by Hla Min
Update : 8th October 2026
by Hla Min
Update : 8th October 2026
My introduction to teaching at RIT began as a team member of the English Department. Besides Daw Yin Yin Mya (Head of the English and known to us as Terry), and Daw Sheila Saing (Asst. Head), there were 10 tutors including myself.
In his own inimitable and affectionate way, Saya U Khin, also one of the new tutors, decided to spice up our group by giving us nicknames. I’m sure my former colleagues will forgive me for revealing these juicy tidbits as this generous gesture of U Khin’s served to bind and give our departmental community a semblance of togetherness.
Daw Yin Yin Mya was complimented with the name Shwe Man Mé (in honor of her previous beauty pageant title). I wouldn’t want to reveal Daw Sheila Saing’s nickname. Despite its not being slanderous or derogatory, it was a typical humorous expression of what we Burmese immediately notice about anyone’s appearance. U Win Mra was known as Rakhine gyi, Saya Tony (Sao Kan Gyi) as Shan gyi (sadly gone, but he must be smiling down on us from his abode of eternal rest), Sayama Toni as Byaing ma gyi, Sayama Muriel – a name I don’t recall, but which I think reflected her sweet innocence and being the object of Saya U Khin’s “secret” admiration, Sayama Khin Saw Tint, ungallantly nicknamed Ahnaik té gyi, and Sayama Charity who was inexplicably called Shwe nga.
For some strange reason, U Khin spared me, perhaps out of intimidation or deference for my scrabble prowess, as he often challenged but rarely ever beat me in games involving money bets.
Both Saya Joe Ba Maung, and Saya Kyaw Lwin Hla, easy targets, were also excepted by U Khin, perhaps to portray a side of his that reminded him of having some good social graces. These intimate nicknames, characteristic of us Burmese helped with the bonding process more closely, and nobody took offense at their liberal use. It certainly seemed that despite our different ethnic backgrounds, we enjoyed a far greater measure of coexistence, cooperation, and friendship in our department than the Burmese government of the day did, in their efforts to co-opt and mold the various ethnic groups of the country into a unified whole.
Those were halcyon days for us at RIT, teaching classes of 20 to 25 respectful and committed students, who basically went along with what we decided was appropriate to teach, and in the manner we decided was best for them to learn. Saya U Khin and I usually had Sayama Terry’s ear, so to speak, and we got to make considerable input into the curriculum and test instruments. At exam time, I was given the duty of conducting the Listening tests over a loudspeaker system across a few wooden framed classrooms (not unlike large zayats), likely due to my previous stint as a radio entertainer with the BBS.
I got to love my work and I became very attached to the students. In particular, I remember one student. In my classes, he was almost habitually slouched over his desk in the last row of the class, seemingly half asleep on one bent elbow with glasses barely supported on his nose, and seldom looking up or towards the front of the classroom. His seeming indifference belied a very active, bright, and absorbing mind, one which on facing a problem or engaging in conversation requiring close concentration manifested its ability to ably comprehend sophisticated concepts or language use. Usually indulging in his pastime of doodling, I’m sure he was immersed in daydreams of one day becoming an editor of a successful newspaper or a widely popular and eagerly-read newsletter.
When I wasn’t teaching, I was either playing scrabble with Saya U Khin, Roland Thein, Sayama Anne, or Bobby Myo Tun, now respectfully addressed as Bhikku Pannagavesaka, who undoubtedly must now be spending some time apart from his meditation in his monastery in Mawlamyine to reminisce on some of the earthly pleasures RIT once had to offer.
