I realize my soft spot for Myanmar is not any sympathy for its military coup but because of an exciting potboiler I read years ago about hunting for rubies there; the delicious thousand layer pancake dessert that I used to get at Minghala Village on 7th Street that I still crave; & Burma Shave shaving cream.* God, am I shallow. I hope if I ever went to that part of the world I would have a more nuanced take.
* We loved reading Burma Shave's small sequential signs out loud when I was a kid driving around the Midwest with my family. Often clever & you just had to get to that rhythmic punchline. Early public poetry! Here are some examples:
= Every shaver / Now can snore / Six more minutes / Than before / By using / Burma-Shave
= Your shaving brush / Has had its day / So why not / Shave the modern way / With / Burma-Shave
= Shaving brushes / You'll soon see 'em / On the shelf / In some / Museum / Burma-Shave
= A shave / That's real / No cuts to heal / A soothing / Velvet after-feel / Burma-Shave
= Train approaching / Whistle squealing / Stop / Avoid that run-down feeling / Burma-Shave
= Keep well / To the right / Of the oncoming car / Get your close shaves / From the half pound jar / Burma-Shave
= Hardly a driver / Is now alive / Who passed / On hills / At 75 / Burma-Shave
= Past / Schoolhouses / Take it slow / Let the little / Shavers grow / Burma-Shave
= If you dislike / Big traffic fines / Slow down / Till you / Can read these signs / Burma-Shave