The circus comes to town

20 young circus performers from Quebec, USA, Thailand, UK, and I don't know where else came to Mae Sot for a week of free performances at migrant schools. We went out to the LDF school one hot Saturday afternoon, biking 10km on dusty dirt roads, to see 200 excited kids watch these guys clown, do acrobatics, break dance, and juggle. After the show, they gave workshops on hula hoops, poi sticks, twirling long bamboo poles, and break dancing. And they face painted anyone who wanted it. Magic.








Watching the face painting

4/11 Chidwana

This is home. A concrete town house that, while not a charming wooden Thai stilt house, has the distinct advantage of being COOL. The bamboo plants are the latest addition to the 'garden'....



The gate to our house



The orchids are not blooming...yet

Quiet moments

At KED office in Mae Pa, between meetings







Tcorner is our home away from home; best iced coffee in town, ice cold beer in a frosted glass, and the company of Tuk (mom), Fai and Num, daughters. Cool under a canopy of green leaves and brilliant flowers it's a great place to take 5 or even 20.

And some not so quiet ones

Ahhhh, Chinese New Year. The year of the Ox. For three days we were treated to ear-splitting firecrackers going off all over town. We leaped out of bed one particularly loud morning and ran outside to see a guy with ear muffs (!!) holding a tall pole with an even longer string of exploding firecrackers hanging off it! This gets rid of evil spirits and maybe even a finger or two.

Detritus post explosion

Artists at work

This funeral pyre is being built on an empty lot behind Borderline. The guy building it ( in front of sign ) is a gallery artist. He and his father designed it for a monk that died 6 years ago. Don't ask! He will be cremated on March 16th with a great long ceremony, no doubt including music, food, and fireworks.


And it's outlined in fairy lights at night! Almost done... March 7




Sein Sein's murals at the Oasis Cafe; a Christian coffee house that offers church services, Thai, Burmese, and English language lessons, as well as brewed coffee.

Borderline Gallery

BoBo has taken over as curator for the gallery as Sein Sein Lin is painting full-time. She is also teaching art at one of the many migrant schools here.



The unstoppable Nwe Nwe





The MY STORY photo project exhibition contract with Borderline

A day in the life of us

Success! Found out where to pay the electric bill. The little lightning bolts on the sign gave it away.



Nat explains how to keep camera batteries going to a student.




Was it something I said?


Favorite place for dinner: you point to what you want, she chops it and her husband stir fries it. We often see her at our market, her son & daughter waiting with the motorbike, while she buys the evenings veggies.