Aging & declining health had a toll on him and his spouse
Had diabetes for a long time without control / treatment.
His kidney began to fail around October 2010. Doctors recommended preparation for dialysis, which is minor operation on his vein / arteries on his hand, but he wanted to try alternative medicine.
UCC alumni set up a health care fund to help him, but he was either “Arr Nar De အားနာတယ်” or frail to do dialysis.
He lost memory and could not recognize his former colleagues.
His wife had limited mobility on her left hand. People in Yangon wanted her to go for therapy but it was not easy for them to visit therapists on their own.
U Kyaw Nyein (AFPFL)
U Kyaw Nyein
Minister, Home Affairs
Leader of Swe-Nyein Faction
Stable AFPFL (တည်မြဲ ဖဆပလ)
U Kyaw Nyein (BSPP)
Minister, Education
U Kyaw Nyein (USIS)
Invited us to use the USIS library
Third son of Myoma Sayagyi U Ba Lwin
U Kyaw Nyein (Franklin)
Younger brother of U Wah Kyu (Maurice’s father) & Saya U Win Kyaing
Received the official DVD of the 40th Anniversary gathering & mini-SPZP of the class of ’69. It took about two hours to view the DVD.
Myint Thein (Maung Kabar, GBNF) — a core organizer who offered the use of his office for the preparation meetings — looked as young as ever.
It is difficult to recognize some faces and remember their real and nick names. Except for thin, grey or dyed hair, a few have changed much over the years.
Ko Aung Min, Master of Ceremonies, appeared to have gained some weight.
Ko Thein Swe (GBNF) described the event in his e-mail.
Sayas who attended the event
U Ba Than (M)
U Khin Aung Kyi (ChE, former Rector)
U Thit (Met, Melbourne, Australia)
U Myo Myint Sein (Arch, California, US),
U Thein Lwin (EE, Singapore)
U Soe Paing (my mentor at RIT & UCC)
U Moe Aung (EE, Tekkatho Moe War, Chief Editor of “Swe Daw Yeik Sar Saung”, “Hylat Sit Sar Saung)
U Ba Myint (EE, former Pro-Rector)
U Khine Oo (EE)
U S. Kyaw Aye (M, elder brother of Abdul Rauf)
U Han Tun (M, GBNF)
Dr. Thaung Myint (Maths)
Dr. Kyaw Win (Pet)
Daw Tin Myint (ChE)
Some sayas (e.g. Saya U Shwe Hlaing) could not make it to the event.
Saya U Khin Aung Kyi, Saya U Thein Lwin and Saya U Moe Aung gave short speeches on behalf of the sayas and sayamas.
In the DVD, the commentator mentioned the name and department of the saya/sayama.
We wish he had thrown in more names of the attendees [not just the presenters & the performers] so that we can match the names and faces of our long lost classmates.
Some words by 69ers
Ko Khin Maung Tin (M69)
Ko Nyi Hla Nge (C69)
Ko Myint Thein (Maung Kabar, M69, GBNF)
Ko Daniel Tint Lwin (M69)
Ko Robert Win Boh (EC69)
Ko Aung Kyaw Pe (EP69)
Ko Aung Myint (Pathein, M69)
Ma Khin Than Myint Tin (Magaret Aung Tin, M 69)
Entertainment
Saya U Khin Aung Kyi
Saya U Moe Aung
Albert Kyaw Min (several Burmese & English songs)
Ko Khin Maung Nyunt
Ko Hla Shwe
Maung Kabar Myint Thein
Daniel Tint Lwin
Robert Win Boh
Naw Mu Mu Aye & company
Myo Nyunt
David Myint Thein
Aung Min
Sargalay Khin Maung Win
Aye Lwin
and several organizers took part in the musical/dance entertainment.
General
The commentator noted that unlike other batches who studied 4 years or 6 years, most intake of 2nd BE in ’64 spent 5 wonderful years at RIT.
Uzin Myo Tun (Bobby) was in good company with Saw Tobius Kittum Ku (Toby) and Ko Khin Maung Hla.