Our teaching staff was a friendly bunch. We had a regular stream of students, and some members of other departments visiting with us either to exchange pleasantries or to “check out the scenery” from our vantage point on the 3rd floor. Regulars such as Roland Thein and the Rev. Bobby Myo Tun (no disrespect intended), were often joined by Johnny Hla Min, Kenny Wong, Robert Win Boh, La La, George Tun Pe, D.S. Saluja, Toby Kittim Ku, Zaw Min Nawaday, Walter Tan, Gregory Win Htut, Reggie Kyaw Nyunt, etc., and their delightful female counterparts viz., Christine Phyu Phyu Latt, Emma Myint (later an RIT sayama), and Pamela Myo Min (now Head of Architecture) etc.,. Others, one year junior were Merrylin Smith (now Mrs. Zaw Mon with a very successful career in the US government’s EPA), Than Than Yi (at whose house I played tennis a few doors from Daw Aung San Su Kyi’s residence on University Avenue), Amy Lei Lei Myaing (Tex), Rosie Gyi, Annie (?), and Merlin Vaz, etc., Many of these students not only strolled into our “English Corner”, but unstintingly gave of their time to help me set up the RIT scrabble group, which later even involved the participation of Sayagyis Dr. Aung Gyi, U Min Wun, and perhaps Saya Bilal Raschid in competition games in the institute. The students’ help also extended to organizing the department’s debates and carol singing at Christmas time – an interesting seasonal Christian celebratory event, where racism and religious discrimination played no part in the thinking of our community. We were just happy to be one, and to do things and enjoy each other’s company in whatever manner we could, all in true Burmese fashion.
On other fronts, I thoroughly enjoyed socializing and cultivating friendships with faculty members from other departments. Saya U Sein Shan (Math) was a consistently friendly and jovial presence, as were Saya U Maung Maung Win (Mech) with his flashing smile worthy of any CNN news anchor, Saya Maurice Kyaw Zaw, and Saya U Soe Paing, whom I called “the involver and the motivator”. I had frequent stimulating conversations with Sayas Christopher, U Thein Dan, and U Allen Htay of the Civil department. And of course, I was not only very friendly with Saya Bilal Rachid of the Architecture Dept., but was, and will always continue to be deeply grateful to him for helping me get my Canadian visa. He did much to introduce me to the international diplomatic circuit where the foreign ambassadors often engaged in discussing topical issues, a pastime close to my heart. We now keep in close contact by email, and I plan to visit him and others in the Washington [D.C.] area in the near future.
In the same way that I had learned to smoke from some RIT seniors in 1959, I also learned to drink from socializing and playing tennis with the Russian Architectural and Mining lecturers. Interestingly, Viktor, the head of the Russian group took me aside when I went on my rounds to wish my various colleagues “Good-bye”, and asked if I would mind keeping in touch with him as he wanted to immigrate to Canada. When asked, “Why Canada?” his answer was a simple, “They have excellent fishing there!”
Despite my very cordial relations with Sayagyi U Yone Moe through my occasional visits to his office, there was one person in the administration who seemed to consider me anathema to the institution, with no apparent justifiable reason. Whenever I happened to see U Soe Thein the Registrar, which was practically everyday, he would always stare or glare at me with thinly disguised feelings of dislike.
I know I’m fast forwarding a bit here, but I’d like to narrate an interesting and illuminating anecdote that happened towards the end of my teaching career at RIT.
One day, a brilliant student of mine – who shall remain anonymous, returned from the government’s annual Lu Ye Chun summer camp for outstanding achievers. At the usual meeting of students, faculty and administration in the RIT Assembly Hall, instead of going along meekly with the official policy line of praising the program to the skies, and using the occasion to encourage other students to strive for higher ideals within the government’s philosophical purview, he delivered a critical unflattering message labeling the program as nothing less than an attempt to indoctrinate the students with questionable socialist ideals!
We sat in stunned silence, not for one moment expecting such a tirade. I never quite got around to asking him what chastisement was meted out to him, but within an hour of his outburst, I was “requested” to see U Soe Thein in his office. There, I was pointedly accused of imbuing this student of mine with harmful western liberal thinking that was detrimental to the Burmese Way to Socialism. Despite my protests to the contrary, I was roundly castigated on the grounds that I was a natural suspect due to my westernized manner of dressing, my behavior, and outlook. Well, so much for U Soe Thein – himself a suspected front man for the party, and his heavy-handed attitude.
There was no love lost between us, but I very sadly had to conclude that after this, my first experience of discrimination in my life, and a few other misgivings about the systemic failure I was witnessing, including the plight of the working class people at large, I would sooner or later have to leave the land of my birth, as it was becoming extremely constricting and taxing for me to exist in such a stifling political system. I have since moved on, preferring to relegate the “U Soe Thein fiasco” to a footnote in my teaching career at RIT.
And as for my student? I was left with an absolute sense of admiration for this young, conscientious, and courageous person who had had enough gumption to speak truth to power!
