Author: Hla Min (Lifelong Learner)

UCC — Memories (34 – 37)
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Memories of UCC (34)

Childbirth

Saya Dr. Tun Aung Gyaw
- For some people, childbirth is not so difficult. The Teoh family raised 15 children named alphabetically from “A” (Albert Teoh) to “O” (Oscar Teoh”).
- For some, childbirth is not so easy.
- We read about Saya Dr. Pike Tin’s mother.
- Now, we will read about Saya Dr. Tun Aung Gyaw’s mother.
No Breast Feeding
- Saya TAG’s mother supposedly breast fed her children.
- Sadly, they passed away.
- When Saya TAG was born, his mother decided not to breastfeed him.
- Saya TAG grew up healthy.
- He served as Joint Secretary of RIT Thaing Club with Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M60) as President.
- Saya TAG became the “eldest” child.
- He has a younger brother and sister.
Always A Child
- Saya’s father thinks and treats Saya TAG as a child even after Saya got married and had children.
- Grape vine says that Saya’s father visited him while Saya was volunteering at UCC.
- At night Saya’s father checked if Saya was tucked up in a blanket.
Phobia
- Saya phobia is fear of being haunted.
- When UCC was housed in Mandalay Hall, there were stories about students. who after being killed in the demonstrations (e.g. 7th July), were rambling as ghosts in and around Mandalay Hall.
- Saya would ask someone to accompany him to the restroom at night.
Update
- Saya is having quality time with his five children and four grandchildren.
- Saya is a workaholic.
- Saya is still working full time often on multiple projects.
- Saya hosted us at Cape Cod where the wedding reception of his younger son was held. We were surprised to learn that he was on call. Too much Than Yaw Zin on his work.
- Some time back Saya was at work, when his spouse had a medical emergency at home. It was lucky because their daughter, who had an appointment with her mother, arrived on time to call the ambulance.
Memories of UCC (35)

Veda Kyaung Oke

U Myint Sein (Veda Principal)
- U Myint Sein (Bobby, SPHS 64, B. Com 68, Idea Astrology, GBNF) is my childhood friend.
- We attended PPBRS (Private Primary Boundary Road School) and SPHS (St. Paul’s High School).
- He became the Principal at BARB (Burmese Astro Research Bureau). He later founded Idea Astrology.
- He asked me if I can help him to speed up some Veda processes (e.g. generation of a Natal Horoscope, also known as Zartar).
- I had two students — Ko Win Latt and Ko Zaw Tun — who were willing to take the Veda challenge.
Win Latt
- U Win Latt owned a computer and was also an excellent programmer.
- Under my supervision and with the guidance of Ko Myint Sein, Ko Win Latt came up with three versions of the Horoscope program.
- He named them WinHoro V3, V6 and V9 (for Versions 3, 6, and 9).
- I am not sure whether he believed in Ta Rin (three and its multiples) and Na Win (nine and its multiples).
- V3 produces the “basic” horoscope with Yathi (Rasi), Bawa and Nawin (Navamsa). It is also known as “Tri Cekka Zartar” referring to the three parts. It takes some time (a few minutes to an hour) if done manually.
- V6 produces a better horoscope.
- V9 produces the best horoscope.
- He later conducted computer classes and managed a computer company called Sysmagic.
BASIC
- BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is a programming designed by Professors John Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz for use with the Dartmouth College Time Sharing System.
- Bill Gates and Paul Allen implemented “Tiny BASIC” for the MITS Altair microprocessor kit.
- BASICA (Advanced BASIC), GWBASIC (Gee Whiz BASIC) and APPLESOFT became variants of BASIC for PCs.
Zaw Tun
- One needs expert knowledge to interpret a Zartar.
- U Zaw Tun (now in Singapore sharing his time with Programming and volunteering at Singapore Chan Mei Yeik Tha) used PROLOG (language for Logic Programming) to implement the Bedin (Astrology) Rules.
- He tested his program with several sets of data.
- He was surprised when his program said that “the Two Year Old is a rich person (possibly a Millionaire)”.
- He thought that there must be a bug.
- It turned out that the Two Year Old is the grand son of a wealthy Sawbwa (Saophalong, Shan noble), who decided that his grandson should inherit his wealth.
Aung Myint Oo

U Aung Myint Oo (EC84, ex-UCC) re-implemented WinHoro using “C” language on the Window PCs.

Idea Astrology
- After retiring from BARB, U Myint Sein founded a private school named Idea Astrology.
- U Zaw Tun is in touch with some of the alumni of that school.
- For some time, U Myint Sein also taught Medical Astrology at the “School for Indigenous Medical Practitioners (Taing Yin Say Sayas)”.
- Sad to note that my good friend passed away peacefully a few years back. He supposedly had “Si Chet Khauk Swe” in North Okkalapa that morning on his final day. He came back home and watched TV. He apparently had a heart attack.
- I met U Myint Sein’s son on January 24, 2018. He told me of his “Kan Soe Kan Kaung” experience. He was taking time off from his ship to study for Chief Mate examination when U Myint Sein passed away unexpectedly. He was unlucky (Kan Soe) to lose his father, but was lucky (Kan Kaung) to be present at his father’s last journey.
Memories of UCC (36)

Some COBOL Programmers

U Soe Thein (Joe Thein)
- Joe had a disability, but that did not prevent him to have a good life and career.
- He completed training courses from ICL (including COBOL programming).
- He joined UCC as an off-line operator.
- He transferred to the Business Application Division as a prorammer.
- He became one of the COBOL teachers with Judy and Japan Sayagyi.
U Aung Hlaing (Japan Sayargyi)
- He is the younger brother of U Tun Hlaing, Dr. Tha Hlaing and Dr. Nyunt Hlaing.
- His wife worked for the Foreign Ministry and was assigned to Japan.
- He accompanied her and worked in Japan as a COBOL programmer.
- Saya U Soe Paing met him during his training (sponsored by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and implemented by Fujitsu and other Japanese computer companies.
- Saya U Soe Paing asked U Aung Hlaing if he would like to join UCC upon his return to Burma.
Daw Nwe Nwe Win (Judy)

