From: Maung Yit
EMail: bookwormz_99@yahoo.com
Yes, ppl r now thinking of chinese new year celebration in some places like in sg, i hav no objection. But i m still thinking of the past and still remembering of our traditional HtaMaNe`Pwe!
From now on this month until of some days in march, back in our country, ppl would be performing their traditional way of making htamene`. With all their friends, relatives, teachers and pupils surrounded, ppl will be celebrating on this occasion.
I could still smell the dryness of the air and cold of the weather together with coconut shells, seseman seeds, flavour of sticky rice all are coming back to me. I am not a good writer in english so one day i will post the essay written by my grand ma who was good at it.
When in my grand pa and grand ma's healthy days, they never failed in celebrating the traditional HtaMaNe` pwe in their garden together with all their friends, collegues, realtives and pupils. The Htemane` was prepared in the morning hour with the help of young students n friends of theirs. All the tables n chairs were laid ready in late afternoon. And in the evening, visitors of every walks of life came and celebrated together with the small traditional burmese music band hosted by their closed friends. It has been treated as the custom in their circle for many years until they passed away one after another.
So for me, this kind of pwe was treated as families, friends, teachers and pupils' reunion in the form of team-spirit, love and devotion. It was with all ur heart u greet ur friends and families, sing together burmese songs in chorus such as NaGaNi, GonYayMaTu, PweKyiteKhin, YaungPaySu and so on.
Now still, SaYaGyi MinThuWon would be celebrating the HtaMaNe`Pwe back in our country with his younger and older generation. But for my grand parents, KhinMaungLatt and KhinMyoChit, they would be smiling at us from differnet world when this season came on the calander in every year.
When this season comes, I miss my BaBa n MayMayGyi who had taught us in many way to cherish the value of friendship as they have loved and been loved by the ppl of all seasons until parted....