In Myanmar, I held the first housewarming ceremony after inviting monks respectfully. I also invited friends. My driver urged me to do so sooner. Everything was set after three weeks of move. Therefore, I also thought it should be done.

Maung Maung, Rakhine engineer, with who I had quarrel very often, played me trick again. I moved to the tower in peace of mind because he said people lived in flat No 404. But, there were no longer people there. I once went to the flat 404 and had a look. Deliberately decorated pink chandeliers were installed on the ceiling and even on the wall. It would cost a lot, it couldn’t be said that they had eyes for art. I thought that inner decoration was better. They would be very rich because furniture was very magnificent. When I praised the furniture, the landlady who was good at choosing furniture said without bragging that they could easily be ordered. Anyway, the furniture shop was a famous one that imported grand furniture and it was full of high-class furniture. But, this family moved first to the tower. And they moved back to their previous residence because there was no electricity and no water. The time to finish the lifts was not sure. I had no choice just to move to the tower because contract for the present apartment had expired and I had no other place to live. The tower is a 13-storey building. Each step of stairs is higher than that of Japan. It is built on a slope. If I go up from the car park of half under ground, the flat 705 seems to be located at 9th floor. So, I feel exhausted when I get to my flat.

It was said that the lifts would be finished in September when I signed the agreement in August. But, it came to November, December. The promise of the engineer that I could cut his throat unless the lifts were not finished this year had never materialized. Gradually, it was in 21 century. Finally, the lifts from Korea came. And I had hoped a lot that the lifts were going to be finished. They couldn’t be installed till April for the problem with the lift company. I heard that from the teacher who teaches me at home because he had a friend in the lift company.

Therefore, in the 13-storey building with five flats on each floor, the only man who lives is I. (I have three Myanmar men who live with me.)

In the flat, three is luxury. But, if I step out of the flat there is construction site. There were more problems during three weeks. There were electricity black out and shortage of water. They were not because of the fault of the company. But, bad things came together at this time. The satellite dish was out of order. So was video cassette player. And the car had broken down. Every small thing became out of order. The university was closed for vacation and I had no special plans. I spent that period without any haste because whatever they do something it would take them a long time to get started in this country. Now all the work had been finished.

But, what I remember now is that the phone has been out of order since last week. I couldn’t send e-mail to Japan. And couldn’t say words of thanks to those who came to the ceremony. I apologies you for my complaining about the difficulties in construction without having noticed.

Therefore, I decided to invite foreign students from the university after the lifts had finished at the beginning of new academic year. So, I invited my acquaintances first. Relatives of my driver came and cook a lot of curries since the morning before the ceremony. On the day of offering, four monks arrived at 4.a.m. They were very tired because they had to go up stairs to ninth floor. We can invite whatever number of monks. They recited religious verses in Pali. We couldn’t understand anything but it continued for about an hour. After offering meal to the monks, I donated cash put in envelopes to each monk. Since 8 o’clock in the morning, the guests came one after another. I showed them the bathroom where the things I did to the best of my ability. They said it was very beautiful. On hearing that, my unhappiness and tiredness for about half a year seemed to disappear.

The question they asked me whether I would reside here permanently and they suggested that I needed a wife. The answer was very difficult and I hadn’t thought it carefully.

However, I thought of that I didn’t have to take this way. I like Yangon where everything is naturally difficult. And I want to live in Tamway Township which I like best. At the moment, I can say only this. The house warming ceremony has finished. And new life in Tamway.