Judy
- Judy was a star athlete at RASU.
- At UCC, she would often be the sixth player on the men’s team.
- She used to hang around a lot with Daw Nge Ma Ma Than (Ma Nge).
- One day, some one approached Judy and Ma Nge with two envelopes. He said, “It’s for both of you”. Guess what? Inside each envelope was a “Yee Zar Sar”.
- Judy and Ma Nge remained “twins” until U Myint Swe managed to get the favor of Ma Nge.
- It would take some more time before a young knight named U Myint Zaw would ask Judy to tie the knot.
Memories of UCC (37)

U San Myint Thane (Sammy)
- Sammy asked his brother Dr. Thein Toe Thane in the US to send him some books (including the one by Klingman) and a Microprocessor Tool kit for use in his Final Year Project.
- Sammy was interested in microprocessors.
- He and Kelvin Leigh used the microprocessor kit to build a microcomputer system with selected capabilities.
- They ran demonstration programs on the assembled microprocessor system.
- After completing his project, Sammy donated the books to Saya U Kyaw Lwin (EE, GBNF) for using as reference in Saya’s courses (e.g. Digital Electronics).
- Sammy spent some time at UCC while waiting to migrate to the United States.
- Sammy and Kelvin migrated to the US.
Duality
- Klingman discusses “Hardware Software Duality”.
- The concept of Duality can be found in Mathematics and Logic.
- The “Line-Point Duality” says that “Two intersecting lines determine a point. Two points determine a line [which passes through both]”. In this Geometric aspect, Line and Point are Duals.
- De Morgan’s Theorems in “Set Theory” and “Boolean Algebra” are Duals.
- In Set Theory, Union and Intersection are Duals.
- In Boolean Algebra, AND (Conjunction) and OR (Disjunction) are Duals.
- Klingman said that “Any hardware can be implemented in software. Any software can be implemented in hardware.”
- There are trade-offs to consider whether to use hardware, software, firmware or a combination.
Life after UCC
- Sammy’s mother wanted Sammy to get married and was willing to arrange, but Sammy set the requirements too high.
- The bride must be young, intelligent, and able to play Classical and Modern music.
- Finally, by applying some “Relaxation Techniques”, Sammy became a loving spouse and a caring father of twins.
- Sammy hosted me at his house in Texas, California. He was then an eligible bachelor.
- I met Sammy again at the RIT Alumni Reunion in the East Coast several years ago. Sammy was requested by U Nyein Min (C79) to help organize the Reunion.
August 7, 2025
GBNF 2011
by Hla Min

Updated : May 2025

Naing Win (M70)

Passed away in Yangon in January, 2011. His spouse Polly Win (Polly Ba San) represented Burma in swimming. I met her at A Lo Daw Pyie Kyaung, Apache Junction, Arizona.

Kyaw Nyein (UCC)

Passed away in March 2011 because of heart failure. He was not feeling well and was going downstairs for the toilet when he collapsed. They took him to RGH and he passed away in the emergency room.

Yin Kyu (M/Ag67)
- Passed away on 26th April, 2011 at 8:45 am.
- Worked for Public Works (Construction Corporation) as superintending engineer and retired in 2006.
- Died of kidney failure, based on diabetes.
Chit Po Po (M69)

Chit Po Po

Win Boh (Robert, EC69) wrote :
- It is with my great sadness, to inform you that our close friend Ko Chit Po Po (M69, beloved husband of Dr. Daisy Saw) passed away at Asia-Taw Win Private Hospital YGN on 15 Jan 2011 Saturday early morning.
- I have phoned his brother-in-Law Stanley Saw (M71) in New Zealand to convey our 69ers’ condolence.
- His daughter Thiri Po in Sydney will be leaving soon to YGN for funeral.
- Kindly pass on this message to Ko Chit Po Po’s friends far and near.
Thein Swe (EP69) wrote :
- It is sad news. Ko Chit Po Po (M69, ex-irrigation, tall and smiling Yangonite) passed away.
- He and his brother (Dr ?) U Chit Ko Ko were close friends of my spouse’s brothers.
- Before he went back to Yangon he stayed in Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand, etc. After he quit Irrigation Dept he ran an engineering (medium sized) company of Installation and Services for Air-cons and refrigerators, etc. in Lanmadaw Township.
- He was a friendly classmate.
- Unwillingly or in sadness we have to lose another friend.
Tin Myint (John, M69) wrote :
- It is a shock to me in hearing the sad news of Ko Chit Po Po, who was a very close friend, co-worker and also my lunch mate in the Irrigation Department at 81/2 mile workshop location.
- He and I and another classmate rode the same Mazda car to work and coming back from work everyday.
- He and I ate our lunch everyday.
- I still remember vividly that during lunch time, after opened his lunch box and discovered fried shrimps, he would offered me his jumbo shrimps and skipped his lunch.
- I enjoyed shrimps while he had no interest in shrimps.
- He and I usually had one e-mail/year with exception of having two e-mails the most.
- This year I received his e-mail once and I tried to have more e-mails and more info from him.
- Now I received this sad news.
Aung Thu Yein (EC69) wrote :

