The most striking feature of Burmese girls, women and children is the yellow Thanaka powder smeared on their cheeks, noses, foreheads, and even throats. It is said to tighten the pores, control oiliness, cool the skin, and act as a sun block. It is made by grinding tree bark into a paste. Pre-mixed Thanaka is also available. This woman seems to have to just rubbed it on, while other women and children use it as carefully planned decorative accents. What fascinated me the most were the incongruities present in this portrait. To non-Burmese, the makeup itself appears incongruous. She uses it to not only paint her face but also her throat, a rarity. She makes no acknowledgement whatsoever that I am making her picture. She never made eye contact with me. Her stoic expression never changed. I photographed her standing in front of a grim steel gate, no doubt used to secure a store in the city’s busy market. Yet her painted face and neck speak more loudly to us than anything else. She is Burmese!