Introduction to Yangon (Rangoon)

Myanmar is a relatively a new democracy, as per Western standards of nation-building. Just came out of military dictatorship, this nation is grappling with the entry of investments, economic zones and entry of tourists.

What's in the news?

The first time I read about Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is Amy Tan’s novel, Saving the Fish from Drowning way back in 2008. That novel used a ghost perspective looking at the American tourists travelling from China to Myanmar. The tourists were kidnapped by Karen people of Myanmar as one of the American teenagers was the prophesied savior who will lead them to victory. While the tourists did not know they are even abducted but thought it was part of a great jungle adventure! The novel is half spoof and fairy tale and an irony of sorts, how can you save the fish from drowning? It’s like taking out of the fish because you’re afraid for it to get drown in deep water. And it also talked about the uneasy political situation in Burma, including the debates on changing its name.  

Anyway, I got hooked with that novel that I gave it to my younger sister as her reading assignment. And it all came back to me when my colleagues told me about Myanmar and its recent ‘reopening’ to the world after the military junta was ‘overthrown’.

Myanmar is a former British colony and an extension of the Indian province, were problematic British soldiers and ambitious Indian professionals have been tasked to serve. The country has a long history of struggle for its independence from foreign colonizers up to the military rule after.

You might also wonder, what is the correct name, Myanmar or Burma? Before, it was politically incorrect to use the name Myanmar. The U.S. government refused to use Myanmar as it does not acknowledge the name change made in 1989 by the country's military junta.

The military rulers had changed several other mispronounced name places from the British colonial period such as “Mergui” as Myeik, “Rangoon” as Yangon, “Pegu” as Bago.

The name change to Myanmar was recognized by the United Nations and by countries such as France and Japan, but not by the United States and the United Kingdom. With some political reforms made by their former President Thein Sein, it was only with President Obama’s administration that the US started to use Myanmar.

Their democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi also uses 'Burma' in English but in her statements published in Burmese she has used 'Myanmar' instead of 'Bamar'."

One of our fellow traveler asked our guide what is the politically correct one to use.  Myo, our guide said, Myanmar have 135 officially recognizes ethnic groups. Burma (Bamar), is only one of it and is considered the largest ethnic group. Renaming this ethnically diverse country means inclusivity. Myanmar, is a Burmese word of Myanma meaning “swift and strong.”

Now back to our trip.

So when you visit here, it is a must I daresay you take the Free Yangon Walk Tour by Beyond Borders that happens every Monday and  Wednesday at 4PM. The walk starts at Maha Bandula Park in front of the City Hall and Sule Pagoda. You will learn a lot of inside stories you have to read only in history books and I know you have no time for that.

Sule Pagoda, a 48 meter (152 feet) high golden dome was used by the British as the nucleus of their grid pattern for the city when it was rebuilt in the 1880s. The pagoda's peculiarity is its octagonal- shaped pagoda. which retains its shape as it tapers to the spire.

Sule Pagoda at night

This is one of the most notable landmarks and a historical area for demonstrations and large gatherings. Sule Pagoda, for one is the gathering point for the 1988 Uprising or the  8-8-88 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests and the 2007 Saffron Revolution, protests against Myanmar's military dictatorship led by the monks.

The day we arrived is the day of our walking tour too. February 27, Wednesday. It was an auspicious day too as we witnessed the huge gathering of people in support for the amendments of the 2008 Constitution.

Crowd supporting the call for the 2008 Constitution amendment at Maha Bandula Park, infront of the City Hall

Their 2008 Constitution was made during the military junta and it states that he Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces) retain significant control of the government. 25% of seats in the Parliament are reserved for serving military officers. The ministries of home, border affairs and defense have to be headed by a serving military officer. The military also appoints one of the country's two vice presidents. The Commander in Chief of the army has powers that could even rival that of the President and with absolute power on state emergencies.

Looks like a good retirement plan for the army!

There is a call to amend the said Constitution however, the benchmark to pass the amendment is also extremely high! It requires more than 75 per cent of all representatives in the national parliament, as well as more than half the votes at a national referendum. This leaves no doubt that the military controls the current constitutional amendment process, given that it occupies 25 per cent of the seats in parliament. The provision on amending the Constitution must be amended foremost to ensure that this is no longer the case.

