Will Power

DEAR my daughter,

TODAY your mum submit her resignation letter to current employer. This is first time for her to change job since she get here on November 2007. I also anchoring at the same job since I join my current company in early 2008. Our companies are not either good or bad. It's just moderate and being migrant workers, we can't expect a perfect job like locals do. Moreover it's always risk to change job unless we are at least SPRs. Unfortunately our first time application for PRs had been rejected on couple years ago and recent application is under processing. We both are trying to get PRs so that we can afford to bring you here and enjoy a life of family.

Since your mother come back here for work by leaving you there alone with my elder sisters to survive, she is always desperate to get a chance living together again. She won't accept the option of full time housewife by retire from current job. The problem is she can't stay here without working a job as we are foreigner here. In order to bring you here, there would be several steps to be taken in preparation such as renting an entire flat, raising household income, getting higher employment pass, having flexible job, finding a place where you can enjoy while we are on work and so on. Getting PR is like a mission impossible at the moment because island state is busy with political campaign and the ruling party is likely to avoid on things that their people don't like. Influx of foreign workers has been hot button and top of agenda for long time and people's voice become louder day after day. Their GE is going to hold on coming May 7 and people are exciting to see new political landscape of their country.

I have to accept their saying that "Nothing is impossible to a willing mind" because of your mother's successful mission. She is optimistic and pragmatic in fact. I am a bit conservative person despite a leader of our household. Your mum always find a way to close the gap between us. She realizes that we can't rely on getting PRs option and she try to use plan B that is she hunted a job. After effort of few months, your mum finally received a good offer and accepted. Her new employer applied her pass on Tuesday and it was surprisingly approved on Thursday. In fact, it's not easy to get work pass approve especially this time. I heard a lot of application rejected news from my friends and I thought your mum also will get the same unwanted result. But luckily, the result come out in favor of her will. She even don't believe to see the approval result through online checking website from MOM.

In view of above, she gains confident and firmly believe it is because of your luck. Because your mum and I were not a lucky person and this time it favor us due to our willing of living together with you. Beside this is double gain for your mum because she is not happy with the current employer as they, Myanmar workers, are treated as different category despite they are working leading and complicated jobs with the less salary. They have served for more than 3 years and get only junior worker salary. The company bigger by time and the bigger the organization the dwarf they feel because they never receive enough credit. With the newest salary, your mum earn more than me and I am under pressure to pursue a better paid job from this day onwards.

In brief, please do understand that your parent are fighting challenges here with the prospect of reuniting our family. Whatever we gain from our jobs will impact on you. We always want to give you the best ever we can provide, living standard, education, wealth, health, etc. In order to fulfill our aim, we must have a strong financial status. So first thing first, we are saving money as much as possible and approaching the way we are able to unite. There will be sometime discomfort for you being stay away from parent. We'll love each other by the time we are able to live together. For the moment, please patient and maintain your health at optimum so we can have less pressure for you here. I promise you, it's just a matter of time and we are going to build a nice family sooner than later.

We love you and you are always in our minds, baby.

Water conscious woman 2

WE were happy to know that all tenant's dirty clothes would be washed by Aunty who is landlord herself without additional charge. Imagine where got such thing in the whole island? Who wouldn't be happy to enjoy it? So S$300 per head, and our room cost us S$ 600 inclusive of laundry and room cleaning service. That time our previous room charged us S$750 plus PUB. So I was happy to pay their demand without bargaining. Once I request her to allow us cooking as we don't afford and like outside foods. She and her old Singaporean husband easily agree with my requisition and ask me to pay additional S$10 for cooking gas used. I gladly agree with extra S$10 for our cooking habit. But I needed to make frequency of cooking as once a week for heavy cooking and minor cooking like noodle boiling at weekdays.

Few days after moving in new house, my wife and I noticed that our clothes come back as a less colorful. The house is bungalow and landed property and it has 6 bed rooms and 2 bath rooms. The landlord couple stay on a big room and the other 5 rooms are rented out. All available rooms are filled with different age of people from different countries. Some are workers and some are students. So the atmosphere within the hostel is strange. There is no warm relationship among hostel-mates. They have one washing machine that is only used by Aunty. All tenants are supposing to send their dirty clothes to a place nearby washing machine. Aunty knows which clothes are belong to which room and she used to return dry clothes to the respective room in the plastic basket.

She waits until good enough for full load of washing machine and wash. So she don't bother if it is woman or man outfits. She don't think if it is expensive or cheap. She don't consider if it is easy new or old. She don't guess if some clothes are easy to lose their color and transmit to others. What she always consider is how to save water effectively. Still agreeable with her until this point for you? Please continue read what is she going to do. She normally uses rain water for washing clothes. She don't mind to carry collected rain water from front yard to laundry room. She would collect water by big plastic container right under the zinc roof edge. There are so many such container on the side of the house. Once all container are full loaded, she would transfer water from open plastic bin to extra storage plastic bin with lid that are putting inside the roof. She would be busy whenever rain, no matter what time raining. She won't fail to manage plastic containers to properly collect water.

So no wonder she has a secret ambition to use those rain water in somewhere else. It come to washing machine when the machine is running. The problem is she don't discharge used water after one time usage. She usually reuse those used rain water in another cycle. Worse? She uses bleaching powder to wash clothes rather than bleaching powder. She thinks of easy washing and saving time by using bleaching powder which is considered mild acid. At first, we didn't know the methods she is utilizing. As a curious man, I carefully studied her daily life work especially we notice our clothes come back bald. My wife and I was so disappointed to realize the true story and later don't give our expensive office clothes to her laundry service. We requested her to let us wash ourselves. She permit us to use her rain water infront of house and from that day onwards we started to enjoy hand washing every weekend. My wife and I were afraid of that time coming in despite we all love weekend naturally. But we were doing this in the self-claim 1st world country. I'm just sharing my living experience of a developed country only, doesn't mean to disappoint you at all if you are one of locals.

