burmablogger

[burmablogger]

Burmese Cinema

Concerning Myanmar’s motion picture industry, it was “arguably the largest and most active in Southeast Asia”, according to author Jane Ferguson, who wrote a book on Burmese Cinema called Silver Screens and Golden Dreams. Before movies, Burmese people had a long tradition of “sophisticated marionette theaters”. The people had already been exposed to cartoons when at the beginning of the 1900s, a man from India named Abdulally Esoofally came to Myanmar with a tent, projector, and reels of films which he showed to crowds of people. These films included comedies, operas, documentaries, and sports. This was the very beginning of the Burmese film industry, and since at the time, most of the entrepreneurs were Indian, the first movies were all about reinterpreting Hindu legends for the screen, which was loved by Indians and Burmese people alike at the theaters.

Although the British colonists didn’t like the Burmese people’s newfound appreciation for film, with one of them being quoted as stating “the vulgarities of Charlie Chaplin and his numerous imitators and the reckless, if innocuous use of revolvers could have a harmful impact on the young Burman,” with boards for censorship being established in Rangoon, Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay, but despite all their efforts, they couldn’t stop the people’s love of cinema, and movie theaters started being built all across Burma. Despite the British's idea that the movies would promote “recklessness”, Burmese films were made with particular moral lessons in mind, such as how “gambling and alcohol can destroy people’s lives.” Ferguson points to an example of a Buddhist temple which featured a special showing of the film “Metta Hnint Thura” which is all about how “gambling and alcohol and lack of ability to control one’s moral compass are the common downfalls of the main characters.”

Furthermore, historical dramas were instrumental in the development of national pride among the Burmese, eventually leading to uprisings, strikes, and a nationalistic student movement in the 1930s, where movies were made which were political in nature that sought to educate the viewer about “class struggle and colonial exploitation, but also, and more spuriously, sought to encourage people to envision an independent and modern Burmese nation. Burma’s film industry continued with no end in sight after independence in 1948, with love stories becoming more common, as well as the instrumentalizing of movies as propaganda for the Cold War.

It was actually movie actors who first promoted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during a pro-democracy uprising in 1988. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would eventually become leader of Myanmar. Most recently, from 2011-2021, filmmaking was free and open until the coup of Feburary 2021 when freedom of speech and expression were halted, with many filmmakers being arrested.

[burmablogger]

Opium

Afghanistan has been known as the world’s largest producer of opium extracted from opium poppy flowers, which heroin, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, and other opiates are derived from. Afghanistan maintained this spot until 2023, when it was overtaken by Myanmar as the world’s largest producer of opium. According to the United Nations, since 2024, since Myanmar’s military takeover, “the amount of opium produced in Myanmar remains close to the highest levels we have seen since we first measured it more than 20 years ago,” according to an official from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. He went on to state that this expansion has been spurred on by a recent drug ban in Afghanistan.

Shan State, which is Southeast Myanmar by the border of Thailand, accounts for 88 percent of Myanmar’s total opium production. The global shortage of opiates caused by Afghanistan’s decreased production results in “upwards pressure on the prices paid to farmers in Myanmar, incentivizing more people to consider opium cultivation.” The UN report confirmed the interdependency between socioeconomic development and the cultivation of opium among farmers, with Myanmar’s UNODC Country Manager stating that “Farmers who grow opium in Myanmar do not get rich, but are simply trying to make a living and meet their families’ basic needs amidst challenging circumstances.” These insatiable economic conditions are also spurred on by the increasing number of people leaving Myanmar, being recruited by the military and other militias, on top of farmers being limited on their ability to travel to fields to work due to “intensifying conflict”.

The UNODC Country Manager stated that he intends on taking the opportunity to “shift the economic outlook of these communities by supporting long term and sustainable income generating opportunities, preventing more people from moving to poppy cultivation. However, time is running out quickly.” Perhaps he is too late, as for many of these farmer families, opium poppy cultivation is the only way they have of making a living for their family. For many of these farmers, they have no idea what is being done with the product they produce from their plants, all they know is that it allows them to make money. If the government offered more programs for farmers to produce food or some other crop that isn’t an illegal narcotic, or even added a higher degree of regulation so that the opium doesn’t go to the production of illicit drugs, they should make sure it only gets used for medicine for reputable pharmaceutical brands. Provided is a documentary which goes into further detail about this issue and features various interviews, particularly with a family who cultivates opium poppies for a living. 

