The colonial past followed by years of political rigidity and isolation have undoubtedly left great majority of Myanmar people balancing their existence at the poverty line. However, if anything good has come out of it, probably as a coicindental side-effect, then it’s the conservation of Myanmar old ways, traditions and customs. Moreover, their tough past has most likely also shaped the people’s ability to remain positive, creative and resourceful, always finding solutions, no matter how temporary or fragile.

Applying grinded and dissolved Thanaka wood to the face as a natural make-up and sun protection is a distinctive feature of the Myanmar culture.

Although the westernization is now slowly creeping into the society, as I was walking through the country’s dusty streets and busy markets I felt like taking a leap at least fifty years back in time. There I was bound to find old-fashioned objects and vehicles, that the modern times have long gone replaced with rather dull minimalist alternatives, and to notice people’s modest everyday routines – this is where Myanmar’s particular charm lies.

Tuk-tuks and bicycles I found on every corner looked like museum exhibits. However, they actually testify about the people’s habit to conserve and fix old things because they are passed to new generations…at least this has been the case up to now…
Run-down and slow, but still defying time. Myanmar old colonial trains inevitably led me to a journey to the most authentic scenes of messy city outskirts, modest and peaceful rural life and impressive landscapes.

A day in Myanmar starts even before the dawn, with lighting a fire to prepare the traditional Myanmar tea – a bitter black tea deliciously mellowed with condensed and evaporated milk. Soon after the sunrise, I used to join the locals in the tea shops where they exchange news or read the newspapers with the cup of hot tea. It’s also the time when I could see numerous Buddhist monks walking the streets and receiving food from the locals, a tradition called Alms Giving.

The unique and strong tradition of laphet yay, the Myanmar tea, has mixed roots – the tea was first introduced through ancient trading routes from China to India; Myanmar people then started to consume fermented tea leaves (nowadays the country’s iconic dish); and finally, during the British colonial period, the first tea shops appeared.

The markets and the streets quickly turn into a paradoxical synchronization of vivid colors of traditional dresses, umbrellas, fruits, spices and all sorts of goods. The laid-back lady vendors, with their faces freshly painted with thanaka, will make sure to advertise their offer in a high-pitch, but amusing voice, adding to the overall lively chaos of  noises, smells and scenes.

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By noon, everybody will have already had their lunch, either getting it from the street food stalls or going to the restaurants, where once again Myanmar people demonstrate their taste for details. They place a large metal plate with vegetables in the center of a round table for everybody to share, together with a number of small  dishes with spices and souces, a big bowl of rice and the main dish of choice, normally some kind of curry. The colorful bowls and cups, and the tea kettle add to the authentic feel.

I was lucky enough to share a lunch with the locals. The way the food is served reflects the importance of convivial closeness of those who share it.
Myanmar people traditionally eat only twice a day, like the monks. However, during the day they have snacks, such as Say Bel Ou  above – an egg painted with limestone paste and left on the sun for several days, which makes it jelly from inside, and then it’s served with onion, tomato, peanuts and sesame.
Chewing betel nut, Kun Ya, is a popular Myanmar custom. The nut is rolled in a betel leaf covered with limestone paste. When chewed, it produces an effect similar to that of smoking tobacco while also reducing appetite.

In the afternoon, by the murky riversides, I used to find women washing clothes and dishes and, before the nightfall, fishermen setting off to cast nets. The sunset in Myanmar tends to be somehow misty, but the shower of its mild delicate light seems to make the nature, animals and people sigh with relief at the end of a suffocating day.

They have earned just about enough for a day…and that is enough. Tomorrow they will repeat everything but, most importantly, they will not complain about it – they will do it all over again smiling.

The young generation, especially from the larger cities, aspires to a new ”modern” Myanmar society, with an improved education and health system, better infrastructure, more political freedom and material independence, just to mention some of their stumbling blocks.

They are on the path to achieve it, but I hope they do so by creating and following their own original models of growth. The models that would be based on the core human values that, unlike the capitalist societies, Myanmar people still preserve and that are reflected in their ways – solidarity, modesty and generosity, as oppossed to egoism, consumerism and exploitation of people and nature for material gain.

One of the sectors where such a model could already be implemented is suggested by the blogger Mario Villamiel, who recognizes the significant potential of the organic agriculture in Myanmar.

In this way, this fascinating authentic country could set an example for others, especially for the Western world.