N36   Corruption

Many people know corruption is bad , but at present many countries cannot be free from it though many are fighting to eliminate it. Most of the corrupt states are those which are underdeveloped. Because they are underdeveloped the countries are poor, with people who doesn’t have anything wanting to have something , the better people wanting to get rich, and the well off people wanting to get richer. Many cannot quench their thirst for wealth.

 So people uses their power , their rights to have access to money. eg: A high official uses his power to acquire a big sum of money through a licence  (which  ordinary people cannot get ) But to get this licence he has to bribe higher officials and thus make them to become partners sharing the benefits from the licence. Not only big officials are corrupt but also people in different positions also uses the rights they have to get money. eg: A gatekeeper in a hospital won’t allow a guest to enter after a few minutes of visiting time. But one can enter if he or she gives him a few hundred kyats. Also by giving this amount of money one can get the priority of seeing a doctor first when visiting a clinic.

Our country is included in the worst corrupted countries. With bribery everything unlawful can be done in our country. With the commencing of a new democratic government the president promised the people that he will lead a clean government with good governance. but until today corruption is still existing.

Because of corruption the lives of the people are hard  and inconvenient. I think the outcome is that the  country does not get the advantages it deserves from its resources which are badly needed for it’s development.

To eliminate corruption the people who have powers and rights should do their works in a straight and honest way, and also the people should not give bribes  in exchange for something or services they need.

But it is more hard to do than say. I will relate my experience as an example. Only a few days ago I need internet connection for my new phone. If I go and apply for it at the post officeI will have to pay 10000 kyats legally and it will take 3 days to get my phone installed.  Some said that if I pay 5000 kyats extra I can have it done within the day. So as I cannot wait for 3 days I went to the post office and paid 15000 kyats . They said I can use the internet at 6 pm. So the 5000 kyats (whether it be bribery or pocket money for the office people  )  made me get what I want without having to wait for days.

So , in this case who is the culprit, the briber or the receiver …..that corruption cannot come to it’s end.

N35 - I Would Like My Town to be Clean and Green (Part 2)

 About green....

Taunggyi has adequate rainfall trees and plants grow well. It had been green many years ago with cherry trees, oaks, pines, crab trees and many other kinds of trees. But during these few decades the town has grown too big and overpopulated. So many trees had to be cut down to make place for houses. And also due to the ignorance of people many trees were cut down. One friend of mine who had gone to live abroad, when he came back for a visit after many years commented that the mountain on the east of the town had become sparse and thin with trees whereas it had been green and thickly covered with trees before he had gone. Also due to carelessness of people fire broke out every year on the mountain and many trees were destroyed.

We are enjoying many advantages given to us by mother nature including trees and plants. We will not be able to live if there are no trees left and our mountains become taung gadone (bald mountain ) like many other hills and mountains that had become like that.

I remember there is an omen that Taunggyi will someday be destroyed due to scarcity of water. Many brick and concrete buildings have sprouted all over the town and home owners did not leave pieces of ground in their yards, but covered all with concrete and plaster. So it is impossible for the rainwater to seep into the ground to refill the underground water resources that people are using abundantly by means of artesian wells. If we continue to extract water in this way we cannot say that the ill omen will not become true though I hope it will not happen.

Even Singapore where the land is very scarce is green with trees and parks which are well cared for. So why shouldn't we take care of our town to be green and everlasting? Everybody has his or her own duty to do so and are needing some guidance from the upper part of the administration and from some people or society who are interested in making the environment green.

N 34 - I would like my town to be Clean and Green

Though I was not born in Taunggyi I had lived in this town most of my life. So it can be said that Taunggyi  is my town. It is a town which many local people like to visit.  Anyone who had visited the town would praised it saying that it is very clean, the vegetables fresh, and the weather very nice. I even heard once that it will be designated the ASEAN city of Myanmar.

Those people who said like that about Taunggyi don’t know the town well. They saw it only superficially as they passed along the Main Road which is well kept by the Municiple. For a town to be called perfect (I don’t expect  it to reach that degree) it should have certain characteristics. It should be clean, (waste management should be effective). The roads should be good, water and power supply efficient, has a proper public transportation system, and public places like markets, playground, parks should be situated according to people’s needs.

My aim is to write about clean and green as  is the title of my blog but first let me say something about the roads. If you look at Taunggyi the many and narrow roads are not well kept. For example, the road to the cemetery which many cars are using everyday is a winding road that passes around hillsides and it is narrow that in some places cars have to wait for other cars which come from the opposite direction to pass and then continue their way. Many other roads are also like this.

