Sule Pagoda

Sule Pagoda is the most recognisable and stunning landmark in downtown Yangon. It has been on this site for over 2000 years. It is now the heart of downtown Yangon. Downtown Yangon's streets

were designed on a grid pattern by the Brits when they were in charge. Sule Pagoda was the centrepiece of the layout. The road that heads directly north of Sule Pagoda, Sule Pagoda Rd. divides
downtown Yangon into east and west. West of Sule Pagoda lays the areas of Chinatown and Little India. East lays the government offices law courts and a developing business centre. Sule Pagoda is on a roundabout which preserves its circular base.The site is also important for being the home of a nat. A nat is a spirit which provides a form of  protection for an area. It is not uncommon for nats to be present in a Buddhist place of worship as usually the places found to make a temple is often seen as being important. Nat worship in fact predates Buddhism in Myanmar. Various types of spirituality are widely practised in Myanmar and they go hand in hand with Buddhism. As I mentioned Sule Pagoda is located on a roundabout. At the base there is a diverse array of businesses selling items from SIM cards to cameras. There's even a camera museum!


hand in hand
 

Along side these are a number of  palmists. This is a very common sight in Myanmar especially around pagodas. All of these forms of spirituality are seen as being complimentary to each other and certainly not exclusive of each other. Belief in Buddhism encourages a reasonably grim view of life,in that we are born into suffering and we will continue to until we reach a state of enlightenment. (I'm not a theologian so I'm not going to go too far into this) but it makes sense that palmists and astrologers would be popular (in as far as a palmist or astrologer would"make sense"). People would want to avoid as much suffering as they can...so it would be a good idea to know for example when is the best time to get married...have children...make a business deal etc. Doing good deeds is another type of insurance policy against bad karma. This is evident in Sule Pagoda in the form of a karaweik. Sadly at the moment I can't get access to the photos so I will have to insert them later. This is a contraption in the shape of a mythical bird on a line attached to a winch where you can for $US1 or 1000 kyats buy some gold leaf. The gold leaf is placed in the bird and winched up to a smaller temple like structure. I assume someone will get it out and apply it to the zedi. Buying gold leaf is another common practice in Buddhist temples. Adding a bit of gold to a temple is another way of attracting good karma. Like many important pagodas in Myanmar Sule attracts its own little community and economic activity. Apart from gold leaf you can also buy offerings for the various statues found throughout the pagoda. In this case large green bananas and coconuts. In Sule there an entire warehouse which stores the offerings. Once again another way to increase one's store of good karma.

Temples are not just places for quiet contemplation but also a place which generates its own little economy. Although there are certain rules to conform to ,especially dress, the atmosphere is generally quite relaxed even informal. People will be praying,  lighting incense, reading ,snoozing , eating, talking on their phones and of course tourists will be snapping photos. There are usually people selling religious items or tourist stuff and in Myanmar you will usually have people trying to sell postcards. Quite probably there will be a few cats lazing around or even a lot of cats lazing around. Most important pagodas will have a monastery or school attached. Sule is interesting in this respect because directly beside it almost joined by a foot bridge is a Bengali Sunni Mosque. This photo was taken from the foot bridge which leads to an entrance of Sule above SP road. The mosque is on the left. I'm not sure how long this mosque has been here but I assume it dates from the colonial era.

Because Sule Pagoda is on an island really it can't spread out as much as other pagodas and claim all the area around it. It has to live peacefully with the mosque right on its doorstep. Well I suppose it doesn't have but I would think they have tolerated each other's presence for a while I imagine why there would be no reason to continue to do so

