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Kids' Corner
Have you ever seen a Grizzly Bear? You may
have read stories about them but not too many people have actually seen one.
Grizzlies can weigh up to 800 pounds and they can be as tall as 8 feet when
they are standing up on their hind legs. Although they are very big and
heavy they can still run very fast and they can reach speeds of up to 40
miles per hour.
The Grizzly Bear likes to eat nuts,
berries, insects, salmon and small mammals. They eat a lot of food in the
summer because during the winter they hibernate. This means that they dig a
den (like a big hole) and sleep during the cold winter months.
The reason that the Grizzly Bear is
threatened is because people have been logging and mining in the places
where they like to live. This destroys their environment and then there is
nothing left for them to eat. Also people have killed Grizzlies to make
coats out of their nice warm fur.
Do you know anything about endangered
animals? Write to Marvin and tell him because he is berry interested in
this. You can send your letters to:
 Marg
and Marvin
Chiangmai Mail
156-158 Im-boon Housing Estate
Muangsamut Road
T. Changmoi, A. Muang,
Chiang Mai 50300
Email: kids@chiangmai-mail.com
Fax: 053 234 145
JOKES
1) What always falls down but never gets hurt?
2) What can run but can’t walk?
3) What do dogs and trees have in common?
4) Name four days that begin with the letter T.
ANSWERS
1) A waterfall
2) Water
3) Their bark
4) Tuesday, Thursday, Today and Tomorrow
Bye from Marg and Marvin
You too, can be No. 1 - young,
funky and save money
Autsadaporn
Kamthai
The Chiang Mai Public Health Office has invited the
public, especially people aged 10-24, to be members of the “To Be Number
One” club.
The “To Be Number One” campaign was first introduced
in Chiang Mai last year and the club already has about 240,000 members,
according to Nuntawan Sophon, head of the Drugs Division of the Provincial
Public Health Office.
 The
campaign pays particular attention to young people aged 10-24 because they
are in the high risk category for drug addiction. The Office aims to have at
least 50 percent of residents in this age group as members. The campaign
already has over 100,000 youth members, Nuntawan revealed.
Members will receive a membership card which provides
many special discounts on items appealing to youth. The cards can be used in
regional provinces as well as Bangkok.
The membership card entitles you to a 50 percent discount
when shopping at any branch of Central Department Store, buy one ticket and
get one free ticket at Imax Theatre, five percent discount at B2S Shop,
three percent discount for furniture on promotion at Index Store, and many
special offers at various fast-food outlets. Members will enjoy even more
privileges in future, assured Nuntawan. The first batch of 10,000 membership
cards has already been delivered.
Interested young people can apply to become members at
the Chiang Mai Education Office, Region 1, on the 4th floor of Chiang Mai
City Hall. Adults can apply at the Chiang Mai Drugs Combating Operations
Center and employees at the Chiang Mai Social Welfare and Labor Protection
Office.
The main activities of the campaign include many kinds of exercise
activities, singing contests, a D.J. training course, and occupational
training courses. The objective of the campaign is to make oppose drug
taking by preventing teenagers and others from becoming involved with and
addicted to narcotics.
Tony Ball’s Bird Watching Diary
Now repeat after me, in a loud high
pitched voice, “Did he do it - did he do it - why did he do it” and
there you have the threatening call of the Red-wattled Lapwing. These birds
have become a pest as far as I’m concerned, they attack me and berate me
until it becomes an embarrassment - passersby often wonder what I’ve done
to get them so worked up. Well all I’ve done is just to be in their
vicinity which also happens to be where they are nesting. They are ground
nesters and there is a danger that you might inadvertently crush their eggs
and what they are trying to do is drive you away. Another little ruse these
birds have is never to actually land at the nest site but to alight some
meters away and then sneak to the little dent in the ground that they call
home.
 One
of the beautiful watercolor pictures of a Red-wattled Lapwing from the late
Yurie Ball.
The day war broke out at Huay Tung Tao: At 6.30 a.m. on
Wednesday 12th May the peace of Huay Tung Tao was rudely shattered as a
platoon of soldiers proceeded to shoot-up and ‘bomb’ the top end of the
lake resort area. Surprisingly the birds took it very well except, of
course, for the lapwings. They went ballistic, appropriately, and with good
reason, the soldiers were tramping all over their nesting sites.
As the ‘bombs’ exploded the foothills erupted in
plumes of earth and smoke and gunfire blasted the once peaceful woodlands,
blanks I assumed as no bullets whistled about my ears. In the meantime Suk,
my driver/housekeeper/cook, had set up my ‘directors’ chair and laid the
table for breakfast and I proceeded to watch the war from my grandstand
position partaking of coffee, sandwiches and cream cakes - it was all over
in 40 minutes just as I finished breakfast. Shades of the Generals at
Balaclava watching as Lord Cardigan led the ill-fated charge of the Light
Brigade!