Optimists say they will take part in the Golden Jubilee in 2019.
Conservatives suggest meeting several times before then.
Realists note that the GBNF list has 39 [at that time constituting 11% of the class.]
Kudos to the organizers, sponsors, and well-wishers for keeping the RIT spirit alive and well.
Editor’s Notes in 2021
Posted Group photos (with captions) taken in 2009. Thanks to the organizers who provided the photos.
Several sayas are now GBNF.
Several 69ers are now GBNF. The GBNF list is 113 .
There was a pseudo Golden Jubilee in 2014 to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Admission to RIT in November 1964.
The true Golden Jubilee for Graduation was celebrated in 2019.
G 1G 2G 3G 4
Updates
Several — Harry Tin Htut, Albert Kyaw Min, Uzin Bobby, Uzin Aung Chaw, Tun Tun, Oscar, Kyaw Zin, Robert — have become Octogenarians. Tin Maung is the oldest.
Several sayas and alumni are now GBNF.
Saya U Ba Than passed away after his 94th birthday.
69er GBNF list has 128 members. Over 40% classmates have passed away. 18 succumbed to Covid.
I wrote an article on the Burmese Calendar for the BAPS Newsletter.
Article
January
First month of the Gregorian Calendar
Named after Janus, two-faced God (symbolic to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new year)
Jan 1 : New Year’s Day
Jan 4 : Independence Day in Myanmar
Martin Luther King’s Day in US
Sometimes : Lunar New Year
February
Second month of the Gregorian Calendar
Has 28 days in a Common Year and 29 days in a Leap Year
My poem for Union Day Supplement in WPD
Burma/Myanmar
February 12
Pyidaungsu Nay (ပြည်ထောင်စုနေ့ Union Day) is a public holiday in the Union of Burma. It commemorates the signing of the Pinlong Sar Choke (ပင်လုံစာချုပ် Panglong Agreement) on February 12, 1947. February 13
Bogyoke Aung San was born on February 13, 1915. He was named Htain Lin. He later changed the name to rhyme with that of Aung Than (his elder brother). Arzani U Ba Win is their eldest brother. Centennial celebrations for Bogyoke were held in 2015. February 13 is also as Khalay Myar Nay (ခလေးများနေ့ Children’s Day).
Tabodwe Festival (Sometimes)
The Full Moon of Tabodwe တပို့တွဲ often falls in February. Two celebrations are held.
Htamane Pwe (ထမနဲပွဲ Sticky Rice Festival)
Ovada Partimauk Day (ဩဝါဒပါမောက် Exhortation)
USA
February 14
Valentine’s Day (Chit Thu Myar Nay ချစ်သူများနေ့) is not a public holiday, but many people send greeting cards and presents.
Presidents’ Day
In the early days, there were two holidays. One to celebrate George Washington’s birthday and another to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Later a single holiday in February to honor all US Presidents was proposed. Some states continue to celebrate the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln.
Canada
“Family Day” (holiday) is observed on the 2nd Monday of February in Ontario.
Family Day is observed on the 3rd Monday of February in British Columbia.
LunarNew Year
Some countries (e.g China and Vietnam) observe the Lunar Year.
The Lunar New Year occurs at the end of January or the beginning of February. The date is not fixed in the Gregorian Calendar.
It fell in February in 2018 and 2019.
Days
February is the shortest month in the year with 28 days in a Common Year and 29 days in a Leap Year.
A common year has 365 days, while a Solar year has 365.2422 days.
A year which is not a Century year is a Leap Year if it is divisible by 4. The discrepancy of .9688 days is rounded up to a day.
A year which is a Century year is a Leap Year if it is divisible by 400. This ensures that there are 97 leap years in four centuries.
February supposedly had 30 days, but one day each was transferred to July (honoring Julius Caesar) and August (honoring Augustus Caesar) to have 31 days in those months (worthy of Roman Emperors). February was left with 28 days.
Ripley’s “Believe it or not” illustrated a grave stone which had February 30.
