I don’t remember exactly how it started, but apart from my penchant for ancient sites, now I also have a soft spot for urban renewal projects. These are initiatives and programs aimed at revitalizing dilapidated parts of a city to make them more lively, more […]
All posts filed under: Asia
When Night Falls in Kaohsiung
During the day, the oppressive heat and humidity of the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung can be a real challenge for those who are not used to them. However, when the sun goes down, not only do temperatures drop to a more bearable level, but […]
A Walk around Samarkand
On our penultimate day in Samarkand, grey clouds persistently hung over the city. But we had anticipated this and decided that we would spend the day visiting the sites further away from the city center, on foot. I have mentioned this before, but we do […]
A Silent Witness of Kaohsiung’s Upheavals
Imagine having a front-row seat to a spectacle that lasts not merely for a few hours, but for centuries. The southern tip of a hill that guards the northern side of the narrow entrance to Takao Harbor (in present-day Kaohsiung) had always been a prime […]
Shah-i-Zinda: The Turquoise Necropolis
There are many ways to remember those who have died. However, it has been proven over and over again that a very special person usually gets a unique memorial that itself will be remembered for many generations. Of all the things mankind has constructed to […]
Taking It Easy in Bangli
I first tasted loloh cemcem at a Balinese restaurant in Jakarta days after its opening in June 2022. When we saw it on the menu, James and I decided to give it a try out of curiosity, thanks to the green elixir’s color and unfamiliar […]
Cijin Island: Kaohsiung’s Natural Protector
Imagine a city by the sea, prone to the occasionally destructive forces of nature, be it strong gusts or crushing waves. Now picture a small island separating the city from the ocean, providing a natural barrier from the same elements, as if it was a […]
Registan: The Jewel of the Silk Road
The taxi that took us from the train station weaved through the streets of Samarkand. We had just arrived from Tashkent on a two-hour journey now made possible thanks to the Afrosiyob, the first high-speed rail system in Central Asia which was named after an […]
Bibi-Khanym Mosque: Too Big for Its Own Good
When one strolls around the downtown area of Samarkand, the Registan will undoubtedly take the spotlight. It is to Uzbekistan what Machu Picchu is to Peru, the Great Pyramid of Giza is to Egypt, or the Great Wall is to China. Simply put, they all […]
Navigating the Grief – A Year Later
It was exactly this month last year when I lost my mother to cancer, an event that shook me to the core like no other one before. Although I have previously written about all the feelings that came rushing inside me following her death, I […]
Cholon: Saigon’s Eclectic Chinatown
The Year of the Wood Snake is just around the corner, and ethnic Chinese communities across the globe are gearing up for the festive season. Families gather, people travel long distances to be reunited with their loved ones, even many shops, factories, and offices are […]
Meet Timur the Conqueror
Conquerors must be among the most divisive figures in human history. They are often regarded as heroes by the people they represent, whose territory grows following victorious military campaigns. But on the other hand, the conquered see them either as an evil force or as […]
What an Amazing World! 