HlaMin

Author: Hla Min (Lifelong Learner)

  • Typing, Transliteration, Word Processing and Publication

    Typing

    Typewriters

    • Remington typewriters were used for typing English text.
    • Olympia was commissioned to produce typewriters for Burmese.
    • Versions : Office, Standard and Portable
    • Red keys were used to type vowels; the carriage did not go forward.
    • Black keys were used to type consonants.
    • Back-spacing for half a step was necessary on the Standard version to type “tha gyee”.
    • Manual dexterity was needed to type “pa sint” characters.
    • The Office edition had extra keys.
    • IBM produced Selectric typewriters.
    • Golf ball-like character sets had to be installed/replaced.

    Challenges

    • In the early days we had to type perfectly or reasonably well on typewriters using messy carbons.
    • For mass copies, we had to plan to cyclostyle double-sided printing
      (odd numbered pages first, then repeat with even-numbered pages).

    Transliteration

    • Burma Research Society (BRS) used transliteration for its publications.
      For example, “k-o-l” combination represents “ko”.
    • The scheme was used for typing Burmese words on Macintosh.

    Word Processing

    Word Processor

    • Wang Computers provided word processors for various languages.
      Ko Htay Aung (Victor, EC80) worked at Wang for a while on the “Burmese” language project.
    • Chinese characters were input on the early systems using
      (1) Large tablets
      (2) Three corner method
      (3) Romaji
      …

    UCC Projects

    • UCC had Burmese word processing projects.
    • Saya U Myo Min supervised a project for Ma San Yu Hlaing for collation / sorting.
    • Saya U Tun Aung Gyaw and his team (Ko Htay Aung, Ko Soe Myint, …) worked on Cromenco System Three for printing and processing.
    • U Soe Win and team worked on Calcomp graph plotter.

    Evolution

    • The evolution has seen various type face/font families, keyboard layouts, Unicode support, …
    • The transition from old fonts (e.g. Zawgyi) to Unicode-compliant fonts is not smooth.

    Publication

    Spelling Issues

    • Burmese Language Commission bowed to higher authorities to revise the spelling at least two times.
    • Fines were imposed on authors and publishers spelling the established way. (e.g. “ta”) instead of the preferred way (e.g. “tit”) despite the scholars pointing out the old inscriptions at “Bo ta htaung” (not “Bo tit htaung”) pagoda.
    • Children’s Treasury of Knowledge (CTK) project was delayed — after the initial type setting — to correct the spellings.

    Censorship

    • It was not easy to write in those days without facing censorship.
    • It was taboo to quote “Dhammata” poem (by Ananda Thuriya).
    • It was a crime to write about the “setting sun”.

  • Methodist

    Methodist was founded as a “revival” movement of the Church of England.

    Methodist became a Protestant Denomination, and spread world wide.

    Burma had three kinds of Methodist Churches and schools:

    • English Methodist
    • Burmese Methodist
    • Chinese Methodist

    MEHS

    • MEHS stands for Methodist English High School.
      MEHS was rebuilt after the War with the donation from the American Methodists.
    • MEHSA is an alumni association.
      The web site has a “validation process” to vet members.
    • Daw Aung San Suu Kyi attended MEHS before she left Burma to accompany Daw Khin Kyi (her Ambassador mother).
      She is seen in the group photo provided by Dr. Richard Yu Khin (MEHS 61)
    MEHS VIID

  • Association of Engineers in Burma after the Second World War

    The account was retold by Saya U Tin U and recorded by Saya U Ba Than.

    Re-instituted about 1955-56

    President : Sayagyi U Ba Hli, Dean of Engineering, University of Rangoon

    Honorary Secretary : Saya U Soon Sein (Professor, Mining)

    Honorary Treasurer : Saya U Tin U (Part time Lecturer, Civil)

  • Interview

    Several years ago, I was interviewed by “Mandalay Gazette”, a newspaper based in Los Angeles, California.

    HM Interview

  • High Jump

    Stages

    The High Jump requires four stages :

    • Approach
    • Take off
    • Flight
    • Landing

    Straddle Jump

    • During our younger days, the high jumpers use “Straddle Jump”.
    • Many hit the bar with the follow up leg.
    • Valery Brummel (USSR) was one of the World and Olympic Champions using the Straddle Jump.

    Fosbury Flop

    • Dick Fosbury (USA) could not clear the bar very high using the Straddle Jump.
    • An “Aha” moment struck him.
      The rule books forbid one from diving forward over the bar.
      Why not try diving backward over the bar?
      The legs do not easily hit the bar once the main body has cleared it. He won the Olympic Gold.
    • It created a “Paradigm Shift”.
    • The “Fosbury Flop” and its variations/improvements became mainstream.

  • The Power of Poem

    Kabyar is a Burmese Poem

    Poem : Tekkatho Moe War
    Translator : Hla Min

    Poem

    Poem is animate
    But [it’s life is] not just a [fleeting] morn

    Poem is a weapon
    But not for destroying the world

    Poem is key
    For liberation and independence
    But not devoid of principles [and morals]

    Poem has power
    Hidden but efficient & effective
    Like sharp-pointed spear-head
    Can thrust into [the heart of] a power-maniac
    Cause trembling, shivering, throbbing & anguished pain

  • C H R I S T M A S

    C herish memories — no stress or strife

    H ealthy habits — to live long life

    R ealize your dream — small or great

    I t’ll surely happen — it’s never too late

    S aya Pu Zaw Pwe — a noble tradition

    T hankful & practice benediction

    M etta, Karuna, Mudita to end plight

    A ll will be calm, merry and bright

    S ee our Golden Land in glorious light

  • U Ba Khin

    Background

    • In pre-war days, U Ba Khin attended SPHS and stood First in Burma.
    • After Independence, he became the first native Auditor General.
    • He also managed three other Directorates.