worship

Religion. One of the most important aspects of Myanmar life. There is no way of avoiding the religious experience here. Buddhism of course is the major religion and is visible in many guises from the incredible number of pagodas to the incredible number of Buddhist monks and nuns. As I mentioned in an earlier blog there is a type of "lent" going on at the moment so the amount monks and nuns has been reduced as they spend more time monasteries and  convents. It is however a time when many young Buddhists take fulfil their duties and complete a novitiate. This is a rite of passage to ensure that all Buddhists have a taste of monastic life. Donning the robes and shaving their heads are the first steps to losing individuality and any other youthful vanities. Young nuns seem to be more visible at this stage than young monks. Nuns are often heard chanting as they wend their way through the crowds and shops hoping to collect some alms from shop keepers and customers. and some of these novices are quite young. A long line of pink clad little girls singing is a common sight here. And this is a ritual that takes place all over Myanmar. However Buddhism does not have a monopoly on the religious experience. I know there a some Buddhist extremists who would like this to be the case but there are other religions entrenched in Myanmar life just as firmly as Buddhism. The Ma Ba Tha (The Committee for the Protection of Race and Religion) is the major group promoting Buddhist extremism. This is a radical group of monks,some with close ties to the government who are trying to entrench the position of Buddhism as not only the major religion but also the leading adjudicator in the area of morals and ethics.  Due to its position at the crossroads of empires , so to speak , Myanmar has become home to many if not all of the major religions. But Buddhist extremists are working hard to make sure Buddhism retains its position of primacy in Myanmar. The fact remains ,however, that Myanmar , in terms of religion is a broad church ,so to speak. And nowhere is this more pronounced than in downtown Yangon. Here we can find ancient pagaodas cheek by jowl with Sunni mosques ,Sunni mosques next door to a synagogue, Hindu temples opposite mosques or pagodas and my favourite a Salvation Army hall next door to a Sikh temple. And that's not to mention the Catholic and Anglican cathedrals, Armenian and Baptist churches. And just for good measure there is a YMCA. My street is bookended by a Chinese Buddhist temple at one end and a Chinese Methodist church at the other. I can't think of another place where so many different places of worship exist in such a small area. I forgot the temple devoted to Ganesh! Not to mention the Seventh day Adventists! I know in large western cities which have a multicultural population there would be a wide variety of religions. But downtown Yangon is a small area and yet it covers the range of faiths. Walking around downtown Yangon makes one realise that religious tolerance is possible despite this being only a dream in some parts of the world. Well not even a dream but not even desirable. Hopefully the Ma Ba Tha's chauvinism won't  encourage more prejudice against religious practice and economics. This has been the case in parts of Myanmar where Buddhists have sort to buy out Muslim abattoirs in order to stop the slaughter of cows. This has had an impact on local eating habits and economy.The good news is that recently previously banned Muslim candidates will be able to stand in the forthcoming elections.  Pressure from the Ma Ba Tha has meant ,however , that there will be no Muslim candidate for either of the two largest parties the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) or the National League for Democracy (NLD). The has also been large scale disenfranchisement of mostly ethnic Muslim Rohingyas  in Rakhine State. Critics would argue that this is another way to try and lessen the Muslim representation in government. The Ma Ba Tha has also recently been on a country wide celebration of the recently enacted Race and Religion protection laws. Many believe these laws are designed purely to discriminate against minorities. The "monogamy" law will criminalise extra marital affairs as well as polygamy. The Buddhist Women's Special Marriage Law will make it harder for interfaith marriages. Couples will have to seek permission from local authorities in order to get married. In other word a Buddhist woman will have to seek permission from the government to marry a non Buddhist. Obviously this is a law which many see as being discriminatory against the rights of women. A similar law will make it harder for people to convert. Once again a law which is designed to entrench the primacy of Buddhism. The final law is to enforce a 36 month period between babies. On the surface this would be seen as a reasonable law. 36 months is also the WHO's recommended time between babies. Some see it as being a way to restrict births in minorities and thereby reduce their population. All of these issues have caused a good deal of tension between the Ma Ba Tha and the NLD.  Enough of the politics lets get back to religion! Finding a place to worship is never hard to here. In fact there are obviously many places of significance many linked to trees. The Buddha found enlightenment under a bodhi tree so tree

s are a particular significance for Buddhist. This little temple is on Maha Bandoola Rd. in downtown Yangon. I'm not sure of the significance of this spot, maybe it is a bodhi tree. It's certainly a popular spot for a quick reverential bow or two. If you look closer you will see a large number of banknotes in the glass container. Offerings made by the faithful to lessen their earthly suffering. This tree is situated right outside a bank so it makes sense.....make a withdrawal and drop a few note in the tank.
Another feature of this little temple ,which might indicate its importance, is the presence of a bird seller...or rather a good karma seller. Sadly this is an all too common sight on the streets of  Yangon.