Our Colleague/Comrade/Friend – Chit Po Po,
- We will miss you.
- Just talking about you a few days ago.
- Why so fast?
- Why so sudden !!!
True Friends – Their Top 10 Characteristics (By Martin Sawdon)
1. When you forget the song in your heart, a friend is someone who sings it back to you. (Helen Steiner)
2. A friend’s support is unconditional: when the going gets tough a friend is right there beside you.
3. A friend has seen you at your worst and loves you even so.
4. A friend is someone with whom you can share secrets in confidence.
5. You can phone a friend for help even in the middle of the night.
6. A friend is honest with you, deflates your ego and inflates your Self.
7. A friend shares your sense of humor, provides nourishment and inspiration for the mind.
8. A friend is drawn to you not for what you are but who you are.
9. When you share your wildest dreams, a friend is someone who replies, quote, How can I help? unquote.
10. Thinking about Needs and Values, once you have recognized those Needs which,satisfied, enable you to be the best person you possibly can be, a friend will help you get them met.
Sein Tin (“Omega”, Pathein, M 69) wrote :
- We are feeling very sorry like you.
- Our ages are at the sunset.
- So take care of our health first and last.
Ivan Lee (Khin Maung Oo, M 69) wrote :

Dr. Daisy Saw and family:
- Please accept my deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
- We will remember him forever.
Yi Yi Khaing (Vilma, ChE69) wrote :
- I have a photo, which was taken at our gathering on 17 March 2010 by 69ers for KCPP’s visit to Singapore.
- We were all very happy to meet him then!!
Editor’s Notes :
- Ko Chit Po Po is an expert at playing Burmese Harp.
- I met Zeyar Po, Ko CPP’s son, in Sydney in 2006 along with his maternal uncle Ko Stanley Saw.
- Ko Chit Po Po represented RIT in rowing along with Ko Aung Lwin (Jasper Wu, Canada), Ko Aung Tun Oo (Dennis Smithers, Australia), Ko Wunna Sithu (US) and me.
August 7, 2025
Name — Thynn

by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

There can be spelling variations, e.g. Thin, Thinn

Thynn Thynn Khaing (Janet Aung, EP70) was a Belle and the envy of young sayas and several junior and senior students. Her father U Soe Aung is a contemporary of U Po Han, U Min Han, U Gym Kho. She retired from United Nations. She volunteered as an organizer for the RIT-UCC Reunion held at Ivan’s residence in New Jersey.

Thynn Thynn (Pansy, ChE74) is the daughter of Sayagyi U Ba Toke. During one of visits to Yangon, she sent a car to pick up Sayagyi U Ba Than, Saya U Tin Htut and me to pay respect to Sayagyi U Ba Toke.

Thynn Thynn

Dr. Thynn Thynn Lynn is the elder sister of Daw Kyu Kyu Lin (Bawlone, T75) and Dr San Lwin Lin (EC77). She was selected Luyechun several times. She is a Past President of USBMA. She is an accomplished vocalist.

Dr. Thynn Thynn taught at IM(1). She accompanied her spouse Dr. San Lin (C62) to Thailand. While Dr. San Lin worked on a UN assignment, Dr. Daw Thynn Thynn organized a small group to study and practice meditation. Later, she founded Sae Taw Win 2 Dhamma Center in Sebastopol, California, USA. She taught Abhidhamma and “Mindfulness in Daily Life”. She published a couple of books.

Daw Thinn Thinn Aung received masters in Computer Science from UCC.

Daw Thinn Thinn Hlaing taught at IM(1).

Dr. Thin Thu Naing was an early graduate from ICST (Institute of Computer Science and Technology). She retired as Rector from University of Computer Studies at Taunggyi.

Daw Thinn Thinn (Rosalind Maung) recevied Bachelor of Architecture in 1966.

August 7, 2025
Date Formats
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Day, Month, Year

This is the format used in Myanmar.

For example, August 22, 2018 can be displayed in various flavors.
- DD-MM-YYYY (The day, month and year are displayed as numbers. e.g. 22-08-2018)
- A different delimiter/separator may be used. Using the forward slash as a delimiter, the format becomes DD/MM/YYYY (e.g. 22/08/2018)
- DD-MMM-YYYY (The month is represented by three letters. (e.g. 22-AUG-2019)
Y2K Problem

In the early days of computing, some people tried to save space, time and money by using only two digits for the Year.
As the Millennium approach, the news media ran stories of possible errors, ambiguities and accidents due to computers using two-digit year format.

To represent the dates of very old people and events may be tricky using the two-digit format.

It can be ambiguous for some dates.
22-08-18 could mean 22-08-2018, 22-08-1918 or even earlier dates.

Month, Day, Year

This is the format used in the USA
- MM-DD-YYYY (e.g. 08-22-2018)
- MM/DD/YYYY (e.g. 08/22/12018)
- MMM-DD-YYYY (e.g. AUG-22-2018)
- In the early days, only two digits were used for the Year. It was the cause of the infamous Y2K Problem.
Year, Month, Day
- YYYY-MM-DD (e.g. 2018-08-22)
- YYYY/MM/DD (e.g. 2018/08/22)
- YYYYMMDD (e.g. 20180822). One advantage of this representation is that the dates can be sorted easily.
Number of days from a specified base date

The representation uses the interval between the two dates.

Number of days in a year (instead of Month and Day)

In this system, 1st January is represented as 001.

1st February is represented as 032.

The interval between two dates in the same year is easily calculated.
August 7, 2025
Smart / SMART
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025
- Smart is an adjective.
- Smarter and Smartest are the comparative and superlative forms.
Conventional and Unconventional Wisdom
- Thomas Edison said, “Success is due to 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration”.
- Newer thinking : “Work smarter. Not harder.”
General

ဝတ်စား နေထိုင် လုပ်ကိုင် ဆောင်ရွက် ရာတွင် သေသပ် / သေချာ လျှင် Smart စမတ်ကျသည် ဟုဖေါ်ပြတတ်ပါသည်။

SMART Goals

SMART is an acronym for setting Objectives.
- S : Specific တိကျ
- M : Measurable တိုင်းနိုင်
- A : Achievable / Achievable ပြီးမြောက်နိုင် / ရနိုင်
- R : Realistic / Relevant အမှန်မြင် / အသုံးတဲ့
- T : Time-bounded / Timely အချိန်ကန့်သတ် / အချိန်မီ
SMARTER (which extends SMART) is a lesser used acronym.

