We felt the books complement each other since the first is a fiction based on thorough researches which narrates "a tale of hardship and resilience and also the unyielding power of love to move mountains." But the second book was based on the author's own experience or her journey living in a place which is exotic and unique yet truly serene, with thousands of scattered pagodas and full of mystics. The stories and setting of both books are about people and their lives in a country once called Burma (now Myanmar in South East Asia).
The heart provoking novel by Sendker :)
The novel was originally published in German in 2002 and translated into English four years later and became an international best seller which most reviewers view it as "a poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma." It is about a married man who was also a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappeared from his home without any trace to the chagrin of his wife and daughter named Julia Win. They had no idea where he was until they found out a non posted love letter wrote by him to a 'mysterious' Burmese woman Mi Mi. This discovery made Julia wanted to know more about her father, the mystery surrounding his sudden abandonment and disappearance and later to come to terms with her father's past life.
So, she travelled to a village in Kalaw where Mi Mi lived and there she discovered the true life of her father who was once a blind man named Tin Win from an old man U Ba. Julia found out that Tin Win had tasted hardships in his early life and fell in love with a crippled young lady Mi Mi who became his 'eyes' and he - her legs! Indeed, this couple is a symbiotic pair who trust each other to weave life together in a land full of intrigue-ness and mystical.
Tin Win was cast of by his superstitious mother who after consulting the local astrologer believes him to be "a harbinger of calamity." He left Burma and went to New York, but his love towards Mi Mi remains unbroken through fifty years of incredible vicissitudes. In sum, the novel is a good read where one can find happiness in life regardless of the fact that there were problems, hardships and never ending struggles.
The second book (below) was written by a law teacher who at that time was taking leave from work as a diplomat's spouse. The book describes her own experience through both inner and exterior struggles during her first year stay in the country. It was published in 2002 in Yangon and used as travel book. As stated in the foreword by the late Mr Ambassador DMBN the book tells "the author's experience, which will help general readers and other expatriates to pilot their intricate journey through the wheels of survival, Myanmar style."
It was written in English and simultaneously translated into Myanmar language Mran ma, mran phu mha yum ca phvay in the same book for local readers. The 231 page book described "the unique culture, beautiful tradition and exotic places to visit (in Myanmar) based on her personal observations in this country as well as her day to day activities of her role as a wife, mother and social worker while accompanying her family ..."
She also shared about her life there viz a viz meeting, mingling and staying with the locals, understanding their unique culture, going through hardships and tribulations, living in simplicity with very basic necessities, and to live life to the fullest plus the good feeling of serenity and happiness surrounded by teak woods and glittering rubies. In less than a year, she found out that she truly falls in love to the country which later becomes her second home although in the first place she was very skeptical to go and live there.
Eventually she follows her heart and true enough she never regrets with the decision she made! Among others she wrote, "we may fall in love at first sight ..." But she also believes in her famous Malay proverb "Kalau tak Kenal mana nak Cinta?" which means without knowing someone, how are you going to love him? On this issue, all the book readers in the discussion group unanimously agreed that sometimes in our life, we have to make do with what we have and try our best to make ourselves adaptable and happy in wherever place we are stationed! We should be positive and bring the best with whatever we have within us and to find solace and living happily in all the places where we stay.
The author also wrote a poem Between Two Cities in her book which depicted her true feelings about moving to the then 'unknown' country. But, the happiness she found later was truly awesome :)
Before ...
With fear I depart
Carry a heavy heart
For someone close to heart
Never again we stay apart
I was taken in a cart
Scared like a hart
I cried in my heart
It pierced like a dart
From my city ...
A concrete tower
To your city ...
A wooden shelter
Now ...
Flee free like a bird
No longer pain or hurt
Less fear no pressure
Full of love and pleasure
Your city ...
Scented lotus buds
Loss in the mud
Mountains of treasure
A woman's desire
Thinking of my city
I'm no longer lonely
I'm counting my gain
An award for my pain.
During the discourse @Malmul Street, the book readers of both novel and book had a stimulating discussion on the common issues touched by the Western and Eastern authors namely Myanmar being the former British colony until 1948, the ever warm and hospitable Myanmar people, the pious monks and monastery, mystics and superstitions including astrologers, the believe in karma or reincarnations, ghost stories, and the sensual, truly lushly exotic places to venture to all readers without the need to go into the magical land of cliche. All in all, it was a lovely and fruitful morning experienced and enjoyed by all the MQBook Club members held @Malmul Street :D
Artist U Thant Sin's expression of the author who was in dilemma 'Go or Not to Go?' in Myanmar, Seeing is Believing :-)
The book is translated back-to-back into Myanmar language for local readers ... (@^@)
An excerpt of the book which tells the author's experience with 'she-ghost' in her whitish one hundred year old ghostly bungalow. Yet, she overcome it by dismissing and not befriending 'her' at all :D
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