When one is sending e-mail to specified recipients, one is pushing one’s message to others. The intended recipients may (a) welcome your message (b) defer to check your message (c) may ignore your message (d) flag your message as “junk” …
Some e-mail systems send acknowledgement for important messages. Some may ask you to verify for the first time. E-mail systems may maintain “Black lists” and “White lists”.
Some have multiple e-mails either with different email providers (e.g. Gmail and Yahoo mail) or even with a single email (e.g. one for private, another for business).
Some email systems provide encryption.
In one of my jobs, we could not specify sensitive information in e-mails.
Do not assume that your deleted e-mail is gone forever. There is logical deletion and physical deletion. Even with physical deletion, copies of the e-mail may still linger in one or more mail servers and backup devices.
Email providers will scan your e-mail (e.g. using AdSense or a Recommended System) to offer you targeted advertisements.
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) wrote :
(1) One of the surprises we discovered while on an IBM mainframe system is that a small file which keep track of the email system had the heaviest activity. Part of this small checked the flags, like who in your distribution list had seen/viewed your message. We then acquired a SSD, Solid State Device, mainly for passing files and this email network file on SSD, and saw the high improvement in the overall performance.
Heard from the grapevine that, later email systems attempted as such but it did not scale well as the user population exploded.
(2) One of my directors at the time proudly let his subordinates know that he had no more than 20 messages in his inbox at any given time. Of course, he spent some time deleting them as they came in,
(3) In my last company, email system had come very close to abuse, thousand or more messages a day, and people spent hours a day just for going through daily mails, this is even with the files. There are many times that you could even go through messages from immediate manager.
Many of these messages originated from plethora of monitoring systems, hardware/infrastructural /applications, drove people nuts.
(4) When we first started in my last company, in late 90s, everyone (not in the executive levels) had the inbox size of 20MB. It became minuscule as soon as we had, notifications came every day to remove/archive the old messages. In the mid-2010s the inbox size was at 250MB, that’s in Office365.
Conventional wisdom says, “Pyauk thor thu shar hlyin tway. Thay thor thu kyar hlyin mae.” ပျောက်သောသူ ရှာလျှင်တွေ့။ သေသောသူ ကြာလျှင်မေ့။ One may find a lost person. One tends to forget those who have passed away.
Unconventional wisdom says, “We should maintain GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten) lists as part of the Written History of our beloved alma mater, our mentors and colleagues.”
We use GBNF in the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” and in my Posts. Other posts may provide additional information for the entries in the GBNF (by period or year) posts.
Synonyms for GBNF include RIP (Rest in Peace) and BFHA (Bound For Higher Abode)
First RIT Website
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) set up three GBNF pages on ex-RIT.org web site :
GBNF for sayas and sayamas
U Ba Hli
GBNF for alumni
GBNF for spouses
I used GBNF in the last stanza of my poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” for SPZP-2000. The poem was reprinted as the Back Cover of Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung for SPZP-2000. It was only reprinted by the Class of 69 and Combined 1st BE intake of 64 and 65.
Poem for SPZP-2000
GBNF for RIT Class of 69
The GBNF list is maintained by U Aung Min (M69) and team.
There are 138 entries in the GBNF list. About 20 succumbed to Covid.
About 320 students entered the first ever 2nd BE in 1964. The list includes a few seniors who took sabbatical in their study and ended up as our classmates. Over 40% of our former classmates have passed away.
69ers GBNF
EE69ers
There were 13 EC69ers. The following have passed away :
U Kyaw Soe (DCA)
U Aung Thu Yein (Brownie, Schlumberger)
U Aung Thu Yein
U Chit Tin (MOGE)
U Chit Tin & Maung Kabar
U Oo Kyaw Hla (Canada)
Sai Aik Yee
Several EPers are also GBNF. They include
Khin Maung Win (Sargalay)
Khin Maung Win (Sargalay)
Thein Swe (3rd BE Luyechun)
Aung Gyi Shwe (Track & Field)
Soe Win (Basketball)
Khin Win (Weightlifting)
Abdul Rauf
Golden Jubileees
Due to the decline of health of 69ers, the group chose to have two Golden Jubilees : the first in 2014 to celebrate the admission to RIT, and the second in December 2019 to celebrate the graduation of most members in 1969.
GBNF for RIT Class of 70
U Ohn Khine (M70) reported close to 130 entries in the GBNF list of the Class of 70.
