coincide with his father’s new role in the dictatorship government of that time.

“I just wanted to go home and start an Internet and email cafe,” Thaung Su Nyein says. “The Internet was already mainstream in other countries so I thought it would be a good concept to invest in.”

It was not long before he realised the Myanmar government was seriously displeased with his choice of enterprise.

“Just before Thingyan in 2000, the authorities called

Centara Grand Hotel

me in and shut down the cyber cafe,” he explains. “I hadn’t realised, but the world ‘Internet’ was actually censored and I had been operating a business that was all related to that word.”

Rather than make a meal of him however, the authorities actually gave Thaung Su Nyein his new business concept. They told him the leadership and officials knew the Internet was the future, but rather than continue with offering Internet services, why not start a publication skewed towards technology.

Perhaps it was serendipitous; perhaps it was the situation of being held in an interrogation room with officials known for a terrible human rights record;

Photos by Gerhard Jörén

Thaung Su Nyein felt that starting a technology publication was a perfect fit for him.

“I couldn’t write in Burmese very well anymore since I’d left in sixth standard,” he says. “I couldn’t even speak that well or form whole sentences properly. But I knew the Internet.”

The Myanmar Electronic Journal was his first step towards a media empire and was foundational as a game changer. The trade publication became hugely successful, albeit being actually able to use technical language such as 'e-commerce', 'online', or 'website'. As with many Myanmar people living through decades of dictatorship, strict censorship paved the

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

COVER STORY 13

way for creative run-arounds to make an ineffective system, somehow work.

Thaung Su Nyein has since established a software house that caters for both private corporations and government departments, is now the CEO of eleven registered entities, and holds the distinguished titles of Coordinator of Administration and Finance Committee at the Myanmar Press Council, and Vice President of Myanmar Entrepreneur’s Association.

He is also the Managing Editor of the 7Day News Journal, the flagship newspaper that has brought the most attention to his success as an entrepreneur, and now, self-made media mogul.

The publication has the highest Myanmar-language distribution in the country, with the weekly journal distribution at 100,000 copies across the country, and the daily’s distribution at 50,000. However, Thaung Su Nyein is a pragmatic man. He readily admits that the daily isn’t making money but is confident the branding is strong and positions him well as a market leader.

“Print still has a few years to grow in Myanmar,” he says. “The 7Day News Journal has taken a leadership position among the private media and we’ve got a good following in Yangon and rural areas too.”

Social media is another medium he has cleverly tapped into. With estimates of between 1–4 percent Internet penetration in the country, the 7Day News Journal website has managed to attract 2.7million followers on Facebook, demonstrating its wide reach both within and outside the country.

But Thaung Su Nyein’s successes haven’t been without controversy or family tragedy. In 2004, his father was arrested during the purges of the notorious Mili-

tary Intelligence group and was sent to Insein prison.

In 2009, Win Aung died while still imprisoned. The following year, in November 2010, the 7Day Daily Journal was suspended for two weeks, for daring to publish the image of now-opposition leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, on its cover.

Asked about a recent controversy between a rival newspaper daring to print a satirical comic regarding Myanmar’s armed forces (and subsequently being publicly rapped on the knuckles for it), Thaung Su Nyein remained wary.

“I haven’t seen the cartoon so I can’t comment about that,” he replies.

Print still has a few years to grow in Myanmar. The 7Day News Journal has taken a leadership position among the private media and we’ve got a good following in Yangon and rural areas too

Thaung Su Nyein says he is confident he has not had to compromise anything professionally over the past 13 years of being in the media game. If anything, he wants to see more healthy competition.

“You don’t want to be the only guy out there with no one else around,” he laughs.

Of the future, there remains only one thing to concentrate on: digital.

“Digital is going to be a challenge,” he admits. “In Myanmar, we’ve been riding elephants all our lives and now we’re being told to ride a horse.”

Thaung Su Nyein says the digital market is growing rapidly and he plans to invest further in the software sector by tapping into e-government solutions.

“I’ll also look into how to move into the mobile space,” he says. “About 85% of Myanmar’s web traffic is through mobile platforms.”

He adds that this is the time for Myanmar expatriates to consider coming home.

“So, If you have the skills and if your work is relevant, you should be in the country right now.” g

14 MUSIC

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

A Master of

Ceremonies Yangon-based underground hip-hop legend J-Me, who is also known to his fans as Capital J, has been a oneman boom box to his legions of loyal fans for a decade.

Aimee Lawrence gets the low down on the transformation of his lyrical spread, as influenced by his reconnection with religion.

H

ip-hop and religious faith are not often considered compatible elements which can be spun together for creative output without incurring accusations of hypocrisy.

American hip-hop stars from Dr. Dre to Jay Z are often seen taking a spiritual moment on stage to pay homage to the 'Big Guy upstairs,' but when you consider that the lyrical content is heavy with profanities employed to chronicle lifestyles rich with promiscuous sexual activities, drugs, alcohol, violence, fast cars, flash pads – the gesture seems lost considering the context.

While J-Me didn’t mirror the homage-paying actions of such U.S exported hip-hop acts, he could lay claim to the lifestyle in some respects – albeit to a less lavish scale. It was a lifestyle which he didn’t temper in marriage or new found fatherhood.

It wasn’t until late last year when he attended a sermon by Reverend Saw David Lah that a trigger was sparked and a new trajectory was lit – making way for J-Me’s transformation.

Photos by PT@images

“My sister actually recommended his sermon,” recounts J-Me. “She came to me and told me I had to attend one of his sermons because of his energy and his unique teachings on the Catholic faith. I was born and

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

MUSIC 15

raised a Catholic, but until that point I didn’t practice the faith for a multitude of reasons. I knew the lifestyle I was living wasn’t exactly clean living. I was a sinner, simple as that. I also often found myself disillusioned by the preaching of men of the Catholic Church and the deceit shown in their practices behind closed doors.

rights of their people. And you also had artists who wanted to almost create a distraction – have fun with it which delivered a platform for their fans to have fun. I would say I fell into both categories.

“Recently Korean Pop has exploded here. I’m not into that. Young people are following the ‘swag’ trend and that focuses on personal appearance rather than the substance of the music. I agree with underground artists in that some hip-hop has lost its soul.

“I followed her advice and was instantly blown away by his passion and spirit. The connection was instantaneous and a move which I wouldn’t have predicted.

I believe I’m a better version of myself and that feeds directly into the quality of my music.”

“Around two years ago because I was married and had kids I was considered out of touch. Organisers wanted the trendy, young boys who were trying to catch the limelight. That was disappointing because it shouldn’t be solely based on being popular for the masses.

The warm, charismatic and impassioned 29-year-old is quick to point out that his finding faith is a deeply personal experience and not one he wishes to impose on his fan base.

“I choose the way I live my life and they choose the way they live theirs. I’m not here to be righteous and ‘show them the light.’ I’m open in that I didn’t hide that getting drunk or getting high were things that I used to enjoy doing. But that’s part of my past and if my fans enjoy that lifestyle then that is completely their choice. We’re all here to live life as we best see it. I’m a husband and a father of two young children under the age of three so it was high time my lifestyle changed to reflect this.

“My fan base hasn’t changed. The fans I’ve had during my ten-year career are still around and supportive, and if anything I actually have more fans now. Perhaps my musical creativity will speak for how religious belief is benefiting me and that may prove to be inspirational to my fan base and aspiring hip-hop artists in Myanmar. I believe that if you have richness inside of you, the world will follow.”

His pursuit of a career in hip-hop was greatly influenced by the release of Dr. Dre’s multi-award winning debut studio album, The Chronic. His current influences are widely eclectic. He effortlessly bounces between pouring over the works of 13th Century Persian poet Rumi, The Prodigy, Public Enemy, Enya, System of a Down, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits and the compositions of Greek-American Yanni – to name but a few.

“To be an artist at the top of your creative game, no matter what genre you base your musical style, your influences should be massively varied and not necessarily restricted to music. What I enjoyed before I reconnected with my religion has remained very much the same and it will no doubt come to influence new explorations.

“The underground scene isn’t dead. Good acts like Bigg-Y and are still making fantastic material and performing. I just hope that it stands its place against K-Pop which I consider to be gaining momentum and draining the culture of its meaning and purpose.

“I choose the way I live my life and they choose the way they live theirs. I’m not here to be righteous and ‘show them the light.’

when required, the true meaning of his lyrical content became cleverly concealed so as to flow under the radar.

His previous works draws comparisons with first wave Myanmar hip-hop acts such as Acid, who are considered pioneers of Myanmar hip-hop and inspired a generation, J-Me included. Acid burst onto the scene in 2000 and swept the floor despite predictions of their being a failure. Their material contained coded criticisms of the regime and accounted for the hardships of life in military–run Myanmar, which irked the authorities and resulted in some of their material failing to pass the censorship board.

