Land of Rufous Hornbill

After passing the examinations of ‘Final Part Two’, Ko Ko Win was assigned to Accidents and Emergency (A&E) Ward, of Yangon General Hospital, situated in the heart of the city. Two guys and three girls, a total of five were posted there, from his class. He found out that twenty percent of his class did not make it, and were supplemented, in one or more subjects. Ko Ko Win was just pleased that, there were no more examinations for him. This assignment was his ‘House Duty’ for one year, and on completion, will be awarded his M.B.B.S. doctor’s degree. Ko Ko Win only saw one girl, by the name of Ohnmar on duty, together with his shift. The rest must be on other shifts. Not that it matters, since he really has no time to think of them. The mention of girls must be clarified. Ko Ko Win was in the opinion that, some girls, especially those reading medical science, were a wee bit wide at their waste, and don glasses due to continues pursuit of studies, and intake of starch to have enough energy. Actually, lack of exercise or laziness must be one of the main culprits.

Ko Ko Win was happy he need not take a long bus ride, to a suburban hospital, which could mean some of his free time lost, just on traveling alone. He was proud to be on House Duty, and would put on his white duty coat, and stethoscope around his neck, so that patients and guests alike, would recognize him as a doctor. This misconception was lost after his first shift, as there were so many patients to be attended, his white duty coat was no more white, due to blood stains and what not, that he now changed to wearing a white plastic coat, which he could just dispose when it gets dirty, meaning every shift. He cannot wear his longyi either, as rushing, running, and assorted aerobatics, towards looking after the sick, required something that would not come loose, in any situation.

Ko Ko Win resides at Yankin public housing estate. Thirty minutes bus ride from the hospital. Their apartment was with three bedrooms, the largest in each building. However, since he shares one with his brother, another taken up by his two sisters, and the third by his parents, the apartment becomes compact with no dinning room. The small table in the sitting room was meant for mother and father, and remaining two other chairs are for who ever sits first. This means, we could not have our meals together, or buffet style for the two others, if eating all at the same time.

Due to the pressure in the A & E Ward, Ko Ko Win would seek an empty bed in the ward, where he could catch a few winks, otherwise he seek out to other wards, but, as other doctors has the same idea, it always resulted for him just to rest his laurels in the common room. The shifts always were overlapped, to ensure a doctor does not just leave a patient while attending. Going back home now only means weekends, if he was lucky. Lunch or dinner breaks he likes, as he scrounges some curry or a piece of meat from his mentors, and his fellow doctors. If he needed a change, he pops over to china town, a few minutes walk away, for a bowl of noodles or porridge. He was also thankful to the laundryman for collecting his soiled clothes, and returning same after washing and ironed, right up to the ward. Good uh?

Except for the cool season, all others were much to be desired. In the hot season, temperature hovers in the high nineties Fahrenheit, with the fans full blast. In the wet season, temperatures may be a shade lower, but still damp and humid. This was barring the operation theater, as it was fully air-conditioned.

Months came and went, and after over a year, a letter arrived for Ko Ko Win. It was handed to him by the Chief of A & E Ward, which he was expecting. He knew it was a Movement Order from The Ministry of Health, when opened, a transfer order, indeed.  The transfer was to Ywa Thit (new village) near Kalaw town.  While all knew where Kalaw was, no one has an idea about Ywa Thit at the hospital, and so, he went to The Ministry of Health on Theinbyu Road, and climed strait to the Transfer Division on the third floor, where he showed his movement order to Ywa Thit near Kalaw Town. Without checking with him what he wanted, the clerk disappeared for a few minutes, and then came out with a map in hand.

Only then did he smile and said, " Ywa Thit, as the name suggest, is a new village, about six miles beside the No.4 National Highway, on the road from Kalaw to Aungban, under Kalaw District, which is administered from Taunggyi, the state’s capital."

The clerk further added, "It is not on the map yet, as relocated not so long ago. You will be met by the village chief at Aungban, just let me know two weeks in advance of your arrival there, Doctor."

That was that, really, he thanked the clerk and headed back for the hospital. He’s got about two weeks left to sort out his private matters, and to report to his post before the month is out. He knew the posting is at least two years, and maybe more. God forbid!

Next early Friday early morning, he took a Yangon Airways flight to Heho. He had two pieces of luggage, one plywood chest, containing all his medical books, and the other, consisted of his few items of warm clothing, plus a first aid manual, sphygmomanometer, a stethoscope, an electric iron, and a penetrating small torchlight. In his backpack, he had all the necessary papers, some household medications, a China made laptop and a CDMA (Code Division Multi Access) mobile phone, which his sister gave on loan, to keep in touch with the family, and a pair of sunglasses. Most importantly a photo of Buddha Statue from Inida and a prayers booklet plus a photo of his father and mother.