March
First month of the old Roman Calendar
Third month of the Gregorian Calendar
Mar 2 : Peasant’s Day တောင်သူလယ်သမားနေ့ was moved from Jan 1 in order to celebrate the Coup D’eat
Phone Maw Day
Burma’s Human Rights Day (celebrated by Berkeley)
Mar 27 : Resistance Day was renamed as Armed Forces Day
First Day of Spring : Persian New Year
April
Second month of the old Roman Calendar
Fourth month of the Gregorian Calendar
Thingyan : Three or four days of Water Festival
Myanmar New Year
The deadline for filing taxes in the USA is around mid-April
May
Third month of the old Roman Calendar
Fifth month of the Gregorian Calendar
May 1 : May Day in some countries
May 5 : Cinco de Mayo
Mother’s Day in the US
June
Fourth month of the old Roman Calendar
Sixth month of the Gregorian Calendar
Jun 6 : D Day
Jun 6 : Ah Loke Thamar Ah Yay Ah Khinn အလုပ်သမားအရေးအခင်း
Father’s Day in the US
July
Fifth month of the old Roman calendar Had 30 days
Renamed July in honor of Emperor Julius Caesar and was given an extra day
Seventh month of the Gregorian Calendar Has 31 days
My beloved father was born on 1st July.
Jul 4 : Independence Day in the US
Jul 7 : Students’ protest that was brutally crushed
Jul 8 : Demolition of the Rangoon University Student’s Union
Jul 19 : Arzani Nay အာဇာနည်နေ့
Apollo 11 landed in Tranquility Bay on the Moon in July 1969. Neil Armstrong (Mission Commander) and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin (Lunar Module Pilot) stepped on the Moon. They set up the US Flag. They collected lunar rock samples. Michael Collins (Command Module Pilot) circled around the Moon and waited for the return of the Lunar Module.
Poem
My poem “Men on the Moon” was forwarded by Mr. Hall (USIS) to NASA.
The poem was published in the Guardian Daily.
Dark day in July 1947
Nine Arzanees — seven Ministers, one Secretary and a body guard — were gunned down on July 19, 1947. Eight perished that day. Sao San Htun succumbed a day later.
Bogyoke Aung San
Thakin Mya
Deedoke U Ba Cho (Grandfather of Dr. Khin Hla Cho & Daw Khin Myint Cho)
Mahn Ba Khine (Father of Sayama Daw Myint Myint Khine)
Mong Pawn Sawbwa Sao San Htun (passed away in the hospital on July 20, 1947)
U Ba Win (Elder brother of Boyoke, Father of Dr. Sein Win)
U Razak (Father of U Tin Myint & U Hla Kyi)
ICS U Ohn Maung (father of Saya U Tin Maung Thein)
Yebaw Maung Htwe
There are books & documentaries on the “unsolved mystery”.
Two dark days in July 1962
According to the newspapers, 17 died on July 7, 1962.
Ko Aung Khin, who was stuck by a stray bullet as he was returning home from Rangoon University Boat Club, was listed as the 17th victim.
The revered RU Student Union was demolished on July 8, 1962.
The celebration of the 7th July in the following year (1963) ended with the closure of Universities — with the exception of the Faculties of Medical and Engineering.
August
Sixth month of the old Roman calendar Had 30 days
Renamed August in honor of Emperor Augustus Caesar and was given an extra day.
Eighth month of the Gregorian Calendar, and it has 31 days.
8-8-88 : start of a long struggle to restore Democracy in Myanmar
Anniversaries
There are several birthdays in my family.
Two sisters, my grand daughter, several cousins and I are August born.
Aug 2016 at HMB
In August 2016, Maurice Chee (M75) organized a birthday soon kwyay မွေးနေ့ ဆွမ်းကျွေး for me at the Dhammananda Vihara ဓမ္မာနန္ဒဝိဟာရ in Half Moon Bay, California. The sayas and alumni presented me an Appreciation award.
Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa passed away on August 13, 2005.
