As part of Myanmar Week, Coconuts TV brings you three videos of everyday Burmese life…filmed on Google Glass.
Filmmaker Josh Kim gave three people – a betel nut vendor, a payphone operator and a sugarcane juice vendor – the glasses to wear whilst doing their jobs.
The resulting three videos capture scenes ubiquitous in country’s biggest city Yangon.
Kim said he was able to get a beta version of Google Glass last year through the company’s Explorers program. He hoped to base the videos on Gig, a book that profiles different people and their occupations.
“The people I let use the Glass did think it was cool, but most everyone who wears it the first time thinks it’s cool,” Kim told Coconuts.
Betel Nut Vendor
Meet Soesoe Hlaing, a betel nut vendor in Yangon, Myanmar. She’s been selling betel nut for 2 years with her husband. On a normal day, she can make anywhere from 10,000-30,000 kyats (roughly USD10-30). Her dream is to own a normal shop, like the one across from her stall selling clothes.
Payphone Operator
Meet Shwe Thint Yi, a pay phone operator in Yangon, Myanmar. She used to do brisk business charging people on the street to use her telephone, but in the past 2-3 years she’s seen a sharp decline in customers. She is currently looking for a new job.
Sugarcane Juice Vendor
Meet Mr. Tun Thuang, a sugarcane juice vendor in Yangon, Myanmar. In the summer months, he can pull in about 10,000 kyats (or USD10) a day. During the winter months, he only makes 4,000-5,000 kyats (~USD4-5) a day, but he said he still comes out so his customers won’t forget him.
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