(To be continued)

A day of worthlisten

LAST SUNDAY (24/04/2011), my wife and I went 3rd Myanmar literature talk show held in University Cultural Centre Hall of NUS. I bought the ticket about one month ago and I was so eagerly to attend this because this is first time to attend such kind. The first two talk show was missed and I enjoyed on youtube website. It was so knowledgeable and I wanted to make sure to attend next event. It cost me S$15 per head inclusive of free dinner. There are other discounts tickets come together with the ticket by sponsor and co-sponsor companies.

The talk show time is indicated on ticket as from 1.00pm to 8.30pm and able to start at 1.30pm exactly. We left our room on 11:30am so that we can reach there in time. Since the speakers are Myanmar's famous authors, there are so many fellow citizens there and they all happy by taking photographs with speakers before the talk show start. My seat is located in the medium deck of 3 story cultural hall. The hall is really impressive and it is a good sign of respect by organizer to visiting authors. According to the programme, there would be 4 authors talking to the audiences with the different interesting title. Young Myanmar Poly & SMU students are taking responsible for moderator roles during the break time between consecutive authors.

I was surprised to see the big cultural centre hall is filled with my fellow citizen just before talk show start. I thought there will be far less attendance than available seat capacity (1700 seats). All 3 levels are full of literature lovers and the cultural centre hall suddenly appear belong to Myanmar land due to overwhelming Myanmar citizen. It's much pleasure to see people around in our traditional dresses. It really make me feel getting home sense. Once the talk show start, people started to applause and cheer to oncoming author who is taking position. It's really loud to afraid for local security staff who are standing and guarding around the corridors of all levels and entrance and exit doors.

The authors and audiences are really matched and enjoyed each other. The author are really talented in talking public and they know how to manage the crowd not to be boring during talking time. Each author is allowed about 90 min to talk and it's not easy to make people enjoy within that time. It's equivalent to a match time of football. Sometime thousands crowd are so silent in deep listening and another time they are making noise environment by applauding to cheer author's speeches. The author's speech cover all angles of our life, from social to political, from economy to education, from environmental issue to religious, from knowledge base to fiction, from cultural to mismanagement by our government, etc.

We all thought time goes so fast during their talking time. In total, there are 7 hours talk time and people just left the hall for rest room purpose only. They are enjoying and supporting the author's opinion and sharing knowledge. It's really equivalent reading so many books in a year time, I believe. They all make our eye and ear wider and wiser while we are temporarily stay and working away from home. I cried several time during the show and so does my wife. I saw my neighbours also crying and laughing alternative. We sing together when the author sign famous song & poem. I never attend and seen such show in which speaker and audiences are cohesive.

Once people applaud, the security staffs would look at around with watchful eyes because they don't understand what the speakers are talking to, at first. In later stage, they understand and not rush as initial time. I oftenly see their action and guess what would they like to be now. I see their surprise in their eyes. I see their impressive by behavior. I see their respect our culture as they are witnessing physically. It make me proud being Myanmar citizen. They will never have such occasion in their native land. No wonder they are surprising the action of us. People won't hesitate to sing and applaud at the right time. There is no timing but it goes right. Once all 1700 audience applaud together, the sound is incredibly loud and it might share to them despite they don't understand the reason to do so. I really pity them and even think of why organizer can't make it translate to English so that they can understand. The world can understand. Probably it's because the safety of authors.

I'm sure if they do so, the authors would be arrested when they return home. Because our government don't want the world understand our current situation. The authors continuously request to audience to save our country when the time come. They insist people that we won't change nationality wherever we are staying away from mother land. It really make us understand the portraitist of a citizen. Since all audience are book worms, I believe they all understand well what the authors meant. At the same time, this talk show make us more united among fellow citizens. There will be another talk show on coming Sunday at Singapore polytechnic auditorium hall. I intend to attend every single talk show like that as long as I get a chance and hope there will be so many talk show coming in near future.

May our author be able to talk freely and sharing their opinion with their people.

Water conscious woman 1

I'm currently working in a self-claimed developed country and never thought I might need to use rain water in daily life. We all know that Singapore is lacking natural resources even they are relying on water from Malaysia by importing. It is hilarious for you to be heard but really happened to me here. She is an Indonesian woman who tied knot with Singaporean old man. I don't know it's fake marriage or not since they have no child and different in age for decades. Let it be because it's non of my business.

With the help of my Indonesia colleague, I rented a room at her house because it's just walking distance away from my office. Moreover the rental fees is cheaper compare to the market price among Myanmar communities here. One of my Indian colleague also stay there and he paid S$180 for a small entire room. But once I inquired for rental fees, she asked for S$300 for a bit bigger than my Indian friend's room. That time I was rush in getting a room within a few days and I was no choice but accept. When I request her to allow us to cook, she asked for additional S$10 for gas allowance. I easily agreed with her and finally we moved in on a fine day.

By the time we moved in, the room have yet to vacant because the Nepalese couple requested for few days extension. So we are stuck at the living room and the same day evening, my Indian friend moved out to his Uncle home. Then we are temporarily placed in the small room despite we paid for a big room. We never mind for a short period as it's unexpected. We understand and keep quiet without complaining for that uncomfortable experience. The problem start at night time when we are washing our used dishes after having dinner. My wife was washing as usual and she suddenly rush in kitchen from a corner and shout at her.....

