Pronunciation Guide and Glossary

Characters
  • Chiko (Chee-Koh): a 15-year old Burmese doctor's son
  • Lei (Lay): Chiko's next-door neighbor and secret crush
  • Tai (Tie): a savvy street boy
  • Sawati (Sah-wah-tee): Tai's sister
  • Bindu (Bin-dew): a good-natured but not-so-smart Burmese soldier
  • U Tha Din (Oo-thah-deen): the Sergeant in charge of the army training camp
  • Tu Reh (Too-ray): a 16-year old Karenni boy forced to flee his home for a Thai refugee camp
  • Peh (Pay): What Tu Reh calls his father
  • Mua (Moo-a): what Tu Reh calls his mother
  • Bu Reh (Boo-ray): a refugee camp leader
  • Sa Reh (Sah-ray): Tu Reh's friend in the camp and Bu Reh's son
  • Nya Meh (Neeya-may): a girl with the gift of healing
  • Ree Meh (Ree-may): the healer's younger sister and Tu Reh's dream girl
  • Ana Meh (Anna-may): Tu Reh's little sister
Words
  • Yangon (Yan-gone): big city in Burma, also known as Rangoon
  • Karenni (Kah-ren-nee): an ethnic group living in Burma who speak a different language
  • Tanaka (tah-nah-kah): a paste made with water mixed with tanaka tree wood
  • Longyi (lone-jee): a long cloth that Burmese guys wear from the waist down