N55                World Toilet Day (Part 2 )

Restaurants and food shops are not doing enough concerning toilets. This is due not only to management but also to people who use them. Some installed western type of toilets and people without knowledge get on them with slippers and thus damage and make them dirty. I heard from someone that the toilets of Junction Square put instructions on the wall about how to use this kind of toilets. Only this kind of education will suit our country.

    

  Another thing is that they don’t usually keep pegs in toilets. People who go around take some kinds  of bags  with them. If there are no pegs where can they hang their bags. There are always pegs in toilets of developed countries. But some places in Myanmar are starting to do so now.

     

Our country is one place tourists like to visit now . The number of tourists visiting Myanmar is increasing dramatically during these few years. Also business people are flocking to Myanmar to look for opportunities . Beside hotel rooms we should prepare all facilities for these people. Must visit places for tourists in Myanmar included Yangon, Bagan, Inlay etc.

When I visited Nyaungshwe not long ago I noticed it hasn’t changed much in spite of many foreign visitors. We went into a restaurant and asked to use toilets and they replied that they don’t keep one . But thank God that one worker escorted us to a nearby flat which has an ordinary lavatory.

    

   The next time we went into a Chinese restaurant where we heard that their hsi kyet is good. To go to the toilets we had to pass the blazing fireplace through a wet floor and then outside to the common dark toilets. I want very much to give them some advice to keep good clean toilets where visitors can  use because many people including tourists are coming to Nyaungshwe , so that it will not shame us and at the same time be a kind of help to visitors. But I couldn’t manage to do so.

      

In big cities and towns of developed countries toilets can be found everywhere. Even a small restaurant has one or even two toilets. Usable and clean toilets are at every train or bus station. When we have relieved ourselves after walking  around , eating, shopping and such things we are very much at ease. Toilets are a necessity if not a luxury.

     

   It is important for every human being to have access to good clean toilets. They are for improving the health and well being of all people.So everybody should work together to achieve  this  goal of  WORLD TOILET DAY.

 N54                 World Toilet Day

I have been practicing myself not to be surprised , not to be shocked at anything I see, I hear, at things happening in the world, in our country or around me, because anything can happen at any moment.

  

   But an article I read in a newspaper today made me a little surprised and at the same time somewhat pleased.

   

  It was UNSG’s message on World Toilet Day 19 November 2013. So they have designated a day called WTD and it said this first official observance by UN is an opportunity to highlight that important topic.I agree with that. It really is important and it concerns our people who (most of them ) do not take it seriously.

UNSG stated in his message about how people are affected by poor sanitation and hygiene , so that they fall ill with diarrhea,and suffer long time illness. It costs developing nations around 260 billion a year which is 1.5% of their GDP.On the other hand every $ invested can bring a 5 fold return by keeping people healthy and productive.

He said one billion people practice open defecation. Progress for action on sanitation has been too little and too slow and so he launched a Call to Action on Sanitation this year to end open defecation by 2025 and  to build Sanitation and Water for All .He also urged to work together to improve the health and well being of 1/3 of the human family which is the goal of World Toilet Day.

   

As I have stated our country people do not care much about sanitation. And in some rural areas people are still practicing open defecation. A famous author wrote in her book that there are no toilets in her village and so I cannot help wondering if she also does like other villagers when she goes to her village and why doesn’t she give some education and advice to her villagers to build some toilets. But it  is not  only in some villages of Anyar that practice open defecation but also in some other parts of Myanmar as well. In our Shan State people used flowing streams and creeks with clear, clean water as their toilets and thus polluted them and become unfit for other uses.

      

This is one disadvantage about toilets in Myanmar. No toilets at all or very poor ones. The other fact I want to write is about cleanliness and tidiness of cities and town’s toilets and also the lack of them.

    

   I have seen many places of the world through TVs and have been to some Eastern countries myself. I admire places which are neat and clean and want my country to be like them. But many things in our country are not satisfactory due  to mismanagement and slow progress.