Waste management is ineffective. There is no regular daily waste collection system. I think there is only one concrete waste bin for one whole ward. Because my house and its surroundings have to go far away to dispose our rubbish. And waste disposal is allowed only between 6pm and 6am. I want to compare our system with that of a foreign big city. In that city garbage bins (recyclable and unrecyclable) are everywhere and anybody can dispose  garbage  at any time. The waste gathering car comes only once a week but it does not cause any problem. In my town because the waste bin is far away people throw their waste where they should not be thrown and thus make the environment dirty. People should also take care of their houses and its surroundings and to make them do so discipline and law should also be enforced on the people. Other ways and means should also be found to make our town to become a clean town.

To be conintued ....

N 33 To My Granddaughters (and all Daughters as well ) with Love

N33     To my Granddaughters  (and all Daughters as well ) with Love    Part 2

About culture;   The world is all connected by the internet, so that it has become a global village now. All forms of culture concerning fashion, hair style , music, dance, attitudes, ideas, and many other things have penetrated into our culture through all kinds of media , which we cannot turn a blind eye on and refuse to accept. But on the contrary we accept these cultures readily and gladly. So what have become to the styles of our young people now? Actresses and models, girls and young women’s dresses have become very very hot that they cannot be called  respective  and are not acceptable by older people. I often see articles written and criticized  by writers who are opposed to those kind of dressings  in journals. About clothes we shouldn’t go to extremes because there is nothing to be gained ,but only they may give bad results.

Besides fashion style we also adopt music , dances, lifestyles  readily  as if they were our own.It doesn’t matter if they don’t cause any harm to you but you shouldn’t overdo them. If there is something good for you take them and if they may be harmful to you do not put them in your mind. In some movies and dramas and also the internet there are things that are poisonous to the mind . But you cannot stay away from them because they are also the biggest sources to get knowledge , which is one thing you surely will have to acquire. Only if you have the right knowledge you will be able to differentiate right and wrong. Gathering knowledge is a lifelong process . It never ends. Beside movies , dramas and the internet you get knowledge from books , from our environment, and from experiences of our own or other people’s.But you have to choose what to look for because all of these sources are not good and advantageous. When-ever you hear and see something , if it is remarkable or good put it in your mind and discard it if it is futile.  Choose carefully what you are going to read and going to watch.

I want to say something about the internet. Computers are the most advanced gadget today and the internet is the one thing we cannot do without. Everybody knows about the advantages of the internet, so I will not go into details. But the thing I want to say about it is that many people are misusing it . Even if someone is not using it for obscene knowledge using it for playing games, watching dramas or chatting  for long hours about senseless  matters are not good actions and will hurt that person in the long run. So I want to advice you not to go to extremes but use it for good purposes only.

Well….. I am going to conclude my note to you now. You understand that I am saying all these because I love you and I want you to become perfect persons. To be educated , truthful, dutiful , kind, generous and not be poisonous to your society but someone who will make it better. Be careful in everything you do, don’t get addicted to something that is meaningless, and sometimes you have to refrain, or control yourselves  from overdoing something that will not be good for you. As you are going into the open wide world, arm yourselves with wisdom and knowledge and start to tread your way to become a person whom I would like you to be.

N32 To My Granddaughters (and all daughters as well ) with Love

N 32     To My Grand Daughters ( and all Daughters as well ) with Love ( part 1 )

Sometimes when I see you doing something that I think is not right and proper ,I want to tell you so, but I didn’t do so because I know you will not like and will say I’m nagging . So I keep it to myself and refrain from saying anything . But I am old now and does not know when I am leaving you forever. And we are not born with full knowledge who knows everything that no teachings and admonishings are necessary . So if I don’t say anything to advice you , something which will be useful for your future lives I think I will be an irresponsible person. So let me give you some advice before it is too late.

You are a fortunate bunch of kids who have everything . You attend expensive international  schools and have gone  (also preparing to go in the future ) abroad to study. Although you are studying in an expensive school with some extra tuitions I see that you are not studious, don’t work hard but live carefree lives with  no ambitions. You don’t know the lives of children who are living in poverty, those who cannot go to school although they want to, those who have to work to support their parents and family , so you cannot be considerate and compare your lives with them.

