It's been over a month since I last uploaded and my goodness, a lot has happened!  From Russia attacking Ukraine, to Omicron surges in several countries like South Korea and China, and crazy powercut schedules in Myanmar, it seems like no one can catch a break! This episode might not be the most coherent, but hopefully, it gives you some insight into how 2022 has played out so far for the people of Myanmar. Listen to learn more about the deteriorating state of Myanmar! 

In the spirit of ~love~ and Valentine’s Day, my friend and I sat down to explore the topic of dating and sex in Myanmar and shared some unique perspectives and personal experiences. It was a sweet walk down memory lane for both of us, followed by a ton of giggling trying to recall old memories from high school. I’m hoping that the 90’s babies will be able to relate to this episode. Tune in for some giggles and laughs!

Without a doubt, this past year has been a tumulous year for the people of Myanmar - and today, February 1, 2022, marks one year since the Tatmadaw (the military) staged a coup d'etat in Myanmar. It has been a long and painful year like no other, but the fight for democracy continues in the hearts of many people. This episode is a personal one, where I reflect on certain aspects of my personal life. I hope this episode resonates with some of you out there. 

May this revolution succeed. 

I finally get to talk about something that I love, which is books! My friend and I sat down to discuss some of the books we've read so far about Myanmar. In addition to books, we also briefly mentioned two films that are about Myanmar. I highly recommend you to check it out!

Content Warning: Both films include graphic scenes and images that might be disturbing for some audiences. Some books also contain graphic details of mutilation, rape, torture and violence.

Books:

The Hidden History of Burma - Thant Myint U

Miss Burma - Charmaine Craig

from the land of green ghosts - Pascal Khoo Thwe

The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh

Freedom From Fear - Aung San Suu Kyi

Burmese Days - George Orwell

The Shan of Burma - Chao Tzang Yawnghwe

Twilight Over Burma - Inge Eberhard

Films:

The Lady

Beyond Rangoon

Wrapping up 2021 with episode 7! This episode is a bit personal since you will be hearing a few details about me (your host), how Sagarwine came to be and how the coup has affected the way I have had to manage this podcast. If you are curious to know what the current living situation is like in Myanmar, I will be giving you a glimpse of what has happened and what is currently happening as well. Tune in to find out more! 

I hope you are all staying safe and healthy, and praying that 2022 will be different. 

If you haven’t already, you can follow us on Instagram. Our handle is @sagarwinepodcast

Episode 6 introduces a mental health counselor and together with the host, they discuss about mental health in Myanmar and how culture plays a role in how people view this topic. In this episode, the guest highlights several mental health resources that are available in Myanmar and some of these resources offer free virtual counseling sessions! Please see the links below for more information and tune in to learn more! 

If you or anyone you know is going through mental health problems, call the Helpline (number is listed below), or seek help at one of the mental health services listed below. 

Opinions and Thoughts podcast - anchor.fm/opinions-and-thoughts

https://www.facebook.com/RevitalizeMindsMyanmar

https://www.facebook.com/OpenHeartMentalHealthSupport/

https://www.facebook.com/cittasukhamyanmar

https://www.facebook.com/nwayoohealingspacemyanmar/

https://www.facebook.com/counsellingcornermyanmar/

https://www.facebook.com/CallMeToday.Service/

+95 - 9782383145 - Helpline

https://www.facebook.com/marblepsychologicalservices

For the 5th episode, we have a special guest all the way from Shan State! He will go by the alias Khoo and his voice has been altered to conceal his identity. Khoo comes from a mixed background - half Shan half Burmese, and he discusses about some of the difficulties he faced growing up as a "mixed kid" and what it was like to grow up under the military regime. We used an important term "Burmanization" during our discussion and Khoo shed some light on how that affected him as he was a young boy. Tune in to learn more! 

In episode 4, J talks to her good friend, K and they recall some of their own experiences of what it was like to grow up as a girl in Myanmar. They discuss about how the patriarchal society that is highly influenced by religion has impacted both of them as young women. In addition, the two share some interesting rules and superstitious beliefs they were told as young girls by family members. Listen to find out more interesting facts about what it is like to grow up as a girl in Myanmar! 

This episode gives you a brief summary of some of the major events that occurred during the last week of October. For those who have not been able to keep up with recent events in Myanmar, hopefully this episode will give you a better understanding of what's been happening so far. In addition, the host provides some useful resources to help keep up with the news, as well as donation links for those who are interested in supporting the people of Myanmar. See links listed below for more info:

Mohinga Matters - mohingamatters.com

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) - aappb.org 

Donation link - mutualaidmyanmar.org

For the second episode, we have two special guests joining Sagarwine! They are the admins of the hearthevoiceofmyanmar Instagram page. Together, we discuss about how they began their page to spread awareness and reflect on moments of growing up under military rule. The guests will go by the initials, C and D, and their voices have been altered to conceal their identity. Listen to find our more!