In the U.S, political hip-hop came from a small, group of young people who were under siege in underprivileged inner-city neighbourhoods and used hip-hop and rap as a method of fighting the system in the hope of igniting change for their community. Fast forward to the 2000s and hip-hop has created a clan of millionaires and been accused of losing its edge.

“Music is a hobby, that could be as a creator or a listener and it should be fun. But fun doesn’t mean it can’t be pure and heartfelt, whatever the subject of the track may be.”

J-Me, who now frequently receives communion, spat rhymes to a track titled Hallelujah in 2014 before Reverend Saw David Lah spun his influence, and he also has three gospel hip-hop tracks in his repertoire.

So, religious influences will be no stranger to his fans and peers.

Being the son of the famous musician-turned film-director-father, James Patrick, creativity has surrounded him since birth and continues to fire a light in him spontaneously.

“I was running a bath the other day and BAM, a melody suddenly played in my head and I had to get that down there and then. Don’t plug the natural flow of creation. A bath wasn’t had that night.”

Outer cleanliness may have taken a side-step on this occasion, but inner cleanliness is now a way of living for J-Me who embraces his new-found relationship with God for streamlining his direction into ‘earthy’ subjects.

What can fans expect from the star who now champions substance over substance use and is set to release an album in the coming months?

“I’m listening to a lot of Simon and Garfunkel who were writing lyrics about graffiti long before hip-hop.

I’m also an avid reader of novels and poetry. I love a collection of poetry by Serj Tankian who is from a band called System of a Down, and he’s pretty crazy.

I love his poetry and his music.”

Undoubtedly, music is a reflection of the times and Myanmar, which now stands without a censorship board since its abolishment in 2012, has gained exposure to other hip-hop scenes for some time now. However, like with the U.S, Myanmar hip-hop is also said to have lost its soul.

“I feel healthier and I am now peacefully minded. The noise around me has been turned down which means I can focus and create better noise for my fans. I may be of a peaceful mind, but my album boasts even bigger beats for my fans to get lost in and I can’t wait to perform my new tracks and rock the crowd.”

Returning to his roots, his material has never been particularly politically motivated. He may have only winked in the direction of politics, but he did attract the disapproving eye of the censorship board and

“The wonderful thing about music is that is serves many purposes. Hip-hop was used here to describe everyday life which was tough under military rule.

Some artists wanted to reflect on this in support of the

As well as launching a new album, J-Me will be spreading his sounds on an international level, with him all set to share his new sound with audiences in Australia and San Francisco. g

16 TRANSLATION

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

A STRANGE MURDER CASE san shar - the burmese sherlock holmes San Lin Tun takes us into the world of famous detective San Shar in 1930’s Rangoon, with his translation of Shwe U-Daung's Htuzandhaw Luthathmu (A Strange Murder Case), an adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes story, The Crooked Man.

I

had set out for Pegu (Bago) on an urgent matter.

After three days I had returned home on the evening train. Noticing that Maung San Shar was not in, I asked our servant where he was. She answered that he was seldom at home during my absence, only coming back at night to sleep. San Shar had still not shown up by dinnertime so I ate alone. Even though it was time to go to bed, I knew that he must be busy on an important case, so I waited, sitting in the chair reading so as not to fall asleep.

Near midnight San Shar returned by car. On seeing me, he said, "What a chance! Ko Thein Maung. I’ve just arrived and here you are!."

I replied, "I knew that you were expected so I've stayed up for you. What is the case? It's been long enough since we haven't gone in for a big one. I don't want to go after anything smaller than murder."

Shar: "You bet. It's a real murder. Prepare for that."

I: " Where did it happen?"

Shar: "In Syriam (Thanlyin). It is a case where the wife has killed the husband. Among those cases which I’ve investigated, this case has some significant facts.

Are you sleepy, Ko Thein Maung?"

I: " Moments ago I felt tired. But, now, talking about this makes my eyes wide open. Go on. Let me hear it."

San Shar related to me everything he knew until this time. The following is a summary The pensioner DSP U Tin Pe and his wife Daw Mya Hnit had been living peacefully in a ward of Thanlyin. U Tin Pe started his career in the police from the lowest position, but because of his courage and intelligence he was promoted by his superiors. Finally, when the time was due, he retired from his job as District Superintendent Daw Mya Hnit was pretty and possessed perfect features. When the couple firs tmet, U Tin Pe was in the rank of sergeant and Daw Mya Hnit was the daugh-

Cover of 'The Memoirs and Records of Shwe U-Daung'.

ter of a SIP. From the day they got married, they got along very well. There was no fighting, not even a squabble. All the police officers praised their affection. Some said that the love of U Tin Pe towards Daw Mya Hnit was much more than that of Daw Mya Hnit towards her husband in terms of affection. Whenever U Tin Pe left the house for duty in the countryside, his face seemed to wither, but on the day he returned home, he seemed so light and happy that his subordinates mocked him. Though they had been together for years, they had not had any children.

His junior officers teased U Tin Pe that he was in the habit of carpeting junior officers out of anger, but when he saw his wife Daw Mya Hnit he turned into pliable wax which had just encountered fire. From the beginning of his service until the day of the murder, the significant feature of U Tin Pe was that when he was telling jokes or humorous tales, his smiling face

was often seen to turn serious, as though with a sudden remembrance of something. He would become silent and lost in thought for some time. His fellow officers supposed that U Tin Pe had something sorrowful in his life, but they could not think what it was, and dared not ask about it.

The couple had built a big fine house in Syriam (Thanlyin), kept two servants, and lived peacefully.

Two days ago, the quiet house turned into a boisterous one like a thunderstike in an unfavourable season.

That night Daw Mya Hnit had acted as chairperson

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

TRANSLATION 17 When U Tin Pe found out that Daw Mya Hint was home, he stopped reading his newspaper and went out to the back room to see his wife. This was seen by a cook, who said from that time on, nobody saw U Tin Pe alive.

The servant who had been ordered to make tea, brought it on a tray to Daw Mya Hnit, and on arriving, found the room was locked from the inside. He heard the couple talking as though they were having a fight.

The servant placed the tray down, and knocked on the door. Nobody answered, so she informed the cook that their masters were fighting behind closed doors.

The servants were surprised because they had never seen them fight. They rushed to door and listened.

They heard U Tin Pe speak softly, while Daw Mya Hnit spoke up loudly at intervals. From the sounds, what they heard was: "You are a very bad man. Where on the earth is there a person like you? You think your plan was good. I don't want to see your face again from today."

Then, the servants, not knowing what to do, kept listening at the door. U Tin Pe once shrieked from fear, and then the servants heard something drop onto the

of the Child Care Association. She had dined early, then left for the meeting together with her neighbour Ma Than Yin. The meeting took one hour from eight o’clock, and they left at fifteen past nine.

Daw Mya Hnit dropped Ma Than Yin off at her house then went back to her own home. She entered the rear room of the house and ordered a servant to make tea for her. The room was about 20 cubits from the back fence. On the other side of it lay a public road. The servant admitted that Ma Than Yin had not usually sat there before, and never had tea at night.

floor with a loud thud, together with the shriek of Daw Mya Hnit and again a loud thud. Then, the male cook and woman servant thought that s critical thing was happening in the room, and they pushed the door, but they could not open it, for it was locked from the inside. Remembering the window of the room was not locked, the cook went round the outside of the house and climbed through. He saw that Daw Mya Hnit was lying in a bench and U Tin Pe was in the position of having one foot up on the chair, the rest of his body lying on the floor, and on his head, a big slash from which blood was oozing. Then the servant, taking up a lamp and checking, found that Daw Mya Hnit was alive, but not U Tin Pe. .......... continued next month.

Shwe U-Daung (1889-1973) was a prolific Burmese writer and translator, who in the 1930s adapted many of the original Sherlock Holes stories, placing them in the setting of the author’s Rangoon, in a time of nationalist fervour, high crime rate and social unrest.

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

18 TRAVEL

Photos by Keith Lyons

Four countries in forty hours Keith Lyons takes the plunge, traveling overland from Myanmar to China, through Thailand and Laos.

W

ith Myanmar’s two border crossings into Mainland China currently closed to foreigners, how do you get from Myanmar to the Middle Kingdom without flying? Up until mid2013 it was not possible to easily or legally cross overland from Myanmar to its neighboring Thailand, but since August of 2013, border restrictions at five points were lifted.

While in the past foreigners traveling or living in Thailand would do a visa run to Myanmar, independent travelers weren’t allowed to venture further into Myanmar. Now with the new regulations, visitors no longer require permits, guides, or pre-arranged transport to enter or exit Myanmar.