Christopher Wren (Troglodytes christopherus?) the architect would not
have felt challenged at the work of at least one of the avian world, the
Common Tailorbird. I have been watching one of these building its nest and
it took three attempts to get it right. This bird, as its name suggests,
actually tailors its home by joining two leaves together, it achieves this
by making holes along the edges of the leaves and inserting something of
stalk consistency and teasing the ends to prevent it slipping out. Then the
bird will build the nest inside but on the first two attempts when the nest
was nearly finished it fell out of the hole at the bottom. On the third
attempt it decided to use one large leaf and fold it around and then tailor
it together and this time it worked; quite an ingenious idea - but I hope it
is better at parenting than it was at building, I’ll be keeping an eye on
its progress.
Grace yard sale, acrobatic
or family day?
Text: Ada
B-Overholt
Photos: Suphak Nosten
Will it rain or not? This was the main question the week
leading up to Grace International School’s yard sale. May 15th was the day
of days where the entrance fees and sellers’ fees are donated to the Class
of 2005 - to go towards their senior trip and senior scholarships. Over 500
folks came and enjoyed the day.
There were so many items to choose from! Toys, clothes,
furniture, CDs, plants, bikes, books, even guinea pigs and puppies!
Businesses donated door prizes and the children would like to give them a
special thank you, like Sojo’s Restaurant, Denta-land, Upper Crust,
Kingdom Bookstore (Chiangmai Land) and Just Coffee.
 Amazing!
A five foot vertical jump to smash a balloon in mid-air. He makes it look
easy, but it needs a lot of strength and practice!
To just give an example, Helen VanSumeren won a free meal
from a new and happening Chiang Mai Restaurant, Sojo’s, which is near the
end of the Night Market. “I am so excited,” said Helen, “I love that
restaurant and would like to go there once a week!”
Students of the upper grades worked hard to keep the
hungry customers supplied with hamburgers and hot dogs. For the juniors, it
was the day to earn money towards their senior trip next school year.
But also sport was a matter of this Saturday morning. The
taekwondo students were prepared to wow the crowd with their skill.
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art which is actually a mix of three different
words. ‘Tae’ means to kick or squash with the foot, ‘Kwon’ implies a
hand or fist to punch, block, or strike and ‘Do’ is the art or the way.
So, pulling all together, taekwondo is the Korean martial art of punching,
blocking, and kicking and it is best known for its beautiful dynamic
combination of kicks.
All in all it was a day which resulted in a success for everybody and the
juniors of today are looking forward to be the seniors of tomorrow and go on
their field trip.
Being a fireman - every child’s dream
The trainee fire fighters of Sarapee
Dominique
Leutwiler
When we think back to the good times we had in school,
the first things that come to our minds are the special events like field
trips.
Grades 2 and 3 at the Christian German School Chiang Mai
(CDSC) went on one such exciting field trip last week - to visit the Sarapee
Fire Department.
 This
photo could have been taken in the 1950s anywhere in the world, though it is
2004 in Sarapee, Thailand. That’s a real treasure photo for every photo
album.
For over a month Damaris Maiwald has been working with
her 14 students on the subject “Fire” and “Fire Departments”.
Everybody in the class was excited to visit the fire station and see first
hand what they have been learning in the past weeks.
 Using
the radio is one of the tasks of a firefighter.
Sarapee, which is a suburban fire station, owns one of
the oldest trucks in the region. The children were allowed to climb onto the
fire truck that is between 30 and 40 years old and learn about different
signals and instruments and how to use the radio.
The fire fighters demonstrated the danger of leaking gas
bottles and explained to the children how to properly close them. And every
child was allowed to extinguish a fire, something that nobody wanted to
miss.
Every
child in Grades 2 and 3 was allowed to experience fire fighting as a
hands-on experience.
Their teacher explained, “There was enough action for a field trip with
fire and a lot of smoke and the children succeeded in extinguishing it with
the proper use of the fire extinguisher. When visiting a fire department in
Germany there is usually more theory and less action, so this field trip
will be remembered for a long time.”
Freshmen welcomed into CMU
Kaweeporn
Wachirarangsiman
Chiang Mai University (CMU) began welcoming its latest
batch of freshmen at the Chiang Mai Railway Station.
After the train stopped, the freshmen, helped by the
seniors, began unloading their belongings and descended onto the platform.
