Thursday, July 30, 2026
Alaungsithu--over 100 blog hits, Special issue Atlantic 1958 (ditto) and
Marco Polo 232 got the most blog hits in last weeks.
Generally, my audience likes writerly posts.
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
My Elder Brother--Sithu U (Dr.) Thaw Kaung. (1937-2026)
U Thaw Kaung (1937-2026)
My elder brother,7 years older than I. He had a difficult childhood as he could not walk and when we were in England, I used to go upstairs and visit with him and his friend from next door--His bed was laid out like The Land of Counterpane.
When he was already in college,he gave me books like How to take exams, how to lie with statistics, how to spell correctly if you are unsure.
He advised on the scholarships I applied for. "What will you do if you get it."
"Go." I said.
He was an English Literature major, but Ne Win made him a Burma historian.
My brother was an extrovert, unlike me.
Lots of people knew him as he was very good at group events and staying in touch.
When our father died, our father's friends put together a fund so he could study in the UK for a diploma in librarianship.
He only really wanted to help others. He argued he didn't need an MA and a Ph.D.
In 2004 when we met up in London, he was so kind as to write, "Our father loved poetry but you can write it."
He didn't write much himself, but he did put together a birth centenary edition of essays and obits of our father, also Sithu U Kaung, a well-known educator and first Chairman of the Burma Historical Commission.
I don't know anything else and I hope his passing was peaceful.
We will miss him.
A hoopoe alighted when he was sitting at our home in the garden at 22 Windermere Crescent.
I always spoke too loud: "Where? Where?"
"Shh. You will frighten it away,"
I hope his soul is among the birds, the butterflies, the Chopin piano pieces, the little sea creatures he loved so much, in the small rock pools at Ngapali beach, named after Naples in Italy.
I think his favorite writers were Desmond Morris,The Naked Ape, and Gerald Durrell's books. And books on animal behavior, but he did not seem interested in big animals. He liked observing insects.
He didn't harm anybody.
He told a Burmese writer in the USA that I had written a play "Shaman", and my American friends had acted in it.
I saw him perhaps 4 times during my so far 40 years in USA.
He liked the theories of Konrad Lorenz.
Konrad Lorenz — Animal Behavior Specialist Who Studied Geese
Konrad Lorenz was an Austrian zoologist, ethologist, and ornithologist best known for his pioneering work on instinctive animal behavior, especially in greylag geese Wikipedia+1. He is considered one of the founders of modern ethology, the scientific study of animal behavior, and shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Niko Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch for discoveries in individual and social behavior patterns Wikipedia+1.
Key Contributions to Geese Research
Lorenz’s most famous contribution was his detailed study of imprinting in greylag geese. He demonstrated that young birds form an instinctive bond with the first moving object they see within the first hours after hatching, a phenomenon he described as a natural, instinctive attachment Wikipedia. This work was central to understanding how early experiences shape behavior.
He also studied wild, domestic, and hybrid geese, observing their social structures, communication, and movement patterns. His research at his family’s summer home in Altenberg, Austria, where he spent “goose summers,” became a hub for ethological studies JRank Articles+1.
Legacy
Lorenz’s work bridged natural history observation with scientific rigor, helping to establish ethology as a respected field in biology. His studies of geese not only advanced animal behavior science but also influenced psychology, biology, and even cultural understanding of instinct and social learning.
If you are looking for a specialist who studied geese in depth, Konrad Lorenz is the central figure whose research remains foundational in the field.
He liked the Leakeys.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Leakey
I think in art he liked Qi Baishi (then spelled Chi Pai Shi)
and I discovered he didn't like opera, while I love it.
Kyi May Kaung.
7-29-2026
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
US Canada Bridge at Detroit open at last--
after all both Canada and USA need it.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/gordie-howe-bridge-opens-detroit-trade-rcna589486?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
I hope ICE arrests and shootings will stop--but I would not recommend much
travel these days--either domestic or international.
--
Day of Creation by J G Ballard--I liked all the other Ballard novels I read.
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The Day of Creation by J. G. Ballard
A 1987 psychological thriller set in war-torn Central Africa, where obsession with creation spirals into delirium and moral collapse.
Overview
The Day of Creation is a novel by British author J. G. Ballard, first published in 1987 by Victor Gollancz Ltd Wikipedia. It blends elements of adventure, psychological fiction, and surrealism, set against the harsh backdrop of Central Africa’s arid, conflict-ridden landscape Goodreads+1.