Smart Card and Devices
- I worked for a Defense Contractor.
  My assignment was at DMDC (Defense Manpower Data Center).
  Every employee and contractor was issued a Smart Card, which has a processor and memory to hold Biometrics (e.g. fingerprint), Photo ID, and Cryptographic Keys.
  One has to use a Smart Card to (a) enter specified areas of the building (b) logging on to a computer system.
  Smart cards were not cheap at that time, and there were limitations in the resources (e.g. memory on the card)
- Smart devices (e.g. smart phones) are ubiquitous.
- Smart cars (e.g. driver-less) are available.
- Smart Car / Autonomous vehicles
- Smart Monitors
SMART Group of Companies
- Founded by KK (Kyaw Kyaw Hlaing) about 25 years ago
- Started with Technical Services
- Currently 7 companies in the group
SMART Sar Pay / Publishing
- published several award winning books
- latest : reprint of Maung Aung Mon (U Win Aung Gyi)’s collection of short stories from the 1950s : to celebrate RU Centennial
SMART Media
- Talk shows
- Interviews
- Documentary
- Sponsor for 5th ILF (Irrawaddy Literary Festival) in November 2019
- Diamond Sponsor for PSA 2020 Tour to six (or so) cities in Upper Myanmar in January 2020
U Aung Myaing added:

Work smarter. Not harder. ဆိုတာနဲ့ပတ်သက်ပြီး ကျနော့်အမြင်ကို လက်တွေ့ ဥပမာနဲ့ ပြောချင်ပါတယ်။

လုပ်ဖေါ်ကိုင်ဘက် ၂ ယောက်။
တစ်ယောက်က တချိန်လုံး အလုပ်ရှုပ်နေတယ်။ သူ့ KPI ( Key Performance indicators) ထဲမှာ ပါတဲ့ အလုပ်တွေကို အဓိကပြီးမြောက်အောင်မလုပ်ဘဲ ကိုယ်စိတ်ဝင်စားရင်ဖိလုပ် မဝင်စားရင် တော်ရုံတန်ရုံလုပ်။ နှစ်ကုန်လို့ KPI ကို assess လုပ်တဲ့အခါကျတော့ ပြီးတာပြီး လိုတာလိုနဲ့ score ကောင်းကောင်းမရဘူး။

ကျန်တစ်ယောက်ကတော့ KPI ကို အကျအနပြင်တယ်။ အပေါ်က approval ရပြီဆိုတော့ အဲဒီ KPI ထဲက အလုပ်တွေကို ပီပီပြင်ပြင်လုပ်တယ်။ both hard and smart, but not as hard as the first one.
နှစ်ကုန်တော့ scores ကောင်းကောင်းရတယ်။

သူတို့နှစ်ယောက်က
hard က မတိမ်းမယိမ်းဘဲ။
Smart ကတော်တော်ကွာသွားတယ်။
August 7, 2025
Senior alumni and sayas
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Class of 48 and 49

For HMEE-2012 project, U Myo Myint (EC67, RUBC Gold) submitted several photos including the “Reunion of the Class of 48 and 49” photo. The class included
- U Boon Pin
  Graduated with Mech/Elect combined major
  Retired Deputy Chief Engineer, Burma Railways
  Father of Ko “Robert” San Lin, EC 73)
- U Soe Aung
  Chief Engineer, PWD
  Father of Daw “Janet” Thynn Thynn Khaing, EP 70)
- U Po Han
  Deputy Minister
  Father of Saya U Khin Aung Han
- U Min Han
  Father of U Nyein Min (C79)
- U Gym Kho
  Uncle of U Myo Myint, EC 67)
Early Sayas