Tommy Shwe, Cho Aye, Peter Pe and Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay) were among the Top Ten students from the class. They are now GBNF.
Tommy ShweSteeve Kay (Thaung Sein)Cho Aye
Over 450 students entered the first ever 1st BE.
GBNF from PPBRS
Most of my sayas and sayamas from PPBRS have passed away.
U Kyaw Zaw & Daw Khin Khin Aye
Among my PPBRS classmates, Myo Set (son of actor Tha Gaung Gyi) was the first to pass away. He perished in a car accident. Myint Sein (Veda) and Myat Hla Sein (Movie Tech) are among the recent GBNF from PPBRS.
Myat Hla Sein
GBNF from SPHS
Most of my sayas and sayamas from SPHS have passed away. Sayadaw Beatson (Physics, Boy Scouts) is still active and strong.
SPHS Sayas
Among my SPHS classmates, Min Thaw (Gilbert, SPHS63) is among the early ones to pass away. Dr. Myo San (Freddie), Aung Thu Yein (Brownie), Tin Tun, Maung Maung Kyi, Aung Kyi (Arthur Kyi), Khin Maung Bo (Alan Saw Maung), Aung Chaw (Victor) are among the GBNF from SPHS63.
Myo San (Freddie)Maung Maung Kyi Soon Kyaw by Kyaw Wynn
GBNF from UCC & ICST
Several of my sayas, colleagues and former students have passed away.
CO Hla Min (Pauk Si) is an early GBNF from UCC. U Aung Zaw, Daw Nge Ma Ma Than, U Maung Maung Lay (Ah Ba), U Aung Myint and U Maung Maung Gyi are among the recent GBNF from UCC.
Dr. Chit Swe & U Aung ZawDr. Tin Maung & Daw Nge Ma Ma ThanU Maung Maung Lay & U Maung Maung GyiCO U Hla Min, U Aung Myint, U Aung Zaw
Relatives
Dr. “Cherry” Khin Kyi Nyunt
U Tin U, Dr. Cherry, Peter
Dr. “Peter” Khin Tun
U Tin Tun
Daw “Peggy” Than Than Yee
Dr. Khin Yi Than
Daw Aye May
Daw Hla Hla Myint
Dr. Myo Tint
Dr. Myo Tint
Saya U Ba Than
U Ba Than
Daw “Betty” Myint Thwe
Daw Myint Thwe
Saya U Tin U
U Tin U
U “Charlie” Thein Han
U Thein Han
Tone Kyaw တုံးကျော်
One should have Samvegha (sense of urgency) after hearing the sad news. When my namesake Hla Min (Pauk Si, SPHS64, EP70) passed away in his mid-thirties, we were shocked since he seemed strong and did not wear jackets (mandated for UCC employees entering the Computer Room). He would often be seen in sport shirts. He passed away with a few months of being diagnosed with liver problem. The consultant doctor was Dr. Min Lwin (Maurice Hla Kyi, SPHS64, IM71). Ko Pauk Si was not a drinker, but other causes inflicted his liver. I became a Tone Kyaw when two government departments where I had given Guest Lectures on Computers and Applications tried to send me “Lwan Thu Pan Khwe” လွမ်းသူ့ပန်းခွေ
U Han Sein (C69) became a Tone Kyaw when the Organizers of the 30th Anniversary of Graduation inadvertently listed him in the GBNF list of the Class of 69. The organizers were unaware that U Han Sein was detained by the authorities after the 8-8-88 event. He resurfaced two decades later with the declaration of Amnesty.
Han Sein
Saya Dr. Tin Hlaing (M63) became a Tone Kyaw when his namesake Saya Dr, Tin Hlaing (formerly of Maritime Studies) passed away. Some alumni had to revoke the wrong announcement.
In 2015, RIT (Rangoon Institute of Technology) Alumni had a Reunion in Los Angeles. It was a two day event — Reunion Dinner at Knott’s Berry Farm and a Farewell Brunch.
Dr. Aung GyiOrganizers
Event
Reunion
RIT Alumni Reunion was held in Los Angeles in 2015.
Organizers
Saya Dr. Tin Win : Past President, BASES; Initiator of the Reunion
Saya Dr. Tin Win
Saya U Tin Htut : Founder & Past President, BASES; Financial Controller
U Tin Htut
U Khin Maung Lay (Henry) : Past President, BASES; Emcee; Entertainment
U KML (2nd from R), U TTZ (3rd from R)
U Thura Thant Zin : Past President, BASES; Optional event was Brunch Gathering at the Campus of his Company.