She's not happy to be photographed!

This is a cage full of small birds usually finches or sparrows or even occasionally doves. Why?

Well dig this hep cats it's karma. Pay and release one of our feathered friends and voila...instant karma. It is a good deed to release one of these poor creatures which already weakened by heat, thirst and hunger will probably die fairly quickly. I have seen a number of these sellers around and not even in front of temples but also tourist spots such as the Bogyoke Aung San Market. If you think that releasing one of these creatures will ease your soul then by all means....but if you would prefer not to see cages stuffed full of dying birds then it's probably best not to encourage this practice. This is just part of the story of religion in Myanmar. I will look into some other aspects more deeply.

 

myanmar mutts 2

More about dogs in Myanmar. As mentioned previously the dogs life here is much different to a dog's life at home. having said that of course there are dogs that are pampered pets. They are mostly small white fluffy dogs for some reason. Well I suppose they are small because people live in small spaces. Also they don't need as much exercise as a large dog. People walking dogs on a leash with a bag for their droppings is not a common sight here, at least not in this part of the city. Perhaps around the lake or more "fashionable" areas. I'm not sure why the dogs are white and fluffy though. Just to really emphasise the difference between them and a street dog. These two different species very rarely meet. For the pet this is no great loss. They run the risk of disease or worse being torn to shreds. I don't think the street dogs would envy the pet dogs their position. I would like to think the street dogs prize their liberty, their capacity to strut their stuff around town and have sex !
Which leads

sight that is unusual for western visitors is the dog with full teats or the pregnant dog. As you can see from this photo this dog has obviously had a litter of pups. Where these dogs go to have their pups is unknown. But there are plenty of  unoccupied blocks of land, buildings being renovated large temple grounds etc which would make good birthing spots. There are surprisingly few pups as such wandering about which would suggest they are kept out of harms way for a  while or there is a high mortality rate. Most pups that you see are older and bigger. They only come out when it's safe. And when they do they stay well clear of the big males. These dogs do have a way of disappearing. I am reliably informed (by someone who was here) that during the water festival dogs completely vanished. The water festival is held during the hot months and goes for about  a week. Once again I'm relying on an eye witness account. It basically involves people dousing each other in water. Buckets,hoses (some high pressure) water pistols basically anything that can hold water is used. The dogs aren't stupid they know what's in their best interests so they skedaddle.....they don't want to be targets! Australian readers will know about the dingo. Of course the Azaria Chamberlain case gave the dingo some notoriety outside of Australia as well.As you can see from the photo there is some similarity between these dogs and the dingo. For Australians the dingo is an important cultural icon from the aforementioned Azaria Chamberlain case to such alliterative gems as to be as "dry as a dead dingo's donger." (trans. To be in great need of a beverage. Very thirsty esp for beer. Actually this saying should only be used when referring to beer. You wouldn't use it if you wanted an iced frappe latte for example!")

The dingo was introduced from Asia thousands of years ago so there is no surprise that these dogs would be similar. The dingo was the first real introduced "pest" in Australia. They are considered to be responsible for the demise of the thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) on the mainland so they had a similar effect on native wildlife as the fox and cat have now. But enough of the dingo back to Myanmar. Here is another type of dog. The temple dog. Throughout Myanmar there are literally thousands of Pagodas and there are usually a couple (or more) dogs that sort of live or just hang around them. I don't think the dogs are particularly devout just that pagodas are nice quiet places to be and they may also get a scrap or two of food! Perhaps they are reincarnated souls who have to complete their earthly penance before they  can attain true nirvana.

They may also act as a deterrent to vermin like rats and mice. Cats are also quite common in temples.

There are a lot of cats here as well. The amount of dogs means that the cats tend to be scarce most of the time. You are more likely to see cats around temples where they would be encouraged.