Many are GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten)
- U Kyaw Tun is a saya of our sayas.
  He started teaching Electrical Engineering at BOC College.
  Father of Dr. Elizabeth Kyaw Tun (Daw Tin Nu, English) and Daw Dorothy Kyaw Tun
  Saya jokingly said that his son-in-laws must be doctors. Ko Tin Aung Win recounted in one of the “Countdown to the Reunion” how he became known as Dr. Tin Aung Win.
- C. Ping Lee taught EE at BOC College.
  He transferred as Director of Technical and Vocational Training.
  Dr. Win Aung (M62) wrote an article in memory of his father.
- H Num Kok taught Civil Engineering at BOC College.
  President of RIT Track and Field Association
  Line Judge at RUBC Regattas
  Elder brother of H Num Fatt (EE60) and H Num Pon (Myint Lwin, C61)
- U Soe Khaw was Head and Part-time Lecturer of Mining at BOC College.
  Moved to Thailand and USA.
- U Soon Sein took over as full-time saya and Head of Mining department.
  Moved to USA
- U Ba Hli
  First native Dean of Engineering
  Proposed the “Twinning Program” between RU and prestigious universities in the USA
  Dr. Freddie Ba Hli wrote an article in memory of his father.
- U Yone Mo
  First Rector of RIT
  Father of Kyaw Moe (M72, GBNF)
- Dr. Aung Gyi
  Rector
  Moved to Canada
  Gave a key note speech at SPZP-2000
- U Khin Aung Kyi
  Rector
  At SPZP-2000, he paid physical respect to his sayas: Saya H Num Kok and Saya U Ba Toke.
- U Maung Maung Than
  Rector
  Chair, RIT Sports Council
- U Tin U attended Rangoon University in 1946. He is a Past Captain and Gold of Rangoon University Boat Club. He studied BSCE at Oregon State University and MSCE at Yale University. He taught part-time at the Civil Engineering Department, U Tin U (C) gave an interview to Saya U Soe Paing (EE, UCC) and U Htin Myaing (A66) for the HMEE-2012 project.
- Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (retired Adviser of National Planning, retired Director General of UBARI) taught part-time at EE department and also served as external examiner at UCC. He wrote an article about his father in the commemorative issue of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” for SPZP 2000.
- U Min Wun did his BSCE at MIT along with Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi. He thanked Saya Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (ScD) for helping and encouraging them during their stay at MIT. He did his MS at Cornell University and specialized in Photogrammetry. His interests also included Western and Eastern astronomy and astrology. He served as Adviser on the “Myanmar Pyeikkadein Ah Phwe”. He was an early contributor to the newsletter updates.
- Dr. Khin Maung Swe (Tekkatho Maung Thin Char) published a book on the life/journey of Sayagyi U Ba Toke (retired Rector of MASU, retired Professor of Mathematics at RIT). It has a section about Sayagyi missing the March exam due to his participation in a student strike camp and passing all the subjects in the supplementary/compartmental examination in June/July. Since the stipends/scholarships were considered only for those who passed the March exam, Sayagyi decided to forgo his dream of becoming an engineer and instead pursue an Honors program in Mathematics. Sayagyi is a “Phwa Bet Taw” of Rangoon University Act (1920) and the first RU Student Strike (1920).
- U Aung Hla (Maths), his spouse (Daw May Than), and his son (Ko Mya Than) are all talented musicians. Sayagyi also annotated Burmese music.
- U Kar (Maths), father of Saya Dr. Tin Maung (Maths, UCC/ICST, GBNF), served as Minister of Education in the Caretaker Government.
- U Hla Maung (Burmese) taught Abhidhamma in his spare time. Several of the courses were held at the premises of Daw Khin Than Nwe’s parents. Saya served as member of the “Myanmar Sar Commission” and as “Naing gan daw kaung si win”.
Notes
- Several pioneer engineers (e.g. Saygyi U Kyaw Tun, EE) studied at UK for associate and full membership of the organizations (e.g. AMIEE). Some did their B.Sc. and/or Special Honors (which is a requisite for entering the Masters program).
- Dr. Yan Naing Lwin (WIU) had a copy of the Burmese/Myanmar state scholars studying in the US universities and institutes around ’54 – ’55. The list was published in a very early update and includes Saya U Sein Hlaing (EE) and Saya U Tin Swe (EE).
August 7, 2025
Hla Min Writings (2)
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025
- Shwe YaDu Lann (Poem and Translation)
  Tekkatho Moe War (Saya U Moe Aung) wrote a poem for the RIT Shwe YaDu (Golden Jubilee).
  I translated the poem into English.
- Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife (Article)
  Nine of my articles were published in Volume One of the Encyclopedia. 23 Asian American Groups were featured in the three-volume Encyclopedia.
- The (Hidden) Power of Kabyar (Poem and Translation)
  Tekkatho Moe War (Saya U Moe Aung) wrote a poem for “Kabyar Nay” (Poem Day). I translated the poem into English.
- To the Shwe Duo (Poem and Translation)
  Tekkatho Moe War (Saya U Moe Aung) wrote a poem in memory of Saya U Tin Shwe (EP66) and Saya U Hla Shwe (T69), who passed away within a few months of each other. I translated the poem into English.
- To ease Nostalgia / “Lwann Pyay Aung (Poem and Translation)
  Saya U Nyunt Htay (Met73) composed an excellent poem for SPZP-2012. I translated the poem into English.
- Names (Article)
  I have presented several speeches on Names at “Toastmasters International”. I have also written articles on naming conventions, common names, pen names and meaning of names.
Shwe YaDu Lann

Shwe YaDu Lann

Translation by U Hla Min

Shwe YaDu Lann
Let it be rough [but it’s tough]. Flowers are blossoming again.
Fear not the summer
Care not the rain [drops]
or the thick fogs & darkness
or if winter’s not true to its form

Shwe YaDu Lann
Let it be rough. No gentle stream flowing
Fear not high winds
Care not dense clouds
Topsy turvy [come what may]
Can paddle upstream
With strong mind & conviction
Place where heroes [Thu Ye Kaungs] are produced.

Swel Daw Myaing Dann
Shwe YaDu Lann
is a start [of a journey]
To raise the Banner loftily
to the skies, to the Zenith
displaying our thitsar (vow of truth and integrity)

HLA MIN (Editor, Newsletter Updates, USA)

Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife
- Nine of my articles appear in the Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife (AAFF).
- The three-volume book was published by ABC-CLIO in 2011. At the beginning, the book was sold for $275.
- I received a book (for completing eight articles according to the agreement) and $10 (for the additional article).
- Burmese Americans are covered in Pages 127 to 178 of Volume One.
- The Editors decided to merge two of my articles with other authors.
- Unfortunately, an error introduced by my co-author. On page 150, he mentioned July 22 (instead of July 19) as Martyrs’ Day. The merged article unfortunately was not sent to me for review. The Editors promise to correct the error in subsequent editions.
- Folk tales (as told by Saya Dr. Htin Aung and Ludu U Hla) are part of the Folklore.
- To read my articles on-line, you should go to “Google Books” and then search “Hla Min“.
The (Hidden) Power of Kabyar

Translation by U Hla Min

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

Kabyar is a weapon
But not for destroying the world

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

Kabyar 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

Poem in Burmese by Tekkatho Moe War (Saya U Moe Aung)

To the Shwe Duo

Translation
by U Hla Min

in memory of “Shwe Duo” : Saya U Tin Shwe (EP66) and Saya U Hla Shwe (T69)

“TO THE SHWE DUO”
by Tekkatho Moe War

SHWE duo
Blossom in unison
Disappear together
Free from complaint
Even with thin breath
Showed mark [of courage and wisdom]
Never wavered …
Pressed by burden
At the awaited turn [of journey’s end]
Body — inheritance [from previous lives]
Succumbs [to failing health]
Yet, “Wei-nyin” is fresh, alive and hovering.