STOP STOP STOP Stop.......

My wife surprisingly look at her and asked.
wife : why ?
she : you can't do like that. Water in Singapore are expensive.
wife : then how do I wash my used dishes?
she : you have to open tap partially like this (by showing how to open tap)
wife : hmmmm

She leaves some dishes in the sink and went back to room. I said, what happened and she replied me that she can't stay in this house. She explained me the incident and I am so disappointed to learn her words. Hmmm,,lets stay for a month and later we find new place and move out again. I consoled her my best and we tried to spend that night hardly.

(To be continued)

Don't blame us if we fail

DEAR my little girl,

The quality of life and education here is almost perfect and they are boasting themselves by making this country as a education hub in the region. They are scoring high in several sectors but paying something back for their development at the same time. We thought developing is good for any nation to taste. It's wrong especially when the country has no proper system to handle negative impacts of development. In fact, Singapore is considered one of an ideal nation among world's developing nations. I have no doubt on the quality of their leaders on making this land a famous spot in the world. We could see this city state as a dot in world map. But they are powerful due to capable government.

Singapore's generation Y thought their nation's success story is naturally gifted and recently their founding father MM Lee clarified on his latest book by saying "you think Singapore's success is just like other developed nations, you are dead wrong." He explained how hardship they were during inception stage of this tiny nation. The first generation people were fought all the way by giving their life up for their nation. As a result, today Singapore can proud as a developed nation despite severely lack of natural resources. Since they realize they have nothing to be found naturally, they keep trying to upgrade their education system so that they can create human resources. They are right by doing so and now their nation is top in the region and other nations are imaging to copy their ways. Let it be.

As I told you above, they keep change their education system and they have world class education school, institute, college and universities. I see a lot of school child going to the school at early morning. They used to carry a heavy bag of their books. Seeing them with spectacle is not strange in this society. Most of people here are wearing glasses since they are over usage of high technology in their daily life. You can see a primary school student using hand phone and playing games on the public transport. It become typical and nobody seems bother for that including their own parent. Their education of course demands a lot of paper work from them and it lead them rely on glasses at the very young age.

In our country, our children might not able to access a good education system that they do. Also our children may not even see the play station in their childhood life. But they are playing traditional game that need physical that make them fit and strong in life. As a result, we see less student wearing glasses in our society. Other factors like foods, life style may have been affected to become this. But I don't like most of their students is socially very open and morally weak. Probably they are not taught how to respect older people and superior in life. They seem rude generally which they claim they are open minded. On the other hand, our religious make us polite people and our society is conservative to safe our child.

In our country, even university students are living their life under shadow of their families. Here I see their parents are out of control when their child reach as high as secondary school. Sadly, their students think of human right wrongly. They won't hesitate to inform police if their parent abuse them physically for the sake of correction. There is no such thing in our culture. Our teacher and parent can treat their pupil and child freely as people understand that they are doing that because it's necessary for a good cause. Our pupil and child love and afraid of their teacher and parent. It's much look like family bond relationship between pupils and teachers in our country. This is social value you can't find outside Myanmar. I want you to appreciate that. It's sure you can't find an excellent education inside our land but still can find some value at it.

I'm really concern to learn the student related criminal case especially on the base of morale. I often read news of sexually relationship between teacher and student that is not legally allowed in this country. Here pre-school goer are as young as 3 to 5 years old. They call it nusery and I am shocked to read recently that they have been boyfriend and girlfriend relationship in the class. It's not a strange to see oftenly about gang rape among teenage students. The law is so strict here but still crime are committed by troubled young. It's because their younger generation too expose to internet access through their laptop and even hand phone. The internet is very much open to all surfers regardless of your age.

Naturally young people are curious and they are most likely to access bad sites rather than good because bad sites are much attractive compare to good ones. They might have access adult website and wanna try themselves once they are given chance. It's uncontrollable by their guardian or parents. How can we prevent our students from keep going bad website that is supposed for adult? As a poor country, our people don't need to worry for that because our country's people even don't see computer. Probably only less than 1% of population can access super slow and highly controlled internet. This is bad on one purpose while good for certain aspect. Few days back, six years old primary school boy sexually assaults to his classmate of same age girls. What a shock news is it? It was happening in UK and parent are highly alerted.

As a father of a girl, I'm really upsetting to learn that news but I can do nothing. You are as young as 9 months old now. But I'm already thinking of your future now. I ask myself if I want to give you world class education or not. If I want it, I have to take associated risk. It's inevitable. On the other way, I can return my country and let you study in my country and understand the social value by living together with family. It become a big issue to me and I sometime can't sleep as can't stop thinking of it without finding proper answer. You may want to come here and study one day. We are prepared for the day to come, my dear.

But please be understand if we failed to bring you here to access world class education. As I told you in previous pose, your parent were born in rural villages and able to come here one day. Why not for you to follow our step? What I can guarantee for you is you'll never be given the same situation of what your parent have come across. If you are to study in native land, we'll try to give you the best in the country. From that point, you may launch your talent by doing all the best of you. I may able to show you the way to go safely in future as I have been gather a lot information within my life time. I hope I can able to serve you as a good dad before I close my eyes permanently. Thanks for cooperating, my princess.

