Published Home is Where in print edition--

https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=K+Kaung+home+is+where&sitesearch_type=STORE

This is the print edition.  My Potsdam is based on a trip I took to Potsdam, after a conference in Berlin, where I was invited as one of 6 SE Asian Writers who dare to confront.

Published my story collection Home is Where?

http://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Housewarming-My-Potsdam-ebook/dp/B00UC9WQ3I/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1429279283&sr=1-7

This is the e-edition for Kindle and you may also find my other books listed here.

My Potsdam is set in Potsdam and is inspired by a trip I took to Berlin in 2005 at the invitation of the House of World Culture, as one of 6 SE Asian writers who dares to confront.  They found us on the web.
Among other attendees were writers Marianne Villaneuva, Prabda Yoon, Rattawut, Linh Dinh and Goonawan Mohammed, founder of Tempo, known as the Indonesian Time Magazine.

Housewarming is set in the greater DC area.

Home is Where is set in Rangoon, Philadelphia and Washington DC, Dupont Circle.

Read more in my book.

Secret History of the Mongols--BBC documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnUiOqsYtno

I was interviewed for Wild River Review by Wendy Steginsky in 2007

http://www.wildriverreview.com/4/profile_kaung.php

Interning for 3 weeks at the World Trade Center Towers in New York City in 1987 by Kyi May Kaung (Ph.D.)

 Looking at last photo of WTC taken abt 8.30AM on 9/11/2001--at the 9/11 Memorial

 Present NY City skyline 2015 copyright KMKaung

With--Top Financial Institution -- "to set up a stock market in Burma."

Someone named George P. called us.  They wanted us to intern for 3 weeks in their offices in one of the WTC towers in NY.  I have forgotten which tower it was exactly, and of course I can't use the real name of the company, but it is still a very well regarded one, and has nothing whatsoever to do with "The Company" i.e. The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) not Culinary Inst of America.  Real CIA is based in Langley, VA.  Any fool shld know that.
So, it was high Summer and we went these by train.  A week later, GP asked for some papers, and I was homesick for Philadelphia, so I went back on the train on the weekend and got them.  We were paid $700 per week and housing provided.
But the very curious thing was, not before, not during the 3 weeks and not after, did anyone come to talk to us, ask for written memos, or ask us our thoughts.
We tried to prepare ourselves.
I walked over to the bookstore on Wall St and bought some books and boned up on Municipal Bonds, ratings, stock market terms etc.  I assumed my brief would be "How to set up a stock market in Burma." and my friend, who was registered at the Wharton School would prepare a paper on "Privatization in Burma".  We were contacted through our scholarship agency, Fulbright.
But all the time, up there on the tower, in the beautiful offices, actually looking down on Lady Liberty's head in the far distance, where she looked the size of a 6 inch statuette surrounding by glistening blue waters, and some boats and tugboats plying the waters, not a single person contacted us about what we were supposed to be doing there.
They all looked busy with their own thing, and did not even speak to us.  Very strange.
I think my friend Y was able to find out more.  In spite of the beige colored clothes she wears, and her severe expression, she is actually more of a people person than I am.  I really don't talk well with people I do not know.
Y. talked a lot abt Privatization under Mrs. Thatcher's govt in UK at that time.  She went upstairs and spoke to the librarian, or somebody in a supervisory position.  In Rangoon, when we were being chosen for the scholarships, we went through a battery of tests and one of them was a psychological quiz, that labeled Y an extrovert, and me an introvert, and on the WTC Tower, we did act true to type.
With--Top Financial Institution -- "to set up a stock market in Burma."

Someone named George P. called us.  They wanted us to intern for 3 weeks in their offices in one of the WTC towers in NY.  I have forgotten which tower it was exactly, and of course I can't use the real name of the company, but it is still a very well regarded one, and has nothing whatsoever to do with "The Company" i.e. The CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) not Culinary Inst of America.  Real CIA is based in Langley, VA.  Any fool shld know that.
So, it was high Summer and we went these by train.  A week later, GP asked for some papers, and I was homesick for Philadelphia, so I went back on the train on the weekend and got them.  We were paid $700 per week and housing provided.
But the very curious thing was, not before, not during the 3 weeks and not after, did anyone come to talk to us, ask for written memos, or ask us our thoughts.
We tried to prepare ourselves.
I walked over to the bookstore on Wall St and bought some books and boned up on Municipal Bonds, ratings, stock market terms etc.  I assumed my brief would be "How to set up a stock market in Burma." and my friend, who was registered at the Wharton School would prepare a paper on "Privatization in Burma".  We were contacted through our scholarship agency, Fulbright.
But all the time, up there on the tower, in the beautiful offices, actually looking down on Lady Liberty's head in the far distance, where she looked the size of a 6 inch statuette surrounding by glistening blue waters, and some boats and tugboats plying the waters, not a single person contacted us about what we were supposed to be doing there.
They all looked busy with their own thing, and did not even speak to us.  Very strange.
I think my friend Y was able to find out more.  In spite of the beige colored clothes she wears, and her severe expression, she is actually more of a people person than I am.  I really don't talk well with people I do not know.
Y. talked a lot abt Privatization under Mrs. Thatcher's govt in UK at that time.  She went upstairs and spoke to the librarian, or somebody in a supervisory position. 