With these new freedoms of movement, I decided to investigate the possibility of getting from eastern Myanmar to southwest China in a few days with

minimum expense. Land travel always feels like real travel, as opposed to air travel, which just whisks you from one location to another. I was looking forward to observing the differences and character of each country as I ventured from recently opened-up Myanmar to Modern China.

The most logical route goes from the far east of Myanmar’s Shan state into northern Thailand, before heading across the north of Laos to Yunnan province. Visa on arrival is available in Thailand and Laos, though a visa for PR China must be obtained in advance in Yangon or Bangkok. While international travel between these Golden Quadrangle countries is reasonably easy, there is one problem. Exiting or entering Myanmar via eastern Shan state requires a flight over the rebel-held, opium-producing hill country between the state capital of Taunggyi and the border town of Tachileik. There are flights most days from Yangon,

Mandalay, Lashio and Heho (the service airport for Kalaw and Inle lake). Or you can fly into nearby Kengtung closer to the Chinese border and make your way to Tachileik.

Flying over the Shan plateau you get an idea of the rugged terrain, the low population density and the lack of infrastructure. Below, you see thick forest and clear-felled plantations, small hamlets and scarred land from mining. Almost an hour from Heho you land at Tachileik among lush rice paddies. It is a 3,500K ride by shared van or motorbike taxi, into the dusty main town.

Tachileik is not a pretty place. It proudly displays a sign welcoming visitors to the city of the Golden Triangle. Restaurant signs are in Chinese and Thai baht is the defacto currency. Tachileik doesn’t appear very Burmese until you catch sight of sizable Mae Sai

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

TRAVEL 19

across the river. At the approach to the vehicle and pedestrian bridge, you can get rid of your excess kyat, which is basically worthless outside of Myanmar.

There are forms to fill out to receive an exit stamp, and then on the Thailand side, more forms, more waiting and eventually a passport entry stamp. Most visitors get thirty-day entry passes, though certain countries only get fifteen days.

The international border is open till 10.00pm; there is half an hour time difference between Myanmar and Thailand. Those people going the opposite way, back into Myanmar, are Thais heading off to golf courses, casinos, and markets stocking cheap Chinese goods. Despite the warning posters about the illegal trade of endangered species and narcotics, there doesn’t seem to be much screening for bootlegged goods such as knives or fake Viagra. Mae Sai is cleaner and less seedy than its Burmese counterpart, but you might not want to linger too long at Thailand’s most northern town. The last bus and van from the bus station to Chiang Rai departs at 5.30pm (40 baht) otherwise you can share a taxi or pickup for around 200-250 baht (US$7-8) per person, for the one hour journey on a very smooth and fast road.

If you arrive to Chiang Rai on time, you can witness the spectacular music and light show at the landmark clocktower, at 7.00pm and 8.00pm. On the small streets nearby are pad thai stands, reggae bars, guesthouses and very friendly ladies and ladyboys.

The New Bus Station, also known as Bus Terminal 2, is located 7km south of the city just off the highway, and is where buses for Laos depart. There are even morning buses to China, though not every day.

In the past, Laos-bound travelers took a bus to Chiang Khong and then a short boat trip across the Mekong to Laos. But hey, those Hippie Trail days are long gone.

There is a new ‘friendship bridge’ connecting Thailand and Laos, and buses depart every few hours to the Laos town on the other side of the great river, Huay Xai, the capital of Bokeo province (a three hour ride for 200-280 baht). Located 10km south of the former border crossing, the new facilities are impressively well-run on the Thai side, but chaotic on the Laos side. If you’ve only got your transport to the border, you need to get a shuttle bus (20 baht) across the Mekong to the Laos immigration center. Otherwise your international bus meets you on the other side of the customs and immigration processing.

The good news regarding Laos is that everybody can get a visa on arrival. The bad news is the cost, the waiting, and the chaos. Most of the cross-border travelers seem to be nouveau riche Chinese in shiny new SUVs, complete with numerous spoilt and obese children. It is not clearly marked, but arriving visitors must first fill out a form to apply for a visa, present it to the right-hand window, and then go and wait at the left-hand window. You need a passport-sized photo, obtained easily on the Thai side, or you can get a scan for a small fee at an office nearby the money exchange booth. Most nationalities pay $US30 for a 30-day visa, though it might be more or less depending on what passport you are carrying. The visa can

also be paid for baht or RMB, at an obligatory unfavourable exchange rate. There is also an overtime fee of $US1 that applies on weekends, early morning, late afternoon and even around lunchtime.

It is then a short drive from the border crossing to the international Bokeo bus station, located south of town and 1km from the provincial bus station. If you’ve bought a thru-ticket in Chiang Rai you will have an hour or so to try some Lao food and of course a Laos beer. Local buses leave from the provincial bus station but the better buses depart from the international station. There is a 3.00pm Luang Namtha-bound bus (60,000 kip) complete with airline seats, air-con and a tiny toilet, which zooms along the newly-widened road linking Thailand and China. The journey is scenic, taking in stilt-shack villages, rubber plantations, verdant jungle and the occasional overturned truck sitting on the scorched red earth. It seems that no one living along the road can afford the VIP bus. The 187km journey takes between 3-4 hours.

Luang Namtha’s bus station is located far from the one-street town and its night food market. Travel agencies can provide you with a ticket that includes a tuk-tuk transfer for onward travel. Just like Huay Xai, Luang Namtha has international buses to Jinghong and Mengla in Yunnan (90,000/50,000 kip) as well as a long-haul bus to Kunming. The 8.00am bus to Jinghong and Mengla takes around ninety minutes to the border. New border facilities on the Laos side speed up the exit time. In the extensive no-man’s land between border stations there are casinos, duty free stores and even a cafe with live elephants. You need a tourist visa in your passport for China, as there is no visa-on-arrival.

From the Chinese side it is three hours to Jinghong, and another seven to ten hours to Kunming. For travel on this route, using public transport, it is best to start early, as often there is only one bus a day. You can save money by taking buses point-to-point, or using

The international border is open till 10.00pm; there is half an hour time difference between Myanmar and Thailand. Those people going the opposite way, back into Myanmar, are Thais heading off to golf courses, casinos, and markets stocking cheap Chinese goods.

local buses, but if you prefer comfort, security and efficiency, getting a thru-ticket is your best bet for guaranteeing a seat.

There has been talk for the last few years that Myanmar will soon open two borders with China, at Muse-Ruili and Kengtung-Mong La. With on-going conflict spreading over the border, it may be some time until foreigners travel directly between China and Myanmar. In the meantime, there lies this interesting and adventurous route through northern Thailand and Laos as a viable alternative.

With a Myanmar visa in your passport, you can also do the route in the reverse direction, from China, through Laos and Thailand to Tachileik and then flying into the heart of Myanmar. Enjoy and travel well.

There are excellent maps for this route at http://hobomaps.com/.

Keith Lyons is a travel writer and small group tour leader at Slow Burma Travel (www.burma-travel. info) and Lijiang Guides (www.lijiangtravel.info)

20 ADVENTURE

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

Mergui Islands

and Kawthaung Heinz Willems explores the islands of the Mergui Archipelago, encountering turtles, coral reefs, the odd shark, as well Sea Gypsies living a traditional way of life.

A

container will be dropped off the coast of Myanmar in the Mergui Archipelago. It will hold blue-white flawless diamonds with total value to be not less than 100 million pounds." “

In the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball, Ernst Stavro Blofeld of SPECTRE sends this ransom demand to NATO. However, 'latitude 20 degrees north, longitude 60 degrees east' (the coordinates given) is just off the coast of Oman! Perhaps there wasn't a map handy!

The Mergui Archipelago (also known as Myeik Archipelago) is in the Andaman Sea, off the western shore of southern Myanmar, near the Kra Isthmus, the narrowest part of the Malay Peninsula. It consists of more than 800 islands, varying in size from very small to hundreds of square kilometres, and belongs to Tanintharyi Region. The islands are isolated and mostly uninhabited, giving them and their surrounding waters a great diversity of flora and fauna, including extensive coral reefs. Although two islands have resorts on them, the best way to explore the area is

Photos by Heinz Willems

to go diving on a live-aboard cruise. The best diving conditions exist from November to April, with whale sharks and manta rays visiting from February to May. Looking out over the bow of my live-aboard boat, I contemplated the vast emptiness of the Andaman Sea. As the islands are spread out over an area of 36,000 square kilometres, it is not unusual to go for many hours without seeing any land. Even then, the only ‘land’ might be just the tip of one or several pinnacles sticking out of the water. I was on a five-day cruise, with a daily itinerary of 'eat, dive, sleep' with up to four dives per day. Such a trip has a kind of meditative quality, being cut-off from the internet and all other kinds of external communications. On the first day I did have some withdrawal symptoms, but these were quickly swept away by the fresh sea breezes.

