HlaMin

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  • Calendar Types

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    • Academic calendar: It may span two years. For example, the Class of 1958 has to attend classes in 1957 and 1958.
    • Civil calendar : It is used for Civil or Administrative purposes. It is also used for general purpose by people and organizations
    • Early Roman calendar : It covered only 10 months.
      September, October, November and December were 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th months.
      Note that “Sept” stands for 7, “Oct” for 8, “Nov” for 9, and “Dec” for 10.
    • Fiscal calendar : Usually has four Quarters: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4
    • Gregorian calendar : Named after Pope Gregory. It has “leap year” correction for century years. A century year is considered a leap year if it is divisible by 400. e.g. 1900 is not a leap year, but 2000 is a leap year
    • Julian calendar : Named after Julius Caesar. It is a revised Roman calendar with 12 months. December is the 12th month.
    • Lunar calendar : It is based on the monthly cycles of the moon. A lunar year usually has 355 days. Some lunar calendars are “pure” (e.g. Islamic calendar). Some lunar calendars are luni-solar calendars.
    • Luni-solar calendar : It syncs up with the solar calendar by adding a month every three years.
    • Mayan calendar : It is a “long count” calendar used by the Mayan civilization. It is made up of 260 days (13 x 20 day group). nThe great cycle used by the calendar ended in December 2012 causing doomsday proponents to raise alarm about the “end of the world”.
    • Myanmar calendar : It is a luni-solar, socio-religious calendar. Many festivals are celebrated on the Full Moon day of selected months (e.g. Kason)The extra month used for synchronization is called “Second Waso”.
    • Religious calendar : It is used to celebrate religious events.
      The Islamic calendar is a purely lunar calendar. Hence, the holy month of Ramadan falls in different months of the Gregorian calendar.
    • Solar calendar : A solar year usually has 365 days. It takes about 365.2422 days for the earth to orbit the sun. The difference is adjusted by adding a day to February in a leap year.

  • Dr. Daw Hta Kyu

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    • Dr. Daw Hta Kyu (Betty Chu) passed away in Yangon on February 13, 2020.
    • She was 89+ years young.
    • Siblings :
      U Wah Kyu
      Saya U Win Kyaing
      Dr. Josie Chu
      U Kyaw Nyein (Franklin Chu)
    • Nephews and Nieces :
      Hla Myint Thein (Maurice Chee, M75)
      Dr. Zaw Lin (David Chee, IM 79)
      San Yin Myint (Samantha, ICST 2nd batch)

  • Songs

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    Kabar Ma Kye (National Anthem)

    • Ko Than Hlaing wrote articles about National Anthems.
    • “Kabar Ma Kye” was composed by YMB based on the work by Thakin Ba Thaung.
    • The song blends the Burmese and Western styles.
    • The Chorus is usually played at public events.
    • The Prelude describes the Founding Principles (e.g Justice, Peace, Equality).

    “Our Heritage
    So, let’s defend
    This Golden Land
    Till the End of the Time / World”

    Kabar Ma Kye Bu

    • Literal meaning — We will not forgive and forget till the end of time
    • Composed by Naing Myanmar
    • Tune is based on “Dust in the wind”
    • Became a hit with the Pro-Democracy Movement in 1988.
    • Was played frequently in the Nway Oo Taw Hlan Yay.
    • YUFL students have translated into English and Chinese.

  • Disaster

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    It is sad to learn about disasters happening around the world.

    Several are natural disasters. A few are man-made disasters.

    Despite advantages in technology, there is no reliable and cost-effective system yet to predict and/or prevent disasters.

    There are general predictions like “the coming of Doom’s Day”.

    Some are serious about “nuclear wars” (and similar scenarios of “Apocalypse”) and spend exorbitant money to order or build underground hideouts in remote places and also extensive “evacuation plans”.

    There are some predictions based on past data. e.g. “The next big earthquake is due. You should take extra care since you are living on a fault line.”