Three of my in-laws : Father-in-law, Mother-in-law & Brother-in-law passed away in August.
Daw Mu Mu Kin (spouse of Saya Allen Htay (C58)), U Myint Swe (EP74, NorCal RITAA) and U Thein Naing (Patrick, La Phet Yay Waing member) are also August born.
Party for August born
One of them hosts an August-born Birthday Party. In August 2018, U Patrick (Thein Naing) and Daw Mie Mie hosted a lunch gathering for the August born at Moss Beach Distillery. They also presented a book for us.
Is 8 lucky?
8-8-88 (August 8, 1988) and the following days mark the hope and then despair of the people longing for the end of the Adhamma Era.
Grapevine says that the event was inspired in part by numerologists who remembered the historic event (about Mingyi Yan Naung) in 888 Burmese Era and extrapolated the magic of No. 8 from three 8’s to four 8’s.
Most Chinese think that the number 8 is lucky. For example, Beijing Olympics was opened on 8-8-08 (August 8, 2008).
September
Seventh month of the old calendar. “Sept” means Seven.
Ninth month of the Gregorian calendar. It has 30 days.
Crushed the hopes of Multi-party Democracy in 1988
Occasionally : End of Burmese Buddhist Lent
October
Eighth month of the old Roman calendar. “Oct” means Eight
Tenth month of the Gregorian calendar. It has 31 days.
Occasionally : End of Burmese Buddhist Lent (Thadinkyut သီတင်းကျွတ်)
“Deepavali” or “Diwali” celebrations are also celebrated around October. It is known as the “Festival of Lights”.
“Halloween” occurs every year on October 31 (i.e. the day before “All Saint’s Day” which falls on November 1). It is celebrated with “Trick or Treat” by the children and optional “Halloween Costume Party” by young & old adults.
Due to differences in the calendars, the Bolshevik Revolution is wrongly referred to as the “October Revolution”.
Ocktoberfest is a festival held in October.
The Annual Pumpkin Festival with the bragging rights to the “heaviest” Pumpkin is held along Highway 92 in Half Moon Bay in Northern California. The traffic is really bad in the area for most of October. The 7-mile strip takes an hour or more during the Festival period.
Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi’s birthday is October 1.
Sayagyi U Ba Than offers soon dana for his birthday on October 2. Sayas, former students and friends are invited to the soon kway. The Class of 69 usually offers Garawa at Sayagyi’s place (Winner Inn).
November
Ninth month of the old Roman calendar. “Nov” means nine.
Eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar. It has 30 days.
Anniversary of my beloved parents
Tazaundaing often fall around November
Kathein ကထိန် robe offering often take place in early November. Must be held during one month following the Full Moon Day of Thadinkyut (which usually falls in October).
November 1st is “All Saints Day”. Preceded by Halloween (which falls on October 31st).
DST (Daylight Savings Time) requires resetting the clock according to “Spring forward. Fall back.” Currently, DST is set back in Fall (Autumn) on the Sunday following Halloween.
The second Tuesday of November is scheduled for US Elections at the various levels. (a) The Presidential Elections occur every four years. (b) The mid-term elections occur every two years. The House of Representatives serve two year terms. (c) Senators serve six year terms. To ensure continuity in the Senate, the election of the Senators is staggered into three groups.
Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November.
Black Friday & Cyber Monday following Thanksgiving have massive sales. Some companies start their “Black Friday” early in November.
Several English words (e.g. November, Black Friday) have lost their original meaning.
November 11 is celebrated as Veterans Day in the USA.
It is celebrated as Armistice Day in the UK and France.
A hundred years ago, Truce was called between the Allied Forces and Germany.
The Truce occurred at 11 AM, marking the event with three 11s.
First World War officially ended a year later with the controversial Versailles Treaty.
Elections in the US (Local races every year, House of Representatives every two years, One third of Senators every two years, President every four years)
Nov 22 : JFK assassinated (Conspiracy Theory survives)
Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the US
December
Tenth month of the old Roman Calendar. “Dec” means Ten.
