About
View of Rangoon from a family friend's flat
My blogging penname is Aung Htin Kyaw (အောင်ထင်ကျော်). I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and now I am a college student attending UCLA. I am currently majoring in Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, but I have had a deep and lifelong interest in and passion for Burma.
I generally write about Burma, with a focus on politics, society and culture, although I will go off on tangents at times, writing about my life and current events. Feel free to comment, criticize and analyze anything I’ve written in my blog in the form of opinions, corrections or whatever else is on your mind. I truly appreciate every comment I get, except in the form of spam.
The name “Fifty Viss” was an afterthought, the product of a minute’s worth of thinking, when I decided to create a blog dedicated to my opinions and writings in Burma. Viss is the English name of a traditional Burmese weight measurement, known as peiktha (ပိဿာ). The British decided to use the Pali name, vissa. Fifty is an arbitrary number, I guess.
I change my banner from time to time, using photos I’ve taken in Burma. Currently, the banner is a sweeping view of Insein and surroundings from the Kyaukdawgyi Temple in Rangoon.
My e-mail is hintha121 [at] gmail.com.
Notes: For any Burmese text, I use a Unicode 5.1 font called Padauk. Other alternatives are Myanmar3 and Parabaik. Fonts like Zawgyi will not render the Burmese text correctly.
Dear Aung Htin Kyaw,
Best wishes for opening a new window for Burma. And thanks for lovely pictures!!!
Hello there,
You have a great blog with excellent writing, well conversed and the photos are just great. It’s good to read another mm blogger from opposite end of the world. Keep up the good work and I’m rolling you.
G’day.
Rajshekhar: Thank you, and good luck on your new endeavour, Burma Review. The writing is superb.
Mayvelous: Thanks. Your blog is very interesting. I enjoy reading your entries, from the viewpoint of a Burmese in Fiji!
Yeap, your blog is really interesting!
Check out the website.
[him] moderator
http://him.civiblog.org
It is indeed a great work. I like it.I love Burma most because my very very loving great granny was from Daria of Burma. I want to trace my roots in Burma but it seems to be mirage but not a day goes without the thought of burma. Will some one help?
nachiappan
Thai TV: Thanks. Your website’s interesting as well; too bad I don’t know Thai.
[him] moderator: What an amazing outlet of HIV information for Burma, a rarity. I’m blogrolling it. Amazing photos and drawings as well.
Nachiappan: Thank you. I’m not sure how to trace your ancestry in Burma, but I think it’s a good idea to find the birthplace (and place of death) of your grandmother, and if you have names/contacts of people who may help, it makes the search easier. Best of luck!
It’s good to see another Burma blog spring up. Keep it up!!
Ohh……..U are 18 years old now, Aung Htin Kyaw???
I am proud of U !!!
How do u get Photos though u r not staying in myanmar??? U recently visit to Myanmar ???
Do u love Myanmar though u born in Southern Californian ?
Glad to know U!
Are you the man that protest for all in Burman?
Be careful, you can be confused with a rebel.
Hey,
ur photos are very impressive.
and good to see a blog on burma..
thanks
Glad to find your blog, dude. I’ve always been interested in knowing more about Burma and its culture. Keep posting.
Mongkol
Are you super killer?
hi raj,excellent.keep it up.
Well. This is absolutely cool website created by another American-burmese born in another part of the world. I have my blog too, just to express what i have and to gain knowledge from others. It is written in Burmese, I am not sure whether you can read all. I was born in Burma, but raise up in other countries, so i am also eager to find out more about burma cultures cause I am happy that i am Burmese, the rice bowl of Asia.
I know how you’re feeling. Don’t feel bad about everything. The world is made the way it’s supposed to be made. I’ll have to say every single burmese you talk to share your sentiments, not in a complacent way but rather a helpless way.
In Buddha’s teachings, everything happens for a reason. Every action results in consequences. We’ll just have to see. If peaceful change is not allowed, a more violent one will likely to follow. When an oppressor doesn’t take a chance for a peaceful change, he’ll likely to face violence. We all should hope this is not the way for Burmese people since a lot of lives can be lost.
What I’m trying to say is that just because some people and some countries are complacent about situations in burma, you shouldn’t quit blogging. You have a gift that can make a difference. Your writings really spread the awareness of burma. You don’t have to write all about politics. You can talk about humanitarian situations or things that people are not aware of. That of course should happen when you have time from classes.
Don’t think so much about situations in burma and spend so much time on thinking what to write on this blog. Focus more on your studies and become successful. Someone like you who cares so much about others needs to be successful, so the world can be a better place.
Hi! Aung Htin Kyaw
I’m burmese. I think we all have the duty to let the world know about Burma. I’m impressed with your efforts on this blog and your writing. I was happened to visited your blog searching comments on the book ” The river of lost footsteps”. Thank you also for your comment on the book, really appreciate it. Keep up the good work
Hi! Aung Htin Kyaw
I’m burmese. I think we all have the duty to let the world know about Burma. I’m impressed with your efforts on this blog and your writing. I happened to visit your blog searching comments on the book ” The river of lost footsteps”. Thank you also for your comment on the book, really appreciate it. Keep up the good work
Is 50 Viss a reference to the hammer in the right hand of Nat strongman smith Nga Tin-de (Mr Handsome) whose name and power struggle with the king would seem to resemble your own? If so, we still don’t know what your left hand’s up to.
Dear Aung Htin Kyaw,
I came across your blog when I was surfing for pictures of colonial Rangoon. I’m in the process of writing a book, part of which is based in Rangoon and Burma of 1935-42. My Dad walked ‘The Trek’ thru the jungles to get to Calcutta after the Japs bombed Rangoon, and I didn’t want the stories I heard him tell to go to waste.
So, your pictures were a great help. I also plan to visit Rangoon to get a feel of the place. But from what I’ve read, it was a totally different world then. Atleast seeing your pictures will be a pointer for my descriptions.
I’m trying to put together the possible route he must have taken to reach the mouth of Hawkawng Valley from Rangoon. Any ideas?
Great job!
Geeta,
Hukwang valley is in Kachin State. Your dad must have trekked via Mandalay and Myitkyina.
The most widely used route of retreat was Mandalay-Monywa-Kalay into Manipur.
He put his eye to the hole. He just managed to spy some people sitting in deckchairs chanting, before a finger came out of nowhere and poked him in the eye. As he staggered back, the people started chanting, “Fourteen, fourteen, fourteen…”