I wrote the article “seeking pleasure at beer pubs” while I was drinking because it was about places where one can drink. I once wrote about “Yangon Liberty” as Yangon news. Imitating the Cuba liberty, I drink Mandalay Rum made of local ingredients after mixing it with Cola and adding some lime. It becomes sweet tasty Yangon liberty.

I thought of running a big restaurant with show stage after my last year’s study at the university of foreign languages. It was not easy. First of all, we need to find a place and apply for license to run such a large restaurant. To make matter worse, I could not find a partner who can carry out the plan practically. So, it was really difficult.

When I went back to Japan, I visited a famous restaurant with show stage. The stage, revolving one, could be raised and lowered. The circular part of the stage, which could revolve, was about one metre diameter. I came back to Yangon with full eagerness to run such a restaurant in Yangon. As a joke, it is said that Yangon is bright for those who come to Yangon from a domestic destination. It is dark for those who come to Yangon from Japan or Bangkok.

When I arrived back in Yangon this time, there was no longer electricity blackout. But, newspapers were telling the people to save electricity everyday. I was instructed not to use small illumination lights for decoration at my restaurant. Lights were always on at the Style restaurant at the sixth floor of Mingalar Zay Plaza in Tamwe. But, at present, we cannot know whether the shop is open or not looking from the ground because the lights are no longer on. I have to enquire at the operator of the lift on the first floor.

At the Hollywood restaurant, which has become recently popular for the models and singers. The big backlights supported the singers. The lights were the first of its kind I have seen in Yangon. But, at present, the light cannot be used.

I come to realize that it is not easy to make a revolving stage, which can be up and down by electric power. Moreover, the singers are very slowly and they cannot sing exactly. They leave the stage once they finish singing while only the band remains the stage playing music. Then, another singer comes up to the stage and gives musical notes to the organ player. The stage is rather busy in this way.

They have no schedule for show programme. For a regular show, rehearsal, lighting and positions need to be arranged well. On actually performing day, the singers should wear systematic make-up in costumes for the show. Shows go slowly from the beginning to the end. I realized very late that this procedure was the best. Despite, the saying “When in Rome, do as Romans do”, both the singers and owner of the shop give priority to how to get more and more garlands from the customers.

When a singer cannot come out, the restaurant becomes a bit quiet and customers can have a chat and drink. I notice, some singers change the songs according to condition of the customers talking with the organ player. If they cannot sing pop or rock, they change to ballade. Although some girls could get a lot of garlands in some week, on some day, they cannot get garlands because the style of exposing navel fails to attract elderly customers. A clever girl changed tank top black dress on her turn to come to the stage. In the passage of time, the style becomes popular among youths. I think they make changes to the songs judging response of the customers. But, they have the same skill in singing some same songs. How will they solve the problem if they know the song will be popular?

Priority may be given to the senior persons. Such cases may be problems for them. I think any singer wants to sing the big hit songs. If a singer is presented a garland she has to report it to the guard at the corner of the stage for receiving cash after the show. The garlands are hung at the place near the stage. It is typical Myanmar style to see things behind the stage.

But, my desire to run a well-planned stage show with the costumes provided from the shop and have singers’ hair styled by a hairdresser is still impossible at the moment. Not-so-beautiful girls get more garlands compared to beautiful ones. Proud beautiful girls are not popular. Neither are those who have excellent style. Attractive girls are accepted. The shop has to emphasis on keeping about 10 girls for a long period. There are fewer shops, which can maintain number of girls at 15 of 16. It is because the chance for singers to go to the stage is little. They have slim chances to get garlands. The singers feel unsatisfied with this situation. The customer may not be happy with fewer number of girls Ten may be the right number. The shop has to take responsibility of sending the girls back to their houses after the shop is closed. This task may be protection of the possible relationship between the singers and the customers.

Anyway, I think it is not really easy to do business using girls in Japan.