Yangon, Burma: Scott Market

Scott Market, built in 1920's under British colonial rule
Named after a British civil servant who brought soccer to Burma

No sprinkler system to put out fires in this market!
Sand is in these tiny buckets,
supposedly capable of putting out a fire in the crowded market
Not the most reassuring sight
Everyone changes money via the black market in Burma
The best rate is at the Scott Market in Yangon
They ONLY accept perfect, uncreased, unripped, unwritten-on US dollars
You get a better rate for hundred dollar bills,
so only bring hundreds, not 20's.

The money changer liked to claim that certain US 100 dollar bills had some invisible imperfection
so that he could charge us a worse rate.
So, Ken just kept on pulling out more and more hundred dollar bills
until the money changer just gave up and accepted our bills for the better rate.

Outside the Scott Market, the black market thrives in precious GEMS

Thanakha, the paste from a tree that Burmese women paint on their faces
to protect them from sun and aging
They take the wood on the right, rub water on it, then spread it on their cheeks,
often with streaks or patterns in the paste.
The containers on the left are ready-made Thanakha
Alms collected by the nuns, daily.
Here's the alms aren't just rice, but are anything the shopkeepers have handy.
The nuns seem to be regulars collecting alms at certain Scott Market shops.
All shopkeepers seem to feel the need to give them something.

The Burmese alphabet

Ceremonial headdress. A peacock means power in Burma.
A fighting peacock (?!) used to be a symbol of Burmese student opposition to the monarchy
in the 1960's, but that political group was disbanded by the junta.

Headdress used at Buddhist initiation ceremonies in Burma.
Similar to a bar mitzvah.

Fun jewelery

June 8, 2011

Yangon, Burma: A day at a Buddhist meditation monastery

Yangon Buddhist Meditation Centre

Everyone lines up for the 10am communal lunch.
The lunch is an important ritual at Buddhist temples.
These women are sponsors of the temple and
live there for periods of time, meditating.

At the Buddhist temple lunch, there are separate tables.
This table is for vegetarians.
This Buddhist group is willing to welcome both vegetarians and carnivores under its roof.

Laypeople who act as sponsors and come to meditate.

Buddhist monks

The oldest Buddhist nun at the meditation centre.
She has a hearing aid and serves food to the wealthy sponsors and
expat visitors like us.
The civilian layperson who acts as host for visitors
and makes sure visitors like us are well-fed
Donors give the meditation centre all the food they need everyday
So, the Buddhist nuns and monks are among the rare ones who don't
have to beg for their food, asking for morning alms daily around town

We were given bananas

And we were given delicious sesame coated peanuts and spicy tea salad
that is a ritual for at every home, used to welcome visitors
Burma is an incredible warm, welcoming place

Sesame coated Boom Boom

And, nuns sit at a separate table
Everyone was very serious at the lunch.
No one sitting to eat talked while eating.

They actually still cook using wood as fuel
They heat up not only huge pots but also huge woks to saute their veges

There's a slew of volunteers who chop up veges all morning
then meditate in the afternoon

The host forced this older nun to take a photo with us
As you can see, she was very reluctant to pose
But, the host liked to take her out for a little show for visitors,
saying how old she was and how well-cared for she was
Ken getting out his wallet at the end, at the main collection office, to give a donation
Collecting money from the community is really important
to Buddhist temples, nuns, and monks
One of our guides was bitter about it, saying
In Burma, Buddhism is more about money and gold
than about spirituality
The only smile we got while at the meditation centre.
This older women's job is to receive donations and spend time
writing an elaborate certificate with our names on it
probably to facilitate more Buddhist merits for us
to have a better life in our next life

June 9, 2011