| Description |
Translation (Rita)
There is a rice cooker in each house. There are two rice cookers in some houses too. If there are many people in that house, there can be two rice cookers. But they cook in different fire places. Mostly, there is only one rice cooker in a house. And the housewife cooks rice with that. The eldest housewife cooks the rice with that if she is not very old. I want to tell something. When I was forty years old, I remembered vividly. Every house had already got the rice cooker. I have no idea who gave them. It is called Di-up, and every house has that. (Di-up is a kind of deep fryer.) There is no one who doesn't own that. Did Chinese give it to them or Shan? But I guess Tibetan didn't give it. Indian didn't give it too. The Indian people didn't use it. They use De-aw (cauldron). Every house has it. They own at least two cauldrons. Some even own four cauldrons. I don't know where they got those caldrons from. Every house had at least two cauldrons since I was born. I don't know the earlier time. I told you yesterday that the Kachin people were very poor in the past. We couldn't afford to eat only rice grains. So, we mixed potatoes, other vegetables, yams and rice to eat. And it should be hard. After that, we wrapped the rice with banana leaves. They were very clean. We never used plates in the past. We picked the banana leaves and placed them on the rice pot. We placed one upon another. We went to the forest to pick the leaves if there were no leaves left to use. There were two or three kinds of wrappers in the forest. We made a bundle of wrappers and we called it 'Lahpaw Tsu'. There is a bamboo section called "Shat Kindung." It has two holes. We put a handkerchief into it and cooked the rice. After seven or eight hours cooking, the wives put the rice in a basket which was separated for the house owner. They put two bamboo sections of rice there. And they also put a curry or soup there. They pounded chilli, salt, ginger and sun-dried meat together. They wrapped that up and put it in the basket. They put the soup into a bamboo or a bowl which was sold by Shan. And they put two wraps of cooked rice. Then, they gave the basket filled with rice and curry to the men. They gave it to every man. We can put two or three wraps of rice. It doesn't matter. Burmese called it as 'Htamin Htut'. Wrapping the cooked rice is up to the one who wraps rice. At some houses, they wrapped a small one. If we cook a tin of rice, we get two wraps of rice. A grown-up man can't be full by eating only those two wraps of cooked rice. But two wraps of rice are perfect for most people. We don't usually give three wraps of cooked rice, normally two. We give that. We packed the rest and kept those. When we go to the field in the afternoon, we take those rice. If we have a guest, we give those cooked rice to him to eat on his way. We give two wraps of rice packed with banana leaves. But we don't give curry. We give that rice to the guest. He could find something to eat together with that rice on the way. There are many leaves which you can make soup in the highland area. There are many different kinds of leaves. Many delicious leaves are growing everywhere. He could make fire at the place where he arrived. We usually cover the fire by ash. We put the wood in the fireplace by covering it. We put the fire wood here, not to burn the bamboo frame of the fireplace. When we lift that wood up, we could see the burning wood. We could cook rice and boil the water there. Maybe, there might be chilli, salt or fermented bamboo shoot. We could eat those if we have. It is normal for a traveller. We eat dinner at around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. At night, we eat the mushy rice. It's similar as rice wraps with meat and vegetables. But we couldn't afford to put lots of indregients in mushy rice. We put some rice, wax gourd and yams. And we cook it mushy and pulpy. Then, we wrap it with banana leaves. We pound some chilli and salt to eat with that rice. We eat like that at night. Sometimes, we cook rice for dinner