My blessing

April 27th 2008


I am a liver transplant recipient. I got my new liver for now oh...one year and six months already. I am doing well, actually very well. Playing Tennis 3 times a week and spend 2 or 3 times at my building gym. I just went to Shands Hospital at Florida University for my six months check up in Feb. 2008. Doing MRI is ok for me but waiting for the result is very very difficult. The scare hit me so hard...I can't sleep nor eat..... but one thing I never forget to do is "Praying".

Earle is from CANADA. A man who is very good at Piano! We go to the same church in Bangkok. He plays music in our church beautifully. One morning when I opened my email while I was waiting for my 6 months test result in Gainesville, Earle sent me a beautiful song and said "Helen..when you coming back, would you like to sing this song"... I opened the music file and was a very meaningful to me. I love the song and it put me very clarm till I got the good news from the doctor.

I am a Christian....... for sure not a cult members!!! I know my blessing. I almost kiss the dead but God leads me into good doctors, good hospital, good nurse and good people around me. I can't express enough that I love Jesus!

This is the music that I sang yesterday at Church! So meaning to me. If you have time it is good to listen...

Http://fishermanchristianmusic.net/musicpage/Sheltered-In-The-Arms-of-God/Sheltered-In-The-Arms-Of-God.htm

May God touch each of your life as he does to me....

Ring Road

April 26th 2008


AT 9:30 am, I went to the church to practice my solo for this Sunday. I have to say that I do not have voice like Celine Dion but almost as good as hers.....aha! Robins and Shan went to play Tennis and met me at the Central Chit Lom Shopping Center. We had lunch there with Earle, the Piano man!

I ate Vietnam food. I love the noodle there! My son ordered as always... Italian food!! My son said vegetable are bad for him.. 12 years old they starting to talk crazy sometime. After that I shopped for a while, got Robins a white shirt! Got me a polo shoes. Robins continued to go buy some DVD movie at another shopping center. Shan and I came back home ahead.

We had Driver who doesn't speak English at all. I always hired people do not speak English so that we can speak the local language as fast as I can. My driver is Thai, my Cook is Thai, my cleaner is Nepalese. They all no one speak English!I do speak Thai now. At home I speak Spanish to my son because I do not want him to forget his Spanish. In Guatemala and Belize...my nanny, my yard man and my cook spoke only Spanish. My son was growning up with Spanish Language as his first Language. OK back to my Driver inBangkok, he works Monday to Saturday half day. This Saturday he told me that he had appointment so he can't work for OT. I told him to go back by Sky Train and I will drive.

Well you all know that driving in Bangkok is not easy but I do drive time to time. I only drive the way that I know. ...But today I did take a chance and the chance give me very bad turn.... my car was on the ring road which is I never been there!!! I was so scared but was trying to look the way back home. I have no idea that where I was and where to turn....thinking that I will round and round and round then I will off from ring road...but no luck! Suddenly I realized that I have no seen tall building anymore...then I know I crewed up! Shan video taped all the way and laughed to dead! I was creamed at him to shut up but he was not! Road look like I was driving to Pataya or Chaing Mai. I was SWEAT!

I sweat so bad that I called my Princess's son because I knew that he is good on ring road... thinking that he will navigate me back home! Bad luck ...He was in Hong Kong for meeting so I hang up!

Well as smart as I am...I stoped the car, went out and called the Taxi. I told the Taxi Driver "You drive ahead of me and take me to the Sukunvit, any Sukunvit OK please".. He did not understand but I told him "just do it I will give you 300 baht"..he was happy, I was happy and my son was happy to be back home!

I won't do that again...never!

Healthy Foot Massage

April 24th 2008


In Bangkok we do have so many Massage Palars and Spas! Thai Massage comes in many ways...Body Massage, Head Massage, Soulders Massage, Foot Massage, Face Massage and the famous Special Massage, in my language I call that kind of massage as.... "Naughty Massage"!!! Someone call it "Happy Ending Massage".

In Bangkok, Sukunvit Soi 49th there is a massage place called "Dr. Foot" which is mostly dealing with Foot. The customer are Japanese, Chinese, Korean, some American and ME! Masseur are trained by a China Man in Chinese way. They concentrate on many parts of you foot and they labeled each part of your foot with number 1, 2, 3...on... I believed the last number is 58 or 61??? This kind of massage is totally different from Spa massage like... Aroma, Swedish massage or pealing massage, I mean very very different. This foot massage is kind of like... they press different part of you foot so hard that you feel like some one trying to kill you, helly pain!! (even I do not know how will be in hell!! I know I will never go there either) .... so pain that make you scream, yell and want to spit out!!)..

