To Be Young and Cool in Burma

Renovations, Shwedagon Temple
"I was surprised how devout average Burmese could be. One of the skaters I'd met suddenly shaved his head and disappeared one night. His friends told me he had gone to live at a Buddhist monastery for a time of study — common practice for Burmese, most of whom spend various periods of their life living as Buddhist monks. It is difficult to express in words or pictures the ubiquitous persistence of the Buddhist faith in Burmese society. It is present at once in the iconography, the architecture, and the national character."

• Can the Young Bring Change to Burma?