My Blog – Page 18

Eight Days a Week

According to Burmese astrology, there are eight days in a week. They are Sunday, Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday (till noon), Rahu (Wednesday afternoon till the next morning), Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Burmese people believe that the astrological day a person was…

December 27, 2008

Travel Guide to Yangon (Rangoon) - Pagodas

Where to visit in Yangon after Shwedagon and around? After a must pay visit to Shwedagon Pagoda, one can pay a visit to other pagodas. Apart from Shwedagon, another Pagoda worth visiting is Sule Pagoda. Situated in the center of…

December 25, 2008

Yangon (Rangoon) travel guide - Shwedagon and arround

Yangon (Rangoon) is the former administrative capital of Myanmar (Burma). Although the government has moved the capital to Naypyidaw, Yangon remains the commercial capital of Myanmar (Burma). Yangon is the only port of entry in Myanmar, and because there are…

December 24, 2008

Pork on Stick (Wet-thar-dote-htoe)

This is a favorite Burmese food. Originally from Chinese community in Myanmar, it has become a popular food in cities. Called "Wet-Thar-Dote-Htoe", it literally means "Pork on Stick". Various parts of the pig are cooked with soy-bean sauce and seasoning.…

December 20, 2008

Myanmar Etiquette - General Rules

Myanmar is a country of people with deep rooted custom and religion. For a westerner visiting Myanmar, there are a number of things that they need to observe. Some of the Myanmar etiquette rules may be strange for westerners. However,…

December 21, 2008

Payae (Payel) Facial Tattoo

People in Chin Hills used to have the custom of tattooing (Payae) the face of the women. Nobody is really sure how the custom became established, but a legend was that hundreds of years ago, Burmese kings and nobles used…

December 22, 2008

Nhit-Lone, Thone-Lone - Myanmar Underground Lottery

Well, nhit-lone and thone-lone are illegal lotteries popular and widespread in Myanmar. Nhit-lone means two-digit and thone-lone means three-digit. Although thone-lone has been around in Myanmar for more than twenty years, nhit-lone gained popularity just a few years ago. To…

January 7, 2009

Burmese (Myanmar) Names

Unlike western names, there is no family name in Myanmar. Women keep their maiden names upon marriage, and children can have names which bear no relation to their parents’ names. Burmese names are either one, two or three syllables. One…

December 26, 2008

Myanmar Etiquette - How to properly address a person in Myanmar

In Myanmar, if you want to be seen polite, you should be able to use proper title when you address somebody. Burmese use appropriate titles and pronouns when addressing each other. When you are talking to an elderly male, you…

December 23, 2008

Shin Pyu - Ordination ceremonary for Myanmar Buddhists

Shin Pyu is an essential and integral part in a life of a Burmese Buddhist male. “Shin Pyu” is a ceremony in which a young Buddhist male becomes a novice in the order of The Sangha. For a Burmese Buddhist…

January 1, 2009

Yaw Buddhish Religious Custom

I was visiting a small remote town (actually a large village) in Yaw region. It was Laung-shae, a very ancient town in Myanmar, and situated in Saw township. I saw these local people on a religious procession on a Buddhist…

January 7, 2009

Khaung - Chin Traditional Beer

“Khaung” is a kind of alcoholic beverage made locally in some parts of Myanmar, mostly among ethnic people. There are various kinds of “khaung” produced locally but most widely known are Kachin and Chin khaungs. I don’t know about Kachin…

January 12, 2009