when we have guests. But that is not regular. The Kachin people eat three meals a day. It's just like that. These days, people usually said, "If a child is a picky eater, his IQ will be low. He can't learn well. He could be easily infected with disease. A child must eat nutritious food." But I don't think so. We are very poor. We couldn't afford to eat rice. We don't have any rice to eat in rainy season. My father is very old, and my mother is frequently ill. We can't afford to eat rice grain. We find some leaves from the forest to eat. Now, I am over 80 years old. I don't have any diseases. Our IQ level is good too. When ten people from our family take exam, nine people pass the exam. Only one person fails the exam. He is already dead because of drug. He died last year. He has three children. They live in Yangon. Only he failed the exam. Only he failed the exam. I passed the exam too. Our IQ level is good. People say nonsense such as if you don't eat well, your IQ will be low. They are all nonsense. We didn't attend any tuition too. If I took tuition, my grades would be very good. But I was poor, so I couldn't afford to take tuition. I had to work as a porter. I attended Grade 11 in 1959 and I was graduated in 1975. I worked when the school was close. After saving some money, I attended the school again. I eat only vegetables and I am so healthy. I have no disease. I don't need to wear glasses too. Now, I am 82 years old. So, when someone says, "Mom, I am not healthy because I couldn't eat meat. I didn't attend any tuitions, so I am as clever as my friend," I don't believe it. It's not like that. Now, we have only Chinese products. They are very bad quality products. Medicines are made in China too. We don't know what they used to make them. There are many Chinese people all over the world. But they are very bad people. The food they made is not healthy. I placed the eggshell over there. When we prick the egg yolk, it turns into white. There is no yellow yolk in the egg. There are some eggs like that from China products. We, Kachin people, are very poor. We can't afford to eat rice. There are many vegetables, yams, bamboo shoots, etc in the forest. We eat those. It's just like that. We have many fruits. But you know we are fools. We eat only those fruits which are growing naturally. We don't know how to plant a tree. We don't know which fruit is growing in which season. Let me tell you one thing. There are many gooseberry trees at the place where I live There are fruits called Sum taw (a fruit which has a dark blue color when it is ripe), the plum trees, rambutans, a kind of sour fruit (it's green and long), crab apples, plums (a species of plums), oleaster plums, ridge gourds, a fruit called Dik Dari, a kind of berry plants (the fruit is purple or dark blue color), guavas, pomelo trees. We just pick those fruits whenever we want. We didn't know that we could grow those trees. The fruits are bearing in this season. We even cut the trees down if we can't climb up. We eat fruits which are growing naturally. We are just fools. We didn't know that we could grow those trees. We eat all the time without growing. We have lived like that. All people are like that, not only people from our village. Those trees are naturally growing in the forest. Japanese don't eat cherries, do you? Do you make wine with those fruits? Isn't it bitter? You didn't eat? Fruits are just falling down on the ground? People from Shan state make wine with cherries. Cherry wine is really bitter. But we can put something sweet in it. The Shan people make wine with cherries. But here, cherries are just on the ground. No one use them to make wine. No one eats those fruits. Fruits are just on the ground. We eat only sour fruits called Shayang. We don't even want to grow banana plants. Banana plants are very useful too. We also don't want to grow fruits like pineapples. We just eat the fruits which are growing naturally. Even though I am also Kachin, I'd like to tell you that the Kachin people didn't have any creations. Nature has given us many valuable things. This is about how Kachin eat.