A gap so far to bridge

Dear my daughter,

Happy Myanmar New Year to you, dear. Today is 2nd day of our new year and I'm not sure if you enjoy the atmosphere of native land or not. Anyway time goes on and you have been in our planet for 9 months and continue to miss parental love. I'm deeply sorry failing to give you such loving kindness. Circumstance needs your parent to go greener pasture and save money to raise our living standard. We together suffer and will together enjoy all life's pleasure. It's costly to pay back if you are not growing in the way we expect. We realize that it won't be as comfort as in the hands of mum for you. But my dear, in life, we sometime need to accept unwanted things without able to find plan B. I, being a dad of you, sincerely believe you'll understand this when you are old enough to understand it.

You might have been boring with the same tone of my excuses. I know it's too much to swallow for a young baby girl like you. Oh my dear, I, again, want you to understand that we can't get something without giving something on the other way. It's universal truth and people all over the world have to accept this. One of our secrete reason for why we're working oversea is enable to give you a world class education. Without a job in oversea, it's impossible for us to send you attend world class school. Since the day 1 you enter our life, I am very much concern about your education. You mum and I were from a poor family of rural area. We didn't able to access a good education. Since we are born in a rural area of a poor country, it's obvious for a villager student having uphill task to succeed in their educational path.

Your mum needed to walk about 5 miles to get her primary school lessons. The route is not a smooth one and it consist crossing a creek that is angry when rainy days. On a rainy day, it's compulsory for parent to send their children other bank of creek safely. Vice versa, at the evening the parent have to wait their children's return home from the other bank of creek. Once the creek is heavily rain, they'll have to sleep on the banks while parent are still waiting from other side of bank to bring their child back home safely. When she pass primary school, your mum needed to go nearest town that is further away from village to access secondary school education. She stayed in a relative house and tried to pass all exam to reach where she is today.

I am a bit luckier than your mum in my younger days because my village has a middle school. So I was able to attend my village school until I pass highest secondary school. After that I also needed to apart my family so that I can make further studies in high school. Luckily I passed my middle school with high grade and one of my relative offered me a scholarship. An offer was too good to resist and my family hardly decided to agree with it. As a result, 14 years old boy had to leave home comfort for alien environment. It was second largest city in our country that is over 300 miles away from my village. I was placed at a monastery to stay and study at a government school. Life was too rough for a school boy to handle alone at a strange monastery. But I tried to swallow all incoming nightmare without letting my family know. It made me more hungry to success in life. Otherwise I won't be here today I am stand for.

In summary, your mum and I am able to work in a first-world country as a skill worker. Luckily we are eligible to work under a ceiling. Meaning we are able to work in a safe environment together with the locals do. We can work in an air-conditioned room by stepping on a carpet floor. We special thank to your grand parent for keeping us study in the school when they are struggling with hardship of life. Without their support, we might not be here. Because most of our school-mates were withdrawn by their parent in the prospect of asking them to join family jobs. We are lucky to avoid such experience and our parent probably appreciate the value of education despite they are not educated person. They realize from their life-time experience that their children won't have a higher life without proper education. Fortunately your mum and I were hard studying to pass every year exam.

We came from a rural village and able to work in a developed country due to our education. We fully understand the power of education and we are desperate to give you a world class education so that our next generation would be step up. So please patient while we are not able to bring you here. We're trying to settle here and looking for a way to bring you in. Life being migrant worker here is never easy my baby. But we strongly believe that nothing is impossible to a willing mind. Since your mum and I have a will, let's believe in reunion of our family sooner than later. While we are apart, please stay in healthy and make yourself less burden baby to those who are currently taking care you. We can't be relax here when we know you are not feeling well. As I said above, we suffer together now and we'll celebrate together when a day is born in favour of us. Let's count down, baby.

Wish you possess a happy, good, successful, healthy life together with your beloving parent.

A day to proud

TWO years after working in island state, I felt time to upgrade my career skill if I am willing to save my job as long as possible. In 2008 the world suffered from record high global recession and it impact the job market. Frequently heard fire, retrenchment news among friends. Since my degree and diploma are not recognized here, I decided to take a recognized course by this government. So I submitted application form via fax to academy of building construction authority.

I'm trained as civil engineer but I am working as a Quantity Surveyor. Lack of relevant certificate to my current job make me feel insecure. If I want to get promotion or a raise, it is a must to have a recognized certificate to match my prevailing experiences. Luckily my Malaysia experience seem recognized by some SMEs. So I could find a job without much difficulties. But I realize I have improve myself through skill upgrading programme. It is expensive and there is no way to get redemption as a foreign worker. But I have to brave in investing in a right place for better future.

Firstly I am suppose to submit my application form through fax for paper test. Few months later I am informed that I pass paper test and I am invited to site English screen test before I can enjoy their course. Actually I was applying Specialist diploma course and I am a degree holder from my native land. It proof that our English proficiency are not recognized too. I later understood that only China and Myanmar student candidate are required to sit this particular exam. Some course also need us to test our Mathematics screening test. My proposed course is Building cost management and considered only English skill is important to them. We, Myanmar workers, have reputation with the poor English language skill among workers from other countries.

No choice but I have to accept their test if I want to study something new at their college. So I went and sit the exam. I noticed that less than 50% of participants passed the test. Thanks god I'm selected to join the course. Being underdogs, I worried, at first, myself if I can catch up the lecturer's instruction. We are joined by some locals and other country classmates who don't need to sit English screening test like we did. Never mind, they are considered their education is good enough compare to us. I tried my best so that I can catch up in every subject. Some subjects like common laws and principal of valuation are quite strange to me. Locals took advantage from their knowledge as they are used to such area compare to us. Fortunately I could able to manage to pass first semester with flying colors.