  

   Among them public toilets are at the top. Markets, restaurants, government facilities cannot manage their toilets well. Just for example the toilets of Bogyoke Market, which many people including tourists are using are always with wet floor and some are out of order and lack cleanliness. We are very much far behind our neighbours like Thailand and Singapore in everything including toilets.

to be continued...... 

   N 53 A Trip to Mwaydaw Nam Set (part 2 )

But there was nobody in the fairly neat and wide compound. Not even an animal was to be seen. We were  all alone by ourselves. Then we realized that we had come at the wrong time.

What the women at Kakku told us that there are about half the amount of Kakku pagodas is not true. There is only one big golden pagoda and some pagodas that look like old around it. We went into the small homage paying area where there is an old image inside a niche and one reclining statue and said our prayers.

After paying homage we put down our mats on the grass and prepare to have lunch. Everybody had packed some kinds of food and when we had laid all of them our lunch was like a feast. So although it was still early everybody ate heartily.

After all had eaten we wandered around the pagodas. I saw a zayat with open door. When I peeped in to see if there was  somebody so that I could ask questions I found none. Also  the building close to the pagoda is empty. So I gave up the idea of enquiring about the pagoda.

Beyond the compound there are many big banyan trees like other religious places. Some of us thought  the pagodas are not as old as the Kakku pagodas. And I noticed that the work is not very neat and impressive. But we can understand that this is a remote part of Shan State.

It was over noon when we set back on our way home. After Hsai Khao the Kyauk Talone road branched out to the west ,towards Kakku. So as not to trace back our old route we took this road. It was an unpaved road but smooth and not very dusty yet. Eventually we reached the paved road to Kakku and before long we sighted the amazing Kakku Pagodas.

  (  PS….the festival time of Mwaydaw Nam Set  is from 7^th to 9^th of the waning days of Tazaungmone ) 

N52   A Trip to Mwaydaw Nam Set ( Nam Set Pagoda )     Part 1

While visiting the famous Kakku Pagodas of Taunggyi last year I heard from shopkeepers there that there is another group of pagodas like Kakku in that area. So I thought I would visit this place someday.

Hopone Pagodas
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In one of the summer months this year I had to visit Kakku again. I had thought about taking a guide from there and go to the place they told me about.

But when I enquired about it , they told me that the place is twice the distance from Taunggyi, the road not good and there will be no people there during this season and advised me to go only during festival  time which takes place in the waxing days of Tazaungmone month.

Come the period they mentioned and so I organized a group and cars to go there. When I asked people about the place nobody seems to know about  it except that it is in Hsi Hsaing Township.

I called my friend Daw Hla Htay who had worked there as a TEO for some years and even she didn’t know about it but she said she will call the residing TEO and enquired for me. After some time she called back and told me about the Pagoda. The name is’ Mway Daw Nam Set .‘We have to go by Taunggyi Loikaw road past Banyin , Nawng Worn and Hsai Khao, not reaching Hsi Hsaing. After Hsai Khao we have to turn and go along a small  road which leads to the pagoda.

We calculated the distance and found out it would be about 60 miles from Taunggyi. So we set off at 7 am. We stop for a short break at Banyin a small town . Then to Nawng worn which is famous for its production of Shan rice. The road is a narrow tar road but sometimes we had to pass over pebble covered rough road.

The scenery around is amazing with golden colour rice fields ready to be cut and the clouds in the sky formed different pretty shapes. Seeing these beautiful sights My mind wandered about our country. How beautiful  our land is , what simple lives our country  people are leading  and striving for their livelihoods. I wish our people’s lives to be more developed, to have better homes, not to have to work so hard, to have access to modern machinery,and so on. But this is only my wish. Only a few people have better houses,cell phones, electricity and unlicenced vehicles now while most are still poor with not much education.

After some time we reached Hsai Khao. And then before long we came to a place where a small road branches out to the west. There is a concrete signboard there on which was written  “ Mway Daw Nam Sit “

 So we took this unpaved road and drove along. We didn’t  know how far the pagoda is .So when we saw one or a group of pagodas we wondered  if this was the one we had come to pay homage. But none was. We drove on and after two places where it would be difficult for saloons to cross due to road condition ( luckily we brought higher cars ) we saw the gate of the pagoda. So this is Mway Daw Nam Set ( Shan language ) we had ventured to visit.

