Well as the title says it’s been 3 months since I started up this blog. Thank you all for visiting and come again whenever possible.

In the past 3 months  :  3195  hits and counting…………. 

USL

Today we have a movie show at school , the first of many more to come .

I’ve been wanting to do them for some time but couldn’t afford the projector and didn’t have the space . Now that I have both ,it’s SHOWTIME  

The kids wanted something that had ” action” in it . I wanted somethng that would include a bit of history and geography . So we settled on ” Gladiator” with Russell Crowe .

 I give a little lecture with a a slide show on Romans blah blah blah …..before it begins and there will be a  quiz afterwards with the winners getting  little prizes i.e. chocolate chip cookies.

USL 

Hi there everyone  ! BEST  is a  language school here in Mandalay and  we’ve got lots of students with big hearts , learning and speaking English quite well. Drop in if you can !

Mandalay , at the moment, after no rain and searing heat for the past two months is now cool because of a persistant drizzle. The roads are in their usual state of disrepair. Electricity is supplied a litle bit more than usual, flickering on and off all through the day and night.

For any info about Mandalay do not hesistate to ask in the comments section. I read/update  my blog about every two days .

And you can  drop in to our school at Rms 433/435/437  RayWorld Complex, 4th Fl , Yadanarbon Market ,78th st Bet: 33rd &34th Mandalay , Tel: 02-89550 Ext: 437,  09-5165388.

Ask for U Soe Lwin

 Cheers

First few drops of rain out side just now.

Hi everyone, I have been a little busy lately with getting the new school premises ready for opening on the 2nd of June. Also I had a trip to Yangon to see my mum which was nice but was the weather, really hot and humid. I was soaked in perspiration (sweat) nearly all the time I was there. I know Mandalay can be hot too but the hot muggy heat and humidity in Yangon really got to me. The new school premises are on the 4^th floor of the

Yadanarbon Market. We have 2 big classrooms, an office and a fine view from there, drop by if you can.Also seminars this month. There was Inswold School from Singapore which specializes in  “O” and “A: level prep and also Kaplan APMI which runs CAT and ACCA courses and Business diplomas and degrees.  At Best Language School we are introducing a new course, Diploma in Hospitality Management [F& B ] or  Restaurant Management in conjunction [ together with]  AEC  or Asia Education Consortium.It is a great course and I hope we get at least about ten students for the first batch. They study for 3 months in Mandalay ,then 3 months in Singapore, after that it is paid job attachments.When I was young we never had opportunities or even heard of things like that.

 Different times ,I guess.  I also gave a talk on studying abroad. Lots of kids want to do that and I don’t blame them if they want to either  In the next 2 months I am also thinking of teaching the Cambridge GSCE“O” Levels.I will have some of the young and best teaching talent in Upper Myanmar working together with me. It’s going to be a lot of work but I know I’ll enjoy it. 

Although we are much busier than usual, it does not mean we do not have time for students or visitors .It is just that we have  to manage our time better .And I think when the new school stuff settles down , I’ll have lots more time to write in my blog and talk to visitors. Here in Mandalay it’s been raining a bit everyday. Not seasonal the rains that we’re having at the moment. The roads are in a  horrible state though.
Mandalay people are going to have to change their habit of not going out or to school if this pattern of regular rainy weather goes on.   

And thank you readers from in Myanmar and all over the world for all your comments .For all visitors from abroad, the best months to visit Mandalay are middle of October to the end of February. Pagoda festivals ,cool nights and days of perfect weather.I can’t wait ! By the way , all you  football fans out there ,who do you think is going to win the Champions League final this Thursday ?
Liverpool or AC Milan ?  I’m going to spend half the night in front of the telly watching that match. Well, that’s all for now.

USL

To all the readers/visitors from Burma / Myanmar  and around the world, thank you for reading this blog and I invite you to visit us here in Mandalay anytime .

 Just give me ( U Soe Lwin ) a phone call  (+95 – 02-36596 ) in advance .

Best Language School  is at :

Rm.10, 2nd /3rd Fl , NanYadanar Building ,37th st, Btw 78th & 79th sts ,Mandalay

Visit our classes . All the students would love to talk to you in English.

Cheers

 U Soe Lwin 

P.S.

And can someone tell the Lonely Planet that the range of places to eat etc. in their Myanmar  book is so limited .

Hi everyone,

Any of you students who want the latest information about the following schools or studyng abroad in July/August 2007 , contact my wife Daw Nan Thinn Thinn after 4 pm in the evening at 02- 36596  and/or make an appointment and  come and see her.

The schools are :

(1)          TMIS ( Tourism Mangaement Institute of Singapore)

(2)        Nayang Institute of Management

             ( Hotel  management studies)

(3)        Accounting Academies in Spore

(4)       Inswold School

             ”A” level ,”O” level preparatory school for university entrance 

              around the world and scholarships

(5)      Informatics Singapore  (Computer studies)

Visit this site regularly for info /dates on my   short info-talks/seminars that I’m giving at school in the coming months.The talks will be be on :

(1) Studying abroad

(2) Choosing a career

(3) Applying for scholarships

If you have any suggestions on interesting topics ,we welcome them very much .

BM 

Some people have said that my blog is a bit soft , rosy or doesn’t give the hard facts/ details about life in this part of the world  .Thank you for the feedback but I’d like to explain a few things.

Well, I don’t write certain things in this blog becauses I see no use in getting into hot water for for things written in thousands of other pages . It would just keep me out of the classroom. And that would be a real bore .

So those wanting critical commentary of this country I suggest they go to the inumerable pages devoted to that.

But I happen to believe that most of what has  happened here in the last 50 years is because of the levels of education or more precisely , the deterioration and glossing over of such ,which in my opinion , sadly, leads to lowered levels of decency to one another and the dignity of all and much more. 

But , I see one way of overcoming the challenges that we face everyday here, in education.What do I mean by education ? I guess a lot but overcoming those challenges through education will surely be a slow , unflashy and tedious endeavour but I’m in  it for the long run .

Join me and the students in this journey by dropping in here every now and then. 

I wish my blog and the links in it to serve as a portal or a starting point through which students can discover the world , more importantly, the country they live in , and most importantly : themselves.

And anyone who is not a student I hope they get some ideas and info about Mandalay that will be useful.

I hope I don’t sound popish or preachy in some ways /places in this blog but bide with me as I try to start discussions , give advice , information and sometimes a bit of guidance and also try to  get more kids to read / be curious /submit comments and  formulate views on their lives , futures and etc.

Best Regards,

 USL 

Hi everyone,

Don’t forget to click on the links cos they’re good and interesting ( Read the “guide to the links ” page too ). Right now they’re about learning English ,finding jobs ( abroad) and studying in Singapore . Lots of new stuff is going to be added soon.

 If there is any topic you would like me to write about , tell me . I’ll do my best and write the piece. If your topic  concerns ,interests everyone, ever so much the better.

 And I do invite suggestions to make this blog better. If you’re English isn’t that good , use the chatroom Burglish in your comments and questions . No problem . But not all the time guys, OK !

I’m still fiddling around with the layout and stuff. Of course I’ll change it if you find it a bit too ” cool & relaxing “. I  also want to stick some cool moving stuff onto the blog but as  I’m working alone without any knowledge of what the heck  an “avatar” and so on , so I guess it’ll take some time for the blog to look super  ,can’t ask the intenet cafe guys for advice either , they  are as  baffled and inexperienced as me about  such things . Well ,don’t forget to write your commments and questions here too , Just click on ”  comments” below and start writing . I’ll answer any questions you might have in my next post.

Bye for now