The second semester came much easier to me compare to first one because it's much related to my job. This time most of locals who came from other sectors are visibly struggling to cope with. By time, I gain and cumulative my confident and finally I passed the final exam with merit award. I am proud to be selected as a merit award winner while locals who were considered better and privileged only able to pass ordinarily. The minister of State development and education gave certificates to only award winners. The lower grade students were handed over by school principal. I finally feel comfortable not only for myself but able to show the quality of Myanmar student to school's management. I am so happy to learn a lot of my fellow citizen scored high and included in the award lists from various courses. I even can say this graduation day is a day to proud for Myanmar students among the campus if it is not for all migrant workers from the island.

Happy Myanmar Water Festival

TODAY begins our annual water festival and everybody eagerly awaited for this 4 days long festival to enjoy all over the country. No matter how old are you, it can give everybody happiness and unique experience. On the other hand, this water festival enable our people to relief from 40'C summer days. I believe our ancestors intentionally created this water festival in order to mitigate the burden of hotting weather. You don't need to be rich to fully participate this special occasion. What you need to do is just go out of the home and enjoy atmosphere. It's unavoidable from being flashed with water by passer by. There are so many decorated stages equipped with several water hoses as well as entertain participants with traditional dance and songs.

The company and government office used to sponsor their own stage and try to compete each other in term of quality and entertainment. They make sure that their stages can attract dwelling people as much as possible. It's really non-profit competition and just trying to fulfill their part as a citizen. We, Burmese, are generally shy and less exposure to social events like this. Since our religious teach us how to live properly within the standard rule so that everybody cannot be a burden to others as well as government. We are naturally quiet and less motivated people. But we all participate this festival with the unique ambition.

Unfortunately, last year water festival was spoiled by a bomb and it destroyed the beauty of our cultural festival. Since then people become more aware of this repeating and affecting them. It make people more concious in enjoying festive season that lead this festival less enjoyable. Moreover the government have tighten the security and it dramatically become additional burdens for the organizer of this festival. The new rule requires organizer who are going to construct their own stages have to install at least 5 CCTV at every single stage and put a telephone to communicate with relevant authorities once emergency come out. It is costly for a poor country like us and effectively bar potential organizer to participate especially for those who are not strong in finance.

On the other hand, those stage usually find some sponsor to boost financial strong and they increased the fees of advertising. As a result, they find it harder to get enough sponsor due to costly and there will be considerably less stage this year. I am not happy to learn that although I am unable to enjoy this because I am currently working in oversea. I want to see a successful festival and boast my collages from other countries. I always can't understand on the action of our own government. Why do they prevent people celebrating to enjoy the beginning of our new year? Why aren't the government supportive? I see Thailand government is doing all the way to advertise their version of water festival all over the world. They are trying to magnet world's tourist to come join their festival. If they are doing this, why not the same attitude for us?

It's embarrassing people only know Thailand's water festival rather than ours. At the worse case, they think we are copying the culture of Thai's festival. I am very much sure that we are a country of 1000 years history and longer background than Thailand. The different is we have different governments. The capable government knows what to be appreciated and what to be depreciated. I don't want to comment further as it's too pain to reveal our own weakness. This is just my personal feeling and wish our brand new democratic government able to encourage our endanger culture to its eternal.

Pain Truth 7

"MYANMAR need not apply......". It's an advertising page of a local newspaper for a job offer by a company. What a daring page is it? What an abusive manner does it contain? Have you ever find such thing in your life? Probably No, isn't it? Why an editor of this paper allow such ridiculous thing? May be it's just a minor case for him or any body else other than Myanmar citizen. I am shocked and really upset to learn that page. I could do nothing but can't stop keep thinking of it.

What if it is other country other than Myanmar? Anything can happen to either this company or newspaper publisher. We, Myanmar, are naturally genial and keep silent even when they are treated in a different categories by locals or colleagues. Why does it happen to us like that? Silent doesn't mean we are people of patient. I do believe that it is because of lacking English proficiency skills. The circumstance in our country forced us to emigrate to seek a greener pasture without proper preparation. To make it worse, our education is not good enough to struggle in an alien environment. As a result, we are constantly bullied by other migrants and locals. It's unavoidable when we are not mastering English.

I understand that the above job advertising do so, by citing our citizen's poor English. It's too pain to be criticized publicly. Hard to swallow because it's hard truth. I frequently read local news that is related to my fellow citizen. Whatever we are concern, the journalist/ writer would write that the fellow is trying to explain with their halting English. I myself is poor at English and I agree that my English is not as good as their primary school student's English. But I believe that mastering English alone is not good enough for a person to excel in the job. Let me draw one example to proof this. Japanese and Korean are not mastering in English generally. We all the world know that but we don't dare to underestimate them as they are leading nations of technology. It's good enough to accept my claim that English alone can't make a person perfect.

Then what are we missing? Yes we miss a good education, strong technology, innovative, entrepreneurship, research and development, above all, we are lacking to amend ourselves for the sake of nation's development. At the end of the day, we dramatically became a victim of a bad system. As long as we don't change our flawed system, we are continuously going down until we hit the hell. Hopefully the relevant authorities do understand the actual situation and try to put our nation back on a right track.

May our younger generation able to access a good education so that they can compete their counterparts from other nations in the future. It's most important because sooner or later they'll be handed over the power of handling our nation. Please do think carefully now. Otherwise you better prepare for chaos days of your old time in life before you lay at your tomb.

