Amay Yin Statue

Amay Yay yin means mother of the stream of soft water underground. Inhabitants of Pontaung Ponnya along the Yinma area portray her as amay-gyi [great mother]. Her life story is as below.

During the reign of Alaungsithu in Bagan there was a queen called Nagasena ( who was also known as a flying witch). At that time on the opposite side of the river from Bagan there lived five siblings who were eaters of the area, among the habitat of Kadu Kanan ethnic group in Pontaung Ponnya. The four sisters of the nesa [eater of the area] were skilled in the arts of gandari. At one time while eating clouds the queen held a grudge against [the sisters]. The queen lost in the competition of occult arts. With the help of Kaway Thara Bo Bo Gyi [ lit.-grandfather, a title given to old and learned person] the youngest sister Saw Nan Mu’s soul was put into a gourd and was buried under the sea. In resentment queen Nagasena informed King Alaungsithu about her bad dream.She dreamt that the five siblings were going to seize the throne. The King summoned the siblings to come to the palace for interrogation. The King ordered Bo Bo Gyi to capture the five siblings and on the way he met Saw Nan Mu (Mother Yay Yin). When Bo Bo Gyi put his hand into the pot of oil which Saw Nan Mu carried on her head, he was struck by a snake and died. The solders seized Saw Nan Mu, brought her to the palace and interrogated in the presence of her brother Kadu Nesa. Alaungsithu ordered that Kadu Nesa must execute his sister Saw Nan Mu himself.Having no heart to kill his own sister, both of them ran away and fell into a chasm and died. As their death was caused by the king of Bagan,  Saw Nan Mu decided to revenge. she intended to destroy Bagan and on her way she met Sakka [king of celestial deities] who stopped her. Sakka asked her occult arts as an offering to him. Saw Nan Mu was conferred to be the owner of Pontaung Ponnya area, on the  other side of Chindwin River, opposite Bagan and came to be known as Amay Yay-Yin.

If a well is dug about 300 feet anywhere in the area where Amay Yay-Yin rules, water gushes out naturally to the surface of the earth through the water pipes. Currently there are ninety-nine water reservoirs in Yinmabin Township where AmayYay-Yin’s shrine is situated . In each reservoir four pipes were inserted through the artesian well and water rose up naturally into the tank [ reservoir]. Water is then distributed through ducts into the fields to be able to plant paddy, fruits and vegetable the whole year round. Because of the power of Amay Yay-Yin, water from underground gushed above ground into over flowing tanks. The water is perfectly at PH7 and good for drinking as well as for other use.

Banana shop at festival

During the festival of Amay Yay-Yin people from the area of Pontaung Ponnya come to offer bananas, coconut, flowers and Eugenia sprigs at the shrine. Natworshippers with dance and music and traditional songs , most songs are express for her life.  They believe that Amay Yay-Yin will help them prosper in agriculture, business,etc. People also come to sell and buy local goods. The stalls are put up and the festival lasted for a week. According to accounts by the elders, at night during the festival, occult practitioners of gandari and witchcraft, flew up into the sky in the form of fire balls to honour and pay Amay Yay-yin . Even to this day some say that one can see the apparition at midnight during the festival. Some people offer fried chicken and fish, pickled tea leaves, and cheroots or according to their family tradition.

Reservoir

Festival

Festival crowd

Cannel to field

Dancing with banana basket

Thailand

This is what I had seen when I visited in Thai, Vietnam and Cambodia, how I felt about three countries.

Day 1

We visited SIMESE PRAGON SUPER MARKET and the most I like that place was under “Ocean world “, feeling like as if I were under the ocean, 3D moving was also nice for our vision. When I saw all their animals under the sea, I did not believe it myself that there were many kinds of living beings under the sea and I thought as if I were in the tunnel under the sea.

And we visited Royal Palace and Emeral Buddha. We are most interested to change the guard at Royal palace.

We visited Dream World by Taxi, That place was the children’s Amusement park.   The most what I like was the snow town .When we were in that room, we felt very cold and pleasant. We never had that kind of weather in our country, Myanmar. So I thought to be in the northern side of the world. I was very surprised that I were in England where was always about minus 5’ during the winter time covering with snow and ice. So it was one of the most enjoyable places for all children.

Siam Niramit is a world-class performance of Thailand’s arts and cultural heritage. Set in the heart of Bangkok affording convenient access by MRT subway and major thoroughfares, this must-see spectacular is performed on the gigantic stage now listed in the Guinness World Records, featuring over 150 performers with as many as 500 costumes. On top of this, enhanced special effects with the world’s most advanced technology are used to produce a stimulating, very realistic and inspiring experience. This is a Journey to the Enchanted Kingdom of Thailand that no one can miss.

The Acts
Act 1: Journey back into history
Act 2: Journey Beyond Imagination: The Three Worlds: Hell, Himapaan Forest and Heaven
Act 3: Journey Through Joyous Festivals.

