မြန်မာစကားရေးတာဖတ်တာပါသင်ထားတဲ့ American ဘဲနဲ့ Podcast 🇺🇸️

[00:00:11]Also, that is your top three languages?

[00:00:13]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:00:18]Generally speaking, one thing is that they're very generous. I don't know how to say that in Burmese.

[00:00:27]>> So, thank you so much for coming today, Peter.

[00:00:29]>> Sure.

[00:00:30]>> So, today we're going to be making like some interviews >> Okay.

[00:00:33]>> about like all about Myanmar. I heard you speak fluently Burmese, right?

[00:00:37]>> Well, I don't know about fluent, but um yeah, I can sort of speak.

[00:00:56]>> Mingalaba.

[00:00:57]>> Mingalaba.

[00:00:58]>> Do you speak Burmese?

[00:01:02]What do you love the most about Myanmar?

[00:01:04]>> Uh that's a good question.

[00:01:06]>> Yeah.

[00:01:06]>> The food's good.

[00:01:07]>> The food is good, yeah, but unhealthy.

[00:01:10]>> [laughter] >> Ha ha ha ha ha ha sometimes, yeah. But now, I mean other thing is um I don't know how to say it in Burmese, but the the diversity because um I like studying languages, and so because it's so diverse, you have so many many ethnic groups and many languages.

[00:01:25]>> Yeah, like different people living there like that.

[00:01:32]>> I can sort of speak nine languages.

[00:01:34]>> You?

[00:01:35]>> Yeah, but not fluently. So, but Chinese I'm pretty good though cuz I I grew up in like a a town with a lot of Chinese people in California. Yeah.

[00:01:43]>> Oh, really? What are these languages you can speak though? Like which languages can you speak?

[00:01:47]>> Um it's well, mostly East Asian.

[00:01:51]>> Eight, yeah.

[00:01:51]>> So, that my but my first foreign language was French. I studied that in high school.

[00:01:56]>> Oh, yeah.

[00:01:57]>> And I also started studying Chinese in high school.

[00:01:59]>> Yeah.

[00:02:00]>> And then I lived in China. And then after that, besides Chinese, I'm pretty good with Japanese. And then Burmese.

[00:02:06]>> Burmese, yeah. Of course.

[00:02:08]>> And Thai and Korean.

[00:02:25]>> Also, that is your top three languages.

[00:02:28]>> yeah, yeah.

[00:02:29]>> Chinese.

[00:02:30]>> Japan and Burmese.

[00:02:31]>> Japan and Burmese. Oh, that is so nice.

[00:02:33]>> Ni hao. Da jia hao.

[00:02:35]>> [laughter] >> I mean, this is so cool though. Like, do you understand what I say like that?

[00:02:41]>> Well, try Let's try it. Let's try it.

[00:02:42]Yeah.

[00:02:44]>> [music] >> Yeah.

[00:03:23]>> So, foods and then a lot of people.

[00:03:26]>> Yeah.

[00:03:34]>> [laughter] >> It's going to take time, right?

[00:03:40]>> Take time. Take time. Yeah. You have to be patient.

[00:03:42]>> Yeah, yeah.

[00:03:42]>> I was trying to study some guy and then I I said, "Okay, this is ridiculous. I should just focus on Burmese."

[00:03:48]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:03:49]>> So, I focused on Burmese, right? So, I focused on that. And now maybe I I'm ready if I have time to try to study some other ones.

[00:03:57]>> Yeah, but so what are you studying right now?

[00:04:01]>> I'm not I'm not I'm not focusing on any right Maybe Japanese.

[00:04:04]>> Oh, okay.

[00:04:05]>> I watch the Japanese news almost every day.

[00:04:09]>> Oh.

[00:04:09]>> Yeah, and I just started Japan the day Japan the day they die they die now.

[00:04:17]And podcast like >> Okay.

[00:04:24]>> Yeah, how do you say that in Burmese?

[00:04:29]>> [laughter] >> How do you learn Burmese though? How did you learn Burmese like >> Okay, that's a good question.

[00:04:34]>> Yeah.

[00:04:34]>> In in Mae Sot Mae Sot >> Mae Sot >> Yeah, so >> Oh, you've been to Mae Sot before?

[00:04:39]>> in Mae Sot.

[00:04:40]>> Like how many years?

[00:04:41]>> First time Mae Sot money that guy Maybe in the town in the town >> 80 >> Yeah, yeah, like a phrasebook. Do you like phrasebook? First I learn on my own with a just use it like a phrasebook and go around town and talk to people >> Uh-huh.

[00:05:15]>> in Mae Sot >> Oh.

[00:05:16]>> And then I went back to America I took a class.

