မျက်နှာသေ

Contexto cultural

In Myanmar, showing too much emotion in public can sometimes be seen as a lack of self-control. A 'Myat-nhar-thay' can be a sign of a 'cool' or 'composed' person. In traditional games like 'Shan Ko Mi', players pride themselves on their မျက်နှာသေ. It is a highly valued skill. Traditional dancers are taught to control their facial muscles perfectly, sometimes maintaining a မျက်နှာသေ before transitioning into a specific 'Rasa' (emotion). Young people use the term to describe 'cool' or 'edgy' photos on Instagram where they don't smile.