‘Muddy Waters,’ Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, March 27 — Before this trip, the name Kuala Lumpur (translated roughly as ‘muddy waters’) didn’t conjure up much except the...
Bunny!
Bay of Bengal, March 31 — Look who was waiting for me when I got back from a birthday dinner! (He does have another eye.) Just got the...
Singapore’s Paranakan Culture
Go make another cup of coffee and learn some more about Singapore. As you’ve already deduced, I found it a fascinating place... On our...
Singapore Night Safari: Lions and Tigers and Pangolins, Oh My!
Singapore, March 25 — Because we were docked in the city overnight, I could go on the Night Safari excursion to the Singapore Zoo....
Singapore: Wealthy, Well-behaved, Multi-ethnic... and Repressed
Singapore, March 25 — Caveat emptor: Most of the history and theory I’ve laid out here comes from the two on-board lecturers, one a...
Koh Samui: There be Elephants...
Thailand’s second largest island, after Phuket. There be elephants... but I hadn’t signed up beforehand to ride one, as many of my...
‘Sawadee,’ Mama Toy
Bangkok, March 22 — Day 2 in Bangkok, the ‘Venice of the East.’ There was a formal royal family event at the splendiferous gold-encrusted...
Sihanoukville: A peek at the underbelly of Asia
Cambodia, March 20 — Don’t be fooled by these first two images. Cambodia is not a jewel in Asia’s crown. With a literacy rate of around...
Art & Skyscrapers in ‘The Paris of the East’
[We visited a lacquerware workshop and showroom. Eggshells, as well as mother of pearl, are used to create white or off-white areas on...
Pattaya and the Sanctuary of Truth
August 28 update: Unfortunately, I screwed up the original post, completely eliminating its introductory ¶. I have scoured the ether, but...
