MAHA 2008

In a recent post, I wrote about MAHA 2008 (Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture And Agrotourism Exhibition 2008), the  region’s largest exhibition showcasing the latest Technologies and Innovations in the Agriculture, Agro-Based, Horticulture and Agrotourism Industry. The exhibition featured 950 local and international exhibitors, animal rides (elephant, pony, camel — take your pick!), a leech therapy booth (fancy getting some leeches to suck ‘bad blood’ out of you??), a display of ornamental fish, a greenhouse full of vegetables, demonstrations on horseshoe making and how police dogs sniff out illegal drugs from a row of luggage.

Naturally, where there are crowds, there are sales (or is it the other way around?). There were seeds, saplings, pineapple crowns, fertilisers, horse supplements, gardening tools and farming equipment for sale at very reasonable prices.

But the biggest crowd-puller was, of course, the rodeo, complete with genuine cowboys from Australia. The photo on the left shows one of cowboys cracking a pair of whips while walking on the rain-drenched fence, balancing precariously with his leather boots. The photo on the right shows MyEldest, OnlyGirl and RoundBoy patting a cowboy’s horse — irrefutable proof that the rodeo was, indeed, in Malaysia.

Crack those whips, Luke Fence-Walker!	Good horsie… nice horsie!

This photo, meanwhile, shows a cowboy who fell off the bull that it was riding, with a cowboy clown getting ready to distract the bull so that the fallen cowboy could make his getaway.

The Yang Dipertuan Agong (Sultan of Malaysia) happened to be in the rodeo audience that day, so I assume that the cowboys must have given an extraordinary, special performance that morning.

When MAHA 2009 comes around, I’ll definitely make it a point to take the kids there again!