This essay is about my granddaughter, who is a great magician. However, before going to Myanmar the second time, I met Bo Bo Gyi while he was visiting in Chicago. Bo Bo Gyi’s name means great grandfather, but he is an alchemist and what the Burmese Buddhists call a nat or guardian spirit. He is a nice old guy who cares for people. In the West, Bo Bo Gyi is like a saint.

Over lunch, I told Bo Bo Gyi that I was going to return to Myanmar to visit my family living in his country. He listened intently to me going on about my love for Ti Ti, Snow, and Fatty. The next thing he did was to give me some money and wanted me to get some gifts for them. I promised him that I would. Actually, I took the three girls on a shopping spree in Taunggyi, but I also went on a shopping outing with Moh Moh, who is their mother. I thought that Bo Bo Gyi would approve of getting classic Burmese puppets for them when Moh Moh and I were shopping.

Fatty seemed excited when she saw her puppet.

Snow’s puppet

Ti Ti’s puppet

My three granddaughters and their three puppets

Moh Moh and I got what we thought Bo Bo Gyi would have gotten the girls. Ti Ti’s puppet is of a magician since Ti Ti is a magician. However, this is the backstory.

While visiting Ti Ti and her family, I spent the best week of my life. Interestingly, I met Ti Ti in her living room of her old home four years ago and played Scrabble with her. This time, in her living room of her new home, Ti Ti wanted to show me her magic tricks.

There are several things that struck me while she performed magic tricks to entertain PaPa Al, which is her name for me. Ti Ti is low-keyed, quiet, and reserved most of the time. However, there is a new Ti Ti when she is performing in front of an audience…even an audience of one.

This is another one of Ti Ti’s magic tricks. While it was a great performance, which took me many times to discover the magic, it was interesting to see how Fatty attempts to become a magician like her older sister.

Ti Ti’s next trick dealt with playing cards. I improved my ability level to figure out her tricks with this one. I tried playing the trick on Fatty. Again, I wasn’t a very good magician.

Ti Ti’s next trick is cutting a string, which magically reconnects itself. That trick I got. Well, I got it until Ti Ti wanted me to perform it myself. Being a magician in Myanmar or any place isn’t as easy as it seems.

It is a strange phenomenon for me to discover my three grandchildren in Myanmar. They made this trip the best of my life. However, in a couple of years on my next trip, that trip will be the best…all because of three young ladies.

Burmese independence flag

Visit the Burma Independence page to read more about this topic.

03/05/18