Its easy looking back, but there are always classic lessons to be learned, 1929 was not a good year for investors and it took a decade for the primitive wheels of commerce to grind back towards profitability. The capitalist cart had just begun rolling smoothly when Mr. Hitler and his gang of filibusters sprang into view, spilled the beans and spoiled the broth, and dumped the world into a dizzy turmoil. In the back woods, Wall Street was a prime victim.

In 2008 it was the turn of Wall Street (the bastion of ‘financial security’) to lead the charge down the dungeon of capitalist make believe, and to upset the shiny apple cart, and dump the world in a credit crunch par excellence. In 2010 the USA and their European allies still flounder in this dirty bathwater. A dark and murky cloud drifts aimlessly in a financial playground, where smoke screens have become all the rage, in an effort to smooth over the turmoil, and disguise the oozing river for near ‘bankruptcy’ that flows as large as the Yangtze Kiang through the financial streets of the old World order. Back upstream the 3 gorges dam seems to do little to stem the flow of financial tears in the West.

But in the East it is a different story. Asia is plainly and mysteriously on another financial planet. Feng Shui; a definitive mindset; a shiny set of financial wheels; and a more respectful rung on the economic ladder, has actually boosted the Asian economies.

At the heart of the matter is that new chestnut, China, somehow symbolized by the gleam and glitz of Pudong’s Pearl Tower, dominating the skyline like a rocket ship about to launch. The fact of the matter is that it has already taken to the skies, through the buzzing airways of commerce, industry, trade and finance, supported by infrastructure and what the West, in their time of despair, might like to class as economic skullduggery.

The proof is in the pudding, and 2009 eventually saw a gigantic turnaround with some remarkable results in Asia. At the beginning of 2009 most investors were bent over and creaking in shock, sourly beaten by hideous falls in equity markets worldwide. While cash was being stored under larger mattresses at home, well away from the collapsed banking system, Asian equity markets took off a pace and flourished in equity outer space.

Those investment funds lumped aptly under the grand title of “Emerging Markets”, or fine tuned under the title of a “BRIC” fund, have been raking in the profits. The question is – how much money came out early enough from under the mattress and was Asian invested?

The Frenchman Voltaire in the 1700s Blooming in the Face of World Gloom said, “Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?” Yet in this day and age, and in the case of the Asian financial market boom in 2009, who was there (alongside you) to reap the rewards?

Everyone knows that when things have taken a big dip, that is the time to buy. After all as Ambrose Redmoon succinctly put it “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important that fear.” Naturally we all leapt into the Asian markets and took that plunge and made a killing.

This is all backed up by the words of TS Eliot who said, “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” You and I were ready on the sidelines to cash in on the cash cow, because, as George Bernard Shaw said, “The people who get on this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them make them.” At the end of the day William Shakespeare said it all with the simple words, “The readiness is all.”

The investment house Jardine Fleming, have a Fund in Korea that made 66.7% in 2012. Their Thailand Fund made 84% over the same timeline, while in Taiwan their fund creamed in a growth of 64%. They are a British company who delisted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange around the time of British ‘handover’ of the territory to China, when China spoke of ‘150 years of shame’ while Britain ruled Hong Kong. Jardine Fleming were picked out by the Chinese as example of this shame, amid a flurry of mainland accusations of being linked up with the Opium Wars, in the days when the British rulers issued Government licenses to trade in Opium in another century.

Meanwhile investing in most of Europe and the USA is a bit like pouring tea from a chocolate teapot. South America adds the B to BRIC funds with Brazil, and with South America comes under the lucid umbrella of “Emerging Markets”, and has also managed impressive results recently.

This is all very well, but what of the future? If you still fall in to line and believe in the old world order, then invest in USA and Western Europe, but beware that this investment flame might be getting as much protection for your capital as using a chocolate fire guard. There again shares in Kraft might get you a boost with Cadbury. The buzzwords still have to be “Emerging Markets”, while the downturn in 2009 with the Hedge Fund industry and in Commodity Funds is being talked back up right now, profitability is forecast for 2014 and beyond.

It’s a complicated brew. But for those who made it in 2009 in Asia it is time to sit back on the brand new yacht, and enjoy the new beach cottage.

Perhaps it is also time to take more cash from the stash beneath the mattress and trickle a dollar or three into those “Emerging Markets”, and place a wholesome wad into agricultural Commodities… after all, half of the world lives on rice. Put your money where your mouth is, and invest in this fuel that drives the workers of the “emerging markets” – after all rice is Asia.

But the future signs are still only for the brave at heart. “Is there anyone so wise as to learn by the experience of others?” The advice is simple, don’t fret, take the plunge, for rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

Indeed, its easy looking back, especially after the success of investing last year when the signs were obvious, and the lessons worked well when put the test. Asia is definitively blooming in the face of the world gloom.

