What's Going on Underneath that Umbrella?

You live at home in a small apartment with 4 other members of your family.  You want to see your girlfriend, but obviously bringing her home is not only akward, but then your family will keep pestering you about when the marriage is going to happen.  You would like to go out to eat at a nice restaurant but is a little too expensive for a college student.  So, where do you go to get away from they prying eyes of your parents and be with your "honey"?  To the park!

It's hard to go to any green space in Yangon without seeing throngs of young couples hanging out.  In fact, just telling people that Bessie and I are going to visit Inya Lake will get a chorus of "Ooohhh"s from anyone listening.  We're just going to get a walk and some semi-fresh air, but for locals the park is the place for love. 



Of course, while the park provides some respite from the 'rents, it doesn't provide much privacy from the rest of the public.  The young lovers need a little more cover from the wandering eyes of strangers.  Enter the trusty umbrella!  Not only does it provide cover from the sun, rain, and the occasional bird crap, it is also a private wall between lovers and the public-at-large.  Plus, it's easily portable and can be taken to any romantic spot that you can get to on two feet.

Now, I don't know exactly what goes on under the umbrellas, but from knowing people here, it's probably no more than some snuggling and kissing.  If they get wild, maybe there will be kissing with tongue, but that's just crazy.  Granted, I don't go around surveying all of the couples as to what exactly transpires underneath the "portable love awning" but most of it would easily make it into a PG-rated movie.

Needless to say, with this new umbrella function, it takes on a whole new meaning when I ask Bessie before leaving the house: "Should we bring an umbrella?"