30/8/2000
CDMA phone that can be carried in baskets could be used starting from this August in Mogok that is famous for ruby and sappire. These phones can also be used in Mandalay after carrying them. But there is no need to tell about expensiveness of phone call. Ordinary phone are called 'Line phones', mobile phones are called 'cellular phones' and The phones that can be carried in baskets are called 'CDMA Basket phone' in Myanmar.

29/8/2000
The sale of GSM mobile phones is expected to start in the middle of September. 500,000Kyat per unit. But, the phones can not used in the whole country. they can only used in Yangon.
(New owner of SKY-Link co ltd U Eik Htein, in an interview with Living Color Magazine. )

28/8/2000
Aung Zey Ya suspension bridge across Hlaing river ,at the uppper reaches of Yangon river,linking Hlaing Thaya and Insein Townships has completed.This is the second bridge of that kind after Mahabandoola bridge.The opening ceremony of Aung Zeya bridge was held on 25th of this month.The number of bridges has come to 113 in Myanmar. The travelling time to go Pathein by using the longest Bomyat Tun bridge and Aung Zeya bridge has decreased a lot.This is a toll gate to collect taxes for using the bridge on the apprach way of Bayin Naung bridge to Hlaing Thaya.But,there is no need to pay any tax for using Aung Zeya bridge.So,the prices of estate in Hlaing Thaya may go up.

27/8/2000
Japanese Language Proficiency Examination
Japanese Language proficiency Examination sponsored by The Japan Foundation, Association of International Education, Japan. co-organized by University of Foreign Language, Yangon and Japan Embassy in Myanmar,will be held.

26/8/2000
Movie Report in Yangon
The world famous film ToyStory2 is on at Sheshaung Cinema The movie is about a rare-toy-collector and toy. The Indian movie Judaai, direced by Rajeytanwa, is on at Mingalar Movie Theatre. The Myanmar movie "At Chit Ko Sar Thaw Kein Ga Nan Mya" is on at Thamada Cinema. The Soldier is on at Nawaday Movie Theatre. The movie is about attachment between a human being and an extraterrestrial being.

25/8/2000
There was an earthquake measuring 4.8 Ritcher Scale, epicentred at a place 316miles far North of KabaAye Earthquake Station at 23:04:20 on 23 August 2000,According to Meteorology and Hydrology Department.

24/8/2000
The weather is fine in Yangon today. There was rain shower in this morning. Temperature is 23.3C now (9:30am). It seems to be 30.3C in the afternoon. Recently,it rained about once in two days. It has been rainning for such a long time since April (Water Festival) to the end of September.

23/8/2000
The opening ceremony of Mandalay International Airport will be held at 7 am to 9:30 am on 17th September. A chartered plane of ANA will land at the airport on that day.The flights of Silk Air and Thai Airways will also land. The runway of the airport is two temes longer than that of Yangon airport. There will be ten gates at the airport.

22/8/2000
There is a funny quiz programme on Myawady TV, on Saturdays. Participants have to answer the brand name of, director, and actors of a TV commercial when it is shown on the screen. Commercials take about forty minutes for prime-time advertising on everyday. Three-member-groups of boys and girls participate in the programme . The families of participants and audience are very exciting. Male presenter is Byaik and the most sexually attractive actress Yadana khin used to be female presenter. That really was the miscasting for child programme.Now,New presenter is actress MyoSandiKyaw.

21/8/2000
An exhibition of necklaces is being held at the National Museums on Pyay Road in Yangon. Necklaces made of jade,gold and water pearls of Pyu Period(1-9AD)and Bagan Period(9-13AD) are on display. The post cards of necklaces and replica of the necklaces are on sale at the rates of 2000 -30,000 Kyat. This necklace costs us 2500Kyat.

19/8/2000
Fashionable scenes are on the increase in Yangon. Among them are hair dressers, beauty parlours, tea shops. gamecenters and restaurants. China and Thai make dog feeds are easily available at the Super Markets than before. The Hello shop that mainly sells dog feeds has opend.Animals can be bought by ordering.
The address is on tha Inya Road, opposite of Savoy Hotel,near MC Cafe.

18/8/2000
The price of plot of land in Yangon went up the the highest in 1997 then experienced a decline. According to some brokers, about twenty plots, worth over 100 million each, were sold out during last June and July. Especially plots in HlaingThaya and Sywe Pyi Tha Industrial zones, satellite towns of Yangon, are increasingly taken interest at the moment. If the rate of rising prices of gold,cars and ete becomes stable, the investors may head for realestate.
Reference(Living Color Magazine August)

17/8/2000
All are hansome guys. They are stars of screen in Myanmar. This photo was taken for a 2001 calender.

