Myanmar/Burma

"Yangon straddles the historical divide: A smattering of concrete and glass skyscrapers has sprung up among the crumbling colonial facades and magnificent centuries-old pagodas..."

"Myanmar is home to some of the world’s most beautiful women, and every ethnic group in the country has its own idiosyncratic styles and its individual methods of presenting itself..."

"Being yourself and standing up for your rights isn’t always easy. The Kachins are determined to hold onto an individuality that has captivated and inspired many in Myanmar and beyond..."

"It’s the tourists who try to blend in who end up being the most conspicuous. Case in point: a Western man wearing a Burmese longyi (a sheet of cotton wrapped around the lower half)..."

"Burmese women do some implausible things to their bodies, and those from Chin province up in the northwest have a unusual method of beautification. They tattoo their entire faces..."

"Ties between the Karen people and Westerners, especially the British, have been strong, if complicated. But now the West is sitting up, noticing and admiring this amazing community..."

"Women will have a ball dressing up. Traditional female attire for the Palaung people means bright, brash and beautiful, all accessorized with bamboo hoops and thick aluminum belts..."

"Let's dispel a long-established myth immediately - the woman in this picture does not have an elongated neck. In fact, the brass coils on her neck are pushing down her collarbones..."

"Thanaka is a multi-purpose cosmetic, serving as a sun protector, an anti-acne agent and a moisturizer. No wonder women apply the paste so thickly to their cheeks and foreheads..."