Then Dr. Foot will tell you the number..Example, like number 1 is your ears, 2 is your neck, 3 is your prostates , 4 is your kidney tra..la la la la. If you yell, he will tell you as "Your Eyes No Good !!"...Oh yes! they give you a chart which is telling you which numbers is connecting with what part of your body by pressing the foot! Dr. Foot will tell you the number and you just do your homework according Dr Foot's mouth and the chart! Smart China man ha? I got to tell you that after pain comes the gain! You are suppose to feel your eyes are clear, mind are open up and feel like walking in the air....

Two days ago, we had house guest. Dr. Newman, Microbiologist from Seattle! He has his own company. He worked with Fish Vaccine (What kinds? I don't know but good one, I hope so!), before. Sometime he comes to Asia and do some works. Robins went to South of Thailand for a day and doing the talking again so I took Dr. Newman to the foot massage. He was in pain for 1 hour! Indeed he was in such a pain that I feel so sorry for him. I told him that you got pain because your foot are bad. Actually I should shut my mouth! My medical result from my Dr. Foot was no so good either.......................... He said very kindly to me

"All your body parts is bad, not working well at all except your ANUS!"
Of course I know what is Anus mean.

Dr. Newman was so nice to me saying "Well..Helen at least one of your body parts is working, this is a good new!!"

I won't say what Dr. Newman's report from Dr. Foot is !! You all can ask him directly....His report was No better than me either!!

PS: Dr. Foot is so famous that you must do appointment before you go!! Always full of Japanese...You know they love Dr. Foot!!! Amazing to me... The ph. number is 02-712-5990. From oversea you must dial 66-2-712 5990.

Voting in Burma

April 22th 2008

I wake up around 8:30 today! Lately I have been watching the Runway (the fashion TV show, Austin make me laugh and I like him!!) and Nip and Tuck (this TV show make me feel wanted to do plastic surgery so bad..no jock!!). Had my coffee and read my news from both (Newspaper and subscribers)...I found the following article which is make me cat fish smile..(remember cat fish has very little smile!!)..

When I left Burma, I think it was 1986??? my passport number was only ###, three digit!! As I did mention some of my friends were so crazy to leave the country but I was so happy working at the US Embassy..loved my job. We had this 6 young girls group, fresh from Graduate and got a good pay job (in Burma Standard)...My mother made me to go with her to Hong Kong which is I never regret. I learnt so many new way of life over there..I love Hong Kong too!! I learn to speak Chinese, learn to deal with different , learn the value of money ..ta..ta...ta...ta..

Now, see the voting is coming in Burma..I think this is second time voting of my whole life! Who ever out of the country and hold the legal documents they MUST vote YES! if NOT how could they renew their documents. Remember that people are living in fear..no way out! You want to vote NO but need to worry about your documents which is need to deal with Burmese Embassy mean time they are lobbying to vote YES!

If you allow me to shoud, I will shoud the top of my Lung as............" Thank You America...I love you"!!!! Hope we get a very smart President in year 2008!!


