Yangon, Myanmar. A monk pauses before crossing a busy street after finishing a conversation on his cell phone.

Yangon, Myanmar. The bustle of the waterfront during rush hour.

Yangon, Myanmar. Everywhere I wander in the city I am met with wide mouthed grins.

Yangon, Myanmar. Almost everywhere I wander in the city I am met with wide-mouthed grins. This man takes the time to look up from the crossword(?) he appears to be working on in the newspaper to oblige my request to photograph him— ‘De bó yai baÿazé?’

Yangon, Myanmar. Penny for your thoughts.

Yangon, Myanmar. Bicycle taxis are a common means of transportation and drivers can be seen at rest in between fares in groups all over the city.

Yangon, Myanmar. Turning down a random street I discover people sitting and relaxing in front of market stalls, on curbsides and in chairs, simply passing the time and apparently without a care in the world.

Yangon, Myanmar. A young woman at work in a cell phone store in Chinatown. More and more electronics stores have appeared in recent years and while active device use does not appear widespread in public like in so many other developed parts of the world, the number of cell phone users in the country continues to increase.

Yangon, Myanmar. Young monks wander the streets together, arm in arm.

Yangon, Myanmar. Visitors make offerings at the Shwedagon Pagoda, which dates back to 1372.

Yangon, Myanmar. A young dockhand waits for more passengers to fill a boat at the riverfront.

Yangon, Myanmar. Even if shy, most people I encounter welcome my requests to photograph them.

Yangon, Myanmar. Riverfront vendors sell beneath the afternoon sun on a foot bridge above the Yangon River.

Yangon, Myanmar. A man hauls a heavy sack of potatoes from a boat to a storage facility at the riverfront.

Yangon, Myanmar. Happiness appears to be a way of life in Yangon, clearly evidenced by this boatman at the riverfront.

Yangon, Myanmar. The backs of market stalls are visible below apartment blocks and a relatively newly constructed hotel, while boats come and go in the foreground.

Yangon, Myanmar. A young dockhand pushes a boat out as others arrive in the background.

Yangon, Myanmar. A common scene at most times of day. Bicycle taxi operators at rest in between fares.

Yangon, Myanmar. A welcoming smile from a bicycle taxi man at the riverfront.

Yangon, Myanmar. A dozen different stories play out on the banks of the Yangon River on a Tuesday afternoon.

Yangon, Myanmar. A young boy laughs in between bites of his snack at the riverfront.

Yangon, Myanmar. A thoughtful stare hangs on the face of a street vendor at the riverfront.

Yangon, Myanmar. A look of almost challenge on the face of a street vendor meets my camera’s eye at the riverfront in the fading sunlight.

Yangon, Myanmar. A moment later the woman and I have developed a rapport and her hard face breaks, revealing a trusting and easy-going mood underneath.

Yangon, Myanmar. The fading sunlight just barely catches the eyes of this bicycle taxi man who appears to be taking in the whole of the scene on the streets around him.

Yangon, Myanmar. Another example of the traditional Myanmar men’s garment, the lunghi.

Yangon, Myanmar. A bicycle taxi man passes the time in between fares by reading a newspaper.

Yangon, Myanmar. Passenger boat traffic on the Yangon River.