My Last Working Day in Berg

Today is my last working day in Berg. It is hard to say goodbye to all of my team members. However, I must leave them behind with a heavy heart due to certain reason. I heartily appreciate their collaboration and friendship within my stay. It has been an interesting, a challenging as well as fun working 7 months as a production engineer. Working at Berg has broadened my perspective on marine industry and had a chance to coach myself to be independent. Moreover, I have learned a great deal about myself. I am not a perfect lady but, it is a fun trying to be. I assure my learning and experience from Berg is a great asset and will be very useful for my future ahead. I have enjoyed working as a part of dynamic team and will keep this happy memory in my life.

Sandar
31.8.2011

To be a good leader, try to be a part of team first

Many people describe characteristics of a leader in a vast way. After seeing above photos, one meaningful word comes across to my mind. It is congruency. I have read this word before as a characteristic of good leaders. However, I haven’t noticed how it is crucial to become a good leader. From above three coloured photos, I have captured harmony and consistency of good leaders. A good leader must motivate, inspire and have influence on his or her followers. To be done this task, he or she needs to build up trust from followers. In my opinion, showing congruency is the best way to build up trust. A leader who is not harmony with followers will not gain their trust. Moreover, a leader who says one thing but does another will not be esteemed by followers.
A good leader will not consider he is being a king or most respectable person in the world. He will count himself in a team of followers and only view himself a part of the team. Leaders who think themselves as a part of can quickly grab the respect and trust of followers. These followers will be keen to help and give their supports as they feel the team is unity and everyone have same vision.
Knowledge and competency are also important criteria of leadership. In this case, I would like to define knowledge is information and competency is skill. A leader without these two abilities cannot lead the team to a proper vision. The followers will not admire that kind of leader too. Moreover, a good leader has responsibility to maintain integrity. In conclusion, it is very clear to understand that being a good leader is not an easy task.

Sandar
19.8.2011

In God we trust Versus In Government we don’t trust

Every country has its own currency. So does our home land, Myanmar. The official exchange rate for Myanmar Kyat is about 6.5 kyats per 1 US dollar. However, if you want to buy US dollars in this rate, you are unable to buy it anywhere. If you ask someone to exchange Myanmar Kyats to US dollars in this incredible rate, he or she would stare at you with uncanny look. The official currency exchange rate in Myanmar is just for dummy. The actual exchange rate in black market is about 760 kyats per 1 US dollar. There is also a restriction for handling foreign currencies in Myanmar. A person holding a US dollar bank account and promised to pay ten per cent of monthly salary as income tax to government can only pocket and trade with US dollars. Otherwise, keeping foreign currency in hand is against the Myanmar government’s law. Therefore, exchanging US dollars into Myanmar kyats at actual exchange rate is totally relied on black market currency traders.
In South East Asia region, most of countries like Lao, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Philippines are enjoying floating currency system and benefiting from open foreign currency market in their nations. Myanmar is too far away from benefits and civilians are suffering from high inflation rate as well as low income. The most influence factor of foreign currency exchange rate is government’s ever-changing policies in import and export industry. When import restrictions are tight, the demand for US dollar is less and value of Myanmar kyats is raised. When import restrictions less, the demand for US dollar high and value of Myanmar kyats fallen. When export economy is booming, the demand for US dollar is less and value of Myanmar Kyats is fallen too.
Fluctuations in Myanmar currency exchange rate are very common and unpredictable nowadays. We all have experienced about a sudden rise in value of Myanmar currency recently. In my opinion, it is just a result of fallen US dollar value due to economic crisis in America. It is not a result of strengthening in Myanmar economy.

Sandar
3.8.2011

A symbol of love

Do you know the universal symbol of love and affection? Do you know the sign language of love? There is no one who cannot concur that it is a kiss. It gives us a mixed feeling of warm, excited and satisfied to be loved. It can also be a remedy to endure pains in our lives. A well-known poet and play writer, William Shakespeare also wrote in one of his play, “I can express no kinder sign of love, than this kind kiss”. I strongly agree that kiss is the best manner to reveal love and affection to someone else.
Every mother will kiss her children when her heart saturated with love after seeing cute actions of them. Mother’s loves is eternity and never end up for her children how naughty they are. Could you reckon the feeling of your mother’s affectionate kisses? Unfortunately, I haven’t recognized it because she passed away since I was one year old. However, I strongly believe she would give me her loving kisses. As far as I can remember, no one kissed me in my childhood years as I have been a shabby, morose and quiet girl. But, I did know how to kiss since my younger years. I couldn’t help myself kissing on my new cute dolls and beautiful flowers that I loved.
Time flies so fast and I grew up, then I found my better half. He teaches me to love and to be loved. He introduces me to the sign language of love. It soothes my mind as well as drives away my tiredness and worries. It also creates the realm of love between us. I am very sure everyone loves to kiss and be kissed by their loved ones and will appreciate that kind of affection.