His parents saw him off at the airport, with mother welding tears in her eyes. The plane was full, being holiday season. Everything looked fresh and crisp from the air, and the approach to Heho were between rolling hills and fields of sunflower, all looking gold and yellow. Once the aircraft cabin door opened, he felt the chill and coolness on his face, even though the sun was shining. He collected his two pieces of luggage, and called home to say that he had landed safely, and would call again on arrival at Ywa Thit.

 He then headed for the bus outside the Heho Airport. The bus were full of different tribes, including his own, and the bus cabin full of everything, from live pigs, chickens, all kind of fruits and vegetables, pots and pans, materials etc. etc. Dr. Ko Ko Win had a hard job trying to negotiate his way, through their wares, so that nothing gets broken while getting to his seat. The ride was slow and not too comfortable, while the scenery is something from picture books. It took around forty minutes, and they were at Aungban town center. He got out and wondered, how in the hell the village chief would recognize him.

Not a minute went by, before he felt a tab on his shoulder. "Dr. Ko Ko Win?", the voice enquired. Thus, all’s well.

U Chit Maung, the village chief came to meet him, with two small motorcycles. He hung on to U Chit Maung’s back on one, while his plywood chest and his suitcase, were balanced on the next. A few miles down the road, U Chit Maung, turned left onto a dirt track, about three feet wide, leading into the pine forest. After about an hour, riding and also some walking, they arrived onto a small village, situated on a hilltop. At last, they were at Ywa Thit.

At one corner, in a small clearing, Ko Ko Win saw a pile of construction materials, he asked, "What are these for?"

The village Chief replied, "Construction materials for the new clinic, arrived here about a year ago."

 He realized that, he would need to spend a few days at the village chief’s house, and telephoned his mother on his CDMA mobile phone.

Next morning, the construction of the clinic started in earnest. Most of the villagers chipped in a helping hand, some were carpenters, masons, factory workers and day laborers too. By the forth day, the construction of the clinic was completed. On one side was his house (living quarters), the sitting room also served as a consultation and treatment area, cum office. Then, by the end, there was another small cabin, meant for a live in nurse.

As the village was on the Meiktila - Taunggyi electricity grid track, electricity was available from sunset to sunrise. Otherwise, should electricity be called for, Dr. Ko Ko Win need rely on the inverter, connected to two large tractor batteries, for more power and longer usage (for clinical use only). On his arrival, after putting down his backpack, patients showed up for attention. Some were too serious and had to be referred to Taunggyi General Hospital, while giving some tablets not to make it worse for a few days. The emergency medical chest was kindly forwarded together with the construction materials, about a year ago. Dr. Ko Ko Win has been hitting his medical textbooks every night since, as no X-Ray, Electrocardiogram (ECG), nor Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or a Computed Tomography (CT) scanning machines.

As Sherlock Holmes puts it, ‘All a question of good deductions,’ and no Mr.Watson to assist him. Now, only did he earn his M.B.B.S. degree.

Police do patrols, with a small contingent of men about once a week, and mails were distributed and collected for posting by them, from Kalaw or Taunggyi. He has been kindly advised by the Chief Medical Officer for Shan States, that a nurse will be forth coming soon. As he read the letter, he cannot help but smile, at the word ‘soon.’ He now was half the man he used to be, and sleep meant not more than three hours during the night, and it’s turning out to be a seven days a week job. Like the saying, necessity is the mother of all invention, he had no alternative but to train Hla Hla, sixteen years old daughter of the village chief. After three months, she actually turned out to be a good nurse and a worthy assistant, within limits of couse. Must be her excellent mentor/tutor.  This made Dr. Ko Ko Win life more bearable. Some peace and rest at last.

One day in September, in a drizzle of a rain, he saw a girl, in red longyi, white blouse, with a name badge, donning a white cap, approaching his clinic, together with a platoon of policemen. Dr. Ko Ko Win was stunned and unable to move.

The nurse said, "Doctor, I am Nurse Su Shin reporting for duty, here are my papers."

He read, then showed to her cabin, and handed the policemen, the letters that required posting. She was young, maybe around twenty at the most, good looking, fair, thin, and about five foot six. She definitively was not Chinese, Shan or Myanmar, but too fair, which made him think. Dr. Ko Ko Win, after the pleasantries, told her that there was no running water, and the water she sees in the iron drum, was carried and filled from the valley below by villagers, thus to economize it’s usage. He nether cooked or prepare any meals, and survive on what ever the villagers donates. It’s up to her how she wanted to address the situation.

She smiled and said, "No problems Doctor, I’m used to this life. I also came from such a village, even though I work at Moulmein General Hospital, and this is my first posting."