[burmablogger]

Managing Differences

I think it would be fairly easy to vacation in Myanmar for 1 to 2 weeks, but quite challenging to live in the country for a year or more. The first challenge I expect to face would be the language barrier, as my post on language showed, their language is very different from ours, and quite complicated to try to understand unless one spends a lot of time studying Burmese. I would realistically only be able to learn a few words in preparation. Furthermore, if I am there for business, it might be difficult to get used to their cultural practices, such as having to repay gifts. I can learn about different cultures, specifically the host culture which I plan on visiting, as well as trying my best to familiarize myself with their language. According to our textbook, these are strategies to manage culture shock and enhance acculturation, which makes cultural adaptation less difficult. 

I can begin to internalize these ethical components by using common sense when interacting with others from other cultures as well as my own. The components of intercultural ethics as described in our text lay out fairly simple and obvious rules for one to follow if they are communicating with a person from another culture, or even in general. As long as we make sure we remain aware that communication produces responses, we respect others, we seek commonalities during communication, we recognize and respect cultural differences, and to be responsible for ourselves, we will be capable of communicating with anybody and everybody, maybe they won’t all like me but I’ll still be able to communicate with everyone in a cordial manner. I believe I’ve already internalized these components, as I feel capable of speaking to anyone in a cordial manner, even if we are from different cultures. 

I can learn more about Myanmar, research its rich history and keep up with the news, as there is always interesting news happening in Myanmar. Furthermore, I could reach out to people from Myanmar through social media. I could also watch movies made in Myanmar by Burmese directors to get an idea of their culture in a more condensed and entertaining way, also, I could look for Burmese restaurants so I can try their food, as well as looking into opportunities to travel there myself. My family is from southeast Asia and I have plans in the near future to go to the Philippines and Vietnam. Perhaps next time, I’ll visit Myanmar for a week or two, and I’ll find out if it is actually easy or not. 

[burmablogger]

Education

The education system in Myanmar was developed by missionary schools, with children being taught by expatriate teachers in English, until the Prime Minister Ne Win stated that English was the language of the colonisers and must not be taught in schools. Education is highly valued in Myanmar, although the political situation has caused Myanmar’s education system to be stunted and left out of technological advances. Public education in Myanmar (Primary, secondary, and tertiary) is provided by government schools as well as monasteries. A typical student completes five years of of primary/elementary school, four years at middle school/ lower secondary level, and two years at high school/ upper secondary level, after which they will receive either Diploma A or Diploma B, with Diploma A students being eligible to go to university, wherein they must take the University Entrance Exam which is run by the Myanmar Board of Examinations in Mid March every year. 

A typical school day in Myanmar starts at 9 AM and goes until 3 PM, and students attend from Monday through Friday, however, the quality of the education is low because there are many children in the class and the teaching materials are lacking. The parents who have enough money will pay the teachers to run a private class before and after school, with some students attending school from 5 am to 7:30 am and then going to public school, then afterwards, they go to private school from 5 pm to 8 pm. Some students go to school 7 days a week, attending 3 different schools.  

Findings from a 2019 interim census show that 13.3 percent of the population graduated high school and that 11.4 percent graduated from college. This is compared to 49.47 percent of the population who went to primary school and 21.72 percent who went to middle school. Educational experts who analyzed this high dropout rate say that it is caused by economic decline, armed conflicts within the country, family conflicts, school attendance challenges, inadequate transportation, a low intelligence quotient among students, ineffective exam systems, and outdated curriculums. According to the fifth version of the Myanmar National Curriculum Framework, students are expected to study Burmese, other ethnic languages, and English, they are expected to develop “union spirit” and be able to appreciate language, literature, art, and customs of all national groups/ ability to appreciate human diversity and peace, to develop into good citizens with well developed critical thinking skills, social skills, and communication skills, they are also expected to develop foundational knowledge/skills for higher learning, technical/ vocational educations, and to develop an understanding of health and sportsmanship, as well as pride in being a Citizen of the Union of Myanmar.