Editor’s notes
by Hla Min
Updated : 9th October 2026
Feedback from Rosie
Almost all my RIT friends were there.
At my wedding, Mama Si Si Chit Maung did the flower arrangements on the stage. In those days there were no florists yet. And all the white Lillie’s were from Daw Khin Kyi’s garden, 54 University Ave.
Aunty Marie Hla Taw booked for my wedding (4 months ahead) after my engagement was done in September 1971.
Can’t get those flowers in the market in those days too.
by Hla Min
Updated : 8th October 2026
by Hla Min
Updated : 9th October 2026
by Hla Min & U Aye (M62)
Updated : 8th October 2026
by Hla Min
Updated : 8th October 2026
by Hla Min
Updated : 9th October 2026
by Hla Min
Updated : 8th October 2026
During my school days, my parents gave me 25 pyas as pocket money. They wanted to make sure that I study hard.
In Standard VI(D) and Standard VII(D), Ms. Amelia Kyi (“Miss Hong Kong“, mother of U Win Kyi (RUBC Gold)) taught us English. We had to take weekly tests. She would fine 25 pyas to those who fail in a test. She would give 50 pyas to those who do well in a test.
My parents would give bonus prizes only when I did well in the final examinations.
They would buy us typewriters : Remington for English and Olympia for Burmese.
They also gave me a Raleigh bicycle, a Yashika Mat camera, and Cash prizes (100 Kyats for passing a Government exam and 100 Kyats for each Distinction).
They would also provide us books : several types of dictionaries, Myanmar Swel Sone Kyan စွယ်စုံကျမ်း၊ Reader’s Digest, Student’s Companion, A book for Idioms, Grammar (e.g. Wren and Martin), the King’s English (by Fowler and Fowler), “How and Why”, Fun with Mathematics, Classics Illustrated, …, Saya Mauk ဆရာမောက် (Bedin ဗေဒင်), Cheiro (Palmistry), …, Second World War.
My uncles & aunts were like my adopted Parents.
They had private libraries. There was a set of Encyclopedia Britannica, books by Dale Carnegie (“How to win friends and influence people”, “Five minute biographies”) and more.
They allowed me to play their piano and games (Badminton, Table Tennis, Carrom, Bridge).
Uncle U Thet Toe would take us to Inya Lake for swimming followed by a feast of Buthee Gyaw ဘူးသီးကြော်
Uncle U Than Lwin would take me to the Recreation Center in the Main Campus (e.g. to meet Saya Dr. Than Tun) and to the Faculty of Social Science & Library (e.g. to meet Saya U Khin Maung Kyawe (Jimmy) and Sayama Daw Myint Myint Khin (Hazel)).
Dear beloved parents, uncles, aunts and teachers, “I’m sure you will be in the good abodes. I want to thank you for your unbounded love and for your exhortation that “Every thing that’s worth doing is worth doing well” “.
My beloved spouse and I tied the knot in June 1973 in front of our parents (my father, my mother and her mother) and elders including Sayagyi Dr. Chit Swe (Founder and Director of Universities’ Computer Center).
All my siblings are alive and well.
My spouse had lost five family members.
She volunteered for social and religious events. She wrote several articles for Dhammananda Newsletter with the pen name “Neik Ban Zaw“.
She encouraged me to pay back to our parents, mentors, alma mater, society and our beloved land.
With her support, I served for 27!years as Chief Editor of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” and as an organizer of activities (including RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe).
I have written 2500+ posts in my Facebook pages and hlamin.com
by Hla Min & Htay Aung
Updated : 8th October 2026
I was born without knowing that I would have to live my early life next to the big BIT facade and that I would also become an engineer.
I had played inside, outside, and on top of the BIT roof, but I was unaware of what the engineering students were learning inside.
Then, one day, I made a long hard decision to become an engineer instead of a medical doctor, because I like the noise, the smell, and the science of the machinery better than having to face the sobs, the sighs and the anguish of the sick and dying people at the hospital. (Over the years I’ve learnt that sickness, aging and death are part and parcel of life; so I don’t have much objection now.)
Besides, I had met too many engineers and had seen so many role models as I grew up in the BIT/RIT compound in Gyogon.
My late father is the elder brother of late Prof. U Sein Hlaing (Elec). My family moved to Gyogon and lived together with him in BIT compound when BIT was opened in 1961. My first neighbour in BIT was late Saya U Kyaw Tun and family.