Dr. Ko Ko Win left it at that, and informed her that work will commence from the next morning.

Su Shin wore her uniform for a week, after that, it was more local attire and also ex-Army woolen shirts and combat boots at times too. Dr. Ko Ko Win thinks she got the message at last. In the hills, it’s not what you wear, but rather how much you can heal the sick. Su Shin made lots of friends from the village, and the surrounding areas, some even prefer her attendance, compared to his. She was a good nurse and a midwife too. If only the locals knew, that he treated them on trial and error basis when he first arrived, he was sure that they would have killed him. Now, it’s no loss basis, no more deaths at childbirth and no more deaths due to tuberculosis. He, was happy just to cure them, money was immaterial to him. After all, this was a state clinic and treatment was free, besides, the locals do not have much money.

By October, Su Shin already has her basic cooking utensils and cooks lunch and dinner, while breakfast was a plain naan and sweet tea from a near by Nepali teashop. She now also share meals with Dr. Ko Ko Win, thus food donation from the villagers disappeared slowly. Work was also more manageable with Nurse Su Shin and Hla Hla, so much so, that, Dr. Ko Ko Win could enjoy some of his weekends. As a doctor, he was also responsible for villages and settlements, within five miles from his clinic. He would conduct his trek twice a week to surrounding villages, and would also bring along Su Shin, when there was a need for a midwife. Hla Hla was a true gem, she manages the clinic when they were on tour. They sometime called her Florence, for obvious reason, and paid, she was not. However, he and Nurse Su Shin, pooled together and pays her an allowance on their payday. Everybody was happy, including U Chit Maung. Very happy in fact.

Now that the hill clinic was running more smoothly, Dr. Ko Ko Win needed a motorcycle to do his tours more efficiently, he checked in Taunggyi, and a China made second hand motorcycle, similar to Honda c90 was within his reach, thus bought one. On about 100mpg, that’s a lot of miles he can log up. He still calls up his parents once a week, and also allowed Su Shin to do the same, on his CDMA mobile phone. Other than that he rarely uses his mobile phone, as his sister was paying for his call expenses. Today, with the increase in technology and mobile phones were becoming cheaper to buy, every village or settlement has two or three mobiles. For urgent matters, they were to call U Chit Maung, the village chief. Only for unusual extra urgent matters, they would call his number direct. CDMA has a better coverage in the countryside, compared to GSM, but suffers from a heavy drainage of battery power. 

Kalaw market is once every five days, and Dr. Ko Ko Win tries to make it, since with a motorbike now, he can venture within around one hour, no matter the weather. He loves driving Su Shin around, and she feels safe, holding onto him from behind. They both try and send money back home every six months. Su Shin sends eighty percent of her pay to her parents, to a village near Moulmein, and he sends fifty per cent of his monthly salary to his mum and par in Yangon. Should they both be busy, a villager would go to the bank on their behalf. He and Su Shin were now more closer, and she was all that Dr. Ko Ko Win looks for in a woman. Good partner, loyal, homely, caring, good with money, and not to mention her beauty. She is a Karan, Protestant Christian by birth, and he a Myanmar Buddhist, however, they do not influence each other to join their faith. They are generally game and not too rigid on stepping religious grounds not of their belief. He knows she loves shopping, and tries his best to entertain her. Shan noodle was another favorite of hers, and also likes buying fresh vegetables. Clothes, she was not that keen, unless she really needs one.

One morning while having his morning tea, Dr. Ko Ko Win spied a large colourful bird on a branch of a fir tree, and exclaimed, "Look, there’s a strange bird on that branch".

Su Shin looked up and replied, " that’s a Rufous Hornbill, also known as Kalaw Hornbill, a native of this land, and lucky. They don’t come, unless they feel safe."

He continued, "How do you know?"

She replied, "I know a lot, what you don’t know."

He smiled and approach to where she sat. Kalaw is a hill station, 1320 meters above sea level and its population is a mixture of Shan, Myanmar, local tribes of Pa-O, Palaung, Taung Yo and Danu, plus Nepalese (Gurkhas) and Indians decedents, since the days of British colonials, who brought them here, to build the railways and roads. The weather was kindly, cool in the hot season and cold during the cool season, where water at times freezes overnight, but not snow. This is a trekking mecca of Myanmar, and can expect to see lots of westerners. The vegetables and fruits are grown in the region, thus plentiful and cheap. Kalaw town is dotted with mock-Tudor buildings and houses, and a sight to be marveled, outside of Britain.

