by Hla Min

Update : July 2025

(1) Ngapali

Poem

• My poem “The Ngapali Beach” was published in Forward Magazine
• Received 15 Kyats for the poem
• Illustrator received 50 Kyats
• Bohmu Ba Thaw was Chief Editor of the Forward Magazine. He jokingly asked me if I would be interested to join his staff.
• U Sein Hla was Assistant Editor

Three Visits

• My first visit was during my student days with my cousin Ko Thaung Lwin & friends. We stayed at U Tha Gyaw Wai’s Bungalow (managed by my uncle U Thet Toe).
• At a nearby bungalow was the Amyotha Yoke Shin movie crew with U San Maung (Gerald, RUBC Gold & Coach). They were shooting a film starring Wah Wah Win Shwe and directed by U Min Naing. Ko Gerald asked me if I would be interested to join them on the way back to Rangoon via Taung Goke.
• The ride on the truck over the Taung Goke Pass was rough and tough. At Taung Goke, we were hosted by a cinema owner. He offered the movie audience a free show if they could translate the Burmese titles into English. One submission was “Fly away bitter bird” (Pyan Lay dei Nget Khar ပျံလေတဲ့ဌက်ခါး).
• The rest of the trip involved a boat ride after a long delay and a train ride.
• My second visit was with my beloved spouse & two young sons. We stayed at Amyotha Yoke Shin Bungalow managed by U Mya Maung, elder brother of Saya U Tin Htut (M).
• My third visit was as Guest Lecturer for Ngapali Luyechun Camp in 1988. I spent some time chatting with other Guest Lecturers including Saya U Kyaw Myint (DG of Higher Education, former Physics Professor at Mandalay).
• I know a few people who have taken annual trips to Ngapali.

(2) Inlay

Poem

• My poem “Phaung daw-u Festival” was published in the Thadinkyut Supplement of the Working People’s Daily (WPD).
• Received 15 Kyats for the poem

Four Visits

• My first visit was as Luyechun to Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in the summer of 1965.
• My second visit was as a guest of Peter Pe (SPHS) in October, 1965. Maung Maung Aye decided to join us. We were greeted at Nyaung Shwe by Thar Oo (Shan Pyay).
• We stayed for a week in Inn Paw Khone in Inlay Lake. Peter’s cousins (including a medical doctor) hosted us. We attended the Phaung Daw-u Festival.
• We then visited Taunggyi to see Peter’s uncle U Maung Maung Latt (Ah Matt Choke အမတ်ချုပ်of Nyaung Shwe Sawbwa ညောင်ရွှေစော်ဘွား). We attended the Mee Bone Byan Pwe မီးပုံးပျံပွဲ

• My third visit was in the mid 2010’s via a Tour Company which arranged a Tour Guide, and car, a private boat and a night stay at a hotel in the Lake.
• The photo shows a rainbow in the background.

• Sad to see the declining state of Inlay (e.g. low water level). We also spent some time in Taunggyi and the nearby cave in Ho Pone.
• My fourth visit was in January 2020 as the last leg of PSA 2020 Tour. We stayed at a hotel near Inlay Lake. Two PSA members gave a short course to the hotel employees. Some went for the Hot Air Balloon ride. Some opted for a boat ride in the Inlay Lake.

(3) Sydney

In June 2006, I visited Sydney, Australia to attend three mini-gatherings.

• Annual Dinner of Engineers
  mostly RIT Alumni

• Gathering hosted by Saya U Aung Zaw (UCC) to pay respect to Sayagyi Dr. Chit Swe (Founder of UCC) and Sayagyi Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (National Advisor, Board Member of UCC)

• Lunch for Old Paulians in Olympic Park by Dr. Thann Naing (Bonnie Kywe, Geology)

• Ko Tha Hlaing (EC83) is the son of Dr. Freddie Ba Hli and my cousin Daw Myint Thwe. He gave me the book “This is Sydney” as a present.

(4) Niagara Falls

• Visited Nigara Falls twice.
• My first visit to Niagara Falls two decades ago from the US side.
• Ko Mya Aung, Ko Tin Ohn, Ko Mg Mg Myint and I rented a car and made a quick trip.
• My second visit to Niagara Falls was made in July 2015.
• Ivan Lee (M69) provided his Mercedes for a trip to Canada and the East Coast of USA.
• Fred Thetgyi (M69) drove most of the journey so that Ivan could rest. On the way to Windsor, Canada, we visited Niagara Falls from the Canadian side.

(5) UK

England

• Hosts : Dr. Khin Tun (Peter) & Daw Win Mar (Reading, England)

Wales

• Hosts : U Maung Maung Kyi & Daw Khin May Than (Ogmore-by-the-sea, Wales)
• See posts

(6) Texas

Hosts

• Dr. Ba Han & Daw Lillian (Fort Worth)

• U San Lin & Daw Hla Hla Myint (Dallas)

• U Myo Tin & Dr. Khine Zin Oo (Temple)

(7) Seattle

• U Khin Maung Zaw (Side trips to Oregon & Vancouver)

(8) East Coast

Maryland

• Dr. L Sein Myint

• U Thein Han & family
• U Wynn Myint Aung & family

Washington, D.C.

• U Htin Lin & family

Tri-State

• U Aung Thu (New York)

• Ivan Lee (New Jersey) : Side trip to Canada & East Coast
• Tom Liu & family (Connecticut)

Pennsylvania

• Fred Thetgyi & family

Massachusetts

• Dr. Tun Aung Gyaw & Daw Khin Maw Maw (also Cape Cod for their son’s wedding)

(9) SoCal

• Saya U Tin Htut & Daw Irene

• Steeve Kay (QTCM & KFF)

• U Aung Khin & Daw The The
• Daw Phyu Phyu Kyaw

• U Tin Htoon & Daw Helen

• Ed Saw

(10) Canada

• Sayagyi U Aung Khin (Windsor)

• Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi & Daw Emma (Napean)
• U Zaw Oo (Vancouver)

(11) Singapore

• U Win Latt

• U Tin Aung Win & Daw Wah

• U Ngwe Soe & Daw Nu Nu Yee (Side trip to Jahore & Malecca)

• U Zaw Tun & Daw Kyu Kyu
• Pale Shein & Ko Ye

• U Khin Maung Myint

(12) Myanmar

5th Irrawaddy Literary Festival

• Host : ILF Board

2020 Myanmar PSA Tour

• Host : U Kyaw Kyaw Hlaing & family

(13) Visit to Burma by Foreign Leaders

• During our younger days, three N’s : Nu (Burma), Nehru (India) and Nasser (Egypt) celebrated the Burmese New Year (Thingyan Festival). They helped found the Non-Aligned Movement.
• Other leaders such as David Ben Gurion (Israel), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) and Daj Hammarskjold (UNSG) also visited Burma.

Nehru (India)

Photos : Compiled by Win Aung Gyi (Maung Aung Mon)

Nehru and Indira Gandhi (India)

Chou En Lai (China)

Posts

• Festivals
• Gatherings
• SPZP
• Trips
• Vacation