You are now in the first part of your lives. People have to fulfil their duties according to their age. The  first    part of your live is for learning . You have to acquire education as much as you can. The more learning and many degrees the much better. With education you can serve your country as well as yourselves. I would like you to be highly educated persons than to be rich and wealthy. So I want to urge you to put some effort and concentrate on getting higher degrees  which can also be called vocational trainings so that you will not have to repent in later years. It is better if you have ambitions and try to achieve them.

The next thing I want to tell you is about religion and culture. We are born Myanmar citizens with Buddhist as our religion. Our basic culture and religious teachings are that we revered the triple gems which are Payar, Tayar, Sangha plus parents and teachers. These 5 things and persons never teach us to do wrong. Instead they teach us to do the right things only, and guide us to become rightful persons. So never doubt their teachings , but learn about our religion as much as you can, where and when you can and follow the teachings during your lives. Try to become a real Buddhist by knowing the teachings of Buddha and not to be a Buddhist by birth only. As for parents and elders be respectful to them and try to be good daughters and grand daughters to them before they passed away.

To be continued…….

N 31 A Trip to my Hometown Day 6 ( 9-9- 2012 )

We like to travel early. So when the van carrying Sydney’s family arrived from Kali we departed. On the outskirts of Kunhing we stopped to fill our car with gasoline and were frustrated to see that the pump does not work automatically but found it to be manual. It took about 30 minutes to have the tank filled and we can take off.

Let me relate a little about the electricity they are using in Kunhing. The electricity they are using  here  does not come from the hydropower station og Kyaing-taung, which is only 50 miles away,  but is supplied by a small hydro plant owned by a native of Kunhing called U Sai Nyo. The power supply is not adequate for the use of the town. Most houses use power only for lighting and for mortars to draw water from wells only . So big power consuming household appliances like washing machines and micro-oven cannot be used even if the townsfolk can buy them. The distribution of power is cut about 5 hours in the daytime and 5 hours during the night. During summer the power supply is even more limited. So this may be the cause that the petrol pump is only manual.

Our journey back to Taunggyi was uneventful. The weather was fine. Only sometimes the rain fell but mostly it was sunny. As I have written , many years ago when I was living in Kunhing travelling along this road was an adventurous one . The people of Kunhing can still remember unhappy events that had taken place on this road.  This bend, a few miles from Laikam is the place where Saw Michael  a Karen police officer was shot dead by insurgents. It was at this place that an army squadron was ambushed and many fell.U STM would pointed out to us the places where robbers usually came out. And when we came to Tahsai bridge which is on the Nam Mong stream I remembered the incident when the car plunged into the stream  while trying to make a U turn. Nang On our niece and also our host in Kunhing and some other passengers were thrown into the water. Nang On had her throat  caught in a tangle of vine and she would be dead had someone not come to her rescue. I remembered her eyes were blood red when she arrived back in Kunhing. Some 3 or 4 people died in that accident.

I had been relating unhappy episodes of the past. But there were also happy memories to be recalled even if we may not be the persons to experience them. I remembered  my mother telling me about their travelling on this road. It may be round about 1930 when my mother was about 15. My mother travelled to Taunggyi  with my grandmother in a single bullock cart with the cart driver as their only companion. As was the custom of those days she was wearing heavy jewelleries but there were no dangers of robbers or dacoits. It took them 2 weeks to arrive in Taunggyi. At nights the driver slept on the ground and they slept in the cart she had said.

And in “ Lords of the Sunset “ the author Morris Collis related about his travels in the Shan State. He arrived in Kunhing from Merng Nawng and stayed at my grandmother’s house which was on the east bank of the Nampang stream. The next day he said he reached Kengtung which was 140 miles away. I wonder if such thing is possible in  those days as I myself had travelled to Kengtung round about 1970 in a convoy and had seen how terrible the state of the road was. The road from Kunhing to Kengtung pass over hills and mountains and most parts are tricky and dangerous that many accidents happen on that road.

Well…. I have written much about the road, about the good and bad part of it . But whatsoever the state of the road is people who live in the respective places have to use them. But we cannot help grumbling and comparing it to better roads while travelling in a car. We would compare it to the Japanese bullet train which will take over a little than  an hour for this distance. and also to the Yangon Mandalay expressway where cars can be driven at over 100 KL an hour. I think I cannot expect to travel on such good roads during this life. But maybe in the next life if I were to be born again in this area.

