N 37            A visit to Bumrungrad

I did not dream about going to Bangkok during this time . But a cause appear , so that I had to do so .

Before coming back to Yangon , where we are going to stay one and a half months for the winter I had a little pain in my left stomach. I took medicine for stomach ache , but it did not go away. So I went to a physician in Yangon and he said I had to do gastronomy and colonoscopy. I had experienced colonoscopy here and I know how painful it is. I imagine gastroscopy will be worse as one has to swallow the scopy down the aorta . I am afraid of the pain I will have to endure.

So I decided to go to Bangkok where people says there is no pain at all to do these things. I told my husband , who is always wanting to go abroad with a motive to do shopping and he gladly agreed. If I have to go into hospital I will need another companion beside USTM. So I asked Nang Kham Eain to come from Taunggyi and accompany us.

We left on the 26^th and booked the return tickets for the last day of the year, returning back with my daughter Ying and her two daughters and her group of about 30 people . They had departed ahead of us on the 22^nd to visit Thailand and Cambodia.

I saw the doctor on the day we arrived in the afternoon . He said like the doctor in Yangon. To do gastroscopy and colonoscopy tomorrow. I have to be at Bumrungrad at 9 o’clock the next morning , staying in a small room , taking laxative and prepare for the test.

Oh… one thing I forget to tell . I had been fasting since 11:00 pm last night. I was thinking will I be able to stay without eating or drinking until this thing is finished round about 2:30 pm.

About 1:15 they took me to the room where the scopies are to be done. A nurse sprayed my mouth with some kind of drug and put a gear in my mouth to keep it open. They also injected some kind of sedative , I think  to put me to sleep. After that I don’t know or feel anything . Later I woke up on my bed near the nurses station.

This was how it was done. I neither feel hungry nor any pain . But the cost is huge. And it is  not over yet.  I still have to wait and see what is happening in my digestive system. And I was praying that it will not be cancer. But even if it is still worrisome , strangely I fell asleep early without even wash my face and brush my teeth.

The appointed time to see the doctor the next day was 4:15 pm . So we spent the time at MBK shopping and went to the hospital at the appointed time.

Thank God…. The result the doctor explained to me does not seem serious. I had diffusely inflamed gastric mucosa and some polyp which were removed. To avoid cancer I have to check again after one year.

Bangkok hospitals are famous to us Myanmars and the Middle East. Comparing with our hospitals they are far more better than ours concerning the buildings , the facilities, the doctors , and care given to the patients. It is not tiring even if we have to wait several hours.

If the condition in our private hospitals are like those in Bangkok, when I have health problems I will choose to go to our own hospitals. This will make us save a lot of money , avoid  the tiring journey of air travel , and the inconveniences we have to face in a foreign country.

Can I expect my country to become like that?

  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.

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