More Clown Eckie in Mae Sot
Following on from his previous show at BHSOH (Boarding High School for Orphangs and Helpless Youths), Clown Eckie, the ‘only’ British professional clown in Thailand, performed for the children at Mala Young and Panoki Nursery School.
Some of the children at the nursery school were recently arrived from Burma and previously had no or little contact with foreigners – let alone a white person wearing large shoes, brightly coloured clothes, a wig, a hat, and a painted face. Needless to say, the reception was somewhat mixed as can be seen by the images below!
Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) in Mae Ramat
Muay Thai literally means Thai Boxing and is also known as The Art of the Eight Limbs. Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand and is the country’s national sport.
In its original form, Muay Thai consisted of an arsenal of nine weapons – the head, fists, elbows, knees and feet – known collectively as na-wa arwud. Although in modern Muay Thai, both amateur and professional, headbutting an opponent is no longer allowed.
Clown Eckie comes to Mae Sot
Clown Eckie, the ‘only’ British professional clown in Thailand, brought his brilliant mime show to Mae Sot where he performed for children (and some of the older ones…) at BHSOH (Boarding High School for Orphans and Helpless Youths).
BHSOH was established in 1994 by Khaing Oo Maung, an Arakanese born in Bangladesh, in the extreme south of Burma. They frequently had to change the location of the school to avoid contact with enemy patrols until finally they settled down in Mae Pa, just north of Mae Sot, in 1999.
Today BHSOH is a member of the BMWEC (Burmese Migrant Workers Education Committee) and looks after 150 students, of which 35 are boarders. It offers all levels from Kindergarten up to grade 10.
Southern 80 Ski Race – 2008
The Southern 80 and the Barrie Beehag Ski Race Classic are conducted by the the Moama Water Sports Club (MWSC) on the mighty Murray River at Echuca / Moama. The Southern 80 Ski Race has been going now for over 40 years. The race takes place on the Murray River between Torrumbarry and Echuca on the second Sunday in February each year.
The event is a two up water ski race, which covers the river from Torrumbarry to Echuca. There are over 120 bends in this part of the river.
The race attracts over 400 entries from all over Australia with international representation from New Zealand, Great Britain and the USA.
