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Photo EssayPhoto Essay

31Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight |

32 | Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight32 | Air Mandalay - The Golden Flight

By the time we got to Pan Phat village it was already night time. The area around the monastery was thick with people from all the surrounding villages, who had travelled to participate in the kahtain religious festival, which honours the monks with donations of everyday necessities. We had arrived on the final day of the festival, the finale of which was to be a night of stage performances.

In our lodging house a young group of Palaung practised traditional songs and dances set to an acoustic guitar performance. As they lined up to take the stage, it soon became apparent that this was their first rehearsal; many of them looked from the corners of their eyes to see what the person next to them was doing.

Around 8pm, people began to spill from the principle monastery building, indicating that the religious service was over. Men drifted over from the few drinking establishments, the children stopped chasing each other to find their parents and the crowd huddled closer to the stage, waiting for the entertainment to begin.

Finally, a group of young Palaung, all wearing traditional dress, filed onto the stage and, to the rousing music of what appeared to be the local rock band, performed a few traditional dances. The young Palaung who had earlier been practising in the house also performed, their confidence much improved. As the evening progressed, the traditional dances ebbed in favour of solo performances of modern ballads set to electric guitar or karaoke music. The young men proceeded to woo their favourite singers with tinsel boas and flowers that they would give mid-song to the applause and delight of the crowd.

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Fitness on the goFrequent business trips are no excuse to stop your fitness programme. Neither are

vacations. Exercise gives you the extra energy to concentrate through all-day meetings,

offset the high-calorie effects of restaurant food, and keeps your heart and lungs in good

9-to-5 health. Here are eight ‘sneaky’ ways to stay fit when you’re out of town.

Be preparedHave a plan that fits in fitness. Today’s hotels cater to the exercise needs of guests.

Many have on-site health clubs. Most hotels publish a Sports Hotel Directory of the

fitness facilities they offer. Check out the hours, costs (if any) and types of equipment

before you make reservations even if you’ve used the chain’s facilities in other cities. Or

have your travel agent do it.

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Run away from homeMany hotels provide jogging maps or

recommend routes to try. For safety and

scenery, check with hotel staff before

running off on your own. And if it rains? Jog

on the spot in your room. Indoor jogger’s

must wear shoes and lift their feet at least

eight inches off the floor. A good variation

on running, is a track or fitness trail on the

grounds nearby, which has a running path

with exercise stations where you perform

various callisthenics according to posted

instructions.

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Exercise gives you the extra energy to concentrate

through all-day meetings, offset the high-calorie

effects of restaurant food, and keeps your heart and

lungs in good 9-to-5 health.