Under The Same Faith

LIfe Is Totally Different

2010-09-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

We are from Burma. Because of the on going civil war between the ethinic minority grup and the military regime, we fled out of Burma and enter Thailand for our life safety.

We were a refugee for more than 20 years in Thailand. There was no hope, no future, no life at all. We only relied on out sider support especiall from TBBC and UNHCR.

In the year 2006 under UNHCR arrangement, we have got the opportunity to apply for resetteling to the third country.

There were a lot of refugees from all the camps along the Thai-Burma border decided to move to the third world. From all what we saw from the American movie life is so perfect.

But, we came to see that, life in a huge and developed country is so expensive. For those who do not know the language it is so hard for them to adapt the life style.

Sanction in Burma

2010-02-24T07:54:00.000-08:00

Burma know as Myanmar's economic situation is not getting better. Myanmar is consider in the group of World Least Development list. Myanmar has nothing good under the SPDC control but the people and the rich of natural resources.

Myanmar's economy is based on argriculture. Farmers from Myanmar are a very hard working people. In these hard times, under SPDC control, farmers provided enough rice to the whole country and can even export to the international communities without much support from the government.

Government only know how to get more from the farmer and gives less. When you study Myanmar's economy closely you will be amazed. Farmer struggle very hard throughout the year. They do not care whether it is raining or a sunny sky. The only thing that they have in mind is, to plant rice and harvest the best rice at the end of the year. Farmer may not have much money left at the end of the year, but they are happy year to year.

As the industrial world, there are a lot of companies trade with Myanmar. Rapidly, there are a lot of industries built in Myanmar. The companies benifit both for cheap labor and good natural resources. Not only that, the companies pay less tax to the SPDC government and do not need to provide any benifit to the worker only have the agreement in the paper.

Farmers sell out their land to the government and to other rich people then choose to go to the city and work in the factory. They have more money than working as a farmer.

Burmese people choose to work in the factory more and more each day. They hope that, their life will be better one day as they can save some money compare with their other job.

Once, international communities cutted sanction in Myanmar to help people in Myanmar for the political change. At this point the COB talked a lot about the sanction and most were a gree with the sanction. Many believe that, sanction will bring in some development in Myanmar and the SPDC government will change some administration in the government. But, SPDC government give the smile instead of changing the policy.

It is nothing to do with the government when international put sanction on Myanmar. It does not bring any changes to Myanmar politic or economic. The one who affect are, workers in Myanmar. When the company close down, there are a lot employee lose their job. Even when they go back to their village, there is no farm for them to do farming.

It Was Snow Finally, AUSTIN

2010-02-24T07:43:00.000-08:00

It is no snow at all in Austin(TX). Compare with any other city, the Austin weahter is warmer. When there was snow in Dallas(TX) and to all 49 state, but it was sunny in Austin

You may not believe in what was happen yesterday. It was snow. Everyone, enjoyed seeing the snow. For those who had day off, they palyed on the ground and feft the touch of snow. And for who was in the office, they went out of the office and took a looked.

There were several snow balls took place infront of some houses. That was a happy day and very special for Austin city.

People took out their phone and took the pic. It was hard to capture the snow. Because it was small and white.

Wow, you may not belive in that, today Feb/23/2009 it is sunny. Who will belive in what's happen to Austin city yesterday. It is liked magic.

Respect, care and sympathy

2010-02-02T16:10:00.000-08:00

In my village(Karen State) when we heard the dog barked, one sense that came into all of our mind was, run for your life. If not or you were late and left behind you would be killed or being a porter or being force labor by the Government soldiers.

The land where we grew crop was very close by the Government soldiers based. We were scare and afraid to go, but for our meal we had to. We did not speak too loud. We were worry that the soldiers would hear. We had to live quietly and be prepared of ourselves at every second. That was how we lived.

