We were on a mission. A few months prior to our visit to Bali in June 2024, James went on a business trip to this island and had a local delicacy that he raved about when he came back to Jakarta. Called oret or urutan […]
All posts filed under: Southeast
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 […]
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 […]
New Hopes Rising from the Ashes
On a particularly sunny day in June 2023, James and I revisited the National Museum of Indonesia as we were curious with how it looked after being closed for renovations. Across the courtyard of the old wing, a few statues that were placed at inconspicuous […]
How Good Meals Saved the Day – A Kintamani Story
In November 2022, when the skies of Bali were mostly gray, I found myself standing in the courtyard of a large Hindu temple complex I had never been to before. The island’s tourism industry was still recovering from the nightmare that was the Covid pandemic, […]
Saigon through More Appreciative Eyes
In July 2011, my younger and more judgmental self was walking the streets of Saigon, Vietnam’s largest city as well as its economic hub. Maybe it was the heat, or the incessant motorcycle traffic, or the fact that a few days earlier I was still […]
The Three Lakes of Bedugul
A long time ago in the north of Bali an ancient volcano erupted, leaving a giant caldera in the aftermath. While studies on this past natural disaster are limited, one thing is certain: this part of the island has been blessed with a high amount […]
Ta Som: A Serene Sanctuary
If someone mentions an ancient Khmer temple entangled with giant tree roots, you would probably think of Ta Prohm, the iconic centuries-old ruins that are almost as popular as Angkor Wat itself. And if someone brings up Jayavarman VII, the powerful king who was also […]
The King’s Father and the Serpent
What would you do if you became the ruler of an empire with a history spanning centuries and known among its neighbors for its majestic temples? For Jayavarman VII, the king of the Khmer Empire in the late 12th century CE, the answer was simple: […]
Bali is (Still) a Good Idea
Imagine waking up to a view of fiery skies with silhouettes of volcanic peaks. And when the sun has risen higher on the eastern horizon, its soft rays cast a gentle warmth that brings the forests and rice terraces on nearby hills to life. The […]
Eating Well in Siem Reap
In July 2011, when I was in Cambodia during a week-long whirlwind backpacking trip across three Southeast Asian countries, I took a photo of the dish above. Called lok lak, it was touted as the country’s national dish and it happened to be the only […]
What an Amazing World! 