Ultraviolet Rays and I

(I was walking under the burning sun without covering an umbrella or sunglasses!, they shouted me; why I was not afraid of ultraviolet rays!)

Our weather here is so hot and a hardful warning from weather report makes us sick. We should have more careful if we go out under the sun. Ultraviolet rays have now high radiation….Yes, I know. That’s why we say the rays are dangerous radiation. Between 11am and 2pm; going outside was dangerous to the people. I learnt that nature protects us from the rays with the Ozone layer, but now its layers are thinning because of high emission gas. So, UV rays touch us directly now. For our country, in the hottest month of the year we are now, we have to be more careful when we go outside, protect ourselves from ultraviolet rays of risk skin cancer, weakened vision. As readings on the index, eight, nine and 10 indicate that  UV radiation is strong enough to damage skin and eyes; while readings of 13 and 14 indicate that the radiation can cause sterility; as for now, which classifies UV rays from 0 to 13+, rise they show higher risks of sunburn and other health threats. 

When I go to the market before 10AM, I thought I should have to return home before 11AM. Yes, Ultraviolet rays are dangerous. I should have to avoid the very afternoon. But unfortunately, I could not finish my shopping in time. I saw many people walking, shopping, going, working outside. They seemed never care the ultraviolet rays. I also saw Taxi Drivers are waiting for their passengers under the shelters, but their empty conveyances are standing under the burning sun. I looked at my watch; it showed 11:30AM. All the buses are full, the people outside are still busy, the fruits-sellers are still selling their goods, all seemed normal. I remembered many trees cut off just a few months ago by the reason of building a bridge. That’s why I never felt cool wind around me.

I heard “Ultraviolet rays have very high radiation … that’s why we say the rays are dangerous radiation…. UV rays are strongest at noon and advised that people who go outdoors between 11am and 2pm cover up…..” I was so afraid of it when I went out this morning. I know; I should have to return home before 11 AM. But now I was still outside in the middle of the afternoon. I saw people were still busy. They never wore thick clothes or sunglasses. They even did not cover their body with umbrella. As for me, I wore a thin T-Shirt but covered with thick jacket and wore sunglasses, covered my body with umbrella. Yes! I was afraid of ultraviolet rays. But they seemed did not afraid of it! Am I a fool before their eyes; I who wore thick clothes under this hot weather?  

I returned home by taxi. Taxi driver also did not wear thick clothes or sunglasses. My long covered jacket made me hotter and sweater. I put off my jacket; I felt more comfortable with thin T-Shirt alone. When I reached in front of my gate, I descended from taxi. I saw our garden was now so hot and no shade under the sun. I walked in without wearing sunglasses or covered by an umbrella. When my parents and my uncle, my aunty saw me; I was walking under the burning sun without covering with an umbrella or sunglasses!, they shouted me why I was not afraid of ultraviolet rays! They blamed me a lot and reminded me ‘…..we have to be more careful when we go outside, protect ourselves from ultraviolet rays of risk skin cancer, weakened vision, etc….’ I smiled alone, and replied them I will explain later…

Ultraviolet Rays and 2013 Thingyan (Water) Festival

(Although our earth cannot fully protect us from ultraviolet rays from the sun, Thingyan will go on, water showering will everywhere around Burma.)

Thingyan’s Symbol

We welcome our Burmese new year beginning with three days or sometimes 4 days of water festival. The Burmese new year falls on the second week of April as begins on 13^th April and will end on 16^th of April. This year April 13, 2013 will be the welcomed day of our Burmese New Year. The true spirit of the water festival is to have nice clean fun with dear friends sprinkling water on the one another. Children especially enjoy throwing water on one another. All these April days, there is music in the air. People keep fast, give alms and do good deeds.

2013 Thingyan!

Thingyan Festival is nearer in Rangoon city. This water festival always attracts all the Rangoon people. But this year, unfortunately our country met hottest month of the year and, ultraviolet rays could burn our skin with sun’s radiation. The meteorologist warned that residents of Rangoon city would have protection themselves from ultraviolet rays with cover under an umbrellas, hats, or sunglasses. They also said that those ultraviolet comes from burning sun will have more dangerous during water festival, the reflection from water becomes stronger, and it can hurt our skin. People should wear long clothes to cover our body from dangerous ultraviolet rays.

Beware Ultraviolet!

Yes, I know about ultraviolet rays since I was in high school. UV light is found in sunlight and, UV spectrum has many other effects, both beneficial and damaging, on human health. However UV rays have very high radiation and are entirely harmful, large portion of the vitamin D that humans and animals need for good health. Naturally the earth’s atmosphere protects living organisms from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. So, all the ultraviolet radiation produce by the sun were not allowed to reach the surface of the earth.  But now our world is full of gas and losing trees day by day for many reasons.  So, our earth cannot fully protect us from ultraviolet rays from the sun. 

Epilogue

According to the warning, we should be more careful between 11am and 2pm going outside under the sun, because UV rays are strongest at noon. But I believed that between 11an and 2pm was the time people took their rest during water festival. Oh! How fortunate for thingyan lovers!!

The Adventure of My Book Reading

Bleak House

(I found the Retold Version of ‘Bleak House’ (Charles Dickens) in my grandfather’s book shelf.)

Five Years Ago

When I found the Retold Version of ‘Bleak House’ (Charles Dickens) in my grandfather’s book shelf, I remembered my grandfather who bought this book when he had a plan to teach his students. Although it is intended as an aid to young readers which will start them on the road to reading, it seemed to me so difficult. I thought if I read its original, it might be more difficult. 

When I saw the original novel of ‘Bleak House’ at the book shop, I decided to buy it at once although I had no plan to read it at the moment. See that I had not finished its Retold yet!

(I saw the original novel of ‘Bleak House’ at the book shop and I decided to buy it at once.)

A Month Ago

At last, I was decided to read it. Bleak House, all sixty-seven chapters of it, is a short time to meet so many people, more than four dozen of them. The third-person narration and the first-person narration attract the reader’s interest to the end of the story. For my opinion, I preferred first-person narration on Dickens’s writing. It was the first time I found that the Retold Version of ‘Bleak House’ was only written in third-person narration, and changed the Dickens’s writing style.

Epilogue

This time, according to the Original ‘Bleak House’, and meeting enormous characters in the list, its Retold Version seemed to me so difficult and I could not grasp all of them. I could not finish its Retold for years. But during reading the Original ‘Bleak House’, I had finished its Retold in a day! How strange!!