Twelfth & last month of the Gregorian Calendar. It has 31 days.
U Thant Ah Yay Ah Khinn ဦးသန့်အရေးအခင်း dark day in the history of Burma
Combine the first letter of each line to spell “SAYA PU ZAW PWE”
The term SAYA PU ZAW PWE was chosen over SAYA GADAW PWE which has religious connotation, so that non-Buddhists can pay respect to their mentors.
There have been seven worldwide SPZPs : USA in 2000, Yangon in 2004, 2012 & 2016, Singapore in 2002, 2007 & 2010. I was organizer for SPZP-2000 and facilitator for the rest.
GBNF
Gone But Not Forgotten
GBNF for 69ers is maintained by U Aung Min (M69) & team
GBNF for 1st BE Intake of 64 (Class of 70) is maintained by U Ohn Khine (M70) & team
Newsletter
Poem for SPZP-2000
S eems like it was only yesterday A t our alma mater in a land far away Y ou taught us to work, play, laugh, even cry A nd coaxed us, forced us to aim for the sky
P roblems in real life, lab, computation, survey U nderstand concepts, design, display, … Z eal, zest, ardor, grit, passion to make it “our day” A rchitects, engineers, we’ve come here to say W e honor your metta, your cetana — we fully can’t repay
P resently we meet, alum from five decades we greet W ith memories true, fond, sweet E cstatic yet sad that the GBNF could not join this memorable fete
A day consists of 12 hours for AM, and 12 hours for PM.
Some missed schedules (e.g. flights) due to the AM/PM confusion.
Military time uses the 24 hour notation.
Daylight Savings Time (DST)
Some countries implement DST.
In the US, some states do not implement DST.
“Spring Forward. Fall Back” has some advantages in the early days.
Legislation changes have moved the start and end dates for DST.
Some say that DST does not save energy, and the laws should be repealed.
Clocks in ancient times
The ancient Burmese Kingdom once employed the 60-hour day using the “water” clock. Day time can range from 24 to 32 hours. Ditto for Evening & Night time.
Some early civilizations use the Sun Dial.
General
The use of atomic clocks has to be supplemented by smart algorithms for idiosyncrasies introduced by DST, Leap second (to name a few).
Depending on the culture, the Day of Week may start on a Sunday or a Monday.
There are numerous software libraries dealing with Calendars, Dates, Times and Holidays.
U Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) wrote :
DST in US, especially at the Spring time when the clock moves an hour ahead (Spring Forward), always have some good stories. Some years back we used to have a large group of people playing soccer on Sunday early mornings, as is called pickup games. It never failed to see people showed up late, forgot to reset the clock, every year. Thank God! The change was on Sundays, or else there would be more interesting work-related stories.
Microsoft Windows have those dates usually baked into the system, as a result when the DST was extended 2008, they had to release a patch to fix the issue.
A bill (a law) to make “DST/Daylight Saving Time” permanent so as not to readjust the clocks twice a year, was approved by the US Congress’s upper chamber, the Senate in March this year. https://www.reuters.com/…/us-senate-approves-bill-that…/.
Unfortunately, Congress’s lower chamber, the House of Representatives, so far fails to pick it up for vote. As a result, the law is in limbo now.
It will only become law only after the President of the US of A sign it after the House of Representatives approve it.
Executive Committee member of the RIT Electrical Engineering Association.
Graduated from RIT in 1968 with B.E (EP).
Joined EPC (Electric Power Corporation) and retired as DyCE (Deputy Chief Engineer).
Played soccer for RIT, All Universities & Institutes, Electric Power Corporation (EPC) and Burma.
Passed away at the age of 72.
Cousin of Daw Thuzar (actress & spouse of Jeffery Tun Aung).
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EP76) wrote :
I believe he left EPC as DyCE. Upon retirement he was active in football [soccer], became Technical Director/Team Leader with the Football federation. For all his efforts, he was awarded “Excellent Performance in Social Field (Third Class)” in January 2008.