After alighting, the new students waited for the bus to take them to the
university, while the male seniors from the associated medical science
faculty formed several rows and performed what they called the “Faculty
Boom” vigorously chanting the faculty name in a booming voice. Most of the
fine arts faculty freshmen had arrived the previous day, and were also at
the station to welcome the latest batch of new students.
Faculty
of fine arts students in CMU uniform, who had arrived the previous day, met
their friends at the train.
Two hours later, all the freshmen gathered at Dharma Hall
near the front gate of Chiang Mai University. The welcoming ceremony here
was organized by the CMU Students Association. Pornchai Netasith, 21, a
fourth year student of the science faculty, and a Students Association
member, reassured parents who may be worried about the freshmen’s
reception, that they would be well looked after.
Deputy Professor Teera Wisitpanitch, vice-president for
CMU Alumni Affairs, presided over the Dharma Hall ceremony and addressed the
students, saying, “I would like you to cherish this as one of your most
memorable days of your life. We are united as CMU students.”
The vice-president also told the newcomers to live their
university lives in the most worthy fashion and try to make as many friends
as possible because this would be useful for them after graduating.
The reception ended with the performance of traditional Lanna-style
drumming, the “Klong Sabad Chai-Drum of Triumph”, which used to be
performed by warriors before they went off to war. Nowadays, this
performance is carried out on auspicious occasions such as the freshmen
welcome.
More scholarships available
for foreign and Thai students
Peter Rudd
I-TIM’s the International Hotel and Tourism Industry
Management School located in Bangkok is now accepting applications for next
intake, their 33rd which will commence in July 2004. Scholarships are
available for the two-year diploma program in hotel and tourism management
for both Thai and foreign students. Each year of the programs a five month
internship period with placement in all major tourist destinations including
Chiang Mai. This intake will include students from Brazil, Sweden, South
Africa, Vietnam, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Applications for
scholarships are free and available from I-TIM and close on the 25th June
2004. For further information please telephone 02-7320170-3, e-mail
info@i-tim.ac.th or visit www.i-tim.ac.th
Students spend three days
learning about Buddhism
15th year of morals camps
Kaweeporn
Wachiraransiman
For 74 junior-high school students thirsting for Buddhist
knowledge, the animated voice of Phra Songserm could be heard from the main
hall at the Kunnadharma (morals) Camp of Panyanantha Institute in Wat Umong.
 Phra
Songserm giving a lesson on Buddhism.
The students were from grades 7-9. The school promotes
Buddhist knowledge among students inviting teaching monks from the nearby
temple to lecture on Buddhism and by arranging moral camps.
However, this was the first time they took the students
on a camp outside their district, but it might be the last time because of
financial constraints. “We were funded with over 15,000 baht by the Mae
Fah Tambon Administration Organization to offer the children activities on
Buddhism,” the teacher explained. The money was used to pay for
electricity, water and lodgings.
 Namkhang,
a girl from the Jaka-sacrifice group, one of the eight Buddhist moral
principles, sits close to a friend from another group called Kanti-patience.
Phra Mahawieng, another monk teacher, said they tutored
the children on attaining true happiness. Children grow up “in the
confusing world filled with bad vitamins and haunted by ghosts,” he added.
“According to the Buddhist belief, there are six paths
of ruin, which are drinking alcohol, roaming around at night, being idle,
gambling, associating with bad friends, and ignoring duty and work. These
vices are often personalized as ghosts, for example, Phee Kee Lhao (an
alcohol drinker) or Phee Kan Pahnun (a gambler).”
The
junior high school students from Ban Rom Luang School listen attentively to
their teacher monk.
The camp would offer them “the good vitamins” by
teaching them self-discipline and how to dismiss bad thoughts, speech and
deeds.
Throughout the three day camp, the students from Ban Rom
Luang were woken by the temple bell at 4 a.m. to follow the religious
practice of reciting prayers and meditating. Several activities aimed at
educating them about Buddhism and moral lessons continued through until 10
p.m.
The students were divided into groups named after the
eight moral principles of Buddhism and they sat and walked together within
their groups. Disobedient students were given a yellow card for the first
offence, and a red card for the next offence. Each red card meant punishment
of 30 minutes of extra meditation.
The Kunnadharma Camp has been running for more than 15
years. Not only junior high school students train here, but participants can
be from kindergarten to university students, as well as civil servants,
police officers, the military and nurses.
Organizations interested in having their members trained there should
contact the Kunnadharma Camp of Panyanantha Institute in Wat Umong, or call
Phra Mahanarinth at 04-0454819 or Phra Ajarn Singha (Wat Umong Abbot) at
053-273990.
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