Kyi May Kaung: What Aunty Dora never talked about --

I just re-posted my 2007 obit of Daw Than E Fend (Aunty Dora). Here are some of the things I found out when her friend or factotum posted me her memorial service. These are details of her life that are written in the memorial program sheet, which must have been released with her express consent, as she was such a very private woman, in spite of her glamor and the interest of many people - which would naturally have included many men. Aunty Dora married Werner Fend. They divorced, but Aunty Dora continued to be friends with her ex-husband, even after he remarried and had children. As fate would have it, he died before she did, even though he was some 20 years younger. She continued to stay on in Austria until a few years after his death, to "look after" her "in laws" - i.e. Werner's second family. They weren't really technically her in-laws. I think it was right of her not to talk about any of this while she was alive. I do not expect any "Burmese" would understand this - they are so quick to condemn and vilify, especially to trash the reputation of women, while the men can only be called "small d-" If I left this as a comment in one of the Burmese magazines, I am sure I would get a lot of small d comments, but by now Aunty Dora is past caring, and so am I. Kyi May Kaung

Burmese steamed cakes - yay monn, being prepared at Wat Gate in Chiangmai, Thailand. Photo copyright Kyi May Kaung