“An Odd Couple” By Roger Stonehouse, [source]

The image is often captioned with something akin to “cultural clash between modern and traditional lifestyles” and the ability of two different people who live different lifestyles to live together peacefully, and while it can and often is true, it’s a somewhat stereotypical misreading of the issues and lifestyles in Burma. Punk rebels have been a major underground resistance force in the country, as have graffiti artists, both perhaps perfect examples of ‘modern’ rebels, but Buddhist monks have also always been catalysts for change. See both the 2007 “Saffron Revolution”, anti-government protests originally started by Buddhist monks, and the monk protests over political prisoners in the war against ethnic rebels in 2011.

Both of these boys very likely have much more in common than you’d guess. And this really is a beautiful picture.