tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post2843260009967229786..comments2024-03-08T03:18:48.591-05:00Comments on Lotus Reads: The Saffron RevolutionLotus Readshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-968468802825701862007-10-08T23:25:00.000-04:002007-10-08T23:25:00.000-04:00Lotus, that was a great list of books based in Bur...Lotus, that was a great list of books based in Burma! And thanks for telling me that the essay was from 'Burmese Days'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-72449765318500749962007-10-04T17:02:00.000-04:002007-10-04T17:02:00.000-04:00Burma books from 1940'sSeagrave, G: Burma SurgeonS...Burma books from 1940's<BR/><BR/>Seagrave, G: Burma Surgeon<BR/><BR/>Seagrave, G: Burma Surgeon Returns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-58412731838394689202007-09-30T08:35:00.000-04:002007-09-30T08:35:00.000-04:00@bint battuta ~ Hello! Yes, my blog has a new fr...@bint battuta ~ Hello! Yes, my blog has a new frock, thanks for noticing! :) Thank you also for the book recommendation I will add it to the list. Come to think of it, I have seen "Under The Dragon" at the bookstores. It's a good suggestion, thank you!<BR/><BR/>@Yuva ~ I like the sound of "Last of the Guardians" will definitely add it to the list. Many thanks for the recommendation!Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-38996260426025413102007-09-29T20:58:00.000-04:002007-09-29T20:58:00.000-04:00if I may- few more suggestions: From the Land of G...if I may- few more suggestions: <BR/><BR/>From the Land of Green Ghosts, a Burmese Odyssey by Pascal Thwe<BR/><BR/>Freedom from Fear by Desmond Tutu<BR/><BR/>Last of the Guardians, a Story of Burma, Britain and a Family by David DonnisonAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14317831523155115391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-67687152743997034562007-09-28T17:29:00.000-04:002007-09-28T17:29:00.000-04:00lotus, i haven't visited for a while - love the ne...lotus, i haven't visited for a while - love the new look! (or do i just have a bad memory?!)<BR/>i can recommend a book about burma i read a few years ago, called 'under the dragon', by rory maclean. worth reading, if you can get hold of it.bint battutahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08753131660641791299noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-30208718934118560242007-09-28T16:21:00.000-04:002007-09-28T16:21:00.000-04:00@Nancy ~ Hi! Do you know the first impression tha...@Nancy ~ Hi! Do you know the first impression that a lot of people that visit Burma come away with? The gentleness of the people and how much they love children. The Burmese are a very gentle race and I guess this is why the military has found it so easy to keep them cowered down. Not for much longer, I hope. I honestly think the people have reached the end of their tether and now that the monks have started agitating hopefully the Burmese will summon their collective courage and bring the regime down.<BR/><BR/>Nancy, I am sorry you weren't able to collect the reminisces of your grandparents and father...I realize time is short and I really should be talking to my grandmother more. Thank you for the reminder.<BR/><BR/>@Tara ~ Thank you! Global issues and current affairs are among my favorite subjects. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving me a comment. I'm so glad you managed to record a conversation with your grandmother the last time you saw her...what a lovely thing to share with your children when they are older.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-45944662605669049662007-09-28T16:11:00.000-04:002007-09-28T16:11:00.000-04:00@Dark Orpheus ~ Thank you for your comment! I wa...@Dark Orpheus ~ Thank you for your comment! I was listening to the Emma Larkin interview on NPR and yes, she did mention the Burmese love of reading. Isn't it such a pity that books and other reading material are censored so much there? Have you read the synopsis of the book that made it to the 2007 Asian Man Booker Longlist, "Smile As They Bow by Nu Nu Yi (Inwa)". That's a bold book...I'm surprised it made it past the censors.<BR/><BR/>I am enjoying seeing the monks engage in spiritual activism, but unfortunately many will lose their lives, this regime is just brutal!Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-52047205812770586262007-09-28T13:13:00.000-04:002007-09-28T13:13:00.000-04:00Thanks for bringing this to my attention. You hav...Thanks for bringing this to my attention. You have a wonderful way of writing about global issues. I'm so glad I tape-recorded a conversation I had with my Grandmother the last time I saw her. I cherish it.Tarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07208766776468157501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-20818044804860842472007-09-28T11:31:00.000-04:002007-09-28T11:31:00.000-04:00There's very little world news in our local newspa...There's very little world news in our local newspaper, so I had no idea monks were protesting peacefully in Burma. I'm rooting for them, too. Burma is long overdue for a change; I hope it will occur during our time.<BR/><BR/>What a great list of books! I can't wait to see your reviews, as you get around to reading them.