The Guiding Principles for Basic Education Curriculum in Myanmar are: All-round, balanced development, good citizenship, 21st century skills, notion of completion in itself, preparation for higher learning, preparation for one’s life in Myanmar society and Modern Economy, a balance in academic literacy, appreciation of all cultures, medium of instruction (Myanmar languages or English), languages of national groups, service to family, school, community, and society, peaceful coexistence and living in harmony, and promoting equality. These are similar to U.S. educational topics, although the U.S. places more emphasis on particular topics than Myanmar, such as developing an appreciation of diversity and promoting equality. This reflects the importance of education in Myanmar as well as the idea that society is based on Buddhist principles, such as a desire to maintain peacefulness. 

[burmablogger]

Healthcare Contexts

The most common healthcare belief systems in Myanmar, like all their beliefs, is shaped by Theravada Buddhism. The factors which Burmese people believe influence health include imbalances, supernatural factors such as spirit possession, bad karma, and menstrual flow (For women). Western medicine is still widely used, with Myanmar seeing improvements in the healthcare infrastructure in recent years, however, traditional medicine is far more common. Burmese people will commonly change their diet to treat sickness, depending on the sickness, an increase or reduction of one of the Burmese tastes (sweet, sour, hot, cold, salty, bitter) will be implemented.

Furthermore, many Burmese people use herbal medicines, for example, Yesah is an herb used for healing any and all sicknesses, various lotions for pains and aches, as well as herbal pastes used for wounds and abscesses. At times, herbal/traditional practices are integrated with Western medical methods. These perspectives influence illness prevention and treatment in the sense that there is a diverse range of medical practices because of the numerous major diseases that one could potentially catch in Burma, such as  Hepatitis A and E, Typhoid fever, Malaria, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Japanese Encephalitis, African Trypanosomiasis, Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Plague, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever, Chikungunya, Leptospirosis, Schistosomiasis, Lassa fever, Meningococcal meningitis, and Rabies.

Key cultural beliefs and practices surrounding death and dying in Myanmar are influenced by Buddhism, and like many other cultures influenced by Buddhism, the Burmese people value approaching death with an attitude of “equanimity and mindfulness.” For instance, the family may decide to use less medication to manage pain, or even none at all to maintain alertness. Burmese people, in general, prefer to die at home. If the person dying is Buddhist, they need a monk to assist them through the process. The burial of the body must take place by the third, fifth, or seventh day.

If I had a friend who has been offered a chance to work with an NGO doing healthcare-related work in Myanmar, I would tell them to study Theravada Buddhist customs, and I would recommend them to study Burmese, but more importantly to study and understand communicational norms, one norm being that Burmese people will speak in an indirect way, in order to adapt to this cultural difference, one should get used to asking clarifying questions. Also, I would tell them to remember to respect their elders in all social contexts. I would also tell them to try to avoid touching people’s heads, as it is considered highly disrespectful.

[burmablogger]

Business Contexts

Common business protocols and practices in Myanmar include a handshake greeting, wherein a man should be careful about not offering their hand to a woman for a handshake, but it is acceptable to shake her hand if she offers it. Exchanging business cards is also common, wherein they read their business cards before they exchange it using both hands. Also, exchanging gifts and favors is common. If one were visiting, the most appropriate initial conversation topics to discuss with someone from Myanmar are the type of impressions the country has left on you, as well as what you think about the local culture and food. Due to the hot and humid climate, most people tend to dress in a casual fashion, but women are expected to avoid tight or revealing clothing. You are expected to remove your shoes when you enter someone’s office. Gift giving is very important in Myanmar. If you receive a gift, you are expected to repay it at a later time, either through a gift of your own or a favor. 

