Residential areas of the wealthy where some of the foreign embassies are located are more like the best areas of Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta etc. A very notable feature is that these roads are well maintained, even those outside the Capital, and are completely devoid of refuse not even scraps of paper or other litter. Pavements of many of these areas, particularly in the evenings, are converted into open air eating houses with low plastic stools for patrons who are served with a variety of food from rice, noodles, soups, barbecued meats of various kinds, to beer, tea and other beverages. As in any other country if one want to be doubly sure of quality tourists' shops located in the better residential areas and the upper class shopping malls would be the choice. Practically, everyone in the country, rich or poor, in whatever occupation from shop assistants to Government employees, and professionals, other than those in their regulation uniforms, wear the longyi - the Burmese unisex sarong.
Women wear very colourful longyis with one end tucked into the side.
Men wear western style shirts or less often tunic style collarless shirts above the sarong while the upper garments worn by women are loose blouses in varying styles and colours to match the longyi. This dress is so very sensible, particularly for men in a hot tropical climate and is also very elegant while class distinctions created by different types and styles of western clothing do not arise. Men in two piece suits are a definite rarity and they also do not normally wear the headgear which used to be seen in photographs of leading Burmese men in earlier years. Both men and women wear slippers or sandals and hardly anyone is seen in socks and shoes or barefoot. With King Anawarahta's ascendance to the throne in 1044 Burma's history began to be written and from 1057 it became a Buddhist state.