Gangsters running around dark alleys, carrying automatic weapons to shoot any raiding policemen they see. Prostitutes standing under neon signboards, in claustrophobic settlements where the sun hardly penetrates. Meanwhile, residents doing their daily activities, indifferent to the madness around them, carry on with their business […]
Bali, a land with towering volcanoes and pristine rivers flowing out onto turquoise water of the Indonesian seas. Its fertility not only brought welfare to its residents but also sparked wars between Bali’s many small kingdoms, fighting for as many lands to control as possible. […]
We step out of Diamond Hill MTR station in Kowloon, walking towards a walled area surrounded by tall housing estates and bordered by overlapping flyovers. A gilded pavilion emerges behind the walled enclosure, standing on a small island in a pond, glowing under the midday […]
We are standing at a bus stop in Sai Kung, a town with relaxing ambiance in the New Territories, anything but similar with the busy downtown of Hong Kong Island. It is a Wednesday morning in January with clear blue skies, a nice break from […]
The moon. For millennia it has been a perennial source of fascination for humans from almost every culture in the world. The celestial object – often perceived as a gentle balance to the mighty sun – plays an important role in many mythologies: from the […]
Nyiur melambai di tepi pantai ǀ Palm leaves waving on the beach Menghias indah wajah tanah airku ǀ Adorning the beautiful face of my homeland Siulan burung di puncak bambu ǀ Birds singing on top of bambo trees Berirama pujaan tumpah darahku ǀ Rhyming with […]
Hong Kong Island is a small piece of land constantly bustling with round-the-clock activities, keeping its inhabitants living a fast-paced life. It is where new skyscrapers are built, often over the rubble of older ones, to continuously change the face of one of Asia’s economic […]
Four young men sat on a platform before a pool, barechested and cross-legged. They raised their hands while holding a flower on the tip of their fingers, eyes closed and focused. “First you raise your palms and put them together above your head, without any […]
In early January when heavy rain poured over Semarang on a daily basis, I was sitting in my room – sorting out photos for my future posts from the amazing trip to Bali and Timor-Leste with James last December – when an email arrived in […]
We walked through a small alley, lit only by a few lamps mounted on a fence. While passing a small tree something suddenly fell on my head, too heavy to be an insect but too light to be a snake. I bowed my head, shook […]
Simon, our driver who is originally from the Indonesian city of Atambua in West Timor, transports us from Baucau to the small town of Venilale in the hilly interior of Timor-Leste. The roads are in a fairly good condition, but with few vehicles passing by […]
“East Timor is a very dangerous place. The farther you go to the east, the more you will likely be shot. There was a helicopter flying over the eastern region and it was attacked by automatic rifles from the forest below.” I recall being a […]
What an Amazing World! 