John M. Edwards sings the Buddha electric, embarking on a quest in the Laotian capital for the world’s most unique body posture. People thought I was a lunatic for coming all the way to Laos, a landlocked nation without any beaches, for a “vacation”? Even I thought I was out of my mind. After a couple of days lying on the wavy grass in the hazy egg-yolk-shaped sun of Vientiane, a Southeast Asian Wild West boomtown, though, I was bronzed … [Read more...]
Uncovering Seoul
The best travel experiences are those of discovery. It does not have to be a life-changing discovery as those recounted in a lot of romantic stories nowadays. Simple, small discoveries will do. It was with the longing for a simple discovery that my friends and I planned our winter trip earlier this year. We were all born and raised in a tropical country where the sun shines all year through, so we wanted to find out what a snowy winter would … [Read more...]
The Journey of a Lifetime
As I hastily climbed the stairs of my neighbor’s house, gasping for air with sweat dripping across my forehead, I had one goal in mind: to win this game of Hide and Go Seek. I had no idea that this simple game would change my life forever. Continuing up the stairs I had the mentality of many young children - my life seemed invincible and the thought of death was distant and abstract. Thinking that I would outsmart everyone, I climbed onto a … [Read more...]
Corregidor: A Legacy Of War
Roiling thuds from warship mortars, swishing sounds from fighter planes, the wailing and myriad of death probably depicts the actual scene of the blood-spattered battle in the summer of 1942. All of it reverberates in my mind while my passenger ship passes through the waters of Corregidor. Taking a quick video of the battle site, I can imagine how frightening it was: below a pale grey sky, a huge black smoke perhaps darkened overhead, old … [Read more...]
Myanmar or Burma – What’s in a Name?
The excitement and optimism in the Yangon air these days is palpable. In 2011 the impossible happened. The half century of rule by an oppressive military junta was over and longtime political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi had been released and duly elected to parliament. It was shortly after her election that I met with Burmese friends in a crowded coffee shop on Bogyoke Aung San Road, not far from Scott Market. We were there to talk … [Read more...]
The Hills of Northern Pakistan
In summer the heat slams down onto Pakistan like a sledgehammer. The sun boils with a malevolent intensity as the temperatures rise, and rise, and rise. Houses become ovens and to go for a walk is to be physically assaulted by a heat which is like a cruel, merciless entity. Street dogs flop over, their sides heaving as they suck in the soup-like air. Birds migrate to the hills. Even flies, rendered idiotic and clumsy by the heat, blunder … [Read more...]
Tips for Being in Kuala Lumpur During Ramadan
Malaysia is a predominately Muslim country. During the month of Ramadan (usually in August), devout Muslims fast during the day, say several prayers and then break their fast with a special evening meal. This important time of year is regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam and it begins with the crescent moon phase. Fasting is obligatory for Muslims, with the exception of pregnant women, the ill, children or diabetics. From sunrise to … [Read more...]
A Totally Different Light Over Manila
Docking at the wharf of Manila reminds me of my first arrival in the city many years ago: the first of many arrivals I have experienced in the Philippine capital. A sunny climate greets me. The sunlight is intense yet reflecting so vibrantly upon the waters of Manila Bay. Over the years, there have been critics moaning about the city - mentioning its smog and chaotic traffic, its crimes, not to mention the voluminous homes (if such can be called … [Read more...]
Why Myanmar, Why Now?
As President Obama’s high profile visit to Myanmar in recent years helped to illustrate, the country has undergone major democratic reforms and emerged from a half century of isolation. With the hardline military junta dissolved; General turned President Thein Sein trading in his army uniform for Hugo Boss, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi freely elected to parliament, "The Golden Land" has at long last re-opened her arms to the … [Read more...]
Ketut and me: An encounter with Bali’s medicine man
"You so pretty, your lips like sugar." The 98 year old frail man let go of my palm and made me turn around so he can read my neck and pronounced with a toothless smile that I would have great sex at midnight. Good to know. "Um Ketut, so what about my career?" Ketut coughed a bit, and said he had to go take a pee and got up to go inside. I smiled accommodatingly and looked at my friends patiently waiting their turn to speak to the most … [Read more...]
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