Missing My Mates and Milieus

I’m in the midst of a whirlwind
I’m taking leisure out of touring
I’ll reach Australia in a swirling
Then I’ll reach Burma in a swing
Before I join again my kind Kuching
It would be a complete circus surreal swing.

All UNIMAS said “Good bye” to me
When I told them I have to leave them quickly
But I would part them only temporarily
They then missed my presence and personality
They recognized my service as worthy
Dean offered me another job in the faculty.

Friends and colleagues feasted me
They were so sad to part hastily
After we have worked so much closely
Every thing has fitted so snugly
It will be like a loss of kingpin in the circuitry
They wanted me to come back early.

It was 9th August 2008 Saturday
We left Kuching on a hazy day
It’s usual for Sarawak to be in haze
When Indonesians burn the forest to place
Ginger seeds and maize to grow later date
So, they will have a harvest to celebrate.

We’re lucky to escape the incoming haze
That would put the Sarawakians in disgrace
Many foreign experts used to flee Kuching to escape
Now we’re doing the same they teased
While sending off our friends pleaded
We must come back after a few weeks.

Our daughters greeted us with smiles
They made us warm and wild
They had arranged all in time
Every thing was ready and refined
We’re honoured guests like divine
They made our life sublime.

However, I miss something every day
Is it clean air of Kuching or some malaise?
Malays deal life in slow and steady way
Thy say life is not a “rat race”
It’s to be lived in pace
Time, effort and energy you save!

I remember teaching Malay students
In slow and steady sequence
Of lectures with repeated utterance
They listened with due attendance
Mixed with curiosity and suspense
They do not like none sense.

I remember showing practical
One by one step by step to be gradual
So that they could do every thing sequential
Eventually it becomes elemental in progression
I also explained examination questions
Yes, they passed with flying colours.

I was given a computer with “Internet”
I could write, correspond and chat
At any time of the day as I like
It’s a great opportunity I valued high
It’s the modern man’s right
It’s different from Rangoon nights.

I have private email connections
I also joined loops and group actions
I some times have a hundred in one session
I used to answer all the questions
But, what is here as benediction?
I was just an Internet infatuation.

I daily checked AMIM website
It was entertaining day or night
Doctors write with speed, spice or no spite
It’s their right and they may also be right
But their responsibility was high
They have medical ethics and conducts to abide.

AMIM website contains news views and visions
I think personal attacks are out of the question
I therefore miss most of the blogs
Even though I don’t know them a lot
I noticed some regular writers there
They are from UK, USA Canada and Australia

There is a regular contributor from UK
He supplied up-to-date news and essays
About Burma without any personal say
He lost his passport on his way to UK
So, he has to be there and stay
He is a naturalized Briton now a day.

A witty poet and writer regularly contributes
From the north of England in multitudes
About love, life, sport and sex etc
He is the P.G. Woodhouse of this era
He is also naturalized Mr Burma
He salutes his Queen and the Britannia.

A similar bloke wrote from Canta Bridgia
He is a new comer from Burma
He writes plays, poems, puns and humours
Pulling down other people’s legs in ardour
His acid pen is pointed but not pernicious, I gather
I took his writings as humourous not harmer.

Two regular guys were meek and mild
They may always be in smiles
They write un-spicy and unsavory in kind
They never attack any body blind
They have their own style
They belong to North American wild.

Another Guy is an adjective American
He despised the term hyphenated American
He writes or asks about every thing under the sun
Yes, he lacks sun in his region
He always is shivering
He is struggling to survive big lake winds.

There are two bananas writing with long winds
They preach Republicanism with grins
“They exhort to be selfish first
Then, work for the mass,” they assert
It’s a shameless mass
They are the anti-thesis of Karl Marx!

There are one or two expatriate patriots
Who talked about revolution and anti-junta plots
One publicly asked strategy for armed revolt
Another one never worked for the poor lots
Yet, he claimed he is still a patriot or that sort
We met interesting self promoting selfish sloth.

There was one ex-sport med man
He talked about money, mansion and woman
He asked about Burmese teachers taking bribes
He forgot that teachers are not Bureaucrats
They are not in a position to award or punish
I/m sure he was sailing tight and missed!

Now that US presidential election is near
Democrats and Republicans may sneer at each other
There may be wagers on own candidate and party
But there is no difference in the outcome ultimately
Obama is half only in either black or white category
Mccain is also right only half in his territory.

Apart from occasional outbursts
AMIM bloggers are good and smart
They are medical graduates first
They don’t know politics smart
They also care about the world last
But, they love Burma fast.

This does not mean they are callous
To the situations and poor events happening to earth
They are in fact caring and loving in their hearts
They send best wishes, prayers, money and kind to mass
Just that they are behaving as been conditioned
After all, they are products of Burmese education.

They have been helping each other
Albeit with jokes, smeasr and swears
They donate to charity in Burma
They volunteered in aid of victims for natural disasters
They risked their lives in such endeavours
They are keen to show their kindness and Cetana.

I don’t find any fault with them
I’m just enjoying the merry mayhem
Where every body speaks and slams
Ultimately all are in Burma’s turmoil
Every body must work and toil
We must save our country in time.

So, thank you to all of you
I say, “Sadu, Sadu, Sadu” for the merits due
I have neither met or seen some of you
Still I regard all of you as friends
Whether you have been one or mine student
I’m glad were meeting in a virtual event.

My computer was vandalized before
My email was hacked often or so
My modem was attacked not long ago
I must wait until it is replenished
I’m now in a state of slick
I’m still touring and swirling swift
I will rejoin you AMIM for bliss
Please bear with me for this hiss or kiss!

Dr Maung Maung Nyo
3.9.2008 (original)