    Vipassana

    • Dhamma descendant of the Ledi Sayadaw and Saya Thet
    • Mentor of Saya S. N. Goenka.

    Books

    • Received two books about Sayagyi U Ba Khin.
    • One has Sayagyi’s photo on the cover.
    • The other is a Dhamma Dana reprint.
    • Saya U Ko Lay (Zeyar Maung, former Vice-Chancellor of Mandalay University) compiled and translated Sayagyi’s dhamma talks.

  • My name

    I introduce myself to non-Burmese as follows:

    My name is Hla Min. Hla means “handsome” and Min means “king”.

    My name has only six letters, but it has been misspelled and mispronounced in more than six ways.

    They include HAL, HALAL, LA, LAH, MINH and MING.

    • HAL is an American name.
      HAL is also the name of a rouge computer in science fiction. The letters precede those of IBM (International Business Machines) by a position.
    • HALAL means “scripture-compliant” for Muslims
      e.g. Halal meat “clean food”
    • LA is a musical tone as in DO-RE-ME-FA-SO-LA-TI
    • LAH is a Singlish word (Singaporean English)
    • MINH is a Vietnamese name (e.g. HO CHI MINH)
    • MING is a Chinese name (e.g. MING Dynasty)

    It motivated me to give a series of speeches at Toastmasters International:

    • Meaning of names
    • Naming conventions
    • Names of people
    • Names of Theravada monks
    • Names of places
    • Names of companies
    • Names of products

    At Toastmasters meetings, I asked the attendees if they know the meaning of their names. A few tried to Google their names.

    Remembering Names

    Some people do not seem to remember names.

    Can we help them?

    One way to remember names is to register them preferably with an association.

    Examples:

    • Stein means a stone.
      Einstein means “one stone”.
    • Peter means “the rock [of faith]”
      The first Pope is Peter.
      Variations : Bedr, Peta and Pedro.
    • To Indians, Deep means light and implies wisdom.
      Deepavali (or Diwali) is the Festival of Lights.
    • San is a prefix for male saints.
      San Francisco is the Spanish name for St. Francis.
    • Santa is a prefix for female saints.
      Examples : Santa Ana, Santa Barbara and Santa Clara
    • Note : Santa Cruz means the Holy Cross.

  • Variant spellings

    • Aung and Oung
      e.g. Hla Aung, Hla Oung
    • Aye and E
      e.g. U Aye Maung, Professor U E Maung
    • Bo and Boh
      e.g. U Win Bo, U Win Boh
    • Htoon, Htun and Tun
      e.g U Tin Htoon, U Tin Htun, U Tin Tun
    • Gyaw and Kyaw
      e.g. U Aung Gyaw, U Aung Kyaw
    • Hpyu and Phyu
      e.g. Daw Hpyu Hpyu Aung, Daw Phyu Phyu Aung
    • Htain and Htein
      e.g. U Win Htain, U Win Htein
    • Htut and Tut
      e.g. U Tin Htut, ICS U Tin Tut
    • Kai and Khine
      e.g. Daw Kai Kai Nyunt, Daw Khine Khine Nyunt
    • Khin and Kin
      e.g. U Pe Khin, U Pe Kin
    • Kyawe and Kywe
      e.g. Dr. Khin Maung Kyawe (Jimmy, BERB), Dr. Khin Maung Kywe (HIS)
    • Lin, Linn, Lyn and Lynn
      e.g. U Lin Aung, U Linn Aung, U Lyn Aung, U Lynn Aung
    • Maung and Moung
      e.g. U Aung Maung, U Aung Moung
    • Maung and Mg
      e.g. U Maung Maung, U Mg Mg
    • Mehm and Min
      e.g. Mehm Than Thoung, Min Than Thoung
    • Min and Minn
      e.g. U Kyaw Min, U Kyaw Minn
    • Mra and Mya
      e.g. U Tun Mra, U Tun Mya
    • Nay and Ne
      U Nay Win, U Ne Win
    • Oo and U
      e.g. U Khin Maung Oo, U Khin Maung U
    • Pe and Hpay
      e.g. U Hla Pe, U Hla Phay
    • Pike and Pyke
      e.g. U Pike Tin, U Pyke Tin
    • Than and Thann
      e.g. U Khin Maung Than, U Khin Maung Thann
    • Thane and Thein
      e.g. U Thane Myint, U Thein Myint
    • Thaung and Thoung
      e.g. U Ba Thaung, U Ba Thoung
    • Tin and Tyn
      e.g. Daw Tin Tin Aye, Daw Tyn Tyn Aye
    • Wai and We
      e.g. U Nyunt Wai, U Nyunt We
    • Win and Wynn
      e.g. U Kyaw Win, U Kyaw Wynn