The Happiest Day in My Life
Dr Maung Maung Nyo
(Gautama Buddha Inside Tham-Buddhey Cedi)
Introduction
Every body has many happy days in his or her life. One of those happy days may be the most remarkable and hence the happiest. I have many happy days in my life and I remember some of those days are very remarkable. But there is a day I feel happiest since it changed my education, nay my career and life.
Every body has many happy days in his or her life. One of those happy days may be the most remarkable and hence the happiest. I have many happy days in my life and I remember some of those days are very remarkable. But there is a day I feel happiest since it changed my education, nay my career and life.
(Tham-Buddhey Cedi )
A Memorable Day in May
(Scenic Chindwin River)
It was a day in May in Monywa. It was terribly hot as there was no rain and the sun was bright and blistering. I was playing with my younger brothers in front of my house. I still remember I was wearing a silk Longyi (Sarong) to keep me cool and my mother was doing house chores inside the house. Suddenly, a forty year-old man riding a bicycle suddenly stopped just near me. He was Saya U Ba Yin, my English teacher at the number 1 State High School. He greeted me saying,
” Maung Nyo, how are you doing? I have good news for you”.
I replied him,” Oh, Saya, Thank you. I’m well. How are you too, Sir?” in English as he taught me English.
He said,” You have been selected as a premedical student and you have to go to Mandalay in June when the schools reopened.”
“Oh, thank you, Saya. I’m very happy to hear that. Who else were selected? Sir”
“Bo Htwar, Mya Maung, Ba Lin and Tin Aung. You may tell the news to them”.
So saying he rode his bicycle again and pushed off to his house situated in the east of our house, about a mile away.
” Maung Nyo, how are you doing? I have good news for you”.
I replied him,” Oh, Saya, Thank you. I’m well. How are you too, Sir?” in English as he taught me English.
He said,” You have been selected as a premedical student and you have to go to Mandalay in June when the schools reopened.”
“Oh, thank you, Saya. I’m very happy to hear that. Who else were selected? Sir”
“Bo Htwar, Mya Maung, Ba Lin and Tin Aung. You may tell the news to them”.
So saying he rode his bicycle again and pushed off to his house situated in the east of our house, about a mile away.
(Google Map of Monywa)
Sharing the Joy with Mother
I stopped playing and entered the house where my mother was busy with her chore and speaking to her younger sister. I said,
“Mother, I have good news to tell you. I have been selected as a premedical student. I must go to Mandalay when the school season starts in June!.”
“Really, it’s good, son. Tell your father when he comes back from the office.”
“Yes, mother.”
Then, I changed dress, took my bicycle and rode to the homes of Ba Lin, Mya Maung and Bo Htwar. They all were also very happy to hear the good news. I could not tell Tin Aung as he lived in Kalewa, a town about 200 miles away in Upper Chindwin reachable only by boat at that time. He just came to Monywa to attend the school during school season as a boarding student.
Background to the Good News
It was just after the end of 7th standard scholarship examination. I sat for it together with 14 students from our class as our school, the Number 1 State High School, was the only high school in Monywa at the time and only our colleagues passed the selection examination held in December of the previous year after the first test in October. Students from other middle schools did not succeed. I stood second in the selection examination and many teachers thought I would be successful in the scholarship examination too. I was very good in English, Burmese and mathematics and Saya U Ba Yin, our class master and English teacher, was very fond of me. So, he came to tell me the good news on that day as soon as he knew it.
Actually, I was a very playful student at first, mixing and joking with classmates all the time although I studied regularly at night and I attended the classes regularly. Besides, I scored high marks in successive class tests since the kindergarten gaining first place in each class. My teachers said I was bright as I enjoyed double promotions from KG to first standard, then to 3rd standard and then to 5th standard.
My Good Academic Record
To be exact after passing the 3rd standard with first position in the class I was transferred from the primary school of U Tha Kyin Primary School at North Kadoh Quarter to the No. 1 State High School, the old Buddhist High School of Monywa, situated to the east end of the town, about 2 or 3 miles away from our house. My father attended this high school as well as the famous Burmese writers Thein Pe Myint, O’ Way U Nyo Mya, ICS U Ba Nyein, ICS U Soe Tin etc. It has a good reputation for producing good leaders in education, economics, politics and other professions.
I was involved in many kinds of activities such as sport, library, writing in wall papers, painting etc. at the high school. Some of my paintings were shown by the school arts committee on independence days. So, my success in the scholarship examination was expected, but to hear the news definitely and suddenly was exciting and it was a great thriller!