     The first potential communication challenge that an American businessperson could face if they were to find employment in an international organization in Myanmar would be the language barrier, with a foreign manager from a Korean firm stating “one problem is that it is difficult to teach Myanmar workers the details of their job due to language barriers.” Another one would be the more ambiguous nature of business matters which is different from America, with people not having a “‘yes is yes’ attitude”. Thirdly, the American might not understand their strong tradition of respect for elders, as this concept isn’t nearly as important in the United States. When an older person walks into a room, everyone stands up out of respect, if an American is a higher level of staff, the junior members will bow deeply as they pass you to make themselves seem like they are almost invisible. 

If I was a manager who has been assigned a new employee who recently moved here from Myanmar, I would use the following strategies to help them and my other employees navigate differences in cultural expectations related to attitudes toward work, decision making, and conflict management by firstly hosting an training/orientation session which explains company rules and procedures, organizational culture, and workplace norms. I would encourage respectful but also open communication, which will be better suited for people with indirect communication styles, which is more common in Myanmar. I would also keep in mind the language barriers and use translation apps to make it easier for us to communicate with one another while facilitating their learning of the English language. 

[burmablogger]

Nonverbal Messages

To begin, it is important to understand as much as possible about the nonverbal language of any culture when one interacts with someone from that culture because of several reasons, chief among them being that depending on the culture of the people you are interacting with, the nonverbal language could be different. For example, here in the United States, an individualistic and low power distance society, a teacher will walk in the classroom and most of the time, the students continue talking amongst themselves. However, in other countries, like Japan, all the students stand up to signal respect.

A visitor from a different country might have to take some time to adjust to these differences. Potential obstacles to accurately understanding the nonverbal messages of other people would include a lack of cultural exposure or ethnocentrism. When considering how people in Myanmar use their bodies as a source of nonverbal messages, specifically through the elements of attire and body movements, one should never put their thumb between their middle finger and forefinger, because it’s a rude gesture.

Also, it is seen as a sign of respect to fold one’s arms while talking to another person.When it comes to attire, most people dress in a modest fashion, with many men and women wearing the traditional garment known as a longyi. At religious areas, everyone’s legs and shoulders must be covered, especially the women. When it comes to personal space, people in Myanmar are comfortable touching family and friends of the same gender in public, but it’s rare for couples/friends from different genders to do this. Men and women will rarely touch one another in public, but it might happen occasionally in urban areas.

I think that if we compare the cultural norms of touch in Myanmar to the U.S., the first difference is that in Myanmar, an important rule is to not touch anyone’s head as they consider it the most sacred part of someone’s body, and it’s a rule we don’t have here. Furthermore, it is considered a social mistake to engage in public displays of affection, which isn’t the case in the U.S., although some people might find it inappropriate, most people aren’t going to care very much. Myanmar is a polychronic culture. They value a flexible schedule and interpersonal relationships over a rigid schedule with deadlines like we’re used to in the West. According to this study, it is common for meetings to start late, with people arriving up to 30 minutes late not being seen as a problem.

[burmablogger]

Verbal Messages

The official language in Myanmar is Burmese. If I was using English as a lingua franca to communicate with a Burmese person, it would impact my ability to communicate effectively depending on how much English that person knows. If they are from Mandalay or Yangon, then I will likely be able to use English as a lingua franca effectively. If they are from a more rural area, then it will most likely be ineffective.

Words/Phrases: 

Hello! / မင်္ဂလာပါ! / main-gal-law-paw 

Yes / ဟုတ်တယ် / ho-tee 

No / မဟုတ်ဘူး / maho-bu

 Please / ကျေးဇူးပြု / jay-sup-yu

 Thank you / ကျေးဇူးတင်ပါသည် / jay-su-den-ba-nee 

 Can you help me? / ကျွန်တော့်ကိုကူညီပေးလို့ရမလား? / chano-ko-kuunye-pelo-yamalar?

 I don’t understand / နားမလည်ဘူး။ / narmalaibhu

 I don’t speak Burmese / ဗမာစကား မပြောတတ်ဘူး။ / bamar-cakkarr- mapy-aww-taat-bhuu

 My name is Paulo / ကျွန်တော့်နာမည် Paulo ပါ။ / kya-wan-tot nar-mai Paulo par  Most of these words were difficult to pronounce because it’s a language I’ve never heard before in my life. The pronunciation provided on Google Translate often made little sense, and I had to just listen to the audio pronunciation and try to write it myself. It would be important to learn some of these words before I travel to Myanmar because then I can communicate effectively and ask important questions such as asking for directions or where the bathroom is or ordering food.