N 51     Continuation of Bamboo Artisan 

 

  The monk is not young. He may be about 70 years of age by now. He is a “ Lu “ man ( a tribe of Shan ) from the Shan –Thai border. He is aiming to weave 108 Buddha images .( The number 108 being a sacred number for Buddhists. )Out of this number he had finished over 70. He goes wherever people want to make a Buddha image, not asking for a price for weaving it , but accept what is offered to him only.

      

On hearing about this monk my mind started to wander. I asked what about weaving other things such as what people regard as art objects like the bamboo objects they make in Merng Naung . We are a people who doesn’t have much art skills. She said he can easily make them , even his assistants can do so. His assistants are also priests like him. I thought then he should pass his skills , his craftsmanship to the young generation. So they would not become extinct. She told me that he is ready to teach whoever wants to learn from him.

     Bamboo works are a  kind of craft the Shan people can master.Shan people don’t have much distinctive creation in art and craft. As I have mentioned above there is the bamboo weaving of Merng Naung, where they make objects like rice  or trinkets containers, and hats and khamouks for women. But the handiworks are crude and there are no new creations. There is the earthern ware of Merng Kaing. which are not much in use now. I don’t know if  the ironware of Som Taung , Kengtung which was mentioned in “Quiet Skies on Salween “ thriving or not. But I don’t think I will be wrong for what I said about we don’t have much skills in art and craft.

    

     

  But what the monk is doing can be called a work of art beside meritorious deed. He is a craftsman , an artisan. Young people from our creation lacking land should learn from him ,should take advantage of his skills and based on this skills should enhance this form of art and craft. If this craft flourish the livelihood of the Shan people will be better and they may contribute to the few craftsmanship that the Shan people already have.        

     

N50      Bamboo Artisan

There is a wide variety of bamboos in our country. And they are also plentiful  and grow well in most parts of our country. So people learned how to use bamboo from long ago. In fact it can be said to be the most basic material for people to use in our country.

    

  The most important use of bamboo is making houses, mostly in rural areas. Everything from the pole to the roof can be made with bamboo. And then people uses bamboo to make their everyday needs. Things that are needed to use in agriculture works, in kitchens, in markets and even toys for children. Tender shoots of bamboo are eaten as food called hmyit. There are stories about people who lost their way in thick forests and survive by eating bamboo shoots.

    

  So bamboo has a very important role in Myanmar people’s lives. Our forests are nearly gone now due to excessive logging. And our bamboo groves will be the next to be depleted as China is buying tender bamboo shoots and people are extracting them as much as they can, according to greediness and lack of rule of the law.  There are some people who are worried that bamboo will disappear and I have posted about it in my facebook page  written in Burmese. But I know it will not have much effect. When will our people come to their senses…..?

     

My actual aim in writing this piece is about one extraordinary use of bamboo and the man who uses it.

   

   He is not a layman but a monk. The relative who told me about him does not know his real name. They called him “  Sao Pu  “ only. She said she know him because he had made images of Lord Buddha in her village. Two of them and each about    13   feet in height.      

 To be continued…..  

      

     

N48            Tree Lover

Today I watched a documentary film on CCTV. The title is “  The Ancient Dove  Tree”. Lately I have been one of the citizens who has awareness and concerns about our  environment. So forests and trees have become one of my interests, and have been expressing my concerns about them in my blogs and facebook.This is the only thing I can do . My wishes about trees are to limit cutting and do replanting more intensively. Tree planting ceremonies in towns and cities to mark the tree planting season will not be enough . Trees need to be grown in the inner country where logging had taken place widely.

        

Another thing I have been thinking lately is to introduce new trees to our country. The documentary I watched today suits my wishes . So I want to relate about it.