Front Row Right to Left Kyaw Ye Aung, Ne Hte Lin, Lwin Moe, Kyaw Tyu, Yang Aung, Soe Thu Back Row Right to Left Nyi Nanda, The Maung, Wailukyaw, Yi Wai Yan, Ya Wai Aung, Nai Nai, Pai Zay Ye Tun, Min Maw Kyun

16/8/2000
An exhibition of necklace will be held at National Museum from 18 August to 18 September. The exhibits will be necklaces made by gold, crystal etc, of Pyu Period (AD1-9), Bagan Period (10-12) and present time. Necklaces of ethnic groups will also be on the exhibit. The method of making necklaces will be shown at the exhibition and they will also be sold. Admission fee is 2US$ per head.

Photo by Myanmar Times

15/8/2000
Mandalay International Airport will be opened on 4th August. It will take you 45 minutes or one hour to go to downtown Mandalay. All of flights, Yangon Airways, Air Mandalay and Myanmar Airways will use new airport from that day. It is said that over 20 airlines offered to use this airport. They will set up opening ceremony 12 or 13 of September.

14/8/2000
Miss Style 2000 Beauty Contest was hold at Traders Hotel on 12 Aungust. Emperor music band, with Zaw Win Htut and models of talents and Modeles Agency Entertained the audience. Miss Wum Won the best hair prize. Ei Cho Lwin won Miss Style 2000 prize. We will put a photo later, please wait.

12/8/2000
We got a photo which Tun Endra Bo joined holy order.

11/8/2000
Mandalay International Airport will be opened on 4th September. Domestic and International flights will start landing on that day. That is what we heard from air company. We will report to you futher news.

10/8/2000
Tun Endra Bo, a famous actress and vocalist, joined holy order for about a week recently. He is very famous among fans for her originality. She starred in TV commercials and concerts with a shaved head last year. She also appeared in movies and TV commercials this year putting on various styles of wig bought from America. This made the fans love her very much.

9/8/2000
The two Myanmar youths who returned from Tokyo run this shop. It is located at Pansodan street side of Aung San Stadium. there, the flag of Shan state is lit up. shan food and Yunan food are available in this shop. The speciality of this shop is Gyoza (a chineese dish of minced meat, wrapped in dough,served fried) A plate of Gyoza costs only 100Kyats and it is very delicious. That is what we heard from Japanese people in Yangon.

8/8/2000
This is about BLAZON Shopping Centre that we have already introduced. For moddern Yangonites, the place is just for window shopping. The centre is very crowded with shoppers. From high class apartment of 5th to 13th floor of the building, One can see the magnificent Swedagon Pagoda. This is best location fo myanmar Buddhist and the building is equipped with modern facilities such as elwvator,car park,and etc. Well-to-do people like doctors and others apartments just for speculation. But just a few people live here right now.

7/8/2000
Today news is also about Lawka chntha Abhaya labha Muni Image. This is the most striking event this year. Local media carries the news of the image everyday. The conveying of the image was sterted in Mandalay on 24 July .The barge that carried the image arrived in Pakoku 26on July,in Bagan on 27 July, Magway on 28 July, Pyay on 30 July,Danubyu on 2 August, Twantay on 4 August and in Yangon on 5 August. Ten of thousands of Buddhist devotees paid respects to the image on the bank of Hlaing river on arrival of the image. The ceremony was brocast live on MRTV. The image will be placed at Mindama Hill. Iam sure,The place will become a new tourest attraction.

5/8/2000
The final distnation of gaint marble(500t) Buddha is Yangon. The image was conveyed to Bagan on 27th of last manth. There were a lot of Buddhist devotees there. It was the first time to experience terrible traffic jam in Bagan. The name of unfinished Buddha Image is Lawka Chan Tha Abhaya Labha Munt. the name is composed of such good words as,world,peace, free from danger and etc according to dictionaries. It also means that if one pays respects to The Image ,he or she will be in good health.

4/8/2000
A visitor to Myanmar holding FIT visa has to exchange 300 US$ into FECs(Foreign Exchange Certificates)on arrival at the Yangon International Airport. When we made enquiry today,the Myanmar Travels and Tours(Airport)told us that the rate has decreased from 300 to 200 US$ since last week.
(And a friend of mine who arrived here yesterday also informed us that he had to exchange only 200US$.)

3/8/2000
Pomelos(Citrus decumana)have come into season. These are yellowish green fruits near the vendor. A pomelo cost 400-500kyats two or three months ago. But it costs only 200kyats now.Pomelos from Mawlmying are famous. Apples are from China. By the way, apineapple cost only 70-80kyats in bagan market about three days ago. It costs 150kyats at super market in Yangon.And it cost only 100kyats here.

2/8/2000
Myanmar Youth Football Team is making arrangements for the under 16 Asian Youth Cup to be held in Vietnam in September. The team played a goodwill match with Hongkong Youth Team at Thuwunna Youth Training Center on 1st August and beat Hongkong team 5-0.

1/8/2000
Monsoon paddy cultivation is slmost finished for the rainy season in suburbs of yangon.Paddy fields are like green carpets now. Harvest will be in December when it is could and dry.