Hugo Townsend

What people wore

Ceremonial attire remained a priority

Regardless of wealth, Burmans ensured they owned at least one silk longyi or htamein and a jacket to wear for important feast days and ceremonies.

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

Tea Consumed as Drink and Salad

Tea was a staple of social life and was consumed not only as a drink but also as food in a salad called lahpet thoke, which mixed fermented tea leaves with peanuts, sesame seeds, garlic, and dried shrimp.

Music

Boisterous folk dances at festivals

Folk dances like the Ou-zi and Dou-ba were popular at pagoda festivals and community services, featuring drummers who danced while playing, accompanied by oboe, cymbals, and bamboo clappers.

Daily life

School Life and Discipline Methods

School children wore uniforms of white blouses and green skirts, and classrooms were crowded, with up to six students sharing a four-foot desk. Corporal punishment was common, including making students hold their ears while doing squat-downs or receiving paddlings with bamboo sticks.

Work

Wages and shifts in rice mills

In the 1930s, Rangoon rice mill workers typically earned about Rs. 25 per month. Mills often operated on 12-hour shifts during peak production, despite a nominal 54-hour work week.