    A few could not and would not leave their homes even when the authorities issued “mandatory evacuation”. Some evacuated, but they when they returned they found their houses missing or being vandalized.

    Disaster recovery is not simple.
    The countless lives lost to Cyclone Nargis and its aftermath could have been minimized with proper planning and mobilization of the rescue teams.

    Kudos to the individuals and organizations that offer “disaster relief funds”. But, disaster relief is at the tail end.

    U Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) added :

    Disasters, by nature or man – made, happen all over the world, more so as the so-called climate change and population explosion exacerbated the conditions.

    In the US, several governmental, NGO and private/public organizations are stepping up their efforts to educate, prepare, assist and mitigate the people impacted by all forms of disasters.

    I just opened up my disaster backpack this morning, in the process of inspecting, refreshing and refilling the contents in there.

    There are several websites, ready.gov/kit, Red​cross, FEMA Apps which will explain what items you would need in this emergency kit, survival and medical supplies, food among others.

    Some years back, there was a website called threefoldthreeway, explaining these items as well. They initially thought you would need at least three days with off supplies & food before the rescue folks contact you.

    Some disasters in the past decade taught us that three days may not be enough in many circumstances, and now recommend to have two-weeks worth of supplies and food.

    The region that I live has been overdue for severe, 8.0+, earthquake by the experts.

    I do have enough supplies of food and water but I need to collect toilet facilities, like cardboard toilet, shower facilities among several items.

    Update

    Some Disasters

    • Cyclone Nargis
    • Earthquake — Sagaing & Mandalay
    • Wild Fires — Southern California

  • Universities and Institutes

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    Brief history

    • The RU Act of 1920 was passed on December 1, 1920 to establish the University of Rangoon with Rangoon College and Judson College as the constituent Colleges. There were only three Faculties: Science, Arts and Law
    • On December 5, 1920, some RU students staged a strike to protest the 1920 RU Act for not being overreaching. The first RU Students’ Strike was later celebrated as “Ah Myo Tha Aung Pwe Nay”. The Strike gave birth to National Schools and “Ah Myotha Kaw Leik (National College)”. The Strike also caused the higher authorities to amend the “RU Act of 1920”.
    • In 1924, some Faculties (Engineering, Forestry, Social Science and Medicine) were added.

    Celebrations

    • Due to the war, the RU Silver Jubilee could not be celebrated in 1945. It was celebrated in the 1950s.
    • In 1970, the Golden Jubilee of the founding of RU was celebrated. A magazine was published to commemorate the event.
    • In Deember 2019, the pre-Celebration for the RU Centennial took place. In 2020, due to Covid, the RU Centennial was celebrated with restrictions.

    Positions and Pay Scales

    • The list is not exhaustive.
    • The pay scales are samples for the early days.

    Gazetted Officer

    • Those who earn 350 (and CLA) or higher
    • 450 (Base Pay) in the newer system
    • Promotion, deputation, transfer, and leave are published in the [Burma] Gazette

    Selection Grade

    • Those who earn 800+ Kyats
    • Entitled to buy 10% of salary at “Staff Shop”

    Administrators

    • Chancellor : Prime Minister or his appointee; U Nu attended Convocations and gave speeches.
    • Vice-Chancellor : Chief Justice U Bo Gyi served for two terms at Rangoon University. U Ko Lay (Zeyar Maung) was the Vice Chancellor of Mandalay University.
    • Rector : Dr. Htin Aung was the first native Rector of Rangoon University. Dr. Hla Myint, Dr. Tha Hla, U Kar and Dr. Maung Maung Kha were the early Rectors.
    • Pro-Rector : introduced in the 80s. U Ba Than Haq was the first Pro-Rector of RASU.
    • Principal : in charge of a College; U Pe Maung Tin was the first native Principal of Rangoon College.
    • Dean : in charge of a Faculty; U Ba Hli was the first native Dean of Engineering.
    • Registrar : U Htin Si and U Yu Khin were the early Registrars of Rangoon University.