To ease Nostalgia

Poem by U Nyunt Htay

Saya U Nyunt Htay (Met73) is a distinguished poet. He is Chief Editor and/or Publisher of Myanmar Mudita. He composed an excellent poem for SPZP-2012.

Translation by U Hla Min

One cannot forget the history and sweet memories of one’s alma mater, and one feels that most alumni — near and far — still yearn for the good old days.

In front of A Hall, B Hall [C, D, E, F, Halls] friends would tease and prank, yet do no harm. They do not care to find weaknesses in others, and will remain loyal friends. In front of Uttra (North or G) Hall — usually in the evenings — aspiring Ah Nu Pyinnya Shins serenade with love songs aided by guitars, harmonicas and violins.

Hear the bells in Building One, Two [Three] ringing once more. Many rush to the classrooms [some spend time on the corridors to enjoy the belles go by]. At night, some “count the numbers” (perhaps playing cards, or actually studying and doing home work).

RIT students do not feel outnumbered by RASU [with Burma selected] or Eco at any kind of sports [soccer, volleyball, basketball, swimming, water polo …]. RIT has staunch loud-voiced fans [like “Ajala” Moe Hein].

Assembly Hall hosted not just presentations and debates. It also is the home of Geeta See Sar [Musical Evening Extravaganza] with outstanding musicians, composers, vocalists and dancers. Swel Daw Yeik Troupe and Ah Nyeint, Pyazat, … melt our hearts.

Cartoon Box [former telephone kiosk] nurtured many cartoonists to share their humor, satire and ideas with the readers searching for Sacca (Truth).

Aw Bar Lann (precious memories to the graduates attending the graduation ceremony) is known not also for applause but also for the tongue-in-cheek comments and unruly claps and shouts to the unwary treading the Lann.

“Nwe Aye”, “Aung Theik Pan”, “Kan Thar Ya”, “U Chit” …

Memories from those who spend six years or more.

As the examinations near, most try their best [by borrowing books and notes from their friends, by attending crash sessions] to pass the hurdle. On the desks are notes [not neat and tidy] scattered all over. Times and systems change, but most RITians are able to decide the essentials (“Ah Hnit”) from the inessentials (“Ah Kar”).

Swel Daw Yeik

One can never forget the history and [priceless] memories.

Names

Overview
- Before the advent of MRI and Ultra Sound, some people prepare a set of 14 names for the forthcoming : 7 names for a boy (one for each day of the week) and 7 names for a girl (ditto).
- Some prefer to have a formal naming ceremony a specified number of days after the birth of a child.
- Names may have meaning and/or a historical background.
- For example, “Pyke Tin” means “left on a net”. The mother of Saya Dr. Pyke Tin presumably had problems (e.g. miscarriage), so she performed a “Yadana” to catch Saya with a net.
- I have a cousin aunt named “Pyke Mi” meaning “caught on a net”.
- Ko Ko, Nyi Nyi, Maung Maung, Maung Gyi, Maung Lay, Ma Gyi, Ma Nge are some names based on the order of birth.
- There may be name changes. For example, Bogyoke Aung San was named “Htain Lin”, but he changed him name to “Aung San” to rhyme with “Aung Than” (his elder brother).
- A new name is given in some social (e.g. Coronation of a King or Queen) and religious (e.g. Higher Ordination) events.
Burma/Myanmar has a sizable number of race and ethnicity.

The following are some prefixes of my sayas, sayamas and friends.
- Sao (e.g. Saya Sao Kan Gyi, descendant of Keng Tung Sawbwa)
- Sai (e.g. Sai Kyaw Aye, broadcaster for the BBS Shan Language Program)
- Saw (e.g. Saw Edison, Karen, RIT Volleyball)
- Sa (e.g. Sa Maung Maung, Joint Treasurer, EE69er HCF)
- Duwa (e.g. Duwa Zau Lai, Myitkyina)
- Nan (e.g. Nan Khin Nwe, young and energetic fund raiser)
- Nang (e.g. Nang Khaming, RIT Track and Field)
- Naw (e.g. Naw Mu Mu Aye, Professor, Textile)
- Salai (e.g. Saya Salai Tun Than, Professor, Yezin)
In most countries, the Father’s lineage is used for the Family Name. Long ago, in some Matriarchal society, the Mother’s lineage is used for the Family Name.
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy (or John F. Kennedy) is the US President who proposed the Space Program to send Men to the Moon and bring them back safely to earth. His first name (or personal name) is John. His last name (or family name) is Kennedy. The middle name is Fitzgerald. The middle initial is F. Fitz means “son of”.
- President Harry Truman has no middle name. His middle initial is S.
- I have no middle name. So at one company, I was registered as Hla X Min (where X is a filler).
- My name has only six letters, but it has been misspelled and mispronounced in six (or more) ways.
Prefix

A name may have a prefix.