That became our habit. We hardly change that kind of behaviour. Me, myself I know that I must change my behaviour, but I can not. I am still afraid and scare of the living condition here in US. People speak too loud.

From the backgroud without any opportunities to express your mind or speak up, we gained no selfconfidence. I do not know about laws and constitutions. It is like, you won a lottor, but do not know how to cash out or you lost your receipt.

One honest thing with me is, I do not know much about the bus route. I only know route 10. That is the bus I take to go to work.

If people like me is still stupid, for those who do not go to school since they were kid it may be some kind of a hard life for them to live a long with the community here.

We need a lot of people to care, to sympthy and to understand us more.

Bad and Good things come along

2010-02-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

I do not know how to cook 3 cheeses melt. And I am so worry that I will burn the berger buns when I cook it.

Many people have different ways of cooking berger. I can not follow all of them. Mae teached me different way to cook. She is a great lady. I really like her. I feel like she is the best of all. She always smile and respect everyone. That is very nice of her. Whenever I make a mistake, she said that, you will learn.

My supervisor told me that, do not let thing scare you. You will be okay.

Now,
1) learn different ways of cooking berger
2) You will learn ( this word give me strenth to try hard and be good at cooking)
3) Fried

I know that no one is perfect, but why am I the one who make a lot of mistake? I wish not to make any mistake again in the grill area.

Lucky or unlucky

2010-01-30T13:18:00.000-08:00

No experiences in the work field, I am lucky that my co-workers are kind and nice to me expecially my supervisor.

I don't know why I forget to put ham when I cook omelt and add oil on the buns when I cook hamberger. In addtional, not very good at cooking 3 cheeses melt. I am so sorry for the lady I cooked for this morning. I do not know whether she likes it or not.

Good news and Bad life

2010-01-28T06:46:00.000-08:00

People said, it is good to pay the tax to the government. Mean the government can take care of the administaion fee, use the budget for the infrastruture and help low income family with some basic need. And again once you are retired, the government will take care of you and give you monthly support which we all know as PENSION.

If you study the government tax system, starting in January 2010, 2 tax items are increased in bill payment.

Base on the Cricket bill payment, there are 7 tax payment iteams from 2009, and in January 2010 it has 9 items to pay for the tax.

We have

TX state Tax
Austin city tax
Austin MTA
TX Equalization Surc
TX 911 Wireless Serv
Texas Universal Serv
Federal USF Fee

And now we have
TX state Tax
Austin city tax
Austin MTA
TX Equalization Surc
TX 911 Wireless Serv
Texas Universal Serv
Federal USF Fee
Federal TRS Fund
FED Regulatory Fee

I do not know whether it is good or bad. I wish it is a good sign for our future.

When I was in Burma, I had leant that we were forced to pay tax to the Armed groups, SPDC, but in return we get back nothing.

In Burma know as Myanmar, if the government increase the salary to the government employee, not other dialy worker nor self employ then you come to know that the price in the marketing will increase. As a daily worker, your salary is not increase, but you have to follow the flow of the increase marketing price as same as the government employee.

Is it the same idea that, the goverment double the fund for the new arrival refugee and increase tax items?

I do not go to school. I do not study much. I love to read and like to write. When something come into my mind, I really want to write then I login to my blog then I start to write. I sometime worry that I will make a mistake. But, I determind myself to write a lot. I plan to go back to school when I have a chance. After that, I will come back and read my blog and the idea that I have written before I study.

I want to request my friends and other who has read my blog, please kindly give me a comment both my idea and the grammer.

Taxation comes from socialist idea. Taxation comes out off your salary, bill payment and purchasing stuff. Tax is everywhere in everything.

Wow, I do not know how to end it. Politic is very difficult to understand. I want to say something a lot more, but I don't know how to express it in word as my vocab and English is to much poor compare with others.

Comment please!

You Are The One

2010-01-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

In your life you might meet so many men. Always know that, there is a speical one for you. You will meet him at the right time and in the perfect life frame.

