A CARAVAN of 12 four-wheel-drive Isuzu Troopers carrying 52 representatives from Malaysia’s armed forces passed through Myanmar last week on their way from Cape Town, South Africa, to Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence.

“We need to tell them not to catch undersized eels so we can reduce the workload and prevent the unnecessary deaths of eels,” U Khin Ko Lay said, adding that regulations prohibited the export of eels of less than 3 centimetres radius.

The institute, which is a branch of Sitagu International Buddhist Academy in Sagaing near Mandalay, will be the “first of its kind in the world” in offering English-language lessons on the Abhidhamma, one of the three pitakas (baskets, or books) of the Buddhist canon, according to the institute’s official guidebook.

THE swagger or strut of Myanmar’s telecom trendsetters may not be essential to accommodating the dazzling handset holstered at the hip, but there’s a pretty good chance that piece of mobile wizardry is putting some extra spring in their step.

The Myanmar team of three, comprising former Asia titleholder Aung San Oo, Nay Thway Oo and Kyaw Oo, help make up a field of 36 of the world’s best cueists at the September 4-9 spectacle, with players from Australia, England, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam competing in eight groups.

“I send the kids to school every morning and fetch them around 3pm,” Alex says. “I work out during the day and spend time with my wife. When the kids are home, I feed and play with them and set aside recording time from 7 to 10pm when they are in bed.”