Plot Summary
The story follows Dr. John Mallory, a World Health Organization physician stationed in Port-la-Nouvelle, a small town in Central Africa. Six months into his assignment, guerrilla warfare has destroyed his patient base. Instead of treating the sick, Mallory becomes fixated on a dream: finding a “third Nile” to bring water to the region and transform the Sahara into a fertile, blooming land Wikipedia+1.
During a search for water, Mallory’s bulldozer uproots an ancient tree stump, triggering a sudden geyser of water that spreads into a vast river. The land comes alive with birds and animals, fulfilling his vision. But the creation also consumes him — he begins to identify with the river, dubbing it “Mallory” Wikipedia+1.
Obsessed, Mallory ventures upstream to “kill” its source, encountering a mix of characters: a half-blind British documentary filmmaker, ruthless local chieftains, and a teenage African girl whom he sees as a spirit of the waters Wikipedia. The journey becomes a descent into paranoia, hallucination, and moral ambiguity.
Themes and Style
Ballard’s novel is often compared to Heart of Darkness and Mosquito Coast for its blend of adventure and psychological depth www.relache.com. It explores:
Obsession and identity — Mallory’s merging of self with the river.
Creation and destruction — the paradox of bringing life through force.
Colonial and post-colonial tensions — the exploitation of African landscapes and people.
Surrealism — the river as both literal and symbolic.
Reception
Critics have praised the novel’s “compulsively vivid images” and haunting atmosphere Goodreads. William Boyd called it “mesmerising” and noted Ballard’s “haunting impact” Google Books. It is considered a “classic Ballard” work, emblematic of his signature blend of dystopian vision and psychological intensity Google Books+1.
Editions and Legacy
The novel has been reprinted by publishers such as Harper Perennial and HarperCollins, with commemorative editions featuring introductions by Ballard admirers like Ali Smith and Martin Amis Google Books+1. It remains a notable entry in Ballard’s body of work, alongside Empire of the Sun and Crash.
If you’re interested in Ballard’s exploration of obsession, transformation, and the psychological effects of environmental change, The Day of Creation is a compelling read.
Notable water themed novels--
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Notable Water-Themed Novels
If you’re drawn to stories where water—whether the ocean, rivers, or even the concept of water itself—plays a central role, there’s a rich tradition of novels that explore its beauty, danger, and cultural significance.
Classic and Literary Works
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville – A timeless tale of obsession, fate, and the sea, following Captain Ahab’s quest for the great white whale Goodreads.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway – A minimalist, powerful story of Santiago’s struggle with a giant marlin at sea Goodreads.
The Odyssey by Homer – An epic journey across the Mediterranean, shaped by the sea’s power and mystery Goodreads.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne – A visionary adventure aboard the Nautilus, exploring the deep ocean Goodreads.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis – A Narnia adventure where the sea is a key setting for peril and discovery Goodreads.
Ocean and Maritime Fiction
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson – A pirate classic where the sea is both setting and character Goodreads+1.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel – A philosophical tale of survival at sea, blending fact and fiction Goodreads+1.
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell – A young girl’s survival story after her people are driven from their island Goodreads.
The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy – A Cold War thriller where the ocean becomes a battleground Goodreads.
Contemporary and Thematic Novels
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park – A dual-timeline novel about water scarcity in Sudan, blending personal and historical narratives Shortform.
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese – A multi-generational family saga in Kerala, India, where water is both literal and symbolic The Greatest Books.
The Day of Creation by J.G. Ballard – A speculative novel about a scientist’s discovery of a river in a desert The Greatest Books.
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See – A historical novel about haenyeo, free-diving women in Korea, whose lives are shaped by the sea www.healthyoceanshealthypeople.org.
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher – A multi-generational family saga anchored in the Cornish coast www.healthyoceanshealthypeople.org.
Playground by Richard Powers – A near-future novel blending AI, climate change, and Pacific Island life www.healthyoceanshealthypeople.org.
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy – A climate fiction set on a sinking island, with the ocean as both refuge and threat www.healthyoceanshealthypeople.org.
Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende – A sweeping historical novel set against the Caribbean Sea www.healthyoceanshealthypeople.org.
These works span genres from adventure and fantasy to historical fiction and climate fiction, offering rich reading experiences for anyone fascinated by water’s role in human stories.
Monday, July 27, 2026
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