     

  It is about efforts made by some people to get a plant from one place and spread it to another places. During the 19^th century a missionary who was working in China sent a picture of a tree’s leaf with its flower to a botanist in Paris. They thought that the leaf looked like the fossil of an ancient tree they found in Europe . So the tree in China should be that tree that had  become extinct in Europe. The flowers when they bloom are white in colour and looks like butterflies or doves . So they called it the Dove Tree.

To find the tree an Englishman named Ernest Wilson was sent to China. Ernest was working in a botanical garden in Kew by then. But he went to China in 1899 by ship. With the hint given to him by some missionary Ernest finally located the tree though it was not an easy work. Life in China was harsh by then but he stayed three years doing researches, collecting plants and trees and taking photos. In 1902 he returned to England with some seeds of the Dove Tree.

      

But when they planted the seeds they wouldn’t sprout. When they cut the seeds in half they found out that the outer covering was very thick that it would take 3 years for the seedling to come out. But gradually they succeeded in getting some plants to grow.

The plants later spreaded to other European countries and even to North America where  one tree can be seen  in the compound of the White House now.

     

  Ernest even went back to China another 4 times to collect plants and trees . He brought back about 1000 plants and 1000 photos.

   

   In 1954 Chinese premier Chou En Lai attended a summit in Geneva, Switzerland. He saw the tree with it’s flowers and was impressed by it and asked what tree was it/ He was told it was Dove tree and that it came from China. So Chou, when arrived back in China gave directions to look for the trees, do research on them  and spread them to other parts of the country, which they did also with some difficulties.

     

I think my wish to introduce new trees comes from my observation of nature. My mind doesn’t let anything I see pass away easily. When I see something nice I will appreciate it and when I see the opposite I have to try hard to erase it from my mind. So when I see beautiful trees I come to like them and am greedy enough to bring them to my land.

to be continued……

  N49             continuation of Tree Lover

  

  Here are some of my likes;

In the book “ Silk Road “ there are some places where they mentioned poplar trees. It is said to be tall and not wide spread. When I looked up for its images I saw that they are pretty trees. When they are planted on roadside in rows they look magnificent. I would like to plant Poplar trees in our country.

   

As I have often written in my blogs and articles I would like to plant new species of Cherry trees in Taunggyi. The few trees that we can see in Taunggyi are some of the leftovers after destroying and cutting down by people who do not love nature and use them for their own purpose. But this year people of Taunggyi has become alert and are starting to plant new trees and Cherry trees as well. But as I have said it will be better if we can plant new species from abroad to adorn our roadside and make them into boulevards for people to enjoy when the blooming season come and maybe we can have Cherry blossom festivals like in Washington and Kyoto.

   

  When I see beautiful trees I always appreciate them. When I went to Shwe  Li some years ago I saw some pine trees there. They cover the whole hill where the Shan monastery we visited situated. The pines or maybe Spruce are so beautiful with the perfect shape of Christmas trees  that I want to bring some home. But I did not put some efforts to do so. So the images of the trees remains only in my mind.

   

  While in Australia I saw some beautiful trees . They have beautiful perfect shapes of a tree and the colours are so green and lustrous. Maybe the environment is so clean that even the trees are not covered with dust like ours. Their parks are generally green lawns dotted with big trees and benches to sit on. There are not even colourful flowers but they are perfect places for strolls and leisure.

   

  In Tasmania we visited a place call Plenty. It is a fish hatching plant where they raise Trout and Salmon. The fish ponds are not just rectangular ponds but with different shapes and sizes to suit the eyes. Beside those pretty fish ponds and green lawns they also have big trees in their compound. They were brought there from many countries a long time ago and they have grown big. They take care of their trees and put label on each tree like Englisha Elm, Japanese Spruce and so on.

     

Big trees in our country , whichever can be used for something have been cut down. I think only Banyan trees remain as they cannot be used for people’s uses.

People  have been moving from place to place since the start of civilization. In this way plants and trees, cultures, religions had spread throughout the world. Trees also had spread from place to place through the efforts of tree loving people like Ernest Wilson.There is no harm in having new trees. In fact they benefit people in many ways. So we should we should 

 welcome new  trees to our land. But it can be realized only if there are people who are willing to bring them in. So I hope tree loving people like Ernest Wilson or some institutions will emerge in our country to make it more greener and livable with green and beautiful trees.