[00:05:18]>> Oh.

[00:05:19]>> Yeah. Yeah, John I took like intensive Burmese that day that day >> Uh-huh.

[00:05:25]>> And I learned like intensive summer program.

[00:05:31]>> Ah.

[00:05:33]So, you can even write?

[00:05:35]>> Um >> Maybe not anymore.

[00:05:37]>> Well, I mean actually if I want to write I have to do the voice recognition.

[00:05:42]>> Ah.

[00:05:42]>> Yeah, yeah, speech to text.

[00:05:44]>> Ah ah ah.

[00:05:45]>> Yeah, so I had to talk and you know iPhone, they don't have that. Apple does not have it. Only Android has that. So, that's why one reason why I have two phones.

[00:05:52]>> Ah.

[00:05:53]>> You know, if you talking like for example, Google Translate on Android, >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:05:56]>> you can just say Mingalaba and then it'll come up. Yeah, yeah. And then I stick that in like let's say Google Translate or some other app and then you you can edit it a little bit, but I can't type on the phone.

[00:06:06]>> Ah, no, I don't >> I am Burmese, I cannot type computer, a phone. I can sort of read and then write if I use the voice recognition.

[00:06:14]>> Oh, yeah, yeah.

[00:06:19]So, why did you Yeah, learn Burmese even if you went back to America? So, you lived like 1 and 1/2 year in Mae Sot, right? After that you went back to America like that?

[00:06:30]>> Well, I mean, I was going to Mae Sot like the Ka Dalei Mae Sot Kot Wae. Like off and on. I started 2008 and then I would go back sometimes.

[00:06:40]This was during law school. Whenever I have time, vacation or something like that.

[00:06:44]>> So, >> Go back to Mae Sot.

[00:06:45]>> So, what makes you learn like Burmese though? Is it the the same reason with like foods and the Thai and uh >> Yeah, yeah, that discovered all those other great stuff about Burma, good food, very diverse.

[00:06:57]>> What do you think about the Burmese people?

[00:06:59]>> Burmese people?

[00:07:00]>> Yeah.

[00:07:00]>> Well, Well, once again, very diverse, right?

[00:07:06]So, many different kinds of people, different personalities, but generally speaking, one thing is that they're very generous.

[00:07:13]I don't know how to say that in Burmese, but generous like I I saw some article that had a It was like a survey or some kind of statistics which said like uh people in Myanmar are one of the most generous in in the world meaning that they like donate a lot whether to like NGO or donate to community or something like that. So, that's one thing that I I I I noticed for sure and they're very focused on helping the local community.

[00:07:39]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:07:40]>> And those two things I like about Burma.

[00:07:43]I mean, I've been to a lot of countries and where I go there and say, "Wow, these people are so mean."

[00:07:47]>> Oh, yeah, yeah, [laughter] actually, yeah. Actually, yeah.

[00:07:48]>> Except maybe New York.

[00:07:49]>> Yeah, if you compare with Burmese, yeah.

[00:07:56]>> So, Okay.

[00:08:06]Lude.

[00:08:07]>> Lude.

[00:08:08]>> Oh, >> whole like community.

[00:08:12]>> Yeah, yeah. So, they help each other and stuff like >> Yeah.

[00:08:15]>> Yeah, exactly.

[00:08:22]a chain.

[00:08:23]>> A chain.

[00:08:23]>> So, they donate both their money and their time, which is valuable, right?

[00:08:27]>> yeah, yeah.

[00:08:27]>> to the to the community and NGO and stuff like that.

[00:08:31]>> Compared to Japan, though, that is really different.

[00:08:34]>> Yeah, Japan. Well, especially in Tokyo.

[00:08:37]below community shoot thing with you.

[00:08:41]>> Like between Japanese people.

[00:08:42]>> Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I think this is a no G Yeah, yeah, people don't Yeah, Tashkent.

[00:08:54]Haha, they don't feel like a sense of community in Tokyo. They feel like everyone's stranger, even their next door neighbor, they don't talk to them.

[00:09:00]>> like, yeah. Well, I'm going to say it's like that's the thing I don't love like about Japan, though. Maybe in the working place, they're kind and stuff like that, but if it's outside, like shiranai hito.

[00:09:11]>> Yeah.

[00:09:11]>> Datta ra like they all like dead face. Actually, like to be honest, like dead face.

[00:09:16]>> Just stay silent.

[00:09:17]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:09:18]>> Pretend you don't see them.

[00:09:19]>> Even if I'm like in trouble or something, like I want to ask something, but when I look at their face, they're like, you know, >> [laughter] >> not like kind. So, I'm like embarrassed like to ask, so >> Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I said that.