Then we went to the airport and flied to Vietnam, Hochimin city.

We just stayed at hotel because we felt stomachache. At 7:00 PM,  we went to watch Water Puppet  a unique art which has it origin in the delta of the Red river in the tenth century. The farmers in this region devised a form of entertainment using what natural medium they can find in their environment. In ancient times, the ponds and the rice paddies after harvest were the stage for these impromptu shows. This art form is unique to North Vietnam and only finds its way to the world stage in recent years as a result of the normalized relation with the West.
Modern, water puppetry is performed in a pool of water with the water surface being the stage. The puppeteers stand behind a screen and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. Singers of Cheo (a form of opera) with origin in north Vietnam sing song which tell the story being acted out by the puppets.

The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. It tells of day-to-day living in rural Vietnam and Vietnamese folk tales that are told by grandparents to their grandchildren. Stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are highlighted. Legends and national history are also told through short skits.

Our Bagan lacquerware have to make for about six months to finish the whole process. We use organic lacquer sap from tree ( Melononia usitata   ) and apply over the wares by hand. Then we usually put the wares inside the underground where is always constant temperature. The wares need to dry for about 4 days in the underground. After then we coat another layers of lacquer over the wares depend on quality how much we should have. After lacquer layers, we make traditional designs with a needle over the wares.

If we paint them by spray, we cannot make them with the needle for several designs.

We need to make them for good designs and beautiful color. Spraying may need 10 times of layers to paint and dry in the underground.

If we paint them with a brush by color, they are not needed to make many layers. Our Bagan style in lacquerware making is unique in the World. We are itching with needle over the lacquerware items. But the people at Bagan are still doing in traditional ways and items.

The Vietnames lacquerware items are mostly modern designs and items which can be useful every day. Moreover they have French designers and modern items, some are abstract designs.

I bought some from that lacquer factory.

Today Miss Bee from Pandaw office comes and takes us sightseeing to go to the Reunification Hall, and she explains me about her family and Vietnam history. I listened to her grandparents’ story, because she said to. It was very interesting and also made us sad about the Vietnam War.

Her Grandfather was a chief of accounting officer in South Vietnam government, when South Vietnam failed, her grandfather was died in prison, and her grandma had got six children and the oldest one is 15 years only and the youngest one is fifteen months only at that time. Her grandma was a very strong woman and she started life without a husband and fight for life with a big struggle. However all children were growing well as educated persons.

After Reunification Hall, we continue to visit War Museum of Remnants and all are historical photos inside museum and weapons from Vietnam War. The tiger caves are witness from American military done very cruel to Vietnamese.

All photos are big witness for a new generation. I felt that I am afraid of war.

VIETNAM WAR

Vietnam people —— five million people lost their lives

America people ——– 58226 lost their lives

Financial cost from American ——– 150 billion dollars

Vietnam War time Line,

1965 —-1968 the jungle years

1969 —- 1975 the battle end

After Vietnam War, the American government made sanction to Vietnam communist economy. The country got poor at that time.

The Vietnam government started to discuss the progress of their economy and started to open in 1988. But they were really successful to open and stop sanction from American and EU in 1995.

From 1995 to 2009 Vietnam had got a big progress in their economy. Hochimin city was under the construction and the new buildings were everywhere.

The tour guide explains me about the present time of Vietnam government. Today the government makes a great praise to the educated persons. Moreover they always accept some suggestions from the Master of Business who graduated from America or Western countries though they appointed the excellent warriors who can be a minister in old days. Our Myanmar has a similar story like Vietnam. We should look out Vietnam economics’ route and situation.

We visited Ben Thanh market shopping some lacquerwares. I bought some traditional Vietnam T-shirts for my children to have the memory of Vietnam.

`The market was big and crowded comparing the market from my town. But it’s really nice to see and buy something. But we had better take good care of the people who always following to ask something from the tourists. Moreover the sellers always asked to buy some souvenirs. It might make annoyed to you as you are not interested in shopping. Every year there were five million tourists in Vietnam. The battle places of Vietnam War became great attractions for the tourists.

The tour guide explained us about the time during the war, how his life was on those days. The tour guide said that Hochimin city has eight million populations and they have five million motor bikes which are everywhere and is really crowded, but everybody wears a helmet. When I was there, I reminded of my second capital city, Mandalay, the most crowded place of motorcycles in Myanmar. But Hochimin City has better road discipline. Some places have separated from the road disciplines.

In Myanmar the people do not follow the road disciplines and they mostly do not wear a helmet to protect them.

We drove a car to Mytho and started the trip with Pandaw cruise at Mekong delta.

In the evening we visited a brick factory getting through the canal in the river by a small boat.  While the boat getting through the canal made me to imagine how the movement of fighting during the war.