Sandar
26.7.2011

Irrawaddy, the elegant beauty and lifeblood of Myanmar

Irrawaddy is the longest river in Myanmar. It comes from the joint of two rivers named Mai ka & Mali ka in Kachin State and flows from north to south along the country. It comes across so many beautiful and grand places like Myitsone, Pyay, Bagan etc. Irrawaddy has become a major transportation system to rebel British invasion within World War II. Moreover, it has been a witness of our country tragedy when King Thibaw was sent to exile after British took over Myanmar in 1885.
Our ancestors utilized Irrawaddy’s current and tide in many other ways. The huge logs and bamboos from upper Myanmar are transported from north to south by floating in Irrawaddy. Famous glazed clay pots from Monywa are carried by Irrawaddy’s current from south to north. Many goods are transported and exchanged via Irrawaddy across the regions of Myanmar.
In past, people who live near Irrawaddy river bank did not need to worry about foods because there are many live stocks in it. They could easily catch fresh water fishes and crabs for their meals. Their plantations could be laced with green vegetables with the help of fresh water from Irrawaddy.
Irrawaddy is a well-known and mighty river for people in Myanmar. It is also a precious gift from nature for Myanmar people and it can be honoured as lifeblood of Myanmar. As time goes by, Irrawaddy is still dutiful and generous to people in needs. However, greedy local and foreign business men and notorious military junta would like to destroy its beauty and existence. They are planning to build and operate seven dams along Irrawaddy. The biggest one will be located near Myitsone in Kachin State. First of all, construction of these dams will demolish natural beauty and ecology of Irrawaddy. Then, man-made reservoirs will block the waterway and it will affect the water level and currents of Irrawaddy across our country. There will be possibilities of natural disasters like flood and drought for people lived near Irrawaddy in future. Currently, those people endure the pains for their livings, foods and business because of forced relocation by government.
Our quiet, peaceful and generous Irrawaddy should be in long life and go on forever for our next generation. Saving Irrawaddy means to save people, nature and history of Myanmar.

Sandar
21.7.2011

Van Gogh’s potato eaters

I have heard about one of Vincent Van Gogh’s masterpiece, potato eaters, long time ago. But, I was not eager to take a look on that painting. To be candid, I felt it was very difficult to comprehend artist’s message on paintings. It makes me less engrossed in art of painting. However, I had a chance to take a glance on “potato eater” on previous Saturday. To my astonished, I saw ostensible craft of Van Gogh. He painted a portrait of poor family having dinner together. I immediately noticed emotion in gloomy eyes of one lady on that painting. She seems to be a house wife of family. The way she looked at her husband face is so alive that I can feel her emotions via her beautiful eyes. I also discovered her worries, sadness, depression and tiredness from her eyes expression.
What is poverty? How do you describe its meaning? I would like to paraphrase it as a single word, shortage. When we were living in poverty, we will surely face shortage in all of our needs: food, shelter, knowledge, development, capacity etc. I suppose there is a chain reaction among those needs in our lives. Because of poverty, we have not enough food and shelter to survive on. Therefore, we must focus on instant needs and struggle for it. We have to neglect our long-term goals and dreams but, have to spend time on short-term problem solving for current livings. It will lead to lack of interests and information to broaden our knowledge. Again, it will lead to slow down our progress and improvements on our life skills. Therefore, the poor will be lagging behind the rich regarding to competency and capacity. Without know-hows, it is very difficult to earn lucratively.
What is your opinion to escape from this circle of poverty? To my consent, the best tool to fight back poverty is knowledge and education. We need to educate the poor to hatch out from this nutshell of poverty. Knowledge will change their perspectives on lives.

Sandar

11.7.2011