Entertainers & TTZ
Several alumni and BASES EC members served as Volunteers.
Sponsor
Steeve (KFF Founder)
Kay Family Foundation (established by Steeve Kay / Thaung Sein EC70) provided a Matching Fund of $30000
Main Event
Dr. Aung Gyi
Reunion Dinner and Entertainment at Knott’s Berry Farm
This is a belated report of my wife Gandasari’s (“Riri”) and my visits with Brother Charles Everard in Liss (Hampshire, England) and Brother Felix (Albert Gissler) in Illertissen (Germany). Technical and other problems got in the way, delaying this report.
Saturday, 7 July 2007
After attending Dora Than E’s funeral in Oxford, followed by a reception at St. Hugh’s College (Aung San Suu Kyi’s alma mater), our friends Ken & Marion Freeman of Pershore, drove us through the English countryside to Liss, Hampshire. It was a pleasant 2.5-hour drive on uncrowded roadways. (Some of you may recall Aunty Dora as the recording artiste of yesteryear whose professional name was Beelat-pyan Than.She later worked for the United Nations, beginning at its founding in 1948 at Lake Success, New York. Had she survived her final fall, she would have turned 100 on 16 February 2008.)
Clayton Court, the De La Salle Brothers retirement community at Liss, is a beautiful 22-acre estate with gently manicured lawns, gardens, and gorgeous views of the rolling hills. There are three large structures on the gated property. It is a place with spirit, where one’s soul is rejuvenated. The Fratres Scholarum Christianarum, (Christian Brothers), acquired this estate, once owned by a wealthy gentry, in 1974. The other FSC retirement home in England is located in Manchester.
We arrived at Clayton Court about 5:45 P.M. The place was abuzz with staff, volunteers, and neighbors who were preparing for a party for one of the brothers’ 70th birthday. The brothers were in the chapel doing devotions. Becky, a staffer, who was my contact, was most gracious. There was another staffer whose forearms were heavily tattooed. “Were you in the royal navy?” I asked. “Yes,” he said with a glint in his eyes. “I was a cook on the aircraft carrier Ark Royal,” he answered with pride. The two were most welcoming and amiable. From them, I took comfort that the brothers were living and eating well.
When prayers were over, Brother Director Joseph Hendron wheeled Brother Charles out of the chapel. I recognized the former right away even though I had not seen him since 1979 when my De La Salle, and later St. Paul’s classmate, Brother Patrick Minus, and I visited him at the Brothers’ Mother House in Rome. I do not know whether Brother Charles recognized me, but he broke out in a big smile when I greeted him in Burmese. At 89, dementia has diminished much of his memory and affected his speech. I helped him eat some of the goodies that were generously spread out on the table. He uttered a few words in Burmese: “taw bee, …yay ne ne thauk chin de,” (တော်ပြီ။ ရေနည်း နည်း သောက်ချင်တယ် enough.., want to drink a little water), etc. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Brother Charles and the other party goers until the celebrants faded away.
Brother Director Joseph is truly a personification of tremendous love and patience. He was most gracious. He made us feel very welcome. We were accommodated in comfortable guest rooms which commanded beautiful views of the estate.
Sunday, 8 July 2007
Riri and I took a leisurely stroll on the estate as the sun shone over the countryside. At breakfast, I sat on Brother Charles’ left while Brother Joseph occupied the end seat on the right. Both Brother Joseph and I helped Brother Charles with his breakfast. His appetite was good.
Breakfast over, I wheeled Brother Charles back to his room. The room was nicely decorated with Burmese and other memorabilia. There was a large framed photograph of a much younger Brother Charles of his Burma days. (I recall seeing him in 1959 at the Kalaw Railway Station as he hopped on to the steam locomotive. “I always ride in the gaung dwe (locomotive),” he harked, as the train pulled away towards Thazi. He was happy as a lark. (Riri and I were teachers at Kalaw’s Kingswood School that year).
Bidding Brother Charles adieu was difficult. I had known him when we were both young long years ago at a place so far away.
We took leave of Brother Joseph and the other Brothers later that morning. Ken and Marion drove us to Liphook from where we boarded the National Express coach for London’s Victoria Station. (Marion and I began our friendship as pen pals when we were both 16. I was then at Woodstock School in the Himalayan town Mussoorie, India, in 1950).