An official website of Myanmar’s National Unity Government just released an article in Burmese, which is a set of tips on how to prevent waterborne diseases which could occur after an earthquake. This article was released today because unfortunately, yesterday, a deadly earthquake took place in Myanmar. When reading the article, I notice that the translation appears to be accurate, providing a simple, yet detailed guide to citizens on practices they should maintain at this time to prevent waterborne diseases which can be common in the wake of an earthquake such as the one Myanmar just experienced.

When I think about the phrase “Language influences our view of reality”, I think about the idea that we communicate our ideas of reality to others through the use of language, just as others communicate their ideas of reality to us. It is therefore accurate to say that language influences our view of reality, as one’s view of reality is undoubtedly influenced by what people in their reality are saying and how they describe reality. This will influence how the person in that environment describes reality. The basis of how all of this is communicated between people is through language.

[burmablogger]

Cultural History

From 1885-1948, the British occupied Myanmar, which was known as Burma at the time. In November of 1885, the British took Mandalay, the capital of northern Burma. The British decided to make Burma a province of India, with Rangoon becoming the capital. Armed guerilla rebels continued to fight the British for years after this, sparking the Third Anglo-Burmese War. As the conflict continued, the British committed various atrocities, mass executions chief among them.

This event affected perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes held by Burmese people towards other cultures in the sense that they began feeling hostile towards British people and imperialists in general. This was an integral moment in the development of Myanmar’s cultural values, goals, expectations, and identity in the sense that much of these were formed in the face of British imperialism, with their choice to practice Buddhism being allowed by the British, as well as their goals, expectations and identity being formed around achieving independence, and for politicians, to achieve power. When WW2 began in Europe in 1939, the Japanese invaded Burma and occupied it in 1942. A Burmese party led by Burmese political leader Aung San known as the Anti Fascist People’s Freedom League earned popular support. Sir Hubert Rance was appointed the governor of Burma, with Aung San being included in the cabinet. Eventually, Aung San and many of the other members of the cabinet were killed by assassins sent by U Saw, a political enemy. After these events, Burma became an independent, sovereign republic.

Independence and the political instability that led to it affected the perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes held by Burmese people towards other cultures in the sense that they felt like they were finally their own country and that they must be treated as such, as well as the the fact was made clear that the leader of the country had great power, leading to political assassinations. This was one of the most important events in the development of Myanmar’s cultural values, goals, expectations, and identity in that they were able to freely express their culture, values, and identity, and their goals and expectations were that they could finally have true sovereignty in their own country, but as corruption and civil war continues, independence hasn’t been much easier for Myanmar.    

This short documentary, which is actually the first episode in a series, details pre-colonial Burma. 

[burmablogger]

Worldview

In Burmese culture, the dominant worldview is shaped by Buddhism, which is religious in nature. Specifically, Theravada Buddhism, also known as Southern Buddhism, Theravada meaning “the doctrine of the elders”. Core assumptions include that the individual must “abstain from all kinds of evil”, and the idea that to live an ethical life is more important than the worship of a God, with Buddha responding to the question of whether or not he was a god, angel, or saint with a simple reply of “I am awake.” (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Fujimura, 2025) This puts an emphasis on self-reliance.

Concerning the question of God, Buddhists don’t believe in an omnipotent God like Christians, Jews, or Muslims, they believe that there are different spiritual beings which they refer to as Gods, whose powers are limited. In addition, the Path to Enlightenment is the most important aspect of Buddhism, the core assumption being that every individual who practices Buddhism must find their own way to enlightenment by themselves. Even Buddha’s teachings are only there to show someone the way there, but getting there is all up to the individual. In Myanmar, Buddhism is expressed culturally in a variety of ways, as the religion influences the society and the state as a whole. For example, Myanmar was ranked as the 2nd most charitable country in the world from 2009-2019. The act of donating money or materials is called dana, and it’s an important practice of Buddhism. Furthermore, the idea of Karma is important, as Buddha stated repeatedly that one’s actions have consequences. On the topic of ethics, Buddhists are forbidden from violence, using intoxicants, sexual misconduct, and they are required to be honest and helpful in the way that they speak (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Fujimura, 2025).