Pain Truth 6

SHE is an civil engineering diploma graduate from my country. But she earn money in this city state by doing non-engineering related works. Can you imagine what is she doing here. It's quite normal for people to work the jobs that are not related with their education background. Such kind of things really happen on third world countries whose government fail to create enough jobs for its graduates. I'm shocked to be told that the aforesaid woman is working as a maid in Singapore. It's for sure because the one who told me is ex-lecturer of her when she was studying in a local government technological college. I was frustrating to learn it but I can't change this scenario. My ex-lecturer friend asked me whether I want to know similar stories. I said NO as I don't want to hurt myself more than once. But enough is enough, one experience can make a person change attitude or even his/her ambition. At the end of the day, we have to be realistic so that we can move a right step to correct any default that can spoil our nation's image.

I'm also working in Singapore and recently I needed to go a QS Consultant's office to discuss my project's finalization matters. That office was located in a katong shopping mall. I was a bit early when I reach the mall and I need to wait PM who come from another meeting to join me. So I decided to go around the mall before PM arrive. I was surprisingly found that most of the shops from ground floors are maid agencies. This is first time I experience the maid agencies together at a place. There are several women who wear their agency's uniform and sitting side by side at their palour. It's obvious they are waiting for their potential employer to come in. I felt sad to see them like that and it really make me remember old history time that has slavery communities among rich and poor. We virtually thought those bitter time had gone by the civil revolution especially at the North America. Unfortunately it still alive in the form of domestic helper in the present world. I believe it will never disappear as long as there is a big gap between riches and poor.

By strolling around the ground floor area, I found one signboard which is suspended from a ceiling at a place. I was amazed and stop my foot and read it thoroughly. What's that?

"Myanmar Maid Specialist"

What a damn is it? It show the real situation of our country. Once upon a time, we are proud race among regional countries even in the world. Our country has produced world leader like UN Secretary U Thant as well as renowned national leader General Aung San. Our colonial time education was respected by regional countries. Our old universities produced quality graduate to serve our country. Within an ASEAN countries, we are the biggest country in term of continual land size. Beside it, we are likely the richest country who has vast natural resources. Then what make us up side down within a time frame of few decades? Where is our reputation as a golden land? Where is our proud to be a Burmese?

This agency even boasted in their advertisement that they have their own academy in Myanmar to train local women before they bring in. By doing so, they ensure their potential customer that they are providing quality maid. Nowadays Singapore market is facing shortage a domestic helpers because well trained maid from Indonesia and Philippine are going better paid countries like Hong Kong and Taiwan. So the maid agencies find alternative sources and they tip another poorer countries such as Cambodia & Myanmar. I am embarrassing to read frequent news of Myanmar maid related stories in the local papers. I don't want my country to become a country of labourer and maids. We are not low intelligent people. We are not a country who don't have natural resources and human resources to stand ourselves. We just dearly miss a good system to put our country back on a right track.

Hello, new president and MPs, are you all concern the situation of your graduates? Do you have any idea to improve our failed educational system? Please make it by default. Please invest most of our national income in raising our young generation's education. Because it's only way you can gradually mitigate the risk of having national burdens. The more less educated people, the less opportunities to become developing country. Eventually we are dead wrong and would be bullied by our neighbour countries. They'll take fully advantage of our weakness. They will take maximum resources for their little dollars. We will fail to assess properly if we are lacking well educated MPs or leaders. I don't want to show how to swim to a crocodile. You are deemed to have fully understand the situation more than any other body within our country. I know we can't build a nation over night. It will take time and we will have to patient. But for sure is late is better than never. So please move a right step day after day toward a developing nation. It'ld be necessary to pick a talented students and send them western universities with the aid of national scholarship. Wish you overcome all incoming unidentified troubles and problem with the sake of nation's development.

Pain Truth 5

I WAS so happy to own a second hand phone for first time in my life. I never thought I would able to use a mobile phone until that day. It was a day of 2005, 4 months after I start working in Malaysia. In the initial months, I couldn't afford to buy a hand phone and always need to ask senior fellow citizen worker to borrow once a month. Because I transfer my wages once a month to home and needed to inform my elder sister after I made it. So it make me borrow a hand phone for a while from those who has. Also this is only one I can afford to make a call to my family because it's too expensive to call to my country.

With the recognition of my sister, I could able to buy a second hand phone 4 months after I working in Malaysia. I couldn't afford to spend more than RM-300 and that time (2005), hand phone price are not as cheap as nowadays. Despite a sim card can be bought as low as RM-8.00 in the open market, there are variety of hand set available with the different price. Since I am price conscious and low budget buyer, I thoroughly surveyed the market, reading advertisement and asking my local colleagues at work. I realized I can't afford to buy brand new one after I read several phone broucher and advertisement from daily free newspaper. So I opted to buy a good second hand. That time a brand new hand set can cost as much as RM-1200 depend on model.

Yes, there is a market that sell old hand sets. But I don't want to buy from them because it's risky and I don't know much about hand set. Because the used one are usually sold without guarantee. So it's too risky for a customer with very limited budget like me. Fortunately, one of my college who is local Chinese engineer offered me a best deal for his girl friend's hand set. His offer was within my budget and I gladly accept it. He said his girl friend bought it only 6 months ago from Nokia authorized center. So he ensure me for the quality of material and durability. I paid RM-300 for hand set that is color screen which is not very old model. Even can consider one of recent models released by Nokia. I considered myself lucky and was happying to own my first ever gadget.

I very much take care it so that I can avoid unnecessary malfunction or spoil. Can you guess how did I take care of it? I wrap it by two layers of clothes which is made by towel wool. I roll in in the innermost part so that it can stay inside as smooth as possible. Few days later my friend asked me to borrow hand set for a while because he needs to retrieve some contact numbers from this phone memory. He was surprisingly looking at me while I am taking out of my bag. Because I put my hand set in the deep pocket of my bag. I have to unzip two pieces to reach it. Then I have to unwrap two layers of wool clothes to expose my handset. He was amazing to learn my care and even told me his surprise.

