International Culture Team

WHAT I LIKE MOST ABOUT MY COUNTRY: One thing I like about my country is its traditional dishes. Another thing are its many beautiful sites to visit. I also like its weather, which is moderate, and its people who are also moderate. Most people have balanced, not extreme, mind. They are also patient, not self-centered, and willing to do merit by giving what they have. I think it is because of the God Buddah who teaches our people to do so.

INTRO: My name is Aung M. Khaing. I am from Myanmar (Burma), a country in South East Asia, in the south of China and East of India. The country is comprised of 14 states. I am from Yangon, the capital of my country. I have two elder brothers, but I have a large extended family with 30 cousins. My first language is Myanmar (Burmese). There are seven tribal languages other than Burmese. English is taught as a foreign language in our schools. The country’s main business is exporting agricultural products, especially rice and various beans; some income also comes from selling jewelry. The country is famous for its high quality ruby. Burma is also famous for its golden pagodas and is named golden land.

FAVORITE HOLIDAYS: I have two favorites holidays. One is the new year’s water festival called “Thin Gyan”, which falls in the mid of April, and lasts for five days. As it is in the mid of summer time in my country, we celebrate our new year’s festival by throwing water at each other. It is really funny to get people wet as soon as they come out of the house for whatever reason.

FAVORITE FOOD: My favorite traditional foods are Moh Hin Gar Set “Moh Hin Gar”, and “La Phet”. The former is eaten as a main dish or snack, and is made of rice noodle eaten with a soup that is made mainly of powdered rice, fish, bark of banana tree, and onion. Coriander, chilly powder and beans are put as toppings as each individual prefers. La Phet The latter is eaten only as a snack after a meal. It is made of pickled tea leaves mixed with various kinds of heated dry beans, some oil, salt, sweetener, and powdered-dried shrimp. Garlic and green chilly are toppings for it.

Another holiday called “Ta Zaung Daing”, which is a peaceful one, falls on the full-moon day of November. In this holiday, people fly hot-air balloons, some are attached with fireworks, which burst off while the balloons are ascending. Another thing people do is decorate the facades of their houses with electric light and/or candles, lit in colorful paper-lanterns, in the belief of paying homage to God Buddah with these light. In this full-moon day, the beauty of the sky full of hundreds of hot-air balloons and the beauty of the brightly lit city are breathtaking and really peaceful.

Most people go around the town in cars to get themselves wet. Some companies, organizations and families set up stages to throw water with pipes to people passing in cars. Some people just put barrels in front of their houses and throw water with buckets and bowls. Some people make various traditional snacks and donate to the public. It is the liveliest holiday in my country.