Most Senior Centers require members to be 50 years or older. They want young, active seniors. Some volunteers are in their 80s and 90s.
AARP (Association for American Retired Professionals) admits “retirees” who are 50+ years old. This leaves room for marketing to people who are still active.
Some restaurants and shops provide discount to 60+ years and older.
The “official” age recognized by Federal and State Agencies is 65+.
Senior in Myanmar
According to U Tin Htut (Harry, Mon Yu), a Sar Yay Saya has to be 80 years or older to be a recipient of the “Thet Kyee Pu Zaw Pwe“.
MES sets 75 years as a threshold for the “Paying Homage Ceremonies” for Engineers and Architects. They may or may not be sayas.
At the All Mechanical Gathering in 2019, engineers who are 80 or more years old were invited on the stage. The attendees paid respect standing.
Seniors and SPZPs
Some seniors are reluctant to attend Saya Pu Zaw Pwes (SPZP). They could not easily find their classmates among the huge crowd. Some are uncomfortable to pay respect to the younger sayas on the stage.
A partial solution was provided at some SPZPs.
The sayas and sayamas were divided into three (or more batches).
The advantage is that Seniors can choose to pay respect to their mentors, and relax when the younger sayas are on stage.
A drawback is that it takes long to get the sayas and sayamas get on and off the stage.
Joke about Seniors
“Uncle, you call you wife Honey. What is her name?” “I forgot her name 30 years ago.”
The most notable is known as the “Sterling Pound“. The British manufactured the “Silver Penny” made out of pure silver. 240 Silver Pennies presumably weighed one pound. Hence, the name “Sterling Pound”. 1 Pound = 20 shillings = 240 pennies
At one time, the Pound was tied to the “Gold Reserve“. In our younger days, 1 Pound was equivalent to about 13 Kyats.
Many Myths have been debunked, but they still appear in posts.
Do not share Myths without verifying them first.
U E Maung is not Bagyi Aung
A post wrongly said Professor U E Maung was “Bagyi Aung”. It was liked and/or shared by thousands of readers even after U Nay Oke (St. Paul’s) had given TEDx InyaLake talk about his mother (Daw Khin Saw Mu), father (ICS U Ba Tint), his Bagyi (ICS U Tin Tut) and Minthuwun (Saya U Wun). U Nay Oke mentioned that the four main characters in “Bagyi Aung Nyar De” have all passed away.
The three younger sisters were in the charge of ICS U Tin Tut especially during the school / university holidays.
ICS U Ba Tint was U Tin Tut’s deputy.
Dr. Htin Aung is not Bagyi Aung
The earlier wrong version said that Dr. Htin Aung was Bagyi Aung.
At least the names share “Aung”.
ICS U Tin Tut is Bagyi Aung
U Tin Tut
The knowledge was a family secret, but it was later known by close friends.
U Nay Oke (St. Paul’s) gave a TEDx InyaLake talk on the subject.
In the US, second Sunday of May is celebrated as Mother’s Day.
For multi-generational families, it would also be Grandmother’s Day and Great Grandmother’s Day as well.
U Hla Min, spouse and two grandchildren
Some countries and cultures celebrate “Mother’s Day” on a different day. In Myanmar, it is celebrated on the Full Moon Day of Pyatho.
The first words that most people learn in their lives include the following and their variants. Mum, Mummy, Mom, Mommy, Mah Mah, May May, …
We extend the term Mother to our schools (e.g. Alma Mater) and our country (e.g. Motherland).
In idiomatic usage, Mother is “the hand that rocked the cradle”.
Mother’s unbounded love is honored in many real-life stories (e.g. “Toe Aye” ship wreck).
The following song has been recorded by many artists.
I have reprinted a sample verse. The verses may have variations.
M-O-T-H-E-R (song)
M is for the Mercy she possesses (Variant: Million things she gave me)
O means Only that she’s growing Old (Variant : that I Owe her all I owe)
T is for her Tender sweet caresses (Variant : for the Tears she shed to save me)
H is for her Heart of purest gold (Variant: her Hand that touch and hold)
E means Everything she’s done to save me
R means Right and Right she’ll always be
Put them all together
They spell MOTHER
A word that means a world to me
My Beloved Mother
My beloved mother
I would like to acknowledge my beloved mother. When we were young, she would wake up before her housemaids at 4 a.m. to prepare breakfast for us. She supervised our homework when we were in primary and middle school. She bought us cameras (e.g. Yashica and Kodak), bicycles (e.g. Rayleigh and Hercules), scooter (e.g. Silver Pigeon), cars (e.g. Datsun and Dodge Jeep), two typewriters (e.g. Remington for English, Olympia for Burmese), musical instruments (e.g. guitar, harmonica), comics (e.g. Beano, Dandy, Topper, Beezer), Classics Illustrated and Junior Classics Illustrated, “How and Why” series, “Myanmar Swel Sone Kyan” (Burmese Encyclopedia), Reader’s Digest and other periodicals, to name a few.
Although my parents were devout Buddhists, they sent their children to SPHS (St. Pauls’s High School) and SJC (St. John’s Convent) — run by the Roman Catholic missionaries — to get a good education.