When it comes to death, Buddhists believe that when an individual passes, rebirth occurs immediately. A funeral will have a shrine with the deceased individual’s picture as well as an image of the Buddha, which will be surrounded by flowers, incense, and candles.  In common cultural practices, Buddhists regularly perform good deeds, which they call “making merit”. They believe that this will increase the likelihood of achieving enlightenment later in life. Early in the morning, the Sangha (monks and nuns) walk around, and Burmese people prepare food and clothes which they put in front of their houses to donate to the Sangha. This worldview is fairly homogeneous, as Buddhists make up 88% of the population in Myanmar. In 2015, a Buddhist organization called the Association for the Protection of Race and Religion called for boycotts of Muslim businesses, as well as for laws to be passed to restrict Buddhist women to marry non-Buddhist men. However, this organization was later disbanded due to the violation of Buddhist law by the state-sponsored organization, the MaHaNa, or the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, which oversees monastic Buddhist affairs throughout the country.

There is a level of conflict between those who adhere to the dominant worldview and others who don’t, however in recent years, after the Cyclone Nargis in 2008, the suppression of interreligious activity under military rule was disregarded, and Buddhist and Christian organizations came together to help the struggling communities of Myanmar. As time went on, in 2011, the president supported friendship groups from people of different religions which was done through the YMCA, and the international Religions for Peace organization helped to create the Interfaith Council of Myanmar, which has representatives of each religious organization. However, in 2012, hate speech and violence broke out between Buddhist and Muslim communities. Overall, this culture doesn’t place importance on religious tolerance, but in recent years this has been changing, and nowadays it isn’t uncommon to find people of different religions working together.

[burmablogger]

Family Structure and Function

In Myanmar, casual dating is uncommon because in their culture, marriage is the goal for single young adults. Usually opposite genders form social groups during the teen years, and if a man and woman are interested in one another, they will date for about two years and inform their families if they know they want to get married. Most of the time, a marriage will only happen if both families approve. Furthermore, arranged marriages are also common, and they are facilitated by a female family member, like a grandmother or aunt. When the decision has been made, the man sends his parents to ask the parents of the woman he intends to marry for permission to marry their daughter.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Myanmar is very diverse. Other groups have differing practices, like the Karen people, who have the freedom to choose whoever they want to marry themselves. Couples who practice Buddhism will avoid being married in between July and October during their fasting period. Furthermore, it is traditional for extended family members as well as grandparents and even great-grandparents to live in the same house, this is common in rural areas of Myanmar. In cities, there are many family structures that follow the “nuclear family” structure. The average household size in 2014 was 4.4 people. Families will usually have an individual employed to help them with cooking, cleaning, and other household needs. Adult children usually live with their parents until they get married, but some stay even after that. They can leave earlier, but only if they have a good reason, such as needing to move out for a job. Families are very close, with identity being very important in terms of families, with collective reputation, or “face” being critical. Due to this, an act of one member of the family can impact the way the entire family is perceived by the community. The interests of a family as a whole are more important than the interests of an individual member of the family, this reflects the collectivist nature of Burmese culture.    

Children are taught how to behave as well as how to practice their culture primarily by their families and secondarily by their schools. Children are always taught to remove their shoes before entering their home, and to remove their shoes and socks before entering a religious building. Traditionally, children were educated by monks, as life in Burma has always been heavily influenced by Buddhism. During British Colonial rule, education was done in both English and Burmese. In Myanmar, school is very important. It provides a transition from the protective environment of the home to the competitive environment of the working world, where efficient and quality performance is highly valued. Children are taught to accept their social class, and they are taught to practice Buddhism. One important lesson they learn is that “You get what you do”, also known as Karma. A 2014 study showed that children in Myanmar are groomed (taught) by their caregivers far more often than children in the United States (see graph above). Children are taught to respect their elders most of all and to consult them on any important decisions, with their opinion usually being the one that settles the decision. The oldest male, which would be the father or eldest son, would have the most authority. 