Prefixes for
- a male Burmese name include Maung, Ko, U, and Pho.
- a female Burmese name include Ma, Daw, and Phwa.
- a Burmese monk name include Ashin, Sayadaw, Venerable and U.
- Shan names include Sao, Sai, and Nan.
- Mon names include Mehm, Min, Nai, and Mi.
- Karen (Kayin) names include Saw, Sa, Pado, and Naw.
- Kachin names include Duwa.
- Chin names include Salai.
Old Burmese passports were issued with the prefix included. This created confusion when matching names from other documents (e.g. birth certificate).

Dr. U Win was called “Hey, U (pronounced as You)” by his friends, who did not realize that “U” (pronounced as Oo) is a prefix for a Burmese name.

Suffix

A name may have a suffix.

Suffixes include
- Sr. (Senior for the father)
- Jr. (Junior for one of the sons)
- Generation number, e.g. Bill Gates is named William Gates IV
- Esq. (Esquire, used earlier in Britain)
- Degree, e.g. Freddie Ba Hli, Sc.D.
- Fellowship or Membership
Monk names

Some monks names may have “abhivamsa” or “alankara” as suffixes.

Sayadaw U Silananda the prestigious monk examination (conducted in Mandalay) before the age of 27. So, he is often referred to as U Silanandabhivamsa.

There are several distinguished Sayadaws named Ashin Janakabhivamsa.

U Neimeinda and U Siri (Thiri) passed the “Lankara” religious examinations as novices. They may suffix their names with “alankara”.

Prefix for Monk Names
- Bhikkhu
- Ashin
- Baddhanta
- Sayadaw
- Upazin or Uzin
- U
- Thera
- Maha Thera
- Venerable (in English)
- Tipitaka Dara (one who completed “Vinaya”, “Sutta”, and “Abhidhamma” exams)
- Dwee Pitaka Dara (one who completed “Vinaya” and “Sutta” examinations)
Suffix for Monk Names

Monk names may be suffixed with one or more of the following:
- Lankara (one who had passed that dhamma exam as a novice)
- [A]bhivamsa (one who had passed the “Set kyar thi ha Dhammacariya” exam before the age of 26)
- Wun tha ka (one who stood first in the special examination)
- Pa hta ma gyaw (one who stood first in the Pa hta ma pyan exam)
- Thi ro ma ni (one who finished 9 “kyans” in a single year)
- Pali Paragu (one who completed the exam in Pali)
August 7, 2025
Burmese American Professionals Society
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Brief History

BAPS

BAPS is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was founded as a merger of BEA (comprising of senior engineers) and BASTS (comprising of young engineers, scientists and technologists).

Saya U Htin Paw (EE58, GBNF), Saya U San Tun (M59) and Saya Dr. K C Chiu (ChE63) served as President of Bay Area Burmese Engineers Association (BEA).

Burmese American Science and Technology Society (BASTS) was founded by young engineers and scientists (mostly graduates from USA). Some are children of RIT alumni. They include
- Daniel Maung/Mao — son of Saya Mao Toon Siong (M62)
- Eugene and Jonathan Shu — sons of U Aung Khin (James Shu, M70, GBNF)
With the approval of Sayagyi U Aung Khin, BEA and BASTS merged to become Burmese American Professionals Society (BAPS).

BAPS
- I am a Life Member of BAPS.
- I served as Contributing Editor for BAPS Newsletter.
BAPS Presidents
- Saya U Nyo Win (M65)
- Benny Tan (M70)
- Maurice Chee (M75)
- Edison Paw
- Roger Sha
- Daniel Mao
  
  Edison, Roger and Daniel are founding members of BASTS.
BAPS Newsletter
- Chief Editor : Henry Lim
- Editors : U Thein Aung, Jane Wang
- Contributing Editors : Linda Khaw, U Hla Min, Edison Paw, Mike Yin
Table of Contents (Sample)

Article on Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo

I wrote an article for Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo (EP74, ex-UCC).

I had the honor to start the incinerator, and later to throw the ashes in the Santa Cruz waters.

The End of a Sad Saga

The weather was exceptionally beautiful this morning — not only in the Silicon Valley where we live and work, but also over the hills along Highway 17, and even in the coastal area around Santa Cruz. There were no fogs, mists, or clouds.

I am not an early bird, but I woke up really early this morning to prepare for Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo’s final journey — the scattering of his ashes from a 35 foot trawler motor yacht, DESTINY.

On Saturday, 10th June, 2000, Dr. Khin Nyo Thet and Dr. Lyn Swe Aye had retrieved the cremated remains of HLN from Oak Hill Funeral Home (OHFH). OHFH had packed and sealed HLN’s ashes in a sturdy, shining metal box (in compliance with postal regulations). With the approval of HLN’s family members in Yangon, Myanmar, we decided to give HLN a sea burial.

RIT Alumni International had earlier sent an advance check of $75 to Captain Pete Petersen, skipper of DESTINY. In his brochure, Captain Petersen clearly stated that “inclement weather will result in a rescheduling”. We do not want high winds to prolong the sad saga. The unusually fine weather, according to Dr. Lyn Swe Aye, must be Htay Lwin Nyo’s kusala (kutho or meritorious deeds) and the well wishing of numerous friends and colleagues. We all agree.

Dr. Khin Nyo Thet had asked me to be at her house not later than 7:30 a.m. She was surprised but delighted when I showed up barely a few minutes after 7 AM. “It’s better to be early than late”, she said and gave me a cup of coffee and some biscuits [that looked and tasted like those way back in Burma]. Dr. Lyn Swe Aye had come back from his early biking round.

There was virtually no traffic on the way to Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor. To cut the story short, DESTINY took off at 5 mph. There were no swells. More than a mile into the ocean waters, the Captain set the gears to neutral. Dr. Khin Nyo Thet scattered Htay Lwin Nyo’s ashes into the ocean waters. There were tears in her eyes. There was also relief knowing that she had done her best to give the last rites to Htay Lwin Nyo. We shared our merits once more to Htay Lwin Nyo.