The seeds that were sown by my beloved parents have bloomed allowing me to pay back to my alma mater and my community.
I have served as
Organizer, SPZP-2000
Chief Editor of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” and Editor of several other newsletters (BAPS Newsletter, Dhammananda Newsletter)
Contributor to the Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklife and Folklore (published by ABC CLIO)
Burmese Language expert for a course developed by the National Foreign Language Center, University of Maryland (College Park)
Docent at Computer History Museum
Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) at Toastmasters International
Translator/interpreter at meditation retreats (e.g. at Tathagata Mediatation Center)
Editor of books and magazines Homage to Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa Collection of dhamma talks by Sayadaw U Silananda Three books by Sayadaw U Jotalankara 90th Anniversary Issue of RUBC.YUBC) Bawa and Dhamma Cetana Thi Thar Kan
Without my mother’s exhortation “Eyes have you and you see not, Ears have you and you hear not, …”, and “Any thing that’s worth doing is worth doing well”, I would not be here today.
Their motto : “Anything that’s worth doing is worth doing well“.
My mother would scold me lightly by saying “Eyes have you and you see not. Ears have you and you hear not.”
She would tell the story of Robert Bruce and the spider, and remind us “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.”
RUBC (Rangoon University Boat Club)
Motto : “Row Till You Are Dead.”
The background story is covered in Sir Arthur Eggar’s autobiography and in the commemorative issues for the 40th and 90th Anniversary of the founding of RUBC.
RUBC members are used to the shout “Give her a ten” during a race (especially near the finish line), and also at the Close of the Awards Presentation at the Regatta.
After a long day, in the tradition of RUBC, I shout, “Give her a ten”. 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 -1 followed by EASY OARS.
Companies
The motto may change over time.
International Business Machines (IBM)’s slogan was “Think“.
General Electric (GE)’s claim to fame was “Built to last.“
In the study, a group of people were given letters (or packages) with the destination address. They were asked to forward them to someone, who they believe might know someone, and so on.
On the average, it took six links for the letter (or package) to reach the destination.
Has the world shrunk?
A similar experiment was repeated in the Internet age with e-mails (or similar).
It took about four links.
Wisdom
There is conventional wisdom stating, “A chain is as strong as the weakest link”. Hackers and Crackers (Criminal Hackers) try to find out the weakest link.
There is unconventional wisdom stating, “Your weak relation (e.g. those who meet in a church or temple) might often prove to be more helpful that your strongrelation (e.g. families and friends).”
For example, a weak relation might help you get a job.
The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Million Man March (to Washington DC) were made possible by the seemingly “weak” relations.
Who knows if there are weak relations (lurking in the Internet), who might help me transform my posts into an e-book, a printed book or a series of lectures to help our beloved motherland and alma mater.
Dana may stand for offering, alms, and donation. Dana may be performed anonymously, or at an event (e.g. birthday, anniversary). According to a saying, “Dhamma Dana excels all Dana”.
There can be “Double Dana“. For example, Sayagyi U Ba Than donates the Garwara Money that he received from the SPZPs and alumni back to Charitable Organizations. During one my visits, I witnessed the donation of One Lakh Kyat each to then organizations. They include : Bo Bwa Yeik Tha, Little Sisters for the Poor, School for Deaf and Dumb, School for the Blind, U Hla Tun Foundation, Nar Yay Ah Thin.
Dana transcends religion and culture.
For Buddhists, Dana provides opportunities to gain kusala (wholesome deeds) before, during and after the offering. One can share merits when performing a Dana. One can rejoice past Dana and gain merits.
“Pyinnya Dana” may stand for offerings made for the advancement of education [of the people and the society]. Dana for the “YTU Library Modernization” would be a form of Pyinnya Dana. Knowledge Sharing may also be a form of Pyinnya Dana.
Swel Daw Yeik Foundation (SDYF) provides some financial assistance to eligible sayas and sayamas for Hospitalization and Frequent visits to the Clinic.
RITAA and NorCal RITAA provide some financial assistance to eligible YTU students.
RIT Ah Nu Pyinnya Shins donate to the various noble causes (e.g. SPZP, Shwe YaDu, YTU Library) in cash and kind, Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu.
Some Major Donors
Saya U Tin Htut (M60) — K 100 Lakhs to YTU Library Modernization Project, K 10 Lakhs to Swel Daw Yeik Foundation, Some of the Garawa money to the then MES (Mechanical Engineering Chapter)
Daw Myint Myint (C69) — K 150 Lakhs for YTU Library Modernization; Major donor of 69er HCF
Ivan Lee (M69) — Major donor of 69er HCF and MASTAA; Golden Sponsor of SPZP-2000 and 2007
U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70) — US$20000+ to RIT related activities; Multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs; Health Care for eligible RIT sayas and sayamas
U Tha Htay (M70) — Major donor for Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65
Benny Tan (M70) — Multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs; Major donor for Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65
Dr. Myo Khin (C70) and Daw Mya Mya Nwe (C73) — K 100 Lakhs for or YTU Library Modernization
U Khin Maung Tun (T78) — Major donor of SDYF; Vision Care for eligible RIT sayas and sayamas
HlaMin 