by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
I founded the Newsletter in May 1999.
We published a commemorative issue of the Newsletter for RIT Alumni Reunion & Saya Pu Zaw Pwe in October 2000.
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
Tribute to his parents Dr. PR Mohan and Dr. Daw Hnin Yee
Today is a special day for me and my family. First and foremost, we celebrate my Mom’s birthday. Even though we cannot be with her physically in Seattle, she enjoys the company and excellent care by my sister Mona T. Han and is showered by love from all family members and her friends and former students in the Institute of Medicine 1, University of Rangoon. In addition to raising four children, taking care of her husband and running a busy household, she was a career woman who was able to balance a successful career (she became the Professor and Head of the Department of Medicine) and a busy life with grace and charm.
Second, today is father’s day. I am enjoying my family (wife Jeanne Wadsworth-Hla, and grown children Hilary May, Jon Matthew and Audrey Hla who will be here to have dinner. Very grateful for them to be here to celebrate my fatherhood. It is one of the happiest aspects of my life and I am most grateful. I also remember and honor the memory of my Dad (PR Mohan) who passed away over 15 years ago. He was an orphan who grew up in poverty with 9 siblings in Burma, overcame lots of obstacles to get an MBBS degree in 1939, worked as a military doctor during the WW2 with the allied forces for which received many medals and citations, used his pension from the army to get trained as a Cardiologist in London (Royal Brompton Hospital and National Heart Institute) with the famous Cardiologist Paul Wood, returned to Burma to give back to his native land despite various lucrative job offers in the UK, and served honorably by establishing the first Cardiac Department at the Rangoon General Hospital, established the first coronary care unit and brought cutting edge cardiology care to Burma. He also trained a cadre of younger physicians. I even came across an article he wrote about congenital heart diseases in the local medical journal in 1955 in PubMed. Many of his colleagues and students remember him as a no-nonsense Physician with a rough exterior but with a kind heart. My fondest memories of him were his love and dedication to his family and friends. He also introduced me to his love of various music genres of the world, and appreciation of fine food and libations.
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
Ivan is a Golden Sponsor for SPZP-2000 & SPZP-2007. He is an early supporter of the first RIT web site. He is a major donor for the 69er Health Care Fund.
He lost his father when he was young. His mother raised the children and also managed to stay healthy beyond the Century mark.
Ivan e-mailed us when his mother turned 100. It had the birthday card sent to his mother from the 43rd US President George W. Bush.
Ivan e-mailed again when his mother turned 101. It had the birthday card sent to his mother from the 44th US President Barack Obama.
We heard sad news from Ivan the following year. His mother passed away at the age of 102. She was alert until the final days. She played two hours of Mah Jong daily.
I am fortunate to have parents who lived beyond 80, but not fortunate enough to have them around to see and appreciate my posts.
She lost her mom a few days after her birth. She made up for her loss by giving her metta (unbounded love) and cetana to the children and grandchildren. She kept a list of all the birthdays and anniversaries, and would be usually the first to wish. Even though she had maids, she would get up early & prepare breakfast for us. She also supervised the homework of her children, nephews and nieces.
I paid homage to her in my Newsletter & Updates for SPZP-2000.
He was a youth when he was given only three months more to live by the then best doctors in Rangoon. He had a Near Death Experience. His younger brothers cried thinking that he had died.
My dad told his brothers : “I was walking happily along a bund when a holy man stopped me and said, “Young man, you have to do sasana work. Do not go beyond this point.” Sensing that I was reluctant to end my walk, the man pushed me.”
Luckily, an indigenous medicine man named “Ga Doke Saya Gyi” treated my dad and even parted some of his medical knowledge.
He built pagodas starting with Dat Paung Zon Aung Min Gaung Pagoda (ဓာတ်ပေါင်းစုံအောင်မင်းခေါင်စေတီ). His photo hangs in the Hall along with his grandparents who who bought the land where the pagoda was built.
He also helped renovate pagodas.
I paid homage to him in my Newsletter & Updates for SPZP-2000.
During my school days, they gave me 25 pyas as pocket money. They wanted to make sure that I study hard. They would give bonus prizes only when I excelled in the exams.
They provided us :
My beloved parents would have smiled to hear my grand daughter say, “Who’s your doctor? What happened?” after I returned from a clinic. She added, “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you. I love you.”
She must have inherited the loving kindness of her great grand parents.
She won the Super Reader and Scholastic Achievement Awards. She loves Swimming, Soccer, Basketball, Singing, Playing music, Dancing and Painting.
My grand son is athletic. He plays competitive Soccer. He loves Cycling, Kung Fu, Basketball, Swimming, Piano and Video Games. He is sociable.
I would like to share a poem and a variant of a song that I learnt in my youth.
Be kind to your father
For when you were young
Who loved you as friendly as he
He caught the first accent
That fell from your tongue
And joined in the heavenly glee.
Be kind to your father
For now he is old
His hair intermingled with grey
His footsteps are feeble
Once fearless and bold
Your father is passing away.
The version that we learned at school use archaic words like Thee, Thou, Thy and Locks. I have replaced them by the current usage : You, You, Your and Hair.
M is for the mercy she possesses
O means only that she’s growing old
T is for her tender sweet caresses
H is for her heart of purest gold
E means every thing 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.
M is for the million things she gave me
O means that I owe her all I owe
T is for the tears she shed to raise me
H is for the hands that touch and hold
E means every thing she taught me
R means rare and special she’ll always be
Put them all together
They spell MOTHER
A word that means a world to me.
In some countries, there is Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
For us, everyday is Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Parent’s Day.
Dear beloved parents, I’m sure you will be in the good abodes. I want to thank you for your unbounded love and for your belief “Every thing that’s worth doing is worth doing well”.
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
GH is phonetically equivalent to F as in ROUGH.
O is phonetically equivalent to I as in WOMAN.
TI is phonetically equivalent to SH as in ATTENTION.
Thus, GHOTI is phonetically equivalent to FISH.
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
Video Broadcast on October 14, 2020
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
In our younger days, Opal was a decent car. But, when one jokingly calls someone “Opal” (or “O Pei အို ပယ်” then one is obsolete (good to be ignored for getting old).
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
Video Broadcast on January 28, 2021
by Hla Min
Updated : June 2025
Video Broadcast
HlaMin 