Brother Charles with U Kyaw WinClayton Court, Liss, Hampshire, England
Monday, 9 July 2007
After spending the night in London, we flew to Frankfurt, arriving there in the evening. We bedded down at Hotel Manhattan, conveniently located across the street from the Frankfurt bahnhoff (railway station).
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
The train from Frankfurt took us to Ulm where we changed for Illertissen. It was raining when we got there in the afternoon. We started to walk towards Kolleg der Schulburder. A kind gentleman picked us up along the way and drove us to the Kolleg, sparing us from getting wetter. (He did not speak English. We did not speak German. But the language of the heart transcends all tongues). Brother Felix, who is known as Brother Albert at the retirement home, was brought out to a waiting room. He walked with the help of a stick, and a walker, alternately. He was as happy to see us as we were to see him. (I had last seen him, and Brother Peter, over thirty years ago, in Germany). His first words were: “You look like your father.” What a compliment!
Once he got warmed up after muttering a few words in German, the talk gushed out. He talked and talked, recalling his days in Burma; as a prisoner in Dehru Dun (India) and Insein Jail; De La Salle, St. Paul’s.Dinner that evening was at a restaurant. When Brother Felix noticed a paunchy man sitting at the next table, he remarked: “Baik pu gyi,” (ဗိုက်ပူကြီး paunchy fellow), a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Because guest accommodations at the Kolleg der Schulbruder were occupied by a visitor from Rome, we lodged at Hotel Vogt for the next two nights.
This was also Riri’s birthday. I snuck out of the hotel quietly and walked the streets of tiny Illertissen in search of a bakery. But it had shut down for the night. I was fortunate to get a cake from a restaurant just as it was closing. With the help of the hotel’s staff, I was able to surprise her.
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
In the morning, we were fetched and taken to Kolleg der Schulbruder where Brother Felix was waiting for us at the breakfast table. But we had just eaten at the hotel. So we nibbled a bit while he ate. After breakfast, he showed us the chapel, grounds, gymnasium, and gardens at the school. There are only lay teachers at the school. The numbers of those entering the FSC are getting thinner and thinner. A section of the campus is partitioned off as a retirement home for the brothers.
A sumptuous lunch prepared by the kitchen staff was served. When he saw the generous fare spread over the table, Brother Felix remarked, “Do they think we are starving?” That was typical of him, wit fully intact.
At 93, Brother Felix is the most senior retiree at the home. He has a comfortable room with an attached bath. “When I die, everything I own can be cleared out of this room in ten minutes,” he said.
After a brief rest, another non-English speaking brother drove us around that charming Bavarian town. Sightseeing ended after visiting the graves of Brothers Fulbert and Peter in the well maintained cemetery. A section of the cemetery is reserved for brothers and priests. The graves were well tended, a profusion of flowers growing on them.
Afterwards, we were driven back to the hotel where a teary Brother Felix hugged and kissed us before he was driven back to the retirement home. “Pray for me,” he asked. “I pray for all the people of Burma,” were his parting words.
Bidding Brother Charles and Brother Felix at their respective retirement homes was very difficult. Brother Felix was only 18 when he left his family and country to go to Burma as a missionary with the (French) Christian Brothers Order of the Roman Catholic Church to serve a lifetime as a teacher. But it gave me joy that I could honor these two teachers in the sunset of their days. “Parting is such sweet sorrow…”
If there is one word that comes to mind which describes these two brothers retirement communities, it is COMPASSION, of which there was an abundance.
Brother Felix at Kolleg der Schulbruder_1, Illertissen, Germany, July 2007Brother Felix at Kolleg der Schulbruder_3, Illertissen, Germany, July 2007Brother Felix with U Kyaw Win_1, Illertissen, GermanyBrother Felix with U Kyaw Win_2, Illertissen, GermanyBrother Felix at Kolleg der Schulbruder_2, Illertissen, Germany, July 2007Brother Felix with Gandasari and U Kyaw Win, Illertissen, Germany, July 2007U Kyaw Win at Bro. Fulbert’s grave, Illertissen, Germany, July 2007U Kyaw Win at Bro. Peter’s grave, Illertissen, Germany, July 2007
I thank Margaretha Sudarsih (“Menuk”) for blogging this report for me.
The holy season of Christmas is upon us. May peace, joy, and good health of both body and mind be yours. UPDATE: Brother Charles passed away on 28 December 2007. May “flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
I am yours sincerely, a grateful product of the Christian Brothers schools,
U Kyaw Win 8566 Flagstaff Road Boulder, CO 80302-9531, USA
HlaMin 