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 […]
All posts filed under: Southeast
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 […]
Kbal Spean & Ancient Khmer’s Holy River
When Jayavarman II united the Khmer people and founded a kingdom at the turn of the ninth century, he would probably have never imagined that centuries later his country would eventually become the mighty Khmer Empire, nor would he have envisioned that his nation would […]
In Remembrance of My Mother
“What is your hobby actually?” This was a question I asked my mom a long time ago with me expecting her to say cooking, singing, or dancing. But she didn’t even need one second to reply. “Putting on make up!” she answered spontaneously, followed by […]
Candi Barong and the Prayer for Abundance
It shouldn’t come as a surprise why we are the dominant species on Earth today, so much so a geological epoch called the Anthropocene has been proposed due to the dramatic and profound impact humans have had on the planet. We are capable of creating […]
Trying to Love Jakarta, Again
It was three months ago when the idea of writing this post crossed my mind. At that time, the air pollution in Jakarta, a city I’ve called home since 2008, was at its worst in recent years. Videos circulating online taken by airplane passengers showed […]
Candi Sojiwan: Life Lessons in Frames
Today, teaching life lessons to help others become better human beings can be done in many ways. Some people prefer to make educational videos, others choose to do this through engaging social media content, and quite a few still enjoy sharing their thoughts and experiences […]
Quy Nhon: Easy and Breezy
I must admit, before learning about the ancient Hindu temples built by the people of Champa in what is now Binh Dinh (Bình Định) province in Vietnam, I had never heard of Quy Nhon (Quy Nhơn). This city in the south-central part of the country […]
What an Amazing World! 