Young Woman Narrowing Her Eyes

Shot at Thanlyin Myo Ma Market in Thanlyin, Myanmar.

Walked around the Thanlyin Myo Ma Market with my camera. Because there were few foreign travelers, many people noticed me and looked at me curiously. This market was a local market and not a tourist destination. It seemed not to be a busy time when I visited. The people working here stopped moving and cast an eye on me when I appeared. I was an intruder for their daily lives. And I was glad most of them welcomed me.

The young woman in this photo was one of the persons. She sold chestnuts and others. Approaching her, she stopped working and started to look at me. And she replied to my behavior, she smiled cheerfully.

Looking closer at her hand, I found a ring. She seemed to be married. According to one estimate, the average age of marriage is 21 in Myanmar. It is about 10 years younger than the average age of marriage in Japan.