Burma (Myanmar)
The history of this country dates back to the early 11th century when King Anawratha unified the country and formed the First Empire in Bagan more than twenty years before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. King Bayinnaung founded the Second Empire in the mid 16th century. King Alaungpaya founded the last Dynasty in 1752.

Britain conquered Burma over a period of 62 years (1824-86) and incorporated it into its Indian Empire. Burma was administered as a province of India until 1937 when it became a separate, self-governing colony; the Japanese occupied the country from 1942 until 1945. Independence outside of the Commonwealth was attained in 1948. Burma is one of the poorest and least visited countries in the world. The capital, Rangoon (Yangon), in the south, is the main gateway for travelers who come to see magnificent and ancient Buddhist temples as well as the sights of Bagan (Pagan), Inle Lake, Golden Rock, and Mandalay. The world famous Shwedagon Pagoda is in Rangoon.

Burma borders Laos, China, India, Thailand, and Bangladesh, and its coastline defines the eastern shore of the Bay of Bengal. Southern Burma consists largely of the western slopes of the Bilauktaung Range, which constitutes the northern base of the Malay Peninsula. Northern Burma, which comprises the great bulk of the country's area, consists largely of the broad river valley of the Irrawaddy. Originating high up in the very eastern extremity of the Himalayas, the Irrawaddy rushes down through great mountain gorges in northern Burma before spreading out into one of the largest river deltas in Asia. Both of Burma's principal cities, Rangoon and Mandalay, are situated along the Irrawaddy, and the 1,000 mi (1,600 km) river is navigable for almost two thirds of its length. The Irrawaddy valley is surrounded by a great horseshoe of mountain ranges, which rise in the east to the highlands of the Shan Plateau. The vast majority of Burma's people live in the lowland regions of this river valley, in the Irrawaddy basin. This fertile expanse, which sits within the tropical monsoon belt, is one of the world's great rice-growing regions. Burma's population includes dozens of different racial and ethnic groups, including the Mons, Burmans, Kachins, Chins, Shans, Rakhines, and Karens, each of which have historically dominated a particular area of the country. Although Burmese is the major and official language, more than a hundred local and regional dialects are spoken throughout the country.
09:30 PM PST Permalink |

Ais Krim Potong

Back in the good old 70's and 80's, when having a refrigerator at home was a luxury, those who had refrigerators at home came up with a brilliant idea - sell ice. But since sucking on plain water wasn't the most exciting thing to do, someone thought of putting syrup and sugar into the ice instead. Today, even with the advent of refrigerators in most homes, the humble ais krim potong remains a favorite with children and adult alike. Over the years, this humble dessert has evolved and there are many flavors of ais krim potong to choose from. Take your pick from creamed corn flavored ais krim potong to pandan flavored ones and even some made from the famous durian! The ais krim potong can be purchased from most ice cream vendors or from pasar malam (night market) vendors.

08:03 PM PST Permalink |

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and a symbol of eternal love and devotion expressed in marble. The marvelous structure was built by Shah Jahan - third in the line-up of Mughal emperors - in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died during childbirth. Construction work began in 1630, and masons, master craftsmen and calligraphers were recruited from Persia and Europe to complete the mammoth task. It took 12 years and a workforce of 20,000 labourers to build the mausoleum, which stands like a jewel in the middle of vast, emerald gardens. A monument with various moods, the Taj is said to look completely different at different times of the day. The most amazing sight is that of the Taj on a full-moon night.

See Kenneth Champeon's One Man's Love: The Taj Mahal

08:34 AM PST Permalink |