Recently I have read stories of places like Karachi and Havana where the authorities have been rounding up strays and destroying them. I completely understand the rationale for this. Disease and dog bites are a very real danger. (I have seen stupid tourists trying to befriend these dogs by trying to handfeed them. An excellent way to get bitten and YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET BITTEN!) As Myanmar modernises I know the days of the street dog are numbered. Of course it is an important public health and safety issue but I can't help but think that a little bit Myanmar's charm will go when the street dogs go.

So much for Myanmar mutts!!!!

myanmar mutts 1

zzzzzz....

On the left is a picture of a dog. Obviously this dog looks quite contented. Nice plump belly indicating a well fed,well nourished dog. No evidence of bones sticking out or any visible rib cage.

A comfortable well maintained bed. It's even a purpose built dog bed.(note the paws) The bed also contains a blanket which the dog will arrange for its own comfort. Soft cushioning for the head allowing for a peaceful sleep. Dreams? Well if androids dream of electric sheep I think this dog will be dreaming of a sheep bone. She loves to bury bones in the backyard.Perhaps she will be dreaming of a walk in the woods or on the beach. She might be dreaming of some morsels from the family dinner, and make no mistake she is part of a family. She could be dreaming of having her belly rubbed or maybe chasing a ball (maybe not!) but whatever her dreams they are likely to come true. We can also rest assured that she isn't carrying or likely to pick up any diseases or illness. She is fully inoculated. No chance of her getting pregnant form a roaming dog:she's spade. Overall a picture of peace,health and contentment. A typical Australian family dog. You know one of those dogs "that thinks it's people". 

 

grrrrr..

In contrast this photograph paints a different picture. Similar looking dogs  similar states of repose. Certainly the dog looks relaxed enough but is this the sleep of the serene? Doubtful. There is no plump belly here, only visible ribcage and spine. There is no blanket or soft bed for this pup. Just a spot on the ground it has managed to find. There is a sense here that sleep maybe fleeting, bought on by the fatigue of life, that it's important for this dog to wake up get some food. This not the sleep of the well fed but the exhausted and weak.

This dog won't be dreaming of walks, chasing balls or morsels from the family table. She wouldn't be thinking of a belly rub. That is so far outside her universe that it is not even a concept. More than likely it will be dreaming of where it will be trying to scrounge a mouthful of food or, if it's lucky, might come across a prize of a dropped meal or thrown away unfinished dinner. The dog's condition shows its vulnerability to illness. No inoculations or microchips here. No backyards to bury bones. No walks only wanderings bought on by hunger pains. For some Myanmar dogs this is the reality of life on the streets.

 

btw this is a male dog!

One is struck by the number of stray dogs there are in Myanmar. It's a fact of life that you will see dogs wandering around the street, sleeping on steps, scrounging around outdoor restaurants, fighting, rutting and everything else that dogs do. Even though dogs are quite common they keep a respectful distance from humans. They are fully aware of where they stand in the pecking order. They also have their own pecking order.

 

 

At the top is the alpha male . This is the local alpha. Lets call him Alfie. Alfie has got it pretty good actually. He certainly looks in good condition. No malnutrition here.

You don't actually see him eating very often but I don't think he goes without. Alfie does seem to have people look after him. He can often be seen sitting, lord like, in a chair covered with paper (not quite the bed of the Australian dog but still..) at the entrance to the street as though he is keeping watch on the comings and goings of the street. Alfie also seems to have carte blanche to move under and share an umbrella when it rains. It gives him a certain dignity not enjoyed by many street dogs. As a consequence of Alfie's presence in the street there are not many other dogs around here. And like Muhammad Ali he has a pretty face. This tells us that he is a successful alpha. The other dogs keep away. Not many scratches or scars. It's quite common to see dogs with scars and scratches all over their faces and even bodies. Often at night you can hear dog fights going on. And these dogs fight for real. When they're puppies they will play fight but once they've grown to alpha status or sub adult their fights become fair dinkum. Having witnessed a dog fight I can tell you that they are not pleasant. They are viscous and savage. Teeth ripping at flesh, limbs and fur flying in all directions, wild animal sounds. Even if you are at a safe distance it still you can still feel threatened. We are used to living with dogs that are compliant, loyal, tail wagging neutered little "people". When we see testosterone driven rage we realise that any dog we see on the streets has that type of viscousness in them. And that is reinforced when we see dogs with faces crisscrossed with the scars and brands of previous encounters. The dogs life here is a hard one but dogs survive and have a niche in life here.

