Clash Or Confluence?

Asia, Travel Snippets, 57 Comments

One of Yangon’s many quirky contradictions!

A KFC sign clashes with a Hindu temple spire.

Happy travels….no matter where life takes you.

Related:
Daily Post WPC – Opposites
More Posts On Myanmar

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Madhu is an Interior designer turned travel blogger on a long sabbatical to explore the world. When not crafting stories on The Urge To Wander, she's probably Tweeting @theurgetowander or sharing special moments on instagram.com/theurgetowander

57 thoughts on “Clash Or Confluence?”

  4. This is an amazing photo post which truly reflects the travellers experience and entices others to explore this place, truly a thrilling post.

  5. I do remember seeing this on the main east-west avenue in downtown Yangon! In 10 years’ time I imagine the city will look (and feel) increasingly like Bangkok. KFC is by no means the worst option in this case – Outback Steakhouse would have been even more jarring. 😉

    1. Ha, not too long before Outback Steakhouse finds its way to Bagan even! Isn’t it sad how all South Asian cities end up being homogenous clones? Bangalore is a case in point. It’s lost almost all its original character.

  6. This contrast is a very good take on the challenge, Madhu!
    Happy travels to you, too!
    Wishing you a wonderful weekend,
    Dina

  7. I saw something similar to this paradox when I was in Singapore. It seems like these beautiful, colorful temples should be set apart from the modern world, doesn’t it?

    1. I do Juliann. We, in the East, have no concept of preserving heritage architecture. Prosperity brings about awareness, but it is usually too late.

      Pleasure to see you here. Have a fabulous day! 🙂

    1. Haha, the reason I stopped mid track and clicked that shot 🙂 Pleasure to see you here Annette. Have a great day!

  10. yeah..!!! just keep going..!!!

    1. Looks like we are mostly on the same page on this Mary 🙂 Appreciate your stopping by. Have a great day!

    1. I agree with you Ian. But like Brexit, it could quite well be that all of us voting clash belong to a different generation. 😀

      1. You are probably correct. I’m glad you like harmony in architecture. Different styles are OK together but they have to be artistically planned.

    1. Thank you so much Janet. It’s been a while since I participated in a Daily Post challenge, so I was delighted that I didn’t have to dig too deep in my archives 🙂

  16. That seems to be a common sight in many cities all over the world, the traditional and the modern cozied up next to each other. It makes a good contrast at least.
    -David

    1. True David, especially in Asia where the fast food giants are seen as symbols of globalization. The ones in my city are less in-your-face 🙂

  17. I am actually ok with it.. sorry .. people got to eat..

    Here where I live we have a a meat shop on one side and pub on the other of a gurudwara sahib. .

    But then god did teach us to be tolerant. .

    1. Bikram, by that logic, you should be fine with KFC/McDonald’s signs dominating the Angkor skyline, or in the centre of Hampi, because really, there aren’t many dining options there! The comments refer to MNC globalization that leads to the dilution of local character. I know it is inevitable in fast growing Asian cities, but it is sad nevertheless.

        1. With these MNCs in the middle of Hampi??? With a uniform homogenous world? I am so not fine with that Bikram.

        2. Yes mam. .

          But as I said earlier modernisation has its negative points to and this is one such point.

          Look at what is going on jn the rural punjab.. I am from punjab so can talk about that. . All that was good is being lost to new..

          I mean right in the middle of our own field is a big mobile tower.. and then if we talk of religious buildings in the name of making them pretty we are changing them into marble buildings..

          Anyway I am sorry if anything I said hurt your feelings …

        3. Oh no, no hurt feelings 🙂 And I am quite sure the sadness expressed had nothing to do with the religious structure at all.
          Have a great week ahead Bikram!

        4. Oh no i know this has nothinh to do with religion I was just trying to put in context the issue with modernisation..

          I don’t beleive in religion as such 😀😀

          I can understand the sadness.. but I don’t know what to do..

    1. True Gilly. To be fair, this was in a busy part of town, but it is still shocking to spot that smiling face in Yangon, let alone alongside a temple. The Tamil temple is also a foreign import incidentally 🙂

  19. This reminds me of when I saw this in Bali. My daughter begged me to eat there and I was devastated. How could she want KFC over nasa goreng? I buckled, after all, I’d dragged her all the way through Java – not an easy journey – but I ate somewhere else.

    1. Haha, I would have done the same Mallee! That used to be my daughter’s main gripe about travelling with her boys, but their palates have gotten more refined over the years, thankfully 🙂

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