How I Studied to Get the Scholarship
During my 6th standard U Than Aung, minister for education in the U Nu’s AFPFL government, came to Monywa and to our class accompanied by high officials and U Tha Din, our Head Master. As he was an old teacher himself, he asked questions related to our town, school and history of Burma. I ventured to stand up and answered his questions correctly. He said,” You are very smart. What do you expect in the future?”
I said,” I look forward to gaining scholarship prizes to pursue my study, Sir.”
He replied,” Yes, we’re introducing 7th standard scholarship from the next year and those who gain it will have the opportunity to go to premedical class in Rangoon and Mandalay to become doctors in a shorter time than normal. You all must try if you wish to become good doctors. What is your name, student?”
“My name is Maung Nyo, Sir.”
Since then I had studied regularly from 6.30 Pm to 10.30 Pm every day. I reduced my play time and extra-curricular activities. So, my class performance improved appreciably. I stood firt at the final 6th standard examination and the school awarded me on the opening day of my 7th standard class. I also won Burmese essay competition of the Monywa District on the United Nations Day on 14th October. So, I was regarded as a good student academically in the school. So, no wonder many people expected me to clinch the 7th standard scholarship award.
On the Road to Mandalay
I stopped playing and entered the house where my mother was busy with her chore and speaking to her younger sister. I said,
“Mother, I have good news to tell you. I have been selected as a premedical student. I must go to Mandalay when the school season starts in June!.”
“Really, it’s good, son. Tell your father when he comes back from the office.”
“Yes, mother.”
Then, I changed dress, took my bicycle and rode to the homes of Ba Lin, Mya Maung and Bo Htwar. They all were also very happy to hear the good news. I could not tell Tin Aung as he lived in Kalewa, a town about 200 miles away in Upper Chindwin reachable only by boat at that time. He just came to Monywa to attend the school during school season as a boarding student.
Background to the Good News
It was just after the end of 7th standard scholarship examination. I sat for it together with 14 students from our class as our school, the Number 1 State High School, was the only high school in Monywa at the time and only our colleagues passed the selection examination held in December of the previous year after the first test in October. Students from other middle schools did not succeed. I stood second in the selection examination and many teachers thought I would be successful in the scholarship examination too. I was very good in English, Burmese and mathematics and Saya U Ba Yin, our class master and English teacher, was very fond of me. So, he came to tell me the good news on that day as soon as he knew it.
Actually, I was a very playful student at first, mixing and joking with classmates all the time although I studied regularly at night and I attended the classes regularly. Besides, I scored high marks in successive class tests since the kindergarten gaining first place in each class. My teachers said I was bright as I enjoyed double promotions from KG to first standard, then to 3rd standard and then to 5th standard.
My Good Academic Record
To be exact after passing the 3rd standard with first position in the class I was transferred from the primary school of U Tha Kyin Primary School at North Kadoh Quarter to the No. 1 State High School, the old Buddhist High School of Monywa, situated to the east end of the town, about 2 or 3 miles away from our house. My father attended this high school as well as the famous Burmese writers Thein Pe Myint, O’ Way U Nyo Mya, ICS U Ba Nyein, ICS U Soe Tin etc. It has a good reputation for producing good leaders in education, economics, politics and other professions.
I was involved in many kinds of activities such as sport, library, writing in wall papers, painting etc. at the high school. Some of my paintings were shown by the school arts committee on independence days. So, my success in the scholarship examination was expected, but to hear the news definitely and suddenly was exciting and it was a great thriller!
How I Studied to Get the Scholarship
During my 6th standard U Than Aung, minister for education in the U Nu’s AFPFL government, came to Monywa and to our class accompanied by high officials and U Tha Din, our Head Master. As he was an old teacher himself, he asked questions related to our town, school and history of Burma. I ventured to stand up and answered his questions correctly. He said,” You are very smart. What do you expect in the future?”
I said,” I look forward to gaining scholarship prizes to pursue my study, Sir.”
He replied,” Yes, we’re introducing 7th standard scholarship from the next year and those who gain it will have the opportunity to go to premedical class in Rangoon and Mandalay to become doctors in a shorter time than normal. You all must try if you wish to become good doctors. What is your name, student?”
“My name is Maung Nyo, Sir.”
Since then I had studied regularly from 6.30 Pm to 10.30 Pm every day. I reduced my play time and extra-curricular activities. So, my class performance improved appreciably. I stood firt at the final 6th standard examination and the school awarded me on the opening day of my 7th standard class. I also won Burmese essay competition of the Monywa District on the United Nations Day on 14th October. So, I was regarded as a good student academically in the school. So, no wonder many people expected me to clinch the 7th standard scholarship award.