Transcription (Ja Seng Roi)
Jahpawt gaw ndai nta langai mi kaw e shatdi langai sha re mung nga ai. Hkawng re mung nga. Masha grai law jang hkawng. Raitim, dap kaga ga shadu ai. Kaga re. Law malawng gaw langai sha re. Dai shat gaw nta madu jan nan shadu ai yaw. Ndai nta madu kaw na, e yawn htan grai ai kanu shadu ai re. Ndai wa yang gaw le. Dai shadu rai yang gaw, jahpawt gaw, jahpawt shat gaw ndai kaw nga langai mi tsun ai. Ngai dum pru ai mali shi aten hta gaw nta shagu ndi lu sai. Gadai jaw ai kun n chye. Gup re. Ndai maga, nang kaw e di-up ngu ai nga ai. Yawng lu ai. N lu ai n nga ai. Ndi dai gadai jaw ai kun, Miwa ni jaw ai kun, Sam ni jaw ai kun, Tibet ni gaw n rai na re. Gala mung n re. Gala dai baw di n lang ai. De-aw le, dai lang ai. Dai gaw yang nta shadu nga ai. Grit htum lahkawng. Nkau mi gaw mali lu ai nga ai. Kanang na lu ai kun n chye ai. Ngai shangai wa yu yang nga sai. Shawng de gaw gara hku re kun n chye. E, jahpawt gaw dai kaw shadu ti na she, ndai anhte gaw mani tsun sai. Mastan ai majaw, n-gu n sha lu ai majaw, n-gu loi bang rai kaw na gaw, awra Nai bang, namlap bang, dai Yagi ngu ai hkungngwi ni bang, gayau gaya she di ai. Raitim, ja ja rai ra. Ja ja di na makai ai. Lahpaw hte. Grai san seng ai law shanhte gaw. Lahpaw ngu ai, galoi mung shat ban n lang ai gaw. Lahpaw, shat makai sha na lahpaw gaw dai di jan kaw kahtawp da ai le. Kahtap da. Htum wa jang bai nam de na tam la. Nam na lahpaw gaw amyu hkawng masum nga. Nang ra ai dai kaw "Lahpaw Tsu" ngu ai e, shabawn na dai hku tawn da ai. Dai hpe she, tsupni nga ai le. Tsup ni mung nang arut kau arut kau di na, dai hpe makai, makai, makai di shat kindung ngu ai kawa hte wa ai ndai ram re mahka gaw nang kaw rai, nang de kaba. Dai kaw makai bang da. Makai bang di na she, hkying sanit masat hkan gaw htaw dawdap ngu ai la de na ni na gaw shina shingkrang ngu ai nang ram re nga. San da ai. Dai kaw e lahkawng lup. Nang jut kaw gaw si, si-ningtsin lu ai. Dai kawn htu ai langai lawm ai. Majap hte jum, shanam, shan jahkraw htu ai. Dai hpe makyit ndai ram di lup. Si-ningtsin hpe dai nang law kawa rai yang rai na, nang Sam ni kaw mari ai dan-aw hkwet rai yang rai na. Dai hkra. Dai kaw si-ningtsin bang. Nang shat makai lahkawng. Bang na she La ni hpe gaw hkra. Hkra. Lasha ni hpe yawng, dai hku tawn ya. Nang na nang san. Masum ma tawn ma. Lahkawn ma tawn ai, masum ma. Raitim mung, ndai shat makai ngu ai "htamin htuk" le i, myen ni gaw. Shat makai ndai kaw masha myit masin hkan nai. Nta langai kaw na gaw kachi sha law ai. "Nawsi bu, tabu" rai yang, makai lahkawng num n sha. Dai la kaja ngai mi rai yang mahkai lahkawng sha yang n hkru ai. Taman ni nau n sha yang gaw hkrak re. Raitim, masum, masum gaw nau n jaw ma ai. Lahkawng malawng ma. Lahkawng malawng ai. Dai jaw. Reng she, shani gaw dai shadu tawn ai kaw na makai da ai naw nga ai gaw. Dai hpe shani yi sa na rai yang hkawng hpra gun. Gun sa wa yi de. Manam rai yang mung dai ni lam de sha u ngu jaw dat ai. Lahpaw hte makai ai le. Hkawng jaw dat ai. Ndai si mai gaw n jaw. Dai makai hkawng jaw. Aw shi lam kaw kaning di mi sha sha. Du ai shara kaw tam la na si-ningtsin shadu. Anhte bumga gaw si-ningtsin ngu ai gaw lam yan tup nga ai gaw. Dai nam, nam lap amyu myu grai nga. Lam hkan lahkawn sa wa yang grai grai mu ai ni nga ai gaw. Htaw du ai kahtawng kaw wan wut. Wan gaw wan dap kaw wan up da shanhte. Nang ram re hpun tawng hpe wan, le dap kata de lup da. Nang de e n hkat wa na matu. Nang kaw dap re le. Dap kawp. Nang de gaw chying hkyen. Nang de n du ai gaw dai gaw, lup da ai gaw. Lup da ai ning ning ka-aw yu. Wan gaw aw ahkyeng rai rawng nga ai. Dai kaw wut. Wut di na nang dai kaw shadu sha. Dai kaw ndi ni hka ni shadu sha. Dai hkan majap ni nga yang nga. Mahkri nga, jum nga. N nga yang kaning n di sai. Di na she dai rau sha. Aw, hkayi twa. Dai hku rai ma lu. Reng shana gaw, shan hkying masat pat win chyin kaw jahku hte masat lapran e sha. Dai shana gaw shat shakya re. Ya nang kaw na shat kajam zawn re. Raitim, dai ram n hkum ai law. Matsan ai law. N-gu loi lup. Wa hkum si lup. Nai