Occasionally I read the books and magazines I’d brought along, but most times, especially in the mornings and evenings, I was just as happy to stare out over the water and watch the sky change colour.

My trip had started with a flight to Myanmar’s south-

ernmost town of Kawthaung, known during British rule as Victoria Point. The flight had the character of a bus journey, making two stops on the way, in Dawei and Myeik. After almost four hours, with the latter part of the flight following a seemingly endless beach along the ragged coastline, we landed in Kawthaung.

It felt like another world compared with the bustle of Yangon. The trip into town on the back of a pickup, took about thirty minutes along a hilly and windy road, marked by lush vegetation and small roadside stalls, with occasional glimpses of the sea.

My hotel was in the higher part of town and I walked downhill on the single main road towards the sea, just past the lime-green clocktower that is seems to be inevitable in most towns in Myanmar. The waterfront has a large harbour area on one side, with a jetty for larger boats, and a simple embankment with steps to serve the countless small boats swarming around. On the other side is a pleasant promenade, which leads to a small monument marking the southern tip of mainland Myanmar. Opposite the promenade, on either side of a large tower-style pagoda, there are numerous bar-restaurant establishments from where the waterfront area can be observed, while sipping on a cold Myanmar beer and enjoying simple seafood dishes.

The Thai town of Ranong is visible on the other side of the Pakchan River estuary and can be reached in about 30 minutes in one of the small boats that are continuously shuttling people and goods back and forth. With Yangon far away, the local shops are well stocked with alcohol, snacks and cosmetics from Thailand and prices are quoted in baht. Asking the price in kyat results in a slightly irritated tapping on a calculator to get the answer.

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

ADVENTURE 21 The first order of business was to clear immigration.

Four officials came aboard from their nearby office and spent the next three hours scrutinising each passport and filling in swathes of forms. They were constantly supplied with food and drink by the boat crew and it was hard to say whether this motivated them to work faster or rather encouraged them to take a more leisurely approach. We finally got under way around mid-afternoon and were briefed about the cruise schedule and boat rules on the way to the first dive site. As we were late, we only managed one dive, but I was immediately struck by the rich, colourful diversity of soft coral and the massive sea fans, of which we would see much more during the trip.

Over the next few days we cruised from one dive site to the next, stopping for several dives at the better ones, marvelling at the rich marine life. At some spots the current was quite strong and this caused the water to be murky, limiting our ability to see the marrine life. Also noticeable in some places were the effects of blast fishing, with countless dead fish littering the sea floor. Fortunately such incidents were few. The practice is officially banned but with the remoteness of the area, it is almost impossible to enforce the rule.

Fishing boats were among the few other signs of human life that we saw on the trip, their lights shining brightly at night to attract squid.

I hired one of the small boats to take me around a small island just off the coast, mainly to get a seaview of the town. The centre is enclosed by low green hills, one of which is marked by the golden stupa of Ananda pagoda, while higher hills rise in the distance.

Later I took a motorbike taxi to the top of one of these to get another view of the town spreading out all along the relatively narrow area of flat land on the other side of Ananda pagoda.

The live-aboat arrived late morning on the next day from Ranong. Most guests had already boarded there, so for the six of us getting on in Kawthaung there wasn’t much choice of cabins. In any case, apart from a couple of VIP cabins with attached bathrooms, all others were very similar - small with only two bunkbeds and a cabinet. There were three shower/toilets for about 20 people to share. I wondered how this would work at first but it turned out fine.

We visited one of the islands settled by the Moken, the local ethnic minority people sometimes known as Sea Gypsies. They live a very traditional way of life, fishing and building boats very much the way they have done for centuries. They live on their large boats during the dry season, but usually keep to land in the rainy season. The government is encouraging them to settle more permanently. Although conditions on the island were quite basic, one man was hanging up a poster advertising British premier league games via Skynet.

The two resorts operating in the Mergui Archipelago are Myanmar Andaman Resort on Macleod Island, and the five-star casino and golf resort Andaman Club on Thahtay Kyun Island, while a new resort is planned for Philar Island.

We visited Myanmar Andaman Resort (currently closed for major renovations, and scheduled to reopen in October 2015) on New Year’s Eve. It is more an eco-lodge than a luxury resort, but is located in a beautiful setting with easy access to nearby dive sites.

We enjoyed a hint of civilisation, sipping cocktails, and sending out New Year greetings to friends courtesy of their wifi. The evening was rounded off with fireworks and a massive bonfire on the beach, before we were sent back to our boat on a dinghy.

On the fifth day we headed back to Kawthaung. Despite high expectations we did not see any whale sharks or manta rays on the trip, but lots of turtles, smaller rays and a black-tip shark. Nevertheless the experience was unforgettable and a trip to Myanmar’s ‘mystic islands’ is highly recommended before they become more popular and accessible. Enjoy. g

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

22 SPORTS

The Greatness of

Manny Pacquiao

By Mimi Wu

Manny Pacquiao, aged 17, train at LM Gym in 1996, Manila, Philipines. He made 20 USD per fight, today he gets 20 million USD per fight. Photos by Gerhard Jörén

Manny Pacquiao’s spirit to survive and thrive has pulled him up from abject poverty to become an inspiration to his nation and the second greatest boxing champion in the world.

M

aaaannnnnny Pac-Man Pacquiiaaaooo,” rang out Michael Buffer. A hushed anticipation fell over the crowd as Manny Pacquiao, 36, entered the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for the Fight of the Century. With a wide smile, he looked ready to take on undefeated five-division world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather,

“

Jr., 38, in front of 16,500 live audience members, to combine their welterweight world titles.

Pacquiao, the first and only eight-division world champion, has inspired his home nation of the Philippines and the millions of fans who tuned in around the world for the super fight, six years in the making. Prefight, he had recorded 57 wins, five losses, and two draws with 38 knockouts since turning professional in 1995.

Kneeling in front of his corner, Pacquiao was undoubtedly the crowd favorite. Wild cheers and chants of his name erupted throughout the match, amidst the chorus of boo’s lodged at Mayweather.

Global crowd support was not enough to crown Pacquiao.

In an hour, Mayweather’s sharp accuracy and defensive counterattacks ultimately won him the title of greatest fighter of our generation. Yet for the long awaited and hyped clash, the fight proved ultimately disappointing.

While fighting experts spoke of masterful technique, laymen witnessed nothing more than Mayweather dancing around for 12 rounds with boring output. As the highest grossing fight in history (earning at least $300 million) with nosebleed tickets starting at $1,500 and pay-per-view costing $100, the world expected drama and entertainment but received little of either.

Per his offensive fighting style, Pacquiao initiated their engagement in the first round, even actively hunting Mayweather, and he was seen throughout the game to unleash a flurry of punches that many

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

SPORTS 23 instincts, you learn to survive, and you can use it later in life. That’s an asset.”

Manny Pacquiao, born on December 17, 1978 in the southern Philippines, learned to survive on the streets.

After his parents separated, his family of seven lived in a cardboard shack in abject poverty. Some days, his only sustenance was water. At 12 years old, Pacquiao dropped out of school to sell cigarettes, then ran away at 15 after his father ate his dog. He eventually turned to boxing to feed his family, fighting for $2 per game in his early days. In contrast, this fight will earn him roughly $120 million.

Jörén and Pacquiao’s meeting in Manila was purely coincidental. “I was going to do a profile on [then flyweight world champion] Luisito Espinosa for a magazine in Hong Kong, but he didn’t show up for one or two days, so I waited for him…and I focused on other guys.”

Pacquiao was “shy but confident” and trained harder than other boxers. “He had this kind of wetsuit […] to make you sweat more.”

Jörén worked to gain his trust before photographing what is now an iconic photo of Pacquiao, one that ESPN recently bought prior to Saturday’s match.

“When you can build that trust, then the work becomes very genuine. […] What’s behind individuals, that’s really what’s triggering me. And not chasing the famous. Manny became famous,” but it was his dedication and hunger that caught Jörén’s initial attention.

Not long after, Pacquiao earned his first world championship title.

By late 2008, Pacquiao had achieved superstar status upon winning a technical knockout victory in his eighth round against Oscar de la Hoya. In 2009, Mayweather Promotions’ CEO knew a match-up with Pacquiao was the next step in Mayweather’s career.

quipped was more restrained than previous fights. But Pacquiao’s jabs and punches often failed to connect, unlike Mayweather’s scientific precision, which he doled out sparingly. This was owed to Mayweather’s strong defensive fighting that rarely offered Pacquiao any prime real estate. The winner also had the advantage of a longer reach.

