Min Thein Kha - Myaing Hay Wan

Forest ranger volunteer artist

After graduating from Dehradun University in India with a degree in Forestry, I returned to Myanmar and worked as a forest assistant in the Forest Department for about three years. Eventually, I resigned from my job because my superior, a white-faced officer named Brandy, was not suited to the forest department.

When I resigned from my job, my livelihood did not suffer much, except for the honor of being a forest ranger, which was very useful in courting women. This was because I had sold the land and jewelry that my parents had left me, deposited the money in the “Charter Bank” and used it regularly to withdraw the interest every month. Furthermore, since I was a single man who did not drink, have no pleasures, and do not gamble, the interest I received from the bank was not only enough for me to eat and drink, but also to support my friends who were in financial difficulties.

The extra money I have spent is traveling around Burma and collecting paintings depicting the customs and clothing of various ethnic groups.

Although I am not yet qualified to be called an artist, I have often heard compliments from those who have seen my paintings, saying, "Not bad," thanks to the benefits of practicing alongside my schoolwork and as a hobby since I was a child.

Within a year of quitting my job, I had traveled to many places in Myanmar and had collected over a hundred paintings. Now, a Frenchman named 'Ram Moe', who travels around the world and makes a living selling paintings and cultural artifacts to museums in many countries, has bought some of my paintings for a high price. As a result, I can now travel and paint freely, which is my passion.

One day, in a place called Taung Ni in southern Shan State, I was painting a market scene during the five-day market that takes place every five days. I had only been there for about two days, so the local Shan people were strangers to me. I didn’t know anyone except the Shan man named “Aik Pan,” the owner of the house where I was staying. However, thanks to the spirit of the Shan people, who were good hosts, I was able to live freely in that area.

It was already nine in the morning, but the market was still crowded. Since it was a five-day market, shoppers from nearby villages also came to the market, so the market in the very small village of Taungni was already crowded beyond capacity.

Shan men are generally not interested in other people's affairs, so they don't gather around to watch me paint. Only four or five people who seemed to be interested in painting were watching me with interest. That's why I was able to concentrate on the painting and paint with enthusiasm.

I often paint outdoor landscapes, so within a short period of time, about two hours, my painting was almost ready to be finished.

At that moment, a fragrant perfume entered my nostrils, and I was very surprised. Because I knew that the people standing behind me and watching the Panchika were all men, there was no reason to smell such perfume. If a woman had come to watch with interest, they would not have the habit of wearing perfume in that area. I continued to concentrate on the painting, but I was no longer interested, and finally I turned around and looked back.

A very beautiful girl, dressed in a white wool sweater and a Shan Hta-bi, was staring at my painting. I guessed that she was only eighteen or nineteen years old. Although she was a Burmese girl, her pale skin and the Shan Hta-bi, combined with the Shan state environment, made her look like a young Shan girl.

The girl looked at me for a few seconds, then continued to stare at the painting with interest. I was also absorbed in the girl's vision, but it was inappropriate, so I pushed her away and continued to paint the Panchika. After a while, the scent of perfume disappeared from my nostrils, and when I looked back, I could no longer see the girl from earlier. She had already left me. At that moment, for some reason, I didn't know what to do, but I felt a smile on my face.

I spent another half hour painting the painting, deciding that I would finish it again when I got home, adjusting the necessary light and dark settings and color schemes. I gathered up my canvas, easel, brushes, and paint cans, and left the market.

Every time I return from painting, I would be thinking about the painting I had painted all the way. But now, after five days, I no longer see the landscape painting in my eyes, but only the beautiful, smooth face of the woman who had been looking at it with interest.

What is the boy doing in this area? Is he alone or with his parents? When will the boy return? Will he stay in this village for long? | Whose house is he staying at? Is he just a middleman, or...

Questions like these started to fill my head.

Thus, having been captivated by the beautiful goddess, I returned to the house of "Ai Pan" where I was staying.

"Ai Pan" was sitting on the porch in front of the house, drinking black tea, when he saw me.

"Hey, teacher, are you okay for today?"

“Yes, that’s fine, Aik Pan. With just a little more work, it will be a painting.”

“I’m just worried. Since the teacher is painting right in the middle of the market, I’m wondering if the villagers will make fun of him or disturb him.” “Nothing will happen. Everyone is polite. They don’t even look at me in large crowds. They are even more polite than in the big cities.” “Of course. I’m just worried because I’m the only one who knows how to be polite. Actually, the people in our village have rules. Especially when it comes to being polite to guests.

"I dare to compete with other villages."

"It's beautiful," I replied, "I haven't taken a bath yet," and Aikpan began to brag about his village to me.

“And there is no village in Shan State with a landscape as beautiful as ours, teacher. If you are an artist like me, you must have many paintings.” “So, besides me, are there any other visitors from Burma here, Ko Aik Pan?”

At my words, Aipang frowned and thought for a moment..

“No, I haven’t seen any yet. I haven’t heard of any visitors from Burma. People in our village are not very curious, but since the village is small, they know which house has which visitors, teacher.” “I was painting in the market this morning when I saw a Burmese girl who had come to buy something. She was dressed like a city girl.”

"How old are you, teacher?"

"I think she's only eighteen or nineteen years old. She's quite pretty. Her body is quite slender."

Then Ai Pan laughed heartily..

“Ha.. ha.. ha.. it seems like I’ve met Princess Myaing Hay-won.” “I don’t know if she’s Princess Myaing Hay-won or not. But she’s a very pretty girl. I didn’t think I’d meet such a beautiful girl in such a place. So she’s a princess.

"Do you call her Princess Myaing Haywan?" "No, sir. But the whole village calls that girl Princess Myaing Haywan. No one in the whole village knows her real name. I have also been to Burma many times and have seen beautiful Burmese women. But I have never seen a Burmese woman as beautiful as Princess Myaing Haywan from our village." "Don't tell me about Princess Myaing Haywan's beauty. I believe that because I saw her myself. | What I want to know is, does she live in this village?