U Aung Ming and his family walking down the new road through the North Okklapa neighbourhood, near Yangon's airport. The government is investing in infrastructure improvements across the city as well as extending the road network
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It's impolite if you forget to remove your shoes before entering a house
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"Mohinga" is a fish broth with noodles and rice - a typical dish eaten at breakfast
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Ants are the main nuisance within homes. The only way to keep them at bay is by putting bowls of water under the table legs
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"Lethwei" or Burmese boxing is practised with bare hands
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"Thanaka", obtained by rubbing a piece of wood on a stone tray, is a kind of natural cream applied to the face to cool down and protect the skin
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Mobile phones have become affordable in the past few years. Prices have dropped from around $2,000 to $200
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Women haven't forgotten how to wash clothes by hand when the washing machine breaks down
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A Buddhist altar occupies a central place in the home. It's common to consult a monk on the most appropriate place for the alter
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The dream of 30-year-old Ko Ko is to make a music video and have it watched across the country
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Family photos
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Lottery tickets are sold door to door. In Myanmar, one doesn't have to chase after luck, but wait for it to appear
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Tea is the most popular drink in the country. It's usually served with a drop or two of condensed milk
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U Aung Ming, a former customs official, and Daw Myint earn their living by selling natural products
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A group of girls from a Buddhist nunnery
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Daw Myint is Bamar (Burmese) and U Aung Ming is Karen. Despite the ethnic difference and historical rivalry between the two groups, the couple have been happily married for nearly 40 years.
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A journalist from Ticino resident in Bern, I write on scientific and social issues with reports, articles, interviews and analysis. I am interested in environmental, climate change and energy issues, as well as migration, development aid and human rights in general.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
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Swiss school system brightens futures in Myanmar
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The hall plunges into darkness for the second time within minutes, but everyone stays calm. The students are used to power cuts. A generator starts up, light returns and the lesson can continue. This class has gathered on the third floor of the Red Cross house, an old building in the centre of Yangon. In…
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Ask any local what’s the most obvious change of late and they’ll tell you: “The traffic.” The leap in the number of vehicles in recent months is a regular topic of conversation in Yangon. Packed buses and beat-up cars take up every inch of the newly upgraded streets of the Myanmar capital, driving even on the…
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