From the beginning, negotiations were mired in conflict over Olympic-style drug testing. There were also insults and racist rants. Pacquiao filed a lawsuit against Mayweather for defamation regarding Pacquiao’s alleged use of banned substances (they settled). Two rounds of failed negotiations in early 2010 and mid-2010 stalled the match.

Pacquiao himself was stunned. “I thought I won the fight… I thought I caught him many more times than he caught me.”

In early 2014, Mayweather accused Pacquiao of desperately chasing the fight for financial reasons to pay off back taxes he supposedly owes the Filipino government. Interestingly, Mayweather – who nicknamed himself ‘Money’ – is not only economical in the ring.

He was spotlighted for his unyielding quest for ever more wealth, which turned many spectators off prior to their 2015 match. Pacquiao responded with a sincere challenge to fight simply for the love of boxing and for the fans and to donate all proceeds to charity.

Despite the loss, Pacquiao has garnered international fame for his “warrior's will,” described Gerhard Jörén, a Swedish photographer with 30 years of experience, who photographed the fighter in 1997 when he was still relatively unknown. “If you have these killer

Few people have “made a journey of rags to riches like Manny has,” said Jörén. Pacquiao’s hard experiences and perhaps his recommitment to religion have made him “sympathetic to those in need, but he’s hopeless with managing money. He lives in a posh area, the

most expensive in Manila. Neighbors have said so many people come to visit him, and many of them are poor, but he doesn’t turn anyone away. He’s said he will move because of the annoyance to the neighbors.”

Pacquiao’s generosity and loyalty is certainly received by his entourage, including the many journalists who travel alongside the boxer. Of personal importance is Restituto ‘Buboy’ Fernandez, Pacquiao’s long friend and the only person who has witnessed all of Pacquiao’s 419 rounds in the ring.

“He used to be the guy who, when I took the photo, was the caretaker of the gym,” shared Jörén. “Manny trained his caretaker to be his trainer, which is a very unique way of doing it. They were childhood friends,” and Pacquiao looked after him as a father would.

On January 13, 2015, both camps finally reached agreeable terms and set their match for Saturday, May 2. Mayweather declined the charitable route, instead pocketing nearly $180 million.

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, did go on record saying that Pacquiao’s desire to fight Mayweather was greater than his opponent’s desire.

Pacquiao was certainly the more active fighter throughout the match, but Mayweather’s skilled defense and quick, accurate straight punches unanimously scored higher across all three judges with two scores of 116112 and a slightly wider spread of 118-110.

In the end, Manny Pacquiao’s desire was not enough; the result testified to the greatness of Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring [if definitely not outside the ring].

Yes, Pacquiao has lost this fight, but he has lost before, and he has proven he can overcome adversity in life and in the ring. He wears many hats, including a basketball player, actor, and member of the Philippines House of Representatives. He is preparing to contest for one of 24 senate seats and then, perhaps, Pac-Man for President in 2022. g

Photos can be viewed and purchased on www.gerhardjorencom

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

24 BUSINESS

Photos by Hong Sar

Yangon Bakehouse Mimi Wu sat down with Seng Ja and Kelly Macdonald to hear how Yangon Bakehouse is tackling social inequality one cookie at a time.

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he aroma of freshly baked treats wafted out from Yangon Bakehouse’s training kitchen, and it took a huge effort to ignore its temptation and head upstairs to their office. It was a modest room abuzz with activity and a homey, genuine cheerfulness that drives such a positive interaction between staff and customer.

The environment reflects the vision of YBH founders. Kelly Macdonald, Cavelle Dove, Phyu Phyu Tin, and Heatherly Bucher, who launched YBH to provide moderately priced, healthy Western-style choices at a time when options were limited. The cafe’s sandwiches, some of the best salads in town, and delectable baked goods, all have a fresh homemade appeal. It is this factor that has successfully culled a community of loyal patrons since YBH opened in April 2013. The cafe was not born out of a culinary passion but rather a passion to help the community. Kelly and Seng Ja, the cafe’s Training Program Manager, who has been with the company since its opening, focus much of

their daily attention to this aspect of the business.

“We looked at some of the issues that women were facing, largely due to economic reasons, being economically disadvantaged and poorly educated. Women were in low-income jobs, and in the informal sector they were risking their health in demeaning jobs. There’s no safety net, so we wanted to empower women,” explained Kelly.

Addressing social inequalities is what sets YBH apart from other cafes. The founders believed that a successful social enterprise requires identifying firstly what social issue to address, before identifying a business that can sustain the cause. Further, social enterprises do not pay out dividends. “We are a social business. We are not investors; we are founders. So the profits go back into the training program.”

The training program is two-fold: a six-month internship for university students to work front of house,

and a ten-month apprentice program for disadvantaged women to receive kitchen training.

Seng Ja first joined as an intern. “I didn’t have any experience in restaurants or the food and beverage industry. I learned about hygiene, customer service, and organisation. I totally improved my speaking skills because I use English with the founders and customers every day.”

While the internship program provides meaningful experience for students’ resumes, YBH’s main thrust is their apprentice program, which has already graduated 45 students. Female intakes are selected twice a year, in January and July.

“We link with iNGOs and NGOs that provide health and social services to identify apprentices,” said Kelly. “We intake women who used to be in the sex trade, who are family members of HIV-positive people, who used to be seamstresses, who are just poor.”

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

BUSINESS 25 To ensure the program’s sustainability, Yangon Bakehouse has had to scale up sufficiently to cover the costs. This has been made possible by expanding their Pearl Condo site, opening at MICT Park last year, and preparing a new site on Inya Rd to open after Thingyan where they will focus on an expanded breakfast menu and kids play area.

Apprentices begin with three months of culinary skills, training in the cold kitchen, hot kitchen, and bakery. This is followed by seven months of live practical training at one of YBH’s cafes. The women also receive an hour-long English class daily, as well as computer training. To incorporate Kelly’s previous career knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, apprentices also learn about their own bodies, legal rights, and family roles, including information on sexual violence, cancer and how to check themselves for it, maternal and child nutrition, and gender issues.

a difficult life, but I see them. Now I feel like I’m the one who is going to help, to share the knowledge with them. It helps me live.”

It was obvious from the way Kelly patiently encouraged Seng Ja throughout our interview that she is profoundly invested in building all of YBH’s program participants’ confidence and offering them new experiences. In particular, Kelly emphasises, “apprentices have operated in their own little community and world, we’re expanding their world. Often you can see a change in the way they see themselves. We believe it’s a holistic approach. If we’re taking women who are coming from disadvantaged situations, we believe they will go back with this knowledge and skills.”

After graduation, apprentices receive resume development and interview training, and are checked on for the next three months. What is compelling is that YBH not only teaches useful skills, but they also actively seek placements for their apprentices in other small, similarly operating workplaces. This is incredibly important to ensure talent is utilised in the formal sector.

Seng Ja added, “We have to understand that, and we really have to be very helpful to them. We have a dropout rate of about 15%. We start at 6.00am and finish at 7.00pm, so this timeframe doesn’t match for all of them. They mightn't be able to come at 6.00am because at that time they’re supposed to cook for their family. They may find that standing up all day and working in a busy kitchen, isn’t really the fit for them.”

Kelly went on to explain, “They’ve come from the informal economy, where the hours are flexible, the work is flexible. For many of them, this is the first time that they’ve accepted such a commitment.”

Seng Ja now works as the Training Program Manager, “I learned about the lives of disadvantaged women. I started to understand the difficulties they face in daily life. It’s really encouraged me. At first, I felt like I had

“This has been an instrumental part of a holistic program of empowering women,” Kelly nodded. “The interns are already educated women, but we’re trying to bring them in to look at other people’s lives through a different perspective, and meeting other disadvantaged women that have fallen through the safety net, so they have a different perspective.”

Kelly and the founders are also brainstorming about how to better involve the community. “We want to get better at linking with other like-minded businesses, and we’re trying to be creative in our partnerships and to grow those partnerships. The more people buy into what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and why we’re doing it as a business, that’s what makes us successful. We really believe in involving the community in our entire program. We’ve reached out to female guest trainers from Monsoon and L’Opera restaurants.

We’ve had great support from Sule Shangri-La Hotel.

They gave a tour of the kitchen and kitchen hygiene training. Andaman Capital gave in-kind support by reviewing our finances. The Governors Residence donated their old bread mixer. The more ownership we can get into it, the stronger the program.”

Over the last few years, I’ve grown skeptical of social businesses as many only use the label but operate entirely as for-profit enterprises. However, Yangon Bakehouse truly is a model of social entrepreneurship – one that emphasises a social cause, entirely reinvests its profits, and involves the community. My interview with Kelly and Seng Ja made clear just how genuinely devoted YBH is to supporting Myanmar women from practical training, to finding lasting positions in the formal sector.

