MYANMAR JEWISH COMMUNITY - PAST & PRESENT

Burma or the Union of Myanmar is the largest country in terms of geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China on the north, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, and India on the northwest.

Major tourist attraction - The Irrawaddy River System Â

Independence from the United Kingdom was achieved on 4 January 1948 as the “Union of Burma”. In 1962, the government run by U Nu was removed following a coup. The Burmese military has controlled the government since. On 18 June 1989, the ruling military junta changed the name officially to Myanmar.

The country has had its share of internal strife, the most recent being a movement led by the country’s monks that began on 19 September 2007. The world is carefully watching to see how these latest conflicts end. On 28 September, the government cut internet access, interrupting Jewish Times Asia’s contact with the tiny Jewish community within the country.

When to travel to Bagan

Bagan is hot most of the year. The best time to visit is between November and February, when temperatures hit 30C (86F). Avoid March to May, when temperatures can reach 43C (110F). Rainfall is highest in June and October. If you can, visit during a full moon, a popular time for local festivals.

Bagan: Trip of a Lifetime

Tim Jepson tells you all you need to know about visiting the great temple site of Burma.

The temples at Bagan in the evening glow 

By Tim Jepson

8:00AM BST 04 Aug 2013

Bagan in central Burma is one of the world’s greatest archeological sites, a sight to rival Machu Picchu or Angkor Wat but – for the time being at least – without the visitors. The setting is sublime – a verdant 26 square-mile plain, part-covered in stands of palm and tamarind caught in a bend of the lazy-flowing Irrawaddy (Ayeyarwady) river and framed by the hazy silver-grey of distant mountains.

How Often Do You Really Need to Shower?

If you don't shower much - but generally keep that information to yourself because of the negative stigma - you're not alone. Following hot on the heels of the no-shampooing hair care revolution, some folks are taking the logical next step: If no or reduced shampooing results in healthier, shinier hair, what about skipping soaping up the body?

Unlike the modified hair-washing schedule, which tends to elicit commentary about shampoos and parabens, conditioners and hair-drying time, skipping showers altogether seems to bring up plenty of other opinions on the subject. Many people who do shower every day think that not doing so is inherently wrong and unhealthy. It's assumed that people who don't shower on the regular are stinky and/or greasy and maybe even visibly dirty - and it certainly can't be good for you.

But considering that it has really only been the last 100 years or so that people have bathed more than once a week (Saturday night baths were the norm for most of American history), daily showering is actually not objectively healthier or better; and in fact, one of the most common reasons that people cut down on showering is actually for skin-health reasons, not laziness. As far as being actually physically dirty, most of us who don't work outside or aren't otherwise involved in daily work where we might get covered in dust, dirt or grease probably don't get any real dirt on anything other than our faces and hands most weeks. 

Also see: 5 natural deodorant alternatives

What's behind the links between health and less showering? People with skin issues have long noted that forgoing daily showers can help with eczema, and plenty of others think that it is actually healthier overall, for similar reasons that not washing one's hair can make for shinier, less-frizzy hair. The natural body oils that lubricate and protect the skin get washed away by warm (and especially hot) showers paired with soaps that strip the skin. Without those oils, the skin is more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses, and can also look and feel dry and uncomfortable. Because the body wants to keep the skin in healthy, protected shape, frequent washing can even encourage the body to overproduce oil, leading to a viscious cycle of cleansing and oil production. Many people have found that when they stop washing hair and skin as often, after an adjustment period, the body naturally decreases the amount of oil it produces and less washing is needed.

Of course, how often you shower depends on your level of activity, how healthy you are (if you work out often and eat healthfully, you naturally produce less body odor) and what you do for a living. And, I would add to that list: It depends on the season too.

Confession: I only shower three times a week, and I wash my hair on one of those occasions - but that's just because it's winter. In the summer, I shower every day, but most of those are just rinses in lukewarm water, sans soap so I don't dry out my skin. The drier, colder air of winter saps my skin of moisture, and since I use only natural products, keep active, and don't eat much processed food (and it's cold), I have almost no body odor. You can also shower briefly, as I do, and lather up only the areas that need it on a daily basis (we all know what those are), protecting most of your good skin oils from being washed off, while still enjoying a couple minutes of shower time. You can also wash with oils, which is a popular and growing treatment for dry skin. I do this too and have noticed that since I started washing with organic coconut oil (yes, oils will clean, check out the site dedicated to oil cleansing for an explanation), I feel refreshed, moisturized and smelling great - I add a couple drops of sweet orange or rosemary oil as I love scent.