But you may never know, when.

I had found him. It was like a dream to me. I do not think that there will be a man for a girl like me in this world. But I was wrong when I met him.

Both him and I, had passed a very terrible life time. Tear, sadness and loneliness was with us for so many months until we recovered.

After all, we have reach the life with full of happiness and very glad that we have each other.

For The One I Love

2010-01-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

People said, we are human being. All human being are equal. We are all the same no matter where are you from, what do you eat, what is your culture.

But when you come into love affair, as an Asian girl from a very remote area(Deep in the jungle) you are not very confidence to express your love to the special man even though you have lived in a foreign country for long. All you do is, you talk to him nicely, call him when you feel he rarely call you. Text him after your work. Look at the gift that you gave you.

The gift represent him even though you know he is not around you. You are happy when you take a look at the gift. The gift that he gave you, it mean a lot for your life and very valueable and you could not compare with any other thing in the world.

Whenever your phone ring, you wish it is from him. If it is not from him, you do not even want to pick up the phone even it is from your parents. The feeling that you have for him is so specail.

That love that you keep for the one who does not know that you love him it is hard. But I am happy to have him close, talk to him sometime on the phone, text him, exchange gift share our happy time.

Let me keep my love that I have loved you from the past, today, tomorrow and forever deep insdie my heart. I will live with the love that I have for you. I promise not to disturbe you. But I am hoping very much that you love me in return. If you do so, I will be the luckiest girl in this world to have won the love from the one you have loved since the day we met.

I will help you, can you help me????

2010-01-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

While Karen people who resettle to the third country struggle very hard to pay for the rent, utilities bill and many other bill, some even have to move State to State to get a job in order to support their family in the same time, Karen people how left inside Burma, under the military offensive, no food to eat as their rice banks are destroyed, the whole village is burnt down, villagers are murdered, tortured, being abuse and it is even worse that men are forced to be a porter by the SPDC armed force.

I am going to help you, can you help me in return?

A Purple Life

2010-01-22T14:26:00.000-08:00

Purple is her favorite color after all. When she was a high school girl, she has 2 or 3 colors as her favorite one. Her life had changed after the first love left her in a deep pain.

As she is not a girl who loves to talk about what she can do or over act, then it is hard for people to know her real life and get to know her qualification.

More over, she is a girl who is calm and quiet in public area. It is nothing wrong with the Karen girl being quiet in a public as our culture is different from the west.

One very good thing about her is, she never play a game with love. She respect love and care the one she loves too much. Believe it or not, as I am her best friend, I know a lot about her especially in dealing with her love affair, she may never lie or betray her beloved(boyfriend) no matter what's gonna happen. That is the sweet thing about her.

Ther are still a lot of good things about her which I could not measure all.

I just want to let know that, my friend... be who you are,one day your beloved one will see the goodness and the faithfulness inside your heart.

Future Soul

2010-01-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

He is such a cute and sweet man. I have never seen such a man like him before in my life.

I am so lucky that I have found him to be my soul mate.

We sometime do not share the same idea, but we have the same passion feeling that we two love each other very much.

This is the beginning of life. There is a long way to go.

The only thing that I want to say is that, our life simple. I believe that, simple is better.

I am lost

2010-01-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

Before I start working at St.David Medical Center, I think I can speak a little bit English. But I am wrong when I get there.

First, I do not understand the way people speak. It is very different from what I have learn how to speak.

Second, people do not understand and do not hear me as I speak with a low voice as I am scare I will use the wrong words. All I do is, smile. I just give a sweet and big smile to my co-workers.

Last, I am lost in the middle of the people. Most of my co-workers are big and tall. One of my co-worker call me shortty as he is tall and big. His one arm is as big as my two arms come together.

Omelet and Screamble Egg

2010-01-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

With no experience at work, I am still lucky that I have the chance to work at the food line, learn some stuff if you will work at the food register.