                                               ************************

N 30 A Trip to my Hometown Day 5 (8-9-12 )

Today is merit making ceremony day for Sydney’s mother , our sister in law Daw Nang Seng Aung . The invited guests will be entertained from 8;00 am. Some of the relatives went to the monastery at dawn to offer ah-yone sun to sanghas.

Guests began to arrive at about 8 with their offerings of rice and money and they were treated to a meal of rice and chicken and fish curries as main dishes in a zayat. There was sar –haw ( Reciting of Buddha’s teachings or stories relating to Buddha’s life in poetic Shan language )which most old people listened in the main monastery.

I cannot sit flat on the floor for a long time . So after some time I came out and sat on a wooden seat encircling a tree with some relatives, sometimes greeting people  with gladness in my heart to have to speak to people known long ago and because they are still living . Some had gone ahead of me according to our  law  of impermanence. One person I met at that time and should  mention here   was Sayama Daw Nang Lin the midwife who had brought my second son into this world.I saw U Sai Mya Han , my co-party unit member . a kind and simple man who still looks good though he is hard of hearing. Many people ( including Burmese ) came from other places to work in Kunhing , and they never go back but settle  here and make it their home. Maybe it is a nice place to settle in.

The merit making ceremony took place at 1;00 o’clock and  ended at 2. After that I went back to the house I put up at. I wanted a  photo with the Kunhing signpost . As we had not taken when we came in I planned to go to the other one which is at the east  end of Wan Pang village , on the way to Kali. So Sydney drove me and his sister in law there. Ying who was also on her way to Kali for the third time also stopped there and we took photos together.

The rest of the evening was as usual, having guests at home. The women of the way- yar – wit –sa association who always do voluntary works at the monastery also came and visit. We had some talks which eventually led to the problems of Kunhing , human trafficking and drugs. From such talks I realized that  there are women who would like to see their town changed to become a better environment. And I am glad to see such spirits in women of our town , which is a good sign

 

N29 A Trip to my Hometown Day 4 (7-9-12)

The merit  making ceremony for Sydney’s grandmother will be held at Aung Mingalar monastery ,Kunhing tomorrow. Because it had been held once in Taunggyi this ceremony will not be held extensively.Only people of the town will be invited. There are group of volunteers called wai –yar –wit- sa groups in most towns and villages who do the preparations for the alms offering ceremonies. So the donors just have to send the foods and things needed for the ceremony to the monastery. As food will be served on the next day the volunteers will prepare the whole day and cook during the night.

As for me I stayed at home the whole day and receiving the guests who came and visited me. Ying, my eldest daughter likes to eat some particular kind of food. Today she asked some relatives to make a kind of Shan snack called Khao- mun – swoi  -pa. Let me write about it ,so that anybody who would like to make and eat it can experiment it. Black sticky rice powder (ngar cheik ) is mixed with water and made into dough. Take some dough , the size of a tennis ball and round it in your hands. Heat  a flat pan with a little oil and put the ball on the pan and  flatten it with the back of a spoon and  sometimes overturn it. After a few minutes it is cooked and ready to be eaten. Serve it with some juggery syrup or palm Sugar.

The other thing she wanted to eat is Marlar fish. She had bought some fishes during the morning. These were cut into big chunks and fried by one of her friends. She asked some people at home to make Marlar fish curry and then left to eat barbecue fish with her friends. She likes pleasure and food and will not stop till her desire is fulfilled.

Around Kunhing there are some resort like places to visit. Because there is the Nampang stream and some smaller streams water is plentiful. So on some places of the bank water is brought in to make ponds to be used as fisheries.Fishes from these ponds are caught and grilled or barbecued or make into soup to suit the customers’ wishes and served in little huts around low tables. The fishes taste good as they are fresh but for older people who avoid taking lives they are not places to visit. But for young people beside enjoying the fish dishes the places are pleasant and the sceneries around are pretty that they usually go and enjoy.

So Ying and her friends departed for a fish pond leaving instructions to make khao mun pa and marlar fish curry which nobody could know how and when she was coming back to eat.

I as usual stayed at home receiving guests who came and visited. I remembered that I tasted only one morsel of khao mun pa as sticky rice will not be good for the stomach in the evening and didn’t take the red hot marlar fish dish at all.

  

N 28    A Trip to my Hometown

Day   3  (6 -9 – 2012 )

When we arrived at Kali for the ceremony we drove straight to the monastery. When we reached there we didn’t see any signs of U Sai Tun Mya and the Nam Kone  association. We learned that they had departed for Namlan camp to collect funds. So I stayed at the monastery with relatives.