lup rai kya kya di na makai gaw makai. Dai kawn she jum majap ngu loi mi htu. Hpa raitim dai hku. Dai gaw shana sha. Raitim, kalang lang gaw shana raitim, "e, dai na gaw loi manam nga ai hte kan-si ai law. Loi atsawm shadu mu" nga yang gaw shat shadu sha nga ai. Dai gaw regular n rai sai. Lani mi masum lang sha Jinghpaw ni. Dai hku rai ma lu. Ya, ngai ya ndai malu masha hte seng na, ndai prat hta Jinghpaw ni a mare de grai chye tsun ai. Ma ni malu masha n lu yang IQ n lu ai. Hpaji n chye ai. Lusha n hkru yang Yawga shang ai. Lu sha kaja sha ra ai. Ngai dai hpe n hkap la ai. Ya nye kanau ni nan hte grai matsan ai, May shata htum June kaw na n gu n mu sai. Nye Wa grai dingla ai.Nye kanu ma grai machyi ai, Mam n lu sha ai anhte. Nam de na namlap ni sha hpa sha, sha . Ya ngai asak 80 jan duhkra nga ai. Yaw ga n nga ai. Reng she IQ mung ya nye amyu ni maroi shi san poi hpye ai, jahku awng ai. Langai sha hkrat ai,moi ya si wa sai ,kani lu n na. Ma Gam le ,Kani lu n si sai. Maning din e si mat sai. Kasha 3 ya Yangung kaw nga ai. Dai wa sha n awng ai. Ngam ai ni maroi shi hpye yang yawng, shi sha n awng ai. Ya, moi ya ngai awng sai.Shi kasha wa awng sai. IQ ka shi de. A la kar .....bar law ...nya law ...e.........a la ga tsun ai. An hte gaw tution ma n la ai,regular sha re. Tution lama la yang ngai ni gaw lu ai gaw.Ngai gaw matsan ai majaw dai ning jawng lung,hti ning n nga sai. Kuli galaw. Bai lung,bai lung 59 ning kawn lung ai 75 hta she bwe lu ai ngai Ja kaw bungli galaw bai lung, bai lung di ai le. Rai na ya n dai, hkam ja n ja mung ngai nam lap chyu sha ai, ya hpa n ra ai.Myi ma myi set n ra ai hti lu ai. 82 ning ya. Dai majaw an hte wa e Nu e ngai gaw tution n sa,. lu sha n kaja n na manang n dep ai law, ngai lu sha n kaja n na machyi n ngai law, a la ga . Dai hku n re. Ya an hte gaw miwa ga kawn shapraw ai rai ni yawng masha si ai baw hkrai re gaw, sau chyayat ni, muk ni, maw..... tsi mung n dai ya tapbalet ni mung hpa mare, Mawa gaw Mawa gaw dai ni grai galu kaba ai nga tim n kaja ai law, n dai ni galaw ai malu masha ni mang na ngai Udi htaw ya kawp tawn da ai Udi a tu Chyaw dat yang yawng a hpraw rai mat ai, a nit ma pa daw bu,a wa ma pa daw bu, dai zawn re ni nga ai. Reng ngai ngu mayu ai gaw, moi an hte jinghpaw ni gaw matsan ai, n gu pyi n lu sha ai. rai timung nam kaw ta ba wa pru ai Nai ni ,Langu chyaw ni, Langan ni Makru ni nam lap ni grai nga ai. dai hku re . Nam Si, dai ngai tsun na .Ma na an hte gaw mana . Shi chyu si ai hpe sha sha ai, hkai n chye ai, Dai a le chya si ai gaw, galoi a ten e kadai, galoi a ten e hpa baw ya ngai tsun dan na.Ya ngai nga ai ga kaw gaw zahkya si ngu ai nga ai. Sum taw si ngu ai nga ai. Sum lang si ngu ai nga ai. Wa mayan si ngu ai nga ai. Shayang si ngu ai nga ai. Makawk si ngu ai nga ai. Kumju si ngu ai nga ai. Jaring si ngu ai nga ai. Marit si ngu ai nga ai. Dik dari si ngu ai nga ai. Sum waw si ngu ai nga ai. Ma laka si ngu ai nga ai. Salwi lwi pawp si ngu ai nga ai. Dai na ram nam si dai ni shi hte shi re majoi di sha,majoi di sha hkai ai baw n shadu ai. n dai a ten e dai si, dai si, hpun nawng kran ai lung n ngut yang. Dai shi chyu tu chyu sha ai . Mana an hte gaw, hkai ma n chye, hkai yang grai kaja ai. Dai hku nga lai wa ai an hte n hpaw ni. An hte mare sha n re yawng dai hku . Nam kaw shi chyu tu ai. Ya n dai nan hte Japan ni Cherry ti hpe n sha ai i ?Nan hte Lau hku shadu i ? Cherry ti le, hka ai n re ni . n sha ai i, shi chyu hkrat mat ai i . Sam mung ni gaw a yet chyet ai lu, dai gaw Wine hpawt ai lu . Cherry Wine nga a hka nga ai. Rai tim dai hpe a cho bang na lu ai. Sam mung na ni le, Cherry Wine mung nga ai. An hte kaw majoi hkrat taw ai Cherry ti . N sha ai. Le ,ga kaw shi chyu hkrat hkrai hkrat, hkrat Shayang si, dai ni sha ai gaw nam si Nam si dai gaw,grai mana ai law langu pyi n kam hkai sha ai gaw, langu ma grai kaja ai n kam hkai sha ai. Jang wawm si ni kaja ai n kam hkai sha ai. n chyoi shi chyu tu sha. N dai gaw ngai Jinghpaw re hkrak tsun ai. Grai mana ai Ti Htwin Mu mashi bu. Tabawa gaw shi chyu pru ai grai nga ai majaw . Dai hku re. Malu masha gaw. |
