Basics - The Rough Guide to Myanmar - page 72

worth reminding yourself what a difference even a handful ofkyat can make to a local cycle-
rickshaw-driver or market-stall owner.
TheBurmese dress modestly.Insomeethnicminorityvillagesit'sstillthenormtoweartra-
ditional dress, and even in cities many men and women still wear longyi , although Western-
style clothes are increasingly common. People will be too polite to say anything, but they
may be offended by the sight of tourists wearing revealing clothes including shorts cut above
the knee, and - particularly for women - tops that are tight or show the shoulders.
Physical demonstrations of affection (particularly holding hands) are common between
friends of the same sex and family members, but not between men and women. Couples will
rarely even hold hands in public, although they can often be seen sitting very close together
in parks under the shelter of a protective umbrella.
You should also avoid touching another person's head (considered the most sacred part of
the body), and when sitting try to avoid pointing your feet (which are considered impure) at
anyone. Always use your right hand when shaking hands or passing something to someone
(the left hand is traditionally used for toilet ablutions). If invited inside a Burmese house , re-
move your shoes before going inside.
TEAHOUSE KISSES
Sit in any local café or teahouse in Myanmar and you're bound to notice the distinctive
kissing sounds which local men make when they want to attract a waiter's attention - a
bit like the sound you might make when trying to make friends with a cat. The endless air-
kissingmaysoundabitflirty(orjustplainrude)toWesternears,althoughfortheBurmese
it's all perfectly routine - and no one will mind if you attempt a bit of simulated kissing
yourself when you want service. Burmese women don't usually air-kiss for attention, al-
though Western women can generally get away with it.
Although most obvious in teahouses and cafés, kissy-kissy sounds are also used out on
the street as a general call for attention - meaning anything from “Come into my shop” to
“Watch out, I'm about to flatten you with my motorbike”, so don't be surprised (or offen-
ded) if you attract a few puckered lips yourself when travelling around Myanmar.
Greetings
There's no equivalent in Myanmar to the prayer-like greetings employed in other nearby
Buddhistcountries(suchastheThai wai ,Cambodian sampeah ortheSriLankan ayubowan ).
Men will shake hands on meeting; women meeting one another or a woman meeting a man
will content themselves with a smile and a min-găla-ba . Men should not try to shake hands
with women.