"He was always gentle and pleasant, " Coyne says.

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Yangon has a pleasant charm and gentle energy, with vast gardens and riverside walks, the grandeur of centuries-old monuments such as the Shwedegon Pagoda, a fast-growing cultural scene of art galleries and music performances, and a melting pot population of all Myanmar's tribes as well as industrious overseas Indians and Chinese, who make up 5% of the nation's population.

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His face was pleasant, his brow high, his mouth gentle, and his brown eyes warmly inquisitive, as if to say, Yes, I like you, and yes, I want to know more about you.

NEWYORKER: Waiting