I pay respect to Thin Saya (သင်ဆရာ), Myin Saya (မြင်ဆရရာ) and Kyar Saya (ကြားဆရာ). They taught me all I knew.
I would like to thank my mentors who directly or indirectly taught me Communication (Oral and Written) and Languages (English, Burmese, …)
Last but not the least, a million thanks to my “Let Oo Sayas” (လက်ဦးဆရာများ my beloved parents).
My Parents
Learning English
I had to read / study
Tom Thumb’s Essays
A Student’s Companion
Oxford English Dictionary” (OED — various sizes and editions),
Chamber’s Dictionary (used in Scrabble tournaments)
Rhyming Dictionary
Word Power/Vocabulary in [six weeks, 21 days, …]
Idioms (book present from my cousin uncle)
They helped me improve my writing and communication skills.
Thanks to all the authors, who are my implicit teachers.
Learning new things daily
Listen to the daily offering by Blinkist.com
Listen to selected podcasts
Dr. Chit Swe (GBNF)
Sydney 2006
My mentor at UCC
Invited renowned computer scientists led by Harry D. Huskey, Pioneer in Computer Hardware, Software & Teaching, and Mathematicians (e.g. Frank Harary, Expert in Graph Theory) to Rangoon to hold seminars and to design courses in computer science and applications. Michael Stonebraker (then at UC Berkeley) gave a short course on Ingres (early Relational Data Base Management System). He laterwon the prestigious “ACM Turing Award” (equivalent of Nobel Prize in Computing).
Taught us to use CPM/PERT (Critical Path Method/Programme Evaluation and Review Technique) for the projects.
Asked me to assist his projects : translator / reviewer for CTK (Children’s Treasury of Knowledge), editor for “High School Mathematics”, and TOSS (Team Of System Specialists).
Passed away in November 2019, but his Legacy as Pioneer for Computer Systems, Application and Education in Burma will last forever.
U Soe Paing(EE, UCC)
U Soe Paing
My mentor at RIT & UCC
Together with U Myo Min and U Ko Ko Lay (GBNF), they taught degree and diploma courses in computer science, and also conducted courses in computer programming, computer orientation, to name a few.
Saya U Soe Paing allowed U Aung Zaw (GBNF) and me to co-author texts, guides and manuals used at UCC.
Publications
SPZP-2000 Organizers
Guardian Thanks to U Soe Myint (Chief Editor)
Working People’s Daily (WPD) Thanks to U Ko Lay (Chief Editor) and Daw Khin Swe Hla (Editor)
Forward magazine Thanks to Bohmu Ba Thaw (Maung Thaw Ka, Chief Editor) and U Sein Hla (Editor)
Pan magazine Burmese publication
Veda magazine Published by BARB
Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung Commemorative Issues for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010 in Singapore Thanks to Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War)
Swel Daw Yeik Magazine Commemorative Issues for SPZP-2012 and Shwe YaDu (2014) Thanks to Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War)
RUBC magazine Commemorate issue for 90th Anniversary of the founding of RUBC
RUBC
BAPS Newsletter Contributing Editor
Dhammananda Newsletter Contributing Editor
Paying Homage to Sayadaw U Silananda Contributing Editor
Book
Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife Contributor to the Burmese American section of the 3-volume encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
National Foreign Languages Center Language Expert for the Burmese Language Project (Reading and Listening Comprehension)
RIT Alumni International Newsletter Contributing Editor for 26 years
hlamin.com 2500+ articles
Facebook Owner, Admin or Moderator of selected Facebook Groups
VideoBroadcasts Archived in Facebook and my You Tube Channel
Volunteer
I gained experience by volunteering
Several organizations in Myanmar and USA
EC, Joint Secretary and Secretary of RIT EE Association
RIT EE Association
Contributing Editor of RIT English Newsletter
Treasurer & Vice Captain of RUBC
Translator & Interpreter at Meditation Retreats
Organizer, SPZP-2000
SPZP-2000
Coordinator, World wide SPZPs in Singapore & Myanmar
Docent at the Computer History Museum (at Mountain View, California)
Contributing Editor of the materials taught at the Summer Dhamma Camp at Dhammananda Vihara (at Half Moon Bay)
Area Governor, Club Coach, Contest Chair, Test Speaker & Club Ambassador at Toastmasters International
Editor of publications by Sayadaws (e.g. U Jotalankara) and friends (e.g. U Aung Zaw)
Language expert at National Foreign Language Center
Administrator and/or Moderator of selected Facebook Groups
Owner & content creator of selected web sites (e.g. hlamin.com)
Parents and Ancestors
My Parents
Last but not the least, my heartfelt thanks to my beloved parents and their philanthropic forebears for instilling me the passion to help humanity in general and to my alma mater. They believed that “Any thing that’s worth doing is worth doing well.”
