„You are young, and very good at socializing with people. You are open and friendly to everyone. A job with contact to people shall be positive for your economics.
You cannot save money, you always spend it.
You will have difficulties but you shall overcome. If you decide a goal, you work hard to reach it.
You are emotional, you suffer for love. You have many lovers, three I think. You will get married when you are 26. You already know the person you will marry. You will have three children.
Your blood pressure is high.
Your fortune line is very weak, see? But it shall change in the next four months.
(whispers) Hammalabudiconelakumishurastolardenmmmartridefgolgonaweee.“

This is approximately what the fortune teller told me. Incredibly true! He completely blew my mind. His English was bad, I didn’t get everything he said but most of it was just real, and the whole scene was so intense! Imagine this old man with a wrinkly face, sitting on a little chair on the side of the big Sule Pagoda Road, not concerned about the crazy traffic roaring or about the mango sellers shouting. I sit next to him, he barely looks at me, but simply takes my right hand and turns it to the light. With rapid, expert movements he tipps my palm in various points, stretches the fingers, lets his fingertips run over my wrinkles, reflects for a moment and talks. He doesn’t notice the astonished smile that grows and grows on my face while he goes on talking, but just focuses on the lines of my hand.

Sule Pagoda Road by night

The Sule Pagoda Road is a big road that runs past the Sule Pagoda. We are talking deepest Downtown, jo! This place is kind of the center of Downtown and the center of the whole city. The town hall is just around the corner, there is a big fountain and a lot of water and a park with screaming children and shouting street sellers and fast cars and many noises. It’s the epicenter of the chaos.

The Goethe Institute where I work is running the organization of a European Film Festival at the moment; this festival takes place in the local cinema Nay Pyi Taw, on Sule Pagoda Road, and shows 12 movies from 11 european countries. Today, between the Swedish and the Irish movie I had a bit of time, so I ended up wondering around and being angry at myself because I hadn’t brought my camera. I walked into the fortune teller, found out about my future life, kept walking and found the park behind the fountain. Suddendly it hit me, I saw the place where I was, felt overwhelmed, sat down and wrote this:

Maha Bandoola Garden.  6pm.
Above the dirty, old and yet majestic colonial buildings, the sinking sun breaks trough the clouds, not having lost her shining power yet. The warm evening light reflects on the golden pointy towers of the Sule Pagoda, creating a game of light and shade, shimmering.
It’s magic.
On the opposite side of the big road, facing the mysterious and shimmering Pagoda, a new, massive skyscraper reaches for the sky: 50 floors of glass and iron, carrying the colossal sign “AGD BANK”. He, the skyscraper, is way taller than the Sule Pagoda, but he looks heavy, squared, dragged down; no comparison to her, to the light grace of the golden Pagoda. A macho facing a princess.
It’s magic.
Across the park, a red, long building, typical example of British colonial architecture. The vivid red of its walls makes a beautiful contrast with the vivid green of the trees all around it, typical example of tropic vegetation. Above the trees, a huge storm of ravens flies in circles, making a penetrating noise. But that’s part of the whole picture.
It’s magic.
The gracious Pagoda, the macho-skyscraper, and the old-style-colonial building: this mix is what makes Yangon so magic. This fusion of styles, of cultures, of historical periods creates a unique atmosphere. Believe me, it’s indescribable! I just read through what I wrote, and it does’t even get close to what I am seeing here. My words only scrape the surface of the immense world of colours and noises, I am trying to…
And bamm, out of nowhere, rain. Rain again! Shit, I gotta hurry, forgot my umbrella.

Sule Pagoda and AGD skyscraper