Current Myanmar-Burma news inspires me to bring photos into the light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the momentous election of Nobel laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi to the Myanmar  parliament this week, I have been inspired to finally share a group of photos I made there a few years ago.

In March of 2006 I spent a few weeks in Thailand. One day, from Chiang Rai, we dipped across the border into Burma for just two and a half hours in the market town of Tachileik. So visually rich in such a short time and space!

I was absolutely beguiled by the Burmese people! So open and friendly! As Robert H. Lieberman, director of the new documentary, They Call It Myanmar said in a recent radio interview, in a country in with so much poverty, one sees a lot of smiles. That was certainly my experience six years ago.

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A short walk from the entry was the beginning of the market area.

It seemed I saw Buddhist monks everywhere.

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Around the corner from the market, a game

Smiling children, looked after by by auntie, by grandpa and at play.

Wheels

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Just folks and some young monks at the public shower!

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Trishaw’s and their drivers — though mine thought I was a little strange when I just wanted to take a picture of his bicycle, he was most happy with the tip!

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Here’s a photo of a typical trishaw, then my trishaw driver’s bicycle – which I thought was worth being a photo on a notecard in my studio.

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With this last view out over the market street, as I was leaving I thought, “I just have to come back and see more of this compelling country” Sadly, it hasn’t happened and for me, it probably won’t, even though the country is opening up far move than it has been in decades!