Pay Back
My beloved spouse told me that I should pay back to my alma mater, mentors and my beloved land.
She reminded me that I should take care of my health to enjoy quality time with our Life Savers.
I had paid back to my alma mater RIT where I studied from 1964 – 1969 by serving as Messenger & Organizer for 26 years. e.g. For SPZP-2000, I wrote 64 “Countdown to the Reunion” & 36 “Post_Reunion”.
In 2018, I wrote “Memories of UCC”. I wrote a Summary for the magazine to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ICST.
To commemorate the 19th anniversary (in April 2018) for “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” and the 45th wedding anniversary (in June 2018), I wrote several hundred posts covering a variety of topics.
Since then, I have completed 2500+ posts. I have revised most of them with feedback provided by my readers.
In April 2019, I celebrated 20th Anniversary as Founder-Editor of RIT Alumni International Newsletter.
In November 2019, I was invited as a Panelist to the 5th ILF (Irrawaddy Literary Festival) held in Mandalay.
In December 2019, I attended the SPZP and Reunion Dinner of RIT 69er’s Golden Jubilee of graduation.
I was invited to attend the 6th Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe of ICST / UCSY and the Annual mini-gathering of UCC Alumni.
In January 2020, I was invited as a Special Guest for the 2020 Public Speakers’ Association (PSA) Tour to six cities in Upper Myanmar.
I am adding / revising posts for hlamin.com and share some of them via Facebook groups (e.g. Life Long Learning, RIT Updates) and my YouTube Channel (@hmin3664)
YouTube Channel to access my videos
I am a Dreamer. I believe, “If one can dream, others will fulfill.”
First Rector of ITBMU (International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University)
Passed away on August 13, 2005.
I served as Master of Ceremony at the Service.
I carried the Box of his Ashes and accompanied Saya U Myat Htoo (C68, President of TBSA) for the Scattering of the Ashes near Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco.
Publication
Book in memory of U Silananda
I was a member of the Committee & Contributing Editor
Book
August 30, 2015
Attended 10th Anniversary of Sayadaw U Silananda’s demise
First native Dean to head the Faculty of Engineering of Rangoon University
Transferred to the Faculty of Engineering, RU from GTI (Government Technical Institute) where he was Principal and Professor of Civil Engineering
Credited for the “Twinning Program” between the Faculty of Engineering, RU and the prestigious universities in the USA
Per request from U Aung Khin (retired Professor & Head of Mechanical Engineering), Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (EE) — the only son — wrote about his beloved father for the commemorative issue of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” for SPZP-2000. It has been re-posted in the newsletter updates and in the RIT Alumni Facebook Pages. Sayagyi passed away in his house on U Wisara Road in Rangoon.
Tribute to U Ba HliTribute
Interim Deans
Dr. Htin Aung
Dr. Maung Maung Kha
Dr. Tha Hla
U Po Tha
Dr. Htin Aung
Dr. Htin Aung
Principal, Rangoon College
Rector, Rangoon University
Vice Chancellor, Rangoon University
Interim Dean, Faculty of Engineering
Burmese Ambassador to Ceylon
Folklorist / Historian
Dr. Maung Maung Kha
Dr. Maung Maung Kha and family
Doctorate in Meteorological Physics from Imperial College, London University
Professor & Head of Physics Department at Rangoon University
Interim Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Rangoon University
Longest tenured Rector
Rector of Rangoon University
Rector of RASU
Rector of University of Distance Learning
Plays the violin well
Accompanied U Ba Kyi (Artist, translator/composer of songs”) singing “Hne Yauk Hte Nay Chin De” in Burmese and English
Passed away in Yangon in 2005.