N 47  …… Continuation of Environmental Awareness

I like this programme. There are lots of spare lands in our country. The government should impose such law on the citizens. To plant one tree and take care that it grow well in one’s life. To plant them anywhere , where it is convenient, and not only in their compound. But if so there will be some difficulties for people who live in big cities. But then most people who are living in big cities have their own hometown. They can plant their trees in their own hometown.

    

  Imagining that it will be good if the government impose such law, I in advance planted 4 trees for 4 members of my family, in a school compound near our house in Taunggyi after obtaining permission from the headmistress. Anyway they have some spare land and  are in need of trees which the children had been planting last rainy season but were unsuccessful because there were no fencing. I hope my trees grow well.

    

  One thing I want to add is about the cause of cutting trees. The trees around our town are not part of a big forest , so they  can not  be used for  commercial purposes.  But only  local people cut and  who uses them for firewood. And sometimes fire break out on the mountain devouring patches of the remaining forest.

    

  I heard someone suggest that the government should not sell the country’s gas to neighbouring countries. Instead they should build gas factories and produce gas tanks and let the people use for cooking. This way will save many of our trees and also promote our standard of living.

     

  If we think about the future of our country there are many things to do. Most of them can be done only by the government. But people, individually or by forming groups or organizations can also be of  much help.

     

So I welcome all activities that aim for the good of the country. I welcome the Shan Cherry tree planting group, the foremost Greenland group and all groups involving in all charity and welfare activities.  

 

N46     Environmental Awareness

There is a saying in Myanmar. That is “ One who looks sees “ meaning if we lookwe see and if we turn a blind eye we will not see anything. About our environment some are aware about it and are concerned and worry and are doing something to save it while other people , mostly due to ignorance do not see , do not put them in mind and are even destroying it.

   The earth itself is full of troubles. Beside man made troubles  such as conflicts and wars and many other things it is also  facing troubles concerning the environment. There are natural disasters, pollution of all kinds, climate changes, and  deforestations , to mention a few.   

   The governments are doing as much as they can within their power. People who have awareness are also doing something to save their environment. I think there have been some alertness in Taunggyi about trees lately. I myself did a kind of participation by writing an article in the Ashe Yoma journal about the disappearance of cherry trees in Taunggyi referring to Ellen Thorp’s book “ Quiet Skies on Salween.`”Not long ago I saw an article  written by Shi Ingyin about deforestation in Taunggyi. And I heard about a group called Shan Cherry was also formed and that they had started planting trees on the mountain range on the east of Taunggyi.

  Our country is one of the countries that has deforested most of its wooded areas due to overlogging of trees beyond sustainable yield . But I think most of the proceeds do not go into the Government’s budget. Most of our lands were depleted of its trees and forests and it is only the people who will have to bear its consequences.

    The government is not doing enough to replace the lost forests and trees. There are some good examples we should follow. Let us look what China is doing. In  1981 a law that requires every citizen over the age of 11 plant at least one tree a year was  enforced.  As a result China currently has the highest afforestation rate of any country or region in the world with 47000 sq kl of afforestation in 2008.

To be continued……..

N45   Water Wasting Festival   (Part  2 )

    

But if we think of the water they use for pleasure we will see that it is very wasteful and senseless . Generally we can say  that water is not scarce in our country , but one place and another place , one region and another region are not the same. Water is more plentiful in Lower Burma than the middle part where it is arid. But even then I heard that in some parts of the Irrawaddy Delta drinkable water is scarce.

     

   If we look more widely at the world there are many places where water is a problem. Half of the world’s population does not have access to save pure drinking water and there are many places where using of water is limited. Even some developed countries like Singapore do not have enough usable water resources, so that she has to buy from neighbouring countries . In  Australia too water is not plentiful, so use of water for a single person is limited. There had been countries that went to war because of unequal devision of water like Syria and Jordan.

