Colourful Burma

Youtube link for Colourful Burma, 

https://youtu.be/3oRt8BavY28?si=gIxDMRTekh7Y-fez

Title - Colourful Burma

Author - Khin Myo Chit

Enlarged Edition – 3000 copies

First Published - May 1978

By Khin Myo Chit, Theikdi Sarzin

(Reg: 01352) 505/8 Prome Road Ave.

Kamayut P.O Rangoon

Copyright - Khin Myo Chit

Illustrations by; U Ba Kyi, Tin Win and SanToe

Cover – San Toe

Others – Anawrahta of Burma, Burmese Scene and Sketches, Flowers and Festivals Round the Burmese Year, A Wonder Land of Burmese Legend

More Publications -  1983, 1988, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012

History of 'Colourful Burma'

‘Colourful Burma (Enlarge Edition) is a combined volume of Colourful Burma, published in 1976 and Burmese Scenes and Sketches, published in 1977. Cover design- San Toe.

the first (1983) and the second series (1984) of ‘Colourful Burma’ by the cover design Tin Win ….'

and 1988, With the cover illustration of U Ba Kyi, the two volumes of ‘Colourful Burma’

1995, from Parami book shop, ‘Colourful Myanmar’ (the same book of ‘Colourful Burma’) was published. Illustrations inside were U Ba Kyi, San Toe, Shwe Soe Han, Kyaw Phyu San.

 About Book

This collection of articles and stories which originally written for newspapers and magazines, might be of some help to the non-Burmese in getting to know Burma and the Burmese  way of life.’ ‘The articles on Burmese women which were written for the newspaper during the International Women’s Year, 1976, had to be executed from this edition owing to limitations of space.’ (Preface from ‘Colourful Burma’ by U Khin Maung Latt, my grandpa who always be her loving partner for the rest of life.)

There were many parts divided with associated chapters. In ‘Life and customs’, we can see our nonsense songs and Burmese style, etc. Some custom as ‘the art of chewing betel’ or some Burmese idiom as ‘A Quid of Betel & A Cup of Water’ were now our young people would rarely heard of it. 

Burmese New Year falls in the second week of April (not January as foreign countries believed), the author gave information about the thingyan festival of the month. On this ‘Festivals’, the reader can have enjoyed reading about the custom of Buddhist families and their way of Buddhists life. 

Many elements within some chapters especially on ‘Short Stories’ and ‘Life in War Time Burma’ follow events in the author’s own life, are probably the most autographical of all of her writings. In the former lines on the ‘The Golden Princess’, my grandma wrote, “…..disappointment to her father because she was not a boy, to her mother she was ugly.” Some short stories told her lonely childhood although it was happy ending. 

Epilogue

However her writings focus on Burmese customs or Burmese festivals or Buddhist Way of Life, etc, her personal history, her adventures or her experiences are clearly marked on all her stories and sketches. The reader can easily grasp the author’s childhood or literary life or the risk in wartime life that she shows up on all her writing.