Su Shin, (loosely translated as prize holder) and Ko Ko Win, (to mean, bright boy), with names alphabetically corresponding to the day one is born, however, this is no more the rule of the thumb today. Dr. Ko Ko Win already made a decision after much thought, he needs Su Shin’s hand in marriage. She was a beauty with brains and wit, and he can be indulged forever with her, never wanting to come out of the bubble.  One day, he asked a jeweler in Kalaw, to make him two rings in gold with a small, tiny diamond studded in. It took three weeks and was pleased with the workmanship. The jeweler charged him at cost only, view nowadays, his reputation around the region travels as a well respected, kind doctor, with sincerity. What ever he bought was always of lower price, and need not bargain at all.

He’s been meaning to drop his proposal at the right moment. Come Christmas evening, after the last patient had left, while there was an electricity outage, under the candle light.

Ko Ko Win popped the question, "Su Shin?" he asked.

She answered, "Yes?"

He continued, "I love you very much, after much thought, I would like to marry you, will you be my wife?" while holding her hand in one, and holding the ring by the other.

She did not withdraw her hand and said, "No, I cannot marry you, I need the money to support my parents who are jobless, while I do love you."

This was not the answer he wanted, be persistent he thought, and continued, "While I appreciate your comment and respect your responsibility, I still love you, and I have no alternative."

She replied in a matter of fact way, "Simple, I also love you too, and shall be pleased to accept your ring as an engagement proof."

How she has an answer for every situation. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips and whispered, "Merry Christmas, I love you."

She simply replied, "Merry Christmas, I love you too."

He blew the candle out and retired for the night. The nurse’s cabin was now empty and cold. Not at all a bad day, after all.

On Boxing Day morning, with an engagement ring on each of their left fingers, Hla Hla waked in and enquired, "Married?"

Su Shin replied to her, "No, just engaged, Nurses cannot marry."

Hla Hla smiled and said "Congratulations."

Both of them replied, "Thank you."

Now only, did Ko Ko Win understood the full context of their situation. As far as the State and Ministry of Health is concerned, they are still singles, but unofficially, a married couple. The villagers already had labeled them as a married couple since about half a year back. Dr. Ko Ko Win approached the State Health Office for a renew of their postings. They were not displeased, after all, this is not a posting that all is crazy about. Everybody is happy, yet again.

There was not much of a fanfare in the village, but both of them did inform their parents of their engagement.

Dr. Ko Ko Win mother said, "Happy for you both, just tell us should there be anything you all need."

While Su Shin’s father and mother were a wee worried, that he being not a Christian, other than that, no further comments. Case closed.

They continued a blissful life as an engaged couple. He enjoys his work, he loves healing the sick, and feels fully rewarded when he saw their smiles with renewed energy. Money meant little for him, except that he would continue to support his parents, and now also Su Shin was his responsibility. Su Shin continued to wear local dresses and also loose ex-military clothes to keep the cold at bay. He was happy with that, as her beauty was his alone, and need not share with anybody, at that. To him, it’s beauty wrapped in a rugged shell, to be opened and viewed by him alone. Rich, was it not?

Su Shin, now carries water from a natural spring in the valley, which was a rarity in these parts, twice a day.  She carries it as per tradition, on her back, in a bamboo basket, supported by a bamboo strap, around her head. She also bathe herself there, like all the girls from the village. Dr. Ko Ko Win, would however still bathe from the water in the iron drum, mixed with left over boiling water from the instrument cleansing tray. This way, he can enjoy a warm economical wash daily. The villagers laugh at his stigma, as all men, clean and wash with cold water, irrespective of weather. He still cannot get used to that tradition, and don’t want to, either.

The climate, the view, and most of all, he loves the village people. Society was so simple, yet sincere and strait with no false pretences, a far cry from the other side. No cars here and no need for it. All produce were fresh, vegetables and fruits also were picks of the day. Money was a luxury, and trade was done by barter system where possible. They mean what they say, and say what they mean. You need not look back to check whether someone was trying to stab you. One is accepted for what they were, and accept life for what it was. Dr. Ko Ko Win was willing to spend all his days here. By the look of things, he was hoping Su Shin will be in the same frame of mind.   In his humble opinion, he rather leave it to others, about city life, and do not care much for it.

Su Shin being a realist and she communicates well with them, and accepted as such, by the villagers, forthright and at times, and can be not too diplomatic.

While enjoying their dinner with two vegetable curries, Dr. Ko Ko Win asked Nurse Su Shin, "Now that we are engaged, can I call you Su, and you may address me as Ko Ko."

Without looking up from her plate, she replied, "As your wish."

On free evenings, which are a rarity, they would stroll into the pine forest, hand in hand.

He commented, "Do you know, the female Rufous Hornbill would seal themselves in the nest cavity, where they lay their clutch and remain with their young, for most of the nesting period. Through a vertical slit, the male would feed the female and the young ones, and would also reseal the nest afterwards for safety."

After a few minutes, Su replied, 'Why do you think I surrendered my body to you?'