Archive for September, 2007

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The Power of Nine


2007
09.28

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Determined monks in Yangon, Myanmar, during demonstations on 27 September 2007
Yesterday’s (2007-09-27) protests in Myanmar highlight the power of number nine in Myanmar popular superstition:

Day: 27 = 2 + 7 = 9

Month: 9

Year: 2007 = 2 + 7 = 9

Number of reported deaths: 9

Last month a flyer circulated in Yangon calling people to disturb peace by banging pots and pans on September 11, 12, and 13 at 7:02pm (7 + 2 = 9), 8:01pm (8 + 1 = 9), and 9pm.

For comparison, in 1987 Gen. Ne Win ordered the issuing of bank notes of 45 (4 + 5 = 9) and 90 kyat.

Not to be outdone, the number eight also carries significance: nineteen years ago, the date of bloody demonstrations on 1988-08-08 is sill commonly referred to as 8/8/88.

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Poor TV Reception


2007
09.04

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Posted in Americas, Society, USA, Warfare | No Comments »

Pres. Bush and Mr. Paul Bremer in the Oval Office

Prez and Bremer in better times (White House photo by Tina Hager)

The former US proconsul to Iraq, Mr. Paul Bremer, today forwarded internal government letters to the New York Times contradicting Pres. Bush’s statements that the Prez did not know of the dismantling of the Iraqi military before the action took place.

Besides the shocking lapdog mentality (“As I have moved around, there has been an almost universal expression of thanks to the US and to you [Pres. Bush] in particular for freeing Iraq from Saddam’s tyranny.”), Mr. Bremer’s letters demonstrate the Washington Way of sucking up your superiors:

In the northern town of Mosul yesterday, an old man, under the impression that I was President Bush (he apparently has poor TV reception), rushed up and planted two very wet and hairy kisses on my cheeks. (Such events confirm the wisdom of the ancient custom of sending emissaries to far away lands).

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/washington/04bremer-text1.html

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The first flight with propeller


2007
09.04

Posted in Language, Myanmar, Travel | No Comments »

Chicken (sort of)

It is such a thrill to read the travelogues on the Yangonow site. The following gives you a good idea what will happen when you do a word-for-word translation from Japanese to English:

At Yangon airport, checking was rigid. But it was manual. It was ridiculous. The first flight with propeller left from the airport earlier than the time in the schedule. That time was 6:45. But we had already been in the air to 6:30. Most of the seats were occupied by the westerners. Wee! Wee! Wee! The propellers started to wind slowly. When the plane reached the end of the runway, it ran making the sound ‘Gyi, Gyi,’ I had laughed with thrill of pleasure. But the face of my friend looked like a dead one.

http://www.yangonow.com/eng/magazine/essay/kawasaki_m/essay01.html

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