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Chapter-4
2018, April, Sule Shangri-La Hotel Lobby, downtown Yangon
An early Monday morning of the first week of April, Pan Che called Oo and inquired him that if he had told Lin about the art and heritage festival and what would be the answer from Lin. Pan Che was anxious to know it because she needed to reply to Eli about it in a couple of days.
Oo knew that the job was suitable for Lin because the latter was interested in translation and his eagerness for being a writer who writes in English. He would get much experience and gain some recognition, working as a translator and coordinator for the festival.
Pan Che said that if Lin was willing to take part in it, she would arrange the meeting with Eli and Lin somewhere downtown. They could meet at the Sule Shangri-La hotel lobby when things were arranged. Oo replied that he would call her back soon because he needed to ask the confirmation from Lin.
As soon as Pan Che hung up, Oo called L
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2018, April, Sule Pagoda Road, downtown Yangon When John and his colleague went inside the hotel restaurant after saying goodbye to them, Lin, Oo, Pan Che, and Eli left the hotel to meet the greetings of the heat of the noon sun with its scorching hand and that compelled them to walk very close to the shade formed by the tall building along the upper block of Sule Pagoda Road.The road has its name naming after 45-meter high Sule Pagoda which is situated in the street. It is surrounded by famous buildings like City Hall, Immanuel Baptist Church, and Mahabandoola Park.In fact, the word “Sule” is derived from “Suway” which means “assembly”. In “Ancient Monuments in Burma”, the time when the pagoda was built is mentioned and it was in B.C 326. It has gained its splendor by the successive renovation of devotees: Kings and subordinates alike.The pagoda is never devoid of pilgrims in i
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2018, April, Thingyan (Water Festival) Celebration, YangonIt was only six-thirty in the morning and it was Akya day of Thingyan Festival. In fact, there were four days for the Thingyan festival days such as akyo (the eve of the festival), akya (the beginning of the festival), akyat (the mid of the festival), atat (the end of the festival).Lin woke up to hear noises coming from his neighbor’s house in which Padauk (gumkino) trees were grown. People in their ward gathered around the trees, some climbed up the branches to pick yellow flowers for themselves or their families.Those who were waiting at the foot of the trees were shouting loudly at those flower-pickers where they should go to pick flowers. Excitement and fun arouse their noises louder. Lin saw merriment in them when they were picking up those flowers.Thingyan (Water Festival) and padauk flowers are
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2018, April, Thingyan (Water Festival) Celebration, Part-II, YangonAs soon as they left Mahabandoola Park, a huge crowd of people and cars blocked their way because of queuing up for their turn to show up at the adjacent pandal at which young people were holding and swaying water pipes for drenching revellers up.So, the four of them had to squeeze their way out of the crowd to reach the other side of Sule Pagoda Road. While revellers were waiting at their vehicles, they shouted out ribaldry to tease each other. Some lines were coarse and vulgar while some were acceptable.When the four friends happened to pass by a light truck, some guys on it shouted out teasingly, “Hey, sweeties, if you want to ride with us, it’s free for you but not your boys.” Lin knew that they were hinting at Pan Che and Eli who became piqued at the sheer blatancy.Seeing that, the guys said, “Don’t get upset, sweetie.
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2018, May, Star Art Gallery, Bosunpat Street, YangonOn a day in the first week of May, Lin had to attend a meeting for the heritage festival at Star Art Gallery on the lower block of Bosunpat Street (formerly known as Maung Htaw Lay Street). He had to walk down from Sule Bus Stop to reach the gallery.On the way, he saw street vendors who sold pieces of corn for pigeons because people liked to feed them on the pavement. He also found bird cages and some kinds of sparrows were tweeting wildly in them. He walked down two more blocks to reach Bosunpat Street from the junction of Sule Pagoda Road and Mahabandoola Road.When he reached the corner of Bosupat Street, he turned left to walk into the street, looking for the art gallery which he had not been to before. Then, a story about the street came into his head.It was related to the former name of the street because at first it was called Maung Htaw Lay Street. In fact, it was nam
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2018, May, British Club, YangonOn Sunday, Lin woke up at seven in the morning but the sunrays had already intruded his room to bright the room up. He hurriedly stood up from bed for preparing breakfast for his uncle and himself. His uncle returned from the monastery after staying at it for more than two weeks.When he emerged from the kitchen, he brought two plates of fried rice and put them on the round table in the living room where his uncle was already seated at a chair and reading a newspaper. As he saw Lin’s arrival, he put away the newspaper and prepared for taking breakfast.Lin said warmly, “Just wait, uncle, I will bring a cup of tea for you.” At the end of the sentence, he went into the kitchen again. U Thein Lwin simply stared at the back of Lin, reflecting his nephew’s proper care towards him. Then, he picked up the steel spoon to taste fried rice that was still warm with steam hovering over the ric
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2018, June, Armenian Church, downtown YangonLin had managed to organize a team of ten Chinlone (cane ball) players for a spectacular Chinlone performance at the space in the compound of the Armenian Church. When he explained to the players the purpose of the performance, the players showed much eagerness and willingness to take part in the heritage festival as well as they would like to display their sports skills of playing a Myanmar Chinlone game.At the office, John asked Lin to prepare certificates of appreciation for the players because he thought that they deserved appreciation and recognition. They also denied accepting any fees for their outstanding performance as they preferred going pro bono.“Lin, can you go and print certificates for them because I want to give them today at the ceremony. Do you know any printing shop that can carry out that?” asked John.Lin replied quickly, “I th
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2018, July, Thakin Mya Park, YangonThe first Sunday of July had seen the closing ceremony of the heritage festival. John and his team held it at a spacious ground of the downtown park and the program would include a live performance and a screening. Invitations were sent via their Facebook page and other social media to outreach more people.Lin arrived at the park before 4 pm though he knew that the ceremony would start at 4:45 pm. He took a bus to get there. When he reached the park, he saw some commuter buses were taking a break from their diurnal activities, parking around the park.He was strolling into the park, looking here and there until he found some sculptures displayed in the park. A sculpture named “A Garbage Man” attracted his attention and he stopped by it. It was a bronze sculpture portraying a garbage man who was pushing a trash trolley.In the trolley, they put some rubbish bags. It seemed that it w
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