Voting begins at Burmese Embassies
By SAW YAN NAING
Monday, April 21, 2008, -->

Burmese embassies have been announcing to Burmese people who live and work abroad that they can go and vote at embassies for the constitutional referendum, according to exiled Burmese. The voting process has already begun at Burmese embassies in South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.
Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur-based Burmese embassy urged Burmese people who possess legal documents, such as Burmese passports or work permits, to come and vote at the embassy from April 19 to 27.
There is an estimated 500,000 Burmese people currently living in Malaysia, of whom about 180,000 possess legal documents, according to sources in Malaysia.
A Burmese doctor in Malaysia told The Irrawaddy that she voted “No” to the constitution on Sunday.
Last week, the Burmese embassy in Singapore announced dates for voting from April 26 to 29 while the embassy in South Korea has urged Burmese people to vote on April 27, according to Burmese people living in those countries. Voters are also required to bring legal documents such as passports and work permits, said sources.
Ko Myo, a Burmese migrant worker in Singapore said that he will go and vote “No” at the Burmese embassy on April 27. He added that many Burmese people are voting “No” in the national referendum.
Following the brutal crackdown on the peaceful protesters and monks in September 2007, many Burmese in exile refuse to support the draft constitution written by the military junta, said Ko Myo.
About 50,000 Burmese people are estimated to be currently living in Singapore, most of whom hold legal documents, said sources in Singapore.
Yan Naing Htun, a Burmese activist in South Korea, said that the Burmese embassy in Seoul is urging Burmese people in Korea to vote in the national referendum on April 27. He said the embassy was also lobbying people to support the junta-written constitution by voting “Yes” at the referendum.
He noted that some Burmese people are likely to vote “Yes” on April 27 even if they would rather vote against the constitution, because they are afraid of possible repercussions when they return to Burma.
Yan Naing Htun also said he was preparing to join a demonstration against the constitution on April 27 outside the Burmese embassy.
“We are going to hold a campaign against the draft constitution. We will go and set up an artificial ballot box in front of the embassy advertising the “Vote No” campaign,” said Yan Naing Htun. “We will also chant slogans against the constitution.”
There are estimated to be about 2,000 Burmese people currently in South Korea, said sources in the capital, Seoul, while more than 200,000 Burmese migrants live in Thailand.

Tricia Berger

Sunday 20th April 2008...

In the Morning I went to the church.. and then went to see my Princess friend. Church is always a peaceful, meaningful, joyful and merciful FOR ME! (sure you can pray any place at any time) ...Most of the Sundays I go to church because I feel that "God gives me 7 days in a week and I can do things on the 6 days even if you wish on Sunday too but I try to keep 1 hour for worshiping on Sunday with the other believers at church.".... I do NOT see wrong for others as Sunday is family day or working day because there are so many people are working in different areas. I know that some doctors are busy helping life on Sunday.. I see the soldiers are working day and night in battle fields...so do firefighters...etc.... Trust me those are in my prayer not every night but very often.

In the Evening I read the following article about "Tricia Berger".. I feel so sorry and sad to read that she die at such a young age...only 25! But I admired of her determination to live full of life even such a short time. Yes some die more younger than her. As I told you there are so many questions that I want to get answers but I have no abilities to understand it. I know Tricia die of cancer but I do not know why on earth at such a young age as my sister?? I have faith that God knows and one day I will understand why my sister and Tricia?

Every time when I see or read the article about cancers......my concern of my own cancer that I had, still giving me scare, worry, sad, cry and angry.... without a doubt what ever a head of me my Lord Jesus will taking care of me...even when my time come, I know there is a reason which I will not get answer on this earthly life!! Would like to share a bible verse......

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The Hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified".....John 12:23