 

 

 

 

more food

previously on monsoon Myanmar.....
We were talking about food...street food....the variety and volume of food available for consumption is truly unique. One food mentioned briefly which, strictly speaking, is not a monsoon food but appears to be a summer food is...

The cricket. Also a summer sport but I suppose the less said about that the better. Some eminent thinkers have  predicted that insects will be our future sources of protein and I would think that in some parts of Myanmar they probably are already. Here in Yangon they sold in stalls with mountains of them. Thousands and thousands of deep fried bugs. Whether these are wild or farmed (never seen a cricket farm) thousands are consumed each summer. Probably helps with crop farming as well as providing a source of protein. Being of delicate constitution myself I couldn't bring myself to eat one but I'm told reliably that they are a good beer snack. Future missives may include a little info on Yangon's beer stations. The crickets seemed to disappear with the onset of the monsoon just like the sun!

Further explorations of the street food scene means looking at the street restaurant. Pop ups are a novel new concept in the west but this has been a way of life for the restaurateur in Yangon. No doubt people have their own spots and no doubt good spots would be highly prized. A good location would be outside a temple, office or a cinema. (The cinema is very popular here and is a unique experience but more on that in the future!) Here is a typical outdoor restaurant. Stool style seating, plenty of cover and not to mention happy proprietors. This is slightly after lunch time so there is not many customers. This is one thousands of these types of stalls found all over the country. Indeed in some places in rural areas this would be your only option for eating. Here is an example of what a typical Myanmar meal would consist of. Usually customers would select the type of meat (not much choice either chicken or pork)they would want and a couple of vegetables to go with it. Notice the large pot. This would be full of rice. In some places it would be full of simmering stock which would be added to noodles. Another interesting aspect of this "restaurant" would be the seating. As I mentioned these places aren't really for romance and sitting on tiny seats eating from tiny tables really takes the romance out of anything. Your correspondent is about 193cm or 6ft 2or 3 in the old so his knees would be around his ears as he eats. Of course the average Myanmar is a little shorter and don't seem to have any trouble happily sitting around on these stools eating and chatting away. There is a place to wash the used dishes and usually some cold tea is offered. Larger establishments will often have a fridge and they will sell beer ,soft drinks and cold water. The only water that can be drunk here is bottled water.

As the reader will also notice this stall is set right on the gutter. This doesn't encourage much confidence in the hygiene of these street stalls. One of the unfortunate "qualities "of  life in Myanmar is the sporadic nature of rubbish removal and poor rubbish receptacles meaning there is a lot of uneaten food and scraps left of the ground. It's not unusual to see an enterprising rat or two seizing  scraps fallen from tables or mouths of diners. More on rats when I write on the cinema experience! 

street food

Myanmar offers a range of street food for the adventurous or perhaps foolhardy traveller. Of course the street food is definitely not for tourists it is for locals and caters to local tastes. Stalls are set up all over the streets serving all the courses of a good meal. Naturally the food is quite cheap certainly by western standards and its purpose is to provide decent food for workers served quickly. All of the stalls are simple and portable. Asian style food certainly makes for ease of setting up a street stall.
All you seem to need a few tables, seats, some sort of shelter and of course cooking facilities. Most stall holders have an ice box of some description also. The cooking is not usually done on gas but with hot coals. They heat up the stock and keep it bubbling while they cook the noodles or rice. In fact most of the rice is dispensed from large metal pots which are kept on heat.

This is an example of a typical street "restaurant". Plastic chairs are the norm for these places. Some of them are stool style as we see here, some are a more traditional style with a back and some are just tiny.  Note the cooking pots sitting on coal stoves. A stall like this would serve noodles or even rice dishes. As I mentioned every course of a meal is available on the street....lets have a look at some entrees...