<BR/><BR/>If you have a chance to interview and record your grandmother, you should do so. My last living grandparent died when I was 26 and my father when I was 27. I will always mourn the loss of the stories I should have written down while I had the chance - both were in excellent health and died unexpectedly. My father, in particular, loved to reminisce. I so wish I'd written down what he said during our living room slide shows.Bookfoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08247136634069540446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-47683637920094135102007-09-28T10:38:00.000-04:002007-09-28T10:38:00.000-04:00Like you I've also been following the situation wi...Like you I've also been following the situation with Burma on the news. Things have turned so bad, and I wonder if there will be enough pressure to change things. <BR/><BR/>I've read <I>Finding George Orwell in Burma</I> a few years back. One of the interesting thing I found was how Emma Larkin found so many Burmese that loved to read. And how they used stories, metaphors and allusions to express their oppression.<BR/><BR/>I really have to get back to <I>Freedom From Fear</I> -- was reading it halfway. I'm also waiting for <I>The River of Lost Footsteps</I> when it comes out in paperback. Burma is truly a place that captured my imagination.darkorpheushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02565452271408221461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-53829137392941244532007-09-28T09:11:00.000-04:002007-09-28T09:11:00.000-04:00@Chitts ~ Thanks for contributing to the list! I a...@Chitts ~ Thanks for contributing to the list! I am not sure where to buy the Booker nominee book from. Amazon doesn't have it. <BR/><BR/>@J ~ It's terrible, isn't it? Thank goodness for the blogs though, you do hear heartening stories about Burmese bloggers putting their stories out there for the world to read. Not long before the authorities cut off the internet, isolating the country completely.<BR/><BR/>@Id ~ They do have international support but what good is it if the support is only verbal and can't make any real difference? Only China and India, but especially China, can make any real difference to situation, but they're staying mum.<BR/><BR/>@Starry ~ You're so welcome! Yes, I think Burma would make a fascinating read.<BR/><BR/>@dj ~ Welcome and please go right ahead! Always happy to meet another book lover. Will visit your blog soon!Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-44175549665153746722007-09-27T19:42:00.000-04:002007-09-27T19:42:00.000-04:00i m an avid reader and i just came across ur blog....i m an avid reader and i just came across ur blog... i simply loved it...<BR/>mind if i blogroll u??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-49388885018616415752007-09-27T19:14:00.000-04:002007-09-27T19:14:00.000-04:00I am rooting for the Monks also.may their voices b...I am rooting for the Monks also.may their voices be heard.Thanks for sharing the names of the books.would love to read about Burma.starryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00250437477875291892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-63005409130027686312007-09-27T16:20:00.000-04:002007-09-27T16:20:00.000-04:00It's a unique protest no doubt, and I'm pretty sur...It's a unique protest no doubt, and I'm pretty sure they have the support of the entire world given the nature of their protest and the cause they are protesting. <BR/><BR/>George Orwell is the only writer I can think of on the top of my head who has used Burma as a setting, though i'm sure there are many others as your list already indicates. Infact I'm hoping to find some good reads from/about Burma from your future postings, heheId it ishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10933156607975500727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-33147564919839158642007-09-27T14:35:00.000-04:002007-09-27T14:35:00.000-04:00I'm so sad to see the way this is turning out, at ...I'm so sad to see the way this is turning out, at least at this point. I would love to see their efforts turn successful.Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00653383372182667361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-19854647551601751502007-09-27T13:24:00.000-04:002007-09-27T13:24:00.000-04:00Wow! Look at all those books! Very inviting! Thank...Wow! Look at all those books! Very inviting! Thanks for sharing it with us, Lotus! I hope I get to read a few. May be I will start with the Booker Prize Nominee..<BR/>Many Thanks.Happy Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05170475118277864013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-73836021373095316362007-09-27T12:57:00.000-04:002007-09-27T12:57:00.000-04:00@A Reader ~ I just re-read your comment and realiz...@A Reader ~ I just re-read your comment and realized that 'Shooting An Elephant in India" is an essay, but thanks to you I found George Orwell's "Burmese Days" which I will including in my reading list.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-5578164199176899782007-09-27T12:29:00.000-04:002007-09-27T12:29:00.000-04:00Hi, Iliana and welcome back! I am in the process o...Hi, Iliana and welcome back! I am in the process of putting up a list now,I hope everyone will find it a helpful reference for books on Burma.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-23844832785047763982007-09-27T10:22:00.000-04:002007-09-27T10:22:00.000-04:00Unfortuantely I've been out of the loop on the new...Unfortuantely I've been out of the loop on the news (blame it all on a vacation and continued vacation state of mind!) but what little I've gathered from CNN is just sad. I am with you and want their non-violent protests to succeed. What the world needs is peace. I hope you'll be able to find some good books on Burma and of course share with us :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-23713343922800452612007-09-27T07:24:00.000-04:002007-09-27T07:24:00.000-04:00@A Reader ~ "Shooting an Elephant in Burma" sounds...