    Head of Department : (e.g. at RIT in the 60s)

    • Large departments are headed by a Professor
    • Sub-departments are headed by a Lecturer
    • Supporting departments may be headed by an Assistant Lecturer.

    Professor : 1300+ Kyats

    Associate Professor : introduced in the 80s
    (1000 – 50 – 1200 Kyats)
    for minimum, annual increment and maximum

    Lecturer :
    800 – 50 – 1200 Kyats (for Lecturers before the 80s)
    800 – 50 – 1000 Kyats (for Lecturers in the 80s)

    Assistant Lecturer : 350 (and CLA) – 25 -700 Kyats
    and CLA (Cost of Living Allowance) was 89 Kyats (or so)
    The “adjusted” pay was 439 Kyats (or so)
    So, Assistant Lecturer : 450 – 25 – 700 Kyats (after the period when CLA was dropped)

    Instructor : 450 – 25 – 700 Kyats (introduced for the Institutes in the 60s)
    The pay scale is the same as Assistant Lecturer.
    It takes longer to become a Lecturer.

    Demonstrator :
    Early days : 200 (and CLA) => 297 Kyats (or so)
    Later : 320 Scale
    Supervises lab

    Tutor :
    Early days : 200 (and CLA) => 297 Kyats (or so)
    Later : 320 Scale
    Supervises lab and/or tutorials

    Lecturing Tutor :
    100 Kyats additional

    Ad hoc Tutor :
    Early days : 100+ Kyats

    Editor’s Notes :

    • For better or for worse, there have been several changes to the Education System. Pro-Rector and Associate Professor were introduced in the 80s.
      Some departments now have several Professors. There are Universities with a single Institute of College. There are 30+ Technological Universities.
    • Due to the decline in the buying power of the money, it is difficult for most teaching staff to survive with the salaries (and occasional pay raises). In 2018, a Professor told me that she earned about K5 Lakhs, of which a sizable amount is spent on transportation.

  • Threes

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    Three RIT Sayas

    U Aung Myint, U Moe Aung, U Kyaw Sein (GBNF)
    U Moe Aung

    U Moe Aung (EE63)

    • Pen name : Tekkatho Moe War
    • Distinguished writer, poet, editor, publisher, zat saya, vocalist …
    • Chair of SPZP-2002 and SPZP-2010 in Singapore
    • Chief Editor and Publisher of Commemorative Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saungs for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010.
    • Chief Editor and Publisher of Commemorative Swel Daw Yeik Sar Magazine for Shwe YaDu (in 2014) and SPZP-2016.
    • Editor of RUESU Annual Magazine.
    • Chief Editor of RIT Annual Magazines and Hlyat Sit Sar Saung.
    • Compiled and published selected poems and articles.
    • Johnian.
    • Worked in Singapore, but moved back to Myanmar after retirement.
    U Kyaw Sein

    U Kyaw Sein (M65, GBNF)

    • Expertise : Mechanical Drawing, AutoCAD, Tinkering with devices
    • Posted and moderated several FaceBook pages.
    • Had minor health problems (e.g. vision)
    • Johnian
    • Passed away in Singapore

    U Aung Myint (M69)

    • Retired from Singapore Poly
    • Spend most time in Auckland, New Zealand
    • Hobbies : Painting, Posting motivational messages

    Three RIT Sayamas

    Daw Khin Swe Aye, Daw Tin Tin Myint, Daw Tin May Soe

    Daw Tin May Soe (ChE70)

    • Siblings / Older brothers
      U Myint Soe (C, GBNF) and U Mya Soe (C, GBNF)

    Daw Khin Swe Aye (Winnie, ChE70)

    • Spouse : U Ohn Khine (M70)
    • Younger sister of U Win Maung (George Tun, EE69er)
    • Cousin : Dr. Min Lwin (Maurice Hla Kyi)

    Daw Tin Tin Myint (Emma, ChE70)

