Hazzards Emergency Exit

These are some photos of Nottingham, England, where I am attending graduate school.... read more

During the summer months India’s Himalayan foothills offer some relief from the sweltering heat of the plains below. After I had endured the scorching heat of Rajasthan for a few weeks I made getting to cooler climates a priority. On my way north from Delhi I stopped to visit a few places in Punjab; namely, the Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Pakistan-India border crossing. The Golden Temple is the seat of the Sikh religion. Watching the masses of pilgrims perform their prayers throughout the temple complex was fascinating. Inside the Golden Temple itself, Sikh priests performed live hymns with an organ and tabla drums whilst sitting on the floor. The mesmerizing music was complimented by the gold and precious stones that decorated the temple’s interior, and by the beams of sunlight that flashed through the ... read more

Over the past month I have traveled from Hanoi to Kathmandu via southwestern China and Tibet. These regions are among the world’s more remote places, and naturally, there are many stories to tell about the journey. What I have provided here is just a brief overview. My route passed through three geographically and culturally distinct regions: China, Tibet and Nepal. China: Getting to Tibet entailed crossing the Yunnan province in southwestern China. I found traveling in China to be surprisingly easy. After having been hawked and gawked at in Indochina for several months, it felt great to be ignored by people who were generally indifferent to my presence. Many of the more experienced travelers I have met on my trip so far had warned me of the difficulties arising from the extreme language barrier in China, ... read more

I have come to believe that the collective national pastime for aging women in Laos is to aimlessly wander along mountain roads with large bundles of firewood strapped to their backs. These women roam everywhere with scarves on their heads and weathered faces, occasionally giving me a grin as I pass by. When I was on the move, whatever forms of transport I happened to be on weaved from side to side on the narrow mountain roads to dodge these women, in addition to the herds of boney cattle and water buffalo that were often being prodded along the road by switch-wielding villagers. I rarely passed anything with a motor on the roads in northern Laos. Bus travel in Laos could get a bit eerie though. On one trip, an ‘armed escort’ (that is to say ... read more

Occasionally we have experiences that permanently alter our frame of reference in regards to how we view our own position in the world. I recently visited some refugees along the Thai/Burma border and the experience had just that effect. Thailand’s western border regions bear witness to the human tragedy that is currently taking place inside Burma. I arrived at the refugee settlement on the back of a dirt bike, and I immediately took notice of the strong military presence and signs that warned newcomers about the presence of landmines in the area. The Thai Army keeps troops along the border regions to supposedly prevent Burmese troops from crossing the border to kill refugees. However, the Thai Army is also there to prevent Burmese refugees from traveling deeper into Thailand. Other armed groups in the region include ... read more