When it comes to globalization, a study showed that garment firms in Myanmar were affected positively; exporting caused improvements in working conditions within the factories. These working conditions which improved were: wages, healthcare management, freedom of negotiation, and fire safety. Furthermore, increases in international trade from 1995-2005 were correlated with increases in female employment. This leads to higher economic satisfaction among families along with an increasing normalization of women in the workplace.

[burmablogger]

Blog Post #1

This blog will focus on Myanmar, also known as Burma. I chose this culture because my best friend since I was nine years old happens to be half Burmese. I believe that “deep diving” into Burmese culture will allow me to learn all about people and a country which I’ve had no previous knowledge of until now, while I read about Burma as I write this blogpost. In the future, I believe I will be far more effective at interacting with individuals from Burma after familiarizing myself with their culture and history. I think that in general, I am adept at communicating with people of other cultures, provided we’re all speaking in English. I believe this because I am Filipino. As such, I was raised with a culture that is different from the dominant culture which has surrounded me throughout my entire life, so I can easily relate to people with non-American cultures.

According to the Cultural Atlas, Myanmar is one of the biggest countries in the southeast region of Asia. As such, it has a great deal of history and tradition, which the culture reflects through food, festivals, and the ancient remains of temples and kingdoms. Burmese people are known to be patient, considerate, and gentle, with a good sense of humor. Saving face is a very important concept in Myanmar, and they try their best to remain calm and modest, as well as always being mindful of whether their actions could offend, inconvenience, or embarass others. According to the CIA World Factbook, the country’s population consists of ethnic Burmans as well as many other ethnic and religious minority groups. Actually, there are over 180 different ethnicities within Myanmar. With such a diverse population, we can expect a lot of different kinds of food. When it comes to a traditional Burmese meal, they are usually served with side dishes called “Thoh Sayah”. Examples of Thoh Sayah include fish paste sauce, or Nga Pi in Burmese, vegetable soup, or Hin Yeh, and bean and lentil soup, or Beh Hin. Popular drinks (Athouq in Burmese) in Myanmar include Sugar Cane Juice or Chang Yeh, Liquid palm sugar with coconut and sticky rice or Mon Laq Sang, and yogurt with palm sugar or Dain Jin Tinyet Yeh Neq. In future posts, I will go into further detail on Burmese cuisine as well as other foods one could find in Myanmar. Naturally, there are some tragic aspects to this country. Throughout its history, other countries have tried to take control of Burma, with Britain taking and controlling it from the 1820s to the 1880s. In 1937, Britain assigned it as a province of India. In 1948, Burma achieved independence, but since 1962, Burma has remained under military rule. After a “brutally suppressed pro-democracy uprising” in 1989, the military leaders who controlled the country changed the country’s name to Myanmar. The leaders said that they were “discarding a name handed down from its colonial past and to foster ethnic unity”. They continued by stating the old name “excluded the country’s many ethnic minorities”. Within Burma, the change was negligible, as “Myanmar” is just a formal version of “Burma” in the Burmese language.

When considering the idea that “In studying other cultures, we do so very often from the perspective of our own culture”, I reflect on the fact that I was raised by my parents within Filipino culture. However, when I was sent out to go to school, I would be exposed to American culture. As I grew older, I began to become self-conscious about my personal culture, that being mostly American, but heaviily influenced by Filipino culture. When I’d go visit The Philippines to see my extended family, I realized that I was frequently experiencing culture shock, as I was witnessing different cultural practices that I’d never seen before, since I had grown up in the United States. We all have our own perspectives, and those perspectives are colored by our culture which we have been shaped by since we were children, and when we are exposed to other cultures, they can seem very different to us, since we were always used to being around our own culture, which we usually took for granted, until we come face-to-face with a completely different one. Therefore, moving forward, I will try my best to make sure that the information I collect for this blog come from unbiased and accurate sources, and that my sources are people that have lived within the culture. I can ensure this by checking that interviews I cite are being conducted with someone from Myanmar, same thing with articles I use, I will strongly prefer the ones that are written by an individual who has actually lived in Myanmar.