So there I was standing in line at my favourite dumpling shop minding my own business when my peripheral vision caught sight of what shocked my brain into disbelief: A bald, burly man swaggering down the street in his gold embroidered silk pajamas and shiny white sneakers, with enough bling blings to put a gangsta rapper to shame. I did a double take. The man (not the man himself but the like of him) whom I had read about in a travel forum came to life right before my very eyes. His unconventional style, it seemed, was not too uncommon to [View Full Entry]

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I remember watching a lot of late-night local TV programmes during my first trip to China. It was not by choice since local channels were all the hostels (that I stayed in) had. The content of the programmes best remains forgotten, but a particular advertisement has left a lasting impression for the most part because it was on almost every channel! It was an old school montage of scenic videos where in his most mellifluous voice, the narrator rhapsodized over the natural beauty and charm of Hangzhou, particularly, the West Lake. I have no idea how much of the city's immense [View Full Entry]

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“小活子。找工作嗎？在酒店當保安。要不要？” "Young man, are you looking for a job? Interested in being a hotel security guard?" I must have the look of a young migrant worker who stumbles out of the train station after an excruciating journey from his village thousands of miles away, feeling disoriented and fearful at the same time of what lies ahead in this promised land of infinite opportunities for those who dream big and work hard. A filial son who promis [View Full Entry]

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The locals say that unless one does all of the following, one should never claim one has been to Beijing. Climb the Great Wall. Devour a Peking Duck. And drink Er Guo Tou to one’s heart’s content (or until one’s liver gives out, whichever comes first). Checked, checked and passed. I think I failed the test. But despite not receiving a stamp of approval from the locals, I still heart Beijing. Prior to the trip, friends and colleagues shared with me their experiences in Beijing, which, to be honest, got me a little worried. One, winter in Beijing is cold, [View Full Entry]

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no words, again. [View Full Entry]

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actually, just plain lazy. [View Full Entry]

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I left Cambodia with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I have fulfilled my lifelong dream of visiting one of the world's greatest ancient monuments (Machu Picchu, you are next). On the other hand, I learnt nothing else about the country, its people and their culture. I have only myself to blame for turning this vacation into a checklist of sorts. Three days were all I had budgeted for Cambodia. And Siem Reap, I sensed, is not where the 'real' Cambodia resides. I came, I saw and I left being none the wiser, except with photos to prove that I was [View Full Entry]

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Alone at dawn standing in the company of two hundred and sixteen faces of Jayavarman/Avalokiteshvara (depending on which legend you believe in) almost brought a tear to my eye. Good times were spent chilling on the window ledge watching the ebb and flow of package tourists making a fool of themselves with the gargantuan gnarly roots. Sunrise at Sras Srang must be the most underrated attraction. Angkor Wat, on the other hand, was underwhelming. Never mind, though, because the real stars of Angkor were the children. As soon as I sat my ass down, I was hit on by a bevy [View Full Entry]

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I shall preface this entry by declaring that while I am into history (including mythology), natural scenery and having my breath taken away by the grandeur and splendor of ancient monuments, culture and the arts are more often than not lost, or should I say, wasted on me. Suffice to say, Ubud was, for the most part, not memorable. As our bus pulled into Ubud, one of the first impressions I had, apart from the ubiquity of Balinese art and craft shops, was the chaotic traffic and not to mention, the pollution. Tell me again Kuta is worse, how? (But Ubud [View Full Entry]

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I have been mistaken for a local in Thailand and a Korean in Laos. But me, a Japanese? I got that a lot in Bali, especially at Nusa Lembongan. And I wonder why. I have neither the fair/evenly tanned complexion nor the fashion sensibilities (my unkempt eyebrows are a dead giveaway). It did not matter to the locals I looked more like them than a Chinese/Japanese/Korean, especially after a suntan gone wrong. So long as you are an Asian looking person, you are a Japanese, who apparently is their biggest customer from Asia. The French (or the French-speaking people), it seemed, [View Full Entry]

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