Khin Khin Htoo - My dear friends, my dear relatives

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My book is titled ‘My Relatives, My Relatives, and My Relatives’. I wrote about the characters of My Relatives who dance on the stage of the Anya rural culture, which is a symbol of the life of the Burmese, from the perspective of a spectator. Although I am a spectator, I was also a character on that stage with my parents. When I write about the habits of the village, the customs, the lifestyle, the economy, and the social life of the Anya, I only talk about what I see and hear from the children. I do not have the strength to describe the entire great Anya rural culture that I respect, love, and cherish. I also do not dare to say that I have been able to record all the Anaga culture in our village. If I were to write, there is still much to write. If I were to say it in the style of Anya, I would say, “I will not be able to write.”

When I was young, I was ashamed of being a “villager” who grew up in a village and was not ashamed of anything. I used to feel that being a villager meant being inferior, stupid, poor, and uneducated. Now, I am even proud of being a villager. When I started writing, I began to respect and cherish the value and gratitude of the countryside more. I learned that having relatives in the village was an honor. I learned to be more honest and open with my relatives. Especially, I became more attached to the land where my grandparents were born and where they laid their heads. Based on these reasons, I wrote this book.

When I started writing the book, I didn't think I would include so many characters related to my family. However, as I imagined, it would get too long and boring for the readers, so I had to stop at one point. I also plan to continue writing about the characters of the rural culture in the future.

I finished the book in about three months. Usually, when I have a little idea and a strong desire to write, a short story becomes a complete novel. I only wrote football articles, which I didn't have much time to write because I was so passionate about it. When I started writing the book, my relatives and characters pulled me in and said, "Come and try it." I had planned to publish my manuscript in Shwe Awtay magazine as a monthly series, but the magazine ended up writing it on the other side, so I compiled it into a book.

This book can also be said to be my first family book. Every time I visit my relatives in the countryside, I want to give them one last little lotus flower, connecting every strand of my childhood like a lotus flower. If it becomes a little lotus flower blooming in the heart of the reader, I will be very happy and satisfied.

There are many people to thank for this book. First, I would like to thank the editor-in-chief of Shwe Awtay Magazine, Saya U Win Nyein, and the Shwe family. It is only thanks to the constant support of the author and the Shwe team that I was able to write this book.

Another person who gave me encouragement was my university teacher, Daw Win Win May (VEC Education Center), who was also an Asian-American teacher and who, despite her busy schedule, carefully read and criticized all my writings and gave me advice on what was good and bad.

My biological mother is a person I should be grateful to, and it is because of her kindness that I was able to write this book without any hesitation or effort. Since I was young, my mother would talk about the village and the places in my blood, and even the dances became raw materials for me. When I finished the manuscript, my mother, who had left the monastery despite her poor health, said, “Please give it to me, I will read it.” She read it, criticized it, and gave me all the advice she saw. My mother was the editor who, through words and advice, relentlessly edited, cut, filled, and continued the book. Not only was it about her life, but also because her father and mother came from the rural life of their ancestors, so she was the most suitable editor for my book. After my mother read it, I had to finish it, which took me about a month.

The next people I would like to thank are my relatives, who were real and still are, in the book. I grew up with these relatives, sitting and playing, picking beans and peanuts, herding cows and making stones. My gratitude to my relatives for taking care of my childhood is immense.

In addition, I would like to express my gratitude to Ma Luth Tin Win, Sayar Nyi Pu Lay, Sayar Nyi Sae Min, Sayar Su Ngam, Sayar U Hla Paing, Luth Kyi Pyay, the computer team, and all the readers who helped me turn my manuscript into a book.

Respectfully...

Khin Khin Htoo

August 2003

Mandalay