One day, I was trainned to cook in the grill. One man order Omelet and I cooked Screamble egg instead. That was such a shameful. I learnt from my experience.

There will be the time for me to come. I just need more time to pratice. I will learn.

Happy July 4th

2008-07-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

This is the special day for people who live in US, but for those who is new arrival this is a new experience for them. Some new arrival may not know the meaning of the fire work, but they enjoy seeing it at nite time.

For those who works to earn a living, they do not take a holiday instead they choose to work.

Once A year Chin Picnic Party

2008-05-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

I went to the Chin Picnic with my neighbour Chin family. It took 1 hour from Dallas. There were not only Chin from Dallas, Chin people gather from different cities and there were around 200.They are very kind and nice to me. There was a short worship before the picnic time. The worship program was in Chin language so, I hardly understood nothing. I just sat and listened to the one who gave speech. The only two words that I know was, Cyclone Nargis and Burma.

I was introduced by the people. I had learnt something that, I am the only Buddhist among them and Karen.

I enjoyed talking with Chin people who can speak Burmese. I was very hungry and waited for dinner time as I did not eat much for my breakfast and there are no shop that sell snack nor meal. I was pretty sure that, I was not the only one who was hugry, there were a lot of adult and children were hungry. We had dinner at 8:00PM and left the place at 8:55PM.

There were a short pray before we left. I was sad that, the pastor told me to convert to a christian family as he found out that I am a buddhist.

Family for a better life

2008-03-06T18:21:00.000-08:00

There is one house with not very much kitchen wear in it. There are six families live in the house and share everything together as one big family. They do not have regular work, but work for the owner of the sugar cane land owner. They are very friendly to everyone.

Among the 6 families, there is a school boy who is 12 years old and study in grade 4 in one of the migrant school along Thai-Burma border. He only has 2 clothes in his life. He doesn’t have a school uni-form. But he is not shy going to school as he keen on learning thing and have a higher education in his life even through he doesn’t have much support.

Friendship Bridge

2008-03-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

There is a land; it does not belong to Thailand and no to Burma. The place located in between these two counties in Moi River. Before, Thailand used to claim for the land, but Burma doesn’t agree on the claim. Burma would like to have the land as well.

There are a lot of street children around the area. They are asked to bed for thing and money to support their family. They do not go to school instead they have to work in their early age. They do not have the chance to enjoy their childhood life and do not have any child rights. All they know is listening to what their parents or gardiances ask them to do for.

Some foreigners give money to the children in order not being disturbed and some feel pity. There are also some visitors are being angry to the children.

How Hard

2008-02-06T01:14:00.000-08:00

I like this kind of slippers very much. This look very dirty today. I went to 5 migrant schools which located in Phop Phra Area.

Life there is very hard. I am very surprise when I get there. There are a lot of Burmese Migrant Workers live there.

I am lucky that I have visit a lot of places within a month. I learn more a lot of life and gain more a lot knowledge from people during my trip to the migrant area.

I am happy see different people and listen to their experiences. This make me feel happy.

Lovely Pot

2008-01-30T18:38:00.000-08:00

There is a pot. Without it, some people will have difficulty for preparing their family meal. Beside the farm, this is how some people cook for their meal on the ground. The view will be nice and people may think to have the chance to cook like this for one time or more.

You may not know how hard is life here. With small pot there are 6 families cook their meal and share it together.

At last I want to say that; thank you my lovely pot.

Behind Something

2008-01-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is not for camping, this is not for fun, this is real life. We all may not have the same feeling, but mostly of the people from.................. if they see this kind of cooking pot,,,, they will miss something left behind.

My Angle

2008-01-27T21:52:00.000-08:00

Song can present your feeling when you dare not to tell how you feel on the girl you love. If the girl that you love like to listen music, it is a very good way to sing the song for her.

She will feel the meaning of the song. More and more she will undersand and care you more.

It may not true from your point of view, but.............. Hey friend, how do you think?