“I truly believe in this model. For myself personally, I feel like this is an alternative paradigm to address development issues. It is a sustainable model, and we’re doing well. If we’re doing well, we can self-fund our model.” g

Yangon Bakehouse: Pearl Condo, Block C, Ground Floor, Kabar Aye Pagoda Rd, Yangon.

Ph: 01 557 448 ext. 818.

26 CHEF’S PROFILE

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

Photos by PT@images

Spanning Success from Yangon to Dubai

BY AIMEE LAWRENCE Whether or not a career in the kitchen was predetermined by his family heritage, a teenaged Zin Maw Win left the roost and spread his wings to the Middle East where he progressed at a rapid pace. Energised by Yangon’s ‘opening up’, he has returned, and can be found dishing up salt and peppered calamari at the much hyped Hummingbird, his eye set on spreading the seeds of success amongst his countrymen.

Z

in Maw Win hails from a line of culinary talents with five male family members also claiming the kitchen as their working arena.

Whether he chose the kitchen or in fact, the kitchen chose him, the driven 30-year-old from South Okkalapa Township has - to the immeasurable joy of his family - raised the bar with his steadfast progression overseas and growing number of international accolades.

With knowledge acquired from humble beginnings, cooking traditional Burmese dishes in his family home. At 16 he entered a training course at Kandawgyi Palace Hotel where he would spend the following two months experimenting with Asian and European cuisine.

The wheels were firmly set in motion and on invitation of his uncle, the now 17 year-old embarked on

a path charged with equal measures of excitement, challenges and invaluable experiences through the Middle East – a path which has found itself frequently entwined with Yangon’s growing professional chef community.

“I was very fortunate to have my uncle already living in Dubai. For a young man with no professional experience in the kitchen and fairly limited English speak-

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

CHEF’S PROFILE 27

I’m inspired by the energy that’s got the creative juices of locals and expatriates flowing. More and more people from across the world are moving to Yangon.

ing skills, the transition from Yangon to Dubai can be intimidating and overwhelming. So I was lucky to have the support of my uncle and adapted quickly to what was to become my home for nearly ten years.”

It was at the Mina A’Salam Hotel, one of the four hotels that complete the luxury Dubai resort, Madinat Jumeirah, where he realised his potential. and was promoted from commis 3 to commis 2 within four months – a position he held for four years.

After a brief return to Yangon he was back in the Middle East. A six month stint in Bahrain as Chef de Partie saw him broadening his repertoire to include exotic, high-end Japanese cuisine at the Bushido Restaurant and Lounge - an establishment which boldly paved the way for the Japanese restaurant scene in the Middle East.

In 2009, he was once again consumed by the unparalleled luxury of Dubai’s hospitality industry as he took up position at Atlantis, The Palm - a prominent world-renowned and multiple-award winning resort which is considered a culinary destination.

His ambition and capability shone through, and he closed the gap within the ranks by being promoted to sous chef within twelve months. It was a promotion which brought increased responsibility in both size and numbers and due to his age would initially prove to be Zin Win’s most challenging transition yet.

“Being promoted to sous chef within a year, topped off with it being at a five star award-winning resort in Dubai, was fantastic. It definitely made my family proud and for me, was proof of how valuable self-determination can be. I didn’t allow myself to be complacent. I was constantly on the road to self-improvement with my cooking knowledge and technique.

“Initially I could have described the step-up as being a little bittersweet. I was younger than some of my peers and was now in a higher position of authority which can naturally create feelings of jealousy and resentment. I had to prove that despite being younger I could own this role and take charge of my new responsibilities in such a way that the kitchen workload was well-organised and service flowed.

“I had to earn the respect of my colleagues which thankfully I managed to do fairly quickly.”

As promotions were quick to flow, individual medal awards began to accumulate, with his concocted

menus and live cooking performances earning him multiple bronze and silver medals during his time in Dubai. A natural team player, group successes also followed as he played a crucial role in the Myanmar Chefs Association team in the 2013 and 2014 prestigious Pattaya City Culinary Challenge, which in both instances saw the teams collect the Bronze Medal Award.

During the decade he spent progressing professionalli in the Middle East, absorbing the wealth of his internationally influenced surroundings, Myanmar had itself been progressing at a rapid rate. Yangon had come to present itself as a city weighing in on a new scale of oopportunity.

Having excelled in Dubai, and feeling in need of a change and recognising the buzz surrounding Yangon, he permanently returned to his homeland in 2014.

He can now be found dishing up Latin American inspired dishes in Yangon’s new kid on the dining block, Hummingbird, which is living up to its hype and all set to become an institution amongst Yangon’s trendiest.

“The Yangon I left around ten years ago is completely different to what I’m seeing now. It’s continuing to transform and I wanted to become a part of that.

I wanted to come back and use my experiences in working with different cuisines and fine dining to help put Yangon’s dining scene on the map.

“I’m inspired by the energy that’s got the creative juices of locals and expatriates flowing. More and more people from across the world are moving to Yangon.

Here is a chance for me to get behind its growth by sharing my knowledge and skills with young, talented aspiring chefs.

“The advice that I would give to those aspiring chefs would be passionate about learning. Learning doesn’t end in the kitchen which is what keeps it so fresh and what I find so rewarding about being a chef. Being able to keep your concentration in a fast-paced, demanding environment is a must as is being patient.”

Zin Win may even unknowingly already be an inspiration to the adolescents of Myanmar’s community who are looking to pursue careers in the industry after starring in MRTV-4’s The Chef Cooking Show of which he was first runner up in 2014.

When asked what other challenges face the culinary community here in Yangon, Zin Win states that there is still a stigma attached to men becoming professional chefs, as cooking is often seen to be mainly a woman’s responsibility. He hopes to help dissolve this notion as he sees that the kitchen should be free of gender inequalities.

If he wasn’t tackling the flavours and textures of the kitchen, he would have loved to have been a football player and considers Manchester United’s players as his heroes with one of his dreams being to visit Old Trafford one day.

The ball has certainly been rolling in the right direction for Zin Win for some time and it seems set to continue as he takes aim during a window of opportunity. g

28 BISTRONOMY

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

gravy of the Butter Chicken and the velvety Saag Paneer (creamed spinach with cheese).

BAWARCHI INDIAN RESTAURANT

One of the highlights was the Dum Biriani which is baked in a clay pot sealed with dough, pressure cooking the ingredients inside without drying them out. Rest assured, this is a far cry from the oily roadside birianis so common in Yangon. The Bawarchi version incorporates layers of fragrant rice with delicate spices and marinated chicken in a beautiful presentation.

EAT LIKE A KING

BY ZARA DANG

WHAT IT IS Back in the days when kings ruled India, they never went anywhere without their Bawarchi, or personal chefs. These highly skilled chefs not only cooked extravagant meals, but also mixed spices for specific health benefits, and made sure the food was never tampered with by enemies or rivals. The restaurant pays tribute to its namesake by incorporating some of these traditions. All the spices come directly from India as does the head chef who hand blends each of the masalas daily. This strict adherence to traditional cooking methods and attention to detail shines through in the delectable dishes served at Bawarchi.

ATMOSPHERE Though it’s not a big space, the atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming with about ten tables and a few cozy booths. In keeping with the royal theme some of the wall decorations depict images from tales of the ancient kings.

Friendly tip: the restrooms are located in the main part of the attached building, on the third floor.

RECOMMENDATIONS The menu offers a range of meat and seafood choices, including plenty of vegetarian options. We were told that it’s traditional to start the meal with a tikka (Indian bbq dish). The carefully

HUMMINGBIRD

AFLUTTER WITH FLAVOUR

BY ZARA DANG WHAT IT IS The Yangon food scene is humming with news of last week’s grand opening of this new restaurant. The founders’ goal was to provide fine dining in a relaxed atmosphere, and they accomplished it beautifully. The New Zealand chef has worked at five star hotels around the world and draws a lot of inspiration from his time in Belize. Finally someone is cooking authentic Latin American flavours in Yangon!

ATMOSPHERE The three-story colonial building has been lovingly renovated using mostly reclaimed and repurposed materials.

They’ve preserved as much of the original charm as possible, showing off arched doorways and stained glass

windows. The wooden decor and light fixtures create a warm light giving you the feeling of sitting in a cozy living room, rather than a restaurant.

The ground floor offers a peek into the kitchen and seating for 42 people, the first floor has a lounge feel with a bar and inviting sofas, and the rooftop

marinated Chicken Tikka was grilled with a nice char on the outside, while remaining wonderfully juicy inside.