    • Minthamee
    • Co-founder of Dana Sri Lanka (DSL)
    • Co-founder of Triple Gems Publication
    • Patron and Host of Pon Chan Chan Group in Singapore
    • Spouse : U Yu Swan (Don Min)

    Three 69ers

    U Shwe (EP69)

    • Treasurer for both the 69er HCF (Health Care Fund)
    • Joint Treasurer, EE69er HCF

    U Tin Htut (Harry, M69)

    • Pen name : Mon Yu
    • Hobbies : Music, Tai Chi, Writing

    U Thein Swe (EP69, GBNF)

    • 3rd Year Lu Ye Chun at RIT
    • Organizer for the EE69er gatherings
    • Knows names and nicknames of classmates

  • February

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    Background

    • 2nd month of Gregorian Calendar
    • Shortest Month
    • 28 days for Common Year
    • 29 days for Leap Year
    • Believed to have 30 days.
      One day each was given to July (named after Julia’s Caesar) and August (named after Augustus Caesar)
    My parents

    Birthdays

    • My mother
    • My elder brother
    • My grand son
    • Bogyoke Aung San
    • My paternal uncle
    • Dr. Khin Maung U
    • Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint
    • 69ers (Albert Kyaw Min, Maung Maung Aye, Khin Maung Tint …)
    My poem for Pyidaungsu Nay

    Celebrations

    • Pyidaungsu Nay (Union Day)
      Signing of Pin Lon Agreement
    • Kha Lay Myar Nay (Children’s Day) —Birthday of Bogyoke Aung San
    • Presidents’ Day (US)
      Georgia Washington; Abraham Lincoln …
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl
      American Football Championship
    • Some years
      Lunar New Year
      Htamane Pwe
      Ovada Partimauk
    Aung San

  • Madan Chand

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    Burma

    • Matriculated from Myitkyina
    • Joined 1st BE in November 1964. He was wrongly posted to G-Hall (residence for female students).
    • Stood Second in the Class of C70 and joined the RIT Civil Engineering Department along with U Aung and U Aye Win Kyaw (GBNF).
    Madan Chand, U Aye Win Kyaw & U Aung
    • Also worked for PPFC.

    USA

    • Worked for the Illinois Dept. of Transportation.
    • Often visited the Chan Myei Meditation Center in Springfield, Illinois.
    • Visited Southern California to see sayas, former colleagues, friends and relatives.

    Family

    • Spouse : Sheila
    Madan Chand & Sheila
    • Vijay B. Chand posted news of his father’s demise on the morning of December 9, 2022, and about his Last Journey on December 12, 2022.

  • Historical Footnotes

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    Negotiation

    • In 1958, Brigadier Generals Maung Maung & Aung Gyi negotiated with Prime Minister U Nu to handover to a Caretaker Government for six months.
    • The Caretaker stayed for 1.5 years.
    • It was the first Broken Promise by the Adhamma practitioners.

    No Appreciation

    • BG Maung Maung was asked to retire and become an Ambassador.
    • BG Aung Gyi was rewarded as 2IC and later exiled to Ma Chan Baw.
    • The Purging (in order to promote Boot Lickers) continued for decades.

  • Till We Meet Again

    by Hla Min

    Updated : Mar 2026

    Poem

    Poem
    • My poem “Till we meet again” was published in the Forward Magazine on December 15, 1969. The Chief Editor was Maung Thaw Ka (Bohmu Ba Thaw).
    • I received fifteen kyats for my poem.

    SEAP Games

    • The First SEAP (South East Asia Peninsula) Games was held in Bangkok, Thailand in 1959.
    • Burma hosted the Second SEAP Games in December 1961, and the Fifth SEAP Games in December 1969.
    • Myint Aung won six Gold medals in Gymnastics. Jimmy Crampton won Gold in 800 m and 1500 m. Shimbwegan succeeded Mee Tung Naw as the Marathon Champion.

    Tekkatho Moe War wrote : Well, Maung Hla Min, this is indeed one of the unexpected from your expected works. Congrats!