The round trip took about 50 minutes or so. It was the finale of a sad saga.

Thanks to all those who endured with us. May Htay Lwin Nyo rest in peace.

Honoring U Nyo Win, Ko Benny and Ko Henry

On November 9, 2000, there was a special dinner at Ming’s seafood restaurant in Sunset, San Francisco to honor Saya U Nyo Win (M65), out-going president of BAPS and to welcome Ko Benny Tan (M70), the in-coming president. There were 30+ attendees. Saya U Nyo Win was presented a plaque in recognition of his leadership and services to BAPS.

A plaque was also awarded to Henry Lim (RIT Alumni) for his services as Editor of the BAPS newsletter. It grew from a 4 pager to a 20 pager.

BEA to BAPS

The first ever RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP did not happen out of the blue. One of the first seeds was sown with the founding of Burmese Engineers Association (BEA). The presidents Saya U Htin Paw (EE58), Saya U San Tun (M59) and Saya U KC Chiu (ChE63) — with the able support of Daw Khin Hta Yee (Lily Win, T72) — organized mini-reunions and reunions in the Bay Area. At the welcome party for Saya U Aung Khin, the idea of merging BEA with a younger association BASTS to become BAPS (Burmese American Professional Society) was proposed and overwhelmingly approved.

BAPS Picnic to RIT Alumni International

At one of the BAPS picnics, several EC members — Saya Allen Htay, Saya U Nyo Win, Saya KC Chiu, Saya U Maung Maung, Ko Benny Tan, Ko Maurice Chee, — held an impromptu meeting with me and asked how they could support Ko Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ) and me regarding the ex-rit web site in general and other activities [such as Grand Reunion] in general.

Later, at Ko Benny’s house, the Bay Area Alumni Group was formed. The rest is history.

U Nyo Win

According to the bye-laws of BAPS, a President can serve for at most two terms. Saya U Nyo Win served two terms. Saya also chaired the meetings by the Organizing Committee of the RIT Reunion and SPZP. His colorful meeting minutes are enjoyable to read.

He is an outstanding writer and an excellent speech giver. Saya wears two hats: BAPS for the Bay Area activities and RIT Alumni International for activities related to his alma mater world-wide. Our kudos to you, Saya.

After Dinner

We went to Ko Aye Tun (Anthony Ng, M76)’s house, which is within walking distance from the restaurant. A preview of the raw / semi-edited copy of the video taken at the RIT Reunion dinner and SPZP took place. The 2+ hour footage caught several viewers by surprise. The “Waing gyi putt putt du way way” dance — started by Diana (Myint Myint Sein, M70) and Richard Chao (Htin Aung, M70) — was joined by Saya U Khin Aung Kyi, Saya U Min Wun, and several alums.

It was close to two o’clock in the morning when I got back home.

Henry Lim (Aung Myint)
- Attended Rangoon Institute of Technology, but left for USA before graduation.
- Writer and Publisher
- Served as Chief Editor of the BAPS Newsletter.
- Associate Editor of the commemorative issue of the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” for SPZP-2000.
- Published “Shwe (Golden) Padauk” Magazine in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  It was a bi-lingual (Burmese and English) magazine.
- For a short while, he published “Du Yin Thee (Durian)” Magazine in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  It was a ti-lingual (Burmese, English and Chinese) a magazine.
- Had a medical problem that needed a kidney transplant.
  Doctors advised him to slow down and take care of his health.
- Stopped the publications.
- Fast forward.
  Had a successful transplant, and is now happily retired.
August 7, 2025
Talk — Audio Book
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Video Broadcast on January 27, 2021

Books
- Regular Print
- Large Print
- Braille
- e-Book
- Audio Book
- Special hardware and software to “scan and read” books
Audio Books
- Some may be available from Public Libraries
  Early : CDs
- Some may require “Subscription”
  For downloading
- Some may be offered at Discount in a Bundle
  Podcasts
  Book summaries
  Books
  e.g. Premium Subscription to Blinkist
Listeners’ Heaven

https://www.facebook.com/listenersheaven
- Established in November 2020
- Facebook Group
- Provides “Subscription”
- Offerings
  Win Pe
  Minthuwun
  Zat Kyee Hse Bwe
  Selected Novels
  Overview of selected “hot” topics
Talks
August 7, 2025
Dinner — by Wai Lwin
by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025
- He hosted two gatherings for Saya Dr. Aung Gyi and Daw Emma. Saya attended SPZP-2012 & SPZP-2016 in Yangon.
- The first was in 2013 (a few days after SPZP-2012).
- The second was in 2016.
Jan 2013
- He hosted a Birthday Gathering for Daw Emma Gyi.
Daw Emma Gyi’s birthday in Jan 2013

Dec 2016

In 2016, Ko Wai Lwin hosted a dinner for the Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi and several other sayas at Ko Nyan Tun U’s residence.

Ko Nyan Tun U, Ko Khin Maung Kyaw, Ko Ye Chit Pe, Ko Ohn Khine and Ko Tun Aung are retired. Ko Kyaw Lwin and Ko Win Myint were in charge of the Ministry of Construction.

Ko Win Myint (later Bogyoke) was a 10th standard Luyechun at the Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in 1965. Ko Win Myint said that Ko Sein Shwe (M67, 4th year Luyechun from RIT, group leader and musician) inspired him to join RIT. Ko Win Myint has published some books.

Ma Pwint Than, spouse of Ko Htun Aung (“Aung Daung”), was also a 10th standard Luyechun. Later, at SPZP-2016, I met Ko Htun Aung, his close friend Ko Hmaing (author, GBNF) and Ma Pwint Than at the gallery of the famous Bagyee Saya Ko Myo Myint.
August 7, 2025