Mingalabar!

Hi! My name is Ohn and I was born in Mandalay, Myanmar. Mandalay is the old palace and it’s known for its preservation on our culture and traditions. Girls from Mandalay are called Man-da-lar-thu. We have such a distinct look from the women of other cities. Mandalarthu’s have noticeably long hair (often braided); wear traditional long skirts called Lone-Gyi and the most fascinating trend is these giant gold bangles around the ankles. Some of my aunts still rock this look to this day! I obviously opt for my blonde short locks and no gold ankle-bangles .. imagine wearing them on the subway Hahah that’d be a sight to see!

Due to my Daddy’s occupation back then (he was a government official), we were traveling all over Burma. I spent a good chunk of my childhood in Rakhine state. We didn’t grow up with barbie dolls. We did have ample fresh air, trees to climb on and jungles to explore.

We have such a huge family back home. Every weekend or school break, we would drive out of town to just about anywhere. My mom could literally make food out of anything. She could pick any veggies from the side road and make something quick (Obviously she knows what’s edible and what’s not). I have like 10 cousins (almost everyone is the same age), and we would just run around like a bunch of monkeys haha Those were the golden days!

I’m rocking the Ka-Chin traditional outfit here. There are 135 tribes/ethnic groups in Burma. Burmese traditional outfit is a little different from what I’m wearing. I hope to show you guys soon! I’ve been back home once about 5 years ago. I tried to travel as much as I could to see all the relatives and friends when I was there.I’d love to go back home soon - may be around the water festival in April. It’s our new year celebration and it’s one of the biggest festivals in Burma.

If you are planning to travel to south east Asia in 2018, I suggest to put Burma/Myanmar on your list. Go explore to each state and witness these fascinating ethnic groups. They each have their own language and traditions. If you are interested, I could also give you my personal recommendations!