The music lives on through Tricia's legacy
A new scholarship recently was established for students in grades K-11 who have attended St. Mary Catholic School in Pinckney for at least a year and who will be taking private music lessons in the fall, or who will be attending music camp. The scholarship was established in memory of Tricia Berger, a young music teacher at St. Mary Catholic School who passed away last year. Lynn Trierweiler, Berger's cousin and a fellow St. Mary teacher, wrote this column.
It was the type of moment that people dread the most.
In May 2003, at the age of 21, Tricia Berger was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Everyone was shocked. Colon cancer? In a young woman? Isn't it an old man's disease? As many people who have had a family member with cancer know, cancer does not discriminate. It strikes anyone, at any time, and anywhere.
The doctors recommended emergency surgery as a first course of treatment. Tricia and her family agreed to the surgery, but there was a problem with the timing. Her cousin and best friend was getting married on May 24 and Tricia was in the wedding. She was told she wouldn't be able to go to the wedding because she would still be in the hospital recovering from surgery. She didn't like that answer. Tricia was determined to go to the wedding, and despite having the surgery ... she did.
During Tricia's stay in the hospital, the doctors detected a small spot on her liver. A biopsy revealed the cancer had spread. Her treatment options were very limited, and her prognosis was grim. Statistics show that liver cancer patients only survive a few years after diagnosis.
Tricia was determined she was not going to be another statistic. She was going to beat the cancer on her own terms ... and she did.
For the next year and a half, Tricia was both cancer-free and very busy. She led the life of a normal college student. She happily (and sometimes frantically) juggled classes, work, social activities, and family functions. Unfortunately, this period didn't last. By the end of 2004, her liver cancer was not only back, but it was inoperable.
At this point, some might have given up and left school, but not Tricia. She graduated summa cum laude from Aquinas College in 2005 with a degree in music education. She didn't just want to finish her degree program; she wanted to use it. In August 2005, St. Mary School hired Tricia as a part-time music teacher.
Her faith and continued determination carried her through her first year. Tricia was a very private person, so her medical condition was largely unknown to the school community. She only wanted to teach and to share her love of music with her students.
In the fall of 2006, it was obvious that Tricia had lost weight. As September turned to October, she started moving more slowly, but she continued to teach. By November, it was apparent something was very wrong, but Tricia struggled on. She was concerned about letting people down. She wanted to make sure she was doing the job she was hired to do. As a result, she held out until the end of December. She was determined to pull off a successful Christmas program, and she did.
That was the last time Tricia was with her students. After the program, she decided to take some time to regain her strength. Her intention was to take only a few weeks off, but she never made it back to school. In the early morning hours of March 30, 2007, Tricia passed away in her family home.
Throughout the last few years, one thing has been made very clear. Tricia was determined to accomplish the goals she set for herself. She wanted to study and to teach music, and a terminal diagnosis wasn't going to stop her. We as her family are carrying on her wish to teach the love of music to others through the creation of the Tricia T. Berger Music Scholarship. It is our hope that this scholarship will inspire others not only to love music, but possibly to teach it to future generations. We were determined to find a way to keep Tricia's memory and love of music alive, and with this scholarship, we did.
For inquires and applications, please contact St. Mary School by mail at 10601 Dexter-Pinckney Road, Pinckney, MI 48169; or by phone at (734) 878-5616. The application deadline is May 10.
If you would like to donate money to the scholarship fund, you may make a check out to the Tricia Berger Music Scholarship and send it to the above address. The school is holding a benefit spaghetti dinner at 5 p.m. May 16 to gather donations for the fund.
Space for this guest column was donated by the Daily Press & Argus to the Light .

Myriam, ma bella a Paris

Some how most of the comments came to me directly to my email. Myriam is my friend from France. We did our AG together. She was in Bangkok with French
Diplomatic . A Woman who is so fun to be with. In our middle age, went back to school for 2 years is not easy. I remembered that I cried sometime when ever the exam is coming soon. First I have to learn Chemistry of Gem in English is pain in the @#$!!...but I did it!

Myriam's English is so unit....she put her French into English as I did put my Shan or Lahu or Burmese or Chinese into English too.

Myriam, Thank you for let me put your comment into my blog!

Maciu boque ma bella. Comment vas tu? Moment, les jour vas courtes pou moi osi. Vacacio vas tre' tre' bien avce mon familie. Alor, fini les vacacio, fini ma denero, fini total!!

Gros Bisous a toi e' por vous famili!

Helen

PS. Sorry my Franch is almost gone, I should throw my Franch Deploma away if my written is as bad as above!! Well..good new is I am looking for Dictionary!


=============================================================

This time its working!
i read your article abut eating dogs.... eating dogs can chock only people who are educated in cities....they are far from the reality, and dont even realize that if people eat dogs is not cause they are in a sort of evil act or sadism , but cause they are eating meat , dog is meat as chicken or horse or cow....if you are chocked by eating dogs you must be chocked by eating every kind of meat !
so i agree with you , easy to consider things from its own shallow window and judging world....world is not white or black, world is colors ...colors of feelings...

so
i am glad to see you in a healthy state, even weather is too hot, as usual in april!!
i like your blue dress, suit you....shan is tall like his father!!
river kwai...i never gone there, and not attracted by this place, so many pains so many deaths....looks like to visit auschwitz or dachau ! brrr...i dont believe in ghosts, but i believe that some place are vibrated with bad energy , have a memory of events....

enjoy your holidays ....
helen i am thinking to a trip to the west of usa , do you have some advices abt it??

gros bisous ma belle et prends soin de toi

Eat more mangoes!

Shan, the receptionist and me on the floating restaurant!

I did one Songkran New Year resolution for 2008...... which is to be thin like the girl in this photo by........................

"Eat More Mangoes".... is the one I did make ! I am getting better for doing new year resoltion. I will do a small step in a year now on ! Also simple and make sense. I know I will keep eating Mangoes. So this will work!

