Category: Concept

In our younger days

• In our youth, it was fashionable in the movies and outside to smoke cigars, cheroots and cigarettes.
• There was no warning that “Smoking could be hazardous to your health”.

Gold Flake and Ludu

• Some did not smoke, but they bought used cigarette packs with brands such as Gold Flake and Ludu. Why?
• There was a campaign from Gold Flake and Ludu that they will give a lottery ticket for the specified number of packs purchased (e.g. 20). The top prize for “Aung Bar Lay Htee” at that time was one Lakh Kyats. If the top winning ticket was bought from Gold Flake or Ludu, the winner received an additional one Lakh Kyats. That was a sizeable amount of money.
• U Win Thein (M67, GBNF) — the indefatigable organizer — was from the Gold Flake Family.
• Saya U Hla Myint (Charlie, M65), Ko Michael Lim (C74), Ma Kyu Kyu Lin (“Bawlone”, T75), and Ko San Lwin (EC77) belong to the Ludu Family.
  Ludu had a family band of musicians and vocalists (e.g. Dr. Thynn Thynn Lin) that made public performances at festivals.

Game

There was another use of cigarette pack covers. There was a game where players take turns to put up one cover. If the top-most cover matches the cover immediately underneath, the player “wins” the pile of covers. Those who ran out of covers might decide to buy back some covers.

• Most children are not afraid of failing. They ignore their failures and eventually learn to do new things
  ride a bike,
  swim and
  speak several languages
  
• Most adults are afraid of failing. They do not try to move outside their comfort zone.

• We read about “King Bruce and the Spider“. The moral of the story was “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.”

• Thomas Edison succeeded in developing the incandescent bulb after 1000+ tries and failures. He said that he learned something new from the failed experiments.

• NASA had failures.
  Three astronauts training for Apollo 1 Mission — Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chafee — died due to the deadly fire
  The NASA space program rebounded from the failure and eventually landed men on the moon,
  NASA developed an accelerated program to beat USSR in the race to the moon.

• Around Christmas of 1968, three astronauts (Frank Borman, James Lovell and Bill Anders) circled the moon and sent back lovely pictures.
  Apollo 8 was an important step for a successful mission to set men on the moon.

• I wrote a poem on “Apollo 8”. It was not published. My mentor Reverend F. Ludvig (aka Ashin Ananda) said, “Your poem is long. Most people do not have the time and leisure to read poems, especially long ones.” I could have lost heart and confidence.

• In July 1969, Apollo 11 landed in Tranquility Bay on the moon. I wrote a poem “Men on the Moon“.
  Ashin Ananda gave my poem to Mr. Hall, Information Officer at USIS. He forwarded it to NASA. He put me on the subscription list of USIS. I received “Alin Yaung Magazine”, Newsletters and Translations.
  My poem was also published in the Guardian Newspaper.

Senior

A few years back, I felt uncomfortable to be addressed as “Ah Ba”, “Pho Pho” and to be offered assistance (e.g. wheelchair).

Now I feel okay to have wheelchair rides at air ports and to have people assist me when I climb up and down hill slopes. I recently had a couple of bike rides on the dirt roads.

As a senior, I enjoy discounts on trains, buses and selected restaurants.

I simply hope that my mental faculties will remain sharp and strong.

Jara (old age) catches even the sport stars like Sayagyi U Ba Toke.

Sayagyi U Ba Toke

Saya is a Phwa Bet Taw of Rangoon University and the first Rangoon University Students’ Strike in December 1920.

In 2000, Theingi (Saya’s youngest daughter) conveyed us Saya’s wishes to attend SPZP-2000. U Maung Maung Than (M79, Texas) had donated a round trip ticket. Several sayas and alumni donated expenses. Details can be found in “Count down to the Reunion” articles.

He celebrated his 96th birthday in December 2016 with his children, grand children and great grand children.

Saya gave a speech in SPZP-2007 about “Longevity”. Saya visited a house in USSR where the 80+ year old host explained about the noise up stairs. “Don’t worry. It’s my 100+ year old uncle quartering with his fourth wife. They will make amends.”

During my visits to Yangon, I paid respect to Saya.

U Ohn Khine (M70) gave me a ride in 2012. Saya gave us autographed book. We enjoyed Sayagyi’s accounts. He was a football star, a leader of the Burma Olympic Delegation, and an excellent teacher. Up to his early 80s, Sayagyi could walk to the Shwe Dagon pagoda with his friends. In his 90s, Sayagyi lost some mobility, eye sight and hearing, but he was determined to attend SPZPs.

In 2016, Saya’s son U Ye Myint and daughter Daw Thynn Thynn (Pansy) made arrangements to give us rides to and back from Saya’s house.

In early 2018, I called Ma Theingi, Sayagyi’s youngest daughter and asked about Sayagyi. She mentioned that Sayagyi is healthy but because he had lost most teeth, they have to listen carefully to grasp his message.

Saya passed away on December 2, 2020. It was the day after RI U Centennial. It was a few days short of his Centennial Birthday on December 26.

I received both compliments and doubts.

First example

A1 : Compliment

• Thanks Sayagyi (Member of Generation Zero) for attending the 5th Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe of ICST/UCSY.
• Thanks Sayagyi for sharing “UCC Memories” and for your Guest Lecture “Computer Chin, Ngan, Sutt”.

A2 : Doubt

• Why do people address U Hla Min as Saya?
• Where did he teach?

A3 : Reality

• I was a saya at UCC (Universities’ Computer Center), DCS (Department of Computer Science) and ICST (Institute of Computer Science and Technology).

• Aye Aye Kyaw Zin, younger daughter of U Kyaw Zin (EP69), was one of my students at ICST.

Second example

B1 : Compliment

He is a “Hin Lay Oh Gyi”.

B2 : Doubt

Have you read George Orwell?

B3 : Reality

• I am a life long learner.
• I have a decent memory.
• I have read books (but the number is far less than those of bibliophiles like Saya U Thein Han (Zawgyi, former Chief Librarian of Rangoon University Central Library).

Third example

C1 : Compliments

• Thanks for beautifully translating my poems and articles.
• You should send your poem “Men on the Moon” to NASA.

C2 : Doubt

• Why is he speaking at the Centennial of UNSG U Thant?
• Is he a writer?

C3 : Reality

• I am a “Sar Pay Myat Noe Thu”.
• I have written articles, poems, translations, study guides, and blogs.
• I have edited several books (mostly to commemorate events).
• Nine of my articles appear in the Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife.
• I co-authored a book, but the sales were not that great.

Hope

With the help of volunteers, my posts can be turned into a set of e-books and even printed books.