Olympus OM-2N | Fuji Reala
Selling fried treats on one of the two stops the government "steamer" makes on the way back to Sittwe. In contrast to the boat I'd taken to Mrauk U with about 10 people and 3-4 crew, the steamer was huge and fully packed, chairs pushed up against both sides of the aisles, people sitting on the ground and standing on the stairs. I'm not sure how the vendors even found room for themselves.

The fried stuff in the basket was really tasty, if overly greasy. I really just wanted one but he didn't have change so I ended up with three. Empanada-shaped, they had glutinous rice (like mochi) coating the inside, filled with a wad of sweetened shredded coconut.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Portra 400NC
May Thinn Soe called me over to her "longyis & more" stall when I was wandering the market, exhorted me to sit, eat her mom's cooking from her lunch box, and to help her with her English phrasebook. Only 21 years old, she was already married to a 24-year-old man who subsequently went off to Brunei for work.

I quickly formed friendships with her and her buddy Than Than Win who worked the next stall, selling the same collection of longyis and homemade cotton bras with her older sister. Both were intrigued with fashion, but 25-year-old Than Than Win was more clear with her desire to move to the US and work in the field. It's easier to fantasize when you're still single, I guess.

I'd met them in the middle of my time in Mrauk U, and stopped by the market to bid farewell on my last day. They ended up picking me up at my hotel later, giving me small locally-made baskets as souvenirs, treating me to dinner and drinks—almost paying me back for the 2 longyis I'd bought from them—as I physically fought against them trying to get the waitress to take my money instead.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Portra 400NC
Inside of Shittaung, the only pagoda that is currently collecting the zone fee of $5—meaning, if you choose to skip Shittaung you can visit Mrauk U for free. It's an impressive one though, the largest in town, with detailed imagery in the hallways.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Portra 400NC
I saw Santa hats all over Mrauk U; it was puzzling, to say the least. I finally broke down and interrupted a girl eating breakfast to ask her if I could take her picture. I don't know if she had a clue why I wanted the photo.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Canon A630
Early-morning view from Shwetaung, the highest stupa in Mrauk U. I should have brought a different lens, but forgot and only had wide-angle available. Thus, the digital was the best I could do...in real life it's so much more impressive than this, though.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
Simple rice mill. The operator rides the seesaw-like mechanism and grinds the hulls off the rice in the pit. Young teacher Kyaut Nu Nwe demonstrated how the hulls were then sifted away from the grains.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
Sweet young teacher Kyaut Nu Nwe has been teaching 35 primary school students by herself for 8 months, terribly missing her family in Mrauk U. According to guide Than Htun, bribes are necessary to earn a government school teaching permit, and Kyaut Nu Nwe's parents are very poor. She seemed to enjoy her job but looked blank when we asked if she felt her impact was more important in the village than Mrauk U. The altruism option is given only to the rich.

She was planning to move to Yangon when her time in Cho Mee was up. Her sister lived there, and even though she still wouldn't be able to teach in a government school, there were far more private schools in Yangon to choose from and she wanted to make use of her university education.

She seemed like a dedicated teacher but as soon as I told her I worked in fashion, she lit up and cried, "I want to do that, too!" Well, at 21 there's always time to change your mind.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
I had gently questioned our guide Than Htun about distributing candy; trying not to offend, I mentioned the problem with keeping teeth healthy, and in a roundabout way explained I wanted to discourage creating a begging culture.

I was feeling extra-sensitive about this because the Swiss family I'd met the previous day said their guide had also brought candy and they'd bought additional candy to distribute directly. Since I assumed we were visiting the same villages, the explanation that "they only have one piece when I come, once a week," didn't really wash.

But how to argue? Htun got great pleasure out of distributing the candy, and had a child of his own so it wasn't that he didn't know the responsibilities of parenthood. The children were surprisingly respectful; they gathered around eagerly but waited their turns.

As for the teeth—with the Chin men & women taking the countrywide betelnut addiction to the extreme, perhaps the occasional sweet wasn't going to be their children's biggest problem.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X
Son of one of the tattooed ladies, also showing off the grandkid. He asked me (through Than Htun) if I dyed my hair to get it so black. Than Htun laughingly replied that this is what Chinese people look like! The man said he wished more Chinese people lived here so he could see them more. Again laughing, Than Htun told him to rent some kung fu DVDs.

Gravely, the man said that he did not get the same happy feeling from movies as he did from seeing me in person. Hmm.

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympus OM-2N | Kodak Plus-X

Posted on January 24, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)