I used to promise like...I am not going to shop alot, I am not going to mad, I am not going to yell, I will be positive, I will loose 10 lbs... All these BS that I used to do...... and then I can't keep it not more than one week! It is shamful to myself too!!

So my easy Songran resolutin for this year is "Eat More Mangoes!!!"

Songran 2 - 2008

My Robins and Shan loves any kind of trains. My smile in this photo, to be honest it was a fake smile!










Robins and Shan, they have real smile! I am still confuse of American way of holiday!!


I almost go back to the hotle with motocycle, (see at the back)!! It will be 1 hour ride, so I gave up.
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At the end of train ride , my son got real tired!



Crossing the River Kwai Bridge!!

Songkran -2008

Me on the River Kwai Bridge

Me on the dinner cruise! I was not so happy for the open boat, it is so hot that you can't eat!


Me and Shan infront of the big bomb! Real or not Real, I can't answer for that!!


Me and Shan waiting for the Train to ride around...

DOG

NOTE: I am not a dog lover nor dog hater! I do not eat dog either.


Someone mention the following in Bangkok Post today and it said..........

"As an animal lover, I am greatly disturbed by the stories of stray and pet dogs being captured or sold by their owner to trucks bound for the restaurants of Vietnam. If their fate were not horrible enough, the trip to get there in the heat and without food or water is sadistic. (It can take over a week)..

It sadden me to think that people will sell their pet for 8 baht (25 Cent), knowing these dogs will have to endure such suffering. What's more these drivers are filling two trucks a week." ...... continue on.

This is my way of thinking! (might not agree with you but OK for me though). Dogs eating is not just poop up!! Mountain people have been eating dogs for the day I was born which is mean 40 + years ago. China, Korean and Vietnam are the most dogs eater countries. Let me tell you....... Some mountain villages, they have very Little meat to survive and then there are so limiting of pigs and chickens. As mountain people they do not have money to buy a cow or a pigs or even a chicken but dogs are everywhere because dogs are husbanding alot and making babies a lot in uncontrollable. Economically dogs are easy to raise. So some families eats dogs and some not!! It depend on how they are desperating to get meat and how much money in their pockets. To my knowledge... I do not know what kind of dogs being eating by restaurants as above article mention?? For sure they are not eating Chippewa or Chuwawa...I hope so!!

I know that the mountain people even eat Monkeys! believe me that! Dogs eater only eat huge dog with meat. (I saw in a restaurant in China, there was a dog curry with dog' head decoration in the middle of the plate. The Chinese even can make the dog looked happy with smiling mouth! No joking I saw with my eye balls). Do you know, I know how mountain people prepare for the dog to eat?? They feed only sticky rice and coconut milk, they make sure nothing beside. Let the dogs fat and after one month they share between 2 or 3 families as a meal.

I agree with the article one point..cruel for cities people are eating the dogs!! We cities people should not eat dogs because we do have money, beside that we have plenty of choice. Well... may be different ways of thinking here. I used to upset by my father in law shooting the dove and eat them. To be fair now I love my mother in law cooking the doves!! My apology to bird loverS!!

The following are some questions that I am asking to myself..

1. Do people eat poodle or chuwawa?

2. I wanted to know what the different between dogs, chickens, cows, pigs ..etc?
(OK I know the different between human and animal! Do we ever think that pig, cow and chicken are suffering the same as dog when they got kill??)

3. Does animal has classes? Low class or high class? lovable or hatable?

4. What the different between chicken lover/chicken eater and dog lover/dog eater?

5. How come we are eating pork, beef and chicken happily and said dog eater
are horrible??

6. Who has authority to say you can eat all but DOG or BIRD?

7. Why Belizian people love to eat lizard while my son thought it is a pet?

So many questions that I want to know why, why and why? One sad thing is...today in the news, there are 52 Burmese people die on the way to Thailand for better life and income. For sure to feed their love one left way back home in Burma. Seen to me people talk about dog more than people nowadays!

Photo

My Global Frindly Trishaws


Robins's trishaw was always behind as weight is talking for fueless vehicles!!

Gasoline

Shan on the global friendly vehicle!

There is a professor from University of Florida, he is my neighbour in USA. He goes to works by bicycle. First I thought, we do not have traffic like New Your or else but why?....... Then I realized that good for his health, save the gasoline, good for the global and make our global guy, Al Gore happy too.

