28/06/2002
This is the advertising board recently seen in downtown. It consists of Effil Tower and Triumphal Arch in Paris. Looking at the boards from my car whenever I come across, I realized that the name is given like the name of a famous cigeratte in Myanmar "London". Whatever the name may be, it has nothing to do with the actual names. That means they are not actually made in France or England. Moreover, an optical centre by the name of American Vision is very successful. Another optical shop is United Vision. There are fast food restaurants like J Donuts an imitation of Mr Donuts, Burger Queen an imitation of Burger King, etc. It is so amusing to write because there are a lot of copied names here.(K.K)

27/06/2002
There are a lot of saying in Myanmar. Some have connection with history and some have rhythm. The sayings reflect things that are closely related with ways of life of the people. There are sayings such as "The rain on a Saturday lasts the whole day." and "The ugly person likes mirror". In Japan, people say it is lucky to see an erected stem of tea. But, here in Myanmar, people say lucky when they see a cockroach flying. The saying which reflects the character of Myanmar people is "Make money like a Chinese man, Save money like an Indian man and don't waste money like a Myanmar." It seems like that there are a lot of Myanmar people who are spendthrifts.(K.K)

26/06/2002
I once wrote this matter. There were traffic jams at about 3 p.m. with cars that came to schools to collect students at any street where there are schools. When I come back home through Bahan township, residents of wealthy people, where there are narrow streets after the class from UFL, I usually face with traffic congestions. A lot of cars including taxis are driving here and there. The country looks richer than Japan. But, people's care of children is so great. Such care can't be found in Japan. (K.K)

25/06/2002
It has been successive raining days in Yangon in the middle of the rainy season. There were clouds in the eastern sky on Saturday morning and it rained the whole day. It continued to rain the whole day on Sunday. The ddrains could not take out the rain water. The streets had changed to a creek. Cars had to drive like motor boats. The Myanmar saying people commonly use is that if it rains on Saturday, it lasts the whole day. It was a Saturday that agreed with the saying.(K.K)

24/06/2002
I first went to the wedding reception of Rakhine nationals the other day. The place where the reception was held is about an hour's drive from down town. But, we were lost and arrive there late. But, it does matter because wedding reception starts late and ends late in Myanmar. I have went to wedding receptions of Myanmars for ten times as well as receptions of Chinese, Shan, Japanese and Kayin. I went to the reception will full interest. But it was not quite different from that of Myanmar because it was not held in Rakhine State. I didn't understand what the guests there said because of their Rakhine accent. The bridegroom is an engineer from the construction company that builtthe apartment buiding where I live. He said he was going to Singapore and worked there after the reception. (k.k)

21/06/2002
Dried four-hour-flower is being sold as medicine for multi-use to live longg life, to relieve from heart-attack, hypertension, etc. Nat Pan (Flower from abode of celestial beings) is known as versatile medicine since long time ago. The four-hour-flower is called Mitzuthaka Nat Pan implying the meaning "a potent .

20/06/2002
As the rainy has come in, installation of new electric cable line from Pazundaung Township, eastern end of downtown to Tamwe Township where I live has been conducted for consecutive days. It is a hard job because the cable up to the distribution panel will be replaced. So, I suppose that distribution electricity will become more effective and it might reduce storage of power supply. (k.k)

19/06/2002
Various kind of vendor come to this park because there are a lot of children. I came across the street vendor who sells ice-candy. On the cart a round plate is installed. On the plate, digits such as 1,2,3,etc are written. A child buyer can get candies according to the number at which the arrow stops. For example, if the arrow stops at 3, he can get three candies. The children are very eager to play the game because they may get three or more candies with the money for one. Have Myanmar who are very fond of lottery people been trained to take interest in the luck of lottery since childhood. (K.K)

18/06/2002
There are not bathroom scale and sphygmomanometer in every household here in Myanmar. You can come across small scales with which you can weigh yourself at a cost of K 5. There is a weighing machine near the entrance of Bogyoke Market. After weighing, astrological prediction printed on a piece of paper comes out.

17/06/2002
This is a road -side-stall that sells sandalwood. An 8cm x 1cm piece costs K 100. If you spend more money, you can get a carving of your choice in three days.