This is a very popular snack or first course if one is wandering the streets having a progressive dinner. These are entrails or offal on a stick. Each stick is dipped into the simmering broth hopefully killing off all the bacteria. Judging by the popularity of these places it seems they are quite safe,though I dare say an acquired taste for westerners with delicate stomachs like myself. Note the cans used for various dipping sauces. The stool is also there as people will sit here and a number of sticks of offal just to get the flavour buds working! Needless to say this isn't the sort of place you'd come for a romantic dinner or to celebrate a successful business deal; they tend to not have extensive wine lists!

The next entrée we could sample is something a more familiar. The humble deep fried snack. In this case samosas and spring rolls. Once again very popular and quite common. This is also an indicator of the ethnic make up of Yangon. This photo was taken somewhere between Chinatown and what I've come to regard as little India. This stall holder obviously is making sure they capture business from both places...but of course who can resist something that's been deep fried. The hot oil is also kept bubbling with a coal/charcoal fire. In fact there are many stalls which fry food and most of the oil is heated without gas or electricity. A personal favourite is the hand cut potatoes deep fried on the street packaged and sold like potato chips (or crisps if you're from the UK). Excellent with beer almost as good as deep fried crickets!

Of course one has to be very careful walking around especially during the monsoon. It wouldn't pay to slip over and land in a pot full of hot cooking oil. As you would expect none of the cooking oil or hot coals have any safety guards around them. But that is the way things are here. There is a "refreshing" lack of safety precautions everywhere. (Don't get me started on crossing the roads...)

waiting.....

Every 4 or 5 days I have to have my water tank filled up. This is a tank which is in the bathroom and holds an unknown amount of water. This usually involves me having to text the landlord ,who owns a gold and jewellery store on the corner, who then sends one of his workers to attend to the pump. I have to then switch on the pump in my apartment whilst the worker attends to the main pump downstairs. The tank usually fills within an hour or so. I probably don't need to fill so often but it has run out on occasion. Today the difference is that switching on the pump caused the electricity to go out completely so now I have to wait....I think! It can often be very hard to understand the instructions from the workers as they speak little or no English. So here I sit and wait. I think I'm waiting for the electricity to be properly reconnected so that the water pump can be used. There has been a few interruptions to the electricity over the last few days. I assume this is due to the work that has been going on out in the street. They have dug up the footpath and of course the hole has been filled with monsoon water. It certainly has disturbed the rats. I've seen a couple of rats and mice scurrying about in the day time: not their favourite time to be active. They have built some precarious looking steps over these ditches. People actually get in here and dig out the mud and dirt. I was nearly swamped by some as a worker shovelled out onto the street.

The monsoon seems to be a good time to do this type of work. The ground is nice and soft and easy to dig. Of course the safety precautions are no where near what they would be in Australia. Certainly there would be no open drains like this. There is also the problem of mosquitos. I'm not sure if any precautions are taken to ensure mozzies aren't breeding in these places. Dengue is a problem even in the cities here. Well I'm still waiting for the water....further missives later

Sunshine

Today was your correspondent was greeted by sunshine. Indeed this was the first sunshine for a number of days;actually weeks. And this sunshine forced me to continue my often interrupted attempts to do 10,000 steps a day. This goal is a way of getting the required amount of exercise in per day. I'm not sure if this is in fact the required amount of exercise to do per day. Seeking this sort of information from the internet of course often contains conflicting views on various health related issues. Sunshine? Yes back to the point. Yangon Myanmar during the monsoon and as a result most outdoor activities have been curtailed. Most of my outdoor activities. Life still goes on in the streets of Yangon with or without the rain. A bit bit of sunshine does provide some relief and even allows for careful checking of vegetables. This spot is Kon Zay Dan St deep in downtown Yangon somewhere between Chinatown and what is called little India. Umbrellas are year round accessories here. In the summer they provide shade and in the rainy season well...

Both shoppers and sellers enjoy a brief respite from the monsoon.

 

A nun enjoys a street meal. This is before a period of abstinence which begins during the rainy season

Once I was under the impression that they couldn't leave their monasteries but I seem to be wrong about this. That's not surprising as there are many aspects of life here that can be confusing or misleading for a naïve westerner.