There is a very good noodle shop in Sukunvit Soi 26, in Bangkok. The shop is not elegant but normal house noodle shop. I tell you the taste of the noodle soup from that shop is out of this world! Presentation is very poor but the taste is A ++ and much cleaner than street shops. I always told them no MSG and boil the meat abit longer. The other day I notice that a bowl of noodle is now 40 baht. In 3 years they increase from 25 baht to 40 baht. I asked the lady why? She said the gasoline prize makes them in order to get profit! I was thinking about all the normal working class people because noodle soups can be their breakfast, lunch and dinner ( OK diner might be with normal meal), economically good and the food is wonderful too. I would say if you visiting to Thailand do not go home without noodle soup and foot massage!!

I went to a very nice department store in Bangkok. I told the sale girl "you know I can get a nice dress for 2500 Baht before but now to get a good dress cost 4500 or 6000 Baht" ( I am talking about good looking dress and not top branded name!!). You know what the girl said "because of the gasoline prize"!!... Here my brain worked hard and talked to myself..."well may be the factory, the air com, the transportation are counts".... I think one day we all might be going back to Adam and Eve life's end up with banana leaves to cover our private parts!

Last Christmas when we went to Thachileik, the town in Burma side. It is

located in Burma and Thai border town. They have like tourist vehicles call "Tok Tok". I was told the "tok tok" prize is almost 50% up.... So I went to ask the the global friendly vehicle, tricycle !!!.. and no need the gasoline. Curiously I told them "how much to tour the town??"..they said "100 baht (3.5 US$) each"... I feel so sorry for the Shan people to paddle us for like 4 to 5 hours. Me and my Shan are ok because we are like 120 lbs each but to paddle for Robins who is 6' 3" and BIG!! It was hard work. Robins's paddler (the unlucky one), he was sweat!!! They were so positive and not one complaint but with the smile and treated us good.... so at the end Robins gave them a good tips. We all happy and the global was happy on that day. No fuel, no smoke!! But to be honest...it was a very slow tour trip well positively, we see more than tour by tok tok! My son thought the tricycle is COOL!!

I want to end with saying... "Damn Gasoline Prize"!!! can't live without it too.

I wish someone can turn the Urine into gasoline ...... OK...OK I am not crazy!! jsut wishing....

Burma

I found the following article from news group that we subscribed. I wish one day we all can read good news about Burma! The only question is when?


Reuters Wins Pulitzer for Rangoon Death Picture
By REUTERS
Tuesday, April 8, 2008, -->


A Reuters news agency photographer won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography on Monday for a picture of a Burmese soldier shooting dead a Japanese video cameraman during a last September’s demonstrations in Rangoon.

The news agency’s Adrees Latif won for "his dramatic photograph of the Japanese videographer, sprawled on the pavement, fatally wounded during a street demonstration in Myanmar [Burma]," the Pulitzer Prize board said.
The 92nd annual Pulitzer Prizes in journalism, letters, drama and music were announced at Columbia University in New York City. The Public Service winner receives a gold medal, while winners in the remaining 20 categories receive $10,000.

Reuters carried news of the award together with a firsthand account by its Bangkok senior photographer Adrees Latif of how he took the pictures which won him a Pulitzer Prize. The pictures were taken in Burma during the protests in September last year and include the photo of Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai being shot.

“Tipped off by protests against soaring fuel prices, I landed in Yangon [Rangoon] on 23 September, 2007, with some old clothes, a Canon 5D camera, two fixed lenses and a laptop.

“For the next four days, I went to Shwedagon Pagoda, two-three kilometers from the center of town and waited for the monks who had been gathering there daily at noon.

“Since I was at the same pagoda every day, dozens of people, including monks, asked me who I was and what I was doing. As the ruling military regime is notoriously secretive, my replies were guarded.

“Barefoot in maroon robes, and ringed by civilians, the monks chanted and prayed before starting their two-kilometer march to the Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon [Rangoon]. Each day their numbers grew, from hundreds to thousands.

“By 27 September, the city had become packed with troops. Soldiers and government agents stood at street corners.
“Finding the Shwedagon Pagoda sealed off, I went to the middle of town to find groups of young people taunting soldiers at Sule.

“Within minutes, the crowd swelled from hundreds to a few thousand. The soldiers threw barbed wire coils across the roads.
“Knowing that hundreds of people were gunned down in similar circumstances in a 1988 uprising, I climbed an old crosswalk directly overhead, to get to one of the few spots offering a clear view.