But there's one area of the body you should never skip washing multiple times a day: your hands. As John Oxford, professor of Virology at Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry told the Daily Mail, "As long as people wash their hands often enough and pay attention to the area of the body below the belt, showering or bathing every other day would do no harm. Even twice a week would not be a problem if people used a bidet daily as most infectious bugs hang around our lower halves."

By Mother Nature Network (mnn.com) | Healthy Living

Tomb dating back to 1100 B.C. found in Egypt

CAIRO (AP) — Archeologists have found a tomb dating back to around 1100 B.C. south of Cairo, Egypt's Antiquities Ministry said Thursday.

Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said that the tomb belongs to a guard of the army archives and royal messenger to foreign countries. Ibrahim said the Cairo University Faculty of Archaeology's discovery at Saqqara adds "a chapter to our knowledge about the history of Saqqara."

Ola el-Egeizy of Cairo University said the tomb contains "very nice inscriptions" of the funerary procession and the afterlife of the deceased.

Shwe Pathein Umbrellas

 Pathein Umbrellas which are long time and still famous hand made products  in Burma  and  Southeast!

         Many kinds of umbrellas are produced in many countries, but Myanmar Traditional Umbrellas are specific and distinctive among them, because of interesting natural raw materials and workmanship. As the location of production in Pathein, these umbrellas are well known and called Pathein Umbrellas (Pathein Htee).      Pathein Umbrellas have been produced since over one century of service period. Firstly those are known for fashion, for monks and for giving presents, but we have shown other useful facilities in home decorations, gardens, beaches, hotels, motels and restaurants with various designs and colours.

Daw Aung  San Kyi  with Pathein Umbrella

Short sex is pretty normal, it turns out

(NEWSER) – It's not exactly the most romantic statistic: Almost half of all men finish sex within two minutes, reports the New Republic by way of Dr. Harry Fisch's new book, The New Naked: The Ultimate Sex Education for Grown-Ups.

What's So Bad About E-Cigarettes?

The Food and Drug Administration says it plans to regulate e-cigarettes, along with cigars and other tobacco products. Health advocates say it’s about time, but many “vapers” who use e-cigarettes say regulation will damage a product that’s a far safer substitute for cigarettes.

“The FDA has over stepped their boundaries,” supporters wrote in an online petition posted this week. “DoNot, allow the FDA to take control of a life saving product (sic).”

Burmese Art Crafts Reflect a Rich Culture

Burmese’s relative isolation and deeply traditional culture have contributed to a thriving arts and crafts industry.

Myanmar Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2014-December 2015 period.

Public holiday note: 

Buddhist festivals are declared according to local astronomical observations and it is not possible to forecast the date of their occurrence exactly.

2014

January

04

Independence Day

Start date:

4 January 2014

February

12

Union Day

Start date:

12 February 2014

March

02

Peasants' Day

Start date:

2 March 2014

March

16

Full Moon of Tabaung

Start date:

16 March 2014

March

27

Armed Forces Day

Start date:

27 March 2014

April

13

Maha Thingyan (Water Festival)

Start date:

13 April 2014

End date:

16 April 2014

April

17

Myanmar New Year

Start date:

17 April 2014

May

01

May Day

Start date:

1 May 2014

May

06

Full Moon of Kason (Buddha's Birthday)

Start date:

6 May 2014

July

12

Full Moon of Waso (Beginning of Buddhist Lent)

Start date:

12 July 2014

July

19

Martyrs' Day

Start date:

19 July 2014

October

09

Full Moon of Thadingyut (End of Buddhist Lent)

Start date:

9 October 2014

November

22

Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone

Start date:

22 November 2014

December

08

National Day

Start date:

8 December 2014

December

25

Christmas Day

Start date:

25 December 2014

2015

January

04

Independence Day

Start date:

4 January 2015

February

12

Union Day

Start date:

12 February 2015

March

02

Peasants' Day

Start date:

2 March 2015

March

05

Full Moon of Tabaung

Start date:

5 March 2015

March

27

Armed Forces Day

Start date:

27 March 2015

April

13

Maha Thingyan (Water Festival)

Start date:

13 April 2015

End date:

16 April 2015

April

17

Myanmar New Year

Start date:

17 April 2015

May

01

May Day

Start date:

1 May 2015

June

01

Full Moon of Kason (Buddha's Birthday)

Start date:

1 June 2015

July

01

Full Moon of Waso (Beginning of Buddhist Lent)

Start date:

1 July 2015

July

19

Martyrs' Day

Start date:

19 July 2015

October

27

Full Moon of Thadingyut (End of Buddhist Lent)

Start date:

27 October 2015

November

26

Full Moon Day of Tazaungmone

Start date:

26 November 2015

December

08

National Day

Start date:

8 December 2015

December

25

Christmas Day

Start date:

25 December 2015