An outsider looking in, I don’t know if they will get the votes considering the current composition of their Parliament, but boy, it was such a huge crowd and palpable excitement of a non-violent gathering. But we also saw military officers in plainclothes that day taking pictures. Memories of my student days rallying with military intelligence officers taking pictures came into my mind.

Which make us- the Philippines and Myanmar like siblings! We have that same experience in terms of military rule, dictatorship after colonization. So,  it is now surprising to see a lot of Filipino NGO workers here in Myanmar, sharing the experience about Martial Law, community organizing and development principles. And with our current President appointing retired generals in the major Cabinet positions, we Filipinos are like Myanmar, militarization of the bureaucracy! Same same but different.

The walking tour have introduced us to the colonial buildings in downtown Yangon with British colonial era designs: Victorian, Queen Anne, Neoclassical, Art Deco and British-Burmese. Many of these buildings are clustered along streets laid out in a chessboard pattern centered on the Sule Pagoda.

Downtown aerial view from http://yangonarchitecture.tumblr.com

Top: Rander House (1932) now Internal Revenue Department took over the lower floors, while the top floors were turned into apartments.

Left:  Accountant General's Office and Currency Department where collections of colonial government revenue that came from opium), salt, custom duties, railways, post offices, telegraphs and major irrigation works.

Right: Sofaer’s Building  designed by Isaac Sofaer, a Jewish immigrant from Baghdad, where Egyptian cigars & European luxury items were sold 

If you are interested more with the colonial buildings in Kyaktuada Township, Yangon's downtown area, check out Architectural Guide Yangon:  for more in-depth history of each buildings. 

We also chanced upon people preparing htamane, sticky rice along the road. 

This where the financial district thrives with smuggled books, bookshop area in Pansodan Street. We went as far as the bridge going to the jetty during sunset. One thing you will notice here, they have a lot of crows!

Inquisitive Walking Group at Myanma Port Authority on the background 

We ended the tour at Yangon Stock Exchange, formerly the Reserve Bank of India. We parted ways with our guide Myo and our fellow travelers. 

Liezl and I were famished with all the walking! So, we went back to Maha Bandula Park to try the local food in one of the many stalls offering noodles and fresh juices. We ate rice noodles and sugar cane juice, ordering in halting English and sign language. The young woman serving our noodles and her twin sister (we assumed) were amazed. They thought we’re also Burmese. They keep on giggling at us, Asians. I told her, we’re same same. 😊 They wore dresses and with thanaka, that paste-like powder in their faces that served as moisturizer, make-up and sunscreen.

rice noodles with fresh veggies for the famished souls!

Here’s a thing in Myanmar.  You will see young men and women in all ages wearing thanaka and their traditional clothes still. Men still wear longyi, a tubular textile rather than pants as compared to other Asian counterparts. Polo shirts on top and longyi, hoooow comfortable!

hand-painted postcards from Hla Days 

of course, I tried the thanaka on myself. It leaves a cooling sensation on your face! I brought one home.

So while we in Southeast Asia are same same, this is distinctly Myanmar- thanaka and longyi. And they are proud and tall with it.

We walked to Hla Days, a social enterprise store with a collection of different products across Myanmar. I bought handmade postcards, hand-painted by differently-abled persons while Liezl was charmed by a lovely wrap-around skirt.

Downstairs is the highly rated trip advisor Rangoon Tea House. We went inside to look and indeed, it is full of tourists. Liezl and I wanted to try it, but we realized we only have a few thousand kyats (chats) left and only for taxi fare.

We hailed a cab and told him our hotel. We are negotiating in broken English still when this delivery guy on his bike stopped and helped us out. He told the cab driver the address in the local language and told us the amount he is asking. 4,000 kyats. That’s around Php 138.00. We agreed immediately. And only to be told, it was already expensive! Our grab ride from the hotel to downtown area is 2,300 kyat (Php 79.00).

Travel Tip: ask the person in charge in your hotel reception to write your Hotel’s name and address in Burmese.

So yes, fellows, it’s kinda cheap even to our Pinoy standard cost. I will share our guesstimate costs with our no-frills chill itinerary in a separate post. 

That's it for Day 1 of our Yangon adventure!