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.