[00:09:31]>> like everyone. Not like everyone.

[00:09:32]>> Yeah, yeah, the kind of like, yeah.

[00:09:34]>> Yeah, yeah. Some people like >> tokidoki.

[00:09:36]>> Yeah. Well, actually, most.

[00:09:38]>> [laughter] >> Yeah, I mean like they don't smile smile at all in the public place.

[00:09:43]>> Well maybe that's part like in Japan maybe the they don't want to do like cause any trouble or in public, right? They don't want to have the especially don't want to have a fight but they don't want to be loud or cause any trouble in public.

[00:09:56]>> there's the part of the manner but you know, sometimes they look dead though.

[00:10:00]Maybe they just working so hard like >> That may be part of it, yeah.

[00:10:04]Especially in the morning.

[00:10:05]>> The day.

[00:10:05]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah. In the day, yeah, yeah.

[00:10:06]>> So you were saying like if you ask someone a question in public, right?

[00:10:09]Let's say you're on the street like if >> bit >> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:10:30]>> Yeah.

[00:10:32]>> Yeah, even if you don't understand like English, you try to yeah.

[00:10:41]>> How about you? What do you what do you think about Japan?

[00:10:43]>> The people are like people here are like like I said, it's they're kind in their work but they look dead though. What if I'm like riding like the bicycle and almost hit them like like that? That's the funny situation, right? They just like >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:11:00]How is that?

[00:11:02]>> Oh, yes.

[00:11:04]Can you read that?

[00:11:05]>> Ah.

[00:11:07]Okay, Ireland.

[00:11:11]That?

[00:11:12]>> You can read though. You can even read.

[00:11:15]>> Not very well.

[00:11:17]I'm I'm really bad at reading. I need to I need to listen to it. If I listen to it then it's I can read it.

[00:11:22]>> [laughter] >> Oh, okay, okay.

[00:11:24]>> Read along. Read along, yeah. That's actually I'll give you guys a tip. Good way to learn a language is to read it and listen to it at the same time.

[00:11:36]>> Like oh, do you know any like Burmese songs?

[00:11:39]>> Yes, I do.

[00:11:40]>> Like >> I'm going to sing a very uh romantic love ballad for everyone.

[00:11:45]>> All right.

[00:11:46]>> Uh so, if you allow me >> the ending.

[00:11:49]>> Yes, as the ending.

[00:11:50]>> Okay.

[00:11:51]What is [clears throat] it?

[00:11:52]>> Very romantic love ballad. Everyone, are you ready? Okay, it goes like this.

[00:11:57]Ole lo pa he, ole lo pa >> [laughter] >> Very romantic.

[00:12:04]>> So, you [laughter] can't even sing.

[00:12:06]>> No, that's just one song. That's it.

[00:12:07]>> Oh, that's like that's only like only lo pa he. Have you ever like listen Burmese songs? Do you?

[00:12:14]>> A little bit, but I I that's the only one I know.

[00:12:15]>> Like so, back in Myanmar like when when you were living there, do you >> I didn't live there. I was living in Thailand and just sometimes go on the road.

[00:12:23]>> Oh, you don't live there.

[00:12:24]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:12:25]>> I thought you lived like 1 and 1/2 year, no?

[00:12:27]>> Well, Mae Sot. But Mae Sot is kind of like Burma, right? Mae Sot is a Thai side, but it's a Burma side.

[00:12:32]>> Yeah, yeah, Mae Sot.

[00:12:33]>> Mae Sot is in the >> Mae Sot got Thai >> Ah.

[00:12:37]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:12:38]>> So, people make >> Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:12:42]Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:12:43]>> So, you live there for like 1 and 1/2 year.

[00:12:45]>> Yeah, so if you So, if Yeah, well, it sort of it is. So, if culturally, it's in Myanmar. So, if you if you consider that part of Burma, which you you can cuz culturally, it is, right? The borders they don't really mean anything, right? It's just a line on the map. If you consider that part of Burma, then I lived in Burma for like a year and a half.

[00:13:02]>> Oh, yeah, that is true though like >> There you go.

[00:13:04]>> Cuz you you only have like interest in the Burma Burma, right? Not like much in Thailand.

[00:13:08]>> Yeah, I wasn't going to Mae Sot to study Thai. That's for sure.

[00:13:11]>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:13:11]>> [laughter] >> Thank you so much for watching. And do you have any message to them.

[00:13:28]Bye-bye.

[00:13:29]>> Can you Yeah, what he what he said.

[00:13:53]Bye-bye.

[00:13:55]What was the song again?

[00:13:57]>> [laughter] >> So, three two, one.

[00:14:04]>> [laughter] >> Okay, okay. So, thank you. Thank you so much.