Chinlon

It is a common sight if we are in Myanmar to witness people of all ages, in particular   their male youngsters and sometimes the adult men playing chinlon near the roadsides or on the open fields. 

Well, you're now wondering what is chinlon? It is a game where a woven rattan ball about a 12cm rattan ball is kicked around. In fact, it is also a traditional sport for the Myanmar people.

In my language, the game is known as sepak raga or sepak takraw. But, what attracted me most to the  chinlon game in Myanmar is not only that the game is a traditional game in a circle of six persons, but most importantly on how beautifully one plays the game while wearing the longyis aka sarongs. 

Since the players knew that the longyis disrupted their game, so they hitched and tucked their longyis upwards about their loins. And most of them preferred to bare their chests in the summer breeze meaning they don't wear shirts or clothing. In fact, while playing they also bare-footed with hairy legs, that brought smiles to many spectators including me ;)