The complex flavour included a kick of chili and a slight acidic zing that reminded us a bit of American Buffalo chicken. For vegetarians I highly recommend the Bharwan Paneer. The generous slices of cheese are marinated on the outside, but also have a bit of masala in the middle, giving the mild cheese an incredible amount of flavor.

Bawarchi offers three types of naan, garlic, butter and plain. While delicious in their own right, the real reason you want them is to soak up the decadent garden will have a covering so you can still enjoy the outdoors during rainy season.

RECOMMENDED The bartenders mix up creative concoctions like Smoky Rosemary and the refreshing Lychee Lemongrass Smash. The food menu is divided into tapas, appetizers, main courses, and a short but decadent desert list.

We kicked-off with the Red Snapper Ceviche that has a pleasant balance of tangy citrus and meaty snapper. Next were the Beef Empanadas which are spot-on with perfectly spiced meat inside a delicate pocket of fried dough, served with a side of smooth mango dipping sauce. The never-frozen New Zealand steaks are the best I’ve had so far in Yangon, cooked exactly to the doneness you request, with a choice of Chimichurri or Hollandaise sauces. The surprising dark horse was the Locro, an amazing Argentinian stew of beef and vegetables so savoury and hearty that we nearly licked the bowl clean. The complex spice mix features the smoky taste of chillies without any of the heat, allowing you to

PRICES Ranges from 3,000 Ks to 22,000 Ks FINAL THOUGHTS Whether you’re craving a favourite dish, or curious to try North Indian cuisine for the first time, Bawarchi is definitely worth a visit! They’ve only been open for a few months so their staff is still in the training stages, but they are very friendly and eager to please. Also worth noting, they offer home delivery and full-service catering for events of all sizes.

No 37, Ground Floor 1, La Pyayt Wun Plaza, Alan Pya Pagoda Road, Dagon Township | Ph: 09 2535 00002 Daily 11am to 11pm really explore all of the flavours. For vegetarians, the curried quail egg are a nice choice, but the chef will also make vegetarian dishes on request.

Let your server know if you have dietary restrictions at your table and they will happily come up with something special for you. Leave room for the banana fritter with caramel sauce, you won’t be sorry PRICES Cocktails: US$7-8 Wine: US$8 (glass), US$28+ (bottles) Tapas: US$3-5 Appetizers: US$5-8 Mains: US$14-26 FINAL THOUGHTS Hummingbird is a must-visit and we bet you won’t be going there only once. The good news is that the founders are also thinking about opening a bakery, catering service and a few other restaurants, so we have several other things to look forward to.

76 Phone Gyi st, Lanmadaw Tsp Ph: 09 250 292 074 Opening Hours : 12pm – Late

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

WINDERMERE HILL CAFE MIDTOWN HIDEAWAY

BY MAX TOOMEY far better for it. One has a choice of bacon or sausage to go with the latter.

Whilst there was too little meat on the rashers, the sausages were great.

For those from other climes there’s an American option replete with pancakes and a breakfast of a more European style.

For a quick, healthier snack the salads should not be missed. The Greek salad, with feta, tomato, onions lettuce and olives didn’t knock you into next week but was an excellent reasonably priced option for those that might not want breakfast at lunch.

WHAT IT IS Nestled on the quiet, S-shaped Chindwin Road, just off of the ever busy U Wisara, the Windermere Hill Café is an island of calm in the turbulence of traffic that surrounds it. The menu aims for simple, good food in a pleasant space.

ATMOSPHERE As it is set a little way off the Chindwin road itself,it’s very easy to imagine you’re in the middle of nowhere. The surrounding is quiet; a small garden area, complete with singing birds and jovial squirrels is bounded by a series of interlinked units ranging in décor from the kitsch to chic coffee house.

The Windermere feels a world away from the chaos of the city about it.

RECOMMENDATION The Windermere feels like primarily a coffee house and both the coffee and frappes are very good. The food doesn’t make a wild leap into the unknown, going more for tasty comfort foods. Whilst pastas are decent fare the all-day breakfast is the big draw.

The English breakfast is testament to the time that owner Thein Thein spent in the UK. The hash brown was lovely and crisp, the home-made baked beans a far cry from the canned variety and

A wide variety of frappes, teas and coffees are available – for an extra 50 cents you can even get Starbucks coffee…

PRICES Coffee/Blended Drinks: US$3 All-day Breakfast: US$5 Pastas: US$4-5 Salad: US$3 LAST THOUGHTS This is the kind of place you could very happily spend all day. In fact I pretty much did. The food, for the price you pay, makes it a great place to stop by for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.

The small rooftop and charming garden make this a perfect spot to spend a time unwinding, and high tech coffee machine (manned by people who know how to use it) makes it a great place to spend the day (they Wi-Fi’s pretty good too). For those looking for a meeting space there’s even a small conference room with a projector. Not the place I’d take a date but definitely somewhere to go with friends or by yourself to get things done.

63 Chindwin road, (Near The Blazon Condo at U Wisara Road) Kamaryut Township, Yangon Ph: 0978797620 Daily 7am to 9pm

BISTRONOMY 29

30 IN FOCUS

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

Burma

Lost & Found Marek Lenarcik’s new book, Burma Lost & Found: Three years living my dream job in the travel industry in Rangoon and beyond, was the culmination of three years of a ‘dream job’ in the travel industry, both in Yangon and Myanmar. The book will be released in April 2015. We sat down with Marek and talked about travel, tourism and getting off the beaten track.

Could you please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us how did you ended up in Myanmar?

Two weeks holidaying in Thailand in 2007 changed my life. Fed up with dreary Irish winters, I decided to leave my corporate job and, in 2009, bought a one-way ticket to Asia. Since that time I’ve worn a variety of hats. I’ve taught English in a Thai university, hosted outdoor adventures in Malaysia and organised expeditions around Southeast Asia and South America. In 2012, I moved to Yangon, following an offer from a local tour operator to become their Product & Marketing Manager. I have worked in the country’s booming tourism industry since then. I also hold a M. Phil in International Peace Studies from and a BA in Political Science.

I believe that everybody who travels to Myanmar should visit Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake. I like Mandalay, but it can be skipped if your time or budget is limited, as it doesn’t have anything really jaw dropping. I am a big fan of off-the-beaten-track places, but they need to have a reason to be visited. You could point a random place on a map and it’s likely to be non-touristy, but as such it’s probably not visited for a reason. Eventually I’d choose Mergui Archipelago for its unspoiled nature and beauty, Mrauk-U as a non-crowded alternative to Bagan, and Pindaya as there is so much more to do there than just visiting Pindaya caves.

There are so many others like Hpa-an, Loikaw, the whole Chin State, which I visited and described in the book that I am really having a hard time choosing my favourites. Myanmar is a fascinating country!

I began writing at age 17 and I’ve published numerous articles since. My work has appeared in The Washington Times, Playboy, Paranormal Magazine UK and The Times.

How can people buy your book?

The book will be available as a printed version and as an e-book for Kindle on Amazon.com in April 2015. I am also in talks with a several Southeast Asian publishers and bookstores in Myanmar to make it available in the country, as Amazon doesn’t deliver to Myanmar yet.

It will take another few months. In the meantime, I might bring a few dozens copies myself and make some kind of a launch event in Yangon, so stay tuned.

My first book Tajski epizod z dreszczykiem was published in Poland in June 2012 and quickly became a bestseller in its category. Its English version was published in February 2013 under the title This is Thailand: A Story of Love, Sex and Betrayal in the Tropics. Now we haveBurma Lost & Found, which is my second book.

Tell us about Burma Lost & Found?

In January 2011, just before political reforms in Myanmar ended a decades-old military regime, I arrived in Yangon on a short-term work assignment. Little did I know then that a broken heart and dwindling savings would lead me to pursue a dream job working for one of the country’s top tour companies. On duty as a travel product manager, I traversed the country by trains, planes and automobiles and experienced stunning landscapes, ruins of former kingdoms, exotic food and unique cultures, all in search of the best that the nation’s budding tour and

hospitality industry could offer. With stories from the emerald shores of the Andaman Sea at Ngapali beach, to the mountain peaks of Chin State, Burma Lost & Found brings humour, vivid description and insight to adventures and encounters with an eclectic cast of characters including an eccentric monk, dodgy expats, charismatic guides, gracious hosts and many more.

It seems you’ve travelled a lot around the country.

What are your favourite places and why?

Having a book delivered to or printed in Myanmar is certainly a challenge, so we wish you good luck. In the meantime can we get a taster of the book?

You can visit the official webpage at www.burmalostandfound.com to download three sample chapters of the book. I’ve also published a lot of excerpts from different parts of the book on my blog www.lifeinthetropics.org, which also has a Facebook component, as does the novel.

