The Edinburgh Festival Part I

Dr Maung Maung Nyo

Edinburgh was one city I liked to go

It was the “Alma Mata” of my medical heroes

U Shwe Zan, U Ba Than, Col.Tin Ohn and more

They all got scrolls from its Royal Colleges galore

So, when I was selected for the Edinburgh Festival

I was delighted, felt more than happy and celestial.

(Edinburgh Castle and Scottish Bag Pipers)

Edinburgh is next to London in importance and fame

Duke of Edinburgh is consort of Queen of Great Britain

For us he is the nephew of Lord Mountbatten of Burma

We had been fortunate Mountbatten gave us due favour

He exonerated General Aung San from Fascist collaborator

He approved and quickened his independence clamour.

(Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain)

Before I went to Edinburgh (pronounced e-din-braa)

Professor Bowden called Professor Romanes there

She wished him to show me his Department of Anatomy

So that I benefited from my holiday itinerary academically

But, Romanes would be away in those days unfortunately

So, he assigned it to his assistant to welcome and show me.

(Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh)

Professor Romanes was the author of revised Cunningham’s Anatomy

That 3-volume-book was used as a guide for dissecting the human body

These books were used in the medical schools of the world almost widely

It would be an honour to see the author and his Department in person really

I was always excited to meet authors of textbooks so famous and grand

They were my role models in studying anatomy like Gray, Last and Ham.

(Scott Monument, Princes Street, Edinburgh)

I took the train from Euston Station to Edinburgh non-stop

It was an express train with comfortable cushions and cots

I enjoyed the trip sitting comfortably seeing the scenic spots

There was a restaurant attached to the train lest we forgot

I ate steak and drank Nescafe coffee to stay awake for thought

The train arrived in Waverley Station in late afternoon under fog.

(The Waverley Train Station in Edinburgh)

There were many people going to the university hostels to lodge

They all came from London and all parts of England north

Edinburgh International Festival was a great event of sort for revelers

It was held yearly since 1947 to encourage music, dance and theatre

Contingents from all over the world as far away as Japan and Australia

Participated and performed their parts to promote their pomp and culture.

(Edinburgh Festival Parade led by Kilted Scots)

The whole of Edinburgh was in festive mood

Flags and flowers were festooned like flukes

People thronged around shops and stalls in groups

They seemed not to move and in jolly moods

Lights were lit on the streets and in the shops

Taxis were busy frisking passengers nonstop.

(Edinburgh Castle and The Military Tattoo)

I was welcome warmly by the Scottish ushers

They showed my room and carried my suit cases

They showed me dining room and meeting places

Then, the introduced me to the new comers

It was wonderful there were two other Burmese scholars

It was Cartoonist Ko Phone and Botanist Ma Ce-Ce of Anyar.

(Fireworks at Edinburgh Festival)

A Scottish teacher told us the story of Edinburgh

The name came from Dean Edin and hence Edin Brugh

It was a strategic town located on a volcanic mount spar

It controlled the traffic of Northern Scotland, hence a Castle there

It’s now the capital of Scotland and cultural and educational centre

With a population of half a million, it’s a great city of the world.

(Historic Big Gun on Edinburgh Castle)

The next morning, we’re shown around the City of Edinburgh

We walked along Princes Street to window-shop and wonder

We gazed at the great statues of Sir Walter Scott and others

Most satisfying was seeing the statue of Sherlock Holmes

He was not a real man, but a fictional character and yet honoured!

I marveled at the Scots for taking pride even in such characters

I’m sure they would honour Harry Potter in the near future!

(Statue of Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

in Edinburgh)

We were taken to a place where Sir Walter Scott home was

We saw all titles of his books and his memorabilia

The Waverley was his masterpiece and we were to take part

In the Waverley Dance in the afternoon with Scottish enthusiasts

It was true all the people were dancing on the floor at night

We were pushed into the arena to dance like them with might

We enjoyed both the songs and sights and Scots tumble and tight.

(Robert Burn's Statue and Scott Monument in Glasgow)

The next day, we‘re taken to a Whisky refinery

A person explained us about making the famous Scotch Whisky

It was the water of Scotland that made the difference from others;

(Glenfiddich Whisky Distillery, Glasgow, Scotland)

We’re given some Whisky to taste and enjoy there

I drank about half a peg and became elated and lighter

I had not been drinking strong alcohol for over some years.

(Glenfiddich Whisky)