I have been told earlier that there is a young priest in Kali , who had opened voluntary classes and teach English to young and old people who are interested in learning. This priest is a native of Kali and when he is younger had to flee to Thailand to escape recruiting as a soldier by the Shan Army . So he grew up in a refugee camp and had the opportunity to learn English. So now as he has qualifications to teach what he has  learnt wants to educate the people of his birthplace. As he is granted a room to be used as a classroom had started his English classes in Kali. Villagers young and old from all walks of life with different levels of education come to learn. He teaches 3 periods a day taking 2 hours for one period.

 Some students of his wanted me to meet him.So they brought him to where I was sitting under a tree and they introduced me to him and we had a talk. I suggested that his timetable is a tiring one and why don’t he acquire  a let- tauk (assistant ) to help him in his work . As I had said the word assistant in Burmese Sai Thein Dan warned me that I should avoid speaking in Burmese because he does not know Burmese much. So from that time on  we conversed in English, The priest, Sydney Hlaing and I. He took us to see his classroom and showed us some English books for beginners and said he wanted to copy some books to give his students to read. As Sydney is going to Yangon he offered to do the copying for him.I suggested that he should not give the books free for those who can afford them but let them pay the copy price. For those who cannot afford he should set up a library and lend the books to those who want to read. He said that nearly all of his students are poor.It is a good sign that even poor village people want to learn English.  However Sydney brought 5 books to make 30 copies each for the classes.

When we came back to the main momastery it is nearly time for the ceremony to begin. Nang Hla May ( the widow of Sai Kham Lu –Sydney’s mother ) had handed out 3000 invitation letters to all friends and acquaintances of many villages as is the Shan custom. People from far and near came to participate in the ceremony bringing some rice and donated money as much as they can. The host treated them with lunch and desserts. Some waited to take part in the ceremony ( a hlu ) and some went back. As it is  time now for the ceremony the Abbots, priests, and novices were invited and the ceremony started. It took about an hour to finish.

After the ceremony some of us came back to Kunhing U Sai Tun Mya and Nam Kone association who had gone to Nam Lan and Merng Sang arrived back late in the evening with good news that they had received a good amount of donations. That the road to Merng Sang is rough as it is not paved with gravel and sand but only a bulldozed road and that it is muddy and washed away by rainwater , that the two ladies Nang Lao and Nang Kham Ein were so brave to have driven their 4 wheels on such a road and that it is fortunate for me for not going and so on.

In the evening old friends , relatives and students came and visited us, most with presents. U Sai Tun Mya was usually with his parties, So I only had to entertain the guests.They came one group after another that I even have to eat a late dinner . Anyhow to meet these people after many years is a happy event  and I hope that I will get another chance to do so in the future.

N 27 A Trip to My Hometown

Day 2  (5- 9 – 2012)

We left for Kali at about 9:30. If the road is smooth it will take only a jiffy for the 7 miles distance, but this 7 miles take longer, about 30 minutes. We stopped at Sydney’s mother’s place for sometime having refreshing drinks and snacks with 2 small cute children Naw Nawand Sai Kham Herng to entertain us.

After sometime we went to the monastery where preparations for tomorrow’s merit making ceremony is being made. U Sai Tun Mya and some village leaders held a meeting there to discuss some developments for the village. Nang Lao suggested that we go to her village mamely 7 miles village because it is 7 miles from Takaw bridge and have lunch there. She would call her relatives to have lunch prepared during our travelling.

So we took off for 7 miles village. People said that the road to Takaw is better than olden days. So we we expected to travel on a good smooth road. But the reality is the opposite of our expectation. Besides the rain was falling and the road was wet and muddy. Takaw where there is the mighty Salween river crossing bridge is about 21 miles from Kali. We passed some small villages while travelling on the rough road which eventually winds downwards when we were nearing the Salween River. The Salween river is called Nam Kone in the Shan language, and so the mountains here are called Loi Kone (loi is mountain) and they are so big and towering over the valley. There are small and big waterfalls in every bend of the road. We saw narrow and long waterfalls falling down from surface of the mountains. Some which are far from the road looks like a thin white line only, but those that cascade down to the road looks like real waterfalls.

 Although the road from Takaw Bridge to 7 miles village is really only 7 miles we thought it took us 7 hours to reach there. Beside the rough road hunger and the wet weather made us feel depressed and tired. At last we reached Nang Lao’s house which is on the side of the road and had seen better days as an inn and eatery. She told us that cars were full on the side of the road and they had to sell food until late at night then. But now that the road is better the place is no longer a place to rest and sleep for the nights.