Centennial celebrations for his birthday were held in 2015.
Early Rectors
Dr. Htin Aung (RU)
Dr. Hla Myint (RU)
Dr. Tha Hla (RU)
U Kar (RU)
Dr. Maung Maung Kha (RU, RASU)
U Yone Mo (RIT)
Dr. Aung Gyi (RIT)
U Khin Aung Kyi (RIT)
U Maung Maung Than (RIT)
U Yone Mo
U Yone Mo
Retired Chief Engineer, Burma Railways
In 1961, the Faculty of Engineering, Rangoon University moved to Gyogone and had a new name Burma Institute of Technology (BIT).
Appointed Dean of Engineering at the BIT Gyogone Campus
Under the new Education System, BIT became an autonomous Institute with the name Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT). He became the Rector.
Proponent of taking power naps
U Wynn Htain Oo (M72) remembers how his friends were having fun with the “Ye Punn ရေပန်း” (Water Foundation). Saya saw them, but did not scold them. He said with a smile, “Young men, you can go to the University Swimming Pool or to the Inya Kan ကန် (Lake)”.
Established the weekly “Yoke Shin ရုပ်ရှင်” at the Assembly Hall.
Dr. Aung Gyi (Professor of Civil Engineering) remembered seeing a letter from U Yone Mo (Rector) sent to U Yone Mo (Parent of a son who happened to visit his gambling friends at the hostel). Dr. Aung Gyi told the Admin to stow away the letter.
Ko Zaw Min Nawaday knows Sayagyi & his spouse (Daw Elizabeth Yone Mo, High Ranking Nurse at RGH and a close friend of Daw Khin May Than) very well. Sayagyi and Dr. Aung Gyi were in May Myo during one summer. Sayagyi asked Dr. Aung Gyi and Ko Zaw Min to accompany him. They ate Khauk Swe. Sayagyi reminded them not to tell about his “Khauk Swe” appetite to Sayagadaw.
Dr. Aung Gyi
Dr. Aung Gyi
Succeeded U Yone Mo as Rector
Rector (1971 – 1977)
See Posts
Memories of Dr. Aung Gyi
Speech at SPZP-2000
Coconut Episode
U Khin Aung Kyi
U Khin Aung Kyi
Stood 7th in Burma in the Matriculation of 1949
He did his B S and M S at MIT
Professor of Chemical Engineering at RIT
Succeeded Dr. Aung Gyi as Rector
Taught at Rengsit University in Bangkok, Thailand
Provided interview for HMEE-2012 Project
U Maung Maung Than
U Maung Maung Than
BS in Textile Engineering from Clemson University and MS from Lowell University
Professor & Head of Textile Engineering Department, RIT
Rector, YIT
DG, DHE
Chair, RIT Sports Council
Hobbies : Chinlon, Music
Helped establish Engineering at Defense Services Academy
Dr. Henry Cho Tun (Myint Tun) wrote:
I’m going to add a few things about Saya U Mg Mg Than. I’m very close to him and the family and the son is my student. We are all golfers and both of them are very good. Saya MM Than is as good as Saya Soe Paing and plays with clubs that are custom made for him. Hope the following would be useful additions. Thank you
He did his B S at Clemson and M S at Lowell.
He joined BIT in 1957 as lecturer -Head of Textile Engineering Department at BOC college
1964 was appointed Professor at RIT
Served as Rector, 1990-1992
Director General of The Department of Higher Education 1992-1994 and retired
Served as Director of Studies at DSTA (Defense Services Technical Academy)
HlaMin 