In Rangoon, when we were being chosen for the scholarships, we were put through a battery of tests.  One was a psychological quiz which said Y was an extrovert, and me and introvert, and yet Y never married, while I did.
Certainly, interning at the WTC Towers, we acted true to type.  We mostly spoke to each other in Burmese, standing up near the reception desk at lunch time. Y liked my white linen trouser suit.  The financial wizzes whizzed by, smiling slightly at these 2 Asian women, one in a long skirt, both abt 5 feet tall and abt 120 lbs, talking to each other.
The only other people who spoke to me were Grace King (really Kim) who was the stock officer for China, but she was very busy.
So I talked to the young American man who was also interning there, and seemed as lost as we were.

We did have some little troubles at the outset about housing.  The woman named A. seemed to wish to push us to rent in Brooklyn Heights across the river.  She took me/us? there in a taxi, but I did not want to live in a house for just 3 weeks.  Late my 2 NY cousins who worked at UN said it sounded like she was steering us to her aquaintance's house, and it certainly looked like it.
I said I/we did not want to live there, as we were concerned abt security and wished to live in a building with a 24 hour reception desk.  It was then that A turned towards me and asked "How do most people live in Burma?"  I said, "Most people live in huts."
I didn't say both Y and I lived in good neighborhoods.  At Penn we stayed at Nichols House which also had 24 hour security.

Anyway, the Murray Hill hotel suite with the kitchenette they finally arranged for each of us worked very well.  I still have the NY neighborhoods booklet that they gave me, I like Murray Hill and on weekend my son and my friend's son came to visit and we went to the Bronx Zoo.

I took my famous photo of a leopard dozing, all 4 limbs hanging down the sides of an artificial log.  I just loved that pic.

Most mornings I got lost, trying to find my way to Wall St, and the first 2 days I had to take taxis.

I also went into B. Altman's that classy dept store a lot.

I bought some cloisone ear rings and some black underwear, that I thought I would use when my husband came to visit.

A few years ago, I gave it all away to our housekeeper, who said she would give it to her daughter.

The first day at lunchtime in the office, the cleaning lady tried to use me to get some free food to take home for herself.

She brought out these order forms, and said fast, "You want this and this and this, don't you?" and she ticked everything so that a massive amount of food arrived in about 6 boxes all stacked up.  The delivery man has to peer over the boxes.

Of course, I only ate very little, and the rest--I closed the boxes and put them all in a pile in the nearest trash can, out of which I am sure the woman fished them out soon.

So that's how you work Wall St.

On subsequent days, I would just go down to the plaza, sit on the low wall surrounding the global sculpture and eat a small lunch.

I did like the surrounding small streets a great deal, esp Church St with its cemetery.

I tried to look for it the other day, but did not find it.

I think the older building, Woolworths? is the one that survived.

After 3 weeks, Y and I went back to Penn.

A few weeks later, the stock market crashed, and I knew no one would come asking me abt my ideas for Burma.

And the next year, that great watershed event, 1988, happened in Burma--

to date, no stock market still in Burma--maybe it's a dozing leopard too.

Copyright KMKaung
4-18-2015

Reviews of my novella Black Rice--

http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rice-Novella-K-Kaung/product-reviews/0615797520/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

How/where to review my books on Amazon--

If you wish to review my books--i.e. write a review of one of my books, this is the best place to do it.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=K%20Kaung%20K%20M%20Kaung

It does not matter whether you bought or read a print or an e-edition.

Go to the title you wish to review, click on the cover image, and write in/type in or cut and paste in your review at the line which says "Be the first to review this item"  Rank it zero to five out of five stars.

Kindle is a division of Amazon.

And most people now read on Kindle.

Thanks in advance.

You support means much to me.

KMKaung
4-17-2015

Persian sculpture--make or paint a Heech--

http://www.npr.org/2015/04/08/398324849/father-of-modern-iranian-sculpture-gets-first-us-show-in-nearly-40-years

NY Times review of Shweman Thabin at Asia Society

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/13/arts/dance/review-shwe-man-thabin-at-asia-society.html?smid=fb-share

Ludu Daw Ahmar

Great, creative, respected and courageous Burmese writer--

Ludu Daw Ahmar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludu_Daw_Amar

Shweman Tin Maung's theme song

Shweman Tin Maung troupe's theme song, which they sang after their concert 4-10-2015 in NY City--"aung par sae"  (may you) be successful--

whole ensemble came on stage and invited audience to sing with them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLRTsN3FTYI

Buddhist Art of Burma--

with Friend--

saw among other items, a 4-5th century stele from Burma--possibly oldest artifact ever found

and my friend mentioned by name in this NYTS article.