“Below me, protesters were singing and waving flags; to the side, young men were thrusting their pelvises at the soldiers.
“At about 1.30 p.m. local time, two dark green, open-top army trucks approached, followed by dozens more packed with riot police. They were hit by a barrage of water bottles, fruit and abuse from the crowd.

“I had already locked on my 135mm lens and set my camera shutter speed to 1000, aperture to F/7.1 and ISO at 800. With the camera on manual, I wanted to stop any movement while offering as much depth-of-field as possible.
“Two minutes later, the shooting started. My eye caught a person flying backwards through the air. Instinctively, I started photographing, capturing four frames of the man on his back.

“The entry point of the bullet is clear in the first frame, with a soldier in flip flops standing over the man and pointing a rifle. In the second frame, the man is reaching over to try and film.
“More shots rang out. I flinched before getting off two more frames—one of the man pointing the camera at the soldier, and one of his face contorted in pain.
“Beyond him, the crowd scattered before the advancing soldier. The whole incident, which went on to reverberate around the world, was over in two seconds.

“I kept low on the bridge, capturing some more images from among a crowd taking cover. However, with soldiers firing shots and smoke grenades below, I had to get off the bridge.

“With adrenaline pumping through my body, I put my camera in my bag and followed the protests for another hour and a half. Feeling the demonstration had lost its strength, I made my way back to my hotel via backstreets and along a railway line.

“My initial caption read: “An injured man tries to photograph after police and military officials fired upon and then charged a crowd of thousands protesting in Yangon’s city center September 27, 2007.” Initially, I thought he was merely trampled. I had no idea he was dead.

“Two of the frames showed the man’s face. A few hours later his colleagues in Japan had identified him as Japanese video journalist Kenji Nagai.

“The images dominated front pages across the US and the world.

Jue Ju

Me and my sister (left), on Shan National day.

In 1996 when the plane landed in Singapore, I was so tired that I almost fell at sleep in my bath tub at the Peninsula Hotel... I was crying all the way from Guatemala to Rangoon Via Singapore. I got calls and said .. "Your sister is very ill and will be hers last few months."... We decided that I should see her now than after she die. My sister was know as Jue Jue, official name is Nora Layshan. She was only 30 years old when she passed a way.

At that time, I did not know very well why, how and what's went wrong with her as she looked so normal and beautiful, her skin was so milky. When I was with her, part of her days she looked like normal but part of her days she just slept off. I was told her liver went bad, no one told me that she suffered liver cancer in Rangoon. I just did not pay any attendtions or may be so hurt for loosing my only sister.

I decided to write it down about her because last night she was in my dream. I think doing that it will make me feel better. I miss her so bad but sometime I talk to myself that life move on. As always she won't talk to me a ward except gustures in dreams. She was a very simple, reserve and quiret girl but like to study.... Spent most of her time alot in the Lab. That's why she got her Master in Biology and I end up in simple BSc. (remember??? I do not like hard studying )!!

Jue Ju is very different from me. I am very talkative but she was a listener, I like friends but she had not so much friends, I can count her good friends!! I like going out but she likes to stay at home or in the Lab, I like dancing but she's not, I hate cooking but she cooks wonderfully. She married into a man whos from a very comfortable family in Rangoon. I do not know very well about her husband as I am always around the world and do not close with them. She left two children, a boy and a girl. Last news I heard was the girl is on the way to Australia for studying.

If Ican say a gain... I hate cancer! I really do. The cancer took my mother, and my sister lifes..and other lifes too in such an ugly way. What I mean by saying that is............. if my grand ma ma die now, surely I will be very little sad and will say "Thank you Lord for 90 years of my grand ma ma life with us" but it is very painful for taking so many young lifes. FRom my own experience, cancer taught me some positives though.. such as who is in controll in your life, how life is so value, how each day is count and miracle is there if you have faith!!

Say " I love you " to your family as much as you can!

Liver News

I got the following article today! My thought and prayer are with all the Transplant Patients and DonorFamilies. One day, one night if you have nothing to do, please pray for all of us. Including the Doctors, Transplant Team......
For earthly work without them it is hard to believe that I am still talking and walking. I thanks the Lord for creating smart Doctors !!

"Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" Ruth 2:20

Donated Liver, Pancreas From Cancer Patient Kills Recipients

April 2, 2008 2:03 a.m. EST
Windsor Genova - AHN News Writer
Sag Harbor, NY (AHN) -

Two of four patients who received donated organs from a boy whose death was belatedly diagnosed as caused by lymphoma cancer have died while two others survived after the timely removal of the diseased organs.

The rare incident in 2007 was reported in the January issue of the American Journal of Transplantation. According to the report, the parents of 15-year-old Alex Koehne decided to donate the liver, pancreas and kidneys of their son immediately after his death in March 2007 from what doctors at the Stony Brook University Medical Center believed was bacterial meningitis.

The parents sought an autopsy of their dead son's brain before the organs were extracted . The autopsy results, which came one month after the boy's death, indicated that the victim died from a rare lymphoma cancer.

Koehne's mother, Lisa, later learned from the network that distributed her son's organs that the 36-year-old woman who received her son's pancreas died in May after the organ was removed from her.

Mrs. Koehne also learned that the two men who received her son's kidneys underwent chemotherapy and are now recuperating. The 52-year-old man who received the donated liver died in July last year.

CBSnews.com quoted Dr. Lewis Teperman, director of transplantation at New York University Medical Center and co-author of the report , as saying that organ donor networks and transplant doctors should reconsider using donated organs from victims of alleged bacterial meningitis.

The Shan Sopranos

As most of you all know I was born in Shan State. The place which is full of..... if you allow me to say.... a place with Shan's mountains, Shan's flowers, Shan's food, with Shan's trees and Shan people!!! of course full of guns, but not Shan's guns at all. Also by that time, full of wars fighting between Shan Army and the Burmese Army and the Drug Dealers. 25 years before things that I saw I have a different point of views ...now years after, I have changed. I should say now I can see thing like, how could I say???....OK kind of if you are in Rome, act as Roman!!
I remember the day that the Drug Dealer came to shoot at my friend's father (this is one of the many things happened in my home town), His name is "Pi Leik"...mean "Brother Small"!! OK this was happened 30 years ago. He is a middle class as my father. Pi Leik has this.... a car I think a jeep car running between the airport and Thachileik town. He had that habit, every evening he was sitting on the easy lay back bamboo chair and smoking a cigar with a glass of "Mae Kong Run".

One late afternoon, a speeding jeep car (at that time mostly people used jeep car because the road condition was Stone age Road and so bad that no one FAT in Shan State because the roads not allowed to fat so!! we all were like ridding horses), passed by and here a bag full of rocks, throw into Pi Leik's yard right next to him where he was smoking! After that event, within one year Pi Leik built huge good looking house which is make my daddy's house look so small and so ugly! He bought another 6 jeep cars to expend his transportation, his daughter got diamonds, gold and the expensive clothes...so did Pi Leik's wife who was starting vacation all over the places. He even bought a house in Bangkok!!Sudeenly town people like to make friends with Pi Leik and his family...Money starting to Talks!!! Oh I also remember that he opened up a huge car workshop! etc......

After 2 years...One evening we heard that bang..bang..bang..bang. (you have to smart to live in Shan State. If you heard that kind of noise, you better stay at home and pray!).. Next early morning, the town news was "Pi Leik" DEAD!!! Yes..he die such a ugly way but normal for my home town.....as "You cheat, You dead!" Here I have to tell you..we did not have good law, good lawyer, by the way what is Lawyer?? but we did have a good judgement!! Do you see the point that to kill Pi Leik, it's take 2 years??? why 2 years which is can be done in 3 days?? We might have kind drug dealers???

A group of drug dealer bought raw Jades from Kachin State, Burma. The car that delivered the Jade bag was caught in check point but did not stop. The Burmese soldier chased later we heard no arresting as the bag was gone. What happened was.....someone came back to Pi Leik asking to give back the Jade. Pi Leik blindly lied and said "me no have"...He got shot at "blindly" and he die as "blindly"!! Greedy and Lie got him good. He would be alive if he gave back the bag and also he would be wealthier a little bit but not as his life was gone and got much wealthier. He cut the raw jade and was as a big lottery winner. It was a huge imperial Jade!!

"The Sopranos" of Hollywood's is nothing...I was living in a town as "The Shan Sopranos" for many years with many dead!

NOTE: This events was happened 30 years ago!