A Photographic Look at Burmese People and Traditions

Burma has made its way into my heart, just as Norway has done and Poland before that. These places make me feel fuller, deeper, and happier.

When I think of the countries I love the most, they are all so very different, but one thing drawing them together is the people: the tight-knit community of Svalbard, the surprising warmth and generosity of the Polish, the kindness of the Japanese, and the quiet grace and gentleness of the Burmese.

Within only a few hours of stepping foot in Burma (Myanmar) I had experienced the goodwill of a young boy.

After leaving a small travel agency in Yangon which resembled nothing more than a flat-pack garage, a small boy ran in front of my stride waving something in his hand. He was out of breath but between his breaths he tried to make smiles, and as soon as I saw him doing that I wanted to scoop him up and give him a kiss. But I refrained. Only just.

He passed me what he was holding in his hand and I realised it was my map. It was a free one I’d picked up in the airport which was now all crumpled up and tearing along the crease lines. Whilst most people would have brushed it to one side, this young boy chased after me in his bare feet so he could return it back to me.

Before I could show my true appreciation, he swiftly turned around and ran back to where he’d come from. I called out thank you and he flung his arm up in the air to signal he had heard, but as quickly as he came he was gone. I watched him running until he became an unidentifiable speck in the crowd. If this was my welcome to Burma, then I was only sorry that first times only happen once.

This wasn’t an isolated instance either, on several occasions I met someone or saw something that touched me in some way or another through random acts of kindness.

Sometimes when I’m in a less economically developed country, there have been situations where I’ve felt conned or pressured into buying things, but in Burma this did not happen. Perhaps due to the Buddhist custom of being free of temptation and living a simple and honest life there wasn’t a single moment where I felt uncomfortable in that way. Every price I was given for a taxi fare, dinner or activity was fair. The only time I encountered a bartering culture was at the weekend market in Inle Lake, and I still came away with a few gifts which kept me, the customer, and seller happy.

Even when I tried to give a tip to a boat man who had gone out of his way to show me some wonderful local areas of Inle Lake he refused to accept a tip. I was flabbergasted.

Burmese people are not just noted for their incredibly kind nature, they have distinct traditions which make them memorable, and extremely photogenic.

Here are a few traditions you might see in Burma:

Thanaka

Women everywhere apply yellow paste to their faces called thanaka. Ground bark is mixed with water to create a paste which is then applied to the desired areas. Some women make fanciful patterns on their cheeks, but most opt for circles or squares. As well as being a fashion and sign of beauty, it’s believed to protect the skin from the sun, so you’ll see young children and even some men wearing it like the Intha man above!

Longyi

The Longyi looks like a sarong, but is actually made from a single piece of cylindrical cloth. Burmese people can do  everything in their longyis, from riding motorbikes, to rowing boats, and as this short clip shows, I even stumbled across a group of guys playing Chinlone (similar to football) after  rolling it up between their legs. If you end up visiting Burma and decide to buy one on the premise of blending in, make sure you tie it correctly because a man ties it differently to a woman. I met a guy from the Netherlands who told me he didn’t know he’d been wearing it incorrectly until an amused local said he was dressing like a woman! For more stories on the Longyi check out Jodi’s post on Legal Nomads: Why I Love My Burmese Longyi.

Betel Nut

‘Ruchi, there’s blood on the floor!”
That was my first assumption when a splattering of red liquid on the ground came into focus. But in a moment of synchronicity, a few boys renovating a shop in front of where I was standing took a break to spit across the pavement – that’s when the jigsaw puzzle came together. They were chewing on betel nut or betel quid, the name given to small parcels that usually contain areca nuts and sometimes tobacco, wrapped in a betel leaf coated with slaked lime. The saliva turns red from the ingredients and in turn stains the teeth so don’t be afraid if you’re greeted with a blood-filled smile – all is not what it appears to be!

Women on Bikes

There’s zero health and safety in Burma, especially on the roads. It’s absolute chaos. Every time I saw a woman sitting limply at the side of a full-speed motorbike I speculated where her fear was hiding. But what had me really biting my fingernails were the 6-people families, with babies in tow, crammed altogether on one bike.

Padaung (Long-Neck) Women

The Padaung women acquired notability through their custom of wearing heavy brass coils around their necks giving the appearance of an elongated neck. In reality, this application causes deformation of the collar bone and upper ribs, pushing the shoulders away from the head. I struggle to see how this can be comfortable in any way but I understand how accommodating our bodies can become to new conditions over time.

Although the women I saw looked happy and loved looking at the photos I took of them with my camera, I feel conflicted in my opinion towards this tradition. Whilst they might have appeared proud of their tradition, I wondered at what cost to their body?

Leg-Rowing Fishermen

Rowing with one leg in an upright position isn’t just for show, it has a number of practical advantages – it enables the fishermen to see across the lake to spot the dense weeds that are scattered just below the surface of the water. At the same time, their hands are free to handle the large cone-shaped baskets, should they see the tell-tale bubbles of fish. To learn more about this unique tradition see this earlier post.

Every face tells a story

Sometimes you see a face and feel immediately drawn to that person. This happened to me at the top of Mt. Kyaiktiyo with this man.

When I stand before thee at the day’s end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds. ~ Rabindranath Tagore

Do the Burmese people and their traditions interest you to visit?