Lovely Friend

2008-01-27T21:36:00.000-08:00

Here you may see another view from young guys.

2008-01-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

It is not nice, but just for remembrance. Hope for a better day and try our best.

There will be a lot of thing need to be done. Why don't we come up together and do it.

Sometime....

2008-01-27T20:52:00.000-08:00

Sometime, you may do something that will please other people. That is life. No one is perfect. You are not a lone in this world. When you come into this life, you may need to act or try to live as other people do.

My friend, you are right. Friends are forever. I am lucky that I have you as my freind.

Crazy

2008-01-27T20:02:00.000-08:00

Some people may like to do the same thing, but some are not. When you share the same idea, you can form a team and follow the dream together. So... my friend you are expert and you are perfect. Just follow your dream and you will reach your dream one day. We are here to cheer you up.

Story for Children

2008-01-23T03:36:00.000-08:00

You may see that, children love to listen to story. Story can make them feel fresh and happy.

2008-01-23T00:13:00.001-08:00

Pray for God

2008-01-22T23:52:00.000-08:00

I think i know this Man, he was the first client i met when i started working with JRS. And i can tell you how horrilbe i felt after listening to his daily struggles near the gigantic garbage pile in Mae Sot. And i still remember not only JRS gave him the office assistence, but i also give him some of my own food to take home for his kid. Seeing how happy he was for some of the food he received, i felt so sorry and pity for them. And the smile that he gave me was an best ever smile i have seen in my life. Unfortunately, we could not helped him regularly because he was not qualified as a refugee :-(( However,I felt really good about myself after that day because it made me realised how i have been blessed in my life when i compared my life to those of the people (in your pictures). I have been thinking for a long time and still i need someone to tell me if it is morally right or wrong because there must be someone suffering much more than we do, in order to make ourselves realised how lucky we have been in this world. So, when i see this picture, i can't help myself not to give commmnets. what i simply want to say is, it has been exactly two year after meeting this man. For me there has been many changers in my life in different ways. But for this poor Man, i am pretty sure he still lives never the garbage pile and still collecting what could be useful from what others throw away. But, he is a very talented person. if my memory serves me correclty, he knows how to fix old stuff such as TV and Radio. Although he lost one leg, he could do well and still could find ways to support his family. isn't that amazing? May GOD always be with him and his family and ease them from the pains and hardship they are suffering. Amen. God! i really thank you for giving this life and please let me be satisfied with whatever i have. Amen

From one of my best friend;

Thanks a lot for your........

Happy Birthday To You

2008-01-20T22:11:00.001-08:00

We do not cerebrate our Birthday. We do not see that very often. As for me, since I was a child and till now I never cerebrate my birthday. And when people talk about my birthday I feel strange and feel shy. I do not know why I have that kind of feeling.

But for the one who I care, I want them to be happy in their special day.

23, Jan, 2008 is my younger sister birthday. I want to send her something, but it is too late for me to. Coz, today is already 20, Jan, 2008.

In the next year I will try to be a good sister. For this year I just want to say that;

Happy Birthday & May all your wishes come true

Free Act

2008-01-11T01:37:00.001-08:00

I feel very happy and feel free. All the sadness and tiredness go away from me. The children are so cute. Their school located in the middle of the farm and also far away from the city. The teachers are very nice and kind to the children. They put all of their effort just only for the children.

Study on the ground

2008-01-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

There are some students. All of them are from the migrant worker family. The study place start by one monk. The concept of letting the children to come and study at the monastery is; to let the children grew up with a basic education as most of their parents do not know how to read and write.

Small Camp

2008-01-07T12:36:00.000-08:00

Small migrant area from some where in the world. The area located not very far from the city.

Under the Sky Blue and White Cloud

2008-01-06T23:04:00.000-08:00

There are some people who lives here. They do not have much choice to choose. The children have school to go for a better future.

They have water well, but the water is not clean.