Nang Lao had bought fishes on the way and she told us to wait a little until the fishes were cooked. They were the Salween River fishes which I sometimes longed to eat. The flesh is yellow and it is very delicious. I had eaten a few times in the past and my wish is going to be fulfilled now. Really when cooked it tasted so good that comments were given about it especially the fried fish which was better than the soup. The other vegetable curries also tasted good that we ate to our heart’s content.

After resting for some time we left 7mile village. We got to Takaw Bridge first and while waiting for the other cars to arrive had a chat with the army officer and the engineer who are posted there. There is a weighing machine there which detects Lorries for excess weight, which is the main cause for the deterioration of the roads.

A few miles from the west end of Takaw bridge we took a rest at a shop in Panglang village which happens to be Sai Shwe Hla’s (one of my fellow teachers ) house. He had gone to Kali and was not at home but his wife treated us with some refreshing drinks.

 We reached Kunhing before 6 pm in time for the closing of the bridge.Although the distance we travelled was not a long one, because the road is rough it had made the journey into a tiring one. But I felt satisfied to experience it because we cannot do so if the condition doesn’t permit us. Thanks to Nang Lao and the whole company (only 2 males) that we made it a day to be remembered forever.

N 26 A Trip to My Hometown

As I have written before, my hometown is Kunhing, which is on the Taunggyi- Kengtung road, 140 miles from Taunggyi. I have not been there for a decade, since 2002. So, when the situation arises to go there we decided to go. Two relatives from my husband’s side died recently and they are going to perform merit making ceremonies in Kunhing and Kali for the deceased.  To join them in their activities is one cause for our going. The other one is to visit and raise funds for Nam Kone social organization in Taunggyi which U Sai Tun Mya has accepted the place of chairman offered to him and does not have any funds. U Sai Tun Mya has also established a foundation in Kunhing called ‘One thousand Islands Foundation’. This time he is going to donate a funeral car for Kunhing. Another family also donated one for Kali. So, there is more than one reason for our going to Kunhing this time.

Day 1   (September 4 2012)

We had arranged for our 5 cars to go together. We had breakfast at Royal Pearl Rose Tea House and took off at about 9:00am.There is a little rain when we first set off. The road to Hopone (12 miles) is flat, but after Hopone it started to wind up and down hills and mountains. We passed Htamsang Cave which is now a famous visitors attraction site at 26 miles and arrived at Merng Pawn (30 ) miles. After Merng Pawn the road gets higher and higher, winding around hills and mountains. This part may be the highest in this area.The tar covered road is the remnant of roads built before World War 11 during British colonial rule, but many parts of it is in ruins although there is maintenance every year. It has never become a fully standardized road. On one side of the road is the cliff surface and on the other is a deep ravine. Only when we reach about 6 miles to Loilem we can see flat land.

Loilem is an old district town over 4400 feet above sea level. After Loilem the road winds down towards Namsang 17 miles away. We had lunch at Namsang. After Namsang comes Kholam (Black Bridge) at 105 miles from Taunggyi. About ten years ago it is only a village, but now an army command has been established there called the Middle Eastern Command. One can see walls of new army battalions as far as the eyes can reach.

Many years ago when we travelled to and from Taunggyi we were in a state of suspence thinking from what corner , from what bushes will robbers or insurgents appear. This is one of the things that are different now. There are no insurgents or robbers these days and so people can travel in peace and no worries.

It can be said that there are no high hills or mountains between Namsang and Kunhing. After Kholam comes Kung Pao. Many years ago when we reach this place we can have the sweet smell of Sal flowers, (Ingyin flower….. Pao is the Ingyin tree or Sal tree) but now no Sal or Ingyin tree can be seen. They may have ended up become somebody else’s house post or being trucked away. Not only the Sal trees had disappeared but also other trees that can be called big. Only small trees and bushes with creepers clinging over them, but as it is the rainy season the color is green and lustrous.

Lai Kam is a small village 7 miles from Kunhing. We can see a small pagoda at the end of a paddy field, but the village is hidden behind palm and other trees. The scene here is really picturesque.

After that comes more army battalions and then we entered Kunhing, the place we had lived and been happy for many years amid restlessness and insurgencies and many heartbeats. We were warmly welcomed not only by relatives and friends but also by the stifling heat of Kunhing which is only 1615 feet above sea level.