Thanks Marek, and good luck with the book!

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

IN FOCUS 31

A more classical solo show, interior of artist Kyee Myintt Saw’s exhibition, Lokanat, April 2014

THE CROSS-SECTION OF HALF A CENTURY:

LOKANAT GALLERIES

BY BORBÁLA KÁLMÁN There is a gallery in Yangon that not only provides new exhibitions almost every week, bringing fresh talents to the surface as well as reviving the work of elder masters, but also allows a genuine trip to the past when one visits its space.

As most of the Yangon exhibition places, Lokanat Galleries is located on one of the upper floors of a Downtown building. The journey starts as soon as one enters Pansodan Street No 62; just take a look at the extravagant, imported original tiles! Formerly known as Sofaer’s Buildings or Randeria House, today the edifice is mostly referred to as ‘Lokanat Building’.

The majestic late Neo-Renaissance structure, erected in the first decade of the 20th century is the result of the ambitious dream of Isaac A. Sofaer, a Baghdad-born Jewish trader who arrived to Yangon as a kid. Since its first days, the building has been housing numerous types of shops and businesses, among its residents were the Reuters Telegram Company and German photographer Philip Klier. After World War II, some government related offices sadly replaced these. In 1969, one of the locations used by an Indian-owned sugar mill company was about to be handed to the respective ministry when a small group of determined men had the pioneer thought to turn it into a gallery. After two years, during which the space was closed for reconstruction, Lokanat Galleries opened in 1971 thanks to the efforts, amongst others, of U Ba Than, U Ye Tun and KT U Tint Lwin who, till today,

teaches English and Law in a small office at the back of the gallery. Diplomats and ambassadors were invited to the opening where they strolled around together with the art scene’s main representatives. A historical moment it was; today, it is the only gallery in town that has continuously been functioning since 44 years.

Lokanat Galleries, one of the ‘ancestors’ of all Yangon galleries is a busy space, booked ahead for a whole year if not for more. It is a community-run place of prestige; enabling artists with most various artistic approaches to showcase their works to the world. Thou-

sands of stories and secrets are held by the walls of the deteriorated building, which still guards the dignity of its luxurious past. The unavoidable, essential Lokanat Galleries is the art space from where most of the artist of the Myanmar art scene have made their first steps.

Lokanat Galleries 1st Fl., No 62, Pansodan Street (Lower Block), Kyauktada Tsp., Yangon | +95 1 382 269 Open 9:00am – 5:00pm daily www.lokanatgalleries.com

32 HEALTH

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

Lemon in

Myanmar Daily Life

By Thetkatho Soe Moe Naing Recently, a rumour went viral regarding a bad spirit with a bald head, which everyone could see. He visited a home in Myay Lat City, Pyay Region, causing trouble. In this circumstance, lemon is said to be the best weapon to prevent such a danger. It’s been noticed that in Myanmar, lemon is used as an antidote regarding supernatural/ spirit matters. There is a belief that keeping a lime/lemon around you, can prevent you from becoming the captive of such powers. **

Photo by Troy Tolley

Lemon is often included when Myanmar people prepare food. Among everyday fruits, lemon and citron are the most eaten fruits. It is mentioned in the medical books that lemon is the same botanical family as citron, as the sourness in lemon is the same as citron; but according to Myanmar physicians’ perspective, the benefits and effectiveness are different.

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Effectiveness according to medical books Lemon is sour. It helps digestion and fights against toxic bacteria. It can help vomiting, coughing, sore throat and asthma.

Usefulness of Lemon 1. Drinking lemon relieves fatigue and prevents diseases, especially those occurring in the abdomen.

2. Intake of lemon juice with a bit of sugar cures intoxications due to cocaine overdose, alcohol excess intake and food poison.

3. Drinking the juice of a half slice of lemon with strong coffee can prevent illness according to medical books, 4. In Myanmar, we drink lemon juice right after having sweet and oily food (eg; coconut noodle, butter rice, biryani). This habit is known to prevent the onset of diabetes.

5. Inhale the aroma of lemon if you are dizzy. According to Myanmar medical books, putting the right size of lemon in the mouth can gradually heal speech impairment. According to modern scientists, lemon contains more vitalising acid than any other fruits. It also has the ability to destroy bacteria. Due to bacteria in organs, we suffer from bowel problems.

6. Drinking lemon juice systematically soothes arthritis and indigestion.

7. Rubbing lemon on skin helps skin problems, seborrheic dermatitis and hair loss.

Lemon, which we usually see around us, is not only food but also useful medicine if we know how to use it properly. As it is said, “Food is medicine, Medicine is food”, Lemon is a great natural medicine. g

34 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.

Astrologer, philosopher, traditional medicine practitioner and author, Tetkatho Soe Moe Naing looks to the celestial bodies to predict what lies ahead in May, this month focusing on love and business.

In Myanmar astrology, star signs are determined by which day you were born. Each sign represents its own day, cardinal direction (utmost importance), planet (celestial body) and animal.

SUNDAY

Good Time It is a good time to change your house or office. You have a new idea for your life. Again and again increase your responsibilities for family. Your will offer valuable things to a respected person. You will get a reward from an elder person. You will fulfil family member’s needs. You will be travelling to a foreign country to cure your illness.

Love – You will continue your love story. Your lover and you will travel to domestic and foreign countries light heartedly.

Business – You will benefit from international trade.

You’ll get an opportunity from relatives due to their business problems. You’ll take care, and receive satisfaction from consumers.

Lucky numbers – 3.6.8.2 Lucky colour – Orange.

MONDAY

Struggle Time You realise life is a struggle.

You walk slowly in your life, but never turn back. Your attitude will result in excellence. You will approach your goal patiently. This month will be a good month for you and everything will be alright. You will join a voyage journey. You should drink a cup of milk for health.

Love – You will love your lover more than anything in the world. Your lover will be attractive, with casual style.

Business – You will benefit from export and import.

You’ll get a machine for business. You can solve cost increase problems.

Lucky numbers – 3.6.5.8 Lucky colour – Violet.

MYANMORE InDepth Magazine / May 2015

You will face challenges.

But everything will be ok in the end of the month.

You should do exercises in the morning to be healthy and stay fresh.

Love – You will find the right partner for your long life. Your lover has elegant fashion style. Your lover will be thoughtful and serious.

Business – In business, you will benefit from buying and selling commodities. You will be introduced to important businessmen.

Lucky numbers – 1.4.7 Lucky colours – Strawberry & red.

FRIDAY TUESDAY

Trying Time You do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

You will prepare to face the worst. Your action will affect your fortune. You will be exhausted due to long journey. You should breathe fresh air for your health.

Love – You will fell in love with good-natured lover, and enjoy true love. Your lover is pure hearted.

Business – You will try to maintain present conditions. Your management is good and you will be proud of your success.

Lucky numbers – 1.4.7.2 Lucky colours – Ivory & white.

Better Time During this month, everything will begin to get better. You will communicate with friends. You will benefit from buying and selling a motor vehicle. You will visit a famous palace and live in a foreign country. You will get a message that will improve your life. You will be an independent person.

Love – Your lover will be a completely serious person. You will be interested in your lover’s manner.

Business – In business, you will make an important decision. You will create a new invention. Your business will improve and develop step by step.

Lucky numbers – 1.5.8 Lucky colours – Blue & grey.

WEDNESDAY

SATURDAY

THURSDAY

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

Contact: 09 5012767

Wealth and Happiness Time You will discuss important matter with your parents. You will give respect to them. If you follow your parent’s advice, you will be wealthy and happy. You should listen modern and lovely songs for relaxation. You will have a good time with your family member during the month. You should avoid smoking and drinking beer.

Love – Everybody will be astonished by your love story. You will find innocent lover, it seems like a stroke of good luck.

Business - You will enjoy efficiency. You will travel internationally on business for foreign trade.

Lucky numbers – 3.6.8 Lucky colours – Pinny & pink.

Extra Care Needed Time You will be at the centre of your rivals’ attention.

They will watch your action like poisonous snakes looking for revenge. Your lifestyle isn’t comfortable.

Simple Time You realise a simple lifestyle, and will be clever and smart. Victory has a hundred fathers, defeat is an orphan. You will take advice from elder and experienced persons. Everybody in the environment will admire your style. You will hear good news from one of your family members.

You will pay respect to holy men during this month.

You will be a lucky person. You will recover from a long illness.

Love – When you attend a friend’s wedding party, you will discover your beautiful lover and fall in love with him/ her.

Business – You will succeed rapidly because of your perseverance. Sometimes you will face competition with your rivals.

Lucky numbers – 2.4.0 Lucky colour – Dark.

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