It may be far conservative action for them because they are raised among those electronic gadgets. Meanwhile, we thought those kind of electronic goods are privileged and believe they are invented for super riches only. The different the background we grow up. I don't know how much different between us exactly even within an ASEAN countries. I can't guess how far developed in the western countries like US or EU. But for sure, they are really happening to me and my action proof that how have we gone through our own life without having access modern facilities. I do understand how much behind we are compare to outside world.

Hopefully our new government may fully understand this and able to close the gap as much as possible. Whatever thing had done in past is past and we can't change it. Let's see ahead and try our best so that we can catch up our neighboring countries.

Pain Truth 4

"You can't compare with them, guys",

This is reply by our fearsome lady boss to our query. We knew her answer for doing unfair things as we have been serial abusive by company especially by herself. We keep quiet as much as possible in order to avoid unwanted fines or suspension of our wages. We are not happy to work there but we can't go away. Our employer keep our passports and committed serial offense against us. Most of Myanmar workers are graduates and they are earning the lowest wages among the immigrant workers who came from variety of poor countries.

Since we, Burmese workers, are educated, we are able to adapt new environment's condition and easily take over a higher jobs. It proof that by seeing most of supervisor level workers from various sites are my fellow citizen. Moreover, only Myanmar workers are eligible to work at the head quarter together with locals. So why shouldn't I proud of them including myself? They know our strength well and they took fully advantage of us. There are so many Myanmar workers in that company. They even go Yangon themselves and hold interview to recruit new employment with the help of local agent. I was getting that job through this way.

Beside they know our situation, they also well understand the situation of our embassy. They know our embassy goes negligence once our citizen are being abused or unfairly treated by employer. At worst case, they even bribe to embassy official so that our counsel would go blind in favor of their way rather than to protect the benefit of its own fellow citizen. It's pretty hurt to stay under scrutiny of our own betrayal citizen. They offer few betrayal workers a slightly better package so that they can get insider news. We all hate such person for providing information to employer who give him a little more than peers. But nothing we can do but fulfill the 3 years contract.

Ok let's back main point, despite we take leading role, we are earning less than non-educated workers from other countries like Thai, Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, etc. Being foreign worker, we are daily wages earner and they are calculated by daily basic. Our worker can get RM-12 a day while other workers earn RM-15 a day while our workers are doing supervisory jobs. The story don't end here. They non-Myanmar workers deserve a wage raise every two years while we got a review on once three years. It's really happened to us. Again, our worker get RM-2 per raise while other enjoy RM-3 per time. Why do they treat us like that? It is the reason behind why we go up for group protest to our lady boss. We all realize that the fines and penalty would be imposed to us for this action.

But we took the risk of being fines and all negative consequence. We all wanted to go back at any given time if they don't like us. Unfortunately, they know our values in office and never want to release us before contract is end. Because they probably can't find the same quality with this bloody cheap wages. We all are engineers but earn general worker wages. What can we do? Our agent is nothing but take all our hard earn money. Our local agents are helpless and no powerful. They always think of employer's way as they want to keep a good relationship. They never think of their own citizen's plight. They are in fact cruel. There is no law in place to fix those unfair matters in the sake of our people. After understanding we get a raise for RM-2.00 rather than RM3.00 as other country men earn, we braved ourselves and went to the lady boss's room.

secretary : why are you all coming here during the working time? any appointment with madam?
we : we have something to discuss with madam.
secretary : by raising his eyebrow, why? tell me what's the matter first.
we : you can't do that, let us see madam
secretary : then I don't allow you go in
we : starting to show our temper to him so he understand we are desperate to go in
boss : after hearing some noise infront of her room, what's happening there?
secretary : here Myanmar guys come for complains
boss : who wants to complain, come
we : we all move forward together
boss : who is leader here?
we : we all see each other by not answer as we know leader is going to be given worst punished
boss : I asking you, who is leader?
we : all are the same, no particular leader here
boss : well, what's the case?
we : why we can't get RM3.00 raise like others do?
boss : because you are from Burma.
we : we all look at each other again silently.
boss : you all can't compete with them, their countries are better than yours.
we : we became damp....instantly
boss : go back WORK before I punish you all.....
we : but we are better contributing to the company, madam
boss : it really doesn't matter to us
we : then what matter to you, madam?
boss : the place of origin you come from.

We were so pain to be defeated like that. Why people are not judging us based on our own merit? There is nothing wrong with us for less developing/ poor at our home land. We tried our best and we earn the least. It is, in my opinion, totally unfair. I am sure there are a lot of similar stories like we faced there. I don't know whether our government the plight of us being immigrant workers. They are only interested in taking income tax. Please do help your country men from being bullied by others who is superior to them. At abroad, we have no where to rely but our own embassy. If our embassy neglect our troubles, then we are to accept all incoming abusive, bullies, unfair, etc. I hope our newest government can able to address those painful stories.

Congratulation Mr. President

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, Being a member of public, I'ld like to congratulate you for your achievement. No matter people from both locals and all over the world likes you or not, you have been our country's president. You deserve either praise or recognition from the counterparts of other countries. I realized from international media that they are not going to recognize our country's new government due to widely sham election. What a great disappointment for a person like me? I believe so would you. I'm currently working in oversea and that make me able to access international media which can give me deep understanding of situation especially the relationship between my country and the rest of the world. Let's forget about other comments first, Sir.

