The ramblings of a mad man

What A Friend We Have in Jesus

By Lwin on March 8, 2010 8:27 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Oregon Myanmar Christian Church has a great song in Burmese. If you download it from Amazon or iTunes, all the proceeds from the sale go to the music ministry of Oregon Myanmar Church. It's a beautiful song.

Vocals - Pyei Sandy & Hsu Hsu.
Cast - Pho Zaw, Thein Tan (Myanmar Pyi) , Pyei Sandy & Hsu Hsu.

Burmse Classical Poems

By Lwin on March 6, 2010 9:07 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

While Googling Burmese poems, I found this book by Friedrich V. Lustig (Buddhist Archbishop of Latvia). The book was published in 1966. It had about 15 Burmese classical poems and their English translations.

It seems the book is available in a library at the University of Toronto. Enjoy the electronic version here.

Karen Baptist Convention Clinic

By Lwin on January 24, 2010 2:55 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Karen Baptist Convention Clinic is a non-profit clinic organized and operated by the Karen Baptist Convention. It's in Insein, Rangoon (Yangon). Here is a documentary about the clinic.

George Orwell in Mandalay

By Lwin on January 15, 2010 6:05 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

[photo taken from Irrawaddy]

George Orwell is best known for his novel, 1984, in which he envisioned a government that watches its citizens' every move.

Orwell served in Burma from 1922 to 1927. He went to police training school in Mandalay, where the above picture was taken. George Orwell stands third from left in this photo from his days at the Burma Provincial Police Training School. The photo is dated 1923. He served in Maymyo, Myaungmya, Twante, Syriam (Thanlyin), Moulmein (Mawlamyine) and Katha.

Burmese proverbs

By Lwin on January 12, 2010 3:59 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This website is a great resource if you are interested in Burmese proverbs.
http://www.mmproverb.com/

RIP, Eh Mu Dah

By Lwin on January 1, 2010 8:30 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Eh Mu Dah is a seventeen year old kid from North Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is smart and stands sixth in her class.

She died unexpectedly the day after Christmas. She was found dead in a garage near the place I was staying in Fort Wayne.

Crime scene and evidence are circumstantial even though the police ruled that it was accidental by carbon monoxide poisoning. The car was left running in a garage while she and a boy were in there. I don't want to elaborate on how and why she died. Here is at least what the news said about it.

The reason I remembered her was she sang last Sunday at Fort Wayne Baptist Church's Christmas worship service at Burmese/Karen section. The picture above is her singing at church..

May Eh Mu Dah rest in peace.

Kyaw Hein at the Baptist Youth Convention in Insein, Rangoon

By Lwin on December 26, 2009 2:28 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Kyaw Hein, a famous actor in Burma, gave a talk at the Burmese Baptist Youth Convention a few years ago. There are about 10 parts on YouTube. Here are two. You can watch the rest on YouTube if you find it interesting. This is only in Burmese.

A Burmese choir by the Myanmar Institute of Theology

By Lwin on December 24, 2009 11:55 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Here is the Myanmar Institute of Theology choir singing at a chapel service. MIT is in Insein, Rangoon (Yangon). I was teaching there a few years ago after I graduated from Purdue University in the US.

Enjoy.

Chrysler film dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi

By Lwin on December 8, 2009 4:32 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

8888

By Lwin on December 4, 2009 1:14 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Google's public DNS server is 8.8.8.8. What a coincidence! It just reminds me of 8888 uprising in Burma. Burma's history turned another page in 1988, bringing down Burma Socialist Programme Party. And we are now stuck with the current military regime since then.

Tila Tequila - Hot for Teacher - Myanmar Burma It Can't Wait

By Lwin on November 30, 2009 9:24 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

'Hilarious' is one word I have to use to describe this video.

Pinky

By Lwin on November 21, 2009 6:41 PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

I bought a used pink netbook from a friend of a friend. It was only $120. Yes, being a student kind of sucks with no money :) I can't afford this sleek MacBook Air. Acer Aspire One would do fine for me, I think :)

It would be very convenient for me on the road from now on. I would be able to call most countries by Skype, and surf facebook to waste time :)

I installed Ubuntu Netbook Remix on it. I like it better than Windows XP. It felt kind of slow with Windows XP. Now it's perfect with Ubuntu. The only disadvantage is I don't have Microsoft Office application. Instead, I have a free alternative, OpenOffice. It should be OK. I am going to use this only for fun. Not for serious work. If I want to work, I will remotely log into my desktop from the netbook.

I am so happy I got this cheap, honestly.

Asian Dynasty

By Lwin on November 14, 2009 8:37 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

Photo credit: from Mizzima. (Senior General Than Shwe being seen off at the Naypyidaw airport)

This picture reminds me of Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) era. When the leaders went abroad or somewhere, someone had to carry their umbrellas just like in this picture as if they didn't have their own hands to do so.

This culture is not only in Burma. I have seen similar things in other Asian countries (even in Thailand occasionally). I believe this is from ancient culture of the kings and their subjects.

No dynasty lasts for ever. We should also remember that once-powerful and celebrated war hero, General Ne Win, BSPP founder, died under house arrest, forgotten at his lake house. He died just like us with a paid obituary notice that appeared in Burmese language newspapers.

Burmese Queen by Spoken

By Lwin on November 7, 2009 3:12 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

This is a nice rap song by Spoken about his Burmese Queen. It's both in English and Burmese. Burmese part was sung by a girl. I think Spoken is an (amateur?) rapper from England.

Also nice paintings by U Lun Gywe and Myoe Win Aung! Enjoy!

Complaints Choir of Singapore

By Lwin on November 1, 2009 4:56 AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks

This is hilarious! You have to have been in Singapore to get some of the jokes in the last five minutes. But overall, it's very funny. Watch at least the first 5 minutes. :)

Some of my favorites:

"We don't recycle any plastic bags, but we purify our pee."

"What's not expressly permitted is prohibited."

"To the Aunty staying upstairs: your laundry is dripping on my bed sheets."

"Please don't squat on the toilet seats and don't clip your nails on MRT."

"People put on fake accents to sound posh."

"Will I ever live till eighty five to collect my CPF?"

And if you are interested in more, check out this site: http://www.complaintschoir.org/