Make sure you take a look at this, as you will not find such good photos of the items in the show anywhere else.

In fact, looked like they only allowed the NYTS and no one else, to take photos.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/arts/design/art-of-devotion.html#

Burmese translation of Amitav Ghosh's The Glass Palace

http://amitavghosh.com/blog/?m=201203

Second "Burmese" trip to NY

First trip--"Western"

Second trip--"Burmese"

saw old Burmese Buddhas from Bagan period and earlier--earliest a stele which predates Buddhism, brought from Burma especially for this show at the Asia Society.

--took a guided tour with Sylvia Fraser Lu, one of the co-curaters.

--did not get to the photo shoot planned at the Met--

had to cancel as tired, but met the photographer--then missed her again as she was apparently on the stage hobnobbing with the Shweman Thabin troupe--

even though she said she would meet me "right here in the lobby after the show"

My friend had a serious chest infection, so we had to leave as the building was also closing up.

Shweman Thabin show was Excellent.

The dancing, singing, operetta, clowns, acrobatics, costumes--were all excellent.

I do wish they had better mikes.  The narration in English was almost non-existent, while the program was printed in too small a font--and with too many Burmese words for an international non-Burmese audience--and too much technical detail, I think--

still

it is only the 2nd Shweman performance I have seen in my lifetime--and very good--

I forgot to add--

the small excerpt The Temptation of Mara's Three Daughters, the puppet sin taw min tha mee and the drums were the ones I liked best.

The music was also exceptional, the saing waing playing continuously during the 90 minute show except for during the intermission--

They played U Han Pa (U Han Ba's (sic?) famous overture which I heard played at Burma Translation Society in 1950s, then played by U Han Pa himself.


I enjoyed meeting old and new friends and catching up with everyone.

More later

KMKaung
4-12-2015

Photos from Irene Wong and Shweman family--Thank you.

Burmese art conservation in NY

If not a "makeover" at least old Burmese art objects did get a modern medical checkup in NY.
One visit I am told, cost $3000.
http://asiasociety.org/…/video-behind-scenes-look-restoring…

posted by KMKaung
4-12-2015

KIndle links for my books + No Crib for a Bed will be at Politics and Prose, DC--

Politics and Prose will have my stories, No Crib for a Bed and Other Stories, at their Connecticut Av. store in NW DC.

Books will be near the cash register, under my name K.Kaung or Kyi May Kaung.

In addition--

Kindle editions of my books, including latest Home is Where + My Potsdam

http://www.amazon.in/Kindle-Store-K-Kaung/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A1571277031%2Cp_27%3AK%20Kaung
and print edition of this will be out soon also.

I just passed the proof review today.

There are also print editions of everything, available on Amazon (CreateSpace).

Kyi May Kaung
Words Sounds and Images

How you become a great artist--by KMKaung

How you become a great artist (writers are also artists)

You work hard and observe constantly and acutely

you study every day

you practice your art daily

you also need something else

the divine spark

talent

fire in the belly

anger

outrage--

without it you might as well

lie down and die.

Copyright KMKaung
4-6-2015

www.kmkaung.com

Poem--Helluva way to make modern crushed sculpture by KM kaung

Helluva way to make modern crushed sculpture.

1.  Recruit poor young men.
2.  Train them.
3.  Tell them they will die a martyr's death and go straight to heaven, with x number of virgins in attendance.
4.  Promise pensions to their mothers.
5.  Buy box cutters.
6.  Execute the plan.

--you will now have lots of crushed beams and other survivor building components.

We all know the 9/11 photos were sanitized, censored or "edited".

I have had a lot of experience with in- house Burmese editors.

The taxi drivers mentioned strewn body parts.

Among the parts there would be a lot of blood and heads, no??

So what if survivor parts and stories were collected say from The Daisy Cutter?

Drone attacks?

Museum for that?  Those?

I don't know the answers any more.

I model this poem on Rumi's and Faiz Ahmad Faiz's.

I don't know the answers.

You figure it out.

You tell me.

You tell me.

Copyright KMKaung
4-6-2015

Photos Copyright 9/11 Memorial Museum, NY City and KM Kaung--we were allowed to take photos without flash for educational use only.  So pl use for educational use only.  Thanks--KMKaung

Entire 9/11 Commission Report on line

http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report.pdf

Just visited 9/11 Memorial Museum in NY City

http://www.newyork.com/attractions/911-memorial-museum/?aff=NY2435dc&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=9/11%20memorial&utm_campaign=SKAG%20-%209/11%20Memorial&utm_content=9/11%20Memorial%20-%20Exact&gclid=CO6WnpqS4MQCFbPm7AodXmMAfA