Soy Boy
Kaungdaing, Myanmar
A teenage boy rakes soybeans to dry in the sun. The soybeans will be used to make soymilk, which is sold warm on street corners at night.
The boy is wearing a longyi, a traditional skirt-like garment worn by both males and females. This lightweight garment is well suited for working in the hot tropical sun and has other practical benefits as well: one size fits all, rolled up it quickly becomes a pair of shorts, at night it can serve as a blanket and it can be used to carry items ranging from food to firewood to babies. Myanmar however represents the last stronghold of longyi wearing men, as most South and South-East Asian men now prefer Western-style trousers.