On the Road to Mandalay
(Map Showing Monywa, Mandalay, Rangoon etc.)
My elder brother U Hla Than accompanied us 4 premedical students from Monywa to Mandalay in June 1953 to join the premedical class at No.1 State High School, Mandalay. One selected student Kan Nyunt did not follow us. It was 1953 and there was no train service between Monywa and Mandalay.So, we had to take a bus from Monywa to Myinmu.The bus was a converted lorry and the road was bumpy and dusty. It took most of the day from early morning to noon. At Myinmu we boarded a steamer fromPakokku to Mandalay. The trip lasted the whole day so that we arrived at Gau-Wein jetty on the next morning.
We were given a hostel to live and we had to attend the Special Premedical Class opened at the Number 1 State High School in Mandalay for two years. There were 46 students selected from Upper Burma. All the students were given a stipend each to attend the class, but only a few gained scholarship prize too. I was awarded both the stipend and scholarship prizes for two years until I passed the premedical matriculation examination with distinction in physics. I got the highest marks in the whole of Burma in that examination where about 200 students sat for from Rangoon (Yangon), Bassein (Pathein), Moulmein (Mawlamyaing) and Akyab (Sittwe) besides from Mandalay.
We were given a hostel to live and we had to attend the Special Premedical Class opened at the Number 1 State High School in Mandalay for two years. There were 46 students selected from Upper Burma. All the students were given a stipend each to attend the class, but only a few gained scholarship prize too. I was awarded both the stipend and scholarship prizes for two years until I passed the premedical matriculation examination with distinction in physics. I got the highest marks in the whole of Burma in that examination where about 200 students sat for from Rangoon (Yangon), Bassein (Pathein), Moulmein (Mawlamyaing) and Akyab (Sittwe) besides from Mandalay.
(Mandalay Fort and Moat)
Special Premedical Matriculation Examination
In that examination only about 40 students passed in the first division whereas about 100 students passed from the ordinary division. Those who passed from the First Division were allowed to proceed to the Special Intermediate Class at the Rangoon University for one year after which they joined the Medical College where they studied for 5 years to become doctors. Those who passed from the Ordinary Division were allowed to proceed to Intermediate Science Class Part A and Part B for two years before joining the medical college that took 5 years also. So, I saved one year to become a medical doctor.
As a matter of fact, I graduated Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
(M.B., B.S.) of the University of Rangoon in March 1961 at the age of 21 years only.
In that examination only about 40 students passed in the first division whereas about 100 students passed from the ordinary division. Those who passed from the First Division were allowed to proceed to the Special Intermediate Class at the Rangoon University for one year after which they joined the Medical College where they studied for 5 years to become doctors. Those who passed from the Ordinary Division were allowed to proceed to Intermediate Science Class Part A and Part B for two years before joining the medical college that took 5 years also. So, I saved one year to become a medical doctor.
As a matter of fact, I graduated Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
(M.B., B.S.) of the University of Rangoon in March 1961 at the age of 21 years only.
Colonel Balakrishnn, Commanding Officer of the Base Military Hospital at Maymyo (Pyin Oo Lwin) told me," You are too young to be a doctor" when I reported him for duty in 1961.
(Rangoon Medical College)
(Rangoon Medical College)
Conclusion
I still feel that the day in which I heard the good news from Saya U Ba Yin that I won the premedical scholarship prize was one of the happiest days in my life. It changed my world of education, my career plan and my whole life because it saved me from the troubles of choosing the career and subject combination at the university when I passed the matriculation and also that it determined my habit of regular study since high school. Besides, I was very early introduced to hostel life in Mandalay and Rangoon to learn about communal college living with exposure to adult life, extracurricular outings and experience that were so beneficial to my later life and work.
(Seal of Burma Medical Association)
If I had not taken the premedical course at Mandalay, I might have chosen other subject combinations apart from medicine and I might have wandered in other lives, some political and some mundane, that may not make me as I am now, a doctor, a professor, a sex educationist and a reform-minded progressive writer.
I therefore regard that day when U Ba Yin told me of my success at the 7th standard scholarship examination as one of the happiest days or happiest day in my life.
I therefore regard that day when U Ba Yin told me of my success at the 7th standard scholarship examination as one of the happiest days or happiest day in my life.
Dr Maung Maung Nyo
27.10.2008
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