It all came about when I received a random phonecall from freelance Burmese/ Japanese translator Ko Nge on Tuesday Feb 6th. We'd met at the Human Rights Now fundraising party last year, and he suggested that I be a guest interviewee because of my Burmese heritage and keen interest in Burmese issues and people.
So along I went and had a lively & lengthy conversation with Program Director Khin Aye Nge about all manner of things. It was pretty casual because it wasn't live to air. Not sure when it will be aired but I think it will be a Sunday in March...
Topics we discussed ranged from:
* my background and relationship to Japan and to Burma;
* mother's life in Burma and what she taught me about Burma;
* volunteer work teaching English to Burmese refugees/migrants in Australia & Japan;
* what is Peace Boat and what kind of activities they do;
* why has Peace Boat visited North Korea but not yet visited Burma;
* what were my experiences like when I visited Burma in 1999, and again in 2003;
* what kind of focus will my master's thesis have regarding Burma;
* what do I think of economic sanctions etc.
All in all, the interview included a good mix of the personal and the political. And at the end, I tried to send out a positive & encouraging message to the Burmese listeners (as apparently there are people both inside Burma and around the world who listen to this short wave international radio broadcast).
As a result of today's encounter, I felt an incredibly strong and desperate urge to learn Burmese. All I could manage to say was "Hello, my name is Johanna, and I cannot speak Burmese."
How pathetic!!
Hopefully I'll be able to say a whole lot more whenever the next opportunity pops up to speak to Burmese people like that. Resolution: buy Burmese textbook + audio tapes!!
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