There was once a time in Yangon when the city’s arteries were not bursting with vehicles desperately slugging it out over a few inches of tarmac. As the three year anniversary of Thein Sein’s role as President approaches in April, of the raft of economic and political reforms implemented by him and his government, it is the utter surge in the amount of cars on Yangon’s streets that is most obvious to the most casual observer within the city.

While other major cities within the country have not been unaffected by the increase in car imports, those city’s residents have long been able to commute via the much nimbler option of motorbikes, something denied to Yangonians – in 2003, the government banned the use of motorbikes within the city’s limits and, as yet, there are no signs that that ban will be lifted – forcing many to cram into busy, often decrepit buses and trains or rely on uneconomical taxis.

During the country’s military rule, the import tax on automobiles was so high, and import rules so complicated, that vehicles were the domain of only the country’s most elite – in fact, Myanmar’s automobile sector draws many parallels with the telecoms sector, which has been seen as a key indicator that the government is genuine in its plan for reforms. According to some reports, in previous times, second-hand cars could reach $20,000, with that figure dropping to around $5,000 as car imports become more affordable amidst economic reforms.

Since 2011, the government has changed auto import policy on more than half a dozen occasions, the most notable coming in September 2011 with the introduction of the “new for old” policy, whereby cars over 20 years old could easily be replaced by newer models (those less than five years old).

If on an anecdotal level the policy changes have led to an increase in numbers, then the data supports this trend too. According to data from the Road Transportation Administration Department (RTAD), total vehicle registration within Myanmar reached 3.6 million (86 percent of which is motorbikes) as of July 2013, up from 2 million at the end of 2010, before the shift in policy began. Additionally motorbikes, so popular in all major areas outside of central Yangon, continue to see an increase in sales, with a rise of eight to 10 percent per annum according to the data.

Much like the potential offered in practically, all of the industries that have opened up in-line with the “new” Myanmar, multinational giants within the automobile industry have been quick to take advantage in a country that offers huge economic potential in a range of areas due to its large, generally well-educated population and important strategic location between India and China.

One of the most notable early-movers was American giant Ford, which partnered with local RMA Group and Capital Star Group, to hoist its iconic blue, oval symbol above its Yangon showroom, which opened in October. Other American firms now operating within Myanmar include Chevrolet and General Motors, while popular German brands Mercedes-Benz who recently opened a new showroom and Volkswagen have taken notice, the latter of which teamed up with local company Yoma Strategic Holdings, which is operated by Burmese-Chinese behemoth Serge Pun.

However, it is the automakers from East Asia that appear to be best prepared to take advantage of the continued growth in Myanmar’s auto industry. According to the data from RTAD, more than 80 percent of the registered vehicles within Myanmar are from Japanese or Chinese companies, with Nissan recently unveiling plans for a branch to manufacture its Sunny brand in Bago Region, just outside Yangon, with operations planned to begin in 2015. Meanwhile, Toyota recently opened its second service centre in Yangon last year and is planning to open a Mandalay service centre in the near future.

Low-cost Chinese maker Chery – a popular brand in a country where worker salaries are often less than $100 per month – has commenced work on what it estimates to be 3,000 to 5,000 vehicles per year, while India’s Tata opened its first Yangon showroom in 2013.

International players have timed their involvement in Myanmar well, observers say. An industry report by global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, entitled ‘360 Degree Perspective of the Automotive Market in Myanmar’ estimated that Myanmar’s auto market is likely to grow by 7.8 percent per annum to 2019, fuelled by what it says will be a growing economy, improved infrastructure and improved integration with ASEAN, with particular reference to the ASEAN Economic Community, an EU-style bloc between the member states expected to begin in 2015.

“However, factors such as unpredictable regulatory changes, high car prices, an under-developed auto service market and inadequate road infrastructure might hinder the potential growth,” warned Dushyant Sinha, associate director for Frost & Sullivan’s Asia Pacific office.

The report added that the growth would be dominated by companies from China and Korea who would benefit with their affordable prices and smaller engine sizes when compared with their Japanese rivals. The report also predicted that companies from the US and Europe would struggle to grab too big a market share as spare parts and after sale service support are still limited within the formerly isolated nation

During the ongoing Lower House Parliament session, Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Development Dr. Daw Khin San Yi said that the country received a total of $34.2 billion worth of foreign investment during the last 25 years. This amount came from at least 25 countries and different regions, and was used in 381 projects of 11 sectors. With the investment, more than 300,000 job opportunities were provided for Myanmar citizens at the end of 2013. A year after it reopened, Myanmar introduced a foreign investment policy in late 2012 which replaced the 1988 law to help attract more foreign investment. The new law enables foreigners to have full ownership of their businesses in Myanmar, or to facilitate joint venture operations with Myanmar on a mutually-agreed ratio of investment. While these premises are very appealing, local economists say that the continually rising prices of real estate could pose as a problem for interested foreign investors.

As per the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Myanmar Economic Indicators, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 5.5 percent in 2013 with consumer price rise reaching 7.3 percent. It is projected that Myanmar’s GDP will rise by 6.2 percent in 2014, with 6.6 percent consumer price inflation.