When my family moved in to live in BIT compound, I was studying KG at St. Paul’s High School opposite the Secretariat Building. (SPHS later become No. 6 Botataung State High School). I survived the traveling between Gyogon and Botataung for the next decade to come until I finished the 10th standard. Catching the No.8 Hino bus to go to high school in the city became a daily routine.
Gyogon is about 9 miles (14.4 km) away from the Rangoon city center. It is rather very close to Insein town. BIT compound is surrounded by some living quarters and the Veterinary Institute in North, a huge suburb from Kyike-Kala (Aung-Theikdi) to Thamaing College (where other engineering student hostels were established from the 1969 SEAP Games Village) with the Shwedagon pagoda above the skyline in South, a vast open bush land with “9th mile” Chinese cemetery towards the Prome Road in the East, and the Insein Road, a small Agricultural Research Institute, the BPI factory, the Gyogon train station on the West.
The Rangoon Airport is not too far away in the North East corner so the entire air space above the compound is also occupied 24 hours a day. I got so much used to the roar of the turbo jet engines that they didn’t wake me up in the middle of the night. Fortunately, the planes never hit the huge BIT facade or the tall concrete water tank tower. The big sharp “thunder-bypass” discharge spikes on the roof top might have scared them away.
I remembered one day that a few people were working on the BIT facade. Then I realized they were removing the “Burma” stone scriptures from the facade and replacing with “Rangoon” so it became RIT from then on.
During the summer holidays and any other holidays (if not raining), I used to play tennis in the RIT compound. There are several tennis courts (one provided for staff) in the compound. At night time, the Sayas tennis court would light up to play a few matches among Sayas and family members. Some Sayas who I remembered playing there regularly were Dr. Aung Gyi (Civil), U Aung Khin (Mech), U Myo Myint Sein (Arch), U Kyin Soe (Mech), U Tin Hlaing (Mech), Dr. Tin Hlaing (Mech), U Aung Than (Mining), U San Hla Aung (Civil), Dr. Aung Soe (Civil), Dr. Khin Maung Win (Petroleum), Dr. Saw Pyu (Metallurgy), U Win Kyine (Petroleum), Dr. Thaung Lay (Metallurgy), U Thein Lwin (Elec), U Tin Htut (Mech), Dr. Tin Win (Mech), U Tu Myint (Mech), etc. The tennis court was next to Saya Dr. Aung Gyi’s family house so we got all necessary supplies with their compliments. A Russian Saya who played there sometimes would also bring a nice Russian tea for every player to enjoy.
I also enjoyed riding bicycle inside the RIT compound as there were long and hard concrete roads connecting the staff residences and the main class room buildings. Some open big water drains (Myaung) ran along those roads too so it wasn’t very nice to fell into the drain and dragged the bicycle along the drain.
There were other sporting venues provided in the compound for all students and staff and family to play, including a weight-lifting room (next to the student dinning hall), a huge indoor badminton room with 2 courts, fields for basketball, volleyball, football, hockey, and also a 400 meter track and field ground. We would also use the hill top unoccupied Rector’s (green) residence as a Kids’ Karate Club. The main assembly hall in front of the RIT facade would be used to conduct indoor boxing, judo, karate, weight lifting competitions too. Sometimes, Burmese and English movies would be showed regularly in the hall too so the whole neighborhood could come along to watch the movies. I also enjoyed watching other arts events (A-Nyeint & Lu-Pyet shows) conducted by elder engineering students.
I had learned to swim at the very early age not because the RIT swimming pool was there (well almost) but because our family friend took us to the Inya lake for swimming lessons. Later on, I continued to swim at the Universities’ Swimming Pool at Thaton Road near University Ave. I still remembered one university student (might be from RIT) who brought along a “live” frog and put it in the swimming pool water just to learn “How to swim a frog swim (breaststroke)” from the real master! (The pool supervisor had to pour more chlorine immediately into the filter just to make sure no disease would spread from the frog.)