14/06/2002
Myanmar that recyles everything. A junk dealer was gathering old magazines published by an office in our office complex. There were a lot of cartons. So there are many dealers who buy and sell cartons. They buy a carton at K 130 and sell it from K 150-400.

13/06/2002
Myanmar that recyles everything. A junk dealer was gathering old magazines published by an office in our office complex. There were a lot of cartons. So there are many dealers who buy and sell cartons. They buy a carton at K 130 and sell it from K 150-400.

12/06/2002
In China town, I came across a woman from Taunggyi, Shan State, who sells potato chips and tea, product of Shan State. She comes to Yangon for three times in dry season to sell the products together with four brothers and sisters. She seemed to sell goods going around downtown Yangon everyday. She looked unhappy for the goods didn't sell well recently. The goods that sold well in the past were potato chips and tea. A viss of potato chip costs K 2000.

11/06/2002
This is the cheroot made of corn husk mostly smoked by village dwellers. Chopped stalk of tabacco and leaves are wrapped in corn husk which is tied at one end. It is lit starting from the bigger part which is tied. Then, one can start smoking. I saw it was used as a mosquito repellent.

10/06/2002
World cup soccer matches attract attention os most people in Myanmar. They can watch the matches at the charge of K 100 per head at the teashops and at the places where satellite TV is available. Weekly sports journals that carry sports news are published daily in this football season.

7/06/2002
Durian is a season fruit for the rainy season. Myanmar durians and Thai durians are sold. Durians from Mawlamyine are said to be more deliciouus. It costs about 500 kyats a durian.

6/06/2002
The other day, I found cockroach in the self where Japanese food is kept. I have seen cockroach during the period since I have moved to this house. Is it because of the rainy season? Very common insects found here are ants. They can be seen everywhere. Mosquitoes, you will need to take care of yourself because three or four Japanese people suffered from dengue fever last year. Flies, there are plenty of them here. To compare eith flies from Japan, they can be caught by hands because their action is slow. Japanese people hate cockroaches most. I often saw cockroaches running in my previous house because there is a market under the building. When a Japanese man and woman paid a visit to my house, both shouted noisily where they saw a big cockroach coming out. On hearing that a Myanmar man came out and caught it by hand and freed it at the corridor. I also hit cockroaches with a broom whenever I see them because I loathe them. But, the Myanmar girl catches them and free them telling me "Please don't kill them". Japanese people think of them as dirty animals since childhood. Isn't it like the bad image of them is printed in their mind? Myanmar people say that cockroaches bring wealth to house holds. They also say that it is lucky when they saw cockroaches flying.(K.K)

5/06/2002
It is the rainy season. It rains everyday. Despite the rain, young men are playing football eagerly without yielding to the rain. You can see youths with a folded longgyi like a short pan among those who are playing in short pants. Longgyi is really used in many ways. It is also used in wiping out sweat. They take a bath in longgyi and put on a new one from head. Then, they take off the wet one. It does two works__change a new longgyi and wipe out water on the body. Number of youth who do not put on longgyi has increased. It might die out some day. I have a wish for them to wear longgyi in style.(K.K)

4/06/2002
I once wrote that they were availaable in Yangon or anywhere. When I went window shopping at Yuzana Plaza, I came across VCDs. One was an album of woman singer Chaw Su Khin. It is Myanmar version with Myanmar script of a famous album (Travelling on a pleasant day) of Yamaguchi Momoe who quit muisc about 20 years ago. A Momoe's song is used in a TV commercial of a groundnut oil company. The other was an album of Max. When I watch TV with Myanmar people they say tat it is no one who sing while dancing. The other day I bought a VCD album of "moring damsels". The two CD album had only one CD and I felt disappointed. I think they may be copies made in China or Taiwan. I can't give up the habit of strolling around the city for I can come across various kind of strange Japan-made-things.(K.K)

3/06/2002
State schools opened after summer holidays which lasted for about three months. Starting from today, school opening day, there will be traffic jams because those who can afford uses cars to go to schools in Yangon. They don't use school buses.