Rosemary Pratt, Marchioness Camden

What people wore

Earlobes served as daily storage

People often used their earlobes as storage, with men inserting cheroots and women using them to hold bouquets of flowers.

Getting around

Patience Waiting for Trains

While trains were available, they were infrequent, and Burmans were known to sit contentedly on platforms for half the day waiting for their train.

At the table

Softened Rice Used for Infant Weaning

Mothers often practiced a weaning method for babies where they chewed cooked rice to soften it before feeding it to the child. In poor families, this rice was typically the only weaning food available.

Music

Common outdoor entertainment known as pwe

The pwe was a widespread performance of drama, dance, and music that occurred almost nightly during the dry season, often held on simple circular ground areas for various occasions like weddings and pagoda festivals.

Daily life

Water sharing and festival customs

Villagers placed jars of drinking water in raised, thatched cupboards called yaiohzin along roadsides to provide refreshing water for travelers, using coconut shells as drinking cups. During the Water Festival at the Buddhist New Year in April, it was a friendly custom to douse neighbors and passers-by with bowls of water as a compliment.

What it cost

Government capitation tax rates

The government-imposed capitation tax for adult males was 3 rupees for unmarried men and 5 rupees for married couples.