When it rains, it pours in Rangoon. So the lower land in the RIT compound would sometimes become a flooded paddy field. It was a blessing in disguise for Agricultural Engineering students; they have a chance to drive a tractor and cultivate the land. The land was so wild that I would easily find lots of leeches (or vice versa). Frogs and snails came out of nowhere. The bush would also grow very tall if not cleared up quickly. Of course, the snakes were there too all the year round. Snakes would find quiet dark places around (and even inside) the houses to shed their skin every year. Some people who lived around the RIT compound loved to eat them too.
There were some food shops available in the compound. One can enjoy Burmese, Chinese, and Indian food. For students, the shops were there to spend their time sitting and chatting around the tea pot. For staff and families, they were very handy while living remotely inside the compound away from the usual amenities.
Another interesting landmark in the RIT compound was the septic tank system where almost every medical student in Rangoon had to come to look at the system as part of their public health study. They were also told about the air pollution over the RIT compound, especially in the evenings, when the gas from the fermented-rice was released into the air from the BPI factory in order to produce methylated spirit (that’s what we were told anyway).
It was in 1974 when I had to make that big and painful decision to become an engineer while many of my high school class mates went on to study medicine.
The first day of the first year at RIT was quite exciting for me although there’s nothing new for me to see the surrounding. I was very anxious to find out what it would take me to become an engineer in the next 6 years to come.
Since there were about 500 fresher students who came to RIT from all over the country, the students were grouped into 4 sections according to their alphabetically sorted names.
That was the second twist of fate for me as it determined who I would meet and make new friends in the section with similar sounding names, e.g. lining up with 3 other Htay Aung’s but luckily we didn’t look the same!
These 4 sections were maintained during the 1st and 2nd years while we learned basic engineering and related disciplines. The class rooms in which we took lectures were either inside the main building or in the extended bamboo-palm sheds on the West or in smaller buildings along the Eastern side of the main building.
My friends would sometimes pick me up at home before the class began to save me from walking to the class room. I was ridiculed sometimes that I couldn’t even take a bus or hire a taxi from my home to go to the class. During the lunch hours or longer breaks during the day or in the exam seasons, friends would follow me home to have a rest or finish assignments or go through together the “last minute what ever it means” memory juggling before the many exams.
The third twist of fate happened in the 3rd year when I needed to decide what kind of engineer I’d really like to become. I had decided to take the electrical engineering major (with obvious influence) and learned more specific disciplines for the next two years.
Another twist of fate was waiting for me in the 5th year to choose whether to specialize in Electronic or Electrical Power engineering fields. I had chosen the Electronic Engineering and finished the study by 1980.
The subjects taught in RIT to make someone with a high school science background to become an Electronic Engineer in the 1970s were listed below. Not that I remembered all of it but for the sake of recollection. There was one industrial training session during the summer in the 5th year and a 6 months thesis work in the final year.
The subjects include English, Burmese, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Political Science, Workshop Practice, Engineering Drawing, Engineering Mechanics, Electrical Circuits, Strength of Materials, Fields & Materials, Electrical Measurements, Engineering Thermodynamics, Electronics, Electromechanics, Computer Programming, Electrical Machines, Industrial Electronics, Networks, Lines & Antennas, Linear Systems, Control Systems, Microwave Techniques, Electrical Communications Systems, … and Thesis.
Those who made it through these 6 long years or more were eventually commemorated in person or remotely (A-Way-Yauk) in the 16th RIT Convocation held on the Saturday, the 16th of January, 1982, in the Rangoon Arts & Science University (RASU) Convocation Hall. We missed a chance to proudly walk down the infamous “graduation” center lane right behind the RIT facade to be cheered. (Usually, at any other time, you’d be jeered if you braved to walk down that graduation lane!)
According to the 16th RIT Convocation Program, the number of graduates were:
Looking back now over these years at RIT, after twisting my fate at least four times, I always wondered whether I’d really changed my fate or it’s just my fate that had guided me to make sure that I’d be an engineer. I didn’t get much chance to apply most of the engineering knowledge except the Computer Programming and the industrial training at the Universities Computer Centre (UCC) from my 5th year study.
It spun me off to learn more Computer Science subjects at UCC in Hlaing Campus during the mid 1980s.
I’ve re-wired myself as a Master of Software Engineering engineer at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS).
Do I need to re-wire or un-wire once more when I finally get retired? May be back in RIT? Only time will tell.
With this, I pay my respect and tribute to all Sayas and friends as well as neighbors from BIT/RIT, near and far, living or gone.
