Sunday, September 30, 2007

On Burma

* from Wikipedia

When I was in high school, I was so fascinated of stories about the golden pagodas in Burma, the early history of Burmese people and culture. Things about Burma never left my imagination as I went on through my simple life. Then I never heard about Burma anymore. I was even confused when a young relative who was taking History subject told me frankly years ago that there was no country named Burma in her book. She said it as if I was hallucinating and inventing something. What happened to the Burma I knew of?


When my daughter attended her poly studies at TP, she met two friends from Myanmar. When I accompanied her to pay for her tuition fees, I happened to see those two Myanmar young ladies. I then told my daughter that it was so unusual for two persons of same nationality who study in a foreign country not to talk to each other. My daughter explained that it was because the first young lady was the daughter of a general from Myanmar and the other one was the daughter of a newspaper publisher/journalist who was against the government.

So then and there I was able to piece up the pieces of confusion I had before. I then learnt that Myanmar is actually Burma. I even told my daughter that I like the name Burma than Myanmar.

So every time I hear about Aung San Suu Kyi, my daughter’s Myanmar’s friends whom she said the other one is now in NYC taking further studies, and about Myanmar, visions of those empire, small kingdoms, pagodas and even the place Mandalay come to my mind.

And now that there is chaos over there again, I feel sorry for those wonderful memories of that beautiful place ebbed in my young mind then.

If you are keen to know more about the recent happening there, do visit this site
http://ko-htike.blogspot.com/

Let us pray for the people of Burma.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

hey, luchie. had learned that Myanmar is the Burma before from Papsie. like you, i like its former name. there is something mystical about it.

Unknown said...

i also heard one TV presenter mentioned Myanmar as Burma too.

thanks for the visit bing.