The young woman looked at the camera, squinted at me, and smiled

Young woman narrowing her eyes — Young woman smiling with her eyes

With camera in hand, I wandered around the Myo Ma Market in Thanlyin. I did not see any tourists here. The market is not a tourist attraction, as it is a market for local people and does not have any unique customs. When I arrived at the market, it did not seem to be a busy time of the day, and people were working at a leisurely pace. When I appeared, they stopped their hands and looked at me. I was an intruder who suddenly appeared in the daily lives of the people working here. To my delight, the locals warmly welcomed the intruder.

The young woman in the photo is one such worker at the market. When I pointed my camera at her, she stopped her work and smiled cheerfully. Her narrow eyes became narrower as she smiled. She must be married, because I could see what looked like a wedding ring on her finger. According to one theory, the average age of marriage in Myanmar is around 21 years old. Of course, there may be regional differences between urban and rural areas, but it is about 10 years younger than the Japanese average.

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