    

 

  I had once watched a documentary film about Indian women who have to carry water. As is their custom Indian men do not care to carry water for household use. So the burden fall on the weaker sex , the women. Women old and young had to carry water for household use and also for their animals, whether it may be near or far. The northwestern part of India Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are arid regions where water is very scarce . Women have to carry water from very far places like 7 or 8 kilometres by balancing pots and pans on their heads. One time is not enough for the entire household. They have to do that tiring errand many times a day. Girls start to go with their mothers from about the age of 8 carrying the amount of water they can. But in that region water is not pure. They can only get salinated water which is salty and bitter and there are people who haven’t taste a drink of pure drinkable water all their lives. Pity them.

     

  So, what I want to say is, “Should we waste our water because it is plentiful “ And plentiful is not even the right word . People in big cities Yangon and Mandalay and Taunggyi all have experienced times when there is not enough water to use. At such times we have to buy water from cars and carts . But even if we have money to buy, if there is no place to draw water from who will come and sell to us? Water is a resource that can be depleted. We can see and hear about streams and lakes that have gone dry.

    

     If we look at countries which celebrate Thingyan such as Thailand, Laos , Cambodia , China no country uses pipes or hoses to throw water on each other. They just use buckets and bowls and water guns only. Splashing water this way will save much water.

   

  So should we follow customs and traditions that will make our lives become difficult, that is futile for the sake of pleasure? This way of water splashing came into life not very long ago in our country and we can change it back to our old ways again.

    

  But if only we have the sense and heart to do so……..

N44           Water Wasting Festival

Everybody accept that Thingyan Festival is the most distinctive and enjoyable seasonal event of the whole year in Myanmar. It marks the end of Myanmar  calendar year and welcoming the new year. All Buddhists celebrated Thingyan according to their ages and regional customs. Old people concentrated in making meritorious deeds such as going to pagodas and monasteries with offerings, observing Sabbath, giving alms to Sanghas and the needies, free fishes and birds and so on. Some middle aged and young people also does some of these good deeds. But many young people have their hearts on merrymaking only which sometimes  lead them to negative results.

   

  The most significant activity of Thingyan is the water splashing activity. People splash water on each other during the 3 or 4 days of Thingyan. In olden days it was done with good intention , to get cool from the summer time heat, to wash away the dirt of the ending year etc. People even used fragrant water which was put in silver bowl to splash on each other. Some used a bunch of Eugenia leaves to soak water from the bowl and tap the shoulder of another gently and courteously.

     

But nowadays the custom has changed. In big cities big pandals are erected here and there. Water pipes  are installed in a row and young people pay a certain price to get on to the pandal and use the pipe to soak passers by who are moving on foot or by motor cars and are already soaked. The force of water coming from the pipes are made to be strong and piercing , so we can say that they are intended to hurt people. Some young people uses tin cans and throw  water forcefully at other people to make them feel pain. Sometimes water throwers put ice in their water to make people  feel cold. All these actions are not for good purposes, but to do harm to others. So where can we find good intentions of the Thingyan Festival.

    

Some of the activities performed in the pandals are good. Like singing and dancing. Many people including tourists like to watch and enjoy . It gives people happiness and pleasure to watch these performances. But dresses worn by some performers are getting bad to worse and are much criticized by many lately. The dresses are getting much western, more scanty, more revealing and with the use of alcohol and drugs the people on the stage become wild and out of control . There is nothing good to gain for these behaviours. Young people who have some sensitivities should not think only for pleasure but avoid pitfalls by over enjoying themselves.

    

My actual aim in writing this blog is about water. As the name of this festival is water festival , plenty of water has to be used for it. If we are celebrating this festival in the old way the water used will not be too much. But who started to do the way they do today in the cities we don’t know. I mean the  way they splash water with pipes and even fire hoses as they are doing now. By this way much amount of water has to be used for the contentment of people fruitlessly. I think by myself what enjoyment do they have by splashing people who are already soaked again and again. I had watched people celebrating water splashing festival of Thailand Laos and Sipsongpanna of China. They don’t use pipes as we do but they splash water on each other using bowls and pails and waterguns only.

To be continued…….