No matter our recent election is fair or not, you are assigned as our president. We, public, are desperately needs a good leader and we are eagerly wait to see how would you do your assignments as a civilian leader. For me is, I don't rate a person's able by the whole organization. I would prefer to judge a person's qualification by his own merit. I hope you can fulfill our dream of long time as a president. As a person who take highest civil servant salary at 5 million Ks (S$ 6,666), we highly expect you to perform in return of your lucrative earning. We public know that it's net income and you are entitled to take 6 cars, 2 bodyguards, president house (I don't know it is called white/blue/black/pink house), medical allowance for you and your family in both local & international treatment, among others. It's pretty good for a president of the poorest country in the world I think.

In view of the facilities you are given, we public believe you can work without taking any bribery if you are honest person and loyal to your country as you just sworn. In the mean time, we expect you to allow your fellow civil servant's salary increase so that they can survive from the ever rising inflation and living cost. Because I have heard the same reason from your predecessor's government staffs for their bribery, citing not enough salaries. Once you have raised their wages, you may focus on tightening the corruption among staffs. It's obvious that this is one of the important area you will have to tackle out. I believe in you that you'll fulfill what you have pledged recently.

Let other people say what they think is right. It's non of our business. The good way to show your ability is just doing right things that was effectively ignored by your predecessors. We people are human being and we can understand who is good and who is bad when they are treated. You don't need to talk so much. Hard working along would be more than enough for them. Gradually, they will join you in favor of your way. Once they believe in you, they will never be hesitate in doing whatever you are asking for. Of course I'ld be one of them when my country is on the right track. I promise you that I'll bring back home with my little asset and technology I have learned from oversea job. I am sure there would be so many people who might think of mine.

It's time to show your worthiness to the rest of the world by doing the right moves in favour of people's benefit. We, public, are smelling of some good changes and please don't make us disappointed again by doing something that people are not expecting from you and your brand new government. We believe in your faith and we'll be waiting to cheer your success in near future. I'm pleased to learn that you are the most honest person among Junta creams by staying arm-distance from local tycoon's business. It's good and essential for any political person and I am proud to have such leader now. Let us believe that you will never spoil your already existing reputation as Mr. Clean.

Let me repeat one word that "Congratulation Sir".

Pain Truth 3

COUPLE months ago, one of my fellow colleague's wife came here to visit him & find a job. Being a young childless couple, it's obvious they want to live together here. So they tried their best with the prospect of landing a suitable job. She is a holder of account degree and have considerable working experience. So she might have a good chance to get a job here as accountants are second most presence here after engineering educated migrant workers from my native land. I also wish him to get good luck.

But the problem started when his wife refused to apply job on certain days. I was fully surprised to hear from these bitter experience from my first. Once my friend told me that incident, I was totally upsetting and advised him to convince her change attitude. Why? She consulted with an astrologer before she came here. She was told by the stupid astrologer that not to apply job on sudden days. Those days include Mon, Wed & Thursday. What a shift is it? There are only five working days and she is asked not to apply job on 3 days a week. The problem existing in both sides, not only at astrologer but herself.

Being an educated person, why she is following unrealistic instruction? She should have understood that she can get a job when she apply job. Who will come and give her a job without applying? By doing so, she applied less possible jobs that lead her get very limited job interview. If I am not wrong she got only two interview within a span of allowable 2 months time. So who is going to take responsible for her unsuccessful mission? She's desperate to work and live together with her husband. But unfortunately she will have to go back Myanmar tomorrow and it won't be easy for her to get another chance in near future.

Now she failed to succeed her ambition and needs to go back home. She even told her husband that he had got current job due to her astrologer. What a hilarious joke? How an astrology help a person here to get a job? He may ask her to do some good things so that her husband's luck can be increased. In fact, her husband was struggling to get this job. He also failed to get his job within first two months and he was needed to leave island state to get another one month extension. She knew the story but she believe it is because of her astrologer's power.

Time goes by, she started to feel hot and switch to religious way by going monastery to seek a good way. She was told to sweep the temple compound every day in order to raise her luck by a monk. Since then she goes every day with the expect of getting an interview. But this too not working. In here, what I wonder is why our job seeker are over reliance on unseen power to get a job? It's not realistic here. A chance is born by only way that is hard working. Not by a magician or a God. They may approach whatever they believe in, but it must be due to sentimental reason. Meanwhile they must try their best by doing all possible ways. Come to find work and wait for a proper day is completely stupid act. I am so sad to learn this story as she is educated woman. Why our educated person become like that? For sure, there have been something wrong with our community.

May our people able to think of things on what's right and what's wrong without believing in something blindly. Being Buddhist, we are taught by our Lord of Buddha as follow:-

Dear my followers: please do not believe easily because of the following circumstances:-

1) it's traditional / conventionally accepted
2) it's told by teacher
3) it's told by religious
4) it's told by friends
5) it's told by relatives
6) it's told by monks
7) it's told by even myself (Lord of Buddha)
8)........
9).......
10).....

I don't remember all detail but it look like those above. What a good religious foundation have we got? Our Buddha never taught us to believe all the ways in even what he has told. in life. He strongly encourage his followers to test his discovery and realize ourselves through own research/experience. But sadly, nowadays most of people become poor and hard to get quality education that lead their brain unable to think of truth things in their daily lives. The more they are greedy the more they are going to be blind. It's unavoidable. But such kind environment is really happening in my mother land due to declination of public standard and lack of quality lives.

Hopefully our newest government can fix this kind of problem as soon as possible so that we can prevent younger generation from becoming burden for the state.