@A Reader ~ "Shooting an Elephant in Burma" sounds like a great book! I hadn't realized that Burma was to Orwell what Cuba was to Hemingway. Also, I truly value the Sharatchandra Chatterjee suggestions, didn't he also write "Parineeta" and "Devdaas"? I loved them both!!!Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-15567001060083507022007-09-27T07:16:00.000-04:002007-09-27T07:16:00.000-04:00@Sanjay ~ hi again! Yes, the book suggestions ar...@Sanjay ~ hi again! Yes, the book suggestions are truly appreciated, thank you! True, in an ideal world <B>both</B> India and China would put pressure on Burma instead of watching things unfold from the sidelines, but sadly, we live in a world where money and power come before being human.<BR/><BR/>@Sylvia ~ The latest I have heard is that the The Karen National Union (KNU), (an ethnic rebel group which has battled the government for 57 long years) has now thrown its support behind Buddhist monks leading anti-government protests and urged other similar groups to unite in opposing the regime. Honestly, I don't know where all this is heading.<BR/><BR/>@gs ~ You have summed this up so well...I echo your sentiments. Apparently the govt. is barging into all the monastaries and rounding up all the monks. It is much too sad for words.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-50807106666057090552007-09-27T06:58:00.000-04:002007-09-27T06:58:00.000-04:00@Chitts ~ I don't blame you, I think I created my...@Chitts ~ I don't blame you, I think I created my own little world when my kids were small..a world of Lil' Miss Muffet, Cerelac, Peek-a-boo, etc. :) I, too, had no clue what was going on outside that world unless someone chose to share with me. All credit to you for visiting our blogs and leaving comments despite how busy you are. Thank you! Thank you also for the book suggestions. You know? I discovered a Burmese author in the 2007 Asian Man Booker longlist. The title is "Smile As They Bow", written by Nu Nu Yi (Inwa). According to "The Irrawaddy", the novel depicts events at a popular but controversial Nat (spirits) festival in the village of Taung Pyone, near Mandalay, where many in Burma’s gay community gather each year to participate in ritual marriages with Nat. As you can imagine, the subject matter of this novel did not go down so well with the authorities in Burma!<BR/><BR/>@Priya ~ The drive along the coast must have been beautiful! We drove along the Garden Route when we visited Cape Town. South Africa must have one of the prettiest landscapes I have ever seen.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-28480363195935530292007-09-27T06:28:00.000-04:002007-09-27T06:28:00.000-04:00@Sylvia ~ THank you so much for your touching comm...@Sylvia ~ THank you so much for your touching comment....yes, let's keep the monks in our prayers. THey have shown such bravery and courage in standing up to the Junta, I would hate for any of that to be in vain. I, too, have been quite disturbed to learn that some of them may have been killed by the police, let's just keep hoping that the people of Burma taste victory.<BR/><BR/>Yes, Sanjay is so well informed...I think it's because he has such a natural curiosity about everything.<BR/><BR/>@Melissa ~ Thank you for the book recommendation! I will soon make a reading list for Burma-related books and will include "The Burma Road" by Donovan Webster. THanks again!<BR/><BR/>@Beenzzz ~ I promise to do a series of posts on my grandmother's childhood in Burma if I get to see her in India next year. She lives in Bombay but my parents and M's parents live in Bangalore, so I will have to make a special trip to Bombay to see her.Lotus Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02081192215823615529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-89194077838876148492007-09-27T03:34:00.000-04:002007-09-27T03:34:00.000-04:00Lotus,Thank you for sharing this. I hope that the ...Lotus,Thank you for sharing this. I hope that the peaceful protests by the monks has an impact. Wouldn't it be a wonderful triumph of non-violence if they eventually succeed in overthrowing the junta?<BR/><BR/>I haven't read any books set in Burma other than an Orwell essay on 'Shooting an Elephant in Burma', will watch your post for recommendations.<BR/><BR/>Part of Sharatchandra Chatterjee's novels Shrikanto and Pather Dabi are set in Burma. Shrikanto has a few poignant chapters on the interactions between the Bengalis who went there to work and the simple, trusting natives. It was touching and disturbing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12738985.post-76833333042825569252007-09-26T21:49:00.000-04:002007-09-26T21:49:00.000-04:00hello lrmy sympathies are fully with the prayer-ch...hello lr<BR/>my sympathies are fully with the prayer-chanting monks.it is a great tragedy that aung san suu kyi is still languishing in jail.the free world's response so far has been dubious.the un has done nothing.i am angry with our own government for so brazenly showing insensitivity to this matter.as the world's largest democracy we should have been in the lead to deliveer burma from its tyrants. instead our minister is right now hobnobbing with the generals to secure energy for india.ongc has promised to invest in offshore drilling.economic intersts have taken priority over human freedom.but the monks will ultimately win.they have instilled fear in the junta.and they dread the time when people no longer fear them.gshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04576528133434077283noreply@blogger.com